3: Chapter 3: The Secret Code of Good Brothers

Xiao Ran sat cross-legged on the black jade throne of the Eternal Night Palace, trying his best to steady his breathing.

When Li Changsheng's voice rang in his head just now, he had almost caused his Devilish Qi to stray into the wrong Meridians.

Damn it, don't cultivation novels always talk about Qi Deviation?

He didn't want to explode into a bloody mist just after transmigrating.

"Changsheng? Is it really you?"

After a moment, Xiao Ran steadied his breath and asked tentatively in his mind.

His tone was cautious, like when he used to secretly play games on the family computer as a child, afraid of being caught by his parents.

"Xiao Ran! Holy shit, it really is you!"

Suddenly, Li Changsheng's voice exploded directly in his consciousness, filled with a sobbing tone and the ecstasy of surviving a disaster.

"I fucking thought you fell to your death! I kept calling and calling just now, but you never answered..."

"Stop, stop, stop. Don't cry yet."

"What's your situation right now? Tell me in detail."

Xiao Ran rubbed his temples, feeling his forehead throbbing.

"I'm in a place called the Supreme Dao Palace. Everyone here is dressed all immortal-like, and the character models are freaking amazing..."

"A few old guys said I have the Innate Dao Embryo Sacred Body and insisted on making me the Third Holy Son. I even awakened a System..."

"I was scared witless just now and just kept 'mm-hmm-ing' my way through. Now I'm locked alone in an Immortal Cave. They said they'll start teaching me how to Cultivate tomorrow..."

Li Changsheng spoke rapidly, spilling everything that had happened to him like beans from a bag.

Xiao Ran fell silent for three seconds after listening.

Well, then.

He transmigrated to a demon sect to be a Demon Son, while Li Changsheng transmigrated to a Dao Palace to be a Saint.

He awakened the Ultimate Demon Venerable System, and Li Changsheng awakened the Daoist Sect Holy Lord System.

What kind of hellish joke was this?

The Immortal and Demonic Paths have been at odds since ancient times. He and Changsheng were now respectively a Saint of the Demonic Path and a Saint of the Righteous Path.

According to the script, the two of them should be fighting to the death in the future.

"Xiao Ran? Why aren't you talking? What's the situation on your end?"

Li Changsheng's voice came again, his tone laced with panic.

In this strange world, only Xiao Ran could soothe the fear in his heart.

"On my end..."

"I'm at the Eternal Night Demon Sect. They say I have the Myriad Dao Guixu Body and named me the Ninth Demon Son. I also awakened a System, but it's the Ultimate Demon Lord Cultivation System."

Xiao Ran looked at the pitch-black palace he was in and spoke slowly.

The other end of the line... no, the other end of the Soul link also fell silent upon hearing this.

After a long while, Li Changsheng asked cautiously.

"Is the demon sect... dangerous?"

Xiao Ran felt a warmth in his heart. As expected of his good son, he knew how to worry about him.

"It's alright."

"Only about a few hundred people die every day."

Xiao Ran thought of the youth who had exploded into a bloody mist in the Marrow Washing Pool earlier, and that old bastard Yin Duzi who wanted to drain him dry.

"Xiao Ran, don't scare me!"

"I'm not scaring you."

Xiao Ran sighed. He had already sorted out his situation.

It was a demonic sect, after all; it was normal for it to be a bit dangerous.

Xiao Ran could feel that through this inexplicable Soul link, he could actually vaguely perceive the other's emotions.

Panic, confusion, and a hint of despair.

Just like when they were eighteen and Li Changsheng's father was diagnosed with terminal cancer; this buddy of his had run to the bottom of Xiao Ran's apartment building in the middle of the night, squatting by the flower bed and crying like an idiot.

"Changsheng, I know you're anxious, but don't be anxious yet."

"Listen to me, we both need to face reality. This isn't Earth anymore. There are cultivators here, the Demonic Path, and Immortal Sects. And it seems... immortals and demons are incompatible."

Li Changsheng fell completely silent upon hearing this, only replying after a long wait.

"Then what should we do?"

"Xiao Ran, I... I'm a little scared."

Li Changsheng had been timid since he was a child. Even going to a foot massage parlor was something he only dared to do after being dumped by his girlfriend.

"Scared of what?"

Xiao Ran cursed, but his tone softened.

"Listen, Changsheng, we need to do three things now."

"First, survive. You play your part as a Saint in the Dao Palace, and I'll play mine as a Demon Son in the demon sect. Don't let the cat out of the bag."

"Second, understand the rules of this world as quickly as possible, learn how to Cultivate, and make good use of the System to increase your strength. Only with strength can you protect yourself."

"Third..." Xiao Ran paused before continuing.

"We need to figure out how to use this Soul link. This might be the only channel through which we can communicate."

Li Changsheng listened quietly, nodding heavily on the other end of the Soul link, then asked:

"Then when can we meet?"

"Meet my foot." Xiao Ran rolled his eyes.

"You, a Dao Palace Saint, coming to the demon sect to find me? Or me, a Demon Son, going to the Dao Palace to find you? Do you think we aren't dying fast enough?"

"...Fair point."

"So for now, we can only communicate in our minds."

"Let's set a fixed time to call once every night at the Zi Hour—that's from eleven PM to one AM—to exchange information."

Xiao Ran thought for a moment and agreed on a fixed time.

"Okay."

"Also, we need to set a secret code."

"There are powerful beings in this world. If there's someone who can invade our brains or force us, we'll be in trouble."

"If one day I say 'let's go for a foot massage tonight,' you reply with 'I want one with big breasts.' That means it's safe."

"If you are in a dangerous situation, then you reply with 'I want a middle-aged woman over fifty.'"

"And vice versa!"

Xiao Ran said after some thought. This was a world of cultivation, after all; it was never wrong to be cautious.

Li Changsheng burst out laughing upon hearing this. "What kind of nonsense is that..."

"Don't laugh, this is about our personal safety. You must remember it well."

"Alright, that's all for today. I need to study how to practice the Cultivation Techniques here. Tomorrow I have to deal with some Investiture Ceremony. You should also hurry up and look at the techniques on your side."

Xiao Ran was like an old father, constantly nagging Li Changsheng.

"Xiao Ran."

"Hmm?"

"...Be careful."

Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment, then grinned. "You too. Don't let anyone find out you're a fake."

A light chuckle came from the other end of the Soul link, and then it disconnected.

Xiao Ran sat on the black jade throne and let out a long breath.

Fortunately.

Changsheng was still alive.

As long as people were still alive, there would always be a way.