073

Chen Qi was weakened by the soul-searching technique, and Yu Tian took the opportunity to separate his soul from Liu Mulin's body.

Chen Qi's soul was thrown into the Soul Extinction Array. No matter how angry and unwilling he was, it was all in vain. He could only feel his soul slowly turning into ashes with the flowing spiritual power.

Liu Mulin's body was placed in the Listening Hall. Soon, the sect elders would perform a ritual to guide his spirit, gather his remaining soul, and send him into reincarnation.

Since Dao Chen was still unconscious, Yu Tian made all the decisions on his behalf.

Because of the influence of the Mind-Controlling Bell, the sect elders had mistakenly abolished Jiang Huali's cultivation and expelled her from the sect, so they dared not say anything at this moment.

Regarding the explanation of the outsider and the luck, Jiang Huali also used the excuse that "she accidentally learned that Chen Qi was a soul from another world and then discovered his conspiracy to seize Yu Tian's luck."

Jiang Huali didn't know if Yu Tian believed her story, but throughout the whole process, Xuan Qing stood by with a smile on his face.

Yu Tian seemed very dissatisfied with Xuan Qing and gave him the order to leave.

"Lingxiao Sect has suffered this misfortune and is too busy to entertain guests. Please return home, fellow Daoist."

Xuan Qing also didn't want to clash with Yu Tian, ​​so before leaving, he sent a telepathic message to Jiang Huali—

"wait for me."

The mission is almost complete. The next step is to see Liu Mulin off on behalf of the original owner and wait for Master Dao Chen to wake up.

For those who cultivate the Tao, death is not the end. If Liu Mulin's soul remains intact, it may be able to reincarnate after returning to the world for nourishment.

However, it is unknown how many years it will take for him to be reincarnated, or whether his reincarnation can be found.

Perhaps a hundred years, a thousand years, that's all in the future.

With the moon high in the sky and the night wind whistling, Jiang Huali found Yu Tian on a cliff edge at Tianyuan Peak.

"Senior sister."

Jiang Huali walked over and called out to Yu Tian.

Yu Tian put down the wine pot in his hand, looked over, and patted the seat next to him: "Junior Sister."

Jiang Huali put her sword aside and sat down next to Yu Tian.

Yu Tian looked at the sword beside her and took a sip of wine: "This sword must have been left by your father, right?"

Jiang Huali nodded: "Mm."

"Why not take back your own sword?" Yu Tian asked.

Jiang Huali touched the Yingxue Sword and knew that Yu Tian was referring to the Shuangqing Sword, which had been taken back when the original owner was expelled from the sect. So she said, "It wasn't time yet."

“I will have Elder Qiu send a disciple to deliver it to you tomorrow.” Yu Tian smiled. “I remember you can now control spiritual power.”

"Okay, thank you, senior sister."

Yu Tian handed over a flask of wine and put it in Jiang Huali's hand. She sighed and said, "If only my junior brother were still here, this wine was brewed by his own hands."

Jiang Huali hesitated for a moment, then opened the cork. A fragrance of wine mixed with floral scents wafted out. She looked at the clear liquid, tilted her head back, and took a sip.

The spicy flavor goes down your throat with a hint of sweetness, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Jiang Huali wiped the wine from her lips.

Yu Tian looked at her and couldn't help but laugh: "You're still the same. Before, when Liu Mulin and I took you to steal the peach blossom wine that Master buried under the tree, you took one sip and spat it out, saying that it tasted worse than medicine."

Jiang Huali was silent for a moment, then said, "Senior Sister, Senior Brother Liu, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Tian interrupted, "The world is a dangerous place. I always tell him not to trust others too much. Perhaps this is his way of thinking."

"I heard from the elders that Senior Sister is going down the mountain?" Jiang Huali took another sip of wine, her brows furrowing unconsciously.

“Yes, my master’s Dao heart was unstable earlier, and he felt that his time was coming to an end. He wanted to entrust the Lingxiao Sect to me. Although I did not want to run away, I would not stay in the sect until then.” The moonlight shone on Yu Tian. “I also have my own path to walk.”

...

Jiang Huali and Yu Tian sat there until dawn before returning to their lodgings with empty wine bottles.

The wine wasn't strong, but Jiang Huali felt dizzy.

He was probably drunk.

Instead of boiling water to wash up, she cast a cleansing spell on herself and then fell asleep on the bed without even taking off her outer clothes.

The candlelight flickered in the room, and a figure slowly appeared behind the hanging bed curtains.

Xuan Qing looked at the sleeping Jiang Huali and reached out to stroke her cheek.

She had drunk some wine, her cheeks were slightly flushed, her lips were bright red and moist, and her breathing was even, as if she had fallen into a dream.

Who will she dream about?

Xuan Qing recalled what Chen Qi had said that day, and the memories he had obtained through the Soul Searching Technique, his eyes darkening.

He supported himself on Jiang Huali's left side with one hand, gently cupped her face with the other, and slowly leaned down to kiss her.

Their breaths gradually intertwined, their lips and teeth filled with the scents of flowers and wine. Xuanqing kissed him gently, his suppressed desires stirring within him, bringing forth endless longing and insatiable lust.

"Don't leave me."

He prayed thus.

...

When Jiang Huali woke up, it was already noon. A disciple came to deliver a sword and politely knocked on her courtyard gate.

She was still somewhat groggy when she woke up and realized there was someone else beside her.

She turned her head slightly, and Xuan Qing's sleeping face came into view. His hand was on her waist, and the two of them were so close that they could hear each other's breaths.

Jiang Huali got out of bed and found that her outer garment had been taken off and hung on a rack. She put on the clothes, opened the door, walked into the courtyard, thanked the disciple who came, and took the sword from his hand.

When she returned to the house, Xuanqing had already woken up.

Jiang Huali placed the sword on the shelf and asked Xuan Qing, who had suddenly appeared there, "When did you arrive?"

Xuanqing waved to her.

Jiang Huali walked over, puzzled, and pulled back the bed curtains before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Xuanqing hugged her from behind and whispered, "It hurts."

Jiang Huali wanted to ask him why he was upset, but then she remembered something and hesitated before asking, "Is your period still ongoing?"

Xuan Qing: "Mm."

"What is the Demon Realm like?" Jiang Huali suddenly asked.

“Not good,” Xuan Qing hugged Jiang Huali tighter and answered honestly, “The days are short and the nights are long, and it’s also very dangerous.”

The Demon Realm has a harsh climate, with barren land everywhere, and apart from demons, there are no other living beings.

Demons mostly revere force, and there are many examples of them fighting at the slightest disagreement. Therefore, the demon realm is indeed not suitable for other races to live in.

"The sect elders will be holding a memorial service for my senior brother tonight. I wonder if we will be able to meet again in the future."

"I have to go see him off on his final journey. Don't come tonight."

Jiang Huali Road.

"Okay." Xuanqing nuzzled Jiang Huali's neck.

Jiang Huali raised her hand and touched his face, saying calmly, "Come find me tomorrow night."

Xuanqing paused, somewhat unsure of her meaning, but still nodded and said, "Okay."

-

Dao Chen woke up.

Xuanqing had just left when he received this message.

Tianyuan Peak was Dao Chen's residence, and as his disciples, Jiang Huali and Yu Tian naturally also lived on Tianyuan Peak.

However, Tianyuan Peak was very large, and their respective residences were not close to each other. When Jiang Huali arrived at Dao Chen's courtyard on her sword, many people had already gathered there.

Mingyao and Song Quanzhen were also there, and the Gu Master who came with them was diagnosing Daochen.

"The poison has been completely eliminated, and the sect leader is unharmed," the Gu Master said.

"Thank you for your help these past two days in removing the curse from my master. Please come to the council hall later," Yu Tian said.

"No need to be so polite," the Gu Master said.

The others gradually left, and Yu Tian went to prepare for tonight's spirit-crossing ceremony, leaving only Jiang Huali and Dao Chen in the room.

Dao Chen lay weakly on the bed. He took out a small, exquisite lamp and placed it in Jiang Huali's hand.

"This lamp can nourish the soul and replenish vital energy, and repair the meridians. I... it was my negligence that caused you to suffer this."

Jiang Huali took the lamp and said, "Master, there's no need for this. If Senior Brother Liu were still here, he probably wouldn't be able to bear seeing Master blame himself."

Dao Chen gave a wry smile: "I will leave the sect in half a month to find something that can repair my inner core. Your senior sister may not stay here for long. If you are still willing to stay in Lingxiao Sect, then continue to stay here."

With all his teachers and mentors gone, if the original owner of this body were here, he would inevitably feel lost and bewildered.

Jiang Huali said, "Although I have no cultivation now, I can borrow the spiritual power of others through magical artifacts for my own use. Master, you don't need to risk your life for me."

"What kind of magical artifact could do such a thing?" Dao Chen asked in surprise.

Before Jiang Huali could explain, Dao Chen waved his hand and said, "This time I left the sect not only to find something to repair my inner core, but also to relieve my inner demons."

“In the past, I was attached to appearances and tried to avoid all kinds of causes and effects, but instead, I became shackled and trapped.”

...

At midnight, we listened to the funeral procession.

Liu Mulin's body lay in the center, surrounded by candles and lamps, and a soul-gathering array was drawn around it.

The elder maintained the formation, and the candlelight, along with the flow of spiritual energy, transformed into specks of light that hovered above Liu Mulin. After an unknown amount of time, Liu Mulin's body gradually disappeared, and these specks of light drifted towards the horizon, returning to the world.

Everyone looked towards the horizon until the point of light disappeared.

The elder withdrew his spiritual power, and the formation gradually dimmed.

An indescribable atmosphere permeated the mourning hall.

Yu Tian put away Liu Mulin's sword, which was placed to the side, and Jiang Huali walked behind her as they left the mourning hall together.

The bright moon hangs high, quietly awaiting the return of those who have departed.

Jiang Huali returned to her small courtyard, walked around the house, and packed some luggage into her storage bag.

Xuanqing did not come tonight as expected.

After packing her things, Jiang Huali took a bath and then went to bed to rest.

As the candlelight flickered out, she couldn't sleep. She raised her palm, and the mudra on it glowed faintly.

She tried calling out, "Xuanqing?"

The light of the seal flickered a few times, and a voice rang in Jiang Huali's mind: "Is something the matter?"

Jiang Huali rolled over: "No, what are you doing?"

In the dark demon palace, Xuanqing sat on the throne, with several demon generals bowing their heads and obeying his orders below, including Chihua.

Xuanqing said to the demon generals, "Go and prepare."

"Yes." The demon generals obeyed the order, bowed respectfully to Xuan Qing, and then withdrew.

Xuan Qing then replied to Jiang Huali, "I'm instructing my subordinates to carry out their tasks."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huali turned over again and reminded her, "Remember to come find me tomorrow night."

Xuan Qing's deep laughter came: "If you hadn't asked, I would have come to you tonight."

Jiang Huali smiled slightly and said, "I'm going to sleep now. Sweet dreams."

Sweet dreams.

Xuanqing said in a low voice.

...

Several demon generals walked out of the palace gate. One of them, a short demon general with a missing right arm, looked at the leader, Chi Hua, and hesitated for a long time before asking, "Lord Chi Hua, what does the Lord mean by this?"

Chihua turned his head, and the horns on his head moved as well: "Naturally, it is to tell us to prepare the betrothal gifts needed for the Lord to marry the Queen."

The demon general was stunned: "Does Lord Chihua know who the Empress is?"

Chi Hua fell silent. He recalled the woman he had seen in the human realm earlier, and after a long while, he said, "Why are you asking so many questions? Just do as the Lord instructs."

The demon general quickly nodded and bowed, saying, "You're right."

When Chi Hua turned his head away again and ignored him, the Demon General scratched his head, still looking confused.