Although he might not be a match for Jing Huan, he could certainly buy time.

Having received this assurance, Liu Changning quickly darted out. Under the effect of the concealment talisman, not a single person noticed her approach.

In the air, the duel between the Demon Lord and the Daoist Ancestor was about to erupt. The two summoned their magical treasures, their auras enveloping half the sky.

Taking advantage of everyone’s dazed state, Liu Changning swiftly set up protective light barriers around.

Considering that the erected barriers must withstand the destruction of Tribulation Transcendence cultivators, Liu Changning spent quite some time on it.

Just as the protective barriers were raised, the battle in the sky had already begun. Black and red intertwined magical weapons came and went in mid-air, their aftermath striking the light barriers, causing ripples of light.

Only then did the crowd at the foot of the mountain notice something amiss. The demon clan’s right-hand protector leader vigilantly surveyed the surroundings: “Who’s there?”

The cultivators on Dunshi Immortal Palace’s side also showed surprised expressions. The light barrier rising up clearly indicated someone was protecting them. In a battle between Tribulation Transcendence elders, cultivators of lower cultivation levels nearby would likely fall into qi deviation.

Demons are inherently cruel. Even if there were those skilled in talismans who could sustain a barrier to block the battle’s aftermath, they wouldn’t include the humans within it.

Unless someone was helping from the shadows. Realizing the cause and effect, the elders of Dunshi Immortal Palace, led by Ju Qu, all showed joyful expressions.

Liu Changning, however, didn’t reveal herself. She weaved through the demon crowd, her spiritual sense condensing into a thread, silently moving among the demon clan members. Soon, the thread of spiritual sense interwove into a large net.

All the demon clan members were bound within it.

At this moment, even the right-hand protector with the highest cultivation among the demons hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

The spiritual sense binding immortal technique was a very practical spell Liu Changning had learned in the chaos space. It could completely lock down enemies, control them at will, trap them in a net formed by spiritual thoughts, then inject spiritual power to attack, catching all in one net.

Her spiritual sense was originally vast, making her adept at such covert sneak attacks.

After interweaving this group of people together, she slowly revealed her form.

In mid-air, the light from the whip shadow and drum sound collided, currently in a stalemate.

Liu Changning looked up at the sky and knew Jing Huan wasn’t using full strength.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Drum had two sides. If used simultaneously, the phoenix might not be so relaxed.

She tightened her spiritual sense, not wasting time. Intertwining chaos primordial energy with heaven and earth spiritual energy, a golden-white intertwined light ring soon appeared in her palm.

When the light ring containing the might of heaven and earth appeared, everyone present finally noticed Liu Changning’s revealed form.

The right-hand protector, Bai Qi, was on high alert. She stepped forward, lifting her hood to reveal prominent features.

Her voice was shrill and eerie as she stared warily at Liu Changning, saying harshly: “Who are you? Today the demon clan is slaughtering. If you don’t want to die, leave quickly!”

“Hah!” Liu Changning wore a white robe, with a celestial bearing, but her face was as cold as ice.

She snorted coldly, the light ball in her hand moving along the line formed by her spiritual sense.

Soon, Bai Qi sensed something wrong. Her body was entangled by the golden-white intertwined light, getting tighter and tighter, unable to break free.

She widened her eyes in shock, looking back to see all the demons present were also entangled by the golden-white intertwined light, unable to move.

Such a shocking scene almost made everyone at the mountain gate ignore the great battle between good and evil in the sky.

This person had captured thousands of demons in an instant. Such a technique, if spoken of, would be considered monstrous.

Bai Qi screamed out, and the demons behind her were also terrified.

Liu Changning rubbed her ears, turning to cast her cold eyes on the leading elders of Dunshi Immortal Palace. Pointing at the group of trapped demons behind her, she said coolly: “These demons behind me, I leave them to you to deal with.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her form had already flown outside the light barrier.

Behind her, Ju Qu, with trembling lips, excitedly called out: “It’s her! That female cultivator who… who destroyed the Seven Ghosts Soul-Devouring Banner with Nascent Soul cultivation back then. She’s here… Heaven hasn’t abandoned our Dunshi Immortal Mountain!”

Ju Qu looked towards the sky with tears streaming down his face, his tired face filled with uncontrollable joy.

—

The situation in mid-air wasn’t good. With the sudden change at the mountain gate, Jing Huan had clearly seen Liu Changning.

If before she had been fighting leisurely, at the moment Liu Changning revealed herself.

The demonic energy around Jing Huan burst forth, giving Pei Ziyuan no chance to resist at all.

She was no longer purely of the Emotion Demon clan, but a demonic body rapidly forged using cultivators’ essence blood and yin essence as nourishment.

Although no longer immortal and indestructible, her demonic elemental power was top-tier in the three realms. Unless a Daluo Golden Immortal descended, wanting to kill her would be difficult.

Three months ago, Pei Ziyuan had awakened his ancient divine beast bloodline, comprehended the crimson flame method, and caught her off guard, forcing her to retreat.

But at the same time, she had personally killed two Tribulation Transcendence elders and absorbed their true essence, refining it for three months. Her demonic body was even more solid now, and Pei Ziyuan was no match for her at all.

The vast demonic energy, through the vibrating sound of the double-sided drum, rushed towards Pei Ziyuan.

His form constantly dodged and fled pathetically, barely avoiding two waves of attacks.

“So it turns out the wife-master Immortal Palace Master Pei spoke of is her. I didn’t notice the filth between you two. Since she’s here, it seems not bad for you to die under her nose.”

Jing Huan said coldly, pulling out a spear from her body. The spear exuded a piercing cold, surrounded by a bone-chilling aura.

The sharp spear tip locked directly onto Pei Ziyuan, killing intent palpable.

As the spear appeared, Pei Ziyuan suddenly realized he couldn’t dodge in time. The murderous demonic energy directly broke through his protective light barrier, thick black energy pressing on his chest.

The difference in strength between the two was vast. Jing Huan’s current demonic body was forged against heaven’s will, its demonic energy possessing earth-shattering might.

When Liu Changning arrived, she saw the scene of the red-robed, ink-haired man with blood at the corner of his lips. She let out a light cry, her blue-black hair dancing wildly in mid-air, Cangming letting out an angry ringing sound.

She blocked in front of him in mid-air, a brocade handkerchief already falling into Pei Ziyuan’s hand.

Liu Changning had her back turned. Her figure wasn’t broad, but slender and weak, with a waist sash accentuating her waist so slim it could be encircled by one hand.

She should have looked frail, but as she stood with her back turned, appearing suddenly in front of Pei Ziyuan from the sky, she was like a wall, a reassuring wall he could lean on.

Pei Ziyuan took up the silk handkerchief in his hand. The handkerchief had bamboo reaching straight to the clouds, exuding a fresh scent of plants and trees. That was her scent. For the first time, he shamefully hid that handkerchief away secretly, raising his sleeve to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

“Tsk, Master cherishes jade and pities flowers, but jade will shatter one day, you…”

Hearing him mention “Master”, Liu Changning’s anger completely erupted. From the moment she set foot on Qiyuan Island, the cruel Jing Huan had to be eliminated.

In her eyes, a cold light flashed, her eyes as dead as could be, staring straight at Jing Huan. Suddenly, she curved her lips: “You’re not worthy to call me Master. Today I’ve suddenly realized, evil can never be completely eliminated, it grows again with the spring breeze. In fifty years, I couldn’t teach you what is the Way, causing you to harm people, with cruel methods. It was my fault. Today, with this great disaster, I’ll personally eliminate you, settling this karmic debt for the world.”

As she finished speaking, the Cangming immortal sword struck decisively towards Jing Huan.

Chaos true energy and profound ice spiritual energy formed with Cangming as the medium, turning into flowing light constantly impacting Jing Huan’s protective demonic shield.

The momentum was fierce, each attack decisive and thorough, leaving no room for retreat. Liu Changning’s attack style was related to her personality.

Once she decided to kill, she wouldn’t leave her opponent even a shred of opportunity.

When Jing Huan realized she had underestimated her opponent, she was already being forced to dodge pathetically by Cangming, fleeing in all directions.

In the sky, golden and white light blazed brilliantly, the black mass constantly being dismembered and dispersed.

The more they fought, the more alarmed Jing Huan became. She discovered in horror that her entire body’s demonic elemental power was being dismembered and dispersed when that golden-white light swept over.

Her entire body’s demonic element was being suppressed overwhelmingly.

She… Even Liu Cang Yun at her peak couldn’t have dealt with her.

But now, her attacks were unstoppable, like a war god, easily breaking down her demonic energy.

The sound of the demon drum was constant. She was even forced to use her natal spear to defend, but found that striking left and right was useless.

The female cultivator opposite her, her black hair flying wildly, her whole body’s coldness mixed with the might of heaven and earth rushing towards her. Surrounded by a warm yellow divine light, her white robe as pure as snow, skin like congealed cream, thin lips slightly pursed.

Emotionless and ascetic, truly beautiful. She wanted to lick her toes.

The moment Cangming pierced her chest, Jing Huan’s lips bore a smile, looking at her in a daze, her gaze unwavering.

She opened her mouth, black blood gushing out.

Her eyelids slowly drooped powerlessly. Suddenly, an intense reluctance arose in her heart. Mustering her last bit of strength.

She asked brokenly: “Did you… ever… Back then on Canglang Mountain, did you… ever love me?”

“Never!”

Without emotion, she actually understood.

Because she understood, that’s why she wanted to ask before dying. She was of the Emotion Demon clan, formed from the seven emotions and six desires. Once she fell in love with someone, it was to the death, world-destroying.

The Heavenly Dao was cruel, cause and effect cycled. She had used others’ seven emotions and six desires as nourishment, this was the cause. Loving without reciprocation, dying at the hands of the woman she loved most in this life, this was the effect.

“Hahahahaha…” Black blood gushed out, Jing Huan seemed to have gone mad, laughing wildly, unable to close her eyes in death.

Because before dying, she finally understood that she was nothing but an ant under the Heavenly Dao, vainly trying to contend with fate, but had long been a chess piece in the game of cause and effect.

Her entire life, from beginning to end, was destined to be tragic.

—

In mid-air, the woman bathed in golden-white intertwined light didn’t even look at the slowly dissipating dead demon cultivator.

She turned around, her gaze meeting that of the man she was protecting behind her.

He looked at her in a daze, a hint of confusion in his clear pupils.

“Ziyuan…” she called him.

He came to his senses, his tense nerves relaxing, blanking out for a while. His expression returned to its usual arrogance. He opened his arms, complaining to her: “You wooden block, come and hug this elder. I’ve waited for you for seven years…”

The tips of his ears unconsciously turned red, his outstretched arms frozen in mid-air. Though his body was stiff, his eyes stubbornly looked at her.

Liu Changning’s coldness completely dissipated under his awkward gaze. A smile spread in her eyes as she walked towards him step by step, embracing him tightly.

“Ziyuan used seven years to wait, Cang Yun will remember it in her heart. From now on, can I use tens of thousands of years of companionship to repay this kindness?”

The person in her arms trembled. His strong hands gripped her waist, his body temperature suddenly rising.

He coughed lightly, awkwardly hiding the increasingly wide curve of his mouth. A strand of hair stood up on his head, swaying left and right. He opened his lips, making a presumptuous demand: “It must be one life, one world, one person!”

“Alright.”

“You’re not allowed to flirt around, not allowed to smile at other men. You don’t look good when you smile. If you can’t help it, just smile at me.”

“I promise you.”

“Just now that demon called you Master, what relationship did you two have?”

“No relationship.”

“Hmph!”

On this day, the sky was very blue, with a gentle breeze.

Clouds floated around the two of them. Liu Changning had a smile on her lips from beginning to end. The man embracing her talked on and on, as if wanting to say all the loneliness of seven years at once.

Liu Changning stretched out her arms to hug him, her hand secretly moving downward. Wearing dark red brocade robes, a black wide jade belt cinching his waist, perfectly outlining his slender waist and pert buttocks. Liu Changning’s heart stirred, wild grass sprouting.