Edward Morgan was not surprised. The heroine training alone was bound to encounter some minor mishaps that would delay her journey—this was perfectly normal.

Lily Harris, on the other hand, looked rather embarrassed and said, “Sorry, senior, I came across a village cursed by evil spirits on my way here. I spent several days helping them drive out the evil, so it was Harris who missed the appointment.”

A village cursed by evil spirits?

Edward Morgan understood at once—he knew the fifth male lead, Lily Harris’s little disciple, was about to make his appearance.

This little disciple was born a stillborn. Coincidentally, while Lily Harris was exorcising demons, the vengeful spirit she wounded did not dissipate, but instead hid inside the newborn’s body, harboring deep hatred for Lily Harris. Eighteen years later, he met Lily Harris, who had already reached the Nascent Soul stage, and became her disciple, waiting for a chance to devour her soul.

Later, Lily Harris’s kindness, innocence, beauty, and gentleness moved the ghost cultivator, who willingly became her disciple. He hated William Carter for making his master cry, and secretly tried to assassinate William Carter, only to be killed in return. After his death, his identity as a ghost cultivator was revealed, and the vicious female supporting character took the opportunity to frame Lily Harris for colluding with evil forces.

His purpose for appearing was probably to give William Carter a better reason to torment the heroine.

Edward Morgan didn’t care about this minor detail. Anyway, once Lily Harris stopped liking the male lead, none of this mattered anymore.

The three of them entered the icefield. To make it easier for Lily Harris to search for the Snowflame, Edward Morgan only placed a tracking spell on her and ordered Lily Harris to wander aimlessly across the endless icefield, while he and James Walker watched from afar.

Lily Harris’s cultivation was weak. Even with the Firefeather Cloak for protection, her face was still turning purple from the cold as she trudged alone through the snow. In contrast, James Walker, who was in the Integration stage, had drunk Edward Morgan’s blood, and Edward Morgan would occasionally send him a burst of true energy. After several days, his complexion was rosy, his chronic cold much improved—a stark contrast to Lily Harris.

James Walker kept an eye on Lily Harris’s movements. Several times he wanted to ask something, but held back each time.

And so, five months passed like this. Relying on the dangers of the icefield, Lily Harris managed to cultivate her realm to the peak of Foundation Establishment, just one step away from advancing with the Golden Core technique—yet she still hadn’t seen any sign of the Snowflame.

Edward Morgan hadn’t expected them to spend so much time on the vast icefield either. He wondered, “That’s odd. The Snowflame is Lily Harris’s destined item—how could it not appear?”

He recalled the plot and realized that the current timeline now matched the book’s: it was time for Lily Harris to find the drained William Carter and take him to seek medicine.

In the book, Lily Harris had no Firefeather Cloak for protection. After just three days in the icefield, her limbs were frozen. She used all her true energy to protect William Carter, carrying him across the ice. Just as she was about to die, a ball of fire appeared before her eyes. She grabbed it with all her might, and tears of relief streamed down her face.

“Could it be that she can only see the Snowflame when she’s on the verge of death?” Edward Morgan guessed.

The Demon Lord was a man of action. With a thought, the Firefeather Cloak on Lily Harris appeared in his hand, and the Foundation Establishment stage girl was instantly left shivering in the cold.

James Walker saw the Demon Lord do this and opened his mouth again.

Edward Morgan noticed his expression and asked, “You’ve been wanting to say something this whole time. What is it? I order you to speak.”

With Edward Morgan’s command, it was easier for James Walker to speak. He said, “Didn’t you have feelings for Miss Baili, my lord? Why…”

Why did it seem like you didn’t care at all, letting Lily Harris freeze to death?

“Who told you I was in love with her?” Edward Morgan thought this was important—he couldn’t let James Walker misunderstand like in the book. He reached out and tapped his forehead, saying, “I divined the heavenly secrets and learned that Lily Harris’s past life helped me on my path to enlightenment. In this life, I must protect her so she can attain the Dao. That’s why I’m helping her.”

“I see,” James Walker felt inexplicably relieved, and pointed at Lily Harris, “But Miss Baili is about to die.”

“No matter,” said Edward Morgan. “There are so many cultivation techniques in the world. If she dies, she can just become a ghost cultivator. Who says you have to follow the righteous path?”

James Walker fell silent and nodded. Whatever the lord said was always right.

Author’s note:

Edward Morgan drapes the Firefeather Cloak over James Walker: Your health is poor, keep warm.

In the distance, Lily Harris, dressed in only a single layer, hugs herself: Help, help me TAT

Chapter 7: The Battle of the Loose Immortals

Lily Harris was born without the ability to doubt others. She believed whatever people told her, a trait related to her past life’s identity. In her previous life, no one dared lie in front of her; her immense power meant she didn’t care whether what others said was true or false—she didn’t want to listen anyway. As a result, in this life, she had almost no ability to discern truth from lies.

She never considered that this suddenly-appearing senior might harm her. With such profound cultivation, it would be easy for him to kill a junior like her—what would be the point of scheming against her?

When the Firefeather Cloak disappeared, Lily Harris didn’t think much of it. She simply assumed the cold of the vast icefield had exhausted its spiritual energy and caused it to vanish, or that a powerful beast from the icefield had snatched it away while she wasn’t paying attention.

She circulated her energy to keep warm as she journeyed through the endless white.