Since the day of the grand wedding, the entire demon realm has been trembling in fear. Every demon keeps their tail tucked, moving cautiously, afraid to draw the attention of the Demon Lord.
The Seven Great Demon Generals, forced to report the affairs of the demon realm to the Demon Lord, have seen their demonic energy halved in just a few days. That, however, is the least of their worries. What truly terrifies them is not knowing how much longer their lives will last under the wrath of the Demon Lord.
Ye Xiao gazed at the Dark Court Palace, which had already been rebuilt twice, took a deep breath, and stepped inside with the resolve of one marching to their death.
The interior of the Dark Court Palace was pitch black, thick with chaotic demonic energy, giving it an almost primordial aura.
Beneath the throne lay dozens more skeletal remains of peak-tier demonic beasts.
Yan Shuo reclined lazily on the throne, his eyes tinged with a bloody darkness. His right hand, resting on the armrest, bore the marks of injuries from that day—several fingers reduced to nothing but bleached-white bone. Demonic energy writhed around the skeletal digits, slowly repairing the damage.
Yet, once fully restored, the flesh would visibly decay back to bone in an endless, torturous cycle.
Feeling the shattering and reconstruction of his demonic consciousness within him, Yan Shuo clenched his right fist slowly. The physical agony brought him a twisted sense of exhilaration.
As he listened to Ye Xiao recount Xu Wanci’s recent experiences in the cultivation world, he let out a soft laugh—calm on the surface, yet laced with suppressed madness.
"My Wanci… she truly thrives wherever she goes."
In the demon realm, he couldn’t bear to harm even a hair on her head.
And now, in the cultivation world, she’s blessed with so-called "fortune," stirring up waves wherever she goes.
Yan Shuo lowered his gaze, gently stroking the blood-red demonic pearl in his hand.
"How I long to see what she looks like now."
"And then…"
Crush her with his own hands.
Ye Xiao shrank back, doing her best to make herself invisible.
Hearing the words from the throne, her face paled further.
Her clone had just returned from the cultivation world, so she knew all too well the commotion Xu Wanci had caused there.
A cultivator with overwhelming fortune, entangled in countless karmic threads… The sects of the cultivation world must have already sealed her off, protecting her like an impenetrable fortress.
There was no way they could abduct her to the demon realm again like before.
Not only would kidnapping be impossible, but even infiltrating the Taiqing Sect was now beyond her clone’s ability. The demon realm’s forces likely wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of Xu Wanci.
And to make matters worse, the Demon Lord’s injuries had yet to heal. If he were to venture into the cultivation world now…
Trembling, she ventured, "Your Majesty, the Demon Queen has been misled by vile schemers and harbors many misunderstandings about you."
"Perhaps… she may not wish to see you just yet. What I mean is… the Demon Queen might need some time to… calm down."
The term "Demon Queen" seemed to please Yan Shuo slightly, as the crimson in his eyes faded a fraction.
In the darkness of the demonic hall, his voice was tender, almost affectionate.
"How could she not want to see me?"
He rose to his feet, enunciating each word with chilling clarity. "She will abandon those hypocritical cultivators and beg to see me."
After all, she had never hidden her weaknesses.
Suppressing his disgust for Xiao Yuyan, Yan Shuo narrowed his blood-red eyes.
"Once something left behind by the dead is gone… it’s gone forever."
---
In the Taiqing Sect, the Elder Grandmaster sensed the overwhelming divine consciousness sweeping across the sky and cast an approving glance toward the Sword Peak.
In just three days, she had refined her divine sense to such an extent.
The strike she had just unleashed with it could likely injure even a mid-stage Transcension Realm cultivator.
And yet, her cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul stage.
Xu Wanci’s talent in the art of divine sense far exceeded his expectations.
With such formidable self-preservation abilities, he could finally rest a little easier.
---
In the courtyard.
Xu Wanci withdrew her divine sense, her face slightly pale.
That last strike had drained her completely.
Feeling the gentle nourishment of the Three-Leaf Lotus in her barren sea of consciousness, she closed her eyes quietly and began to meditate.
High above, Xiao Yuyan watched her exhausted yet determined expression and was reminded of the day she had slain a demonic beast with a single sword strike in the demon realm.
Beneath her slender frame lay an unyielding soul.
A soul that drew others in without them realizing.
Seeing the faint smile tugging at her lips after that strike, the usual frost in Xiao Yuyan’s eyes melted into something softer, like the gentleness of falling snow.
He had begun to understand human emotions, to comprehend the joys and sorrows of the mortal world.
Whether pain or happiness, he embraced it all, silently enthralled.
As long as it was related to her, everything seemed… worthwhile.
A soft breeze drifted through the courtyard, lifting strands of Xu Wanci’s hair.
A Spiritwing Butterfly, capable of restoring divine sense, fluttered down on the wind and alighted upon her forehead.
A faint glow shimmered, and her depleted sea of consciousness rapidly refilled.
Three breaths later, she opened her eyes.
The pale-winged butterfly lingered affectionately on the back of her hand before fluttering away reluctantly after ensuring her recovery.
Xu Wanci watched it depart, but instead of relief, a trace of suspicion and wariness flickered in her eyes.
Compared to the desperate struggles of her past, everything lately had been… too smooth.
Was it really just because she had siphoned some of Chu Qingchuan’s fortune?
She lowered her gaze to the Jade Dust Crystal in her palm, lost in thought.
If she remembered the original novel correctly, whenever Chu Qingchu lacked a spiritual treasure, he would inevitably obtain it in the next moment. Even treasures far beyond his cultivation level would fall into his lap effortlessly.
Like the Formless Divine Stone she had fought for with her life, only to lose in the end.
In the original story, Chu Qingchuan never faced true danger—whenever he was in peril, a benefactor would appear to save him.
Her current fortune, though vast, always came with hidden crises. The treasures she had acquired recently weren’t even necessities for her.
Perhaps she shouldn’t be so unsettled by this sudden windfall.
Just as she was about to resume her cultivation, an overwhelming drowsiness surged through her mind.
With the last of her awareness, she gripped the Three-Leaf Lotus at her waist—before darkness swallowed her completely.
Above the heavens, Xiao Yuyan sensed the creeping shadows infiltrating the Sword Peak, his gaze turning icy.
The power of the Heavenly Dao in his hands radiated a chilling pressure, enveloping the entire Taiqing Sect.
If he willed it, he could shield Xu Wanci from all the dangers of this world.
He could give her a life of comfort and smooth sailing, one that would make everyone envious.
But was this truly what she wanted?
Xiao Yuyan raised his right hand slightly, but when he confirmed that Xu Wanci wouldn’t be harmed, he quietly lowered it again.
Feeling the surge of protectiveness rising in his heart, he lowered his gaze slightly, concealing all emotion in his eyes.
Since awakening, he had witnessed all her experiences.
What she needed was never airtight protection.
Xiao Yuyan frowned faintly, veins faintly pulsing in his hand, yet in the end, he took no action.
What she needed wasn’t for all dangers to be stifled.
But rather, the ability to resist danger and shatter perilous situations herself.
He wanted her to always be free and unrestrained, doing whatever she desired.
After all, he could keep her safe—no matter when, no matter where.
Xiao Yuyan watched quietly as Xu Wanci struggled in her nightmare. The void around him seemed to sense something, retreating slightly, cautiously putting distance between itself and him.
Meanwhile, Xu Wanci, enveloped in the familiar aura of the demonic realm, couldn’t help but mock herself inwardly:
Of course. This was her true fate.
She had long grown accustomed to dangers targeting her. Her first instinct was to calm herself, analyzing the situation with cold rationality:
This was Yan Shuo’s demonic domain.
Yan Shuo was, after all, a demonic cultivator. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn’t bypass the Taiqing Sect’s defenses unscathed, let alone abduct her without consequence.
So even if he had activated his demonic domain, it couldn’t last long.
With the Three-Leaf Lotus’s assistance, no illusion could deceive her. She only needed to endure until this passed.
Just then, Xu Wanci suddenly sensed a ripple of demonic energy behind her.
She whirled around and saw Yan Shuo, clad in black robes, his aura thick with malevolence.
The once mighty and domineering Demon Lord now seemed colder, more sinister.
The demonic energy around him raged wildly, as if it could annihilate everything in its path at any moment.
Yan Shuo’s gaze at Xu Wanci was complex, laced with suppressed fury. When he noticed the blue robes she wore and the Three-Leaf Lotus at her waist, he didn’t react with anger—instead, his lips curled into a smile so gentle it was terrifying.
"It’s been a long time… my Demon Queen."
Xu Wanci ignored his address. Shielding herself with her spiritual sense, her voice was distant. "What business does the Demon Lord have in my Taiqing Sect?"
Yan Shuo stared at her wary eyes and suddenly recalled how she had once relied on him, trusted him, when she had lost her memories.
His crimson eyes hid a sorrow so deep it was almost imperceptible.
The bones of his right hand remained exposed, yet the person before him didn’t spare them a single glance, let alone show concern.
How… heartless.
He let out a low laugh, his voice dripping with mockery.
"What’s so great about him that you still can’t forget him after a hundred years?"
"Do you really think he loved you?"
Yan Shuo took a step forward, demonic energy surging around him, slowly encircling her.
"You were nothing more than a pastime to him—a distraction he could discard at any moment."
"A hundred years ago, he had other choices. If he had truly wanted, no one could have forced him to do anything."
"If he loved you, he would have fought to live for you. How could he have left you alone for a century?"
"A hundred years… what did he leave you with besides pain?"
His gaze flickered to the Three-Leaf Lotus at her waist, his tone derisive.
"Ah, right. This useless artifact that’s nearly killed you time and again."
Ignoring his injuries, he forcibly intensified the demonic domain to its limit.
"He never loved you."
"Wanci, only I would never abandon you. Only I will stay by your side forever."
"Come back to me, and you will remain my Demon Queen for eternity."
Xu Wanci could feel the demonic domain’s influence, its attempts to bewitch her. Yet her mind remained clear, completely unaffected.
The Three-Leaf Lotus guiding her within the domain shouldn’t have such an effect—
Had her spiritual sense grown stronger?
Or had something happened to her that even she hadn’t noticed?
By now, Yan Shuo’s demonic energy had been drained by the domain. His face was deathly pale, yet he refused to stop. His voice softened into a coaxing whisper.
"Wanci, why love someone who abandoned you?"
"Take just one step forward, and you can have anything—status, treasures, even love."
"Come to me, my Queen."
Finally, Xu Wanci lifted her head. Her eyes were clear, unwavering.
She didn’t argue. She didn’t explain. She simply said, calm and steady:
"That’s why you could never be him."
In the void, Xiao Yuyan’s grasp on the power of the Heavenly Dao faltered for a moment before silently continuing, shielding her consciousness.
Watching her stand firm in the demonic domain, the emotions in his heart shifted from guilt to aching bitterness.
Every flavor of mortal suffering—because of her, he had tasted them all.
The void around him seemed to carry the weight of a thousand years of frost, his presence growing colder, more austere.
Yet his gaze when it fell upon Xu Wanci never lost its unwavering tenderness.
Within the demonic domain, Yan Shuo’s fury peaked at her words—then, in an instant, stilled into eerie calm.
Feeling the bone-deep agony wracking his body, he laughed, wild and broken.
"Wanci, don’t you want him to live again?"
"If there’s one place in the cultivation world where his soul might still linger… it’s there."
"Xiao Yuyan’s tribulation grounds."
Xu Wanci’s body stiffened.
Seeing her reaction, Yan Shuo clenched his fists, his voice thick with malice.
"I’ll be waiting for you there. If you don’t come within three days—"
He smiled gently. "I’ll destroy it."
The next moment, the demonic domain shattered.
Xu Wanci jolted awake, slumped over the dark jade table.
She took a deep breath, steadying her racing heart.
The tribulation grounds of Immortal Venerable Qingyan—the very place where, in the original story, Chu Qingchuan had obtained the opportunity to ascend to the Tribulation Passage Realm.
If it were merely about the chance to break through, she wouldn’t care.
What truly tempted her was the sliver of a possibility hidden within—the key to ascending as an immortal.
She shut her eyes abruptly, veiling the ambition in her gaze.
Why couldn’t it be her?
She had already taken many of Chu Qingchuan’s opportunities, even seized a portion of his destiny.
If she could ascend to immortality—
Then she could finally have everything she desired. No more fear of lies being exposed, no more living in fear of losing her life, no more threats from the Demon Lord or Chu Qingchuan.
She could live as she pleased.
She had originally planned to seek this sliver of opportunity after reaching the late stage of the Great Ascension, but now it seemed she could wait no longer.
If that place was truly destroyed by Yan Shuo, under the oppressive weight of Chu Qingchuan’s fortune, she might forever lag a step behind him, never finding another path to ascension.
This journey—she had no choice but to take it.
