IS Chapter 101

In the dense beating of hearts, one could almost hear the heart beast’sa state of extreme joy or ecstasy. Seeing this scene, Wei Sheng Xian sighed softly.

Li Yuan walked over, still standing beside Ye Zhuo. The heart beast didn’t even glance at him.

This scene surprised Jun Shao Liu. He didn’t believe it.

So Jun Shao Liu stepped past Ye Zhuo and stood before the heart beast himself. The heart beast’s eyes didn’t even flicker.

Jun Shao Liu then pulled Wei Sheng Xian over as well, but the heart beast remained indifferent, its eyes only on Ye Zhuo.

“This is truly strange.” Jun Shao Liu muttered, then selected several Dao friends from the crowd who looked worried and burdened by their inner demons, one after another, but the heart beast treated them as if they were nothing.

The situation was already clear: the heart beast had chosen Ye Zhuo. Ye Zhuo’s inner demon and obsession held immense attraction for it, to the extent that it disdained all others.

How could such a beautiful, aloof person with such a clear sword-heart harbor an inner demon that would delight even a heart beast that had lived through countless eons?

If he could understand this person’s inner demon, could he greatly shorten the distance between them? Jun Shao Liu couldn’t help but come up with a plan.

At this time, the heart beast’s heartbeat was as dense as raindrops and still accelerating. The sound grew louder and more urgent, even the ground shook with it, as if urging Ye Zhuo to step forward and share it together.

“Dao friend Ye, once you go in, you must come out safely. And within two days.” Jun Shao Liu looked at him and said earnestly.

“The heart beast devours hearts, but if this person is immersed and lost in the illusion of their inner demon, defeated by their own inner demon, the heart beast will find it uninteresting and turn to the next person. If the next person’s inner demon cannot satisfy it, or if they are also defeated by their inner demon, it will turn to the next person again. If it tastes all of our inner demons and is still not satisfied, we can only remain here forever, waiting for it to fall asleep naturally – that would be hundreds of years later.”

“And if the heart beast isn’t satiated within two days, then even if it is satisfied in the end and releases us, the human realm and the ghost realm will have been completely separated and far apart. You will only be able to settle down in my ghost realm from now on.”

Ye Zhuo didn’t find it difficult.

“Alright.” He said, “I will come out.”

However, the Immortal Dao cultivators exchanged glances, all feeling the urgency of the matter.

To have an inner demon that is deep enough, yet for this person to be able to emerge unscathed from the deepest depths of their inner demon, wasn’t this a dead end?

As everyone knows, among the billions of races in the three thousand worlds, only human hearts contain countless peaks and valleys, and the vast currents of the sea; human hearts inherently possess demons.

Such a heart beast was indeed a trap set specifically for the human realm, worthy of being called an old ghost with deep schemes.

Now that the heart beast had chosen Second Palace Master Ye, and there was only a two-day time limit to return to the human realm—

In other words, unless the heart beast was especially satisfied with Palace Master Ye’s “heart,” and Palace Master Ye could emerge from it unscathed, they would have a chance to return to the human realm.

Could Palace Master Ye do it?

If any part of the process went wrong, they would be cut off from their homeland and become living ghosts in the dark and sunless ghost realm.

“Second Palace Master Ye, please wait!” Someone said, “May I ask, is there any way to help Second Palace Master Ye succeed and return safely?”

Jun Shao Liu revealed a slightly smug expression.

Li Yuan sneered inwardly, his spiritual sense already probing a certain storage ring.

“There is also a way.” Jun Shao Liu said, “I once heard some old ghosts say that the heart beast sometimes also consumes natural treasures related to the karma of inner demons and the seven emotions and six desires. I heard that a ghost once bribed the heart beast with a piece ofcrystal of karmic sea, allowing it to enter the heart realm together with the chosen ghost. When the chosen ghost was about to become lost in their inner demon, it awakened their sanity, and both ghosts were able to walk out of the heart beast.”

“So, if you have similar treasures, you may wish to take them out and offer them to the heart beast. Perhaps the heart beast will allow a second person to enter the heart realm. This way, if Dao friend Ye falls into danger, the second person can still bring him out.”

“If you don’t have such items, thisa way to refer to themselves does have one…”

——Li Yuan found the Three Corpse Worms he had obtained from the Jing Gate Array, and he threw them directly in front of the heart beast.

The heart beast’s gaze shifted there, and the dark red ground surged as it devoured them.

Jun Shao Liu revealed a polite, sinister smile.

He knew Li Yuan deserved to die!

After eating, the heart beast’s eyes fixed firmly back on Ye Zhuo. The narrow gap that had previously been slowly opening was now wide enough for one person to enter, the deep path lined with thick, purple-red blood vessels pulsating, as if inviting Ye Zhuo to step in.

After eating the Three Corpse Worms, the path opened outward a little more.

“How about I go in with you?” Li Yuan said.

Ye Zhuo: “I don’t seem to have said that I need someone else’s help.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Li Yuan said, “No one has ever seen a heart beast before, and we only have Jun Shao Liu’s word for it. What if it really wants to eat you? You and I can still join forces to fight.”

Ye Zhuo responded with a cold smile.

Suddenly, a light voice rang out beside them: “Dao friend Ye! I can too!”

Li Yuan looked over – Shen Xin Ge didn’t know where he had popped out from.

Shen Xin Ge: “Dao friend Ye, how can one’s life secrets be known by others? I’ll go in with you! Anyway, my mind is damaged, and I’m only six years old. I can’t understand what’s happening, and I won’t remember even if I see it. I only remember to bring you out, that’s all.”

This was the kind of good disciple Shen Jing Zhen had taught.

Li Yuan became serious and declared one thing to Shen Xin Ge: “But I’m the one who took out these Three Corpse Worms.”

Shen Xin Ge wouldn’t be refuted by him at all: “But I heard that this is something from the Jing Gate Array, and you, Brother Yuan, snatched it. My master also had a part in breaking the Jing Gate Array.”

After saying that, he blinked his eyes, looking at Ye Zhuo earnestly.

——This was the kind of good disciple Shen Jing Zhen had taught!

Before Li Yuan could throw Shen Xin Ge out, Wei Sheng Xian suddenly opened his mouth faintly: “The Jing Gate Array, it seems to have been mainly broken by me, right?”

The crowd beside them saw Palace Master Wei also turn his gaze towards Ye Zhuo, with a hint of resentment in it.

Oh, now that they thought about it, Palace Master Wei and Second Palace Master Ye were rumored to be good friends who had known each other since they were young, and life secrets could perhaps be entrusted to one or two people.

A faint urging sound came from not far away. The Second Elder of the Sword Sect looked towards the sound and saw that it was indeed the disciples of the Red Dust Sword Sect pushing the Red Dust Sword Immortal forward, truly embarrassing.

But in the blink of an eye, he felt that Yi Zhen’s gaze was a little strange, as if he also wanted to speak.

“It’s not like it’s anything good! What are you rushing to do!” The Second Elder said in a low voice.

“No, Master.” Su Yi Zhen lowered his eyes, “I just… I just think that knowing it’s an inner demon, yet still making him face it alone again, such a thing is too cruel. If I can share some of the burden, I would die a thousand times without regret.”

How did it get to the point of “dying a thousand times without regret”? This disciple was truly impossible!

… Truly absurd. Ye Zhuo thought.

Shen Xin Ge was a child, so there was no need to bother with him, but what were the others doing? Even Wei Sheng Xian was adding to the chaos.

That was the illusion of the inner demon, not a dragon’s pool or a tiger’s den. He could go in, so how could he not come out?

Ignoring everyone, Ye Zhuo took a step directly and walked into the narrow passage.

——His wrist was grabbed, though.

Besides Dragon Li Yuan, no one dared to do this. Ye Zhuo turned around in dissatisfaction and saw that it was indeed Li Yuan grabbing his wrist.

Li Yuan frowned as if he had some concern, looking into his eyes and asking, “Do you really want to go alone? Will you be alright?”

Ye Zhuo: “Otherwise?”

Li Yuan, however, didn’t let go of his hand.

He didn’t want to stand here with Dragon Li Yuan for any longer.

“If you want to follow, then follow.” Ye Zhuo said expressionlessly.

Then he broke free from Li Yuan’s hand and continued to walk forward.

This person had agreed, Li Yuan knew. He was truly flattered.

It was him and not the others. He really wanted to see their expressions.

——Immediately, he followed this person into it. The passage slowly closed behind them.

“I knew it.” Li Yuan said.

Ye Zhuo: “You knew what?”

“I knew that you didn’t want others to know those inner secrets. If I had to follow you, it would be an offense and I should apologize to you.” Li Yuan said earnestly, “But I also knew that if there was a sliver of possibility that you would want someone to enter the heart realm with you, that person would be me.”

Where did this dragon get such certainty from?

Ye Zhuo: “Why do you think so?”

“Because they all only see one side of you – the side that’s still somewhat good. Even Brother Wei is like that.” Li Yuan said.

“But from the first time I saw you, I saw your worst side.”

Drawing swords against each other, taking someone’s scales, could there be a worse appearance in the world?

Oh, there was, the third time they met, there was a beauty trap waiting for him.

Li Yuan: “So if there had to be someone to see your inner demon, you would choose me instead of the others.”

This dragon.

As they spoke, they had already walked out of that narrow path. Before them was another vast, dark red region. In the sky, there was a narrow crack, and the heart beast’s eyes, while watching them, were quickly moving towards the horizon behind the crack, guiding them.

Ye Zhuo turned his head to look at Li Yuan, trying to understand the meaning behind his words.

“Because the impression you have of me is already very bad,” he said, “so no matter what else I show you, it doesn’t matter anymore?”

Li Yuan: “That’s right.”

Ye Zhuo thought about it and realized there was some truth to it. Who he was, Dragon Li Yuan seemed to know more clearly than the others.

“Then if you have inner demons, it would be inconvenient for me to watch.” Ye Zhuo walked forward, saying, “After all, in my heart, you’re still considered a good dragon.”

“Hmm? If you want to see, I don’t mind.” Li Yuan said.

If he had inner demons, he didn’t think there was anything he couldn’t show to others. If Ye Zhuo was interested, he could look at them one by one, as long as he didn’t end up seeing a mirror at the end.

Ye Zhuo walked straight ahead. When had he said he wanted to see this dragon’s inner demons? Besides, Li Yuan had no demons in his heart at all.

This region was another ghost realm town. As they walked, they saw a boundary marker. The place they had been in earlier was “Listening Heart Town,” and now they were in “Observing Heart Town.”

Observing Heart Town was also desolate and deserted. Scattered ghosts wandered through the streets and alleys. When they saw them coming, they felt that they were people they couldn’t afford to offend and hid in the buildings.

Passing through Observing Heart Town, in the distance they could see a large, blue, glowing lake, which seemed to be their destination.

Li Yuan: “The heart beast has four chambers in its heart, and the ‘Heart Realm’ is in the main chamber, which is there. We’ll be there in a little while.”

Ye Zhuo: “You don’t need to follow so closely.”

“?” Was he following closely? Li Yuan didn’t think so.

“Just going through the motions.” Ye Zhuo said, “Since you want to see, then just watch. I’ll run through the inner demon illusion once, and I’ll come out, so you don’t need to do anything.”

Li Yuan: “So confident? It seems your inner demon isn’t that deep. How could the heart beast have taken a liking to you?”

“It’s just that.” Ye Zhuo said, “I just have an obsession in my heart, which will make the heart beast mistakenly think that my inner demon is deep. If it were truly an inner demon that was difficult to extinguish, my teacher wouldn’t have taught me the Dharma.”

Li Yuan: “The sword is an obsession, you said. But I don’t think such an obsession will be mistaken for an inner demon.”

“You’ll know when you see it.” Ye Zhuo said, “But why did you hold my hand?”

Li Yuan: “If I don’t hold on, I’m afraid I won’t be able to enter your inner demon illusion.”

Ye Zhuo was speechless.

So they slowly walked towards that lake like this. The heart beast’s heartbeat continued to pound all the way.

“Actually, I,” Li Yuan thought about it and said, “I’m a little afraid.”

Ye Zhuo felt that this dragon was truly self-contradictory. He said, “Then why did you have to come?”

“If you come, then I’ll come.” Li Yuan said.

Ye Zhuo had already told him some things, so Li Yuan vaguely knew what he would see.

The past had returned to dust, but Li Yuan felt that Ye Zhuo shouldn’t have to go through it again alone.

If that were the case, what difference would there be from twenty years ago?

Ye Zhuo’s gaze fell on the dreamlike surface of the distant lake, and he didn’t speak anymore.

Li Yuan didn’t ask Ye Zhuo either about what he would see in the inner demon or whether it was what he thought it would be.

Perhaps, as this person said, he would know when he saw it.

He was just looking at Ye Zhuo.

He couldn’t tell how long it had been, but they had reached the shore of the lake. The ghostly, deep blue lake water was bottomless. The lake water seemed to be made of countless clear and transparent auras layered upon each other. Looking into it, it was as if one would lose themselves.

Were the immeasurable depths of the human heart like this?

In fact, Ye Zhuo’s eyes were also like this. Looking at those eyes, he would always feel that everything else was a mere reflection in the water, but his eyes were also a reflection in the water, yet he still wanted to look at them.

Ye Zhuo was already annoyed by this dragon staring at him.

“LittleCrown Prince,” Ye Zhuo said indifferently, “Why are you always looking at me?”

Li Yuan felt that Jun Shao Liu should die immediately.

He immediately protested, muttering, “How did you learn that from Jun Shao Liu?”

“You don’t like this title, so I called it out to see.” Ye Zhuo said.

Just like he didn’t like being stared at, but this dragon had to keep casting glances, so he was returning the favor.

“Of course I don’t like it.” Li Yuan said, “I’m not someCrown Prince anyway, and the title ‘LittleCrown Prince’ is even more nonsensical.”

Ye Zhuo sized him up, a hint of leisure in his eyes, as if he were smiling: “Then what are you?”

“I’m nothing. It’s just that if he’s calling me, he should use honorifics.” Li Yuan said, “The bloodlines of the Mo Long and Jin Long are the highest in the dragon realm, and the clan leaders are each half-masters of the dragon realm, passed down through generations.”

“… The Mo Long only has me right now.”

Ye Zhuo blinked gently.

“There are many Jin Long in the clouds of Heaven, but only I am in the Abyssal Sea Palace.” Li Yuan said, “If I had dragon cubs, that would be ‘LittleCrown Prince’. But that’s even more absurd.”

It was indeed absurd. Ye Zhuo felt that Dragon Li Yuan was still a dragon cub himself.

No wonder when the Ghost Emperor called him “LittleCrown Prince,” Li Yuan directly called him by his given name, “Jun Shao Liu.” If he didn’t like it, he would lower him by one level.

So he should have called him Dragon Lord.

However, he was still a dragon cub, and perhaps he would be called Young Lord more often.

For some reason, there was a hint of a smile in Ye Zhuo’s eyes.

“What are you smiling at?” Li Yuan said.

“I understand now.” Ye Zhuo said, “Ten years ago, the reason why you were able to appear before me alone was because your elders thought that among all the worlds, those who saw your original form and didn’t know who you were couldn’t hurt you. Those who could hurt you would definitely know who you were and wouldn’t dare to touch you.”

“You only know that now.” Li Yuan said.

It just had to be this person.

He really didn’t want to mention the things of the past.

“Let’s go?” Li Yuan gestured towards the lake.

Ye Zhuo’s gaze also returned to that deep blue lake. His wrist was still being held by Li Yuan, and he stepped into it.

The slope of the lake bottom was gentle. As they walked further in, they gradually stepped into the cool water of the heart lake. Those auras also rose and surrounded their bodies.

When the lake water had passed his waist and was about to submerge his shoulders and back, Ye Zhuo turned around and met Li Yuan’s eyes. He found that Li Yuan was still looking at him.

“I wasn’t called Ye Zhuo before.” Looking into Li Yuan’s eyes, he suddenly said.

“Twenty years ago, I had another name, given to me by Yun Xiang Xi. It’s been too long. I just remembered it, so I’m telling you.”

Li Yuan heard his heart beating. His heart seemed to have turned into a drum, and this person in front of him suddenly reached out, his five fingers gently resting on the drumhead.

“What were you called?” He heard himself ask softly.

“Yun Xiang Zhuo.” Ye Zhuo said.

As these three words fell, he submerged himself into the lake.

The heart lake suddenly turned into a bottomless abyss. His back was to the endless lake water beneath him, and before him was Li Yuan’s faint outline. They sank downward together.

He heard the wind on Illusion Cloud Cliff.