Liu Lixue asked, “How could they be working together?”
Su Xuan shook his head. “I don’t know. Soul-Seizing had no effect on him.”
At the time, Su Xuan had nearly shattered Bi Fang’s divine soul. He was completely unable to fight back, so Su Xuan had used Soul-Seizing on him.
But it didn’t work.
Liu Lixue muttered, “That’s impossible. Your Soul-Seizing has never failed before. How could it not work? Even against divine beast bloodlines, it should still be effective. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to crush your bones to suppress you.”
This was precisely what Su Xuan found most strange.
At the time, no matter how much he pressed, Bi Fang wouldn’t answer. Just as he was about to kill Bi Fang in frustration, tribulation lightning rolled through the thick clouds and struck straight at him.
In the blink of an eye, a formation suddenly appeared, and Bi Fang’s figure vanished.
Su Xuan hadn’t pursued him, instead focusing on Sang Dai and forcing his injured body to rush to her side.
Sang Dai recalled something else. “At that time, when I was about to kill that black-clothed man, a tribulation lightning bolt struck at me too, so…”
She lifted her eyes to meet Su Xuan’s gaze. “It’s the Heavenly Dao. Bi Fang and that person behind the scenes are following its orders—to kill me.”
Su Xuan’s innate talent, Soul-Seizing, had been granted by the Heavenly Dao. It wanted to keep secrets hidden, so it protected Bi Fang from being affected by Soul-Seizing.
That inexplicable tribulation lightning that tried to stop her from chasing the black-clothed man was not something a cultivator could summon without preparation. The bolt had appeared suddenly, with no buffer time, and wasn’t a tribulation lightning a cultivator could induce.
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Xuan’s face darkened.
His hand, resting on the table, clenched tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Sang Dai held his hand and slowly pried open the fox’s tightly clenched fingers. “Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. Don’t get angry. I’ve long known that it wants to kill me. Now it’s just a few more people joining in—that’s all. It’s fine.”
After opening his hand, Sang Dai gently felt along his knuckles, checking for any dislocations.
Fortunately, his hand bones seemed to have healed well.
Su Xuan intertwined his fingers with hers, his large hand firmly holding her smaller one.
Sang Dai glanced helplessly at the childish Beast King.
The Beast King scoffed coldly. “It’s just the Heavenly Dao. The fact that it sent others to act proves it can’t take action directly—likely restricted by some limitations. You just follow your path and don’t worry about it.”
[If it truly wants to kill you, then I’ll slaughter the heavens first.]
The Beast King’s words were as audacious as his thoughts.
Sang Dai’s eyes curved into a smile, letting him hold her hand as he pleased.
She nodded and softly replied, “Alright.”
Across from them, Liu Lixue clicked his tongue. “…Tsk.”
Su Xuan shot him a cold look.
Liu Lixue raised his fan to cover his face. “Pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Sang Dai sighed. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Since we can’t go to Linglong Town right now, let’s pack up and head home early.”
She was just about to pull Su Xuan to his feet when a voice came from behind them.
“Oh dear, eating, are we? This poor monk’s timing is really bad—it looks like you’ve all finished.”
The lazy, drawling voice belonged to Tan Huai.
His once-tattered kasaya had been mended. Seeing their gazes on him, he smiled brightly and performed a Buddhist greeting.
Sang Dai inclined her head slightly, politely responding, “Master Tan Huai.”
Su Xuan’s tone was icy. “What are you doing here?”
He had little goodwill toward anyone from the celestial realm and was unaware that Tan Huai had once gifted him a Dragon Ginseng Fruit.
Sang Dai elbowed his side, signaling him to keep quiet.
The little fox rubbed his waist, looking aggrieved.
Tan Huai continued smiling as he said, “This poor monk has come at someone’s request.”
“Whose request?” Su Xuan asked.
“The Demon Lord’s,” Tan Huai replied with ease. “The Demon Lord invites Miss Sang to visit the Demon Hall.”
Su Xuan immediately responded, “No.”
Who knew what that demon was plotting this time?
Sang Dai asked, “What does he want with me?”
Tan Huai said gently, “It’s about Miss Tian Yuxue.”
Su Xuan refused again. “Even so, we’re not going. We’re heading back to the Beast Palace.”
Liu Lixue shook his head as well. “What schemes could Ji Cang possibly be up to—”
Tan Huai interrupted with a smile. “Three spiritual veins in exchange.”
Liu Lixue: “…”
Su Xuan: “…”
Sang Dai’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Tan Huai nodded. “Naturally.”
Sang Dai tugged on Su Xuan. “What are you standing around for? Let’s go!”
Her dark eyes sparkled, and joy was written all over her face. “Three spiritual veins are enough for the Beast Realm to cultivate for a thousand years.”
The spiritual veins Ji Cang had promised her—her first thought was of the Beast Realm.
She was thinking of the Beast Realm.
The hand Su Xuan had intertwined with hers tightened slightly. His long lashes fluttered as a faint sweetness welled up in his heart.
Before Su Xuan could say a word, Sang Dai had already agreed. “We’ll go right away!”
Su Xuan lowered his gaze to their interlocked fingers, the curve of his lips growing wider and wider.
She was so wonderful—how could he not like her?
—
Chunqiu Tower was located in the Beast Realm, not far from the Demon Hall.
The Demon realm was divided into thirteen territories, with Ji Cang’s Demon Hall situated in the Tenth Territory.
Liu Lixue did not accompany them. As a medical cultivator, he wasn’t of much use in a fight. Besides, with Su Xuan and Sang Dai—both Grand Ascension Stage cultivators—no one in the Beast Realm could harm them unless it was a siege involving thousands of demons.
Tan Huai led the way ahead, while Sang Dai and Su Xuan walked side by side.
Sang Dai couldn’t help but ask, “Master Tan Huai, why are you working with Ji Cang…?”
A celestial cultivator being so close to a demon cultivator was unusual.
Without turning his head, Tan Huai replied with a smile in his voice, “Many years ago, this poor monk owed the Demon Lord a favor. This time, I’m merely repaying my debt by helping him resolve a personal concern.”
Sang Dai didn’t know how Tan Huai had become involved with Ji Cang, nor the nature of that debt. Since it was a private matter, she didn’t press further. After all, she no longer had any ties to the celestial realm.
When they finally reached the innermost part of the hall and pushed open the massive doors shrouded in demonic energy, Sang Dai understood what Tan Huai meant.
A biting cold surged forward.
Tan Huai hunched his shoulders, wrapping his kasaya tightly around himself and pulling out the Hellfire Orb Sang Dai had given him earlier from his storage bag.
It was still usable, being the Hellfire of a divine beast, capable of burning for several years.
Sang Dai: “…”
Su Xuan conjured another Hellfire Orb and handed it to Sang Dai. “Take this—it’s cold inside.”
He then produced a cloak and fastened it around the sword cultivator.
Sang Dai cradled the Hellfire Orb in one arm while Su Xuan held her other hand. Pure fire elemental spiritual energy flowed from his hand to hers as they walked forward.
The moment they stepped inside, a plate came flying toward them.
Tan Huai deftly dodged it, and Su Xuan flicked his sleeve to deflect it.
An indignant female voice rang out. “You wretched beast! I didn’t do it on purpose back then! Let me go home!”
A cold, sinister voice followed. “Dream on. As long as this soul seal remains, you’re not going anywhere.”
“I already said I’d help you remove it, but you won’t let me!”
“Remove it? And what, pretend it never happened? You think stabbing someone and then saying, ‘Sorry, I’ll dig you a grave,’ makes it all okay?”
The three of them: “…”
Tan Huai chuckled awkwardly. “Ah, yes, that’s about the gist of it. It’s… a bit complicated. Hahaha.”
Tian Yuxue, hearing the commotion, turned her angry gaze toward them. Her cute face was twisted in fury.
When her eyes landed on Sang Dai wearing the cloak, she froze for a moment before breaking into a delighted grin. “Sang Dai, save me!!!”
She rushed forward, attempting to hug Sang Dai, but a jet-black longsword shot out of its sheath, hovering in front of her.
Su Xuan’s cold voice rang out. “Stay back. Don’t come any closer.”
Tian Yuxue glared at him angrily. “You little brat, even you dare block me?!”
To these younger cultivators—awakened with Heaven-grade spiritual roots and yet to reach a thousand years old—Tian Yuxue, who had lived for several millennia, was truly a figure of the ancestor generation.
Tan Huai hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Miss Tian, please step back. Miss Sang has cold meridians, and your intense chill isn’t good for her health.”
Tian Yuxue froze awkwardly.
She knew about Sang Dai’s poor health—it was her fault, after all.
She muttered, “Fine, I won’t come closer.”
Then she obediently took a few steps back.
Only then did Sang Dai have the chance to look at the other person in the hall.
His eyebrows were covered in frost, and he looked visibly cold. He wasn’t disguised today—since his true appearance had already been revealed, there was no need for it.
The “罪” (Sin) character on the side of his face was fully exposed for them to see.
Ji Cang glared coldly at Tian Yuxue. “Come here.”
Tian Yuxue snapped back angrily, “Come over so I can freeze you to death? Even you can’t withstand my chill. Can’t you just let me go home?”
Ji Cang retorted, “Go home for what? To your snowy lair to chew on ice and drink snow?”
As of now, no one else knew that Tian Yuxue had left the Snow Realm. She had been brought back by Ji Cang. If the other three realms found out, they would surely try to suppress her again.
Tian Yuxue fumed. “You’re all bullying me!”
She sat on the soft couch, crossing her arms like she was sulking.
But suddenly, her eyes turned red.
Tears began to fall one by one.
Tian Yuxue was utterly aggrieved. “It’s not like I did it on purpose. I just can’t control my intense cold. I didn’t mean to take anyone’s life. When I go out, I already try my best to avoid crowded places. For thousands of years, I’ve been looking for the Weisheng family, but you all keep getting in my way. Everyone wants to suppress me and even attack me, but I really didn’t mean it.”
She muttered to herself, wiping her tears forcefully. “Who wants to stay in that barren Snow Realm? But every time I leave, you all attack me. I know my intense cold brings suffering to the common people, but I really didn’t do it on purpose. The snow owl’s obsession won’t go away, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I was born from it.”
The room fell silent.