Li Ruowang’s voice echoed through the hall, yet there was no reply.
She did not hurry, simply stood quietly in ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) place.
After an unknown span of time, the woman in the scroll slowly revealed a smile.
This change softened Li Ruowang’s expression. She then raised her hand and gently pressed it against the painting.
Black threads of ink surged forth, streaming into Li Ruowang’s body.
In mere breaths, the woman on the scroll had completely vanished, and Li Ruowang’s oppressive aura began to skyrocket.
Profound Immortal Realm, Earth Immortal Realm, Heavenly Immortal Realm, Golden Immortal Realm...
As her immortal power condensed, Li Ruowang swiftly reached the threshold of the Emperor Realm!
The terrifying pressure warped and shattered the surrounding space.
At Li Ruowang’s thought, the little golden dragon abandoned the dragon pearl and sped back to her side, circling wildly and emitting dragon roars!
At last, the grotto could no longer withstand such force and collapsed with a thunderous crash. Yet a shaft of golden light grew ever more radiant.
...
Elsewhere.
After leaving the Demon Realm, Ye Yu did not detour elsewhere but returned directly to the Wuwei Tower.
There he discovered that all the ladies had gathered to go out—and even his daughter Ye Nian was among them. Each wore a murderous expression so intense it threatened to alter the heavens themselves.
Seeing this, Ye Yu hurried forward to stop them.
“Stop. What are you planning to do?”
At Ye Yu’s appearance, each lady’s eyes widened as if witnessing the impossible.
Lan Lianyan rushed up, pinched Ye Yu’s cheek, and trembled as she said, “You’re alive? Not just a spirit form? But how can you be alive?”
Ye Yu felt exasperated. “What do you mean? Why shouldn’t I be alive?”
“It’s not that you can’t live,” Zhu Diezhen said, her eyes red and tears sliding down her cheeks though a smile graced her lips, “but Sister Banxia received a communique-stone message from the Devil Celestial Lord saying you were killed by the False God and should return to the Three Corpses Hall.”
Banxia squeezed through and added, “Yes, the Devil Celestial Lord contacted me just an hour ago via the communique stone. He described it in detail. I didn’t know what to do, so I told the ladies, and they prepared to take me east to the Celestial Realm to avenge you. Seeing you alive is such a relief! At least I’m safe now. Actually, I never wanted to go in the first place.”
Banxia did not know what the False God was, but anyone who even you and the Devil Celestial Lord together couldn’t defeat had to be tremendously powerful—and they certainly couldn’t handle it. The chance of dying on that revenge mission was ninety-nine point nine percent. Yet she had followed without hesitation.
Only upon seeing Ye Yu did she realize that although she was in the Wuwei Tower, she had no status. The others were all ladies of their husbands. Avenging one’s husband was only right; what right did she, Banxia, have to come? Too abrupt. So she feigned having escaped death to mask her embarrassment.
Women’s emotions in such moments were indeed hyper-sensitive. Fortunately, everyone was lost in joy at Ye Yu’s survival and paid little attention to Banxia.
But her friend Feng Yingzhi quietly tugged her sleeve. “Xia, when you took me out of the sect, you said you’d avenge Ye Yu even if you died. You even cried. Why are you saying you don’t want to go now?”
At this, Banxia clapped a hand over Feng Yingzhi’s mouth and dragged her to the back, whispering telepathically, “Don’t mention it again. I was acting—trying to fit in. Don’t take it seriously or tell anyone. Or I’ll tear up your Refining Instruments notes!”
To Feng Yingzhi, those notes were her life’s work over thousands of years.
“Xia, you’ve changed! Threatening me with that!” Feng Yingzhi nodded frantically.
Satisfied, Banxia relaxed—but the next moment she heard Ye Yu’s voice behind her.
“Banxia, where are you?”
“Ah? Why are you looking for me?” Banxia’s voice trembled with sudden guilt.
The ladies parted left and right, clearing a path. Ye Yu strode forward.
“How did the Devil Celestial Lord tell you? I’ve already been through the Underworld and Demon Realm—and only then did he tell you I’d fallen? What’s going on?”
Banxia shook her head, clearly uncertain. The communique was brief; he only told her to return—nothing more. Yet his voice sounded weak, not as refined as before.
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. Was he injured and hiding to recover, unaware that Hua Jiuming was dead and the demons had left the Celestial Realm? Ridiculous. That shameless man struck and ran—how ugly his face must have been!
After a moment’s thought, Ye Yu lost interest and turned his gaze to Ye Nian.
“Daughter, has your mother not returned yet?”
Ye Nian shook her head and recounted the past two days. Two days ago, Li Ruowang had used the United Heart Jade to quickly locate the Wuwei Tower—unlike some whose luck faltered and wandered into secret realms. But upon learning Ye Yu wasn’t in the sect, she had departed again, saying she needed to find someone and might be gone a while, assuring Ye Nian not to worry about her safety.
Hearing this, Ye Yu’s expression grew strange. Gone to find someone? But hadn’t Li Ruowang just ascended to the Celestial Realm? How could she already know any immortals—and only return after some time? What was Li Ruowang up to?
Meanwhile, the Devil Celestial Lord quietly arrived at another branch of the Three Corpses Hall.
What? Why not go to headquarters? It had already been blasted by Hua Jiuming!
At this moment, the once refined and urbane Devil Celestial Lord looked haggard, his beard grown long—he seemed as if ten years older.
