ISWTDB Ch11

Chapter 11: The Disfigured and Blind Sect Leader (11)

Wen Renming pretended to grope around for a while before turning to shake his head at Xiao Lie, indicating that he too was unsure which path to choose.

Xiao Lie frowned and decided to follow closely behind Wen Renming. Unexpectedly, a fierce wind suddenly blew through the cave. It was extremely strange for such a strong wind to appear in an otherwise empty cave. Soon, a powerful suction force came from the left passage.

Seeing this, Xiao Lie hurriedly stepped forward, attempting to grab Wen Renming, who was not far from him. But Wen Renming deftly dodged, instead embracing Ying Zhao’s waist and together they darted into the right passage, avoiding the evil wind.

Seeing this, Xiao Lie also wanted to enter the right passage. However, the wind was too strong. He had to strike the stone wall with a burst of force, using the momentum to propel himself into the right passage.

Many others saw Xiao Lie’s actions and imitated him. However, due to the suddenness of the wind, only a few succeeded. The rest of the Piaomiao Pavilion disciples left in the cave were not so lucky and were sucked into the left passage.

The group thus split into two, and before long, anguished screams echoed from the left passage. Xiao Lie listened in horror, his gaze towards Wen Renming growing even more hostile.

He stormed over, seemingly ready to confront Wen Renming directly. Ying Zhao quickly stepped in front of Xiao Lie and said:

“Wen Renming had already told Master that this secret realm is full of dangers and unavoidable injuries. Senior Brother, you are aware of this. If you act impulsively and hurt him, who will guide us on the road ahead?”

Xiao Lie, hearing Ying Zhao’s reasoning, had to forcibly suppress his anger. He stepped forward and coldly threatened Wen Renming:

“Wen Renming, you better not play any tricks. If anything happens to the Piaomiao Pavilion people again, I, Xiao Lie, will not let you off!”

With that, he snorted coldly and walked ahead. Wen Renming said nothing, silently following behind Xiao Lie with Ying Zhao’s support.

However, the newly entered tunnel seemed particularly deep, and despite walking for a long time, they saw no end. The Piaomiao Pavilion people, having suffered repeated hardships, were all on edge.

Just as everyone was at a loss, someone suddenly noticed a fog slowly rising from the ground, obscuring their path entirely.

The thick mist soon enveloped the surroundings, making it impossible to see one’s hand in front of one’s face. Despite this, Ying Zhao, with his keen senses, could still feel the people around him.

He tightly held Wen Renming’s hand, feeling the coldness of his fingertips. He hurriedly leaned in to check on Wen Renming and noticed that although his expression was impassive, beads of cold sweat were dripping from his forehead.

The other Piaomiao Pavilion disciples, whose cultivation levels were far below Wen Renming’s, had already started clutching their heads and screaming in pain. Xiao Lie, seeing this, grew nervous.

He carefully examined the surrounding mist, feeling his mind becoming muddled. Only then did he realize what was happening. He forcefully blinked his eyes and shouted:

“Not good, there’s something wrong with this cave! This is the Demon Realm!”

The Demon Realm, as the name suggests, is a place that can induce inner demons in cultivators. Inner demons are considered formidable adversaries for all cultivators. Those unable to overcome their inner demons could easily lose all their progress. A severe drop in cultivation would be fortunate; some cultivators might even fall into demonic paths.

Ying Zhao, being a divine beast born of heaven and earth, had a pure mind. Additionally, his divine soul’s cultivation was profound, rendering him unaffected by this small Demon Realm.

Thus, he remained unaffected here. However, seeing Xiao Lie’s bloodshot eyes and somewhat deranged appearance, he knew this Demon Realm was indeed formidable.

He had initially thought this secret realm belonged to the Wen Renming family and that this was merely a trap set by Wen Renming. But seeing Wen Renming’s pale face and cold sweat, Ying Zhao realized things might not be as simple as he had imagined.

He shook Wen Renming’s shoulders and softly called out:

“Wen Renming! Can you hear me? This is the Demon Realm; everything you see is fake. Wake up!”

However, the Wen Renming beside him showed no reaction, staring blankly ahead with vacant eyes.

Unsure how to respond, Ying Zhao thought of the auxiliary system arranged for him by Bai Rui. He quickly called out to the Xiao Bai figure in his consciousness:

“Xiao Bai, what’s so strange about this Demon Realm? Wen Renming seems very off right now. Do you have any ideas?”

Seeing Ying Zhao’s anxiousness, Xiao Bai immediately swished its tail, floated in front of him, and said:

“The Demon Realm level in this secret realm has been confirmed as the highest in the cultivation world, even affecting cultivators in the Great Ascension stage. Because Wen Renming’s cultivation is the highest here, he is still holding on, but he might be in danger soon.”

Hearing that Wen Renming could be in danger, Ying Zhao immediately tensed up and urgently asked Xiao Bai:

“Is there any way to help Wen Renming? What can I do to help him through this?”

Xiao Bai hesitated for a moment before saying:

“To truly help Wen Renming, you need to know the source of his inner demon. So, you will likely need to enter Wen Renming’s consciousness and experience this inner demon with him to genuinely assist him. However, despite your divine soul being higher in this world’s hierarchy, Wen Renming, being formed from the Vermilion Bird’s soul fragment, also possesses significant power. Entering his consciousness carries certain risks.”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhao immediately nodded. He was indifferent to the risks and agreed almost instantly.

“In that case, help me enter his consciousness now. I must help Wen Renming get through this Demon Realm.”

Xiao Bai, hearing Ying Zhao’s command, immediately tensed its body, activated the system’s energy, and said to Ying Zhao:

“Although Wen Renming cannot see, the system will restore the scene for you. Remember, in Wen Renming’s consciousness, everything you see is an illusion. Although the system will try to assist you, you might not be able to do anything. If you encounter rejection or attack from his consciousness, you must exit immediately!”

Ying Zhao did not respond to Xiao Bai, instead holding Wen Renming’s hand tightly and closing his eyes beside him.

Soon, he felt his consciousness detaching from his body, plunging into an entirely unfamiliar sensation. Ying Zhao then found himself enveloped in darkness.

Before long, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar scene. His body seemed to have become ethereal, floating in the air like a gentle breeze.

He tried to touch nearby objects but found he could do nothing, merely observing the constantly changing scenes around him like a bystander.

Then, the scene settled. Ying Zhao saw that he seemed to be in a courtyard. A small child, dressed in coarse, worn robes, sat quietly on a bench.

The child’s face was completely covered by a black leather mask, making it impossible to see his features. However, Ying Zhao knew that this child was Wen Renming.

Ying Zhao moved forward, trying to talk to Wen Renming. However, he quickly realized he could neither touch the objects around him nor make any sound.

The young Wen Renming also seemed unaware of his presence, leaving Ying Zhao to watch from a distance like a ghost.

Before long, a group of children ran into the courtyard, appearing to be disciples of the Qingliu Sect. Ying Zhao had thought that as the young sect master of Qingliu Sect, Wen Renming should be respected.

However, these children ran up to Wen Renming and pushed him off the bench. They surrounded him, mocking him as a blind man and calling him an ugly freak.

Wen Renming’s hand was scratched by the stones on the ground, and his previously clean coarse robe became soiled. Yet, he made no sound, merely getting up silently.

Each time he stood up, the children would push him down again, repeatedly. Wen Renming remained silent, neither complaining nor crying, like an emotionless puppet.

The more he acted this way, the more it pained Ying Zhao’s heart.