Yan Shuo gazed at the figure lying unconscious on the demonic bed, his eyes filled with a cold, malicious intent—though more than that, there was an unacknowledged intensity in his stare.
His gaze swept over Xu Wanci’s slightly furrowed brows, even in sleep, over her pale complexion and frail, disheveled form, before finally settling on her hands, tightly clutching the Three-Leaf Lotus.
Here in the demon realm, her spiritual energy was suppressed by the pervasive demonic aura, preventing her injuries from healing as they would in the cultivation world.
The wound on her palm, freshly cut, still bled slowly, staining the Three-Leaf Lotus in her grasp with streaks of crimson.
Yan Shuo’s expression darkened abruptly.
With a flick of his hand, demonic energy ruthlessly wrenched the lotus from her grip, leaving fresh cuts across her palms.
Holding the blue-and-blood-streaked lotus, he watched as the demonic energy swirling around his fingers gradually consumed it.
Just then, a drop of blood fell onto the demonic bed with a soft, almost imperceptible sound.
Yan Shuo’s movements stilled. His eyes lifted to Xu Wanci.
The sight of the bleeding wounds on her palms sent a surge of crimson flickering through his gaze, but he suppressed it swiftly, leaving only an abyssal darkness in his eyes.
Just a mere artifact. What does it matter if she keeps it?
Letting Xiao Yuyan’s crafted artifact bear witness to Xu Wanci falling for him, to her devotion, even to the point of self-destruction—now that would be amusing.
With a disdainful flick, he tossed the Three-Leaf Lotus aside. But the sight of the wounds on Xu Wanci’s hands only grew more intolerable.
Leaning down, he pried her fingers open one by one. A drop of spirit-nourishing water fell onto her palm, sealing every wound until no trace remained.
With his demonic energy, he wiped away the blood as if erasing the lingering presence of another from her heart, until not a single mark of injury was left.
Straightening, Yan Shuo stared down at Xu Wanci, oblivious and peacefully asleep.
When she awoke, she would remember nothing—only him.
He would have a Xu Wanci who lived for him, died for him, and gave everything for him.
As the only demon general capable of sending avatars unharmed into the cultivation world, Ye Xiao had been running herself ragged lately.
Three of her avatars were deployed simultaneously—one infiltrating the Taiqing Sect to uncover Xu Wanci’s past, another gathering intelligence in Dingfeng City, the so-called "All-Knowing City" of the cultivation world, and the last lurking in the towns surrounding the Thousand Buddha Temple.
The exhaustion had even thinned her true demonic form, her demonic energy lying dormant within her, screaming for rest.
But with the Demon Lord growing increasingly volatile—having already shattered half the demonic abysses in the realm and showing no hesitation in turning his wrath on his own generals—she dared not delay.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the Shadow Demon Palace, bracing herself.
To her surprise, the demonic energy within the hall was unusually calm, almost serene.
The Demon Lord seems… in a good mood today?
Seizing the opportunity, she quickly relayed her findings after paying her respects:
Recently, Xie Tingbai, the Seventh Elder of the Taiqing Sect, and Jiang Ze, the prodigy of the Jiang Clan, had both ascended to the Tribulation Transcendence realm. These two factions, already among the cultivation world’s most powerful, had now solidified their positions as the top sect and family.
It had been decades since new Tribulation Transcendence cultivators emerged, yet two had risen simultaneously.
From what she’d gathered, both breakthroughs might be linked to Xu Wanci.
No wonder…
Now, the major sects and families of the cultivation world, led by the Taiqing Sect and the Jiang Clan, had gathered in Luolong City.
Unlike the hostility during the incident with the Formless Divine Stone, the assembled Tribulation Transcendence cultivators now maintained a tense but mostly civil coexistence, meeting daily in the city lord’s residence.
But with so many high-level cultivators present, her avatars couldn’t risk getting too close.
A flicker of unease passed through Ye Xiao’s eyes.
She’d known Xu Wanci was significant, but she hadn’t expected the cultivation world to mobilize on such a scale.
And then there was…
Lowering her head, her voice trembled faintly.
“My avatar detected unusual activity in the Thousand Buddha Temple. It’s possible… the Buddha’s descendant has emerged from seclusion.”
Thirty years ago, if not for that very figure, the Demon Lord wouldn’t have been forced into seclusion until now.
Contrary to her expectations, Yan Shuo showed no rage. Even the demonic energy around him remained unnervingly placid.
After a pause, she continued,
“Chu Qingchuan, the so-called ‘Child of Destiny’ most likely to ascend, has been searching for the Seven Radiance Flame in the Qihuang Desert. Despite setbacks, he recently obtained the flame’s natural counter…”
Even she, well-traveled as she was, couldn’t help but marvel at his fortune.
No wonder the cultivation world hailed him as the one destined for ascension.
Demons feared no karma, but they were forever bound to the demon realm, with no hope of transcendence.
So every potential ascendant from the cultivation world was an object of their loathing—or worse, a target.
Yet even as she detailed Chu Qingchuan’s uncanny luck, Yan Shuo’s expression remained indifferent.
Tossing a demonic pearl idly in his hand, he suddenly asked,
“What do women like?”
For a moment, Ye Xiao’s mind went blank.
A ninth-rank demon like me, experiencing mortal-like auditory hallucinations?!
The demonic energy in the hall twisted with restless killing intent, snapping her back to reality.
Her thoughts raced—
The Demon Lord just asked… what women like?
The only woman near him recently is…
But he despised Xu Wanci before!
Under the weight of Yan Shuo’s growing impatience, she blurted out,
“A cultivator like Lady Xu would likely prioritize cultivation.”
As the suffocating pressure eased slightly, she hurried on,
“So she’d surely treasure rare materials, talismans, and artifacts.”
“Beyond cultivation, female cultivators often favor dresses, hairpins, jade ornaments…”
Yan Shuo listened with closed eyes, his face unreadable.
When she finally finished, his tone was detached, almost bored.
“Then prepare those.”
Ye Xiao bowed hastily. “Understood.”
As she turned to leave, Yan Shuo tapped the demonic pearl beside him, his voice laced with dark amusement.
"Announce to the demon realm—the Demon Lord’s consort has appeared."
Even though Ye Xiao had already guessed as much, hearing his voice still sent an uncontrollable tremor through her heart:
Xu Wanci… wasn’t she the beloved of the Qingyan Immortal Venerable?
The Demon Lord despised the Immortal Venerable to such an extent—how could this be?
As if realizing something, she quickly bowed before Yan Shuo’s patience wore thin and said,
"The Demon Lord and his consort are a match made by fate. Though obstacles once stood in the way, you have now found your destined union."
"This subordinate offers her congratulations to the Demon Lord."
Yan Shuo finally opened his eyes at her words, his gaze settling for the first time on the trembling Ye Xiao.
His brow arched slightly.
"In the Demon Treasury, there is a Thousand Demon Pearl. Go and retrieve it for yourself."
Ye Xiao’s voice rose abruptly in excitement. "This subordinate thanks the Demon Lord!"
As the supreme ruler of the demon realm, Yan Shuo needed to do nothing more than issue a command for countless treasures to be laid at someone’s feet, elevating them to the highest heights.
She would be showered with priceless spiritual treasures, granted status second only to the Demon Lord himself, and bestowed with unparalleled authority.
Of course, the moment he grew bored, he could just as easily strip it all away, watching with amusement as she plummeted into the abyss.
In less than a day, the Darkmoon Tower near the Nether Demon Palace had been transformed into something entirely unlike the demon realm.
The Jade Radiance Stone—coveted by all in the cultivation world—hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow that illuminated the tower as brightly as daylight in the immortal realms.
The spiritual trees within the tower had been replaced three times: first the Illusory Beauty Tree, then the Fragrant Pear Tree, and finally the Crimson Maple Tree, its leaves blazing like fire.
The surrounding demonic energy was sealed away, leaving only a gentle breeze that scattered fallen red leaves across the ground.
Inside the pavilion, every glance revealed rare artifacts and spiritual treasures from the cultivation world.
On a jade bed carved from thousand-year black jade, a slender figure clad in red robes lay in quiet repose.
A faint trace of melancholy lingered between her brows, her lips pale against the vibrant red of her robes, lending her an air of fragile beauty.
The dark crimson hem of her dress spilled across the black jade, creating a breathtaking contrast.
By now, Xu Wanci’s injuries had been completely healed by the abundance of spiritual treasures. Nourished by these priceless artifacts, her divine consciousness had already surpassed the Great Ascension threshold, advancing toward the Tribulation Transcendence stage.
Were it not for the demon realm’s suppression of cultivation breakthroughs, the sheer power of these treasures would have forcibly elevated her to the Great Ascension realm.
She would awaken the moment the demon realm reshaped her understanding of reality.
Yan Shuo stood silently by the bed, watching Xu Wanci’s peaceful, slumbering form in her crimson robes. Suddenly, the memory of her bloodied blue robes and wounded gaze flashed through his mind.
Indeed, red suited her far better.
At that moment, as if sensing his presence, her long lashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened, revealing pupils as clear and innocent as a child’s.
Xu Wanci took in the unfamiliar surroundings, fragmented images flickering through her mind before fading into blankness.
She blinked in confusion.
Where… was this?
Her thoughts were a haze, and a flicker of panic crossed her eyes as she furrowed her brow.
Instinctively, she forced herself to remain calm, silently circulating the spiritual energy in her dantian while discreetly assessing her surroundings.
The room was opulent yet refined, its black and dark red hues seamlessly intertwined—a reflection of its owner’s temperament.
Given such decor, her current situation didn’t seem perilous.
Then, she noticed the figure standing at the bedside.
A single glance was enough to confirm his overwhelming power.
His face was devastatingly handsome, his striking features tempered by an aura of unapproachable dominance. When his dark eyes swept over her, it sent a shiver down her spine, freezing her in place.
Xu Wanci didn’t know his identity, but her instincts screamed at her not to show weakness before him.
Sitting up, she glanced down at the red robes she wore, her gaze pausing imperceptibly before she turned to him with a questioning tilt of her head.
"May I ask… who you are?"
Yan Shuo’s lips curled slightly as he observed her composure—even without her memories, she remained unshaken in his presence.
He gave her a lazy once-over, his tone feigning hurt.
"Wanci… you don’t remember me?"
At the sound of his voice, something stirred in her mind, and she murmured vacantly,
"You are… Yan Shuo."
"My…"
Her what?
Yan Shuo leaned down, the crimson patterns in his eyes slowly surfacing.
"Your beloved."
"Yan Shuo is the one you have loved most deeply in this lifetime."
As his words settled over her, an indistinct figure in blue robes flickered through her thoughts.
When she refocused, her vision was filled with the darkness of his presence.
Yan Shuo, clad in black, had seated himself beside her, his hand brushing gently against her cheek.
On the black jade bed, his dark robes intertwined with her crimson ones, inseparable.
Burying all malice beneath a mask, he smiled softly. "What’s wrong?"
Xu Wanci blinked slowly. Though an inner voice insisted that the man beside her was her one true love, something felt… off.
Noticing her distraction, Yan Shuo tapped her forehead lightly. "Come back to me."
She subtly shifted away, putting distance between them.
Gathering her wits, she decided to test him—with a hint of preemptive accusation.
"If we’re as close as you say, why didn’t you realize I’d lost my memories?"
"I couldn’t have just forgotten everything for no reason… Unless you had no idea what I’ve been through?"
"Or that I was even injured?"
With no knowledge of her circumstances, hiding her amnesia was impossible. Better to lay it bare from the start.
Yan Shuo listened to her crisp, accusatory tone, his smile deepening.
"Hmm. You seem lively enough—your injuries must have healed."
"So I really was hurt?" Ignoring her wariness, Xu Wanci quickly checked herself, her voice laced with concern. "Bad enough to lose my memories?"
Finding no wounds or discomfort, she finally relaxed—though her gaze toward him now held skepticism.
"Are we really that close?"
"If I was so badly injured, why do you seem so indifferent?"
Yan Shuo watched as Xu Wanci’s spirit returned, her eyes no longer dull and lifeless. His fingers twitched.
A wisp of demonic energy curled around the hem of her robe as he replied lazily,
"Nearly half of the demon realm's treasures have been spent on you. If anything were to happen to you..."
His demonic energy abruptly pulled her close, his eyes brimming with boundless tenderness. "I’d have no choice but to follow you in death."
Hearing his words, Xu Wanci looked up in surprise, meeting Yan Shuo’s pitch-black gaze.
She snapped back to her senses, though her voice lacked its earlier confidence:
"Then don’t you know how much I hate pain?"
"My injuries were so severe, and you didn’t even spare a word of concern for me?"
Yan Shuo’s gaze flickered imperceptibly:
She… feared pain?
From the moment he first saw her, she had been constantly wounded.
Even when her dantian and spiritual consciousness were pushed to their limits, she never showed a trace of fear—not even a flicker of discomfort on her face.
He had only erased her memories, not altered her fundamental nature.
So, long ago, she must have been afraid of pain too.
Yan Shuo glanced at Xu Wanci, his expression darkening briefly before he masked it effortlessly.
The warmth in his voice seemed more genuine now:
"My mistake."
Xu Wanci averted her eyes. She could feel an instinctive urge within her—to trust him, to draw closer to him. Slowly, she blinked.
Though she had no memory of her past, she vaguely sensed that the man beside her… likely meant her no harm.
She turned her head and ventured cautiously:
"If we’re this close, you must know me well."
"Then tell me—what do I love most?"
Yan Shuo’s reply was calm, as if stating an indisputable fact:
"Me."
Xu Wanci eyed him skeptically.
She said nothing further, only posing another question:
"And what do I hate most?"
A hint of mischief curled at the corner of Yan Shuo’s lips:
"You despise those hypocritical cultivators from the righteous sects, of course."
"Especially the one who was still alive a century ago."
