At the very moment when the light spot was about to disappear, Shen Qing turned around and quickly leaped into it.
"Qing Qing, the matter isn't over yet. I'm going back. You leave first!"
Before Qing Qing could react, the light spot vanished on the spot...
"Shen Qing?!"
Back in the illusion, Shen Qing looked at the howling wolf and the puppet - like Luo Ling in front of her and voiced the question in her heart.
"If the mission is already completed, then why does this illusion still exist? If the obsession is gone, what's the meaning of this illusion continuing to exist?
"I never really rescued Luo Ling, right?"
The howling wolf concealed the surprise on its face and curled its lips into a thought - provoking smile.
"You're the first one to return to the illusion after I announced the mission was completed."
After saying that, the howling wolf lowered its eyes and stared fixedly at Luo Ling.
It stretched out its glowing white finger and tapped Luo Ling's forehead. The dullness in Luo Ling's eyes gradually faded, and she became more lively.
"Big sister, thank you for speaking up for me just now. But unfortunately, the village isn't my obsession..."
"No, if we really have to get into it, the village is just one of my obsessions. My life has been too long, and I've experienced too much. I can no longer escape the shackles in my heart..."
After Luo Ling finished speaking, as if she had exhausted her last bit of strength, her hands drooped limply, and she turned back into a puppet again.
"Shen Qing, you're right. You didn't rescue Luo Ling. Even though you've made a vow, Luo Ling's ending hasn't changed.
"Back then, there were people who did the same thing as you. But human greed is endless, especially after they learned about Luo Ling's ability..."
"Words that become law! What an incredible ability!"
"Ten thousand years ago, the Demon Abyss opened wide. All the demons and demon cultivators regarded the mortal world as a place for cultivation and pleasure. Half of the cultivators in the immortal - cultivating world perished, yet they still couldn't drive the demons back to the Demon Abyss.
"Luo Ling's ability was targeted. Wave after wave of cultivators wanted to take her away. The village head was stubborn, but he ended up getting the whole village killed by the cultivators. They claimed it was for the sake of the Great Dao and all sentient beings, but in reality, they just wanted to use Luo Ling's ability to protect their own sects.
"Luo Ling witnessed three massacres with her own eyes. The executioners included blood - thirsty demon cultivators and so - called righteous cultivators. Tell me, what kind of blow would Luo Ling's heart have suffered?
"In this world, there's no such thing as good and evil anymore. Luo Ling's Dao heart was shattered.
"She could only use all her strength to seal the Demon Abyss, bringing a glimmer of peace to the world for ten thousand years.
"And I used to be her contracted spirit beast. This jade on my neck contains the last bit of spiritual power that Luo Ling left in this world.
"Everything Luo Ling did in her life was forced. She was too tired."
There was full of desolation in the howling wolf's tone, as if it was completely disappointed in all things in the world.
"So you created this secret realm just to see if there could be another ending for Luo Ling."
The howling wolf nodded and smiled self - deprecatingly. "Over these ten thousand years, I've seen too many self - righteous people. They're full of evil in their hearts but act differently on the surface, pretending to be kind - hearted in front of others.
"So I set up a restriction. If someone speaks falsely or lies, the secret realm will eject them immediately and erase their memories. I just don't want the people who leave to discuss Luo Ling's past.
"As for why only Golden Core cultivators are allowed to enter, it's just because my ability is limited. If a cultivator with a higher cultivation level comes in, they'll see through my illusion in an instant."
The howling wolf smiled bitterly at Shen Qing. "You came back into the illusion just to ask me for the truth? But after you leave, you won't take away a single bit of memory, and Luo Ling won't leave any trace in your heart..."
Shen Qing shook her head and didn't agree with the howling wolf.
"You're wrong. Luo Ling and you have already left traces on me."
The howling wolf asked in surprise, "How so?"
"I was able to improve my cultivation thanks to your illusion. Even if I forget the memories here after I leave, you can't deny that because of your illusion, I was able to break through. That's the trace you left."
The howling wolf laughed. "You're really sharp - tongued..."
Suddenly, the howling wolf wanted to hear Shen Qing's advice.
"I've been here for ten thousand years and still haven't figured out how to save Luo Ling. So many cultivators have entered the illusion, but none of them have been able to rescue her. If you were me, what would you do?"
Shen Qing lowered her head and thought for a while. Unconsciously, memories of her two lifetimes flashed through her mind.
It was a tough time when her parents favored the people in Xiaolin Village, so she tried every means to get into the Qingyun Sword Sect to get away from that nightmare.
When her senior brothers ignored her, she tried hard to please them, even though it sometimes backfired.
When her cultivation was stagnant, she practiced day and night, even though it seemed to have no effect.
After being reborn from a tragic death, she constantly reflected on herself and finally gradually left the sect.
Who saved her?
No one else but herself.
The thing that the howling wolf hadn't figured out in ten thousand years was that if a person can't save themselves, no one else can.
"Howling wolf, have you ever thought that you were wrong from the start?"
The howling wolf looked at Shen Qing in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Shen Qing spoke slowly. "Luo Ling didn't need others to save her from the very beginning.
"She knew very well what her destiny was and what she was doing.
"The village had saved her life, so she repaid them with her life. After hurting innocent cultivators for the sake of the village, she sacrificed herself to seal the Demon Abyss.
"Have you ever thought that in fact, Luo Ling has always been very clear - minded. It's just that you, as an onlooker, used your own thinking to substitute for Luo Ling.
"Words that become law! What a wonderful ability. It could be used for so many things, but why was she trapped by the village and that so - called magic treasure? The only one who could trap Luo Ling was herself.
"She sealed the Demon Abyss not for anything else but for the Great Dao in her heart."
The howling wolf took two steps back. Its deep blue eyes were instantly filled with panic.
Its lips trembled, and its face was full of disbelief.
"How could it be... She always showed such a confused and sad expression. She also said that human hearts were ugly and she was extremely disgusted with them.
"How could she... not need others to save her? Then what am I?"
"Could it be that everything she did was out of her own will?"
The howling wolf collapsed and squatted down, tightly grabbing little Luo Ling's body and shaking it.
"You left on your own. Why did you leave me behind? Why didn't you take me with you?!"
It cried in a mess, with snot and tears all over its face.
"Because she couldn't bear to!"
"What?"
The howling wolf looked up and asked pitifully, "What do you mean?"
Shen Qing squatted down to look the howling wolf in the eye. "Because she couldn't bear to let you die like her. You have to see with your own eyes the ending that she exchanged with her life.
"As a contracted spirit beast, you know very well that if your master dies, you won't live long either.
"The jade pendant that Luo Ling left in the end was just to protect your life."