Violence was the most simple and direct approach. It required no reasoning, no right or wrong, and could even skip communication entirely.
What was truly astonishing was just how brutally effective it could be.
Most of the time, it produced results extremely fast.
Xuan Le had not listened to a single word of Bai Xuanling's gentle persuasion. She was dead set on her approach — she simply had to try it for herself!
After Bai Xuanling genuinely camped Xuan Le's respawn point for two whole hours, Xuan Le finally dropped her bitter, aggrieved expression. She transformed into a serene and elegant fairy-like figure, even taking the initiative to greet Chu Xingchen politely.
Chu Xingchen watched Xuan Le — someone stubborn enough to die dozens of times over — actually greet him. He quickly returned the greeting, feeling a certain degree of respect for her composure.
Bai Xuanling had been camping Xuan Le's respawn point for two hours, though Chu Xingchen had only observed for about half an hour. The rest of the time, he had been studying the state of Bai Xuanling's Sea of Consciousness.
His first impression was that Bai Xuanling's Sea of Consciousness was extremely fragmented.
It was divided into several distinct sections, like shattered glass. The endlessly battered cultivators of the Tianyan Sect from back then were separated from the ground where Chu Xingchen now stood.
The dust and chaos of the fierce battle on the other side were contained within strict boundaries, no longer spilling into the surroundings. They simply appeared to occupy the same space.
This method was highly unique. This technique of cleaving one's Sea of Consciousness was undoubtedly a high-end skill — at the very least, it was quite a showy display of technique.
The only question was — what was the purpose of doing this?
After observing for a moment, Chu Xingchen noticed that this Sea of Consciousness almost entirely depicted the scenes from the day of the Tianyan Sect's great calamity, just as Lu Xuan had described.
The sect gates crumbling. Slaughter erupting everywhere.
Tianyan Sect cultivators choosing death over retreat, giving their lives to defend against the enemy.
However, many of these scenes were only vague impressions. People that Bai Xuanling was not familiar with were little more than rough outlines — their appearances were sketchily similar, and the frequency of repeated scenes was quite high.
Those she was more familiar with appeared in much higher definition. Their faces and expressions were remembered with crystal clarity.
Her closest blood sister could even appear vividly alive and well — joyfully drawing her sword in what should have been a harmonious family moment.
The spectacle of the battle within the Sea of Consciousness was naturally breathtaking in its intensity.
But from these scenes alone, Chu Xingchen could confirm one thing — this was by no means the entirety of Bai Xuanling's Sea of Consciousness.
Painful memories were indeed like a short dagger, leaving an ache on the heart that could never be fully smoothed away.
Recalling them was enough to make most people curl up in discomfort.
But this was not a person's entirety. At the very least, if someone wanted to genuinely live on without being consumed by extreme emotions, they should also have beautiful memories to balance things out.
Otherwise, even if Bai Xuanling's mental resilience was extraordinary enough to endure for a century, she absolutely could not have lasted for several hundred years.
Chu Xingchen still remembered a principle from psychology — beautiful memories are the fundamental driving force that keeps a person moving forward.
If his reasoning was sound, then Bai Xuanling might have also used this fragmentation technique to hide away her beautiful memories.
Chu Xingchen did not rush to ask about his theory. Whether right or wrong, he could not be too direct about it.
He understood the current situation clearly — Bai Xuanling had only agreed to let him come in and take a look. That did not mean he could freely search for whatever he wanted.
If he truly touched one of Bai Xuanling's reverse scales, trying to come back here again would be nothing more than a fool's dream.
There was still time. Matters resolved slowly tended to turn out well.
After Bai Xuanling finished educating Xuan Le in her own way, she turned her gaze toward Chu Xingchen and asked with displeasure in her voice:
"Kid, are you done observing?"
"The battle back then was truly fierce beyond measure." Chu Xingchen let out a soft sigh and looked at Bai Xuanling. "It must not have been easy for you either, back then?"
Bai Xuanling sighed softly.
"That goes without saying... Even now, recalling it feels like a living nightmare."
Chu Xingchen's expression also carried a hint of melancholy. He then turned his gaze toward Xuan Le, who wore a serene face. This figure was less a projection of Bai Xuanling's younger sister and more likely a manifestation of Bai Xuanling's subconscious taking on her sister's form.
After pondering for a moment, Chu Xingchen asked tactfully:
"But no matter how deep the memories run, the entire Sea of Consciousness should not be composed of just this one recollection. They say time is the best medicine — given enough of it, even the sharpest pains should fade somewhat."
"For it to remain like this for hundreds of years seems rather extreme, does it not? Are you simply too nostalgic?"
"Under normal circumstances, it indeed should not be like this. But this is the price." Bai Xuanling's gaze shifted to Xuan Le.
"The Sect Master has probably already told you everything he should and should not have, has he not? What I used as my foundation to reach the Tribulation Transcendence realm."
Chu Xingchen chose not to sell out Lu Xuan. As a fellow Sect Master, there were certain situations where he could perhaps better understand Lu Xuan's choices. So he played dumb and asked:
"The Sect Master? What does this have to do with him?"
Bai Xuanling let out a cryptic chuckle at his words but did not press the question further. Instead, she explained:
"What I used to ascend to the Tribulation Transcendence realm was anger and killing intent. My deepest unresolved grievance at the time was that day. After reaching Tribulation Transcendence, this part of my Sea of Consciousness transformed into what you see now."
"The Xuan Le standing before you now — to put it nicely, she is a cherished memory I could not bear to let go of. To put it less kindly, she is my Inner Demon."
"The only reason she cannot defeat me right now is that I have suppressed my own cultivation. The abilities she can access are only at the early Tribulation Transcendence level."
"Meanwhile, the strength of my Divine Sense is at the peak of Tribulation Transcendence. Naturally, I can handle her with ease. If I were not suppressing my cultivation, she would be terrifyingly dangerous — even I would suffer greatly fighting her."
Chu Xingchen glanced at Xuan Yue, then turned his gaze back to Bai Xuanling.
"If you lost, what would happen?"
Bai Xuanling's tone was calm. "It would roughly equate to her taking over my cultivation and my body."
"...That is indeed quite dangerous." Chu Xingchen's expression grew slightly wary. "I get the feeling that the first thing she would do upon coming out would be to kill me to vent her anger."
Bai Xuanling said nothing at this, only laughing twice. Her eyes carried a teasing look as she stared at Chu Xingchen, as if to say — so you do know how to be afraid, little one?
Chu Xingchen thought for a moment, then voluntarily walked over to Xuan Le, who stood silent with a composed expression. Looking into Xuan Le's eyes — which seemed calm on the surface but barely concealed an underlying madness — he asked softly:
"May I ask you a question?"
Xuan Le pressed her lips together, seemingly either pondering or suppressing the urge to curse. In the end, she said nothing and simply nodded.
Chu Xingchen did not hold back and asked directly:
"Are you a sister-con?"
Xuan Le looked confused. "What is a sister-con?"
"Big Sis is my absolute favorite! Big Sis, we have to stay together forever!"
"Big Sis, wait for me! Big Sis, who is that guy?! Big Sis, what about me then?"
"Big Sis, please don't leave me behind..."
Chu Xingchen delivered his performance with great passion, one hand reaching out as if genuinely trying to hold back a sister who was about to leave.
Unfortunately, this magnificent performance did not earn Bai Xuanling's approval. Before he could even finish, Bai Xuanling punched him.
The blow was not light — it was a genuine hit that left Chu Xingchen speechless for a moment.
Bai Xuanling grabbed Chu Xingchen by the collar. "I will ask you one last time — can you speak properly? Less of the theatrical performances, alright?"
Chu Xingchen pursed his lips, caught his breath, and nodded to indicate there was no problem.
At the same time, he confirmed one thing.
Whether Xuan Le was a sister-con or not, he could not say for certain. But Bai Xuanling was absolutely, without a doubt, a little-sister-con!
If she was not a little-sister-con, why would she get so worked up hearing those words?
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