The subsequent main quests involved taking assassination missions and clearing various dungeons.

With Suteir's companionship, even just doing main quests wouldn't be particularly boring.

Time outside passed quickly, but the Cultivators in the Illusion Realm were completely unaware.

Zhong Yi watched Suteir's Rank grow higher and higher, now reaching Rank 47, and his heart ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) swelled with joy.

"Once she reaches Rank 50, perhaps I'll be able to guide Spiritual Qi into her body and open her path to cultivation..."

Zhong Yi muttered, unable to help but fantasize in his mind about maxing out Suteir's various attributes, imagining a future where her strength surpassed his own.

"Then, in the future, won't she be the one taking me on quests? Tsk tsk tsk..."

Zhong Yi smiled as he watered the green plant on the windowsill, then turned and went back into the room.

The rented room wasn't particularly large and only had one bed.

Li Ang always let Suteir sleep on the bed while he would lay out a mat on the floor to make do.

"Time to get up... Hmm?"

Zhong Yi returned to the room, only to find Suteir's bed empty. Under her pillow was a crumpled notebook.

"What is this?"

Zhong Yi picked up the notebook curiously.

Although taking someone else's belongings was unethical, this item turned out to be a special item, displaying a golden identifier: 【Suteir's Diary】.

After an internal struggle, Zhong Yi swallowed hard and casually flipped to a few pages in the middle.

【April 11th】

【Li Ang, why are you unwilling to avenge my younger brother? Why, why...】

...【May 8th】

【Strange, Li Ang has suddenly become very talkative and verbose lately... but it seems rather nice.】

...【June 1st】

【Li Ang, I'm not a child anymore.】

...【August 2nd】

【Li Ang came back covered in injuries again today. Every time he says, "I'll be fine," it's like this... He seems to be a bit of a jinx?】

...【August 8th】

【Li Ang's hand is very large and very warm.】

...The diary's contents were quite varied, making Zhong Yi frown one moment and then break into a doting smile the next.

He hadn't even flipped through many pages when the diary was suddenly snatched away by a small hand.

"Li Ang!! How could you read my diary!!!"

The young girl reprimanded him sharply, hiding the diary behind her back.

After bickering with Zhong Yi for a while, Suteir didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, she took out a slip of paper and handed it to Zhong Yi.

"Here, a new mission from the boss."

Zhong Yi nodded, thinking that Suteir had gotten up to take the red-eyed homing pigeon mission.

He opened the slip of paper, and the quest System in the upper right corner updated accordingly.

【Main Quest Updated: Proceed to the target location and complete the assassination mission with Suteir.】

...Unlike other assassination missions, this mission, marked 【High Risk】, was located in a remote mountain forest.

Zhong Yi quickly arrived at the mission location with Suteir.

From a distance, Zhong Yi saw an open space in the woods where a white-haired, ill-tempered old man was sitting in the center, absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

Zhong Yi's eyebrow twitched, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

Previous mission dungeons were always in carefully designed maps.

They either had heavily guarded sentries, mechanisms that needed to be deciphered, or public places crowded with people.

In contrast, this mission seemed to be asking the player to go one-on-one with this old man.

"Hahaha, this mission looks incredibly simple!"

Zhong Yi laughed heartily as he drew his weapon.

"..." Suteir, beside him, couldn't help but shiver, gripping her crossbow tighter. "Li Ang, don't say that... I'm scared..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Watch me..."

Before Zhong Yi could finish his sentence, the old man in the center suddenly opened his crimson eyes, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"You two, are you the recently famous Twin Assassins?"

The old man clapped his hands, and a Formation barrier, a hundred meters in radius, rose from the ground with him at its center, perfectly encircling Zhong Yi and Suteir.

Zhong Yi immediately became serious, instantly shielding Suteir behind him.

Entering the 【Assassin's Focus】 state, Zhong Yi concentrated his gaze on the old man.

As his skill Rank increased, 【Assassin's Focus】 could now reveal the opponent's Rank, normal skills, and even some weaknesses.

The old man's Cultivation Realm was the same as his own, both at the Qi Refining Late Stage.

However, his Rank was slightly lower than Zhong Yi's.

Zhong Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, his own stats were a bit higher, and the number of skills he had learned was incomparable to an ordinary NPC.

As if seeing through his thoughts, the old man revealed a mouth full of yellow teeth and sinisterly pulled out a small medicine bottle from his Pregnant and shook it in front of him.

Zhong Yi's breathing instantly hitched.

He recognized the contents of the small medicine bottle at a glance.

Demonic Medicine!

This wasn't just a drug that made infants fall into Demonic Cultivation.

In small doses, it could make Cultivators enter a frenzied state of ecstasy;

In larger doses, it could greatly enhance a Cultivator's strength in a short period!

Even with its severe side effects, a large number of Righteous Path Cultivators who had gone astray were still addicted to it!

As the old man consumed the Demonic Medicine, his aura surged dramatically, breaking through directly to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"Li, Li Ang!"

Suteir exclaimed, her face filled with despair.

The old man waved his hand, and countless powerful Qi vortexes exploded around Zhong Yi.

Zhong Yi raised his hand and flung out all the defensive items in his backpack, then turned and pulled Suteir into his arms, holding her tightly.

Countless explosions roared behind him.

'What to do...'

Zhong Yi frowned, desperately thinking of how to respond.

His defensive items were already on the verge of shattering.

The shockwaves from the explosions were constantly draining his health.

Fight to the death?

Clearly, there was no chance of winning.

He didn't care about himself, but he didn't want Suteir in his arms to be harmed.

Just then, a jar, sealed in layers, glowed in his backpack.

【Pure Blood: Contains some fresh blood, collected from Righteous Path Cultivators, seemingly with unexpected effects.】

At the same time, the main quest updated again.

【Main Quest Updated: Use Forbidden Magic to protect Suteir.】

Zhong Yi's skill panel lit up.

A gray skill that had always displayed 【???】 now saw the light of day.

【Blood Curse (Demonic Path Skill): Drink the fresh blood of the Righteous Path, stimulating potential and greatly increasing strength for a short period. (After use, lifespan is permanently reduced by 10 years.)】

Looking at the skill description, Zhong Yi was stunned.

The bullet comments in the livestream also began to show significant division.

【We are Righteous Path Cultivators, and you want me to use Demonic Daoist Magic?】

【And it's a Forbidden Magic that involves consuming human blood?】

【Isn't this a bit...】

【But if he doesn't use it, Suteir will die, right?】

【This skill only unlocked after the Illusion Realm had been going on for so long, which means Li Ang doesn't like to use this thing either.】

【Li Ang isn't choosing to be Demonic Daoist himself; he probably avoids using this kind of skill if he can.】

【I bet if Suteir wasn't here, Li Ang could escape alone and definitely wouldn't use this!】

【These Righteous Path Cultivators are already consuming Demonic Medicine; how are they any different from the Demonic Path!?】

【Use it, Old Zhong!】

【For Suteir, use the Blood Curse on him!】

...The defensive Daoist Magic and items behind him were already starting to shatter.

Bloodstains continuously appeared on Zhong Yi's body.

He glanced at the trembling girl in his arms, and as if making a certain decision, he crushed the jar containing the sealed fresh blood in his backpack.

【You have used the skill "Blood Curse"...】

【You have temporarily broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!】