Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 60

Lingxi woke up from the heat. Sweat from her forehead trickled down her cheeks and soaked into the inner layer of her clothes.

The cool sensation disappeared in an instant.

She opened her eyes. It only took a few breaths to move from one end of the darkness to the other, but for her, it felt like a long wait.

Lingxi’s mind was blank. It was quiet around her, with no light at all.

It wasn’t that she had forgotten everything. This time, she remembered everything, yet she felt somewhat dazed.

The invasion of demonic energy used to push her into a sealed dark room whenever it surged into her heart, dulling her senses and clouding her mind.

But after being pushed into that darkness again and again, this time, the stone walls of the dark room became transparent. She still couldn’t speak or control herself, but she could see her own body and Xie Xisui outside.

She remembered the fleeting warmth of her tongue brushing against Xie Xisui’s cheek. She remembered Xie Xisui’s faint smile as she openly confessed her feelings. She also remembered Xie Xisui pressing her forehead against hers, whispering that they still had plenty of time.

When Xie Xisui entered her consciousness, she personally stepped into the sealed memories, stirring up waves that spread outward, unlocking the past.

Held in Xie Xisui’s hands, the flute that touched Lingxi’s lips was a manifestation of her own consciousness. In that moment, when the divine realm was covered in shimmering golden light, they reached the highest level of spiritual fusion.

The towering waves seemed as if they would swallow her, but when they fell, they carried her higher instead.

Xie Xisui stood before her, reaching out a hand.

When she said, “Reach out,” Lingxi did.

When she said, “Come here,” before Lingxi could even move, Xie Xisui had already grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her close.

Lingxi was suddenly enveloped in a firm embrace. Xie Xisui held her tightly, one hand on her waist and the other stroking her back. Then, Lingxi heard her whisper softly, “You’ve been through so much.”

Lingxi abruptly sat up, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. Strands of hair stuck to her temples, damp with sweat.

The room remained shrouded in darkness, without light or sound. Even Xie Xisui was nowhere to be seen.

After a quick glance around, Lingxi got up and pushed open the door.

It was too quiet. Something felt wrong.

Besides, had she been unconscious for so long that she couldn’t tell day from night?

As she opened the door, darkness greeted her once more. Overhead, the bl00d-red sun seemed veiled by a layer of mist, obscuring its light in an eerie manner.

“Sister!”

“Sister, you’re awake!”

Lingxi didn’t look away. Her gaze remained fixed on the bl00d-red sun.

Two figures at the door quickly approached her, hesitating to touch her, fearing she might still be injured. In the end, they simply circled around her anxiously.

“Sister, are you alright?”

After a moment, Lingxi frowned slightly and asked, “What happened?”

Tong Ningyun and Qin Tang fell silent, exchanging glances. Just as they were about to speak, Lingxi interrupted them.

“Master asked you to watch over me, but she isn’t here.”

“That means something even more serious must have happened.”

Lingxi sharply turned her gaze toward Mengjiang Peak. As expected, it was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see anything.

The moment a sword appeared beneath her feet, Lingxi soared into the sky. Qin Tang hurried to stop her.

“Sister, don’t be reckless! The elders ordered us to guard you. You must not set foot on Mengjiang Peak.”

Tong Ningyun quickly followed. “Yes, Sister! The elders just removed the demonic energy from you. You haven’t fully recovered yet. Don’t worry—our master and the elders have gone there. Everything will be fine!”

“It’s precisely because Master removed the demonic energy from me,” Lingxi said firmly, “that I must go.”

Qin Tang stepped forward. “The elders have spoken. Sister, please don’t make this difficult for us.”

Lingxi looked at them, but her gaze quickly shifted past them toward Mengjiang Peak, a sense of unease rising in her heart.

“You won’t be able to stop me.”

Before they could react, Lingxi had already flashed past them. However, just as she advanced, a voice in her mind made her stop.

“Go back.”

A light, simple command.

Her sword hovered in the air, neither advancing nor retreating, caught in hesitation.

“You won’t even listen to me anymore?”

Xie Xisui’s voice echoed in her mind, as if she were speaking right beside her. Lingxi could even feel her breath. It was as though she could see Xie Xisui’s slightly furrowed brows, staring at her intently.

Lingxi closed her eyes briefly. “I’m listening.”

After a long pause, she reached out her consciousness, moving toward Xie Xisui.

“But just as Master cares about me, I also care about you.”

“Master asks me to submit my training reports every day, but I haven’t done so today.”

Lingxi suddenly opened her eyes. The moment her palm touched the mist, it seemed to part for her. Taking another step forward, she entered Mengjiang Peak.

With her palm facing upward, she drew her sword. The blade gleamed with a cold light, reflecting the scene of devastation before her.

This mist wasn’t meant to cover Mengjiang Peak. It was meant to protect her. Qin Tang and the others only wanted to keep her safe.

Outside, demonic energy ran rampant, consuming everything. Demonic creatures clashed fiercely with Yaoguang Sect disciples.

Xie Xisui was locked in battle with the demon leader. She had been fighting for an unknown amount of time. Worried about Lingxi, she had forcibly divided her attention to command her to stop.

The elders and Xu Gu were stationed outside, forming an array to trap the demon leader. But they could not seal it away—only barely hold it back.

The bl00d-red sun loomed overhead, casting a crimson glow over the thick snow covering Mengjiang Peak. Or perhaps, the snow was already stained red with bl00d.

Lingxi only needed a glance before raising her sword and slashing through the approaching demons. She soared into the sky, her gaze locked onto a faintly visible white figure in the distance.

Voices called out to her. Screams mixed with the sound of blades cutting through the air beside her face.

None of it stopped her.

Finally, Xie Xisui landed in front of her, repelling a wave of demonic energy from the demon leader. She turned to face Lingxi, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. She placed a protective hand on Lingxi’s shoulder.

The demon leader let out a thunderous roar. The surrounding demons, upon hearing the sound, rushed toward it recklessly, becoming its new weapons of attack.

But Xie Xisui’s hand slowly lowered, grasping Lingxi’s hand that had been hanging at her side.

“Are you afraid?” she asked.

Lingxi tightened her grip. “No.”

Tens of thousands of black souls swarmed over, forming a dark mass. The sky turned gloomy. Every black soul carried a deadly aura, as if they wanted to swallow them whole.

In this world, where there is black, there is white; where there is good, there is evil. Countless obsessions, grudges, and regrets gathered to form a great evil will.

They wanted to seize the power to control time and space, to return to the moments and places they longed for. That was why they became black souls.

Back then, the goddess also held Lingxi, who had taken the form of a jade flute. Her white robe fluttered in the wind as she stood alone facing those black souls. With her eyes half-lowered, she gently touched the flute and asked softly, “Are you afraid?”

But at that time, Lingxi couldn’t answer. She didn’t understand what the goddess meant. She couldn’t even hold her hand like she could now.

The great battle that followed lasted a long, long time. Day and night lost their meaning. Time stopped. The air was full of a foul black stench. Space was chaotic. Nothing could be clearly seen.

Lingxi’s eyes turned red with killing intent. Evil energy tried to invade her, but she resisted it with the goddess’s spiritual power.

The flute turned hot and cold in her hands, trembling constantly.

For the black souls, this was a battle of endurance. But for the goddess, it was a fight to the death, her last stand with Lingxi.

She hadn’t fully recovered from her past wounds. She was barely holding on until the very end.

The final attack came from the last of the black souls, charging with a desperate will to die. But from beginning to end, the goddess held firm to her eternal belief — to protect all three thousand worlds.

When faith clashed with faith, how could eternity lose?

Yes, they won.

But just moments after the black souls turned to ashes and disappeared, the goddess’s form faded into white light.

Lingxi was struck hard, and a crack appeared on the flute. Without the goddess’s power, Lingxi turned into human form.

She had wanted to protect the goddess, to hold her hand, to stop her soul from scattering.

But Lingxi couldn’t do anything.

A single drop of bl00d stained the goddess’s white robe — like a blooming red silk-cotton flower, bright and burning into Lingxi’s eyes.

In the end, Lingxi never touched her hand. She could only watch helplessly as the goddess turned into light and vanished.

From that day on, in the huge palace and quiet courtyard, only Lingxi remained.

“I’m not afraid.” Lingxi tightly held her hand, stepping forward to stand beside her. “I’m more afraid of losing you.”

Xie Xisui smiled at her. “Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

“I still have a lot to say. I haven’t finished the homework you gave me. I remember everything.” Lingxi looked at her, eyes slightly teary.

Xie Xisui gently wiped the corner of her eye with her thumb. “Good. Then remember that. Hold on until the end.”

“All those things you want to say, tell me word by word after it’s all over.”

“Okay.”

Suddenly, heavy snow began to fall on Mengjiang Peak. The crystal snowflakes floated in the air, but were soon dyed red by the bl00d that splashed around.

Lingxi swung her sword, creating a dazzling sword strike. The sword energy tore open a bloody path.

Xie Xisui stood at her back, sword in hand. Her blades flashed and wiped out the demons around the demon king.

Then, as the demon king attacked again, both leapt into the air. When they reappeared, Lingxi was already above the demon king’s head, falling downward with her sword like a shooting star.

The demon king let out a roar. An eye opened on its head, with a vertical pupil like a diamond. Just one glance at Lingxi and she began to fall, as if turned to stone.

But in that instant, a sharp sword light sliced across the demon king’s soft belly. A golden flash — fast and brilliant — cut deep, leaving a bloody wound.

Above the wound were fine cracks, and below it were countless more sword injuries.

As the demon king twisted in pain, Lingxi recovered and moved again.

The battle lasted a long time. When the snow fell, it looked like a rain of bl00d.

The fog lingered and made it hard to see, but among the chaos, the two white figures stood out clearly.

Lingxi’s eyes blurred in the red mist. The demon king couldn’t be killed, and the demon beasts kept coming, fed by the endless supply of dark energy.

The longer they fought, the more Lingxi thought of the black souls.

If the only way to stop them was to sacrifice herself, then Lingxi would rather it be her.

Suddenly, a storm rose around them. The demon king inhaled, sucking in all the sword energy, and then spat out black mist, hidden in the wind. The mist split into countless strands, attacking Xie Xisui.

At the center of the storm, from the bottom of Mengjiang Peak, thick thorn-covered vines shot up, wrapping around everything. Above, demon beasts blocked all escape routes.

Lingxi looked up and saw through a gap — Xie Xisui smiling at her. Her lips slightly curled, soft and faint.

It looked just like that time again — like she would disappear in front of her eyes.

Just the thought of it brought Lingxi a sharp pain in her chest.

Her sword split into two, sword energy flying in all directions. A white light glowed in her palm as the jade flute reappeared.

She could only borrow a little of its power. Using too much would destroy her current body.

If her body broke down, she might not be able to retrieve the goddess’s soul fragments.

Lingxi was risking her life. It was a battle to the death.

Just as she was about to pass through the demon mist, the vines below were suddenly torn apart. Even thicker, stronger vines burst from the ground. They wrapped around Xie Xisui and lifted her up toward the peak.

Lingxi paused. The jade flute spun out from her hand and released a powerful sound.

With the help of the vines, the flute’s sound destroyed the demon beasts one by one.

Lingxi landed beside her. Just as she was about to hold her hand, her fingers trembled.

“Rotten vines need to be cleaned out too.”

Xie Xisui caught her hand and gently warmed it with her palm.

Lingxi’s lips parted slightly, but then she saw it — the demon king’s huge mouth opening behind Xie Xisui.

In a flash, the serpent-like eye opened. The light from the flute surrounded Xie Xisui as Lingxi pulled her into her arms and turned around.

A violent wind swept in and swallowed Lingxi, who had just been turned to stone.

She fell once more into the abyss of demon mist. The black energy wrapped around her, suppressing her sword power. She was trapped inside.

The light of the jade flute reflected in her eyes.

When she played the flute, the demon king trembled violently. Almost without thinking, Lingxi remembered the melody Xie Xisui once played inside her soul.

It was so familiar.

The demon king kept shaking. The black mist around it began to fade.

Lingxi didn’t know what was happening outside, but she could hear the demon king roaring in pain.

Was it the flute sound that restrained it?

Lingxi wasn’t sure. But then the thought was pushed away.

Because she saw it — a blade flashed, cutting open the demon king’s belly. Light poured in and shone on her face.

Then she saw Xie Xisui holding the blade.

And she heard her call out:

“Lingxi.”