The Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Captured the Villainous Demon Venerable - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Still Being Stubborn?

Lustful thought, fearful thought, greedy thought, and arrogant thought.

The obsession with a beautiful body, the fear of death, the desire for power, status, money, and material possessions, and the smugness about one’s own abilities.

Apart from the lustful thought, which briefly swayed Mo Xun, the other thoughts could not stir any ripple in her heart.

The inner demon tribulation passed, the fusion neared its end, and the final step of Nascent Soul formation had arrived.

The third step: Infant Transformation.

The soul and the Golden Core fragments fused to a certain extent, forming a shape resembling an infant. The Wood Spiritual Root pulsed within it like a heart.

With every breath it took, the spiritual energy surrounding Mo Xun surged like tides.

The ebb and flow, powerful and vigorous, continuously cleansed away distractions. Her soul became clearer, and her spiritual energy became vaster.

Finally, the Nascent Soul in her Dantian completely solidified. Spiritual energy erupted like a tsunami, radiating outward, stirring Mo Xun’s robes and tied-up long hair. Though it seemed chaotic, Mo Xun felt her spiritual energy was unprecedentedly docile and completely under her control!

Mo Xun suddenly felt an impulse, sharply opened her eyes, jumped off the bed, grabbed her sword, and went out the door.

Looking up, sure enough, a small patch of dark clouds had gathered above her head, and more clouds were visibly converging towards her location.

Breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage meant officially stepping onto the path to the heavens, requiring the test of the Heavenly Dao.

System: “Host, first, congratulations on successfully separating the Wood Spiritual Root and forming a single Wood-element Nascent Soul. However, whether you can maintain your stage depends on whether you can successfully pass the Heavenly Tribulation. The tribulation for breaking through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul is the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation. You must withstand four waves of heavenly lightning, with 9 bolts per wave, totaling 36 bolts!”

Mo Xun: You’re still alive?

Mo Xun harbored resentment towards the System playing dead during the Infant Transformation process, especially when her inner demon appeared naked in her vision in Yun Wushang’s image.

At that time, if the System could have spoken a word in reply, she wouldn’t have…

The inner demon tribulation had passed, and the demon was gone, but her body was still in a bad state. For now, she had to focus on passing the Heavenly Tribulation.

As if sensing Mo Xun’s resentment, a rare hint of guilt appeared in the System’s tone: “I couldn’t help it. During the Infant Transformation, your consciousness was submerged within your body, and my voice couldn’t reach you. I don’t know what kind of inner demon tribulation you experienced, but you passed it successfully, didn’t you!”

What does that mean?

The System is not bound to her consciousness, so it can’t know her internal situation?

Then how did the System manage to communicate with her telepathically and determine that she successfully formed a single Wood-element Nascent Soul?

It’s almost like a high-level cultivator communicating with her using spiritual consciousness.

Mo Xun hadn’t paid much attention to the System’s existence before, treating it merely as a cheat feature. However, as she got closer to the Heavenly Dao and understood the world better, she began to question not only the System’s true identity but also whether this world truly originated from a book.

Perhaps this world already existed, and someone created a book based on it.

Mo Xun: System, guide me through the tribulation.

System: “Understood, Host! The first wave of lightning tests the strength of your physical body. Considering there are three more waves, I suggest the Host conserve spiritual energy and use the physical body to endure as much as possible, feeling the lightning’s intensity. Only deploy a formation if you absolutely cannot withstand it.”

Mo Xun thought “Good,” and flew to a barren mountain near the Water Moon Peaks.

Having broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, she could fly without a sword, and her speed was much faster.

The thunderclouds above her pursued her all the way. Then, almost as soon as she landed on the barren mountain, a bolt of purple lightning struck down!

Mo Xun adopted the System’s suggestion, neither dodging nor evading, and took the bolt head-on. She felt an explosive pain shooting from the top of her head down to her feet, like being violently hammered by a gigantic mallet. All the bones and internal organs in her entire body were subjected to devastating crushing. There wasn’t a single spot that didn’t hurt!

Although all the pain concentrated and erupted in an instant, leaving only a dull ache in the next second, Mo Xun couldn’t help but question the System.

Mo Xun: Are you sure the body can withstand this lightning?!

Mo Xun felt she would die if she took another hit!

System: “Well… although, this is the weakest bolt. The subsequent bolts will get stronger!”

“D*mn it!” Mo Xun quickly raised her hands to form seals. Centered on her, eight wooden stakes emerged from the ground in eight directions! Her slender fingers brushed over the Storage Pouch at her waist, drawing out a string of spirit stones, which she scattered in all directions as if they were worthless.

Finally, a ball of water condensed on each side of her body, rotating around her at a specific speed.

“Black Tortoise Reflection Array, activate!”

As the words fell, the energy generated by the Two Forces and Eight Trigrams Formation was channeled into the eight wooden stakes, and a hemispherical barrier was erected.

The second bolt of lightning struck. The Black Tortoise roared, its head lifted toward the sky!

The second bolt was indeed stronger than the first. If it had hit her, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

However, this time, Mo Xun not only suffered no damage but also reflected a portion of the lightning, attempting to harm the thunderclouds.

Her offense and defense were both very weak, and she couldn’t focus on both. So, she concentrated on improving her defense and then converting that defense into offense.

The third bolt, the fourth bolt, the fifth bolt…

The intensity of the heavenly lightning increased, but Mo Xun held up relying on the Black Tortoise Reflection Array.

Not only that, there wasn’t a trace of injury beneath the robe that the first bolt had shredded.

After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, even if she didn’t actively circulate her spiritual energy, it would circulate on its own, healing her body in the process.

Forget merely being charred on the outside and tender on the inside. Even if she were split in half, as long as she had a breath left, her current spiritual energy healing efficiency could bring her back from the brink of death.

Finally, the ninth bolt struck. The heavy force compelled Mo Xun to kneel on one knee, but it was still successfully blocked by the Black Tortoise Reflection Array, causing her no harm.

Mo Xun stood up, letting out a long sigh of relief.

She had finally survived the first wave, but the thought of three more, even stronger waves, made it hard to feel happy.

System: “Congratulations, Host, for surviving the first wave of 9 heavenly lightning bolts! The next wave, the second 9 heavenly lightning bolts, tests the Host’s spiritual energy capacity. The second wave’s lightning cannot be endured by the physical body alone; it must be counterattacked with spells. However, upon contact with spiritual energy, it instantly drains it. The Host must continuously release spiritual energy to maintain the formation.”

No sooner had the words finished than the first bolt of the second wave struck.

The moment the purple lightning hit the Black Tortoise Reflection Array, the spiritual energy maintaining the formation was instantly drained. All the spirit stones lost their light and turned into ordinary rocks, and the remaining force of the lightning, unstoppable, smashed toward Mo Xun!

Sensing the panic of the imminent danger, Mo Xun didn’t have time to activate the Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations Formation and could only execute an emergency retreat!

However, the heavenly lightning seemed to have a life of its own, curving in the air, eventually striking her fiercely and launching her into mid-air!

Intense pain exploded on her body again. This time, Mo Xun truly had broken bones.

She quickly circulated spiritual energy to heal herself, recovering the ability to act before landing. With a somersault, her feet landed firmly on the ground, but due to inertia, she slid backward a distance in a semi-crouched position, leaving two distinct drag marks on the ground.

Mo Xun: My shoes!

The soles of her shoes were worn through!

Ignoring her currently tattered appearance, Mo Xun hurriedly flew back to the center of the array and reactivated the formation.

Although the Black Tortoise Reflection Array couldn’t withstand the second wave of heavenly lightning, if she didn’t use this array to weaken the lightning, her physical body wouldn’t survive!

So, Mo Xun set up the array, the lightning struck, the array was broken, she was sent flying, self-healed, set up the array… After repeating this several times, finally, the second wave of lightning was also endured!

System: “Congratulations, Host, for surviving the second wave of 9 heavenly lightning bolts! The next wave, the third 9 heavenly lightning bolts, tests the Host’s Dao heart and spiritual consciousness. Each time the Host is struck by lightning, you will see illusions. No matter what you see, please stabilize your mind and strengthen your Dao heart.”

Mo Xun: What is the lightning’s intensity like?

System: “Stronger.”

Mo Xun: “…”

System: “However, it will no longer drain the Host’s spiritual energy.”

“Good,” Mo Xun replied, feeling slightly relieved, and further reinforced her Black Tortoise Reflection Array.

She was close to despair enduring the latter part of the second wave. If the third wave not only got stronger but also instantly broke her array like the second, she felt she couldn’t survive until the end, neither physically nor spiritually.

It actually held up!

She knew it. The formation she painstakingly improved, whose strength was comparable to the Evil-Ward Aegis, couldn’t be so easily defeated. The inability to withstand the second wave was indeed due to the spiritual energy drain.

It was a good thing she hadn’t released more spiritual energy to forcefully maintain the formation.

Let it hurt, let me be injured. How can I be reborn from the cocoon without being crushed to pieces once?

Suddenly, a figure appeared in Mo Xun’s sight.

A snow-white robe outlined the opponent’s impeccable figure. Her sexy waist, even covered by thin fabric, was full of charm. Half of her black hair was styled into a high bun, and the other half was smoothly draped behind her. She gave an impression of meticulousness, yet her every move carried a hint of casualness that contradicted her dignified appearance, giving her an aloof yet not arrogant demeanor.

Yun Wushang.

Seeing this person, Mo Xun’s first reaction was: As expected of my inner demon. Her learning ability is amazing. She only looked similar on the outside before, but now she’s captured the temperament too.

The System did not reply.

Yun Wushang stood at a distance, watching Mo Xun, showing no intention of acting.

Mo Xun couldn’t help but laugh: “Come on, start your performance!”

Yun Wushang: ?

Mo Xun had already withstood three bolts of lightning using the Black Tortoise Reflection Array. She felt she could endure more!

The presence of the inner demon illusion, paradoxically, allowed her to vent her pent-up emotions.

“Aren’t you taking your clothes off this time? Didn’t you want me to clean your wound? Are you embarrassed because there’s no screen? Can an inner demon feel embarrassed?”

Yun Wushang: “…”

Yun Wushang still took no action but observed Mo Xun with a searching look.

“I see!” Mo Xun suddenly realized after enduring the fourth bolt. “You want to see my distressed state? You thought I’d be ashamed? It’s just showing an arm or a leg. I saw your whole body; I’m still the one who profits!”

Yun Wushang slightly lifted her chin, putting one hand behind her back, her expression suggesting a brewing storm.

For a moment, Mo Xun genuinely felt nervous.

Could it be the real Yun Wushang…

No, thinking that way is falling into the inner demon’s trap!

Mo Xun was slammed down onto one knee. Spiritual energy within the array violently shook. One of the Two Forces deviated from its original trajectory, and the array was broken!

Mo Xun quickly dodged but was still hit by the residual lightning, sent flying into the air, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

She healed herself while adjusting her posture in the air, finally landing on one knee. She slid backward a distance on the ground.

Her knee was scraped raw and bleeding, but Mo Xun stood up without even wincing, casually wiping the blood from the corner of her lips with her shredded sleeve. She then flew back into the array and reset the formation.

In a trance, she seemed to see a scene.

She saw her parents getting hit by a car, the look of terror on their faces clearly reflected in her eyes.

Mo Xun’s parents were both doctors. Thanks to them, Mo Xun had been desensitized to corpses and human bones since childhood.

A crematorium was next door to their home. One day, her mother picked up a human skull while passing by, intending to study it or for some other purpose. Five-year-old Mo Xun played with it in her hands, only later realizing it wasn’t a simulated toy but a real human skull.

Later, her parents died in a car accident.

That year, Mo Xun was 11 years old.

Mo Xun was not present when her parents were in the accident. She didn’t know why she suddenly saw this image.

But the image only lasted for an instant. Immediately after, the scene shifted, and Mo Xun saw her junior high school classmates.

“Why do you always bully Mo Xun?”

“I just can’t stand her! She’s a girl but cuts her hair so short. Anyway, she doesn’t have parents, so no one will stand up for her.”

Oh, is that so?

Fourteen-year-old Mo Xun, after days of patient endurance, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She flipped the desk of the boy who always bullied her, pushed him to the ground, and fiercely kicked him several times until the teacher rushed over and pulled her away.

After that, no one dared to bully her again.

Because they knew she would fight back. Not only would she fight back, but she would also hit without restraint.

The scene dispersed. Mo Xun regained her focus. Seeing another lightning bolt about to strike, she quickly set up the array to defend. Yet, a sliver of doubt arose in her heart.

She glanced over. Yun Wushang was still standing there, the dangerous look of a brewing storm gone from her eyes, replaced by worry.

Her beautiful brows were furrowed, and the hand that wasn’t behind her back was clenched into a fist.

The eighth bolt struck. The array broke. Mo Xun was struck and sent flying. This time, she failed to restore her ability to act before landing, tumbling messily on the ground several times.

Seeing this, Yun Wushang, who had been watching from a distance, finally made a move.

She flew to Mo Xun’s side and pulled out a black token from her embrace.

“…Wait a moment,” Mo Xun said, her voice weak and tinged with guilt.

She finally confirmed that this Yun Wushang was the real Yun Wushang, not her inner demon illusion.

So, all those things she had said just now…

She couldn’t dwell on regret now. Mo Xun just wanted to tell Yun Wushang: “Go away. I can still handle it. This is my lightning tribulation; your talisman token is not needed.”

Yun Wushang let out a cold laugh at her words: “In your current state, barely clothed?”

“Yes, in my current state, barely clothed.” Mo Xun didn’t know what she was saying… Her mind was barely functional now. She could only focus on two things.

One, using the talisman token cost Yun Wushang something; she couldn’t let her use it.

Two, she didn’t want to be underestimated by Yun Wushang.

Yun Wushang didn’t move from the spot. Mo Xun immediately used the Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations Formation to teleport her ten steps away, then reinforced the Black Tortoise Reflection Array.

Mo Xun’s consciousness went blank.

She didn’t know if she had withstood the lightning. She only knew that scenes were appearing before her eyes again.

She saw Yun Wushang being pierced through the heart by Chu Jiuqu’s sword. She saw Yun Wushang spitting out blood, yet she smiled wantonly and arrogantly: “As expected of… the Emotionless Dao. Have you practiced your Emotionless Dao… so much that you can’t even distinguish right from wrong?”

After saying this, Yun Wushang’s body turned into ice, shattering into pieces.

“No…” Mo Xun sharply opened her eyes!

She was lying on the ground, her head spinning dizzily. The whole world seemed to rotate.

Even the System’s voice sounded distant: “Host! Hold on! There’s only one last wave of lightning left! Hurry and stand up! Quickly!”

Mo Xun forced her weak body to crawl up from the ground.

Her injuries were not too bad, but she didn’t have much spiritual energy left and didn’t know how much longer she could hold on.

If she had known the tribulation would consume so much spiritual energy, she wouldn’t have spent all her spirit stones on the Spirit Gathering Formation.

But each wave of heavenly lightning had different characteristics. If she could find the right solution for each, she should be able to get through it.

Mo Xun: What does the final wave of the Heavenly Tribulation test?

System: “It doesn’t test anything. Just brute force it. Use every method the Host can think of to endure it!”

Mo Xun: “…”

Doesn’t that mean I’m definitely going to die!

Mo Xun instinctively searched for Yun Wushang’s figure and met her gaze.

Perhaps sensing the plea in Mo Xun’s eyes, Yun Wushang raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing amusement appearing on her face: “Still being stubborn?”

“…I, I passed the previous wave, didn’t I, but, just saying,” Mo Xun wanted to say she might not survive the last wave, but facing Yun Wushang, it felt somewhat difficult to voice.

After all, during the last wave, she genuinely didn’t want Yun Wushang to use the talisman token for her, but now, fearing death, she suddenly changed her mind. She felt a bit…

I’m truly awful.

The lightning struck. Yun Wushang tossed the token upward. A restriction formation unfolded, covering both her and Mo Xun.

The heavenly lightning struck the restriction, and nothing happened.

Mo Xun, standing not far from her, stared blankly at her, not hearing a word she said, her eyes filled only with awe.

Mo Xun: As expected of the Great Vehicle stage Demon Lord! But this means I owe her another life.

System: “Oh, Host, I forgot to tell you. The token she took out this time is a self-created restriction called “No Harm.” It can be activated without using Demonic Qi or Sha Qi, so it won’t cause her any injury.”

Mo Xun: …Why didn’t you tell me something so important earlier!

The final nine bolts of heavenly lightning were the strongest nine, but striking the restriction Yun Wushang deployed, they caused no harm to the two people inside.

Yun Wushang even had the leisure to settle the previous scores with Mo Xun: “Taking off your clothes? Cleaning the wound? Did you have fun playing with your inner demon?”

Mo Xun: “…”

Mo Xun closed her eyes, speechless, and stood still to take her metaphorical beating.

Yun Wushang spoke again: “You saw my entire body naked, and I only saw your arms and legs. You think you profited?”

“…” Mo Xun continued to play dead with her eyes closed.

“You really should take off these clothes; wearing them is the same as not wearing them,” Yun Wushang said, taking out a set of clothes from her Storage Pouch and tossing them to Mo Xun.

Mo Xun instinctively opened her eyes and caught them.

Mo Xun looked down at herself.

More than half of her left shoulder was exposed, the hem was slit, her entire right leg was clearly visible, and the two sensitive areas were barely covered. It truly made no difference from being naked.

If it were a different setting or a different person, Mo Xun would definitely refuse. She didn’t like changing clothes in front of others.

However, Yun Wushang had blocked the most deadly nine bolts of the Heavenly Tribulation for her, saving her life, and Mo Xun had misspoken in front of Yun Wushang, feeling indebted to her.

Considering all circumstances, Mo Xun quietly sighed, removed her shredded clothes, and put on the clean, whole clothes, letting Yun Wushang watch.

She was only grateful now that the heavenly lightning had completely blasted away her lustful thoughts, so Yun Wushang couldn’t see her deeper, more profound distress.

After she finished changing, the fourth wave of heavenly lightning finished, the thunderclouds dispersed, and Mo Xun was no longer suppressed by the Heavenly Dao. Both her physical strength and spiritual energy recovered at a noticeable speed.

The System’s voice rang in her mind: “Congratulations, Host, on successfully passing the tribulation and formally breaking through to the early Nascent Soul stage! Cultivation speed has increased by 250% from the original foundation, reaching the highest among cultivators of the same stage!”

Finally.

However, Mo Xun couldn’t focus on celebrating now. She looked at Yun Wushang and curiously asked: “Were you attracted by my Heavenly Tribulation?”

Yun Wushang gave an “Mhm,” her gaze not directed at Mo Xun but toward the empty space, her expression slightly unnatural.

Noticing her discomfort and guessing the reason behind it, Mo Xun’s mood immediately cleared. She chuckled lightly: “I was the one taking off clothes. Why are you shy?”

Yun Wushang didn’t reply. She waved her hand to dismiss the restriction and flew toward the sect.

Mo Xun hurriedly followed her.

After flying side-by-side for a while, Yun Wushang finally spoke, saying six words: “Teach me that formation of yours.”

Mo Xun: “Which formation? The Black Tortoise Reflection Array?”

Yun Wushang: “Mhm.”

Mo Xun: “Sure. I’ll teach you the formation, and you teach me how to draw talismans.”

Yun Wushang: “Depends on how well you teach.”

Mo Xun: “Why don’t you say, depends on how well you learn?”

Yun Wushang: “As long as you teach well, I will definitely learn it.”

Mo Xun laughed, then, after a moment, didn’t argue and softly said one word: “Good.”