Chapter 150

Yun Shuchen felt her strength draining away, bit by bit.

Yet the woman before her only grew clearer.

In the desolate, heavy snow, Qing'er stood on the broken, ruined platform, tall and graceful, like an immortal descending from heaven. She smiled slowly, then stood still and said, "Master, I won."

A sudden flash of this scene crossed Yun Shuchen's mind, and she knew clearly it was an illusion.

Yun Shuchen resisted motionlessly, so Tang Wuyue pressed harder with her technique.

But Linglongzi Yichong interfered from within, and gradually, the demonic markings on her face grew so hot they nearly burned her skin.

No thrilling scenes remained; the two were locked in a silent stalemate, testing who would run out of breath first.

The blade tip clutched in her hand was nearly drawing blood, and she pushed it a little deeper.

Tang Wuyue grasped her hand in return, opened her eyes, then closed them again, and suddenly smiled. "Killing me won't change anything... Some people are just like that cat—with a fine coat in life, but in the end, still smashed to pieces..."

Her laughter grew more unrestrained, like a curse.

Yun Shuchen pushed the blade in another inch, her fingers trembling.

Tang Wuyue struggled to lift her eyelids again, glanced around at the silent demon women, her former followers, and let out a cold laugh, as if in mockery.

The next moment, demonic energy began to gather.

When Yun Shuchen realized what she intended to do, she closed her eyes and used the last of her spiritual power to protect herself.

A sudden pain struck her chest, and blood splattered across her face. The demon lord's figure burned in karmic fire; the annihilation from her self-detonating core sent a shockwave that nearly shattered the reliefs of Jialuo Palace, reducing them to powder in that instant.

Yun Shuchen was thrown against a stone pillar again, coughing up more blood. The clothes she had arrived in were now nearly soaked through, sticking clammily to her skin, and her protective spiritual power shattered completely.

Half the hall collapsed, though it was stabilized by the last few pillars, and some panicked voices rose. Fan Yin suddenly called out, "What are you panicking about! Silence!"

In the teetering half-ruined hall, her shouts were conspicuous.

Yu Li turned around and slowly knelt on one knee, bowing her head to the woman leaning against the stone pillar. "Greetings to the new lord."

Yun Shuchen forced her eyes open, glanced down at Yu Li, and suddenly curled her lips into a smile. "The new lord you... wish to serve is behind you."

Her bloodline was impure, she practiced immortal techniques, and as an elder of Taichu Sect, Yun Shuchen could not have open ties with the demon clan.

Yu Li was momentarily stunned, as if she understood something. She looked at Fan Yin. Yun Shuchen mustered her spirits, her lips moving as if she were speaking to Fan Yin, though her voice was low and indistinct to others.

Fan Yin acknowledged with a "Yes," and removed the concealment spell from her face, revealing the demonic patterns eerily similar to her grandmother's—the noble and dignified lotus mark of the Tang Jiaye lineage.

The current High Priestess was a descendant of the previous one. She had harbored some grievances against Yun Shuchen, after all, since she was from the immortal realm. But Tang Wuyue's methods were too cruel, and she couldn't bear it, desperately wishing for someone to take her place, so she had secretly helped Fan Yin.

Now learning of this, she was overjoyed. Since Yun Shuchen had defeated Tang Wuyue, as the daughter of Tang Jiaruo, she was indeed qualified to inherit the throne. But now that she had briefly held the title of Demon Lord, she was also fit to pass it on to Fan Yin. Though it sounded absurd, there was nothing wrong with it.

As the crowd exchanged puzzled glances, Yun Shuchen staggered to her feet, somewhat hurriedly, trying to make her way through the wreckage.

Her steps were unsteady, as if she were urgently seeking someone.

Before Fan Yin could react, she saw Yun Shuchen's swaying figure about to collapse after only a few steps. Startled, she hurried over to support her. "Aunt!"

*

It wasn't until the snow bent the banners of the Liuyun Sect that cheers erupted.

Even if they had lost some silver notes, Taichu Sect's taking first place served as a reassurance to those newly established sects—the waves behind drive the waves ahead; it wasn't necessarily the old, powerful sects that would hold the top spot.

They too had hope.

The world is vast, and talents emerge in abundance, never buried in obscurity.

As Qing Zhouxue, Bai Su, and Lin Xunzhen slowly descended, they caught a glimpse of a fiery red figure.

Ruan Mingzhu's face was still a bit pale, white bandages wrapped around her forehead and arms, as if she had just woken up. But her smile was radiant, like a patch of golden wildflowers blooming after the rain.

"Did we win?"

Ruan Mingzhu chewed on her bandage and answered herself, "We won!"

When Ji Linjiang announced the end of the competition, the four spirited young people walked down together from the platform, two with unsteady steps, one still limping, and another seemingly still stiff. They were bruised and exhausted, like swords momentarily sheathed.

The crowd parted to let them pass, watching them walk away.

The Immortal Ascension Assembly events came to a temporary close, but the celebration banquet wouldn't be held for a few more days. In the past, it was always arranged by the Liuyun Sect for their own, but this year, with Taichu Sect crashing in, it was a bit awkward.

In the main hall, since Taichu Sect had been in some turmoil recently, only two elders had come. Liu Xunqin had watched quietly from start to finish, nodding slightly. Yue Changge's eyes were already curved in delight. "Oh dear, seeing them like that, I feel happier than if I'd won myself."

Others came to congratulate them, but Yue Changge deflected all the pleasantries, chatting for a while. The Liuyun Sect leader said a few formal words and then excused herself.

After the competition, there were many matters to wrap up.

Moreover, the Liuyun Sect would host a banquet in three days, inviting elders from all major sects to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Immortal Ascension Assembly.

Qing Zhouxue and her three companions, being the stars of the assembly, couldn't be absent and had to stay in the Liuyun Sect for a few days.

They walked through the crowd back to their quarters. Though exhausted, Bai Su stopped Qing Zhouxue. "What happened to you during the match?"

Others only thought Qing Zhouxue had deep cultivation, but they had noticed something amiss. Lin Xunzhen and Bai Su's hearts had been in their throats until the match ended; fortunately, Qing Zhouxue seemed a bit dazed but hadn't gone into qi deviation or broken her meridians.

Bai Su wanted to check on her, but after feeling her pulse for a long while, she sensed something off, almost thinking she detected a pregnancy pulse... Then, reminded by Lin Xunzhen, she realized her fingers were trembling badly and her spiritual power had been depleted.

Bai Su coughed lightly and pulled her hand back. Qing Zhouxue shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just... I don't know, when I heard the thunder, I felt a surge of bloodlust."

But your constitution.

Bai Su glanced at her again, worried, the unspoken words hanging in the air.

She had been covering for Qing Zhouxue, but when Qing Zhouxue charged through the thunderbolts, repeatedly healing, she wasn't sure if others had noticed something odd.

She hoped they only thought her medical skills were exceptional... but with so many elders watching, could they really pull it off?

Qing Zhouxue's expression was also grave; she had barely spoken since stepping off the platform.

Ruan Mingzhu was beside her, holding onto a chair and slowly sitting down. Her limbs were still a bit slow, but her tone was light. "What's this banquet like? Is it grand?"

Lin Xunzhen, eyes closed, slumped onto the table. "Probably just a formality, plus the prize for first place..." She was already dozing off before she finished.

Qing Zhouxue walked alone to the window of her room, pushed it open a crack. The little white sparrow hadn't returned. Had her master received her letter?

These past few days, she'd felt a vague unease, a growing palpitation. She'd thought it was nerves about the competition, but it seemed... it seemed otherwise.

The red string around her ankle grew hotter. She had a feeling her master was in dire straits.

Moreover, the recent letter had been written in haste, mentioning relatives—she probably ran into demon clan trouble.

But she still had three days before she could leave smoothly.

Qing Zhouxue was anxious and regretted not seeking out Elder Liu and Elder Yue; by now, they'd surely returned to Taichu Sect to report to the Sect Leader. Everyone would only meet again in three days.

Could she wait three more days?

Qing Zhouxue made up her mind. She closed her eyes to meditate and recover some strength. About midnight, she took the Qingshuang Sword and slipped out the window.

Flying was forbidden within the Liuyun Sect, so Qing Zhouxue flew high above, nearly invisible to those below. She sped through the cold wind, unimpeded across that vast expanse of floating rocks.

She took off the red string and held it in her palm, pressing the warm skin against the burning sensation, trying to cool it down.

She flew against the wind for a long time—about a night plus half a day—asking directions from a few odd-looking lesser demons along the way, until she found the road to Youtian.

A tall city gate appeared before her, built from smooth monolithic stone, exuding a stark and murderous aura in that dim, sunless land.

The only visible light came from beneath the earth, with cracks seeping faint traces of underground fire, glowing with heat.

At the gate were a few ancient characters: "Xiaoxibei Youtian."

Before she could enter, two demon women guarding the gate stopped her. One of them, her expression surprised, looked the lone cultivator up and down. "What do you want?"

"I seek my master..." Qing Zhouxue corrected herself. "Yun Shuchen."

The demon woman was taken aback. "How dare you! Who are you? She's not someone you can see just because you want to!"

The other frowned, observed for a moment, then turned her head and whispered, "...She does have the aura of that lady on her. This might be someone she knows."

They conferred briefly and said to her, "Wait a moment, then. I'll report to the lord."

She passed through the city gates, walking briskly, through several bustling residential areas, winding her way to a courtyard.

Jialuo Palace was severely damaged and needed rebuilding. During this time, the lord stayed elsewhere.

She spoke with the woman at the gate, and then watched as several people went in and out. Inside the main hall, Fan Yin was reviewing the trusted forces left after the upheaval. When she heard the report, she lifted her eyes. "What is it?"

"My lord, there's a woman in white at the city gate, a cultivator. She says she's come to find someone..."

Fan Yin paused at that, her eyes darting as she pondered. "A woman in white? Is she carrying a long silver sword, with a cold air about her?"

"Yes."

If she guessed right, this should be the disciple her aunt doted on so much. Fan Yin was still young, her cultivation not very deep, and she would need Yun Shuchen's support to keep her position secure.

But she always felt Yun Shuchen was unfathomable, and she couldn't quite read her, so figuring out how to please her was a major headache.

Using Qing Zhouxue's visit to her advantage wasn't a bad idea.

Fan Yin nodded. "This is an honored guest. Bring her in at once."