Hu Ke Ke and Gu Yi were thrown into a panic upon discovering the young Gu Nian had disappeared.
Both mortals, they watched as the young Gu Nian vanished into thin air.
In their panicked state, they were unsure of what to do.
Once they regained their senses, Hu Ke Ke tearfully searched for the child.
Gu Yi rushed to find the Evil King, hoping he could help locate the young Gu Nian.
Meanwhile.
Upon entering the palace, the Evil King saw the Evil Emperor lying on the ground, barely alive.
“Brother!”
He cried out, rushing forward and cradling the blood-soaked Evil Emperor in his arms.
Seeing the Evil Emperor in such a state, the Evil King’s eyes reddened. “Brother, who did this? I’ll kill him.”
Blood trickled from the Evil Emperor’s lips as he raised a bloody hand to caress the Evil King’s face. “Brother, you’ve finally returned.”
Blood continued to drip from his mouth.
The Evil Emperor paid it no mind, gripping the Evil King’s hand tightly. “Promise me, do not seek revenge for me.”
“Brother!”
The Evil King choked out his brother’s name.
“Promise me.”
“Brother, don’t leave me, Brother, don’t leave me.”
“This… is for you.”
The Evil Emperor smiled, taking out a gift he had hidden for a long time and placing it into the Evil King’s hand.
It was a dagger crafted from superior iron, its edges inlaid with gold.
The Evil King looked at the dagger in his hand, his eyes welling up even more.
His birthday was approaching, and this was a birthday gift from his brother.
The dagger, and every place the Evil Emperor had touched, was stained with blood.
Having given the gift, the Evil Emperor smiled, his raised arm slowly falling.
“Brother!”
As he held the Evil Emperor, the Evil King noticed a jade pendant that had fallen from beneath him.
A character, “Mo,” was carved onto the jade pendant.
Upon seeing the familiar character “Mo,” the Evil King’s expression turned grim. He gritted his teeth and spat out each word: “Nan… Gong… Mo!”
…
After leaving Evil Demon Mountain, Nangong Mo, bearing his wounds, followed by Old Man Guo carrying the First Madam on his back, the three figures flashed and arrived at Qiu Mountain.
Atop the misty clouds, within the ethereal realm, in a side chamber beneath Bamboo Mountain.
Old Man Guo placed the First Madam onto the bed. Turning his head, he saw Nangong Mo leaning against a chair.
His face was pale, and the white robe he wore was stained with blood.
He swayed precariously.
Seeing this, Old Man Guo quickly stepped forward to support Nangong Mo.
“Lord Lian, you…”
The hundred-year-old Old Man Guo’s eyes misted over.
He knew what their Lord Lian had endured.
The Blue Spirit Art… a forbidden technique that required enduring ninety-nine bolts of lightning. Practicing this forbidden art was defying the heavens.
The backlash was even more severe, like a fleeting glimpse of a flower.
“This King is fine.”
Nangong Mo shook off Old Man Guo, then commanded, “My time is short. Save the First Madam first.”
Saying this, Nangong Mo walked to the bedside.
Old Man Guo wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and, with trembling fingers, handed a dagger to Nangong Mo.
Nangong Mo used the dagger’s tip to slash his wrist, and his blood dripped into the First Madam’s mouth, drop by drop.
As Nangong Mo’s exquisite face aged once more,
The First Madam’s complexion began to change.
Old Man Guo watched from the side.
Finally, he knelt on the ground with reluctance, weeping mournfully.
A moment later… in the land of Qiu Mountain, the spirit-infused hundred flowers and trees that bloomed everywhere gradually withered and perished simultaneously.
Concurrently.
Within the Empire, at the Ling Shu Pavilion.
Gu Qianying stood atop the massive body of the divine beast Bai Ze.
A strong wind blew, her red robes fluttered, and the red ribbon tied around her eyes also danced in the wind.
Her powerful aura made everyone present dare not ignore her.
“Is that… the Demon Empress? Sect Master Gu of the Jue Sha Sect?”
Among the crowd, someone recognized Gu Qianying.
“I heard this woman is blind.”
“What? Blind? Haha, a blind person who cannot see still wants to subdue the divine beast Bai Ze? What a dream!”
“The divine beast Bai Ze is so powerful. Let’s wait and see, it won’t be long before this divine beast Bai Ze devours this Demon Empress.”
In their words, some mocked, while others wished to witness the Demon Empress being devoured.
However, when these people saw the men who followed behind, they all shut their mouths obediently.
Especially upon seeing the Imperial Preceptor Yan Ao Tian, dressed in a crimson robe, they nearly dropped their jaws.
“The Imperial Preceptor, the Imperial Preceptor has also come.”
“Does the Imperial Preceptor also wish to subdue the divine beast Bai Ze?”
“Impossible? Since His Excellency the Imperial Preceptor is here, what chance do we have to compete with him?”
“Yes, it seems we can only watch.”
Some lamented.
At this moment, the crowd finally noticed that the red-robed woman standing on the back of the divine beast Bai Ze had already engaged in a world-shattering battle with the divine beast Bai Ze.
As the sky flashed with thunder and lightning.
Gu Qianying unleashed her demonic power.
Several black threads coiled around the entire body of the divine beast Bai Ze.
The divine beast Bai Ze roared in fury, spewing balls of flame towards Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying, unable to see her surroundings, used her ears to discern direction.
But the flames were fierce, and as they were about to engulf her, “A Ying, be careful!”
A figure appeared behind her, embraced her with one arm, and flew, carrying her away from the flames.
Flames spread everywhere, and soon, the Ling Shu Pavilion became a sea of fire.
Among the Xuan Ling Masters present, some used their spiritual power to protect themselves, while others screamed as they were burned beyond recognition.
Just then, Jiao Long A Mu transformed into a giant flood dragon. He also spewed fire, contending with the divine beast Bai Ze.
However, his spiritual power was ultimately inferior to the divine beast Bai Ze. After a bout, he was injured in the abdomen and reverted to human form. With his weakened spiritual power, he was unable to contend with the divine beast Bai Ze.
Meanwhile.
Ouyang Qing Lin landed steadily, holding Gu Qianying, and handed her over to Du Chun. “Protect her.”
With that, he snatched a long sword from Du Chun’s hand, held it aloft, and leaped forward.
As the divine beast Bai Ze spewed fire, it saw another person daring to approach and became enraged.
Immediately, the flames it spewed became even more ferocious.
Below, among the crowd struggling to fend for themselves, sharp-eyed individuals noticed that the Demon Empress had been rescued by the Empire’s Imperial Preceptor.
A small minority of the crowd immediately felt a sour taste in their mouths: “A blind person deserves our Imperial Preceptor’s protection? Have they no shame!”
“Exactly. Do they really think they are a prize that everyone desires? Who knows what means they used to seduce our Imperial Preceptor, making him protect a demon.”
“What means? What else could it be but stripping, serving well.”
“Hahaha, even so, what good is protecting a blind person?”
“Keep using them… hahaha…”
The flames on the ground subsided slightly.
Those gathered around gossiping became even more unrestrained.
And as the flames spread, they all pushed the nearest Xuan Ling Masters beside them, using them as human shields.
The wind blew.
A sword that could slice iron like mud swept past them.
Instantly, severed tongues, dripping with blood, fell to the ground.
Everyone, in terror, covered their bleeding mouths, groaning in pain.
A white-clothed youth appeared before them – Leng.
“Tongues that cannot speak are not needed.”
Leng’s voice was cold. As he walked past them, his cold eyes did not glance at them.
Having just arrived from the Imperial Palace, he naturally could not tolerate hearing people mock and ridicule his master.
He had left some men at the Imperial Palace and, feeling uneasy about the situation here, had rushed over.
On another side.
After a period of contending with the divine beast Bai Ze, Ouyang Qing Lin was still defeated.
During the confrontation, he transformed into a snake demon, attacking the divine beast Bai Ze with his massive snake tail. It was like scratching an itch; the giant tail swung past, causing no pain or discomfort.
Moreover, the Imperial Preceptor Yan Ao Tian was actually a monster with a snake tail and scales. This greatly surprised the remaining Xuan Ling Masters in the Ling Shu Pavilion.
“Our Imperial Preceptor is actually a snake demon, then he… is also a demon?”
Discussions spread throughout the Ling Shu Pavilion.
Ouyang Qing Lin, injured by the divine beast Bai Ze, retracted his snake tail and reverted to human form, clutching his abdomen and retreating several steps.
Seeing this, everyone marveled at the divine beast Bai Ze’s power.
Both Ouyang Qing Lin and Jiao Long A Mu were injured.
Du Chun protected Gu Qianying, not daring to be careless.
Just as everyone was discussing, Gu Qianying, standing behind Du Chun, gently pushed him aside.
Du Chun looked at her and advised, “Qianying, your eyes have not recovered yet. It is not advisable to use too much demonic power.”
“Who said I haven’t recovered?”
Saying this, Gu Qianying removed the red cloth strips covering her eyes and slowly opened them.
She saw everything in the scene clearly.
Du Chun was astonished.
The crowd was also astonished.
“Qianying, you can see again?”
Du Chun was overjoyed.
Gu Qianying merely nodded, without wasting any more words. Then, with a tremor of her palm, the Crimson Blood Blade appeared.
Holding the blade, she flew towards the divine beast Bai Ze.
Those below all looked at her.
The white-clothed youth – Leng – also made his move as Gu Qianying leaped.
Drawing his sword, he followed with his blade.
As Gu Qianying and Leng approached, the divine beast Bai Ze swung a claw, accompanied by balls of flame.
Powerful spiritual energy swirled around Gu Qianying and Leng.
Gu Qianying leaned back, swinging her blade, and evaded the claw attack from the divine beast Bai Ze.
The white-clothed youth – Leng – was slightly slower in his evasion and was injured by the claw attack from the divine beast Bai Ze.
Blood flowed from his shoulder. He clutched his shoulder, landed on his feet, and retreated several meters.
Meanwhile.
Although Gu Qianying had evaded the claw attack from the divine beast Bai Ze, she did not give up her intention to subdue it.
It would not allow her to approach, and when she did, it would spew fire. In this situation, Gu Qianying could only resort to a “clever stratagem.”
With this thought.
She took out the White Moon Pearl hidden on her person and tossed it into the air.
A dazzling radiance instantly enveloped the earth, and the hall of the Ling Shu Pavilion was also illuminated by white light.
As the divine beast Bai Ze closed its eyes, Gu Qianying flashed, and with the utmost speed, she leaped onto the back of the divine beast Bai Ze, grabbed its horns, and used the Crimson Blood Blade to cut through the skin on its back. Blood spread, and pain surged.
“Roar…”
The divine beast Bai Ze roared, sensing someone on its back, and thrashed violently, trying to shake off the woman.
But no matter how it shook its head, the woman seated on its back remained steady, completely unaffected.
At this moment, a voice sounded in the divine beast Bai Ze’s ear: “My contract with you begins now…”
Following the incantation of the contract, Gu Qianying cut open her palm and dripped her blood onto the crown of the divine beast Bai Ze’s head…