The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 223 Asking Questions
It's not a taste in my heart.

Ding Lin hadn't felt this way in a long time; it was like a spilled soy sauce shop, a mix of emotions.

In my past life I was a human, in this life I am a demon.

But whether it's a human or a demon, the only change is the form of the species.

He never lacked wisdom, nor did he lack the seven emotions and six desires. But since he had wisdom and the seven emotions and six desires, he was bound to be influenced by emotions to some extent.

This is a higher form of life.

Only pure animals would simply know how to seek advantage and avoid harm.

The five fairies lowered their heads, the glint in their eyes gradually fading as they waited, and the slight ups and downs of their lips slowly smoothed out, leaving them as wooden as puppets.

After the heart had been clenched to its limit, the pain subsided and it became numb.

"Brother Jin, you have successfully completed the cultivation of the Celestial Immortal Technique. The next step is to cultivate the technique to the eighth level. With your current aptitude, there will be no obstacles. Just remember to be quick. The ninth level of the Celestial Immortal Technique is called a high-grade technique and is completely different from the first eight levels. Leave as much time as you can."

"Brother Jin, let's begin the third volume of our cultivation."

The Fifth Fairy said, her eyes dimmed, and she turned to look at Ding Lin again, her face expressionless.

Ding Lin was stunned for a moment.

"Reconciliation with 'Lanming'?"

Ding Lin finally spoke, his voice audible. At this point, he should have felt relieved, but strangely, he didn't feel any relief. A sense of loss lingered in his heart, making him feel even more uncomfortable. A sense of loss inexplicably pressed down heavily, like a stone weighing on his head, but his voice was no different from before.

"...reaching the heavens above, inspiring the most refined..." the five fairies recited, then paused, before continuing, "...the vast and secluded tomb, remote and hidden, the stone chamber attacked again, its boundaries treacherous and gloomy, from which there is nowhere to escape..."

The voice grew softer and softer until it could no longer be heard. At some point, the five fairies lowered their heads again.

A little while.

"Brother Jin, you said..."

The Fifth Fairy's voice rang out, low and soft. After the initial numbness, her heart began to ache again. She had originally decided to stop there, but for some reason, Ding Lin's calm tone when he asked the question suddenly echoed in her mind, and an impulse surged within her again.

"You said we repaid you with celestial titles and cultivation techniques."

The Fifth Fairy's lips curled up, but a bitter taste spread through her mouth.

"Does that mean that from the very beginning, in your heart, your meeting with me... my fifth sister was just a chance encounter? Do you know anything about my... my fifth sister..."

"She helped you ascend to heaven and obtained the Celestial Immortal Manual for you, not out of gratitude, but because she never thought of repaying a debt. My... Fifth Sister was willing to do all this because of me..."

Another sudden silence followed.

"I... my fifth sister likes you!"

In the end, I still didn't muster up the courage.

"The mountain wasn't big, but it was very dark, and it was raining. But luckily, there was a fire in the darkness, a place to hide in the downpour, and a thatched hut..."

The five fairies murmured, gathering their courage once more. Suddenly, they looked up sharply, their spirits lifted, and gazed intently at Ding Lin.

"Brother Jin, what about you? Have you ever liked me... Fifth Sister? Even just a little bit... even just for a moment, did you ever feel a slight flutter in your heart?"

like?

Tempted? Ding Lin narrowed his eyes, his face tensing. He recalled the silk handkerchief pressed under the bluestone on Snake-Entwined Peak, the later appointment as mountain god, and the lotus seed hidden in the treehouse.

Have you ever?
Maybe.

The Fifth Fairy is the granddaughter of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother, and has a noble status. If such a fairy treats you gently, is willing to consider your needs, and is willing to make sacrifices for you, who wouldn't be moved?
Ding Lin asked himself honestly, at that time, although he didn't say it or show it, he was actually somewhat smug and enjoying it.

When did the rift between the human and the demon begin?
This was when the Fifth Fairy asked Ding Lin to rescue the Seventh Fairy.

Ding Lin had witnessed the Taurus Star Lord's actions. Saving people from such a powerful figure was nothing short of suicide for Ding Lin, given his strength at the time. All that elation and enjoyment would crumble and turn to dust once his own interests were involved.

So, should we just coldly deny it now?
My heartstrings suddenly trembled.

Ding Lin looked directly into his own heart and realized that he was actually unwilling.

Have you ever felt a flutter in your heart?

It's not "maybe," it actually happened.

So... do you like it?

Ding Lin thought about it carefully for a while and got a clear answer: it wasn't liking him. His attraction was just an instinct to be close to beauty, especially since beauty itself was moving closer to him.

Then let's deny it.

Ding Lin kept his mouth shut, a sudden pang of sadness gripping his heart. His reluctance wasn't due to affection, but rather a possessiveness. When someone is devoted to you, even if you don't feel anything, how many people can immediately refuse? Human nature is inherently selfish; he would see such affection as his own private property, unwilling to allow it to be transferred.

This is not love, but lust.

Love is giving, desire is taking and possessing.

What should we do?

Ding Lin asked himself, what would he do if he denied it and the Fifth Fairy fell in love with someone else later?

It will make me feel bad and down.

Does he want to possess the Five Fairies?
Within his dantian, the inner core, which had already become transparent, trembled slightly. Demonic energy flowed along his meridians, stimulating his mind to become increasingly clear.

Ding Lin suddenly chuckled. He cultivated for power, for immortality, for status, for everything he wanted but had not yet obtained. It was because of desire. He was already entangled in desires, yet he was still hesitating. Did he think that hesitating would make him noble?

They are inherently selfish, and when the time comes, they are still hesitating and testing the waters, showing no reason to be unhappy!
Ding Lin wanted to get it.

Because of the Fifth Fairy's beauty, her own status, and her affections, since that's the case...

With a sudden realization, Ding Lin's mind cleared up and his confusion dissipated. In his dantian, the green lotus suddenly trembled slightly, and his earth soul flew out, searching around as if it had entered a place of extreme darkness. Meanwhile, the golden core above the lotus leaf trembled violently, and the transparent magic power flowed faster and faster in his veins. At a certain moment, it seemed to have crossed a certain limit, and the violently trembling golden core suddenly stopped.

Ding Lin's aura suddenly rose a notch.

Third turn.

Having surveyed all the palaces of the underworld, I found that none of the evils in the world surpasses that of human nature.

"Had."

Ding Lin said softly. He didn't say whether he had liked her or had his heart fluttered. These two things are not the same, at least not in Ding Lin's mind. Since the Fifth Fairy asked the question in this way, his answer could not be considered a lie.

At most, it can only be considered ambiguous.

(End of this chapter)