V2c12: Memory Exposed, Ye Kai Becomes the Public Enemy of the Cultivation World
“Daddy, are you leaving?” Lin Xiang’er asked, her little hand tightly gripping Lin Mo’s arm, her face filled with reluctance.
“Daddy still has things to attend to. Xiang’er, stay with your mother and be good in the Demon Realm for a while,” Lin Mo crouched down, gently ruffling Xiang’er’s hair. He needed to return to the Human Realm to deal with the matters concerning Ye Kai and the Lin Family. Bringing Xiang’er and Yan Ruyu along would be too inconvenient. Unlike him, they couldn’t cultivate both immortal and demonic arts and completely conceal their demonic energy. If their identities were discovered, it would cause considerable trouble. Moreover, his strength had improved significantly during his time in the Demon Realm. With his cultivation at Mid Core Formation, he stood a good chance even against those old monsters at the Integration Realm.
“Young Master, do you really not need anyone to follow you in secret?” Chi Yan Demon Lord asked with concern. Lin Mo was now the Young Master of the Demon Realm, holding an extremely high position. As his most loyal subordinate, she felt obligated to protect Lin Mo’s safety.
“No need!” Lin Mo waved his hand. Having too many people following him in secret would attract the attention of many powerful figures from the Upper Realm, which would hinder his whitewashing plan.
“Then, Young Master, please take this.” Chi Yan Demon Lord presented a crescent moon-shaped protective artifact. As if sensing something, Wanwan, who had transformed into a dog, let out a couple of barks near Lin Xiang’er. This artifact was the supreme treasure of the Chi Yan Clan, possessing the ability of spatial jumps. Lin Mo was quite pleased upon hearing this. He had been lacking a good escape technique, and this treasure could indeed fill that gap. Seeing Lin Mo accept the treasure of the Chi Yan Clan, Chi Yan Demon Lord finally felt at ease, confident that no one below the Mahayana Realm could capture her Young Master.
…
Emerging from the Demon Realm, Lin Mo returned to the border between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. The scene before him instantly stunned him. “Who is it that can kill more than me!” Corpse littered the ground everywhere, with no sign of life. Lin Mo sighed in regret. He had originally intended to reap some Regret value here, but now, what was there to reap? He wondered who the perpetrator was, their methods so cruel! Unlike him, when he killed demonic cultivators who sought trouble, he would intimidate them and then give them a swift end. This person, however, dismembered their bodies and scattered them everywhere; how perverse.
Arriving at the Human Realm, Lin Mo initially intended to visit the Lin Family first. Seeing countless righteous cultivators flying towards a single direction, Lin Mo felt puzzled. He immediately stopped a young male cultivator. “Fellow Daoist, may I ask what has caused such urgency?”
The young male cultivator sized up the person before him. Seeing that he was dressed in white, emanating an ethereal aura, and certainly a righteous cultivator, he explained, “Fellow Daoist, don’t you know that the Azure Spirit Sect is holding a Demon Subjugation Assembly?”
“Demon Subjugation Assembly?”
“Yes. More than a year ago, Yuehua, the Peak Master of Azure Bamboo Peak of the Azure Spirit Sect, turned demonic and cruelly slaughtered over two hundred disciples. Those disciples died gruesome deaths, their spiritual energy drained, leaving them as dried husks! And now she has returned to the Azure Spirit Sect, and nearby righteous cultivators are uniting to hunt her down.” The young male cultivator spoke with righteous fervor, his voice filled with passion. “As cultivators, it is our duty to vanquish demons and uphold justice, so naturally, we must also go and join the hunt for that demon.”
“Fellow Daoist, you are only at the Foundation Establishment realm, yet you dare to go and hunt that demon?” Lin Mo asked, glancing at his cultivation level.
Upon hearing this, the young male cultivator smiled. “Fellow Daoist, although I cannot contribute much in terms of strength, I can still go to show my support. I heard that many前辈 at the Soul Division Realm have already arrived, and it seems a few elders from Rank 1 immortal sects in the Upper Realm have also come. Those are all cultivators at the Core Formation realm. Can’t they take down one demon?”
Oh, just a bystander. As expected, every world has people who love to join in the excitement. Lin Mo smiled. He never expected Yuehuā to reach such a state. He knew that the disciples who died at the Azure Spirit Sect were killed by Ye Kai. However, Yuehuā was already considered a demon, and the righteous cultivators would not listen to any explanation from her. Wasn’t this the same as his own situation before? Lin Mo sneered inwardly. No wonder, no wonder he had been receiving system notifications about Regret value arriving all along. These Regret values must have come from Yuehua. And quite a sum, nearly a hundred thousand. But Lin Mo wasn’t surprised, as his relationship with Yuehua was not ordinary. Under the same degree of regret, the amount of Regret value he obtained from her would undoubtedly far exceed that from others.
“Fellow Daoist, you have an extraordinary demeanor. You must be a disciple of a renowned sect. Why not accompany me to witness the demise of this demon?” The young male cultivator enthusiastically invited Lin Mo to join him. Lin Mo did not refuse. He sensed that Ye Kai was also nearby the Azure Spirit Sect. This would be a good opportunity to whitewash himself with so many people present.
…
Meanwhile, Yuehua’s situation was dire. A group of righteous cultivators launched an assault on her. Even though she was a True Demon at the late Soul Division realm, she couldn’t break through the barrier formed by these righteous cultivators. Most importantly, she couldn’t bring herself to kill these righteous cultivators. She only wished to vanquish demons, and even though she had become a demon herself, the ridiculous sense of justice in her heart had never vanished. The others, however, did not think Yuehua was holding back. They certainly didn’t believe a demon would show mercy. Seeing Yuehua covered in wounds, many started to clamor, “This demon is weakening! Fellow Daoists, redouble your efforts and slay her here!” “Yes, kill her and bring peace back to this world!” “This wicked and evil demon will finally face justice today; it is truly a blessing for the world.”
In the crowd, Ye Kai, hiding behind the Azure Spirit Sect disciples, sneered. “So what if you, Yuehua, have become a demon? Aren’t you still going to fall into my hands, Ye Kai? If I can scheme to kill you once, I can kill you a second time.”
“Sisters, his smile is so disgusting!” The female disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect beside him, seeing the even more hideous smile on Ye Kai’s ugly face, distanced themselves from him as if avoiding a plague.
“Senior Sister Bai Ling, it’s me, I’m Ye Kai…” Ye Kai, spotting a familiar beautiful figure in the crowd, stepped forward to greet her.
“Ye Kai?” Bai Ling frowned. She didn’t have a strong impression of Ye Kai. When Yuehua had called out this name earlier, she hadn’t even registered who it was. Her strongest memory was related to the Lin Mo incident at the Azure Spirit Sect. Lin Mo, who had risked his life to kill him, was named Ye Kai. Recalling the appearance of that person, it did bear some resemblance to this ugly individual before her.
“Yes, yes, Senior Sister Bai Ling, it’s me.” Ye Kai continued to try and get closer. The senior disciple of Great Stone Peak was also very attractive. When he was still at Azure Bamboo Peak, he had desired Bai Ling’s beauty.
“We’re not familiar, don’t get so close to me.” Bai Ling waved him away. Ye Kai’s appearance was truly repulsive, making her feel a bit nauseous.
Being rebuffed in public, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in Ye Kai’s eyes. This woman, once Yuehua was dealt with by the righteous cultivators, he would surely teach her a ‘lesson’.
Soon, Yuehua was jointly sealed within a magic array by two cultivators at the Core Formation realm from the Upper Realm. “Fellow Daoists at the Soul Division Realm, lend us your strength. Cooperate with us to control the magic array and annihilate this demon.” In a short while, Yuehua’s movements were completely restricted by the power of the magic array. Seeing Ye Kai watching her from outside with a smile, she felt immense anger and unwillingness. Gradually, she felt her life force draining away. No matter how she struggled, she was powerless. Her great revenge had not been taken, she hadn’t killed all the demonic cultivators in the world, she hadn’t repaid her Mo’er, and she couldn’t even kill a scoundrel like Ye Kai. Even though she had become a demon, she was still so incompetent. With this thought, she slowly closed her eyes, awaiting incoming death.
“Yoho, what a lively scene?” This sudden voice, though not loud, clearly reached the ears of everyone present. Upon hearing this incredibly familiar voice, Yuehua’s eyes snapped open, and she saw the Mo’er she had been yearning for. “Mo’er, Mo’er, it’s so good that you’re alright.” “It’s this Master’s fault, Master wrongly accused you. Master shouldn’t have believed Ye Kai’s nonsense. Look, Mo’er, Master has brought you good things.” Yuehua’s face showed a hint of craziness as she took out the organs she had previously taken from Ye Kai and showed them to Lin Mo.
“Who are you? We’re not familiar.” Lin Mo quickly took two steps back, distancing himself from Yuehua. Seeing Yuehua’s miserable state, his heart remained unmoved. Lin Mo’s words left Yuehua stunned, her expression vacant. In this life, she had never truly cared for her disciple. For over a decade, her disciple had been giving his all for her, leaving the best for her. Yet she had hurt him time and time again. Indeed, she was no longer qualified to get close to Lin Mo…
The Peak Masters of the Azure Spirit Sect immediately recognized Lin Mo. “Little demon, how dare you show your face here?” “Are you here to save your demonic Master?” “Today, with so many righteous cultivators present, we will surely bring both you and your Master to justice.” The righteous cultivators present all looked towards Lin Mo. They sensed no demonic energy from Lin Mo and initially mistook him for one of their own.
“Hey, please don’t misunderstand, I have no relation with Yuehua. Feel free to kill or torture me as you please.” Lin Mo spread his hands, doing his best to distance himself from Yuehua.
“Fellow Daoists of the Azure Spirit Sect, have you mistaken him?” “This person is brimming with spiritual energy, not like someone who has turned demonic.” Someone voiced the thought everyone had.
“He has concealed his demonic energy through a secret technique.” “At the very beginning, during the Azure Spirit Sect’s Sect Grand Competition, this Lin Mo exposed his true nature.” “Thousands of disciples from the Azure Spirit Sect can attest to this.” All the disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect chimed in. The crowd suddenly realized. “Everyone, don’t listen to the lies of a demonic cultivator.” “As expected of a demon, so good at faking it!” “Since both Master and disciple are here, die together.”
On the other side, Ye Kai rejoiced inwardly! This Lin Mo is truly brainless, coming here to die. He knew that elders from a Rank 1 immortal sect of the Upper Realm were present, as well as tens of thousands of righteous cultivators. Could Lin Mo possibly survive? Just as the righteous cultivators were about to attack Lin Mo, an anomaly occurred within the magic array imprisoning Yuehua.
“You… None of you are allowed to touch my Mo’er!” Yuehua suddenly came to her senses. She owed her Mo’er too much. She didn’t even deserve to die. Endless regret surged within her. She couldn’t die; she had to protect her Mo’er and repay her debt to him slowly. She also had to kill all the demons in the world and take down Ye Kai. Boundless demonic energy erupted from her body, her hatred interwoven with regret for Lin Mo, causing her to break through from the late Soul Division realm to the Core Formation realm once again.
“This is bad, the demon has broken through.” “Fellow Daoists, strengthen the magic array’s power!” someone warned, but it was too late. Yuehua shattered the magic array with a single burst and charged towards Ye Kai. “Mo’er, I’ll take Ye Kai’s life for you now!”
“I told you, we’re not familiar!” Lin Mo’s voice had also turned cold. Why did Yuehua only realize this now? It was too late for regret.
“Senior experts, save me.” Ye Kai yelped, collapsing onto the ground in fear. He dared not use his demonic energy and was unable to escape. He could only wait for rescue from these righteous individuals. Indeed, Yuehua was once again intercepted by two elders from the Rank 1 immortal sects of the Upper Realm. Lin Mo, on the other hand, was surrounded by thousands of righteous cultivators.
“Everyone, don’t be so hasty. Why not take a look at my wares first?” No one paid attention to Lin Mo’s words. “Demons deserve to die!” “Don’t wait for him to stall for time.” “Let’s attack together and kill this little demon.” Seeing that everyone was still charging towards him, Lin Mo stopped wasting words. If soft tactics wouldn’t work, then he’d use force. Lin Mo swung his Liuli Sword. Tens of thousands of terrifying sword energies appeared in the sky, obscuring the sun and moon.
“What is that? How can there be so many sword energies?” “What is this little demon’s cultivation level? His swordsmanship is so profound.” “Everyone, don’t move. Each of these sword energies can easily kill a cultivator below the Soul Division realm.” The last piece of advice came from an elder at the Core Formation realm from the Upper Realm. Upon hearing this, everyone froze in fear, staring at Lin Mo with terrified expressions.
“What a bunch of spineless cowards,” Lin Mo cursed, and began projecting Ye Kai’s memories. In the next moment, a massive magic array appeared in the sky. In the center of the magic array, images began to emerge.
“What is this?” Everyone was drawn to the magic array, exchanging bewildered glances. The images within the array shifted, projecting a clear picture before their eyes. Lin Mo had only selected memory fragments from Ye Kai’s entry into the Azure Spirit Sect to forcing Yuehua to become a demon, intentionally omitting the part where he met Lin Mo in the Demon Realm. Soon, the scenes from Ye Kai’s memories appeared. From his initial arrival at the Azure Spirit Sect, he secretly instigated discord between the disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak and Shen Ke’er and Lin Mo.
“This is Ye Kai’s memory?” Finally, someone recognized what was being displayed. Everyone, under the threat of Lin Mo’s sword energies, could only watch the scene intently. “I never thought Ye Kai would secretly be such a villain.” “I think Shen Ke’er isn’t much better, to be so easily provoked by Ye Kai.” “These disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak are also foolish, believing whatever they’re told?” The scene quickly moved to Yuan Li’s matter. Only the disciples on Azure Bamboo Peak knew about Yuan Li’s situation. Now that it was being shown, puzzled looks appeared on everyone’s faces as they glanced at Yuehua.
“How could she be a Master if she didn’t even know her disciples’ true nature?” “Although Lin Mo is now a great demon, judging from Ye Kai’s memories, his contributions to Azure Bamboo Peak are undeniable. He was quite a great Senior Brother back then.” “On the other hand, Ye Kai, in order to show off how good a person he was, actually did something so foolish, leading the charge to protect Yuan Li and then spreading rumors about Lin Mo behind his back. What a shameless fiend.” “Why do I suddenly feel a bit sorry for Lin Mo…” Everyone’s gaze towards Ye Kai began to show a hint of disgust. Such a scoundrel was truly detestable.
At this moment, Ye Kai realized something was wrong. ‘If the subsequent memories are exposed, won’t I be completely finished?’ The thought of facing the combined onslaught of the righteous cultivators present, along with Lin Mo and Yuehua, filled him with dread. He wanted to escape, but Lin Mo’s gaze held him firmly, rendering him immobile. Besides, where could he escape to? The Demon Realm wouldn’t accept him, and the Human Realm wouldn’t either. He was doomed wherever he went.
Yuehua, too, was watching Ye Kai’s memories. The more she watched, the greater her debt to Lin Mo felt. Lin Mo was already beginning to slowly receive small portions of Regret value from the disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect. The subsequent scenes shifted to Wanwan. From Wanwan’s conversation with Ye Kai, everyone learned that Yuehua had once been planted with a Demon Seed by the Demon Race and used as a puppet for cultivation, causing everyone to look at Yuehua with complex expressions. The Peak Masters of the Azure Spirit Sect had their own thoughts and feelings. Things were becoming increasingly strange. Yuehua’s pain had been exposed, yet she said nothing, silently continuing to watch Ye Kai’s memories. With Wanwan’s help, Ye Kai began cultivating a demonic body. He even waited for Lin Mo’s return to the sect and then used various methods to scheme against Lin Mo, forcing him to turn demonic. In order to repair his foundation, he had caused the deaths of many disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect.
A shocking reversal! The Azure Spirit Sect disciples were all stunned. “What’s going on? The lives of those initial Azure Spirit Sect disciples were taken by Ye Kai?” “Ye Kai is the culprit who harmed his fellow disciples?” “But why did Senior Brother Lin turn demonic then?” “Didn’t you see? It was the demonic girl beside Ye Kai who secretly injected something into Senior Brother Lin during his match with Zhu Shiyao, causing demonic energy to surge from him.”
The truth was revealed. The disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect, at this moment, felt too ashamed to look at Lin Mo, their heads bowed in shame. Recalling the scene when Lin Mo, despite being covered in wounds from withstanding the sect’s protective array, had desperately tried to kill Ye Kai, they felt even more self-reproachful. All the Peak Masters of the Azure Spirit Sect felt the same. They, as elders, had wronged a junior so unjustly and had almost killed a righteous individual like Lin Mo, who would rather die than spare a true demon. Their old faces burned with shame, not knowing where to hide.
The other righteous cultivators present began to collectively point fingers at the Azure Spirit Sect. “Your Azure Spirit Sect is a Rank 2 immortal sect, yet your ability to discern right from wrong is so poor?” “I heard that their Twelve Peaks each manage their own affairs and have no real understanding of their sect’s true situation. If they were united like other sects, would this misunderstanding have occurred?” “Indeed, the Azure Spirit Sect is not as good as disbanding right away. They’ve been enjoying the benefits of being a Rank 2 immortal sect without accomplishing anything useful, so they shouldn’t mislead disciples.” The Peak Masters of the Azure Spirit Sect’s Twelve Peaks were so humiliated they couldn’t lift their heads.
Lin Mo, on the other hand, was overjoyed, reaping Regret value in large batches. “Fellow Daoist Lin Mo, it was all a misunderstanding before. Would you please retract your terrifying sword energies?” The speaker was an elder from a Rank 1 immortal sect of the Upper Realm. Everyone present echoed, “Yes, Senior Lin Mo, it was all a misunderstanding. Now that the truth is revealed, we are on the same side.” “We apologize for our previous rashness. Please withdraw your divine abilities.” They genuinely feared that Lin Mo might get angry and use those sword energies to slaughter them all.
Lin Mo shrugged and retracted his sword energies. In an instant, the sky, unobstructed by sword energies, became clear and vast again. However, the images were not yet finished. They continued. The Peak Masters of the Twelve Peaks were wounded by a descending maiden. While they were recuperating, Ye Kai caused more trouble, harming many disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect. He drugged Yuehua and cruelly slaughtered female disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect in front of her after toying with them. Finally, he absorbed all of Yuehua’s cultivation and fled, and had since been relentlessly pursued by the demonic Yuehua.
Upon seeing this, the righteous cultivators present turned their enraged gazes towards Ye Kai. “I can’t stand it anymore, this beast, this beast deserves to die!” “I have never wished so intensely to tear a person limb from limb and feed them to dogs.” “I say, such a person deserves to perish, body and soul.”
… Continuous curses erupted. Ye Kai was already terrified beyond his wits. “Ye Kai, let’s see who can protect you now!” Yuehua charged at Ye Kai again, but this time, the two elders from the Rank 1 immortal sects of the Upper Realm did not stop her. All the righteous cultivators watched coldly from the sidelines. Just as Yuehua’s hand was about to pierce Ye Kai’s body and deliver a fatal blow, a white-robed figure deflected Yuehua’s attack with a single sword strike.
“Mo’er, what are you doing?” Yuehua looked at Lin Mo, filled with confusion. “You want him to die so easily? You are still thinking of protecting him now,” Lin Mo said coldly. “No, Mo’er, I didn’t.” Yuehua panicked; she had indeed been rash. Ye Kai shouldn’t die so easily; that would be letting him off too lightly. She reached out to grab Lin Mo’s sleeve to explain, but Lin Mo repelled her with a sword energy. “Don’t touch me. You are no longer qualified.”
“Mo’er, Mo’er, I know I was wrong. I don’t ask for your forgiveness, but give Master a chance, a chance to atone.” Yuehua’s heart ached as if being gnawed by countless insects. She could not accept Lin Mo’s current indifferent attitude. The thought that it would be like this from now on made her feel like life was worse than death. Lin Mo ignored her, saying calmly, “No need. With that sword strike that day, our Master-disciple bond was severed. I don’t need your repayment. I only hope you won’t disturb my life again.”
Thirteen years of Master-disciple relationship thus ended. Her Mo’er didn’t even give her a chance to make amends. His attitude was so indifferent. She would have preferred Lin Mo to hit her, to curse her. At least then her heart would feel a little better. Now, even making amends had become a luxury? The memories of her thirteen years with Lin Mo flashed through her mind, one by one. Yuehua finally couldn’t hold back and crouched on the ground, covering her head and weeping. “Waaah, Mo’er, Mo’er, I was truly wrong, truly wrong… Please, just give me a chance to compensate…” Finally, she spoke until she was hoarse.
Everyone present watched, as outsiders, they couldn’t comment on such matters, nor did they dare to. They couldn’t afford to offend either of these two. However, from the images, it was clear that Yuehua had done many things that wronged Lin Mo.
“You don’t want it, you don’t come near…” Ye Kai, seeing Lin Mo walking towards him, retreated in fear. Lin Mo didn’t hesitate; he first severed Ye Kai’s limbs to prevent him from thrashing around and annoying him. Then, he purchased a spatial mirror from the System and put Ye Kai inside. To prevent Ye Kai from committing suicide, he thoughtfully sealed all of Ye Kai’s demonic energy. He intended to torment this beast slowly, making him wish he were dead.
“Leave Ye Kai to me, does anyone have any objections?” Although it was a question, his tone conveyed an irresistible pressure. “Of course not. This is your personal grievance with this demon, Fellow Daoist. We naturally will not interfere.” “Yes, we believe Fellow Daoist has plans for how to punish this demon.” When the two elders from the Rank 1 immortal sects of the Upper Realm spoke, everyone else could only agree.
“Lin Mo, I apologize on behalf of the Azure Spirit Sect.” It was True Lord Fengqing who spoke. Without hesitation, he bowed to Lin Mo. The other Peak Masters and disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect also bowed to Lin Mo. If Lin Mo’s cultivation were still at the Golden Core realm, they would certainly not have apologized with a bow. However, Lin Mo’s cultivation had now reached the Core Formation realm. They had no choice but to bow and apologize. They knew that if Lin Mo refused, given what they had done to him, even if their sect was destroyed, no one would intervene.
“Apologies are not just spoken words,” Lin Mo said slowly. “From now on, thirty percent of the Azure Spirit Sect’s income will be sent to my Lin Family.” This condition was neither too big nor too small. The Azure Spirit Sect had no chance to refuse and agreed to Lin Mo’s terms. Seeing that the matter here was concluded, Lin Mo prepared to return to the Lin Family.
“Fellow Daoist Lin Mo, what about True Lord Yuehua?” asked a Core Formation realm elder. “It has nothing to do with me!” With that, Lin Mo vanished from the spot. Everyone’s gaze now fell upon Yuehua, who looked utterly disheartened.
“Yuehua, although you did not harm the disciples of the Azure Spirit Sect,” “and were forced to become a demon.” “You also know that righteous and demonic cultivators are irreconcilable enemies.” “You must still die. This time, we will not make a move; you may end yourself.” “Preserve your soul, and you can still reincarnate.” Yuehua snapped back to reality. She shook her head frantically, her expression deranged. “I cannot die, I cannot die yet.” “I haven’t killed all the demons in the world.” “I haven’t repaid Mo’er yet.” “Only my Mo’er can kill me.” “You can’t, and I can’t either!” In an instant, Yuehua transformed into a mass of black mist and disappeared from the spot. Her speed was so fast that it left the righteous cultivators stunned.
“What’s going on? She just ran away?” They had truly believed Yuehua would die of shame. They never expected Yuehua’s train of thought to be so illogical.
…
