A chilling aura swirled around her. In the mist, a pair of delicate, flawless hands, like jade, emerged. They gently supported the ice coffin as she stood up.
"Master!" Shi Tian exclaimed, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Bai Ran. "Master is awake!"
Qing Long turned his head, momentarily stunned by the woman before him.
When she had been lying in the ice coffin, they had only thought she was slightly more beautiful than her previous body.
But now, this familiar yet even more captivating face and figure stood before them, so enchanting that no one could look away.
Magnificent, peerless, words failed to describe her beauty.
"Can Mu Si's memories be erased?" Bai Ran raised an eyebrow, looking at the dumbfounded Qing Long.
Qing Long quickly averted his gaze and nodded. "They have been erased. She will remember nothing when she wakes up."
Outside the spatial realm, Baili Xiao's eyes were bloodshot, his heart feeling utterly empty.
He still didn't understand... he didn't understand why this stranger's death before him would cause him such pain...
A fluctuation of spiritual energy appeared, and Bai Ran materialized before Baili Xiao.
Sensing the sudden presence, Baili Xiao's hand trembled. He raised his head in disbelief, his eyes red and tearful.
His sapphire eyes met Bai Ran's, which were faintly glowing red. Yet, Baili Xiao's lips moved uncontrollably.
"Ran... Ran..."
Even Baili Xiao didn't know why he called Miss Bai that, but the words popped into his mind and tumbled out.
Ran Ran... Bai Ran looked at him and sighed softly, then released Qing Long.
Qing Long appeared carrying Wu Si. He gently placed the person in his arms down, then strode towards Baili Xiao, raising his hand slightly to touch his forehead.
A blinding green light erupted, and the emptiness in Baili Xiao's heart gradually dissipated in the radiance.
Slowly, the green light faded, and Baili Xiao's eyelids grew heavy. Qing Long caught him before he collapsed.
He had once again erased Baili Xiao's memories, along with any he had recalled.
When everything was over and the two of them awoke, they would forget it all, believing it was merely the potent effect of calming incense or their own exhaustion that caused them to sleep.
Qing Long settled Baili Xiao, then looked at the lost-in-thought Bai Ran. "What are you looking at?"
Bai Ran gazed at her own fallen, lifeless old body, her eyes narrowing, a chill spreading from her.
"Only we are left."
Baili Xiao and Wu Si's matters were resolved, but there was still one extremely important person...
Qing Long followed Bai Ran's gaze, his eyes widening, his heart skipping a beat.
Her original body, which had been lying motionless, had opened its eyes at some point. A smile was plastered on its terrifyingly pale face.
She tilted her head, staring directly at Bai Ran and Qing Long.
Instantly, Qing Long's scalp tingled... Yes, how could he forget...
That guy... was still in Master's original body, just hadn't shown herself for a long time...
A low, eerie laugh echoed, piercing their ears.
"In the end, this body is mine."
The inner demon, appearing as the deceased, was pale and bloodless. After a tremor, she stood unsteadily, a terrifying smile on her lips.
"Heart Demon..." Qing Long's expression grew solemn as he warily faced the woman.
Now that Master had gathered her souls and reborn in another body, this body had been seized by Bai Ran's heart demon, which had also gained new life.
The heart demon having a physical form was troublesome, Qing Long thought grimly, his entire being tense.
"Although my strength is somewhat lacking, it's barely usable for now," the heart demon mused, pinching the blood-stained hem of her skirt with a chilling grin.
Using Bai Ran's face to say things she wouldn't say, to do things she wouldn't do, it was truly bizarre.
Qing Long stared at the heart demon, his brow furrowed deeply. "How can you think you can escape?"
The entire area was sealed by the Demon Lord, and Venerable Long Yu was positioned outside the barrier, ready to capture any fleeing heart demon.
She was like a turtle in a jar, a fish in a net, with nowhere to run.
Upon hearing this, the heart demon snorted coldly and swept her gaze over them. "Whether I can leave is not up to you to decide."
Bai Ran's dark eyes flickered, her gaze fixed on the woman before her, wary of any tricks.
"You killed my subordinates."
Sighing with feigned disappointment, the heart demon shook her head indifferently, though there was not a trace of sadness in her eyes.
"If you're reluctant, you can join them," Bai Ran retorted coldly, the Feng Yin Sword appearing in her hand as if by magic.
The heart demon seemed to hear a colossal joke, bursting into laughter, her eyes filled with mockery and disdain.
"Reluctant? Them? Hmph, how ridiculous!"
Her tone was utterly dismissive, as if the dead demonized humans were mere insignificant ants to her.
"Bai Ran, I am different from you..."
Bai Ran met the heart demon's gaze, her voice drifting to her ears.
"It's only a few dead burdens, and you forcefully broke through your cultivation, damaging your dantian and severing your meridians. Don't you find that laughable?"
Bai Ran remained silent, but her eyes grew darker and more somber, as if suppressing an impending storm.
"The seven emotions and six desires are fundamentally useless hindrances to you."
"Your divine beast companion, or the lover waiting outside, they hold no importance compared to your status and power, do they?"
The heart demon's expression grew increasingly frenzied, her tone becoming more agitated.
"For your sake, they are expendable..."
"Bang—!"
A fiery sword grazed the heart demon's cheek, and the furious spiritual energy whipped up a gale.
Bai Ran, gripping the sword hilt, lowered her head, her expression unreadable.
"Burdens? Expendable?"
Her voice rose to a chilling pitch as Bai Ran suddenly looked up, her eyes a terrifying, blood-red hue.
"You are the one... utterly ridiculous!"
Three years. She had been in this world for three full years. From the initial four of Qing Feng, to Fang Tianhui, Qin Mubai, then Dean Xuanyuan, Sect Master Xiong...
And now, Jing Feng, Zhong Zi, Zhu Que, and so many others... Were any of them burdens? None of them were!
The heart demon was startled, dodging Bai Ran's onslaught repeatedly. This bitch! How had her strength suddenly become so formidable!
"Weak? Ants?" Bai Ran gripped her sword tightly and charged at the heart demon, enveloped in immense killing intent.
"With every word you utter, you negate the most precious hearts they hold!"
"Sister Bai..."
"Heroine Bai..."
"Little Bai..."
"Captain Bai..."
Burdens? She had never considered those weaker than her as burdens! Nor had she ever envied those stronger than her!
"Bang—!" The heart demon was blasted back with a palm strike, crashing heavily to the ground.