After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

[Lin Zhixu! Calm your mind!] The system's voice suddenly rang out, urgent and stern, [It's tempting you! Don't listen to it!]

Lin Zhixu didn't want to listen, but the voice seemed to surge from the depths of his consciousness, low, gentle, and full of a strange, seductive power, like a snake coiling around his heart, tightening little by little.

"Are you angry? Are you aggrieved? Why is he always the star, while you can only be his shadow? Why do you put in a hundred times the effort, but others only see his brilliance? Why—"

"Come. Give me your body. I'll help you change all of this."

Lin Zhixu's teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding, veins bulged on his forehead, and his hands gripped his knees so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh and bled.

His body was trembling violently, as if he were fighting a desperate battle with some unseen enemy.

The scarlet light in his pupils flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, each time dimming only to be replaced by a surge of even deeper red light.

System: [Don't listen to it! It's lying to you! Once you give your body away, you'll never get it back! Think about the future, just bear with it a little longer, it'll be over soon, and you'll be free!]

he knows.

Of course he knew.

But that force was too strong, like a wild beast that had been trapped in a cage for too long, and when it smelled the scent of a crack, it rushed out like a madman.

His vision began to blur, and all he could hear was that voice whispering, wrapping around him layer by layer, peeling away his reason little by little.

Just as his consciousness was about to plunge into darkness, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly became hot, making him tremble and regain some clarity.

Lin Zhixu suddenly bit the tip of his tongue.

The excruciating pain and the stench of blood exploded simultaneously, forcibly pulling him back to a sliver of clarity.

Taking advantage of this moment of clarity, he mobilized all the remaining spiritual power in his dantian and slammed it fiercely into the demonic energy.

boom--

The two forces collided violently within his body, and Lin Zhixu groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

However, the result was good. The black lines spreading on his wrist seemed to have been burned, and they slowly retreated, hiding back under the skin.

Lin Zhixu's eyes regained their clarity.

The system, still shaken, replied: "That was close."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Host, have you truly developed an inner demon?"

Lin Zhixu remained silent for a long time.

So long that the system thought he wouldn't answer. But then it heard his voice echoing deep within its consciousness.

Yes. I do have it.

The system paused for a moment before speaking again, its tone complex: "...I thought you were just acting. You were so clear-headed, calculating every step so precisely. I thought you were just following the script. I never expected..."

It paused, its voice lowering, "This world has still had an impact on you."

Lin Zhixu lowered his eyes, looking at the crescent-shaped blood marks on his palms where his fingernails had dug them. His lips twitched, and he gave a faint smile.

I'm already too deeply involved. Besides, I'm a part of this world. I was never a bystander from the beginning, so it's normal to be influenced.

The system's voice was muffled: "…Sorry."

Lin Zhixu paused for a moment, then smiled gently.

"It's okay. You don't need to blame yourself." He lowered his eyelashes, and moonlight streamed in through the narrow window, casting a cool glow on half of his face, yet his expression was unexpectedly gentle.

On the contrary, I should thank you. Thank you for letting me experience a different kind of life.

Without you, I might never have awakened my self-awareness, and might have become a puppet of the plot, like in the original story, and died.

The system did not respond.

But if it had a physical form, it would probably be crying its eyes out in some unseen corner right now.

It vowed that no matter the cost or how far the plot would unfold, it would save Lin Zhixu.

We must take him away safely and peacefully, so that he can live a good life and see the sights he hasn't had a chance to see yet.

Then find ten or eight handsome men to serve him.

……

The world descended into chaos faster than anyone anticipated.

The task list of Wanbaoge, which was originally filled with tasks such as herb gathering, escorting, and demon hunting, was almost entirely replaced overnight with tasks of eliminating evil cultivators.

The once bustling market town at the foot of the sect was now mostly deserted. The talk of the town was no longer about which shop had received new goods, but about which village had been slaughtered by evil cultivators and which city had seen a half-human, half-beast monster.

The mortal realm was thrown into turmoil.

Masses of refugees and displaced people poured into the big city, causing chaos for the local officials. Enforcers and monks conducted strict checks at various checkpoints, and everyone lived in fear.

All the disciples that could be sent out by the sect were sent out.

Outer disciples were responsible for patrolling the surrounding area, while inner disciples carried out the clearing and suppression missions. Even some personal disciples who usually only focused on cultivation and ignored worldly affairs were gradually assigned to missions and sent down the mountain.

When Lin Zhixu finally suppressed the demonic energy again and felt that it would not cause trouble for the time being, he came out again only to find that the world had changed.

He left Qiyue Peak, intending to check on the situation at the main peak.

A mountain breeze blew in my face, carrying an unusually somber atmosphere.

After taking a few steps, I suddenly saw Chu Yan huddled up in a ball, staring straight at the direction of Qiyue Peak. His face was frighteningly pale, with dark circles under his eyes and chapped lips. I don't know how long he had been waiting there.

When he saw Lin Zhixu come down, he jumped up as if he had seen a savior, and his eyes turned red instantly.

"Senior Brother Lin! You've finally emerged from seclusion!"

Lin Zhixu paused, his brows immediately furrowing. He strode over, placed a hand on Chu Yan's shoulder, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? You look so pale. What happened?"

Chu Yan's lips trembled, as if he had finally found his backbone, and the emotions he had been holding back suddenly broke down.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his throat felt constricted, and his voice was hoarse and choked with emotion: "Zhou Tong... he's missing!"

Lin Zhixu's heart sank: "Missing? What happened?"

Chu Yan tried to keep his voice steady: "Recently, many evil cultivators have suddenly appeared in the world, and all the major sects have sent disciples out to wipe them out."

"Seven days ago, Zhou Tong received a mission to go out. We were still communicating with him for the first three days, and he was fine. But on the fourth day, we suddenly lost contact with him, and the communication jade pendant didn't respond at all."

As he spoke, his voice began to tremble again: "I went to ask the elders for help in finding the person, but all the disciples had been sent out, and the elders who remained were all busy with their own affairs, so there was no one available."

"I'm not strong enough to venture out alone, so I had to come to you. But I can't get into the barrier of Qiyue Peak, so I can only wait here... Thank goodness, thank goodness you came out."