Misty clouds shrouded the peak of Lingjue, vast like the sea.

Now looking down, there were no other mountains or trees in sight, with the peak standing tall and alone, unrivaled.

Ling Qingzi stood under the sacred tree, where a leaf broke through the soil at his feet, slowly rising. It was the same leaf that had fallen earlier, briefly held in Bai Fanlu’s hand.

Imbued with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, refined by the essence of the sun and moon, it now glowed with golden light, gradually taking shape.

A wisp of black mist above Ling Qingzi’s head slowly dissipated, merging with the golden glow.

There seemed to be a soft laugh, saying, “Let it be like this.”

The golden light elongated, forming a humanoid shape, and reached out a hand to Ling Qingzi.

But Ling Qingzi’s eyes were vacant, as if unaware, as he slowly walked toward it…

In the Demon Realm’s Shui Liu Residence, Yun Zhan quietly watched Bai Fanlu staring blankly at a painting. When Bai Fanlu finally lowered his gaze, he seemed to shake his head with a bitter smile.

Yun Zhan couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. “I told you before, what you remember isn’t real, but you didn’t believe me… Now I’ll help you restore your human soul.”

Bai Fanlu looked at the soul in Yun Zhan’s hand. There was a sense of familiarity, and it resonated with his body—this was indeed his human soul.

In his current memory, there were also matters related to the Ghost Realm. He had once gone there to retrieve Yun Zhan’s three souls and six spirits. But the name “Wu Zhong” was unfamiliar to him.

After retrieving the three souls and six spirits, his own soul and spirit should have returned. Why was his human soul with Bai Junming? Was his memory truly scrambled?

“Strange, why can’t it return?” Yun Zhan discovered that Bai Fanlu’s human soul couldn’t enter his body.

“Let’s go to the Ghost Realm,” Bai Fanlu suggested.

The magic crystal in their possession could form a temporary portal to the Ghost Realm within two hours.

Regarding his scrambled memories, the Pu Du Flower, and his human soul, Bai Fanlu had a feeling that answers awaited him there.

At the Ghost Realm, by the solitary Suo Bridge, Wu Zhong was still fishing.

Although Bai Fanlu’s current memory lacked the name “Wu Zhong,” he knew that Wu Zhong was the most knowledgeable being in the Ghost Realm, so he and Yun Zhan went to inquire.

Upon seeing Bai Fanlu, who wore a conical hat, Wu Zhong smiled and said, “We meet again.”

“This…” Bai Fanlu thought for a moment, clasped his hands, and said, “Apologies, Senior. I’ve been through some things, and my memory may be a bit faulty. May I ask… are you Senior Wu Zhong?”

“Indeed, I am. You say your memory is faulty?”

“Yes, my human soul is outside my body and can’t return. I don’t know why…”

Wu Zhong scrutinized him closely. “There’s already a human soul occupying your body, so your soul can’t return.”

“Another human soul?” Yun Zhan hadn’t expected that.

“And who might this be?” Wu Zhong glanced at Yun Zhan.

“He is my junior, Yun Zhan,” Bai Fanlu introduced.

“Pleased to meet you,” Wu Zhong nodded, then turned back to Bai Fanlu. “I can help you extract the extra soul.”

Since Wu Zhong was from the Ghost Realm, it took only a slight incantation for Bai Fanlu to feel a dizziness, and the foreign soul quickly left his body.

Yun Zhan steadied Bai Fanlu and guided the original soul back into his heavenly gate.

Upon seeing the extracted soul, Wu Zhong was startled. “This is…”

Bai Fanlu’s soul had just returned, and his consciousness was hazy. Yun Zhan, noticing Wu Zhong’s surprise, quickly asked, “Is there something wrong?”

Wu Zhong snapped out of his surprise and smiled. “No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just quite the coincidence. I’ve been fishing for this soul for hundreds of years, and who would’ve thought you’d bring it to me.”

Wu Zhong raised the fishing rod beside him, and on the hook dangled a phantom fish, which he unhooked and tossed back into the Yellow Spring Sea.

“Finally, I won’t have to sit here fishing all day. My back’s been killing me!”

Yun Zhan was astonished. “Senior, were you fishing for this soul?”

“Yes. When human souls have no place to go, they end up in the Yellow Spring Sea, so I stayed here hoping to catch it. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but the Ghost Realm is quiet, so I thought I might get lucky.”

“And whose soul is this?” Yun Zhan asked.

“Is it my father’s?” Bai Fanlu suddenly spoke, and both Yun Zhan and Wu Zhong turned to him. Yun Zhan was overjoyed, “Senior brother! You’ve recovered? How do you feel?”

Bai Fanlu shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“So you remember everything?”

“Yes.” Bai Fanlu nodded.

“That’s great, senior brother! You’ve finally remembered! So… do you not hate me anymore?”

If it weren’t for Wu Zhong’s presence, Yun Zhan’s expression showed that he would’ve hugged Bai Fanlu on the spot.

Bai Fanlu blushed slightly and shot Yun Zhan a warning look, but through the white veil, the warning was softened, only making Yun Zhan more eager.

Unable to hug him, he thought it might be fine to at least hold his hand. Yun Zhan reached for Bai Fanlu’s hand, but his senior brother, now fully recovered, skillfully avoided it, pinching his hand in return.

Though he didn’t manage to hold his hand, Yun Zhan was satisfied with even the brief touch, grinning foolishly at Bai Fanlu, clearly overjoyed.

Bai Fanlu, embarrassed, stole a glance at Wu Zhong, who was smiling as he observed the soul, luckily not paying attention to them.

Just then, Bai Fanlu heard a strange voice in his head, telling him that “Shen Po · Jieluo” was releasing memories.

At first, he didn’t understand, but when his memories returned and his human soul stabilized, he realized the strange voice was from the system, and he himself was a transmigrator.

The chaotic events he’d experienced—offering the three souls and six spirits—were actually the experiences of the book’s original protagonist and had nothing to do with him.

It was indeed all a big mistake!

Bai Fanlu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the soul in Wu Zhong’s hand. “Senior Wu, this soul belongs to my father, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Bai Fanlu, having regained his previous memories, recalled seeing a green jade incense burner in Ling Qingzi’s study, and the mysterious light within it.

He also remembered the Pu Du Flower and the faint consciousness that seemed to reside within him, understanding Ling Qingzi’s long-held obsession. Thus, he guessed that this soul must have come from Lu Lingjue.

“Can you tell me how it ended up in my body?” Wu Zhong asked.

Bai Fanlu, who also wanted to inquire about the Pu Du Flower’s antidote, explained the situation briefly and removed his conical hat, allowing Wu Zhong to see his current appearance.

“I see. I knew Ling Qingzi. Lingjue often mentioned him to me. However, the poison of the Pu Du Flower is not easy to cure. As far as I know, the only antidote is ‘Hua Sheng.'”

Yun Zhan asked in surprise, “Do you mean the divine herb Hua Sheng?”

“Precisely.” Wu Zhong nodded.

Bai Fanlu remembered that he had once received “Divine Herb · Hua Sheng” as a system reward for completing a task. But why was Yun Zhan reacting like this?

He glanced at Yun Zhan, who noticed and smirked mischievously, “What’s wrong?”

Since Wu Zhong knew about Hua Sheng, it proved that the herb existed in this world, so it wasn’t strange that Yun Zhan was aware of it.

“…It’s nothing,” Bai Fanlu looked away and asked Wu Zhong, “In that case, I happen to know the location of the herb by chance. But I have another question: how can I cure the ‘Heart Devour’ poison at the same time?”

Wu Zhong understood that Bai Fanlu wanted to cure Ling Qingzi. “One stalk of Hua Sheng can only cure one person. But the ‘Pu Du’ poison is activated by the Heart Devour poison, so if you cure the Heart Devour poison on your master, the Pu Du poison in you will also disappear. However, the reverse isn’t true.”

“I see…” Bai Fanlu understood. So he couldn’t use the Hua Sheng to cure himself just yet.

Yun Zhan immediately grasped Bai Fanlu’s intention. Wu Zhong added, “Compared to the Pu Du Flower, which only alters a person’s physical form, the Heart Devour poison is far more insidious. It doesn’t show symptoms at first, but when the Pu Du Flower matures, the Heart Devour poison will turn on its host.”

“In order for the Pu Du Flower to achieve its ultimate goal of altering one’s appearance, the host’s heart’s blood must be extracted at the end of a three-hundred-year cycle to refine the flower. This step is crucial. If it fails, all previous efforts will be in vain.”

“The term ‘Heart Devour’ comes from this. The longer the poison remains, the more the victim becomes obsessed with their inner demons. When the Pu Du Flower is refined, it will also be the moment when the victim completely loses their sense of self. The poison’s onset is excruciating, as if a thousand worms are gnawing at one’s heart, especially…”

At this point, Wu Zhong paused, “Your master cultivates the Path of Emotionlessness, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, Senior. How did you know?”

“Lingjue told me. He said his senior brother was extremely cold and aloof, cultivating the Path of Emotionlessness to achieve the greatest strength. But for someone like him, the Heart Devour poison is even more dangerous. I’m afraid…”

Wu Zhong didn’t finish his sentence, but Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan understood.

Wu Zhong looked down at the soul in his hand. It seemed to pulse gently, as if responding to a heartbeat.

“Lingjue?… Are you also worried about your senior brother?” Wu Zhong seemed to be communicating with the soul.

Bai Fanlu suddenly remembered something and asked Wu Zhong, “Is this the last of my father’s soul? Does that mean he wasn’t able to reincarnate?”

Wu Zhong nodded. “Yes, after his soul was lost, I’ve been searching for it. But even if his soul were complete, it would have been difficult for him to reincarnate.”

“Huh? Why’s that?”

“When you visited the Ghost Realm last time, I mentioned that I had a story to tell you. Since you’re here again, I’ll tell you everything that happened back then.”

“Your uncle probably didn’t tell you much about your past. He resented your father and held a deep grudge over your mother’s death, so he likely didn’t want to dwell on it.”

Wu Zhong sighed slightly. “But now, he has freed himself from the burden of the Demon Clan.”

“You know…?” Bai Fanlu hadn’t mentioned Bai Junming to Wu Zhong yet, but it seemed they were old acquaintances, and Wu Zhong was aware that Bai Junming had already passed away.

“Yes, he reincarnated before you came.”

Wu Zhong shook his head with a smile. “He still recognized me, though we didn’t speak. He drank the Mengpo Soup quickly… Your uncle truly was a stubborn man, unwilling to admit defeat. Your mother always said he was like that, always charging ahead without looking back.”

“My mother… What was she like?” From the glimpses he’d seen in his memories, she seemed like a gentle person, Bai Fanlu thought.

He had no mother himself, so he was curious about the original protagonist’s mother. Now he could consider her as his own, and the feeling was both strange and complicated.

“Your mother was gentle yet strong, the opposite of your uncle. I grew up with her, and to be honest, your maternal grandfather once wanted to match us, but neither of us was interested.”

“After your grandfather passed away, the Demon Realm experienced a period of turmoil. As the heir, your mother was the first target of persecution, and she had to flee the Demon Realm to escape assassination. It was during that time she met your father.”

“Your uncle was still very young back then. Since the royal demon bloodline only passed to one person per generation, and it had passed to your mother, your uncle wasn’t considered a threat, which is why he was spared, though he was imprisoned.”

“Later, your mother returned from the Human Realm and went through countless hardships to reclaim the Demon Realm from the rebels and rescue your uncle. Afterward, she took on the heavy responsibility of ruling the Demon Realm as a woman. At the time, many of the old ministers didn’t respect her, but she gradually won the support of the people. It wasn’t easy at all.”

Bai Fanlu listened intently, afraid to miss a single word. He didn’t even notice Yun Zhan discreetly holding his hand.

Wu Zhong continued, “As for your father, I hadn’t met him at first, but I had heard of him. Later, after the Demon Realm was stabilized, your mother brought him to meet me, telling me they had pledged their lives to each other. That was the first time I saw your father.”

“Initially, I opposed their union because of your father’s background. But your mother was my close friend, and she really hoped for my support. I felt sorry for her, having been through so much alone, and I decided to try accepting him.”

“To my surprise, after getting to know him, I found that your father was truly unique. To him, there was no distinction between demons and immortals. Over time, I came to appreciate him more and more.”

Wu Zhong smiled, gently touching the soul in his hand. It responded with a few soft pulses.

“Your father had a personality that was hard not to like—he was broad-minded, gentle, kind, righteous, and considerate. I gradually understood why your mother couldn’t let go of him.”

“She had always been too strong, capable of taking on anything. She hid all her vulnerability deep inside and needed someone like your father, someone warm and attentive, to share her burdens.”

As Bai Fanlu listened to Wu Zhong describe Bai Chu Yu, he suddenly thought of someone else who was very similar to her.

Was that why Lu Lingjue was also drawn to Ling Qingzi?

Both were powerful, unmatched beings, seemingly flawless, with no apparent weaknesses, yet hiding their true selves within, without anyone to care or even notice.

Bai Fanlu was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. Only then did he realize Yun Zhan was holding it.

He tried to pull it away, but Yun Zhan only tightened his grip. Just as he was about to use force, Wu Zhong glanced their way, causing Bai Fanlu to hurriedly lower their hands, not daring to make a scene.

Wu Zhong had seen everything but pretended not to notice. “Your parents had a deep bond as well…”

That “as well” was quite suggestive.

Yun Zhan whispered in Bai Fanlu’s ear, “Senior said we have a deep bond too.”

Bai Fanlu replied telepathically, “Silence.”

Wu Zhong cleared his throat, reminding them that he, an old man who had been single for hundreds of years, was still present.

Yun Zhan immediately sat up straight. “Apologies, Senior. Please continue.”

Of course, he had to be on his best behavior in front of Bai Fanlu’s maternal family.

Wu Zhong smiled and continued, “Where was I? Oh yes, your father. He always sought ways to reduce the enmity between demons and immortals, but with the demons being weaker than the immortals, it was difficult to resolve such conflicts. And as you know, the immortals have long held prejudice against the demons.”

“Both sides have their ups and downs, but no one can completely eradicate the other. That’s the way of things. In my view, even though your parents couldn’t announce their love to the world, as long as they loved each other, it didn’t matter what others thought.”

“I was the officiant at your parents’ wedding and the only witness. They later went to live in the Human Realm for a while. I think that was probably the happiest and most carefree time for your mother.”

Bai Fanlu noticed a discrepancy. “Senior, you were the only witness? Does that mean my uncle…”

Wu Zhong looked helpless. “Yes, he couldn’t accept it. I used to worry that, being ambitious and competitive, your uncle would grow jealous of your mother since he didn’t inherit the royal demon blood.”

“But fortunately, the bond between your mother and uncle remained strong. Having lost their father early on, they went through a lot of turmoil together and relied on each other to survive. That’s why your uncle was so attached to your mother, though in the end… things took a different turn.”

A different turn? Bai Fanlu seemed to understand.

“Then came the great war between demons and immortals. Your mother was already pregnant with you at the time, which put a great strain on her body. Yet she still led the demons to many victories.”

“The immortals greatly feared her, but unfortunately, she was poisoned. With her cultivation, she could have transferred the poison to you and then drawn it out through you…”

Wu Zhong looked at Bai Fanlu. If Bai Chu Yu had done that, this child might never have been born into the world.

“But she refused to do so and insisted on protecting you. In the end, an incident occurred on the battlefield. Your father, trying to protect your mother, even took her to the Immortal Realm for help, but they returned injured. Shortly after, the immortals launched a large-scale attack…”

Wu Zhong sighed. “Your mother was already gravely ill by then. Your father, to save her, used a life-and-death technique I taught him. He split his own soul and transferred his life force to your mother, putting her into a death-like state and sending her to the Ghost Realm. But by doing so, his soul was shattered, and he could never reincarnate.”

“Your mother and I hid in the Ghost Realm for ten years. You were a miracle, surviving all that harm. But because the Ghost Realm has no life, only death, you remained in your mother’s womb for the entire ten years. It wasn’t until the Human Realm was stable that your mother returned to the living world and gave birth to you.”

Bai Fanlu was stunned by the twists and turns of the story, finally understanding why the original protagonist was the Demon Realm’s young master, but Bai Chu Yu had supposedly died five hundred years ago. Yet Ling Qingzi only discovered the baby ten years after the war between the demons and immortals.

Because of this, no one—immortal or demon—knew that Bai Chu Yu had left behind a child, except for a few who knew the secret.

“And my mother…”

 If she had returned to the living world, why was she no longer alive?

“Your mother couldn’t let go of your father. I didn’t dare tell her what he had sacrificed for her. She believed he had died on the battlefield. Between the poisoning and her injuries, her health was already failing, and she passed away not long after.”

“Since I had used the Demon Clan’s forbidden techniques, she couldn’t return to the living world. Knowing the Demon Realm wasn’t a good place for you, and that you had no one to rely on, she entrusted you to a pair of farmers.”

“Before that, she told me she had a dream while pregnant with you. In the dream, she was told you would face a great calamity in the future and that your demon blood must not awaken. So she placed a seal on you, hoping you could live an ordinary life in peace.”

“The black birthmark on your back is that seal, and it’s also the origin of your name.”

Bai Fanlu realized the truth. He had never seen the birthmark on his back, but it was true that the original protagonist’s demon blood had been sealed.

Unexpectedly, Yun Zhan chimed in, “Yes, senior brother does have that birthmark on his back…”

“You talk too much,” Bai Fanlu’s face burned red as he glared at Yun Zhan, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Wu Zhong chuckled understandingly. “That seal is extremely difficult to remove, but from your current condition, it seems you’ve fully awakened.”

Bai Fanlu nodded, but then he remembered something else. Among his restored memories was an event in Lingcheng involving the Netherworld Ghostfire. That seventh ghostfire…

“Senior, the Netherworld Ghostfire I retrieved earlier—is it also my father?”

Wu Zhong nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Bai Fanlu recalled how the soul had willingly entered his palm, allowing itself to be captured. At the time, he had thought this person was so gentle—how had they become a ghostfire?

It was because his father’s soul had been shattered and unable to reincarnate, wandering the Ghost Realm until it became a ghostfire.

“If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken that ghostfire.”

Bai Fanlu deeply regretted it. “I retrieved the ghostfire to help the Dragon God Xunhuang awaken. All seven ghostfires were absorbed by him, and now Xunhuang…”

Suddenly, Bai Fanlu stopped mid-sentence, as a realization struck him. “I see! So that’s it! I understand now!”