"Why does Hong Jing have your portrait in his hand? Who drew it?"
Ji Buwang's question jolted Xu Yi out of her thoughts.
When Xu Yi realized that Ji Buwang's question was completely unrelated to her own earlier one, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Ji Buwang's reaction was quite amusing.
She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you before?"
Ji Buwang's brow was furrowed with seriousness. "No."
He had no idea that Xu Yi's connection with Hong Jing was so close.
And that Hong Jing actually possessed a portrait of Xu Yi.
Even he didn't...
A flicker of displeasure crossed Ji Buwang's eyes.
"After Hong Jing received Buddhist power infusion, he also glimpsed my past life. This portrait was painted by him at that time, which is why the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect calls me their destined person."
Xu Yi knew where to draw the line. After teasing Ji Buwang for a moment, she revealed the truth.
Ji Buwang hadn't expected that the Buddhist cultivators of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect would also know Xu Yi's secret.
No wonder the Buddhist cultivators treated Xu Yi so differently when they attended the Sect Grand Competition at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.
Seeing Ji Buwang's expression soften, Xu Yi continued, "They also said that Liu Jinghong was able to ascend by borrowing the luck of the Heavenly Talents from the major sects, concealing the Heavenly Secrets, and thus achieved immortality."
"That is indeed something Liu Jinghong would do." Ji Buwang frowned in disgust.
For her own benefit, Liu Jinghong would harm anyone, so naturally, she would also exploit her seven admirers.
Xu Yi shook her head, sighing. "I wonder how those seven will react when they find out."
Liu Jinghong's seven confidants were all prominent figures on the Nine Continents Continent, each with their own pride. If they knew Liu Jinghong was using them, who knew if they would turn against her.
"Do you think they genuinely don't know?" Ji Buwang replied coldly.
Xu Yi shivered abruptly. "What do you mean? Are you saying they actually know?"
Xu Yi found this highly unlikely.
Could those individuals tolerate Liu Jinghong's deception?
Ji Buwang's thin lips curved slightly. "I don't know about the others, but the Demon King certainly knows."
"Why are you so sure?" Xu Yi asked, confused.
"It's all because of that peace treaty," Ji Buwang said with a cold laugh. "The Demon and Monster races are inherently brutal. If they hadn't known the inside story beforehand, how could they have been willing to retreat to a corner and sign a treaty?
They must have reached a special agreement with Liu Jinghong, thus choosing to protect themselves."
From their understanding of the Demon race's methods over the years, it was clear that the Demon race had never abandoned its enmity with humanity.
But back then, with just a few words from Liu Jinghong, the Demon King was willing to sacrifice his entire race to please her?
This was completely out of character for the Demon King.
Even if he truly fell in love with Liu Jinghong, he wouldn't be the type to compromise.
It was more likely that he would forcibly abduct Liu Jinghong to the Demon Realm and then wage war with humanity until a victor was decided.
Liu Jinghong's ascension with her seven confidants was outwardly a display of pure affection, but it hid countless unsavory schemes behind the scenes.
The more Ji Buwang understood the truth, the more his aversion to Liu Jinghong grew.
Liu Jinghong was nothing but a pretentious, deceitful, and despicable scoundrel.
Xu Yi slowly blinked her eyes.
So that's how it was.
At this moment, Xu Yi was completely disappointed in Liu Jinghong.
She couldn't understand why, since she had stolen her life, the other person didn't just continue following her path but chose to make a deal with a tiger.
Didn't she know that her choice would bring immense disaster to the Nine Continents Continent?
Or perhaps she knew, but simply didn't care.
After her disappointment, a surge of anger welled up in Xu Yi's heart.
Liu Jinghong!
Once I have killed all the demons and pacified the Nine Continents, I will ascend to the upper realm and settle this with you face-to-face!
Hummm!
Sensing the surging anger in Xu Yi's heart, the chastisement ruler also trembled with excitement. A burning sensation dispelled its outward coldness, transferring to Xu Yi's palm.
Xu Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "So hot!"
Ji Buwang looked over at the sound, his expression changing drastically. "Its color!"
The originally dark chastisement ruler now had a layer of red within it.
This red layer was exceptionally vibrant and rich, perfectly distinct from the black, making it instantly recognizable.
The chastisement ruler had always only had two colors.
One was its original black, and the other was the dark cyan formed when Xu Yi attached the Earth Heart Green Flame to it.
This was the first time it had turned red.
The longer Xu Yi looked, the more familiar it seemed.
Then she realized, this shade of red was remarkably similar to the color of the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire she had seen in her illusion.
Furthermore, the temperature of the chastisement ruler had become frighteningly high.
Xu Yi was startled.
Could it be that the chastisement ruler had absorbed the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire into itself just now?
To verify her guess, Xu Yi extended her spiritual sense into it, and the scorching temperature made her very soul tremble.
Xu Yi withdrew her spiritual sense and looked at Ji Buwang with surprise. "That Vermilion Bird Divine Fire is inside the chastisement ruler!"
Xu Yi never imagined that there would be such an unexpected delight.
The chastisement ruler was already indestructible, and now with the assistance of the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire, Xu Yi dared to assert that ordinary Tribulation Stage cultivators would not be able to withstand an attack from the chastisement ruler.
Ji Buwang's lips curved upwards, not overly surprised.
Too many incredible things had already happened to Xu Yi.
He had long since learned to face them with composure.
Seeing Ji Buwang's calm expression, a hint of slyness flashed in Xu Yi's eyes.
She was very curious if Ji Buwang fell within her definition of ordinary Tribulation Stage cultivators.
Perhaps she should test it...
Xu Yi clasped the chastisement ruler in reverse and swung it towards Ji Buwang, saying with a laugh, "Be careful!"
Ji Buwang instinctively dodged.
He stopped at a distance and saw Xu Yi's face filled with eagerness. He understood Xu Yi's intentions, and the corners of his lips formed a very faint arc.
"Please."
Xu Yi stomped her foot, darted forward, and then flung out the chastisement ruler.
Whoosh!
The sharp whistling sound made one's scalp tingle.
In Ji Buwang's eyes, the rapidly approaching object was not a chastisement ruler, but a ferocious fire dragon, baring its fangs and claws.
Ji Buwang's forehead even beaded with large drops of sweat due to the intense heat.
His face showed no displeasure, but rather a hint of appreciation.
Xu Yi's rapid growth had once again surpassed his expectations.
Now, even he had to exert his full effort when facing Xu Yi.
A sense of urgency arose in Ji Buwang's heart; he could not wait to see Xu Yi become the true Demon Exterminator Ancestor.
The fire dragon had arrived, and Ji Buwang dared not be distracted further. "Sect Master's Imperial Seal!"
Rumble—
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang's figures blurred within the violently fluctuating space.
All that could be seen was the alternating flash of fiery gold, accompanied by increasingly loud roars.
This situation continued for a day and a night, only ending when Xu Yi's spiritual energy was completely depleted.
"Your current strength is already enough to withstand early-stage Tribulation cultivators. Even if you encounter mid-stage Tribulation cultivators, you may still have a chance to fight, but if you face late-stage Tribulation cultivators, you will have no chance of winning."
Ji Buwang's daoist robe bore many signs of smoke and fire, but no apparent injuries.
He had won this battle.
However, he had also lost.
Because to face Xu Yi, he had utilized ninety percent of his strength and had to rely on his profound spiritual energy to suppress Xu Yi.
If Xu Yi's cultivation were equal to his, he could almost foresee the outcome.
Xu Yi nodded slightly at his words.
She was very satisfied with this result.