Heng Xuanzhen paused, faintly stunned.
What did he mean, “what did I do to Master”?
Had he not looked clearly at the situation? Master was wreathed head to toe in demonic qi.
Aside from the lack of horns on his brow, how was he any different from a demon god now?
Ancient Sword Gorge had no such art to begin with. Even thinking with one’s toes, it should be obvious that the one who turned Master into this and summoned him out was Ye Yu—this fi—
Heng Xuanzhen snapped to, staring at Ye Yu in disbelief.
This man was outrageously deceptive. Clearly a fiend god, yet he could turn a corpse into a demon god and summon it—and his cultivation wasn’t high!
No wonder everyone would instinctively overlook him.
Without a doubt, that was why Senior Brother Wei Tongbei reflexively assumed she had done all this.
So this was the point of Ye Yu’s concealment?
High. Truly high.
Heng Xuanzhen gave a bleak laugh and offered no explanation.
Even knowing the truth, was there any need to explain to Wei Tongbei?
A traitor to the alliance—speaking even one more word to him was disgusting.
At the side, Ye Yu lifted a brow.
Wei Tongbei—the name wasn’t unfamiliar.
While reading Lu Nian’s memories, he had already learned of this man.
He was the first disciple Lu Nian had taken after arriving in the God Realm.
Lu Nian had high hopes for him, even thought of passing down his mantle one day.
But later he found that, though gifted, the man was petty, obsessed with gains and losses, and unlikely to achieve greatness.
So he took Heng Xuanzhen as a disciple as well, intending to cultivate the goddess as his successor.
When Wei Tongbei learned of Lu Nian’s intention, he grew furious.
He opposed Heng Xuanzhen at every turn, with no shortage of bullying and insults.
Even though Lu Nian rebuked him repeatedly, he showed no repentance—in fact, only disdain.
It pained Lu Nian deeply.
Some time later—
While Lu Nian was away, Wei Tongbei slipped into his master’s blessed cave-dwelling and looted everything inside.
He even left a line on the wall:
“If you won’t give it, I’ll take it myself.”
When Lu Nian returned and saw it all, he was half driven to death by rage.
He left Ancient Sword Gorge alone and, half a month later, came back with Wei Tongbei’s severed index finger.
He announced the man had been expelled from the alliance, and the finger was his lesson.
For all his righteous fury, not a single item from the cave-dwelling was recovered.
In the end, Lu Nian still favored that disciple in his heart.
Who could have imagined that this severed finger would drive Wei Tongbei’s hatred to its peak.
He went full turncoat.
He went to Tongtian Pavilion and ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ struck a deal with the demon gods: he would open Ancient Sword Gorge’s Sword Sect grand array for them; all he wanted was the ten thousand sword manuals in the library.
Faced with that, why would the demon gods refuse?
They struck hands and made it so.
When Wei Tongbei led the demon gods of Tongtian Pavilion into Ancient Sword Gorge, Lu Nian’s eyes held anger and despair—but more than anything, self-blame.
If he had simply killed the rebellious disciple at the start, none of this would have happened.
But now it was too late.
With the fall of Ancient Sword Gorge, Wei Tongbei obtained the ten thousand manuals.
From ancient times, traitors have been the most loathed.
Ye Yu was no exception; his gaze toward Wei Tongbei was ice-cold.
But Wei Tongbei didn’t spare him a glance.
His eyes were fixed wholly on Lu Nian, and he suddenly clapped, saying, “Perfect—truly perfect! This isn’t a puppet. It’s resurrection! Junior sister, when did you gain this ability?”
“But judging by the divine power in Master’s body, he looks more like a demon god.”
“Tsk, tsk. He hated demon gods most in his life, and after resurrection he’s in a demon god’s body. What a delicious irony.”
Saying that, Wei Tongbei walked right up to Lu Nian.
Lu Nian tried to open some space.
But under the terrifying pressure, he couldn’t move an inch.
Like Heng Xuanzhen, Wei Tongbei was a peak Ancient God Realm powerhouse.
The difference was that he was in full form, not gravely wounded like his junior sister.
So Wei Tongbei seized control of the field in an instant with overwhelming force.
“Old thing, you’re still just as hateful.”
Pressed down by that force, Lu Nian dropped to one knee.
Wei Tongbei seemed to savor the feeling, letting out a long, satisfied breath.
Then his gaze shifted to Heng Xuanzhen.
“Junior sister, why so quiet? Five hundred years ago when you saw me, you nearly killed your senior brother.”
“But the wheel turns.”
“You’re badly hurt now. This time—how about I be the one to kill you?”
At that, Heng Xuanzhen’s eyes toward Wei Tongbei brimmed with killing intent.
Even outmatched, she said coldly, “If you’re going to kill me, do it. Why the prattle? My only regret is that my sword wasn’t faster back then—I didn’t cut you down.”
Ever since learning of Ancient Sword Gorge’s destruction, Heng Xuanzhen had done nothing besides cultivation except hunt Wei Tongbei.
Without his help, Tongtian Pavilion could never have breached Ancient Sword Gorge.
Strictly speaking, Wei Tongbei was the number one enemy.
Unfortunately, his concealment arts were superb.
In hundreds of years, she had only caught up to him three times.
The closest she came to killing him was five hundred years ago.
If that sword had been a bit faster, there would be no Wei Tongbei now.
What stung was that after three million years of hard cultivation, she still hadn’t personally slain even one enemy.
Her life really was a failure.
Heng Xuanzhen slowly closed her eyes, waiting for death to descend.
That simple motion blew apart Wei Tongbei’s self-control.
His face twisted; he raised a pure-gold index finger and pointed at Heng Xuanzhen, roaring, “Junior sister—you’re always like this, always!”
“Whatever you do, win or lose, you always wear that ‘I don’t care’ face.”
“And that old fossil of a master insists that means you’re steady and destined for greatness—”
“While I’m called impatient, unfit for real use!”
“Why? Why is it like this?”
“Do you have any idea how much that face of yours pisses me off?”
His bellow echoed through the ruins of Ancient Sword Gorge.
Meanwhile, Ye Yu quietly hid his presence—ready to slip away.
