Chapter Thirty-Four: The Male Lead Courts Death Too Recklessly

Originally, the Demon Lord’s laughter should have been seductive and captivating, but unfortunately, he was now inhabiting the body of a delicate young woman. That laugh, however, was simply...

Ning Xianyu nearly doubled over with laughter in her heart: The Demon Lord’s laugh is so adorable, so soft and sweet, I really want to ruffle him.

Beneath that soft, adorable exterior was a stubborn soul—just the thought of it made her feel it was irresistibly cute.

The system burst out laughing: You must have a death wish.

Ning Xianyu imagined that if she ever had the chance, she’d turn Xuan Yuan Tunhan into a cat—a beautiful, adorable, perpetually bristling feline that would leap into the air at the slightest provocation. It would be endlessly amusing.

After all, she could make a wish every month; perhaps she’d give it a try. Who knows, it might turn out well. Though by then, she’d probably have had enough of living anyway.

At that moment, Xuan Yuan Tunhan shot her a glare over his shoulder, sending her scurrying back into the room, too frightened to ask anything for fear of exposing herself.

Meanwhile, Yi Tianling, full of questions, stopped Xuan Yuan Tunhan, who was also about to return inside.

“Elder Ning, what kind of formation did you use just now? The villagers won’t be harmed, will they?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan gave him a curt look and replied tersely, “They’re fine.”

The villagers were unharmed; as for what formation it was, he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

Yi Tianling didn’t mind, even flashing him a smile. “Elder Ning, the villagers won’t be trapped in the formation the whole time, will they? Will they starve to death?”

The villagers were awake and active by day—if they were trapped all the time, how would they eat, drink, or relieve themselves? They’d die for sure.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan replied impatiently, “They’ll fall unconscious during the day. In their current state, they’ll be fine for ten days. After that, the formation will dissipate. We’ll be back long before then.”

If they weren’t back, the formation would end and the villagers would resume their normal lives—no harm done.

Yi Tianling was full of admiration. “Elder, you are truly remarkable.”

So thorough in considering every detail, so powerful, and so gentle toward the villagers.

He couldn’t help saying, “Elder, there’s something I’d like to say, though I’m not sure if I should.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan replied icily, “You shouldn’t.”

He turned to leave.

But Yi Tianling, apparently unfamiliar with the concept of danger, quickly stopped him.

“Elder, I still must say this: Elder Xuan Yuan is a good man. You two are truly well matched. I hope you ascend together and remain united for all eternity.”

He spoke so loudly that even Ning Xianyu, inside, heard every word.

She was so startled she tumbled out of bed, crawled to the door, and pressed her ear to the panel.

Generally, male leads had a penchant for spreading wisdom and uplifting the world—she suspected Yi Tianling was no different. Was he acting as a life coach again?

You’re not afraid of dying, you have the protagonist’s aura, you’re noble and extraordinary—but please, don’t drag me into your mess.

Outside, Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s expression turned oddly complex.

“What did you say?”

Are all protagonists mentally unsound?

Yi Tianling replied with utter sincerity, “I was saying, I always heard Elder Xuan Yuan was cold and ruthless, but now I see he’s truly kind-hearted—just like you, Elder. I hope you two are joined in perfect harmony.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan turned his head, glancing toward the door.

That woman, Ning Xianyu, was surely eavesdropping at the door. Was she the one who put these ideas into this so-called protagonist’s head?

“You’re saying Xuan Yuan Tunhan is a good man?”

This was the first time he’d heard such a joke.

Had swapping souls made him a good man, somehow? That lazy, timid coward—how could he possibly be called a good man?

Yi Tianling insisted, “Of course. Elder Xuan Yuan is powerful, yet he refrained from acting to avoid harming the villagers. When he saw me in danger, he stepped in without hesitation. It’s truly admirable.”

He added, “Elder Xuan Yuan is a good man—most compatible with you.”

A good man? Could you stop with your wild conjectures?

Ning Xianyu wished she could bang her head against the doorframe and end her misery. What was this situation? Demon Lord, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your persona.

Maybe, next time, she’d try killing a demon beast in front of the protagonist to restore the Demon Lord’s ruthless reputation.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan was thoroughly disgusted; his palm rose high, gathering murderous intent.

This man deserved to die. He was an eyesore.

Inside, Ning Xianyu was in a panic: What should I do? The protagonist is definitely about to be killed—if he dies, won’t this world collapse?

If the world collapsed, she’d be done for as well, and she wasn’t ready to die.

Should she rush out to save him?

The system said: No idea. If you go out, you die; if you stay, you die. I don’t know what to choose either.

What kind of comfort was that? It was useless.

While Ning Xianyu was agonizing, Xuan Yuan Tunhan lowered his hand.

Forget it, he still needed this fool to help him enter the Demon Realm and retrieve the Blood Source Stone. He’d spare his life for now.

With a flick of his sleeve, Xuan Yuan Tunhan returned to his room.

Yi Tianling stood there for a while, then smiled and went back as well.

Elder Ning was as bashful as ever.

Once the house was quiet again, Ning Xianyu quietly opened the door and peeked out.

At last, that reckless fool had left.

As expected of the protagonist—he’d actually managed to keep his life.

Once we get the Blood Source Stone, we must stay far away from both the protagonist and the Demon Lord—never interact with these people again.

They were far too dangerous: one could kill without blinking, the other was drawn to courting death. Being around them was the ultimate survival challenge.

The system heaved a long sigh, wanting to hug her and weep: Host, I nearly became the first system to be formatted due to world collapse. I’m still an intern, just a child!

If the system had a physical form, the two of them would have surely hugged and cried together.

The next day, they rose early, preparing to head to the Demon Realm.

Outside, in the formation, the villagers were indeed unconscious. Yesterday, they’d been vicious, intent on devouring others; now they lay there, docile as lambs.

“They’re just ordinary people, caught up in disaster for no reason.”

Ning Xianyu still considered herself a mortal; seeing ordinary people swept into the world of cultivators left her with a profound sense of shared sorrow.

When immortals fight, mortals suffer.

“So why did that demonic cultivator self-destruct in the mortal world?” she asked, casting a glance at Yi Tianling, as if blaming him.

Yi Tianling averted his gaze, bowing his head. “I don’t know, Elder.”

He was hiding something.

The system, for once, was also quiet—perhaps busy with something else.

Ning Xianyu took out her flying artifact in preparation for the journey to the Demon Realm.

The Demon Realm lay to the south, on the edge of the Southern Territory. Cultivators had to enter from its border, while high-level demon cultivators could open a portal directly into their realm.

Ning Xianyu mused that it was essentially the same as a teleportation array.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan instructed Yi Tianling to bring out his token.

“With this, you can open the passage.”