Chapter 50: It Wasn’t a Dream (3)

Chapter 50: It Wasn’t a Dream (3) Winding the clock a bit. The aftermath of his race against time versus the swarm of Sand Snakes. "Heh... I... win..." Just as Xu Tao whispered those words, his vision was swallowed by pure white. But unlike when he first "came" to this world unconscious, this time, he was fully aware of what was happening. He could feel everything vividly—his body scattering into the air like mist. His sight shifted from blinding light to total darkness. His hearing rang out sharply, then dulled into a complete void. Everything blurred into chaos—until, all at once, his senses returned. His hearing sharpened, able to catch even the breath of an ant. His touch, so fine-tuned, could distinguish the subtle shift between molecules in the air. His sense of smell caught the flowery scent of a nearby woman. And then, in an instant, his vision snapped back. It happened in a literal flash, confusing him for a heartbeat. Gravity tugged at him. A woman’s face appeared before him—and, more critically— "WOAH!" The raging Qi he hadn’t felt in so long—the Qi of someone at the Divine Heavenly Immortal Realm—rushed through him. But it came back too suddenly. His body hadn’t fully adjusted yet, and he lost control for a split second. That... was not good. Imagine losing control of power enough to obliterate a planet. Worse than detonating a thousand atomic bombs at once. Right—if his Qi ran wild, everything nearby would be reduced to dust! Panicking, Xu Tao sealed his Qi, suppressing it deep within his three—no, four—Dantians. He was so rushed that he even forgot to leave a portion to cushion himself. So, unable to stabilize, he collapsed—falling toward the woman below. ’Great... no damage done.’ He sighed in relief internally, then turned his focus to the situation. Right now, he was barely keeping himself from fully landing on top of a skimpily-dressed red-haired woman. Her orange eyes gleamed with shock that rapidly shifted into pure rage. "YOU FUCKER...!" The woman roared. One hand rushed to cover her chest, while the other clenched tightly—aiming a devastating punch at his face. "Hmm?" But as Xu Tao studied her more closely, he noticed something strange. The woman was wielding power far beyond what her body could sustain. In short, her own strength was tearing her apart. "Oh... Qi Deviation?" It was a familiar condition—one that claimed the lives of hundreds of cultivators every year. But this woman hadn’t cultivated high enough to be killed by it. In fact, her Qi Deviation seemed to be the very reason for her overwhelming strength. But... ’No... it’s more than just Qi Deviation...’ Xu Tao narrowed his eyes. There was something inside her... a fragment of her soul... an odd mix. He casually caught the incoming fist with one finger, ignoring the woman’s shocked expression. "You..." he murmured, "you’re half Evil Spirit, aren’t you?" "MILADY!" Before she could respond, the pod lid behind them hissed open. A frantic woman, noticeably short in stature, ran toward them. "GET OFF MY MILADY, YOU PERVERT...!" She reached for him, hand poised to grab. But it wouldn’t do for someone titled the Great Elder to be manhandled by some stranger. So Xu Tao moved. With a simple technique, he changed his position—now standing behind the white-haired woman. He patted her shoulder, about to introduce himself, but— "...!" His fingers bounced off. A powerful rejection force—a barrier—surrounded the woman’s body. "Now this is interesting... You too?" Xu Tao chuckled. "Meeting one Evil Spirit hybrid is rare enough. But to think I’d meet two at the same time..." "Shut up, pervert!" the white-haired shorty—Uriel—snapped, unwilling to listen. "Hmm?" Xu Tao watched her spin around, leg already sweeping in. She didn’t even seem to care that her long skirt tore open from the forced movement. A kick from someone whose very body repels others wasn’t something to take lightly. But special constitutions didn’t bother Xu Tao. He caught her leg easily, holding it in place. "Now, now. Calm down," he said as both women stared at him, a mix of fear and disbelief in their eyes. "First of all, I’m not here to harm anyone." Neither of them looked convinced, but he continued anyway. "I’m Xu Tao, Great Elder of the Azure Dragon Sect. Although it seems I dropped in at a strange time... Apologies for the intrusion." Of course, as a supreme cultivator, he didn’t bow. His pride was like a mountain—towering and unbending, unshaken even by the harshest storm. Still, something in his words sparked a reaction. "Azure... Sect?" Henrietta muttered, slowly sitting up from the pod, still shielding herself with her left arm. Uriel quickly moved to drape a towel over her, at least preserving a sliver of decency. "Yes. Azure Dragon Sect." Xu Tao nodded, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Perhaps you’ve heard of it?" As an aside, with his senses, he had already figured out their location, even while inside a closed room. This was the place where he first arrived, before heading into the Lost System’s world. The place where people used tiny coffin-like machines they called VR Pods to cultivate. The two women exchanged glances, taken aback by his sudden excitement, but... "No, we’ve never heard of any sect like that." Henrietta grumbled, cheeks tinged with both fury and embarrassment. "More importantly, you’re dead, you know? You dared peek at me, Henrietta Campbell, in such a state?!" "Hmm?" Xu Tao blinked in confusion. "You two... Aren’t you from a Demonic Sect? The ones that pride themselves on showing off their bodies, walking around naked all the time...?" "What kind of messed up sect is that?!" she yelled, appalled. "Don’t lump us in with those degenerates!" "Then... why are your souls mixed with Evil Spirits?" It was a simple, innocent question. But it struck a nerve—one they couldn’t afford to expose. Henrietta, for one, looked visibly disturbed, biting her lips to keep herself quiet. "Milady... we need to silence him. He knows too much. He might be an assassin from the Roamita Family." Henrietta trembled slightly at Uriel’s words, but while feeling anguished, biting her lips, she slowly nodded. "...Do it." "Ah, please don’t trouble yourselves," Xu Tao said, waving a hand. His expression was serene—like a grandfather humoring his granddaughters. "Even if I sat here for a thousand years doing nothing, neither of you could hurt me." "Hah! Great line for a bastard’s last words...!" The next moment, Uriel’s body began to glow. Her pale white hair darkened to an abyssal black. A single horn pushed through her forehead, pulsing with Qi strong enough to crack the surrounding walls. "Enough." CLAP! A single clap from Xu Tao—and Uriel’s transformation was undone in an instant. She dropped to her knees, powerless. Henrietta, just about to climb out of the pod, suddenly slid and fell onto her backside. Her strength vanished—something utterly foreign to her, who constantly struggled to restrain it. Xu Tao hadn’t intended to let them destroy this place. It was his only lead back to that world. Whether or not he truly wanted to return... he hadn’t decided yet. But he wasn’t going to burn the bridge so early either. Also, denying that world’s existence wasn’t an option. He’d felt everything on the return journey from there to Earth. It wasn’t something to dismiss as "just a dream." But more than anything, the faces of the people he’d left behind... the outer disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect... Little Wenwen, Pepe, and... ’Jehanne...’ Yes. He still had unfinished business on the other side. There was no way he’d allow these two to ruin his only chance of returning. [Lost System Synchronizing... Complete. Time passed on Earth: 1 day, 3 hours, 18 minutes, and 56 seconds.] [Calculating... Next entry to Alkryon possible after: 81:56:48] "...Ah." And right then, a familiar blue window appeared before Xu Tao’s eyes.