At the beginning of the third cycle timeline, Rong Yi announced in the group the information obtained from the previous timeline:
Rong Yi: “…So, my master might be the big boss of this copy. The opening of the entrance to the demon realm is very likely related to him.”
Raymond: !
Luo Huayue: !
Zhang Haiyang: ! I have defeated a big boss before!
Ice: ! No, you haven’t. Just taking a hit and running away is fundamentally different from defeating one.
Ice: Are you with the big boss now?
Rong Yi checked her skills. Fortunately, the levels she reached in the previous cycle were not reset by the world line restart; she still remained at the “Soulless” level.
“I should still be near him, but I don’t see him.” The original sword hung on the wall, and she wandered around like a tethered balloon in Yin Yue’s dormitory, ten meters inside and outside, seeing servants coming and going, but not Yin Yue’s figure.
Raymond: What cultivation path is he on? Definitely not the way of the sword. Those who practice the sword emphasize that the sword never leaves the person; the sword is almost like a spouse.
Luo Huayue: It’s related to the sect. Most of us in the Xiangsi Sect enter the Dao through love. I wonder what kind of path the Unsurpassed Palace follows.
Rong Yi: Let me check.
She couldn’t leave the room, but she could freely examine everything inside.
Although she couldn’t touch the books on the shelf, the titles revealed were all about body forging, energy channels, inner vision, and the like. Rong Yi speculated that this might be a sect that practices self-body cultivation as its Dao method.
Everything else was ordinary items, and some unfamiliar talismans and artifacts were placed openly, likely common in the cultivation world.
There were no secret compartments, no hidden rooms; everything appeared very demon realm-like. This was just an ordinary dormitory for a leisurely disciple.
According to the few people’s investigations, this time the time reset went back two days before the start of the Qingyuan Law Society.
Zhang Haiyang: Every failure pushes the time back by 24 hours. By this logic, wouldn’t we theoretically never truly fail? Do we have countless chances to start over?
Raymond: Not necessarily. In the endless loop copies I’ve experienced before, some indicate the number of loops, some make you go through endless deaths until you break down mentally, and some even if you don’t die, keep you trapped in the copy unable to return to reality, which is scarier than death.
Rong Yi couldn’t help but think of the old man who escaped the previous round of the cruise ship copy and drifted on the sea for three months.
The sects of the few people were far apart, even within the realm of cultivation, they still didn’t have the ability to travel a thousand miles in a single leap. They could only act separately in their own territories, searching for clues about the suspected big boss, Yin Yue.
Currently, Rong Yi found three clues about Yin Yue:
1. On the day the entrance to the demon realm opened, Yin Yue’s eyes turned black with bloodshot veins, whether this was the aftermath of some spell or some kind of demonic transformation remained unknown.
2. Yin Yue had contact with her biological father during those days, the father who had never appeared before, perhaps a significant lead.
3. Yin Yue seemed particularly fond of her broken sword, unwilling to change her weapon even amidst such a grand occasion as attending the Qingyuan Law Society.
The team started gathering clues based on these three points. Fortunately, Yin Yue was considered a rising star in the cultivation world, renowned for both her looks and talent, so there were many rumors, true and false, circulating about her.
After filtering out obvious rumors, the group gathered the following clues:
1. Yin Yue was abandoned at the foot of the Unsurpassed Palace mountain at a young age and was adopted by the current palace master, becoming a direct disciple.
2. Yin Yue was beautiful, so her parents should also have been attractive. Based on her age, there were approximately three renowned cultivators known for their looks and unclear family backgrounds among her elders. One had already ascended, disappearing without a trace; the other two, one male and one female, were within reach for investigation. The male was Haomo Xianzun of the Tianwen Sect, known for his cold and aloof demeanor, rarely leaving the Haomo Peak where he resided, rarely seen. The female was Linlang Xianzi of the Xiangsi Sect, a formidable figure at the level of a sect senior, known to have a gentle temperament but practiced the Heartless Dao, hence remained unmarried and childless.
Coincidentally, within the two sects where the group belonged, it was convenient to investigate. They had seen Yin Yue’s face in the previous cycles, so with a careful comparison, they should be able to see some clues.
Several people split up as only Rong Yi continued to walk forward. As the sky darkened, she found herself trapped in a small dormitory. She searched high and low, even checking underground, but now could only listlessly browse through her personal system.
X’s account showed as logged in, but there was no response, perhaps absorbed in the plot.
Rain suddenly began to fall outside without warning. Leaning against the body sword, she sighed softly. The door creaked open as Yin Yue entered with an oil-paper umbrella. Finally encountering another living person, Rong Yi floated over to him and muttered softly, “Do cultivators need umbrellas? Don’t they have rain-repelling techniques or something?”
Yin Yue folded the wet paper umbrella outside the door, closed it, then turned to look straight at her.
This time, Rong Yi realized that he wasn’t really looking at her, just in her direction. It was like the scenario at the previous reincarnation’s last Qingyuan ritual.
Boldly, she crossed her legs and lightly grasped his chin, “This model is too well-made, almost comparable to Fan Xingze.”
Yin Yue suddenly raised his hand, grasping her wrist lightly, and a clear, deep voice echoed in the empty room, “Who are you?”
Rong Yi was shocked! She quickly pulled her hand away and drifted back.
He could actually see her! So, during the previous reincarnation, he pretended not to see her!
Rong Yi floated in disbelief, stammering, “Obviously, I am your sword spirit…”
However, all Yin Yue saw was her moving lips without any sound. He furrowed his brows, “I can’t read lips. Are you teasing me?”
Rong Yi realized that she hadn’t mastered the “speaking” skill yet, so Yin Yue couldn’t hear her voice.
She was almost like a wandering soul now, unable to speak or pick up a pen. How could they communicate?
Fortunately, Yin Yue, being outstanding among his peers, quickly understood the situation and said, “I will ask you some questions, you just need to nod or shake your head.”
Rong Yi nodded quickly.
Yin Yue asked, “Are you a ghost?”
Rong Yi shook her head and pointed to the sword on the wall.
Yin Yue narrowed his eyes, “Are you my sword spirit?”
Rong Yi nodded eagerly.
Yin Yue paced a few steps, took out some talismans from a bookshelf, sat at the table, and began writing. As he finished the last stroke, he picked up the talisman and suddenly turned towards Rong Yi, pasting it on her.
Miraculously, although she was an incorporeal spirit, the talisman stuck firmly on her and a sudden surge of electric-like pain spread through her body!
“Ah—!” Rong Yi screamed in agony, writhing in the air. However, Yin Yue only saw her silently suffering.
Yin Yue’s expression was pleased, “My sword spirit? Well. Let’s not talk about me not being a swordsman, I can’t possibly summon a sword spirit; even if I accidentally summoned one, my realm should have at least fluctuated, rather than remaining unchanged. Have you figured it out? Think about it and I’ll give you another chance. Honestly answer me, what exactly are you.”
Annoyed in her mind, Rong Yi cursed at him silently. This seemingly elegant young man turned out to be so ruthless in private! She was in so much pain that she felt dizzy, but managed to nod slightly in response.
As Yin Yue removed the talisman, the excruciating pain faded, but her muscles continued to convulse uncontrollably, battling the remnants of pain.
Seeing her pained expression, Yin Yue smirked and pretended to wipe the sweat off her forehead, saying, “Poor thing, still sweating? You’re definitely not a ghost. Writing a talisman is quite troublesome, so you better not make me annoyed.”
Rong Yi cursed at him loudly, venting all her frustrations, knowing he couldn’t hear her, letting it all out!
Yin Yue chuckled, drew another talisman with his pen, and Rong Yi flew away cautiously. Despite her efforts to escape, the talisman followed her like it had a mind of its own, and she couldn’t evade it, receiving another solid shock.
With a flick of her jade-like fingers, the talisman floated back and ignited on its own. Rong Yi, exhausted, closed her eyes and lay in midair, calming her mind.
Yin Yue: “Although I can’t hear what you’re saying, judging by your expression, it must not be good news. What, are you ready to resist communication? I still have the patience to write another talisman.”
Rong Yi immediately opened her eyes and looked coldly at him.
Well, she had underestimated him.
This person was not easy to deal with.
She adjusted her collar and gestured for him to continue.
Yin Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Good, that’s the attitude.”
“You are not a sword spirit, not a ghost, but can feel pain— are you a living soul?”
Rong Yi looked puzzled. What was a living soul?
Yin Yue seemed to understand, “You don’t even know what a living soul is, are you not a cultivator from the immortal realm?”
Rong Yi thought for a moment and nodded.
Yin Yue: “…from the demon realm?”
She immediately shook her head.
Yin Yue: “Mortal?”
Close enough. Rong Yi nodded.
Yin Yue stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, “Is it because of some reason that you have become this way and cannot leave me?”
It’s not that she couldn’t leave him, it was that she couldn’t leave his sword! Rong Yi once again pointed to the sword.
Yin Yue was puzzled, “The sword itself has a living being? That’s impossible… This sword is not some ancient artifact, how could it have a living being?”
The woman floating in the air vigorously nodded, pointing to herself and then to the sword.
“Is it really a living being itself?”
Rong Yi rolled her eyes. In her current situation, she could only explain it as a living being, whether he believed it or not.
Yin Yue picked up the sword. No matter how he looked at it, it was just an old and ordinary sword.
“…Do you know my parents?”
Rong Yi’s spirit lifted!
Yin Yue would carry this sword that didn’t fit his status, it must have some special significance. Sure enough, since he said that, this sword must be related to his parents.
Considering he didn’t seem to like the idea of abandoning his birth father, for her own sake, she could only tie it to his mother.
Seeing her nod, Yin Yue once again inquired about both his father and mother.
“…Do you know my mother…” Yin Yue couldn’t contain his joy. He was already handsome, and this smile made him even more charming, almost blinding Rong Yi.
In fact, Rong Yi had just opened the floating screen to see the message from Luo Huayue.
Luo Huayue: Met Fairy Linlang. I think she looks a bit like Yin Yue…
Ice: Good-looking people look similar, and ugly people are uniquely ugly. Sister, you have to find something like a birthmark on Yin Yue to use as proof of identification.
They were not sure if Fairy Linlang was Yin Yue’s mother. But now, in order to attract Yin Yue’s attention, Rong Yi could only use these ambiguous things as her bargaining chips to negotiate with him.
Sure enough, Yin Yue’s attitude softened a lot because she was related to his mother.
“That person never mentioned my mother in the letters,” Yin Yue mumbled to himself, “Hmm, he must be afraid that I will find my mother and seek revenge for him abandoning me! My mother must be a remarkable person.”
Fairy Linlang, the Fengming Sect’s treasure, must be very impressive, and Rong Yi nodded vigorously.
Yin Yue’s face lit up, “Tell me more about my mother. Is she still alive?”
Haha, even the most ruthless wolves would cry for their mothers. Just as Rong Yi was about to nod, she suddenly remembered her stagnant skill levels.
While Yin Yue was in a good mood now, she had to ask for more to make it worthwhile.
She floated to the bookshelf, gesturing for Yin Yue to take down a book and then instructing him to open it.
Rong Yi searched through the densely written pages for the words she needed, pointing them out one by one with her transparent fingers. Yin Yue read aloud,
“Want… to… know… more… take… me… to… fight…?”
The author has something to say: “Sorry, I’m late by two minutes…
