Zero Succubus in the Territory: Starting with Apprenticeship to the Yi Xuan Sisters

Whenever she couldn't sleep, her sister would hum this song to lull her to sleep. She didn't know the song title, but she knew that she could always fall asleep peacefully whenever she heard this tune.

The familiar melody and the warm embrace combined to give her a sense of familiar security. Even though the one holding her was just a child, this warmth and sense of peace miraculously soothed all the restlessness and unease in her heart.

The insomnia of the past few days, the nightmare of last night, and the guilt and torment that had accumulated in his heart all dissipated at this moment. A heavy drowsiness swept over his body, and Yi Xuan's nerves, which had been tense all night, finally began to relax.

She subconsciously raised her hand and gently wrapped her arms around Yi Xue in front of her, leaning her tired body against his shoulder and hugging the boy who was not even as tall as her chest. The strange feeling intensified, and with the last trace of clarity remaining in her mind, fragmented thoughts couldn't help but surge up again.

She wanted to speak up and dissuade Yixue, to tell her that she didn't understand anything at all.

The curse of the Azure Sea Sword is unsolvable. It is a dead end that the sisters have spent years trying to break through with all their methods. Xue'er has only been exposed to magic for a short time. Even though she is very intelligent, the magic she has learned is only at the beginner level. It is just the superficial knowledge that she personally taught her.

Even he, who had been deeply involved in magic for many years, was helpless. Xue'er was still young and ignorant with an unstable foundation. How could he possibly rewrite the ending?

Yi Xuan's reason told her again and again that the boy's promise was too naive, merely a boastful act born of a momentary impulse, and utterly worthless.

At the very least... at the very least, I can't let Xue'er become like me.

But the words just wouldn't come out.

It was a really strange feeling. Even though she knew the cruelty of reality and knew that a child like Yixue was powerless, she still wanted to believe in him from the bottom of her heart and uncontrollably.

Perhaps this is why the sisters are all willing to stay by Xue'er's side. He has a kind of magic about him, pure, firm, gentle and passionate. Even a casual promise can make people subconsciously hope and willing to let down their guard and believe.

The gloom in my heart gradually dissipated, and drowsiness finally took over completely.

In the gentle humming of the boy and the comforting embrace, Yi Xuan's chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and his consciousness gradually became blurred and scattered.

The last image I saw before falling asleep was Yixue's gentle and innocent face. Perhaps... she could finally have a good dream tonight.

"Phew, finally I'm asleep."

Feeling Yi Xuan's completely relaxed body and even, long breaths in her arms, Yi Xue slowly stopped humming, gently laid her down, and covered her with the blankets.

Looking at the girl's peaceful sleeping face, Yi Xue felt a little relieved, but she couldn't help feeling a bit helpless and troubled.

In fact, his mind was in turmoil. What had he just said? That the girl and her sister would be alright? Wasn't that clearly telling the other person that he already knew the main characters in the story were her and Yi Jiang?

Yi Xue, Yi Xue, what are you trying to prove? There's a limit to how much you can boast. You say everything will be alright, and anyone can talk a good game. But what can you actually accomplish right now...?

After nearly going crazy and berating himself in his mind, Yi Xue finally regained his composure. He straightened his disheveled hair and looked at Yi Xuan beside him.

The other person stretched out a hand from under the covers and tightly gripped his clothes, as if clinging to their only support. The more he saw the other person like this, the more uncomfortable he felt.

She confided in him because she trusted him, but despite making promises, she couldn't put them into action.

How utterly incompetent...

Chapter Sixty-Five: Finding a New Path

"What should we do..."

After going over his boastful words in his mind several times, Yi Xue felt increasingly embarrassed. It wasn't that he regretted it; if he were to relive the scene, he would most likely say the same thing again.

Because Yi Xuan's expression was so fragile at the time, so fragile that he felt as if the other person would shatter if he didn't say something, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch Yi Xuan like that.

But what happens after that? You can't just turn the page with a few nice words.

Just then, Yi Xuan beside him suddenly became restless again. In a daze, she climbed into his arms, gently rested her head on his chest and rubbed against him, holding his arm tightly and muttering something.

"Don't go..."

Hearing the other person's unconscious murmur in their sleep, Yi Xue's heart tightened suddenly, and he felt even more helpless. He gently patted Yi Xuan in his arms and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the other person was still asleep.

"Sigh... What a mess this is..."

Yi Xue sighed and gently moved Yi Xuan's head from her chest to the pillow. His movements were slow, and when he pulled his arm away, it was like defusing a bomb, taking a full ten seconds to complete.

Yi Xuan snorted softly, turned over, and wrapped the blanket in her arms to continue sleeping. Seeing this, Yi Xue quickly snatched the blanket from her arms and covered her up again. Then she sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Yi Xuan's sleeping face in a daze.

"...Don't worry, I won't leave. I'll stay here and stay with you all."

He murmured, as if making a promise to Yi Xuan in his sleep, or as if talking to himself.

After doing all this, he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down, and began to seriously consider the promise he had just made.

He was very grateful to Yi Jiang and Yi Xuan. This was not just polite talk, but from the bottom of his heart. In his previous life, he was an unwanted beggar. After transmigrating, he was even worse off. Not only did his body regress to that of a six-year-old child, but his situation was even worse than in his previous life.

It was his master and the others who took him in and named him Yixue. Although it was a girl's name, it at least gave him a chance to start over.

He had a place to live, no longer had to worry about food and clothing, had caring elders, and family. For the first time in his life, he felt that he had a place to call home.

Even if the Zero Zone in his previous life was just a game, the world he was in now was real. Yi Jiang, Yi Xuan, and everyone from Yun Kui Mountain, as well as all sorts of other people in this world, were not just simple strings of code, but living, breathing people with flesh and blood, just like him.

Once he realized this, it was difficult for him to go back to the state of wanting to mind his own business.

Yi... his sisters treated him like their own brother, and he truly regarded the two sisters as family, as well as the other people in Yunkui Mountain. The kindness he felt from these people was genuine.

All of this... was something he had never experienced in his previous life, and he... liked it very much, even somewhat craved this feeling.

Once a person has experienced something wonderful, it is difficult for them to go back to a life where they had nothing. This was also the case with Yi Xue.

He considered himself a selfish person, and he would never give up what he had already obtained. He would never let anyone take away this hard-won goodness, whether it was a demonic sword that could kill gods and steal souls, or a disaster that could overturn the world.

At this moment, her thoughts became clear. Yi Xue slowly opened her eyes, the confusion in them had faded, replaced by a kind of unwavering determination.

He must save Yi Xuan and Yi Jiang, by any means necessary. Moreover, he must ensure that Yun Kui Mountain survives the impending fall of the old capital.

"Each one seems like an impossible task..."

Yi Xue chuckled self-deprecatingly, then gently shook her head and began to organize the clues she had gathered in her mind.

Let's start with the Azure Sea Sword, the most precious treasure of Yun Kui Mountain. Possessing the Azure Sea Sword grants unimaginable power, but the price is that it continuously shortens the user's lifespan, which is the most pressing issue at present.

Master Yi Xuan said that Qingming chooses its master, and the chosen one cannot actively sever the link with Qingming Sword. However, on second thought, if Qingming Sword chooses a more suitable master than Yi Jiang, then it will naturally choose a more suitable master and thus actively sever the link with Yi Jiang.

However, this idea was quickly rejected. First, this method essentially involved exchanging the life of an innocent person for Yi Jiang's life, which he would not agree to, and Yi Jiang himself would probably not approve of. Second, it was only a temporary solution and did not address the root cause of the problem; the issue of the Qingming Sword was not resolved at all.

What he wanted to do was to completely end the curse of the Azure Nether Sword, not to let others bear their pain.

Think about it, think carefully... there must be a way...

He looked down at his hands, then clenched them into fists as if the action would give him strength, but it didn't work; his mind was blank.

The truth is, he currently has no ability to help the other party. Wait… ability… ability… that’s right!

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and a bold idea began to take root.

His ability, [Divine Hand], is not only a convenient life skill, but also has a very special passive effect: after each full use, it can copy one of the target's already mastered abilities.

Yi Xuan had just said that although the Xuanmo technique was still in its incomplete prototype, it was a technique that she and Yi Jiang had spent years of effort to deduce and develop. This meant that, according to the logic of the Divine Hand, this incomplete but infinitely potential technique should also be considered a "mastered ability".

What if I could successfully replicate the prototype of this Xuanmo technique with the help of the [Divine Hand] ability, and then use the system's abilities to continuously fill in the loopholes in the technique, improve its structure, and finally refine it into its final form?

It sounded a bit far-fetched, but he figured if it were a system, it would definitely have a way. Frankly, many of the assistance the system had provided didn't seem like things that naturally existed in this world. So, making a flawed spell a reality shouldn't be impossible, right?

Once the Xuanmo technique is perfected, it can help them break free from the shackles of the Qingming Sword, fundamentally resolving Yi Jiang's life-threatening situation. Moreover, in any case, this is the best solution he can think of.

Yi Xue turned her head to look at Yi Xuan lying on the bed. Moonlight shone through the window, casting a very faint silver glaze on her eyelashes.

Her breathing was light and slow, her lips were slightly parted, and her hand was still in the same position as when she was clutching his clothes, but her fingers had loosened most of their grip.

At this moment, Yi Xuan was completely unprepared for him, making it the perfect opportunity to unleash the [Divine Hand].

Yi Xue hesitated for a few seconds, but finally decided to slowly reach out her hand to the sleeping woman.

Whether it will work or not, we'll only know by trying.

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Chosen Azure Sea Sword Master

"Hmm... Xue'er..."

As Yi Xuan murmured unconsciously in her sleep, a strange sense of comfort gradually swept over her body, accompanied by a faint heat that caused a light blush to creep onto her originally fair and cool cheeks.

"Ugh...it's so hot..."

She hummed softly, her body burning up, and instinctively tried to pull at her clothes, but Yi Xue had fastened them too tightly. No matter how hard she pulled, she couldn't get them open. Her clothes were stretched high, and the rounded peaks beneath them, like snow-capped mountains, swayed slightly with discomfort as she climbed.

Looking at the breathtaking scene before her, Yi Xue couldn't help but swallow, and the thought unconsciously popped into her mind: "I would be willing to spend a lifetime climbing such a peak."

He shook his head violently, banishing the evil thoughts from his mind. Ever since he fused with the dragon blood, whenever he saw such a scene, he would always feel his blood rushing up uncontrollably, and sometimes it would even rush down. Even the dragon ice could not suppress the desires in his heart.

The dragon blood brought him many benefits, but its drawbacks were equally obvious, especially in the presence of beautiful women around him.

Seeing that her thoughts were about to drift off to something else, Yi Xue quickly steadied herself and continued to focus on the massage. The massage was now at a crucial stage, and the stimulation that Master Yi Xuan felt would become stronger. She had to concentrate to complete the massage without waking him.

If Yi Xuan were to wake up at this time, not only would the effectiveness of the Divine Hand be affected, but he himself might also be downgraded from a "sensible genius disciple" to a "lecherous genius disciple." However, compared to what he needed to accomplish, his personal pride seemed insignificant.

"Um……"

In her sleep, Yi Xuan pursed her lips, her skin, not covered by her robe, was slightly pink and looked exceptionally beautiful and alluring. Then, as if realizing that removing her clothes could not relieve the heat in her heart, she turned her head slightly towards Yi Xue's direction, her nose twitching as she gently sniffed the other's scent. This scent made her feel very comfortable, so she subconsciously moved closer to the source of the scent.

Yi Xuan stopped when their bodies were pressed tightly together. Perhaps feeling the familiar scent around her, she felt a little more at ease, and her breathing became longer and more steady, as if she had fallen asleep.

After a long while, Yi Xue slowly withdrew his palm. The burning heat in his palm lingered, and the warm aftertaste seemed to linger on his fingertips. He gently clenched his fist and felt something else in his mind.

[A fragmented spell has been detected copied from the host: Prototype of the Mysterious Ink Spell.]

[Spell Level: Unrated. Completion: Approximately 42%. Core Flaws: Energy conversion nodes cannot circulate, lack of a stable medium, and the energy guiding method is slightly inadequate.]

[Question: Does the host wish for this system to assist in perfecting this spell?]

Hearing the system notification in her ear, Yi Xue realized she had succeeded, and a smile finally appeared on her lips. Finally, hard work pays off.

"System, please help me improve it."

He silently recited it in his mind, but the system did not choose to execute his command immediately, but instead issued a reminder.

[Before proceeding, this system must inform the host: Perfecting the Xuanmo magic and severing the link between the Qingming Sword and Yijiang is theoretically feasible, because the Qingming Sword's curse is essentially a forced contract at the etheric level. By inserting stronger etheric interference at the contract node, it can be severed. The improved Xuanmo magic can provide this interference.]

"Isn't this... a good thing?"

Yi Xue was somewhat puzzled, but she had a guess in her mind. The fact that the system would suddenly say this meant that perfecting the Xuanmo technique would come at a price, and it seemed that the price was not small.

[Answer: Just as the host thought, certain conditions are required to achieve all of this.]

After listening, Yi Xue did not speak, but instead gestured for the system to continue.

[Condition 1: The perfection of the Xuanmo magic requires substantial computing power. This system will intervene in the entire derivation process. As a trade-off, from today until the improved version of the magic is completed, 75% of the host's favor points will be deducted from all rewards. These points will be used to maintain the computing power required for the magic's derivation.]

[Condition Two: The severing of the link between the Azure Sea Sword and Yi Jiang requires a specific timing. Furthermore, the breakage of the contract on the etheric plane will trigger unpredictable chain reactions. This must be done at an appropriate juncture, and the severing contract must be replaced with a switching contract. This way, the previous sword master, Yi Jiang, will not be harmed. For example, this could occur during the fall of the old capital in the original timeline. At that time, the Zero Void will expand on a large scale, and the surrounding etheric environment will become extremely chaotic, making it the most suitable time to change the Azure Sea Sword's contract.]

[Condition 3: The Azure Sea Sword must have a master.]

[Please confirm whether you accept the above conditions.]

Looking at the three conditions that appeared before her, Yi Xue fell into deep thought. The first condition was acceptable, but the second and third conditions were problematic. The Qingming Sword had to have a master? If the curse of the Qingming Sword would continue after he saved Yi Jiang, what would be the point of everything he had done?

"explain."

[Answer: The curse on the Azure Sea Sword was not intentional, but rather a desperate measure taken out of necessity.]

[From the very first day the host entered Yunkui Mountain, this system detected an invisible energy attempting to contact and interfere with the host, and thus traced the source of the interference.]

"Is it the Azure Sea Sword?"

[Indeed, the source of the interference is the Qingming Sword on your master Yi Jiang's back. However, it seems that because the Qingming Sword still has a connection with its current master, it cannot release its full power to interfere with you, the host.]

"Why? Why did the Azure Nether Sword target me? Could it be that it sees me as its next target after Master?"

[Host, please calm down. The system will explain everything to you.]

[After sensing that the Azure Nether Sword was attempting to interfere with its host, I collected a sample of the Azure Nether Sword's ether and analyzed it, concluding that you are the chosen master of the Azure Nether Sword.]

"The chosen master of the Azure Sea Sword?"

After hearing the system's explanation, Yi Xue felt no relief whatsoever; instead, she felt a sense of fear. From Yi Xuan's words, she had already learned the fate of being chosen by the Azure Sea Sword: certain death. In that case, what difference did it make whether she was chosen by heaven or not?

However, he quickly regained his composure. Since the system was being so frank with him, it meant that she probably already knew the solution. After all, he and the system were now in the same boat, and the system had no reason to stand by and watch him die.

[Very good, it seems you have calmed down. Now I will tell you the origin of the Azure Sea Sword's curse and the reason why you will become the chosen sword master.]

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Determination to Embark on a Difficult Path

"The source of the curse?"

[That's right. After analysis, it was discovered that there are two types of etheric energy within the Azure Sea Sword. These two energies conflict and struggle with each other. While struggling, they frantically draw etheric energy from the surrounding environment to fill the gaps in their own power. This is the truth behind the disaster caused by that strange object back then. And within your body, host, there exists a power similar to these two etheric energies.]

"Within my...body?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Xue subconsciously touched his chest. Whether it was psychological or something else, it seemed that something inside his chest was throbbing and heating up.

[Yes, the power within the host seems to have been dormant, only gradually awakening after sensing the resonance of the Azure Nether Sword's power. The strange dreams the host has seem to be the power within you trying to communicate with you.]

"Communication...you mean the power within me is conscious?"