Chapter 26 Inner Demon

Chapter 26: Inner Demon

Chu Ji was shocked and doubtful—how could it be Jun Xueyi?

Jun Xueyi was dead...

He had personally shattered the other’s dantian, and that heart was also crushed by his own hands. The restrictions Jun Xueyi had placed on him shattered completely the moment he struck with his sword, proving conclusively that Jun Xueyi had died utterly.

This couldn’t be Jun Xueyi.

He had explored the bottom of that cliff—it was all poisonous marshes, with not a single living thing, and no one could enter. Since no one could enter, it meant no one could come out either. The other had likely long since turned to dust, corroded to the point where not even bones remained.

He drew a shallow breath and stood up, making his way over.

Because the place was exceptionally cold, he didn’t notice the piercing cold of the red jade-like bell on his ankle.

With each step he took, the bell’s color deepened slightly. By the time he reached the edge of the cold pond, the bell began to glow faintly. Unfortunately, it was hidden by his shoes and socks, completely invisible to him.

The person in the cold pond opened their eyes, a trace of confusion flashing through their hollow gaze, yet their face showed neither happiness nor grief, like a wooden doll.

Chu Ji also noticed that the figure in the pond was illusory, dream-like.

He frowned, recalling Lin Xu’s words when he entered.

Could it be that he had developed an inner demon?

The Little Demon Lord had an inner demon?

That sounded utterly ridiculous.

And the inner demon was someone he had personally killed not long ago—that made it even more laughable.

Chu Ji stood still, called forth his sword, and ran the figure through in the pond with a single strike.

The sword passed through without leaving a trace, proving it had no physical form—it wasn’t a person.

Clutching his sword, he stared intently at the shadow in the pond, then slowly sat down beside it, letting out a frustrated laugh at himself.

He had already killed the person, yet they could still become his obstacle!

What a pathetic fool he was.

It was just that one night, only that one night.

If he had failed to kill the other and it became an obsession, he could understand. But now, with the other’s body turned to dust, he was still obsessed with it.

Chu Ji gazed at the figure. "Inner demon, is it? Come here."

Since it was his obsession, his demon, the other might as well serve as an inner demon.

Unnoticed, the bell on his ankle glimmered faintly. The next moment, the figure approached.

Chu Ji reached out, but his hand passed through the other.

Intangible yet visible.

What were the usual manifestations of an inner demon?

He didn’t even understand why he had such an obsession.

After studying it for what felt like ages, Chu Ji grew impatient.

It was useless. It only moved when commanded, and he couldn’t make it disappear.

It had wasted half the day.

Irritated, he turned his back to the illusion and returned to his cultivation.

It was the first time the Little Demon Lord had been so enthusiastic about cultivation.

He had originally planned to rest for a while after waking up, but seeing this illusion made him instantly rather cultivate—at least with his eyes closed, he wouldn’t have to see anything.

Chu Ji closed his eyes and lost himself in cultivation.

Meanwhile, the illusion in the pond remained, its eyes shifting from vacant confusion to awareness.

But an illusion was still an illusion—and a masked one at that. However expressive it grew, no one could see it. Without a physical form, it couldn’t even disturb the water’s surface.

By the time Chu Ji opened his eyes again, a month had slipped by.

Frost coated Chu Ji’s face, with a dusting of frost on his eyebrows and long eyelashes.

During his cultivation, his fire-based mental technique had been continuously circulating, voraciously drawing in spiritual energy while relying on the opposing mental technique to keep himself from freezing to death.

Even so, the cold eventually woke him from his cultivation.

The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was let out a long, frosty breath. He couldn’t use any artifact to counter the cold—he needed this very chill, which had the same effect as Jun Xueyi’s spiritual energy.

Thinking of Jun Xueyi, he turned to look at the illusion in the cold pond.

The illusion remained in the same position, in the exact same pose from before he closed his eyes.

Chu Ji stood up, stretched by jumping a few times, and then crouched in front of the illusion.

"What use are you?"

He knew a little about inner demons—when an obsession turns into a hindrance, it only harms oneself, leading to madness and harming others.

But the illusion he saw did nothing.

It didn't interfere with his cultivation nor provoked any urge to harm others.

Propping his chin in his hands, he stared at the figure. The next moment, the figure opened its eyes.

Even though it was masked, Chu Ji felt as if he could see the other’s eyes—no longer the icy blue-black from before, but now glowing with a flicker of fire.

Fire?

Chu Ji was now fully convinced this was his inner demon.

Jun Xueyi was his elemental opposite—how could there be fire in him?

He lifted a finger and pointed at the mask on the inner demon’s face. "Take it off."

The other raised a hand as if to remove the mask, but it was just a motion—the mask remained in place.

The Little Demon Lord scowled. Just because he had never seen Jun Xueyi without a mask, did that mean he was denied the sight even in his own inner demon?

Fate was truly miserly.

Even imaginary ones won't work.

Wait, without a protagonist, he cheered up. He asked the phantom, "What can you do?"

The phantom remained silent.

He frowned slightly and pressed, "What are you good for?"

Why was his inner demon so different from others?

After locking eyes for a long time, he saw the other raise a hand.

He would recognize those gloved hands even if they were burned to ashes. Instantly, he shuddered, feeling as if his tail root had been grabbed.

"!"

"Back off."

The phantom retreated several steps.

Chu Ji bit his lip lightly, regretting making death too easy. He should have broken those hands.

Lost in thought, he bent down, scooped water from the icy pond, and splashed it toward the phantom.

Naturally, the water passed right through the phantom. As he took a step forward, a sudden whirlpool formed at the bottom of the pond, pulling him down with immense force.

Chu Ji, who hadn't yet learned to swim: "!"

Jun Xueyi really was his nemesis!

The cold pond appeared shallow but was actually incredibly deep, comparable to the chasm where Chu Ji and Jun Xueyi had fallen before.

What was worse, Chu Ji's body quickly reached its limit under the intense cold. The more he struggled, the weaker he became.

The pulling force persisted, so Chu Ji had no choice but to conserve his energy and let himself sink to the bottom. The deeper he went, the more the surrounding water felt less like water and more like liquid formed from highly concentrated spiritual energy, which relentlessly forced its way into his body.

Once the pulling force vanished, Chu Ji took a deep breath and tried to struggle his way out.

After flailing around inelegantly for a while, he still hadn't surfaced.

He hadn't actually sunk into the mud—an invisible barrier above the mud kept him afloat. He recalled his uncle mentioning that a section of Ice Lotus Root was buried here.

It was an artifact from ancient times, so it was only natural for it to reject him.

As he pondered, his limbs grew numb from the cold, and his ears and tail emerged completely. Under the threat to his survival, Chu Ji involuntarily reverted to his demon form.

Biting down hard against the cold, he temporarily set aside his pride, his mind filled with the desperate hope that someone would come to rescue him.

So cold. He wrapped his paws around himself as tightly as possible.

......

"Chu Ji!"

"Chu Ji, wake up."

A buzzing sound filled Chu Ji's ears. He couldn't make out who was calling him, and the cold was so intense that his ears drooped, blocking his ear canals as he completely buried himself.

Not listening, not listening.

Not waking up, not waking up.

It was warmer this way.

"Chu Ji... don't fall asleep."

The voice was stern, but Chu Ji paid no attention. The Mental Technique inside him was spinning rapidly, circulating continuously under the intense pressure without him needing to actively cultivate. A steady stream of warmth flowed from within, so Chu Ji curled himself into a ball, preserving what little heat he had.

The black rope tied to his hind paw blended into his dark fur, with only the small red bell standing out vividly. His tail coiled around from the side, enveloping him completely.

"..."

After a moment of silence, a low chuckle broke the quiet. A phantom, so faint it seemed it might dissolve into the water at any moment, sat nearby, gazing fervently at the figure small enough to be held in two hands.

Adorable to the point of being deadly. So this was his beast form.

No wonder Young Master refused to reveal it at all costs.

So tiny—if he were tied up, he could be tucked into a belt and carried around at all times.

Never to be separated, not even for a moment.

If he kissed the tip of that tail, the other would probably scratch his face bloody.

If he rubbed that belly, he wondered if it would make the other bristle.

He really wanted to devour him.

That way, he would belong to him completely.

Too bad he was currently...

But soon—

The phantom stared at the small, curled-up form for a long time, until the other's spiritual energy began to fluctuate erratically.

Only then did he snap back to reality.

Such intense pressure was liable to cause mishaps.

Yet it was also the best time for cultivation. For a pure yang constitution like his, which struggled with cultivation, such opportunities were rare.

In the past, cultivating under these conditions would have been like pouring water on a blazing fire—more loss than gain.

But now, with the Water Essence inside Chu Ji, the water had turned into oil. This was a golden opportunity.

It just needed monitoring.

If anything went even slightly wrong, guidance was necessary.

The phantom raised a hand, and a strand of spiritual energy that didn't belong to him was drawn out from the curled-up form on the ground, swirling around Chu Ji.

Whenever Chu Ji's cultivation caused his spiritual energy to fluctuate, this strand would rush to smooth it out.

This cycle repeated for an unknown length of time, until Chu Ji's fur gradually spread out in the water, and he could cultivate on his own without guidance.

The phantom beside him watched the small figure and reached out to gently stroke the top of his head, but touched nothing.

He was just a phantom, not even a ghost—how could he possibly touch a person?

A sense of frustration manifested in the phantom, accompanied by a faint displeasure.

All he could do was watch.

But he didn't want to just watch.

Staring at the ice lotus root beneath the mud, just a little bit would be enough.

......

Time passed bit by bit, and half a year flew by quickly. Several people had already gathered outside the forbidden grounds.

Lin Xu watched the gate worriedly. Why wasn’t he out yet? This was already the limit. Continuing to cultivate further would leave hidden dangers.

Sect Leader Lin was even more anxious, pacing back and forth right there.

Cultivation must not be disturbed; otherwise, the consequences could range from meridian reversal to the destruction of one’s cultivation.

The two waited for a while longer but couldn’t wait any longer. Yet, they didn’t dare push open the door to the forbidden grounds.

Just then, slender hands pushed the door open. "Dad, big brother, just wait quietly."

Sect Leader Lin and Lin Xu watched as Lin Yun arrived. For a moment, they weren’t sure whether to stop her or let her go. What if something went wrong? What if nothing was wrong, but their interference caused an issue?

Both possibilities felt like thorns in their hearts. In the end, they could only watch helplessly at Lin Yun.

Lin Yun was not surprised by her father and brother’s behavior. She pushed the door open gently and entered. "I’ll bring little brother out."

At that moment, the small circle of water around Chu Ji down below had warmed from him circulating his Mental Technique. It wasn’t much, but heating such a small area in the cold pool was already remarkable.

He woke up then.

Chu Ji had no clue how much time had passed, only that he was still in the water.

Even in his human form, he couldn’t struggle free, and even less so in his current form.

His four paws pawed at the ground frustratedly before he gave up, pressing his belly against the floor and sprawled out in the water.

He opened his eyes and pondered the possibility of using the jade pendant to call for Xiong Qun.

It was probably zero. This was the Linshui Sect’s forbidden grounds. If he called Xiong Qun, and Xiong Qun tried to come in to rescue him, it’d definitely alert his uncle.

Then everyone would find out that he didn’t know how to swim, accidentally fell into the water, and nearly drowned?

He had his pride.

But was he really going to drown?

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the phantom sitting idly beside him. Using the Water-Repelling Pearl, he created a small space, shook the water off his fur, and found his fur plastered uncomfortably to his body.

"It’s all your fault."

Chu Ji glared at the phantom beside him, grinding his teeth resentfully.

Even in death, it couldn’t leave him alone.

Even dead, he had to see it.

He shook his fur again, and as his Mental Technique circulated, his fur quickly dried. On all fours, he ignored the phantom and suddenly pounced, taking a swipe at it with his claws.

Of course, he didn’t hurt it at all.

He couldn’t touch it at all.

He circled the phantom and noticed that it looked much more solid than when it first entered the water. Before, it had looked like a figure from a dream, but now it resembled a real person—untouchable and intangible.

Chu Ji gave it a disdainful look. "Jun Xueyi, what are you good for? Can you pull me up?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the black rope with a red bell hanging from his furry leg flashed brightly, yanking him up from behind.

Chu Ji: "?"

His front paws twitched. The Water-Repelling Pearl continued to work, so no water got in as he was slowly lifted upward by the black rope on his leg.

The phantom drifted alongside him, sticking to him like a ghost.

He had no clue what material the black rope and bell were made from. Even after Jun Xueyi died, he still couldn’t remove the rope.

Back in the Falling Mountain Range, he had tried many methods, but nothing worked.

Now, like this, with his legs so much smaller, the rope had shrunk right along with him!

Talk about haunting.

That damn Jun Xueyi, even in death, he had to bind him with something.

Seeing the rope made him think of that night, of how cold the other’s hands had been.

Chu Ji gritted his teeth and threw a few hard punches at the phantom.

A few punches weren’t enough. If not for his hind legs being held back by the bell pulling him upward, he would have pounced again.

Why did it have to be a phantom? If only it had a physical form.

If it had a physical form, he’d stab it two times a day.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Chu Ji took another swipe with his paw, and this time, he hit the other’s mask solidly.

His round eyes widened in disbelief, and his paw froze for a moment. After a while, he tentatively reached out again, gently touching it before quickly pulling back, as if he had actually felt something. It really had a physical form!

This must be a dream!

Since when could inner demons be touched?

He had only thought about it; he didn’t actually want it to have a physical form.

Chu Ji glared. "Change back."

The phantom in front of him swayed slightly.

When Chu Ji reached out again, he couldn’t touch it this time. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Disappear."

The phantom remained.

Chu Ji: "..."

Tch.

This inner demon was both obedient and disobedient.

The light in the water grew increasingly bright, showing Chu Ji was about to surface. He stared at the phantom, scrutinizing it critically.

First and foremost, the fact that the phantom took the form of Jun Xueyi was utterly disgusting.

This alone was more infuriating than anything else.

He let out a cold snort and emerged from the water.

"Little brother?" A clear woman's voice rang out, full of confusion.

Chu Ji looked up and instantly changed back, leaping from mid-air to the ground. The bell on his ankle fell silent once more.

He steadied himself, met eyes with the woman before him, and fell silent.

Lin Yun looked at Chu Ji, her lips curling into a slight smile. "I am your second sister, Lin Yun."

Chu Ji recognized her.

Her features looked somewhat like his own.

He turned his face away slightly. "Second sister."

Lin Yun recalled what she'd just seen.

A creature entirely covered in black fur, with round, light golden eyes, a body shorter than a civet cat's—small and plump, with a white-tipped tail.

It resembled neither a cat nor any demonic beast or its young that she knew of.

Lin Yun asked, concerned, "How did you end up falling into the cold pool? Are you hurt? Are your meridians alright?"

Chu Ji replied, "I didn’t fall. I went down to cultivate."

Lin Yun was surprised. "Went down... to cultivate?"

She instantly appeared before him. "May I check your pulse?"

Chu Ji held out his hand. He really was fine.

At first, he had thought he was going to die.

But then, inexplicably, he began to feel increasingly hot. Half of his body was cold, the other half hot, and the alternating sensations woke him up.

In his hazy state, he had felt someone carefully regulating his meridians, preventing the alternating cold and heat from causing them to rupture.

But there was no one else here.

Just from Lin Yun’s words, he knew it couldn’t have been her.

Who could it have been?

He glanced at the phantom beside him.

Was it him?

"Second sister, did you see anyone else?"

Lin Yun carefully felt his pulse. Everything was normal, even stable—unlike the weakness their father and eldest brother had described.

Her little brother’s cultivation had stabilized.

This was good news.

She answered Chu Ji, "No, I didn’t see anyone."

"This is a forbidden area. After you entered, no one else has come here except for me today."

Then she asked, "What's wrong? Did you see someone?"

Chu Ji blinked and said, mixing truth with lies, "No, it’s just that I thought I heard someone calling me earlier, but it was unclear underwater."

It was better not to mention the Inner Demon appearing.

It would hurt his pride.

Lin Yun chuckled lightly. "That was me calling you."

"Alright, let’s go out. Your meridians have reached their limit. You can’t continue cultivating here. Wait until you’ve recovered for three to five years before coming back in."

Chu Ji nodded obediently. "Okay."

Facing different people, the Little Demon Lord had different ways. Lin Yun reminded him of his mother, and acting obedient was most effective. This was a method he had developed himself in the Demon Palace to make those close to him act according to his wishes.

His father had said that to make others obey, one could simply command them or force them through strength. But his mother had also said that those close to you were different.

Lin Yun’s expression softened.

In this family, there was finally a relative younger than she was, rather than someone older who behaved childishly in every way.

This was the age when one should be allowed to be childish.

Chu Ji glanced at the phantom following him and mentally commanded him to take physical form.

He fell a step behind Lin Yun and quietly reached out to poke him.

Good, he had physical form.

Chu Ji called out, "Second sister."

Lin Yun turned back and asked kindly, "What is it?"

Chu Ji saw that her expression was normal, but the sensation under his hand was real.

His eyes curved into a smile. "I just wanted to call you."

Lin Yun’s heart melted at his obedient manner. She thought to herself, if only everyone in the Linshui Sect were this well-behaved. "After we go out, how about second sister takes you out for some training journey?"

Chu Ji had no objections. Wherever he played was fine, and going out was good too. Only outside could he see how the world had changed without Jun Xueyi.

He agreed sweetly, "Okay."

Lin Yun was completely taken with him, her eyes growing warmer and more amused.

Chu Ji absentmindedly poked the figure behind him, unaware that the only person visible and tangible to him had a change in expression—from emptiness to intrigue, with a hint of barely contained excitement.

As he poked, Chu Ji muttered inwardly, *This poke is for daring to touch my ears.*

He thought this and pressed his finger hard, poking hard into the muscle of the other’s abdomen.

*This poke is for daring to touch my tail.* He poked again, thinking it wasn't enough, and followed with a dozen more pokes.

He had touched all the way to the base of his tail—one poke wasn't nearly enough.

*This poke is for daring to do that to me...*

Before he could finish the thought, his finger was suddenly grabbed. His blood froze for an instant, and he quickly turned his head. The figure behind him was just holding his finger.

The Inner Demon... could move by itself?