After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 38

This time, Yin Ruolan slept unusually soundly, unaware of when the person beside her had risen and left.

Half-asleep, she instinctively reached out to touch the space beside her. Feeling the cold, empty bedding, she jolted awake instantly, scanning the surroundings but finding no trace of anyone.

Where had she gone? Yin Ruolan instinctively tried to sense her through their partner bond but felt nothing, plunging her into an icy dread in an instant.

Was it Penglai again? Or was it that bastard, the Heavenly Dao?

After only a moment of stunned silence, Yin Ruolan grabbed her sword and strode out, tendrils of black energy coiling around her, her eyes blazing crimson.

But the moment she saw Xu Jingqiu standing there, the dark aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never been there. “Where did you go?” Yin Ruolan asked, her voice tinged with an unconscious note of grievance.

Xu Jingqiu reached out and erased the door behind her, the doorframe transforming into a bracelet that returned to her wrist. Clearly, she had just arrived. “Me? I went to the forbidden land with the elder. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. Sorry.”

When she had woken up, she had tried to rouse Yin Ruolan, but guessing that last night’s “exertions” had left her exhausted, she left a message before heading to her appointment. Ling had set up a barrier in the forbidden land beforehand, isolating all communication including the connection of their partner bond.

It was only when she sensed the fluctuations of the God-Binding Chains that she realized Yin Ruolan was urgently searching for her. She had immediately opened a door and returned, though she’d have to explain herself to Ling later.

Xu Jingqiu: Ugh, what a headache.

But why had the message she left inexplicably disappeared?

Before Xu Jingqiu could ask, Yin Ruolan stepped forward and embraced her tightly, her voice trembling. “I thought you had disappeared.”

Xu Jingqiu knew all too well how deeply her previous “enlightenment” had affected Yin Ruolan. She returned the embrace, saying softly, “I’m sorry, I scared you.”

“So, what were you discussing in the forbidden land? Did the seal have problems again?” Yin Ruolan asked.

Xu Jingqiu shook her head. “No, we were just talking about how to deal with this Outer God. We had some disagreements and argued a bit, but we didn’t reach any conclusions.”

She hadn’t stayed in the forbidden land for long, she’d returned after only a few words. She’d probably be teased by Ling about it for a while.

At this, Yin Ruolan felt a pang of guilt. “This is the Demon Realm’s problem, yet we’re making you go to such lengths.” Compared to Xu Jingqiu and the others, both she and the Demon Realm were too weak. Facing god-level enemies, they could only rely on them.

“That’s not a problem. Dealing with Outer Gods is the responsibility of the Institute. We’re not exactly benevolent do-gooders we all have our own grudges against the Outer Gods, to varying degrees. Besides, we don’t save just anyone. Those who refuse to change can fend for themselves. As for helping you, ” Xu Jingqiu paused before continuing, “Partly, it’s out of admiration for the first Demon Lord, who dared to face an Outer God head-on. But the main reason is because you’re here.”

Yin Ruolan was taken aback for a moment, then bloomed with joy, her happiness evident.

She really is easy to coax, just as Zero said. Xu Jingqiu thought to herself, feeling a twinge of guilt but still speaking up: “However, I still need to go to her place next. Earlier, I left in the middle of our discussion, so we haven’t finalized the details yet.”

Seeing the other person’s mood sink further, Xu Jingqiu quickly offered a remedy: “But the senior never said you couldn’t come. You’re welcome to join and listen.”

In the end, Xu Jingqiu stood alone in front of the door, letting out a soft sigh before raising her hand to knock. “Senior, are you there?”

“I’m here, come on in.”

It seemed like there was another presence inside? Xu Jingqiu hesitated for a moment but still chose to push the door open. Sure enough, she saw Zero’s other half lying with her head on Zero’s lap, being fed by her. Upon noticing Xu Jingqiu, she raised a hand in greeting: “Oh, you’re here?”

Xu Jingqiu: …

Without a second thought, she closed the door, then reopened it. This time, the two were sitting together, at least somewhat more restrained than before.

Zero raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw Xu Jingqiu alone. “What? That girl isn’t with you?”

“Although [Madness] has been temporarily sealed again, the aftermath of its previous influence remains, so she went to deal with some demonic uprisings,” Xu Jingqiu explained, materializing a chair out of thin air and sitting down in front of the two.

Zero nodded thoughtfully. “If I recall correctly, the reason those demons are still causing trouble is because there are many hardliners among the higher-ups of the demon realm, right?”

“Exactly. But since the demon realm can’t withstand too much turmoil right now, she’s holding off on taking action and has only curtailed their authority.”

Zero’s eyes flickered briefly, as if lost in thought, before she quickly resumed her familiar smile. “Well then, let’s discuss the matter of [Madness]~”

After a moment of silence, Xu Jingqiu stuck to her original stance: “To eliminate a threat, you must uproot it entirely. Leaving it sealed in the forbidden land is not a sustainable solution. Right now, I have a connection to this world, making this the best time to intervene. If that connection were to disappear, even the actions of the Heavenly Order would be hindered, let alone deicide.”

Zero nodded. “That’s true. However, when [Madness] was initially defeated, although external forces played a role, the first Demon Sovereign contributed greatly even sacrificing his own life. He was cursed by [Madness], binding the demon race to it for all eternity. Therefore, to slay [Madness], it must be done by the Demon Sovereign. But since the first sovereign, none have possessed the strength to confront it, which is why it has been suppressed until now.”

Zero took out a Tarot card bearing the image of “The Fool,” placed it on the table, and tapped it lightly. “What began with the Demon Sovereign must end with ‘him.’ Although your girl is the strongest Demon Sovereign since the first, she still isn’t enough. Moreover, she once broke her Dao. Even as a Child of Destiny, her foundation has been significantly compromised. Add to that the fact that she now cultivates the Path of Asura, judging the world through battle, the combination makes her even more unstable. That’s also why she’s more susceptible to [Madness]’s influence. While the hidden arrays in the Demon Palace can protect her mind, facing [Madness] directly is an entirely different matter.”

Xu Jingqiu stared at the card, her brow furrowed tightly. “So we still have to wait? How much longer? The seal was clearly broken by an Outer God of high-level or even higher caliber. The Primordial Crystal might not even be here, and time is of the essence.”

Ling, however, gave a faint smile and leisurely drew another card, the Tower from seemingly nowhere. “That’s exactly why we need to wait for an ‘accident’ to occur. The fragile balance must be broken, but it absolutely cannot be broken by us. As for the Primordial Crystal there’s no need to be so pessimistic. From what I know, you can find the answers inside the ‘Tower.’ And as for where the Tower is you can find it, right?”

Inside the Tower? Xu Jingqiu thought of another Outer God [Heaven’s Way] and suddenly understood Ling’s plan. “I see. Before that, I’ll ‘locate’ the Primordial Crystal.”

“Mhm, good that you understand. But there’s one thing you must be cautious about,” Ling said, her smile fading as she grew serious. “You must be extremely careful when dealing with [Heaven’s Way]. You might not sense it, but I can feel it, the ‘World’ favors [Heaven’s Way]. Even though you were pulled here by the ‘World,’ remember that It is definitely not an ally.”

“I’m aware of that,” Xu Jingqiu nodded.

Though their serious discussion had concluded, the atmosphere remained palpably heavy. At that moment, Ye suddenly asked, “By the way, Xiao Qiu, what are your plans after everything here is resolved?”

Xu Jingqiu was taken aback. “Plans?”

“To leave or to stay, you’ll have to make a choice. Once everything is settled, the World’s rejection of you will reach its peak. If you stay, you’ll never be able to leave. If you leave, are you prepared to say goodbye to everyone here? There are countless small worlds out there, and even if the little white dog now has the ability to traverse them, the chances of you returning here are minuscule.”

Xu Jingqiu fell silent. Before, her choice would have been to leave without hesitation, but now she was beginning to waver.

“I might need some more time to think about it.”

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