CHAPTER 227: INNER DEMON, MAIN CHARACTER

"Nantian brat, the two are only somewhat alike. Your Wish Power is many times stronger than an Elemental Spirit Body." Red Fox's eyes gleamed with a red, otherworldly light as she observed Nantian Yijian's pure and carefree nature. "At least you won't lose all your strength even if your energy source is gone. The potential of your Wish Power is incredibly high. Some might even call it limitless."

"Little Jian, did you hear that? Your Wish Power surpasses that of an Elemental Spirit Body. You must train hard and study diligently," Lu Chen said, patting Nantian Yijian gently on the shoulder with a smile. He then gestured behind him. "But you'd better take a look back. You're so excited, you seem to have forgotten something."

"What? Forgotten something?"

"Brother Yijian, there's still a wind blade chasing you from behi—"

Before Nantian Wan'er could finish, Nantian Yijian let out a deafening scream. Clutching his butt, he bolted away from Lu Chen.

By now, Wind Dragon had shrunk down and was hovering midair, manipulating several wind blades to target Nantian Yijian's rear. "Little brat, do you think a few laps are enough to settle this? This isn't over yet, you rascal."

Wind Dragon landed atop Lu Chen, tilting his head from side to side as he directed the wind blades in relentless pursuit of Nantian Yijian.

"You're back." Lu Chen looked up at the furious Wind Dragon, shaking his head with a helpless smile as he carefully adjusted the creature's position. "Wind Dragon, Little Jian still doesn't know better. Don't take it too seriously."

High in the sky, the wind blades morphed into massive, spear-like shapes, attacking Nantian Yijian from all directions. Despite the relentless assault, Wind Dragon had deliberately restrained his power, making sure the hits didn't cause him any serious harm.

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Wind Dragon tossed his head arrogantly. "Hmph, as if I'd take him seriously. I'm just testing his combat awareness. I want to see how much he's improved and prepare a proper trial for him later on."

Lu Chen nodded, slightly relieved. "That's fine, that's fine. But Little Jian's cultivation foundation is still weak. Be careful."

"Are you telling me what to do?" Wind Dragon flicked his tail, smacking the back of Nantian Yijian's head. "I've lived hundreds of thousands of years. Do you really think I need your advice? Seems spending too much time with him has rubbed off on you. Maybe I should design a trial for you as well."

Realizing he was about to get dragged into Nantian Yijian's mess, Lu Chen quickly waved his hands. "Uh... better not."

Watching Nantian Yijian being chased wildly by the wind blades, Lu Chen said seriously, "Wind Dragon, just focus on guiding Little Jian. I'm already a competent cultivator and can handle my own training plans."

With that, he tossed Wind Dragon at Nantian Yijian and swiftly slipped away to stand beside Red Fox, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the little troublemaker.

Nantian Wan'er walked over with a soft smile. "Lu-gege, you're so sly..."

Lu Chen smiled at her teasing tone. He reached up to ruffle his hair, then quietly held her small hand. "Wan'er, you've become mischievous. Even you're teasing me now."

"Little Lu, this area is too dangerous. I'll go check on Little Jian. I don't want him attracting another Blood Soul Beast."

Sensing the growing intimacy between the two, Jun Laoye quickly found an excuse and dashed toward Nantian Yijian with the Earth-Shattering Spear, leaving Lu Chen and Nantian Wan'er some space.

"No, Lu-gege, I'm not teasing you," Nantian Wan'er said softly, feeling the warmth in his hand. She stuck out her tongue playfully. "You told me I look better when I smile, and that I should do it more often."

"Haha, yes, yes, I did say that."

As Jun Laoye disappeared into the distance, Lu Chen extended his free left hand, brushed aside a stray lock of Nantian Wan'er's hair, and said gently, "Wan'er, you've really changed a lot since the trial in the illusion realm."

"Lu-gege..."

Nantian Wan'er's cheeks flushed instantly. She lowered her head, clasped his hand with both of hers, and whispered shyly, "Lu-gege, you've changed too. You might not realize it, but you're no longer the same person you were when we first met."

Lifting her gaze, she looked deeply into Lu Chen's eyes, as if searching for the answer hidden within them. "During those two hundred years in the illusion realm, how exactly did you spend your time? Until now, you've never told me what happened there. What could have happened that caused such a drastic change in your temperament?"

Lu Chen lowered his gaze, meeting Nantian Wan'er's dark, mesmerizing eyes. There was a strange, almost magical pull in her gaze, making him feel an instinctive urge to protect her. "Those two hundred years... A lot happened during that time... so much that I didn't even know how to put it into words. At times, I even wonder if I am still trapped in the illusion realm."

"Sigh... no matter how cautious you were, the corpse qi of the Blood Soul Beast still found its way in," Red Fox muttered, noticing a wisp of black qi forming between Lu Chen's brows. She let out a helpless laugh. "Young man, don't dwell on it. Cherish the present. Even if this were, as you say, an illusion realm, as long as you believe your experiences are real, then the memories you made are real too."

"Really, Red Fox? The memories and experiences I had in the illusion realm... are real?"

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you? Focus on those around you now, and don't let the tragedies of the illusion realm repeat themselves."

A reddish mist swirled around Red Fox, taking the form of a beautiful woman. She placed her right hand on Lu Chen's forehead, releasing a stream of spirit qi as she spoke sharply, "Stay true to yourself. Your inner demon is tenacious. No matter how many times it's been defeated, it always finds a way to come back."

Red Fox gently removed her hand from Lu Chen's brows. A new swirl of mist formed in her palm. Slowly closing it, she crushed the inner demon completely, pulling Lu Chen back from the depths of his sorrow.

Wind Dragon observed from afar, pausing briefly but remaining silent. Her mastery over inner demons and illusions far surpassed his, making her the ideal one to deal with Lu Chen's inner struggles.

He gave Red Fox a subtle nod, then turned and settled atop Jun Laoye's head, resuming control of the wind blades to continue pursuing Nantian Yijian.

Red Fox held Lu Chen's hand with one of hers, and Nantian Wan'er's with the other, speaking softly, "Lu Chen, my king, what you seek requires long-term planning. But before that, protecting those around you is what matters most.

"That includes Wan'er, Wind Dragon, the friends you've made, and even the inhabitants of this small world, like me... Remember, you're not alone in your cultivation. You have people helping you grow, and people waiting for you to become stronger."

Lu Chen scratched his head and looked at Red Fox. "I understand. Just now, a trace of corpse qi tainted me, reminding me of what happened in Greenheaven Village. That incident affected me deeply, which is why my inner demon resurfaced."

Nantian Wan'er watched Lu Chen's sheepish expression and laughed softly. "Lady Red Fox and Lord Wind Dragon are like the elders of a family. One guides Lu-gege in cultivation, while the other guides him in growth."

"Hehe, Wan'er, you're right..." Lu Chen smiled bashfully at her. "Ever since grandpa took me in, I grew up without parents. Now, Wind Dragon and Red Fox feel almost like the parents I never had, guiding me forward."

"You little brat, stop flattering me! I know exactly what kind of troublemaker you are." Red Fox scolded him with a laugh. Then she formed a Sealing Formation. "Enough. I'll seal this corpse for now. Once we find a way to purge its energy, you can absorb the core essence within the bones."

Nantian Wan'er approached Red Fox and, noticing her gentle smile, whispered, "Lady Red Fox, you're smiling... does that mean you agree with what Lu-gege said?"

At her words, Red Fox's smile vanished, replaced by her usual cold demeanor. She shrank back into Nantian Wan'er's embrace. "Heh... how could I agree with a brat like him? It's time we check on Nantian Yijian. If we don't help him, even if Wind Dragon doesn't kill him, those wind blades will certainly wear him to death."

Lu Chen watched as Red Fox retreated into Nantian Wan'er's arms and chuckled lightly. "Wan'er, let's go."

He tossed the sealed bones into the small world and took off toward Nantian Yijian along with Nantian Wan'er.

Wind Dragon lay sprawled atop Jun Laoye's head with hundreds of sealed corpses floating behind him. The surrounding trees, flowers, rocks, and hills had all been swept away far into the distance by the storm he conjured with the wind blades.

Nantian Yijian stood in the cleared expanse, gripping his flying sword and dodging the raging wind blades frantically.

"Little Lu, you're here at last," Jun Laoye said with a hearty laugh. "Look at Little Jian! It's just been a short while, and he's already able to maneuver through the wind blades multiple times. His combat awareness keeps improving with every move."

Lu Chen watched Nantian Yijian's increasingly fluid movements. Seeing that he no longer panicked against the wind blades, he grinned. "Of course. All three of us are main characters in our own right."

Jun Laoye laughed. "Hahaha, exactly! We're all protagonists. Come on, let the two of us stand together while we wait for the third one."