Chapter 56: 【Current Protagonist Blackening Value: 99%!】p2
As darkness enveloped her, the world fell silent.
A faint blue light flickered in the darkness.
Li Yu, holding the light in one hand, Mu Tao’s hand in the other, cautiously walked forward.
In the seemingly endless darkness, Mu Tao looked at the figure before her, her racing heart slowly calming down.
For a moment there, she had lost herself.
Thankfully, her master was still here. As long as her master was with her, she had nothing to fear.
The power of the Demon Bone was truly terrifying…
If she could control it, she could protect her master, never letting her be hurt again.
The path was dark and long; she didn’t know where it led.
But she wasn’t afraid, just silently following Li Yu, her gaze fixed on the soft blue light, walking with her into the deepest darkness.
A swirl of dark green appeared in the seemingly endless darkness.
As they approached, she saw it more clearly.
It was a vortex, like a gaping maw, silently floating in the darkness.
Was this…the Demon Realm?
Mu Tao thought this, then felt her master’s hand tremble slightly.
This tremor made her pause, her head tilting in confusion. “Master, what’s wrong?”
She didn’t know that her master’s heart was in turmoil.
Li Yu herself didn’t understand. She had endured so much, yet a simple main storyline event was making her feel so…awful.
It was ironic; the moment she entered this darkness, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.
Host, please stop. Let the protagonist walk this path alone.
Regardless of the changes to the plot, the protagonist must become the Demon Lord for the main storyline to continue.
The male protagonist severing the Harmony Bells and leaving the female protagonist alone in the Demon Realm is a crucial plot point, essential for her becoming the new Demon Lord.
Without this event, given the protagonist’s current temperament and her dependence on the host, she will never become the Demon Lord—therefore, this plot point cannot be changed or avoided.
What a ridiculous request! She didn’t want to hear it.
Let the protagonist walk this path alone?
She had made so many promises to Mu Tao, how could she abandon her here?
Didn’t the system know the severe consequences of the male protagonist’s actions in the original story?!
She was here to change the ending; there was clearly a better path, why force her to follow the original, disastrous plot points?!
She couldn’t make this mistake, no matter what.
So, she continued walking, holding Mu Tao’s hand tightly.
But the system’s voice persisted.
【Host, please stop.】
【Host, please stop.】
【Host, please stop.】
It was so noisy, so annoying.
For the first time, she found its voice irritating.
【This is the true entrance to the Demon Realm. If you go any further, there’s no turning back!】
She didn’t understand why she should turn back.
She didn’t have the original owner’s sense of duty or her unwavering Dao heart!
She was just someone dragged into this world!
The system wanted her to change the ending, and she had been diligently cooperating, changing many plot points!
She had come so far; just a few more steps, and everything would be different.
But why was the system forcing her to give up now?
Becoming the Demon Lord was good; then Mu Tao would never be bullied again.
But if it meant being alone, it wouldn’t be what Mu Tao wanted…
【Host, this is the main storyline…】
Shut up! She didn’t want to hear it!
What would happen if she didn’t follow this main storyline?!
【The reason you were brought here is that the author’s story has deviated significantly from the outline, turning all the characters into puppets, unable to control their own fates, ultimately leading to the protagonist destroying the world in her despair!】
【To fix this deviation, an outsider, someone objective, must guide the story back on track, preserving the key plot points while filling in the missing details from the original outline!】
What did the original outline have to do with her?
She was certain that Mu Tao wasn’t a puppet; she was her own person!
And everyone she knew in this world was real, not controlled by anyone!
What was wrong with how the story had progressed so far?
Mu Tao wasn’t alone anymore, Mount Chao Yao wouldn’t be destroyed, what was wrong with that?
【Who is the black-robed figure, someone who didn’t exist in the original story? Haven’t you ever wondered?】
…
【The Heavenly Demon died over four thousand years ago. Why did its Demon Bone appear four thousand years later, and why was it brought to Mount Chao Yao by Si Qinglan? Have you ever considered this?】
…
【Without resolving these questions, can this world truly achieve the peace you envision?】
…
【If the crucial plot points aren’t met, if the outline isn’t completed, this world will inevitably collapse in an unpredictable way!】
So…
What would happen?
【You will never complete your mission, never return to your world!】
That didn’t sound so bad.
Mu Tao wouldn’t become the Demon Lord, the main storyline wouldn’t progress, and she couldn’t go back, so what?
She could stay with Mu Tao forever…
【If the main storyline cannot continue, the higher-level system will deem this world unsalvageable, and you will be erased! Based on current data, without your influence, the protagonist will inevitably destroy the world!】
…
【Is that the outcome you want?】
…
【Do you still insist on continuing?】
…
【Only by surviving, completing the main storyline, and fulfilling the outline can you truly save the protagonist, save this world!】
But why didn’t you tell her this plot point was also unavoidable…
She had made so many promises…
【This is also a necessary part of the protagonist’s journey to becoming the Demon Lord.】
So, you knew everything but chose not to tell her.
【Please understand, the system’s silence and guidance are to control variables.】
【Please believe that the system’s mission is to help you save this world, not to harm you.】
Li Yu chuckled coldly in her mind.
How ironic; she had vowed to never become like the male protagonist in the original story.
【Don’t be discouraged, Host, your previous efforts weren’t in vain. The protagonist will not become as twisted as in the original story.】
Could she explain this to Mu Tao?
【The system has detected that this action could have unpredictable consequences for the world’s stability. For the safety of the host and the world, any speech that reveals plot details will be muted.】
Fine, she knew what to do.
Li Yu took a deep breath and stopped abruptly, feeling an unprecedented calmness.
She told herself to suppress her compassion, no matter what she heard.
“Master?”
“…”
“Why did you stop?”
“…”
Receiving no response, Mu Tao tightened her grip on Li Yu’s hand.
“Master, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me…” She gently shook Li Yu’s wrist, seeking the reassuring chime of the silver bells. “Master, please say something…”
Silence.
Why was her master ignoring her? Impossible!
This must be an illusion, like in the City of the Undying. She was always so clumsy, so easily separated from her master…
But it was fine, she had the Harmony Bells, she could find her master!
Thinking this, she released Li Yu’s hand and activated the bells with her spiritual energy.
The familiar chiming came from right in front of her, and she froze.
“Mu Tao, I can hear you…” Li Yu’s voice trembled slightly.
“Master!” Mu Tao grabbed her wrist, her voice filled with panic. “What just happened?!”
The light in Li Yu’s palm flickered.
She turned around, her gaze lowered, and gently pried open Mu Tao’s fingers.
Mu Tao: “Master!”
Li Yu: “Enter here. The Demon Realm is just beyond this passage.”
Mu Tao: “Then…what about Master…?”
Li Yu: “I’m only taking you this far.”
Mu Tao tightened her grip on Li Yu’s wrist. “What are you talking about, Master?”
“…”
“You said you would go to the Demon Realm with me, that you would always be by my side, that you would teach me how to control my power! You promised, you promised you would always be with me!” Mu Tao looked at Li Yu, her eyes red with pleading. “Master, you’re joking, right?”
“No.” Li Yu took a deep breath.
She didn’t turn around, just said coldly, “I’m only taking you this far.”
“Why?!” Mu Tao cried, her voice choked with tears.
She stared at Li Yu, hoping for a sliver of compassion.
“Master, you promised, you promised me!”
“There’s no ‘why’,” Li Yu said coldly, pulling her hand away.
“Master, did I do something wrong? Was it…because I didn’t control myself earlier…? I, I’ll definitely control it next time! I didn’t, I didn’t kill anyone! You said injure, not kill, I remember!”
“…”
“Master, please don’t leave me…”
Before Mu Tao could finish, a deep blue light flashed.
The red string on her wrist snapped.
And the silver bells shattered.
She stopped pleading, staring at the broken pieces falling to the ground.
The sound of shattering silver was so loud, so piercing…
It made her breath catch, her heart ache.
—These are Harmony Bells, a pair. One for you, and one for me. From now on, no matter where you are, no matter how far apart we are, as long as you activate them with your spiritual power, I will be able to find you.
Was that also a lie…?
Qin Yuan had said that once the Harmony Bells were tied, they represented a lifelong bond, and forcibly breaking them was equivalent to taking half the life of the person who tied them.
Why?
Her master had left Mount Chao Yao for her, abandoned everything, even defied the entire immortal world…
She no longer doubted her worth, no longer doubted her master’s affection.
But why?
She had finally believed she could have all of this.
Yet, her master chose to sacrifice half her life to abandon her here…
The blue light still lingered beside her, but the person who created it had turned and left without a word.
That retreating figure was the only whiteness in this darkness.
She saw a pearl falling, landing on the ground, shattering in her heart.
Where did it all go wrong?
She wanted to cry, to plead, but her throat was dry, the words caught.
She wanted to run after her master, but her foot touched the broken bells.
And she lost all her courage.
The resolute figure disappeared into the darkness, until she could no longer see her.
For the first time, she realized that her heart, once filled with emotions,
Could also be empty.
…
Her steps grew heavier.
Blood trickled from her lips, staining her clothes.
She was so tired, the path so dark and long, seemingly endless.
【Congratulations to the host for completing the crucial “Severing Ties” plot point and successfully advancing the main storyline!】
You’ve got to be kidding me, you damn system…
She had done everything the male protagonist was supposed to do.
If it had told her this was her job, she could have just killed herself on the first day…
【You’ve worked hard, Host!】
【The system will now issue rewards—】
Hold on, not yet…
【All advanced spells unlocked.】
【World-protecting artifact [Jinxu Gui] unlocked.】
Wait…she felt…
Like she was dying?
【The host’s current mission completion rate is 70%. The system restriction level has been lowered to—Low!】
【The character compatibility kill threshold has been lowered to 30%!】
System, are you even listening?!
【Protagonist Blackening Value +34%!】
【Current Protagonist Blackening Value: 99%!】
What was all that? She couldn’t hear clearly…
【Host, are you alright?】
Alright my ass, her chest hurt, she felt like she was dying!
【What?!】
Were the Harmony Bells really that potent…?
She couldn’t hold on any longer…
【This is the passage between realms! Host, get out of here before you faint!】
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