Chapter 100: Separation
Hidden in the shadows, Light Feather Douluo held his breath, his eyes wide with utter astonishment.
Leveraging the keen eyesight and spiritual perception of a Title Douluo, he took in every detail of the scene unfolding within the valley.
That kid, Jiang Bai... he’s actually still alive?!
What shocked him even more was the combat prowess Jiang Bai had displayed during his recent clash with the elderly Soul Douluo, as well as the 100,000-year Soul Ring he had revealed.
"How is this possible...?"
A tempest of shock raged within Light Feather Douluo’s heart.
"Just two years ago, this kid was clearly only a Soul Venerable. Even if he somehow managed to survive by sheer luck, this cultivation speed is simply preposterous! And that 100,000-year Soul Ring..."
A bold conjecture flashed through his mind: "Could it be... that this kid, Jiang Bai, has obtained a divine inheritance?!"
Only this explanation could even remotely account for everything unfolding before his eyes.
Light Feather Douluo took a deep breath, suppressing the impulse to reveal himself immediately and demand answers.
His gaze settled upon Qian Renxue; the girl was currently nestling against Jiang Bai’s shoulder, her face beaming with a genuine smile—one that had been absent for far too long.
Ever since the incident involving Jiang Bai, Qian Renxue had seemed like a completely different person.
She had ceased to smile and spoke very little, spending her days immersed entirely in cultivation and the pursuit of vengeance.
Her exquisite features had gradually frozen over, and her eyes had grown as cold as the ice of the Extreme North.
Yet now, as she nestled beside Jiang Bai, the ice and snow on Qian Renxue’s face had melted away; her brows and eyes were relaxed, and she even occasionally displayed the playful, coquettish mannerisms of a young maiden in love.
That smile was as warm as the spring sun—warm enough to soften the heart of even an old veteran like Light Feather Douluo, who had lived for over a century.
"This Jiang Bai has truly captivated little Xue’er completely..."
Light Feather Douluo shook his head with a wry smile, though deep down, he felt happy for Qian Renxue.
He had watched the girl grow up from childhood and knew the immense burdens she carried; having someone who could make her smile again was, after all, a wonderful thing.
Just as Light Feather Douluo was preparing to close his eyes to rest and secretly keep watch over them for the night, an unexpected turn of events occurred once more!
"Hm...?! "
He snapped his eyes open, glancing toward the campfire.
There, he saw Qian Renxue—who had moments ago been conversing in hushed tones with Jiang Bai—suddenly erupt with a violet-black radiance, entirely without warning!
The light seeped outward from within her body, rapidly coalescing into a thin cocoon of light that enveloped her completely.
Qian Renxue’s expression shifted drastically; clutching her head in agony, her body began to tremble ever so slightly.
"Sister Xue’er, what’s wrong?!" Jiang Bai urgently grasped her hand, only to find her palm icy cold and her Soul Power in utter disarray.
"Captain!" Tian Yue was the first to rush over, followed swiftly by the rest of the team as they gathered around.
Jiang Li’er rose from her spot beneath a tree, gazing over with a look of curiosity.
"Jiang Bai, what’s happening to Sister Xue?" Tian Yue asked anxiously.
"I don’t know—it just happened all of a sudden!" Jiang Bai attempted to channel his Soul Power into Qian Renxue’s body to conduct a probe, but his efforts were like a stone sinking into the sea—completely blocked by that violet-black cocoon of light.
"Gah—!"
Qian Renxue let out a stifled groan as the light cocoon suddenly contracted.
Under the team’s horrified gazes, a fissure cracked open across the surface of the cocoon; a mass of violet-black light detached itself and drifted down to the ground.
Upon landing, the mass of light rapidly expanded and stretched, morphing into a humanoid shape.
As the radiance faded, a figure slowly straightened up.
It was a woman who looked absolutely identical to Qian Renxue.
Her skin was as white as snow, her phoenix-like eyes held a playful allure, and her exquisite features appeared as if they had been carved from the very same mold.
Yet, she was clad in an alluringly sinister black gown. Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, but what drew the eye most were her eyes—violet-black orbs filled with a languid, teasing gaze that carried a distinct trace of wicked seduction.
A dense aura of darkness swirled around her, creating a stark contrast against the sacred golden radiance that still lingered—though not yet fully receded—around Qian Renxue; they stood as two opposing facets, like light and shadow.
"Hei Xue" raised a hand to touch her own face, then lowered her gaze to examine her body, a bewitching smile curling at the corners of her lips.
"Heh-heh-heh... I’m finally out!"
The voice was similar to Qian Renxue’s, yet it carried an added touch of languor and wickedness.
The cocoon of light enveloping Qian Renxue now dissipated completely.
She rose to her feet, her complexion pale, though her demeanor had regained its composure. Gazing with a complex expression at the other self standing before her, she spoke in a cold voice:
"What are you doing out here? Go back immediately!"
Her heart was filled with bewildered alarm.
Although this dark aspect of herself originated from within her own psyche, logically speaking, it should have been nothing more than a projection—a mental demon spawned during her divine trials.
How, then, could it have taken independent physical form and separated itself from her body? It defied all reason!
"Hmph." Hei Xue gave a light snort, crossing her arms over her chest. She tilted her head as she regarded Qian Renxue, her tone laced with mockery.
"Don’t tell me what to do. I’ll come out whenever I please. My affairs are none of your business!"
Having delivered her retort, she nonchalantly strolled over to a flat rock situated not far from the campfire and took a seat.
Crossing her long, shapely legs and keeping her arms folded across her chest, she watched the surrounding crowd—who stood utterly dumbfounded—with an air of unhurried amusement, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"..."
Tian Yue’s eyelids twitched twice. Glancing first at Hei Xue, then back at Qian Renxue, she stammered out: "Xue... Sister Xue’er, what exactly is... this?"
The other team members exchanged bewildered glances, completely at a loss to understand the situation.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, suppressing the unease churning within her, and waved a dismissive hand at the group: "Just pay her no mind. She is... merely a side effect of some complications that arose during my cultivation. She won’t harm any of you."
She paused for a moment, then turned her gaze toward Hei Xue, her voice carrying a distinct note of warning: "You’d best behave yourself."
Hei Xue merely shrugged, offering neither agreement nor dissent.
Qian Renxue then turned back to the group: "Alright, you’ve all had a tiring day; get some good rest. Early tomorrow morning, we’ll set off for Yunluo City to recuperate for a while before returning to Spirit City."
Although the team members were brimming with questions, seeing that their captain was reluctant to discuss the matter further, they felt it would be inappropriate to press her; one by one, they dispersed. Tian Yue cast a worried glance at Qian Renxue, then shot a wary look at Hei Xue, before leading her team members back to their tents to rest.
By the campfire, only Jiang Bai, Qian Renxue, and Hei Xue—who sat a short distance away—remained.
Jiang Bai gently guided Qian Renxue back down to sit beside him, then lowered his voice to ask, "Sister Xue’er... how exactly did she manage to get out?"
Qian Renxue explained in a hushed tone, "I don’t know either. She is supposed to be the inner demon that manifested within me during my Angel God Trial. What I never expected, however, was that she would actually be able to break free from my body and exist independently."
"She shouldn’t pose any problems; there’s no need to worry."
Qian Renxue leaned her head back against his shoulder. The two fell silent, simply cuddling quietly and savoring the tranquility of the night.
Meanwhile, Jiang Li’er did not go to rest; yet, she felt too self-conscious to keep staring at Jiang Bai and Qian Renxue.
The sight of the two of them cuddling left her feeling inexplicably stifled—a sensation tinged with bitterness and a hint of loss.
She wandered around the valley for a while before finally fixing her gaze upon Hei Xue, who sat with her eyes closed, seemingly resting.
This woman—who had appeared out of nowhere, bearing an exact resemblance to Qian Renxue yet possessing a completely different aura—piqued her curiosity.
Jiang Li’er quietly approached and sat down beside Hei Xue, her bright eyes studying the woman with intense curiosity.
In truth, Hei Xue wasn’t actually resting; she merely had her eyes closed, using the moment to perceive and familiarize herself with this newly formed body.
Strictly speaking, this was not a truly independent body of her own.
Rather, she had exploited a loophole in the rules of the Angel God Trial to condense a temporary avatar—forged from Qian Renxue’s dark side, along with a portion of her soul power and spiritual energy.
Once Qian Renxue completed her current God Trial—or if she took the time to thoroughly analyze the trial’s rules—she would be able to reabsorb Hei Xue back into her own body.
But for now, at least, she was temporarily free.
Sensing someone approaching, Hei Xue opened her eyes, meeting Jiang Li’er’s curious gaze.
"You... what are you doing?"
Hei Xue raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying her characteristic air of languid nonchalance.
"N-nothing..." Jiang Li’er gave a dry chuckle, then immediately asked with a look of earnestness, "My name is Jiang Li’er. What’s yours? And how come you look exactly like her?"
Hei Xue gazed at the blonde girl standing before her. She could sense a peculiar aura emanating from the girl—one that faintly exuded both nobility and mystery.
She thought for a moment, then spoke.
"You may call me... Sister Xue’er. I am the ’dark side’ that separated from her body; naturally, I look exactly like her."
"Oh~" Jiang Li’er nodded in sudden realization, then—in a sudden twist of logic—asked, "So, does that make you her daughter?"
Upon hearing this, the corner of Hei Xue’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
Whose kid is this? Does she even know how to hold a conversation?
She retorted irritably, "How could that be?! Just think of us as twin sisters!"
"Oh, right—sorry, my bad." Jiang Li’er hurriedly apologized, yet her curiosity remained unsatisfied as she pressed on, "By the way, why was your face all red just now? I noticed your cheeks looked a bit flushed when you sat down."
At that, Hei Xue’s gaze drifted toward the sky as she feigned a calm tone: "R-Red? Was it? I don’t think so. You must have seen things. How could your eyesight be so poor at such a young age?"
"..."
Jiang Li’er blinked. Could it be that she really had been mistaken?
Hei Xue, however, secretly bit her lip. Her face had indeed flushed just moments ago, and now she could feel her cheeks beginning to burn once more.
The reason was simple: a certain subtle link still existed between this avatar of hers and her true body, Qian Renxue.
This link encompassed not only the sharing of soul power and spiritual energy but also—even more significantly—the synchronization of certain sensory perceptions.
Earlier, when Qian Renxue had nestled close to Jiang Bai, all of Jiang Bai’s inadvertent little gestures—every touch and sensation—had triggered a faint, synchronized reaction within Hei Xue’s own body.
What made it even more awkward was that she could also vaguely perceive Qian Renxue’s emotional fluctuations and physiological responses.
When Qian Renxue’s heart began to race and her body grew faintly warm in response to Jiang Bai’s intimacy, Hei Xue experienced the very same sensations...
"What kind of wretched link is this...?" Hei Xue cursed inwardly, though she strove to maintain a cool, aloof expression on her face.
She was no saint, nor was she some ascetic maiden devoid of worldly desires.
Being indirectly aroused through this synchronized sensory link left her feeling both mortified and exasperated—yet, she was utterly unable to let it show.
Seeing that Hei Xue had fallen silent, Jiang Li’er assumed she was upset and quickly changed the subject: "Um... Sister Xue’er, what do you plan to do from here on out? Are you just going to keep following Qian Renxue around like this?"
Hei Xue withdrew her thoughts and cast a sidelong glance at her.
"What else would I do? This body of mine is merely a temporary avatar; it can’t travel very far. Besides..."
She paused, a complex expression flickering in her eyes. "She and I are, in essence, one and the same. If she were to die, I would dissipate as well. So, in a sense, I actually have to protect her."
It was an awkward thing to say, but Jiang Li’er understood.
She nodded, then suddenly lowered her voice to ask, "So... do you like Jiang Bai?"
"Pfft—!"
Hei Xue nearly choked on her own saliva. She stared wide-eyed at Jiang Li’er.
"You... what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Jiang Li’er tilted her head.
"Well, I noticed you kept stealing glances at Jiang Bai earlier. Plus, Qian Renxue likes Jiang Bai; since you’re her ’dark side,’ presumably you like him too?"
Hei Xue: "..."
She was so flabbergasted by that logic that she was rendered speechless.
After a long moment, she finally gritted her teeth and snapped, "That’s her preference—what does that have to do with me?! I... I wouldn’t give a brat like that the time of day!"
"Ooh~" Jiang Li’er drawled, though her expression clearly conveyed her disbelief.
Hei Xue felt thoroughly uncomfortable under her gaze, so she simply stood up.
"I’m tired. I’m going to bed!"
She found a tree, hopped onto a branch, and sat there with her eyes closed to rest—though her mind remained in utter turmoil.
Jiang Li’er watched her retreating figure, blinking thoughtfully, before standing up herself to find a spot to rest.