Training the Villain to Become a Big Sister Obsessed - Chapter 40

“Lan Yan!”

Lan Shan Jun cried out softly. Sure enough, after she spoke, the power squeezing her paused for an instant.

“It really is you.”

Lan Shan Jun brought her hands together, crossing her little fingers and touching her middle fingers to form a hand seal. She rapidly chanted the Serenity Mantra, which she was now skilled enough to recite backward.

This was a method to stabilize the soul, which the Eastern Lord had taught her while making her copy the mantra. Now, she was actually putting it to use.

Lan Shan Jun sat down cross-legged, using her divine sense to enter her Sea of Consciousness.

This time, the Sea of Consciousness was no longer tranquil. The book symbolizing the whole world was gone, as was the Yang Gu she knew. There was only a massive cage, and Lan Shan Jun’s divine sense was the trapped beast within.

Through the bars of the cage, Lan Shan Jun saw a person who resembled her. The figure and features were similar, but the eyes and brows were extremely sharp and gloomy.

“Lan Yan,” Lan Shan Jun said calmly.

Lan Yan held a sword in her hand and slowly walked up to the cage, sizing up Lan Shan Jun with contempt.

“It’s me.”

The trapped woman examined the cage that confined her. Her expression barely changed. There was none of the surprise or anger Lan Yan had expected. In fact, the mere fact that Lan Shan Jun’s soul could resist her control of the body was enough to make Lan Yan regard this weaker soul with fresh eyes.

“So you, the original body, have been hiding in my Sea of Consciousness all this time?” Lan Shan Jun’s eyes contained a smile as she looked at Lan Yan. “Is that right, Book Spirit?”

Lan Yan’s eyelids shot up, looking at her in disbelief.

Lan Shan Jun sighed: “I never thought I would one day see what you look like.”

“You… how did you know?” Lan Yan raised her sword and pointed it at her.

The emotion in Lan Shan Jun’s eyes began to change, the slight smile vanishing: “I didn’t know. That was a test just now, and you actually admitted it.”

Lan Yan: “You—!”

“But even if I wasn’t certain, I had begun to suspect it a long time ago,” Lan Shan Jun tugged at the corner of her lips. “You must have acquired my memories and learned that this is a novel. I don’t know why you allowed me to control your body, nor why you pretended to be the Book Spirit.”

“But as the Book Spirit, you’ve been a failure. Your understanding of the plot is even worse than mine. When it comes to the characters, your eyes seem to only see the protagonist and the villain. Everything else about the other people isn’t important to you. All you wanted were two things: the protagonist’s perfect ending and the villain’s demise. Yet, when the plot truly unfolded, the protagonist seemed to become less important in your eyes.”

Lan Shan Jun spread her arms and spun around in place.

“You care more about this body, don’t you?”

Lan Yan was silent, pursing her lips. Lan Shan Jun continued: “Initially, I thought there might have been some kind of deal between you and the Book Spirit. But just now, when I wanted to ask about the last five hundred steps of the Three Thousand Steps, the Book Spirit said it didn’t know. How could the Book Spirit not know such a fundamental setting? Then the Book Spirit said that Lan Yan failed the test of the Three Thousand Steps, trying to make me retreat from the difficulty.”

“Yes, only a person who failed the Three Thousand Steps would be unable to speak of it. That’s just an insignificant little detail, but you were too anxious. You were afraid that I would truly die on this path, because if I did, your physical body would also be gone.”

Lan Shan Jun finished speaking, curved her eyes, and smiled at the person outside the cage: “Am I right?”

Lan Yan had been hiding as the Book Spirit for over a hundred years. She knew how astute this woman’s mind was, but what did it matter? What if she exposed her?

Lan Yan sneered: “Lan Shan, you always surprise me.”

“But you fundamentally don’t belong here. I will walk the rest of the path myself.”

“You can just watch me live on with your identity.”

Lan Yan turned to leave, but a light laugh came from behind: “Is that so?”

Lan Shan Jun walked directly through the cage, shocking Lan Yan. Her tone grew cold: “I said before that I won’t follow the Great Compassionate Benevolent Path that Master talked about.”

“Lan Yan, perhaps this identity should have been yours originally, but your years of hiding gave me the opportunity. This Sea of Consciousness is not just yours.”

Lan Yan stopped, her eyes narrowed slightly. She shook her wrist, and the long sword in her hand was instantly sharp.

“Then I will kill you.”

“Lan Shan, we have some acquaintance, at least. I was planning to spare your life,” Lan Yan confidently hooked her lips. “In Yang Gu, you only practiced water and wind arts and hardly fought others. You can’t defeat me.”

Lan Shan Jun looked at the sword in her hand, her expression not relaxed. She wasn’t sure of Lan Yan’s true strength.

This was practically fighting with her back to the wall. If she lost, she feared her soul would truly dissipate, and she didn’t think she could return to her original world.

To survive, she had to win.

“Fighting in the Sea of Consciousness is not beneficial for either of us. Let’s fight outside!”

Lan Yan was afraid of damaging this body, so she directly led Lan Shan Jun’s soul out of the body.

A battle between souls would only result in deeper, more severe injuries. Lan Yan seemed confident that Lan Shan Jun could not harm her, but she could leave Lan Shan Jun covered in scars.

“What, what! Two Lan Shans!?”

In front of Qing Yun Academy, Ling Guang, who had reached the finish line, exclaimed at a water mirror before her.

Zhao Chen could not see, and her brow furrowed slightly. Mo Huai Sheng kindly explained the situation to her.

Song Qing Cheng observed more carefully and quickly identified that one of them, with her outstanding swordsmanship, had the upper hand.

“Elder Xue, why are there two Lan Shans, and why are they fighting?” Ling Guang moved over to the Academy Elder holding a whisk nearby and asked.

Elder Xue looked at the two souls battling in the water mirror and gently shook her head. She also didn’t understand why two similar souls existed within one person.

“This matter probably requires consulting Headmaster Xuan.”

Ling Guang stepped back, and in her peripheral vision, a streak of white-gold appeared. She focused her gaze, surprised: “Senior Sister Xie?”

The others followed her gaze. They saw Xie Qing Shuang had appeared behind them at some point. She was silently and calmly observing the water mirror. She pursed her lips and mouthed soundlessly: “Lan Yan, it’s been a long time.”

In the water mirror, Lan Yan’s every move was deadly, but Lan Shan Jun always managed to skillfully evade her attacks, resulting in a long exchange where Lan Yan couldn’t even touch the corner of the other’s clothes.

She gritted her teeth and said: “Do you only know how to hide?”

Lan Shan Jun dodged a sword attack, condensing a chain-dagger that resembled Tong Jin’s in her hand with spiritual energy. She lashed out with the chain-dagger. Lan Yan bent down to avoid it and simultaneously slashed back with her sword.

The chain-dagger coiled around the sword body, instantly bringing the two souls closer.

“Lan Shan, isn’t living well enough?” Lan Yan looked at the face that was softer than her own and coldly advised her.

Lan Shan Jun genuinely considered it, then chuckled softly: “Yes, why wouldn’t it be? But I don’t want to be the one trapped. Why don’t you go in instead?”

Lan Yan scoffed: “Dream on!”

Sword energy slashed out. The spiritual energy forming the chain-dagger dispersed for an instant, then quickly reformed.

Lan Yan couldn’t hurt Lan Shan Jun, and Lan Shan Jun lacked the experience to deal with Lan Yan. For a time, the two were locked in a stalemate.

But if this dragged on, their spiritual energy would eventually run out. Lan Shan Jun already had little spiritual energy left after the Three Thousand Steps. She judged from the sword energy Lan Yan wielded that she was also at the Life-and-Death Realm, which meant Lan Shan Jun still had a chance to win.

“Are you thinking of how to beat me? Unless you can immediately break through your current realm,” Lan Yan’s sword tip grazed Lan Shan Jun’s lower abdomen—a hit!

“Lan Shan, let me send you back.”

Lan Shan Jun cried out. The gash across her lower abdomen felt as if it were tearing her apart.

She looked toward the body lying on the side and curved her lips: “Lan Yan, thank you for the reminder.”

“What?”

Lan Yan’s eyes were momentarily confused. Then, she saw Lan Shan Jun’s soul rush toward the body at an extremely fast speed. She was horrified but was a step too late.

“Lan Shan Jun! You despicable woman!”

The two souls entered the body one after the other. Lan Shan Jun gained control of the body first. She opened her eyes and used all of her spiritual energy to rapidly gather a Wind Eye. Like Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, Wind was also a natural force, and every wisp of wind contained spiritual energy.

Lan Shan Jun intended to use the spiritual energy within these winds to forcibly break through to the Soul Illuminating Realm.

“A very clever child.” Elder Xue looked up at the rapidly gathering tribulation clouds overhead, a hint of admiration in her eyes. “Although forcibly transcending the tribulation will damage her foundation, as long as she succeeds, the Heavenly Dao acknowledges her existence, and this battle will be her victory.”

“Elder Xue, does this count as soul possession?” Xie Qing Shuang’s tone was unclear.

Elder Xue looked at her and said softly: “It depends on how you see it.”

Xie Qing Shuang lowered her gaze, tightened her grip on her sword, and turned to leave. Her eyes no longer lingered on the water mirror, seemingly uninterested in which soul would ultimately remain.

“Lan Shan, Lan Shan, Lan Shan,” Ling Guang chanted under her breath.

When Elder Xue looked back at the water mirror, her eyes held pity: “I just don’t know if she can endure it.”

Forcing a breakthrough would not weaken the Heavenly Thunder.

“Rumble—”

The first bolt of thunder struck down. Lan Shan Jun instantly coughed out a mouthful of air. She bit her lip and straightened her back.

This single strike was more powerful than seven or eight strikes combined from her previous breakthrough to the Life-and-Death Realm.

Lan Yan was still yelling: “Lan Shan Jun! You are seeking death!”

Lan Shan Jun heard her and forced a laugh: “Yes, if we die, we die together.”

“Madwoman!” Lan Yan cursed angrily.

There were nine bolts of Heavenly Thunder in total. Just the first one made Lan Shan Jun feel as though every bone in her body had been disassembled and was scattered apart.

A deep rumble echoed in her ears, and the second bolt of Heavenly Thunder descended.

Lan Shan Jun collapsed onto the ground. Her robe was scorched, exposing a small area of skin on her back, which was now covered in scars left by the lightning.

“…It hurts so much.”

Lan Shan Jun gasped for breath, supporting herself with her hands on the ground. She looked up, and her gaze suddenly halted.

Outside the lightning tribulation, at the edge of the barrier set by the Heavenly Dao, a familiar figure stood.

“…Cang Wu?”

She actually didn’t leave…

Lan Shan Jun couldn’t see Cang Wu’s expression, nor did she want to. Her thoughts grew chaotic.

Cang Wu didn’t leave. Did she see everything? Does she know everything?

Lan Yan roared: “Lan Shan Jun! At a time like this, why are you still thinking about Cang Wu!”

Lan Yan did want Lan Shan Jun to die, but not right now.

Lan Shan Jun knew what she was afraid of, so she forced herself to laugh twice: “I’m the one going through the tribulation. Why are you more scared than I am?”

Lan Yan muttered angrily under her breath again.

Lan Shan Jun’s smile faded. Lan Yan at this moment truly resembled the clueless Book Spirit.

She had accompanied me since I first opened my eyes, yet now we are in a life-and-death struggle.

The third bolt of Heavenly Thunder was about to strike. Lan Shan Jun sat up, cross-legged, and the surrounding wind began to move again. The wind enveloped her, completely obscuring the figure undergoing the tribulation.

Cang Wu could not see her Senior Sister inside the wind circle. The people in front of the water mirror could only see the swirling vortex of wind.

They could only watch as the bolts of Heavenly Thunder struck down one after another, feeling worried but also somewhat relieved.

The Heavenly Thunder was still continuing, so the tribulation hadn’t failed, and Lan Shan was still alive.

The restriction within Cang Wu’s body began to receive a shock. Her pupils narrowed into thin slits, and faint, azure dragon scales appeared on her exposed skin.

She shouldn’t have been so far from Senior Sister. If she were closer, she could have taken this lightning tribulation for her. Dragon scales are tough; she wouldn’t be hurt so easily.

A hand rested on her shoulder. Cang Wu looked over, displeased.

“Take it off.”

“Quite a temper. The Azure Dragon lineage’s disposition is truly becoming more vigorous.”

Seeing that the person had immediately revealed her identity, Cang Wu looked over warily.

The newcomer wore white robes, had white hair, and radiated an extremely pure aura.

“Who are you?”

Headmaster Xuan reached out and manifested a small white light spot. The light spot merged into Cang Wu’s brow, instantly concealing the dragon scales she had exposed.

“You may call me Headmaster Xuan. Your identity is not yet suitable for exposure.”

Cang Wu turned her attention back to the Heavenly Dao barrier.

Only the last two bolts of Heavenly Thunder remained.

“Don’t worry. She has an opportunity within her; she won’t die, but she will suffer quite a bit,” Headmaster Xuan looked at the young Azure Dragon beside her and suddenly asked: “Don’t you want to know what her opportunity is?”

“No,” Cang Wu answered curtly, her eyes unmoving.

Headmaster Xuan was quite disappointed: “Alright.”

She looked at the faintly connected red string between the two figures and smiled.

These two children were connected quite strongly, unlike the two from the other day, whose red strings were loose and almost broken.

With the last bolt of Heavenly Thunder, Lan Shan Jun collapsed to the ground, barely able to lift a finger. Her breathing was faint. She felt one step away from death, but always just short of it.

Worse than death.

Trembling, she raised a pinky finger toward the lightning tribulation.

Thus, the final bolt of Heavenly Thunder, which should have paused, immediately struck down following her provocation. Lan Shan Jun’s eyes widened. Lightning flashed in her pupils. She seemed dead, yet not quite dead.

As her consciousness drifted, she felt spiritual energy surging into her surroundings. Her flesh and blood regenerated, her spiritual veins grew, and she formally took half a step into the Soul Illuminating Realm.

Forcing the breakthrough only allowed her half a step.

Within her Sea of Consciousness, Lan Shan Jun dragged her weakened soul and locked Lan Yan inside the cage.

Lan Yan looked at her coldly.

“Why didn’t you just kill me?”

Lan Shan Jun’s lips curved into a smile: “The Heavenly Thunder hurt a little, but it didn’t fry my brain. Of course, I need to recover properly before dealing with you.”

“After all, I have already broken through to a higher realm, and you can only ever be stuck in the Life-and-Death Realm.”

Without a physical body, Lan Yan could never break through.

Her divine sense withdrew, and Lan Shan Jun fell into a warm, fragrant embrace.

A familiar and worried whisper reached her ear: “Senior Sister.”

Lan Shan Jun felt more exhausted than ever before. She completely allowed herself to lean on Cang Wu.

“Child, do you still wish to continue?”

A voice that wasn’t Cang Wu’s. Lan Shan Jun slowly looked over. The Immortal on the Three Thousand Steps was looking down at her.

“If you feel you can still ascend, I will help remove the pressure that shouldn’t have been placed upon you on these steps,” Headmaster Xuan’s voice was gentle, like encouragement: “Your friends are waiting for you up there.”

“Senior Sister,” Cang Wu didn’t dare to hug her Senior Sister tightly. She pleaded softly: “Senior Sister, let’s not go up, okay?”

Lan Shan Jun used Cang Wu’s arm to stand up, then respectfully bowed to Headmaster Xuan.

“Thank you, Headmaster.”