It would be more accurate to say that the disciples of the Sword Sect had come not to stop Lin Qingque and Tian Liuli, but rather, they were using their lives for their entertainment.
Their painstakingly formed Sword Array was easily broken by the two in just a few moments.
After only a few moves, the disciples of the Sword Sect had already fallen into complete disarray.
Then came the interrogation and questioning.
Within a short time, though they had disclosed nothing, it seemed as if the other party knew exactly what they were thinking, and quickly understood everything.
At this moment, their hearts were undoubtedly filled with despair.
...
"Hearing these people's cries of agony, doesn't your heart feel even the slightest stir?"
Under the moonlit night, the girl gently parted her red lips, her voice flowing like a clear spring through the heart, tinkling and ethereal.
"Yes, it does."
The youth sighed slightly, his face showing a trace of regret, "I regret that I couldn't save them."
"A demon is indeed a demon."
The girl looked at his playful and smiling face, her sword-like brows slightly raised, her face slightly cold, "Indeed, incomparable to humans."
"Oh, so there's no hope then."
Xu Yuan spread his hands, "It seems to me, fairy, that you might actually be the mastermind behind this situation. Doesn't your heart feel even the slightest stir?"
"They are not of my kind; why should I feel pity for them."
Liu Ruoxue said coldly, "But you, watching them struggle in agony, doesn't it remind you of yourself?"
"Me? What's wrong with me?"
Xu Yuan was unclear about what she was accusing him of, finding it absurd that she was treating him as a demon and wanting to kill him, but since she wanted to fight, he would oblige just this once.
He feared Tian Liuli and Lin Qingque, but not her.
"Though they are dead, their souls still linger. Don't you feel that this is very much like you?"
The girl slowly drew her sword from its sheath.
Under the moonlight, the sword light shimmered, as if a river of spring water flowed from the sheath.
Xu Yuan's smile slowly faded, his eyebrows and eyes gradually calming down, standing tall and clear-cut like a gentleman on the street.
"Though dead, their souls still linger. What do you mean by that?"
He looked at the girl, his heart stirred, and the intent to kill also spread gradually.
"Xu Yuan, although your body is occupied by an Outer Domain Demon, I believe you can still hear me, right? Are you willing to just die like this?"
Liu Ruoxue looked at him, yet not at him, but rather as if looking at some remnant soul deep within his body, "Fight back! There is no need to hide any longer, I will help you seek your revenge!"
Xu Yuan shuddered.
So, a remnant soul of his original self still lingered within his body?
"..."
Silence reigned.
Xu Yuan looked down at his own hands, moved them, and then at his feet, moved them again.
But there was nothing unusual.
He dubiously touched his own face again, and without needing a mirror, he knew it was still as handsome as ever.
"Impossible! I specifically followed Master's instructions to use the Illusory Realm to enact this scene for you; upon hearing their screams, do you truly feel not even the slightest stir in your heart?"
The girl's gaze gradually became perplexed, "Even an Outer Domain Demon should be affected by the remnant souls and the Illusory Realm, could it be that you truly do not have even a hint of compassion?"
"...I just feel that you are playing me."
Xu Yuan looked at the girl, her expression blank, as if unable to understand no matter what, spoke with a strange look on his face.
He hadn't expected the plot to change so drastically.
Even the scenario in Ancient Moon Town was just set up for the remnant soul inside him.
And the purpose was to make him... feel pain?
"How could that be? That shouldn't be right?"
The young girl's eyebrows slightly furrowed, completely unable to understand, and looking at him, she asked, "Right now, don't you feel where his residual soul is?"
"..."
You're asking me?
Xu Yuan almost laughed, "How would I know."
"This is..."
The girl was somewhat perplexed as she lowered her head in thought and spoke.
As she was halfway through speaking, Xu Yuan suddenly moved with his sword, holding the long sword, he swooped in with a thrust.
It was the most powerful Sword Unity from the Sword Control Technique.
When a person speaks, they are often at their most relaxed, which is also the moment they are least likely to react quickly, in other words, it is the easiest moment to be caught off guard.
"...Strange."
By the time she finished speaking, Xu Yuan's sword had already reached in front of her slightly opened embouchure, just an inch away from piercing it and beheading her.
However, the next moment.
The girl, who still seemed puzzled, instantly turned cold and lightly uttered two words.
"Sword pellet!"
A spark of cold light arrived as expected, emerging from the mouth.
Clang!
Accompanied by a startling sword cry.
The blade trembled, and Xu Yuan was sent flying back, crashing into a wall.
"Sword pellet? You have already advanced to the Core Formation Stage?"
Xu Yuan held his trembling arm, his brows tightly knitted as he spoke.
If that was really the case, then she would be an opponent beyond his capability to contend with.
"It seems you are quite surprised?"
The girl frowned her eyebrows in pain as she gently caressed the sword mark on the sword pellet.
"No! Incorrect, that is a false core, but given your talent, it's impossible for you not to break through the Golden Core Stage, there's absolutely no need to rely on a false core to become a Golden Core cultivator, so... that must be someone else's false core that you are using."
Xu Yuan took a deep breath and calmed down quickly.
He had almost thought that the plot had once again encountered errors and unexpected changes, but thankfully he quickly sensed something amiss from the other's strength and came to his senses, saying in a deep voice.
A so-called false core means that when a cultivator who sees no hope of advancing to the Golden Core uses external objects in a sacrificial rite to pretend to be their Golden Core, achieving a pseudo Golden Core Stage.
But doing so indeed has many disadvantages, first of all, the external object used for the sacrifice cannot be too poor, secondly, a cultivator with a false core is not only substantially weaker in combat than a Golden Core cultivator but also has a shorter lifespan, even worse than some Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Thus, unless a large sect wants to nurture some sworn followers, usually no one would choose to become a false core cultivator.
"It seems you know more than I imagined."
Liu Ruoxue was somewhat surprised.
The fact that she used someone else's false core to pretend to be at the Golden Core Stage was supposed to be known only to her and her Master; no one else should be aware of it, yet this Outer Domain Demon knew?
Xu Yuan remained silent.
Seeing his silent manner, Liu Ruoxue's expression turned cold again, evidently reminded of what had just happened.
She could never have imagined that the play she had carefully prepared for over half a year according to her Master's instructions would have absolutely no effect on him. Even the most ruthless and bloodthirsty Outer Domain Demon should have been stirred under the influence of the Illusory Realm, at which point she could have taken the opportunity to see if she could separate it from the residual soul inside him and take it back to report.
But this man, after experiencing such events, only thought of ambushing her?
Liu Ruoxue clenched her fists, feeling somewhat helpless as her body began to tremble slightly. She bit her silvery teeth and said resentfully.
"Xu Yuan, you are heartless!"