Chapter 7: Leaving an Indelible Mark Upon Her Heart

"Mommy, a ghost!" The leading disciples scrambled for their lives, wishing only that their parents had given them a few more legs to run with.

Ye Zhetian did not know the way to the Great Dao Courtyard, but led by these disciples, it had arrived there without a single mistake. Just before they reached their destination, Ye Zhetian manifested its fangs and maw, biting the few disciples who had slandered Lin Jun until they passed out. Then, reverting to its harmless, innocent appearance, it wagged its little tail and slipped into the stronghold of the outer disciples, deep within the Great Dao Courtyard. Following the trail of malice directed at its master, Lin Jun, it silently crept forward.

...

Qingxin Hall.

As soon as Lin Jun stepped inside, he sensed a barrier—a small-scale formation. Had he not already reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, he would never have been able to enter. Breaking the formation with a wave of his hand, Lin Jun stepped inside and immediately saw Ji Qingyou sitting cross-legged on the bed, spiritual energy steaming off her body, her complexion flickering between pale blue and crimson.

She was locked in a peculiar cultivation posture, her expression one of extreme agony. Her tightly shut eyelids trembled, as if she were trapped in a state from which she could not awaken. Lin Jun was no longer an ordinary man, and with his cultivation level surpassing hers, he could feel the chaotic, rampaging spiritual energy within her meridians. If left unchecked, she would surely burst and perish! Upon closer inspection, however, he realized the source of this violent energy was not physical—it originated from her mind.

"How do I save her?" Lin Jun placed his hand on Ji Qingyou’s wrist, feeling a surge of anxiety. Despite having read countless volumes of strange tales and lore, he had no idea how to handle such a situation. In the few moments he spent hesitating, Ji Qingyou’s body had already begun to dissolve like melting wax.

Lin Jun panicked.

[Ding! Host’s disciple, Ji Qingyou, is trapped within a Heart Demon Realm, besieged by several Quasi-Emperors. Her life hangs by a thread. Host, please perform soul projection immediately and go to the Heart Demon illusion to rescue your disciple, Ji Qingyou!]

"Quasi-Emperors? You want me, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, to face Quasi-Emperors? And besides, how the hell am I supposed to get in there?" Lin Jun roared at the system, flustered and frantic. Although she was a newly accepted disciple, he had no idea if there was a limit to his quota, and he simply couldn't bear to watch such a beautiful disciple perish so inexplicably! As for the term "Quasi-Emperor," his vast reading told him it was a formidable realm beneath that of a Great Emperor. He hadn't expected his disciple to have such a wild background—that even within a Heart Demon illusion, she could be besieged by several Quasi-Emperors. Could it be that her unique destiny was that of a legendary powerhouse reincarnated?

Startled by his shouting, the system remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating a solution, before reappearing.

[Given the host's current insufficient strength, Solution One: The host may consume a portion of his lifespan to overdraft his future strength in advance.]

[Note: This method is extremely dangerous. There is a possibility that the host may drop dead. Please choose carefully.]

[Solution Two...]

"Forget 'two,' don't give me a second option! Can she even wait that long? Just do it!" Lin Jun shouted, cutting the system off, for half of Ji Qingyou’s body had already dissolved. If he didn't intervene now, she was truly going to die! Though dangerous, he was a man of deep feeling. Even after only one day as master and apprentice, he could never forgive himself if he watched her die before his eyes. Furthermore, with the system protecting him, he didn't believe he would truly die! But Ji Qingyou was different.

"...Ding, complying with the host's decision. Overdrafting future cultivation... 20%... 50%... 70%..."

In an instant, Lin Jun felt both nervous and subconsciously expectant; he was curious to see how powerful he would become. Then, a horrifying change occurred. Lin Jun’s pitch-black hair turned snow-white in a heartbeat. While his posture remained upright, it was now permeated with a profound aura of death... In this instant, the end of Lin Jun's life had arrived.

Half an hour! Lin Jun could clearly sense the remaining duration of his life. He was caught off guard, feeling a deep sense of dread. Yet, at the same time, the entire world changed in his eyes, transforming into a web of interconnected, transparent threads. His gaze seemed to pierce through time, seeing his former self on Earth before he had ever transmigrated, and seeing his younger self in this world as well.

When his gaze fell upon Ji Qingyou, he saw a space somewhere else where several light-forms were locked in a bloody battle. The one being besieged in the center was his disciple, Ji Qingyou! What kind of realm was this? He was struck with awe. With a gentle flick of his finger, he crossed the barrier of time and space, appearing directly within the gray, hazy void.

"Hmm?" His arrival caused the figures to pause, giving Ji Qingyou a moment to breathe.

"Who are you?" A chaotic transmission, not resembling a human voice, questioned his arrival. To Lin Jun, these were phantom demonic shadows, not living beings, yet they had already developed a rudimentary level of intelligence.

"So, it is you who have been besieging my disciple?" Lin Jun’s gaze swept across them, piercing through space. Though he did not speak, his will resonated like the chime of the Great Dao. Prompted by the system, he knew clearly that these figures were likely the phantom images of the supreme Quasi-Emperors who stood just beneath the Great Emperors.

Yet, he felt no fear, for he sensed that he could wipe them away with a mere wave of his hand.

"You are..."

Ji Qingyou, bloodied and on the verge of falling and dying as she had so many times before, looked up with dazed eyes at the figure standing above the void. Radiating seven-colored light, Lin Jun appeared like a god. She felt a sense of familiarity, yet could not quite recall...

"Kill!"

"This world forbids the path to enlightenment!"

Perhaps because they were merely phantoms, their intelligence was limited. After a brief pause, they resumed their mechanical, relentless bombardment of various lights, swearing not to stop until Ji Qingyou was dead.

Just as Ji Qingyou fell into despair, she saw the divine figure in the void wave his hand gently. Abruptly, the Quasi-Emperors besieging her dissipated like windblown sand. She was struck with boundless shock. At that moment, Lin Jun’s figure was branded deeply upon her heart.

Standing in the void, Lin Jun felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment. Even though he had overdrafted his future strength, he didn't know what realm this was, let alone the extent of his power. But it didn't matter; the mission to save his disciple was complete.

"Disciple, your master has arrived." Lin Jun smiled faintly and descended from the void. With a single grasp, he restored Ji Qingyou’s soul and her physical body to their original state. Then, taking her by the wrist, he took a few steps, traversing time and space to return to reality.

Ji Qingyou’s mind was still in a chaotic haze. She did not resist as she was led like a puppet, for she felt an endless warmth radiating from the man before her—it felt just like her master...

Hmm? Master?

Ji Qingyou, sitting on the bed, suddenly awoke, seeing Lin Jun, now white-haired and aged, smiling down at her. Tears the size of peas began to fall from her eyes.