Chapter 122: The Reality of Dreams, Shattered Ice
“It’s quite strange, actually.”
Lin Tianlu tapped his forehead lightly. “Perhaps it was just a flash of inspiration, but it felt like I spent six months with you. Although it was a bit hazy at first, I saw everything you did and thought, every action you took.”
Yun Yue’s heart trembled, her face filled with disbelief.
“T-that’s impossible!”
She had cast the dream realm, and it should have only affected her and Ruoyu.
How could this man…
“Perhaps it was Madam Mao’s strong longing that allowed me to sense it.”
Lin Tianlu’s calm answer made Yun Yue’s expression flicker.
She said in a low voice, “So you know everything I did in the dream…”
“Otherwise, why would I call you ‘Miss Yun Yue’?”
Lin Tianlu chuckled softly. “You chatted with me, drank wine with me, even teased me a bit, taking advantage of your seniority. Are you trying to deny it all now?”
“You, you—”
Yun Yue panicked and instinctively took two steps back.
Only now did she truly believe that this man knew everything that had happened during those six months in the dream.
A wave of chaotic emotions washed over her: embarrassment, awkwardness, anxiety…
It felt as if her deepest secrets had been exposed, a blush creeping onto her fair face.
But she quickly forced herself to calm down.
“Why… why are you here?!”
“Madam Mao was taken. Naturally, I had to come and rescue her.”
Lin Tianlu scratched his head. “I managed to slip into the Netherworld while that strange technique was active. But it’s pitch black inside, with all sense of direction lost. I had to search every corner.”
Yun Yue’s eyes widened. “You… searched every corner?”
“Yes. I even encountered some caves inhabited by demons and ghosts. I paid them all a visit.”
Lin Tianlu shrugged helplessly. “But they were either driven mad, lost in their own delusions, or completely ignorant, only seeing me as a source of nourishment, wanting to devour me whole.”
“Then how did you—”
“Those who couldn’t be reasoned with, those who refused to change their ways… I dealt with them along the way.”
“…”
Yun Yue fell silent.
She had known from the dream that this man was handsome and powerful, but she had never imagined… he was this strong!
The demons and ghosts imprisoned in the Netherworld varied in strength, but they were all at least at the Crimson Demon realm, and yet he had effortlessly eliminated them?!
Although…
She was relieved that Lin Tianlu had managed to navigate the Netherworld safely.
But thinking about the situation, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“You’re truly reckless.”
Rumble!
The cave suddenly shook.
The lake churned, and countless stone fragments shot out of the water, flying towards the shattered Severing Gate. In the blink of an eye, the gate was completely restored, without a trace of damage.
“I don’t know how you destroyed the gate, but as you can see… it’s formed from the laws of the Netherworld. It’s indestructible. Even if you destroy it a thousand times, it will heal itself.”
Yun Yue lowered her gaze, a hint of despair in her voice. “And from the moment you stepped into the Netherworld, you lost any chance of escape.”
Entering the Netherworld and leaving it… were two completely different things.
This place was a prison, its layers of seals designed to prevent anything inside from escaping.
Even if he had the means to destroy the gate again, he could never break through the barrier between the Netherworld and the outside world from within. That was the ‘essence’ of the Netherworld, the true boundary between this realm and the mortal world.
She had only heard rumors, but any attempt to break through the Netherworld’s barrier would surely be met with the full force of this realm’s power!
Even after a thousand years of solitude, she hadn’t found another way to escape. She could only wait helplessly for someone to help her from the outside.
“Perhaps.”
Lin Tianlu replied nonchalantly.
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Yun Yue felt a surge of anger. “You’re so intelligent, don’t you understand how dangerous the Netherworld is? You acted so recklessly, and now you’re trapped here for life!”
“If I didn’t save her, how could I live with myself?”
Lin Tianlu smiled. “To win the hearts of so many women is already a blessing. But to only enjoy their affection without giving anything in return would make me a beast.”
Yun Yue was speechless.
After a moment of silence, she sighed sadly.
Her plan had been completely disrupted, and she didn’t know what to do.
Even if she could devour Mao Ruoyu’s soul and escape, then…
What about Lin Tianlu?
“Miss Yun Yue, it seems you haven’t asked for my opinion.”
“What… what do you mean?”
Lin Tianlu smiled gently.
“I’m naturally going to save both of you.”
“…”
Yun Yue’s body trembled, her head bowed.
Then, she clenched her fists. “You want to… save me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know… what I was trying to do?”
She looked up, her eyes flashing with a hint of malice. “I almost devoured Ruoyu’s soul, erased your beloved’s sense of self, and stole her body!”
“I know.”
“Before I was imprisoned in the Netherworld, I was obsessed with battle and slaughter. I’ve killed countless souls!”
Yun Yue’s voice rose with agitation. “With your sense of justice and your hatred for evil, you should be trying to defeat me!”
“I saw everything.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned serious. “That’s why I’m also here to punish you, Miss Yun Yue.”
“…”
Yun Yue gritted her teeth, her heart trembling. She waved her hand, and a crescent moon of energy shot out!
Ding!
A crisp sound rang out as the thin, translucent crescent moon was caught between Lin Tianlu’s fingers.
“I know you’re still holding onto your resentment, Miss Yun Yue.” Lin Tianlu said in a deep voice. “Your thousand-year-old wish is within reach, and you can’t stop now, no matter what.”
Yun Yue sighed softly. “Then why…”
“That’s why I’ll break this hopeless obsession.”
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned calm and indifferent as he beckoned her with his hand. “Attack me with everything you’ve got, Miss Yun Yue. No matter what techniques or tricks you use, I’ll crush them all, until you beg for mercy and admit your mistakes.”
Yun Yue’s eyes widened, and she stood there, stunned.
There were no flowery words, no beautiful verses, just a simple, straightforward statement.
But…
It made Yun Yue’s heart skip a beat, as if a heavy hammer had struck the closed door of her heart.
A bittersweet warmth spread through her, calming her down.
“You truly are… just like in the dream, always saying the most unexpected things.”
After a moment of silence, Yun Yue couldn’t help but chuckle.
Driven by an unknown emotion, she let go of her distracting thoughts. She spun around, and the gauze that had fallen to the ground flew up, wrapping around her body, barely concealing her skin.
“But I don’t believe you, Sir.”
“If you don’t believe me, Miss Yun Yue, you can try.”
“Alright.”
Yun Yue smiled, a breathtakingly beautiful smile. She flicked her finger, and crescent moons of energy swirled around her. “If you can truly defeat me, Sir, I’ll surrender willingly. I wouldn’t mind spending another nine hundred years in this prison with you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure blurred, moving with lightning speed. Her jade-white finger shot out, silently striking Lin Tianlu’s shoulder, unleashing a blast of icy energy!
“—You’re truly powerful, Miss Yun Yue.”
“Eh?”
Yun Yue’s expression froze. She was surprised to see that Lin Tianlu was completely unfazed, his face calm and composed!
“Of all the demons and ghosts I’ve faced, you’re the strongest, so strong that I can actually feel your power.”
Lin Tianlu smiled faintly. “You’re truly worthy of your thousand years of cultivation, Miss Yun Yue.”
“You’re far more powerful than I imagined, Sir.”
Yun Yue sighed softly. She clenched her hand into a fist and struck out with a surge of mysterious moonlight!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
A series of deafening explosions rang out as countless afterimages flickered between them.
As they exchanged blows with blinding speed, Yun Yue bit her lip, her gaze sharpening.
Her millennium of cultivation had brought her to the peak of the Savage Realm. She was just a step away from true mastery. Her every attack was powerful, filled with the force of wind and thunder, capable of splitting mountains and churning the seas!
But…
Lin Tianlu effortlessly blocked every attack!
No!
It wasn’t even blocking. He was casually brushing aside her attacks as if they were nothing!
Yun Yue’s heart sank, her eyes narrowing…
Then, the lake around them churned, countless strands of Yin energy and Essence of Yin converging to form a slender sword, shimmering with moonlight and water. Its blade was only an inch wide, its hilt intricately woven like vines, as beautiful as a work of art.
Summoned by the Azure Fox, the moon blade slashed down.
Clang!
But the seemingly unstoppable blade was caught in Lin Tianlu’s bare hand. With a squeeze, cracks spread across the blade, shattering it into fragments. It had only delayed him for a moment.
Frustration surged within Yun Yue, fueling her attacks. With a shout, she channeled all her demonic and Yin energy into a single palm strike!
Crack!
Yun Yue’s expression froze. She was horrified to see that her concentrated power had shattered into specks of light, dissipating into thin air.
Her ultimate attack landed on Lin Tianlu’s chest with the force of a gentle caress.
“Forgive me, Miss Yun Yue.”
His voice rang out beside her ear.
Yun Yue’s heart skipped a beat as she felt a dull impact on her stomach. The world spun around her…
Boom!
Before she could react, she was sent flying backward, crashing into the cave wall with a force that shook the entire cave!
“Cough, ah?!”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She felt pain shooting through her body as she slid down the wall, collapsing onto the ground, her body trembling.
Although she wasn’t seriously injured, the impact had almost knocked her unconscious. The palm print on her chest and abdomen felt like a burning fire, igniting her demonic and Yin energy, causing excruciating pain.
“You’re truly powerful, Sir…”
Yun Yue coughed, her hair disheveled, her face pale as she looked up at Lin Tianlu, who was approaching her. A wry smile appeared on her lips.
“I was being reckless, relying on my age and experience. I didn’t expect to suffer at your hands, Sir.”
“I have a rough understanding of your strength now, Miss Yun Yue.”
Lin Tianlu stopped in front of her. “There’s no need for further testing.”
“Just testing… ?”
Yun Yue chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Then, she placed her hands on her chest and sighed softly. “Then I have only one last move left. I hope you’ll indulge me, Sir.”
A soft moonlight appeared before her eyes.
…
Lin Tianlu stopped in his tracks.
The environment around him changed again.
It wasn’t the cold cave, nor the bamboo forest or mountain wilderness.
It was a vast and calm lake, stretching as far as the eye could see, under a bright full moon.
“Where are we?”
“This is my heart, my soul realm.”
Yun Yue’s figure descended from the sky, her water-colored gauze robe dancing along with her hair and fox tails. She touched the surface of the lake with her toes, creating ripples.
Her voice was soft and ethereal, like flowing water. “I’ve been trapped in the Netherworld for centuries. From anger and resentment, to begging and despair… all that remains is the purest loneliness in my heart.”
Lin Tianlu glanced at the water beneath his feet.
He could faintly see countless memories flickering and flowing beneath the surface.
Desperate cries and pleas, pathetic kowtows, endless confusion and uncertainty… Just a glimpse was enough to see the woman’s struggles and emotional turmoil over the centuries.
“Now, all this loneliness, this soul realm, will become my weapon.”
Yun Yue raised her hand, and countless streams of water rose from the lake, condensing into swords, a spectacular sight that blotted out the moon.
“Are you prepared to face the pain of a thousand swords piercing your body, Sir? Can you endure the agony of centuries of solitude?”
With a flick of her wrist, the countless water blades shot towards him, surrounding him from all directions, covering the sky and obscuring the moonlight.
—Crack!
All the water blades shattered instantly.
Yun Yue’s hand remained frozen in mid-air as she stared blankly at the dissipating water… and the man standing unharmed on the surface of the lake.
“—I sympathize with your experiences.”
Lin Tianlu’s gaze was calm and unwavering. “But I will shatter this pain and loneliness with my own hands.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he thrust his hand forward, and countless cracks spread across the lake, extending throughout the entire soul realm!
Everything crumbled, returning to its original state.
Moonlight and starlight shimmered, falling like snowflakes.
Yun Yue collapsed onto the ground, her face pale, her gaze empty.
Lin Tianlu caught a snowflake-like ice shard, flicked it with his finger, and sent it plunging into the ground in front of Yun Yue.
“You’ve lost.”
“…”