THIP Chapter 37 V2

She paused, then added, “Tomorrow… take me back to the cultivation realm.”

“I want to see Taiyan Sect one more time,” she sighed softly.

More than anything, she wanted to leave before Mingli could experience the pain of losing her again. Even if Mingli would forget everything once time rewound, Mu Liuyin didn’t want her to go through the grief of her death a second time.

But what she forgot was Mingli’s scorching, stubborn love.

Before Mu Liuyin could react, Mingli scooped her up in her arms and laid her on the bed.

The words Mu Liuyin had just said were like sharp arrows piercing through Mingli’s heart. She looked down at Mu Liuyin, whose face showed panic and anger. Mingli’s lips trembled, and a tear fell onto Mu Liuyin’s cheek.

How could she possibly let her master return to the cultivation world alone? How could she bear it? How could she ever let go?

The next moment, Mingli’s soft lips pressed down on hers.

Mu Liuyin let out a muffled sound, struggling to push Mingli away. But the more she struggled, the tighter Mingli held her.

Mingli’s tears kept falling, one after another, landing on Mu Liuyin’s face like drops of fire, searing into her heart.

She was full of regret, heartache, and helplessness.

In the end, aware of the dangerous imbalance between her demonic energy and her master’s fragile, late-stage Foundation Establishment body, Mingli hesitated. Rather than risk damaging the puppet body through ordinary means, she took another path—to claim her master completely.

She felt Mu Liuyin’s resistance beneath her, heard the muffled sobs forced from her throat—and yet, a twisted satisfaction welled up inside her. As if her master was meant to be under her like this, meant to be hers.

When Mu Liuyin finally fainted from exhaustion, Mingli kissed her gently on the forehead. A bitter smile curved her lips.

Her impulsive desire had turned into deep regret.

She held Mu Liuyin tightly, using the last remnants of her spiritual energy to ease her pain and erase the traces left behind.

Then, she lay there and fell asleep with her in her arms.

The next morning, Mingli left before Mu Liuyin woke up. Ever since becoming the ruler of the Demon Realm, her generals had constantly urged her to lead an invasion into the cultivation world. Now, listening to another detailed report about the state of the realm and which sect would be easiest to attack first, her face grew colder and colder.

“I will not attack the cultivation realm,” she warned. “Don’t bring this up again.”

The demon general was visibly shaken under her gaze. But before he could say another word, Mingli’s expression suddenly changed, and she vanished in a flash of blood-red light.

After what had happened last night, Mu Liuyin no longer had any hope that Mingli would send her back willingly. She gathered her spiritual energy, preparing to destroy the core of her puppet body.

【Host, the mission target is coming back!】Little Nine quickly warned.

But Mu Liuyin didn’t hesitate. Before Mingli could return, she shattered the core of her puppet body.

Her face instantly turned deathly pale. A mouthful of blood spilled from her lips as her body collapsed. Mingli caught her just in time, but blood continued to pour from Mu Liuyin’s mouth, staining her clothes crimson.

“Master! I was wrong! Please don’t leave me!” Mingli cried out, desperately channeling the last of her spiritual energy to heal her. But this was only a puppet body—no matter how much energy she poured in, Mu Liuyin’s eyes stayed closed.

“Master!!”

A blood-red tear slid down Mingli’s cheek. Her crimson eyes burned with pain and despair. It was just like that moment long ago, when Mu Liuyin had died protecting her.

Despair surged through her again.

The demonic energy inside her overflowed, consuming all the spiritual energy in the room. The celestial book at the center of the spiritual array disintegrated into ashes, just as the original storyline had predicted.

The overwhelming demonic energy burst outward. Everyone in the Demon Realm felt it.

They all dropped to their knees, overjoyed.

“Congratulations, my lord, on your full return.”

Mingli gently kissed Mu Liuyin’s brow.

And then, memories that did not belong to her began flooding in.

Lin Xi. Chu Jiyu. Si Yibing.

All their lives, all their love, surged into her mind. Her blood-red eyes turned clear. She looked down at the unconscious body in her arms, no longer seeing a puppet, but the girl buried deep in her forgotten memories.

That elegant, gentle girl named—

“Yinyin…” she whispered, voice full of longing and affection.

She raised her hand, and the entire world began to collapse, starting from the heart of the Demon Realm.

Back in the system space, Mu Liuyin stared blankly at the glowing words: Mission Failed.

If the mission had failed, why hadn’t time been rewound?

【There was a bit of an accident in that mission world, so… no rewind this time,】Little Nine whispered.

“Then what about Mingli?” Mu Liuyin asked. “What happened to her?”

Thinking about the awakening consciousness of Qing Zhi, Little Nine sounded uneasy.

【Because of that accident, the rest of that world… can’t be viewed for now.】

Mu Liuyin sat down, feeling drained, her eyes empty.

The little kitten curled up in her lap and quietly said:

【Once you finish all your missions, you’ll be able to find out.】

“…Then start the next world.”