tide

At the bottom of the frosty sea, silence returns.

With a gentle wave of his folding fan, he stabilized the turbulent currents. Yun He's hair remained perfectly styled, but his snow-white, mountain-like breasts were imprisoned by the Xuanbing ice and unable to move.

“Go and dig up the coral.” She walked toward the two glaring beasts and said to Wu Ying, “I’ll go and investigate the area to see where the Ice Soul is hidden.”

"……yes."

With the crisis averted, Wu Ying remained somewhat dazed. She carefully climbed out of the coral reef, gazing at the now tranquil sea, yet she couldn't help but recall the enchanting song of ice and the devastating power of the snow-covered sea. The imposing figure of Yun He, who had effortlessly resolved the crisis, was deeply etched into her soul. Her admiration was hard to dispel, yet she dared not express it openly. Unconsciously, she looked back, using the silent city of bones and the icy world to sketch in her mind the elegant figure of the Immortal Venerable.

One after another, the soul-bound corals were cut down. Just as Wu Ying felt it was enough, and she only needed to take two more large ones to finish, the sea behind her suddenly became restless. Turning around in fright, she saw that Xue Sha had a crystal-clear ice flower in its mouth, stretching its neck to swallow it... No, it was more like the ice flower was forcing Xue Sha to swallow itself. The Xuanbing rapidly melted, and on Xue Sha's smooth body, just like the fish before, a frost armor as hard as a rock grew!

The turbulent currents contained immense power. Wu Ying was in the eye of this underwater storm. Only by using all her strength to hold onto the robust mother coral could she prevent herself from being swept away by the current.

This situation didn't last long. The demon girl's swaying body was once again lifted up by immortal power and placed aside. Yunhe rushed back upon hearing the sound, and the Illusionary Moon Chasing Light Fan in his hand unfolded again, forming a barrier in front of him to isolate the turbulent current.

"It was originally hidden in the mouth..." Yunhe said softly, casually wiping his cheek—where a seawater had scratched him. "It's alright, let's fight again."

Wu Ying hid behind the Soul-Possessed Coral, watching nervously.

Beneath the dim, frosty sea, a near-apocalyptic battle unfolded. Yunhe, surrounded by celestial aura, moved like a ghost across the seabed, while Xuesha, having absorbed the power of ten thousand years of ice essence, was equally formidable. Its massive body stretched infinitely, sealing off the entire heart of the seabed, preventing any creature from escaping.

As time passed, Yunhe remained at ease, while the two Snow Demons showed signs of weakness. As the long horn on its forehead was shattered by the fan blade, one of the Snow Demons let out a mournful cry, and its body slowly merged with the seawater, never to be seen again.

"They escaped?" Wu Ying guessed. But the next moment, the ice crystal in her hand suddenly began to vibrate.

At the same time, the seawater surged in the blind spot behind Yunhe, but she seemed oblivious because she was busy dealing with another ferocious beast!

"Immortal Venerable, be careful!" Even faster than thinking, Wu Ying threw out the ice crystal without hesitation.

The ice crystals shattered the moment they touched Xue Sha's sharp teeth. What followed was a terrifyingly powerful surge of frost. Instantly, the Frost Sea was completely frozen, and everyone except Wu Ying, protected by the Bi Fang Feather Robe, was encased in ice, rendered immobile.

Is this... the power of the Mountain Lord? She looked blankly at the ice crystal fragments, but quickly came to her senses, carefully avoiding the Snow Demon, and used the fire feathers of the Bifang Divine Bird to melt the frost around the Cloud Crane.

"Thank you." Yunhe seemed a little uncomfortable, and then asked, "Why did you use what the Mountain Lord gave you on me?"

When asked this, Wu Ying couldn't answer. She knew that with Immortal Venerable Yunhe's keen senses, there was a high probability he would have detected and countered Xue Sha's sneak attack. She only stammered and made up an excuse, saying it was a reaction in a moment of panic, without any real reason.

The immortal continued to gaze at her inquisitively, and her head drooped even lower as she mechanically applied medicine to his face to prevent the wound from becoming infected by the dirty water and leaving a scar.

"Okay, I understand." After sitting for a long time, Yunhe said this calmly, but he got up without any hesitation, dug the snow demon out of the solid ice, and took out a binding rope, tying the two ends to the throats of the two snow demons respectively.

Then, she thawed the frozen seawater with a single palm strike, cut off the largest branch of the Soul-Binding Coral Mother Plant, placed it together with the one she had taken earlier, and used her fan blade to clear a path, retracing her steps. Wu Ying remained in the same spot, pondering the true meaning of the Immortal Venerable's words.

After walking a few steps, seeing that Wu Ying had not followed, Yun He paused and turned around helplessly.

"It's time to go." She stretched out her right hand and urged, "The Mountain Lord is still waiting. We'll need his help to extract the Ice Soul."

Suddenly snapping back to her senses, Wu Ying quickly nodded, then swiftly but carefully grasped Yun He's slightly cool hand, pressing it close to her side. Yun He nodded slightly, saying nothing more. Immortal light and demonic energy swirled around them, and the two transformed into a streak of azure light, breaking through the heavy seawater and swimming towards the surface.

"Immortal Venerable, why did Ice Soul willingly make Snow Demon swallow it?"

"The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Soul is formed from the essence of the extreme cold of heaven and earth, hence its extraordinary spirituality and exceptional ability to conceal itself. Its actions just now were perhaps due to being disturbed by the aura of battle, therefore..."

Deep within the Demon Abyss.

Mo Yiheng did not leave, but concealed his figure and aura, sending only a clone puppet back to the Demon Palace, while his main body merged into the shadow of the ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, patiently waiting.

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, two shadowy figures appeared, stealthily creeping to the area where he had just been. Upon closer inspection, they were none other than the Envoy of the Smoke Domain and the leader of the Seven Fiends. The two looked alarmed and whispered among themselves as they made their way there.

"The Demon Lord lingered here for quite some time just now, could it be... that he sensed something?" Seven Killers, the leader of the Seven Fiends, spoke in a very low voice, carrying a hint of barely perceptible suspicion, "Are you sure that the disguise of that formation is foolproof?"

"So what if they've noticed?" The Envoy of the Smoke Domain sneered, his gaze sweeping warily across the surroundings, yet his tone remained firm. "The plan has reached its final stage... The magic crystal has been sealed into the array's core, already connected to the remnant soul of the Demon God Yunhua. Even if Mo Yiheng destroys the array, it will be futile. We only need to wait for that blood moon night, accompanied by the Demon Lord's blood as a sacrifice... then we can welcome the Demon God and reignite the flames of war! At that time, no matter how strong Mo Yiheng is, he cannot escape being torn apart by Yunhua!"

Carefully stroking the shimmering crystal at the center of the array, confirming the surging demonic energy within, Qi Sha seemed to finally relax, a hint of greed and smugness appearing on his face.

Why do you hate me so much?

On the other side of the secret realm, the two continued their conversation, which consisted of nothing more than how to extract blood and how to divide the spoils.

“What’s so difficult about getting blood?” Qi Sha said disdainfully. “The scribe is already tempted. He just needs a few more days of prodding… I think Ye Xiuluo will succumb to the temptation and lend a hand.”

The Envoy of the Smoke Domain also said, "Then it's even more secure... Ha, who told Mo Yiheng to be so beastly? Killing his own father wasn't enough, he also forcibly took the Ye Xiuluo siblings for his own pleasure day and night... Poor girl, she can only live in the Demon Palace to this day, enduring Mo Yiheng's inhuman torture..."

“Sigh, don’t say anymore. I think Ye Xiuluo has it pretty tough too. It’s bad enough that he has to be that shameless brat’s male concubine at night, but during the day he also has to drag his sick body around to run errands for him… Tell me, how can we, who have wives and children, stand by and watch…”

Before he could finish listening, Mo Yiheng's lips twitched violently, and he almost crushed the magic crystal on the spot, directly awakening the ancestor Yunhua.

Who forcibly abducted her? Who tortured the girl? Who used Night Demon to warm their bed?

Me?

Is this how you promote His Majesty outside?

Seeing that the two had nothing else to discuss, Mo Yiheng pinched his brow to calm himself, his eyes flickered, and a bloodthirsty smile curved his lips. He toyed with the magic crystal, trying his best to suppress the urge to act immediately, and withdrew from the secret realm like a ghost.

It's not the right time yet.

To make the flames of this rebellion burn even brighter, we must purge the rotten flesh cleanly in one go.

He eagerly awaited when Night Demon would come to "secretly" collect his blood.

Yunhua Forbidden Land.

Recently, junior sister Jinzhu has taken on an important new task.

After finishing her daily lessons, she would flit about like a bee gathering pollen and making honey, her big eyes and ears pricked up, trying to catch everything about the "Northern Territory" and the "Demon Realm." As the sun began to set, she would slip into the forbidden area and tell Yun Shu everything she had heard.

For example, right now, Jinzhu is counting on her fingers, reciting things one by one.

"This morning, Fifth Uncle sighed as he looked at the pumpkin porridge in the dining hall. He said he was reminded of the harsh cold of the Northern Frontier and how difficult it was for the disciples who went there to train. He thought we should send them more letters to check on them..."

"The senior brother who patrolled the southeast said that there are far fewer birds and beasts in the Demon Realm these days, as if they were poisoned by something... He's such a kind man, he even brought me a lot of candy when he came back to the mountain, saying that I'm still growing and should eat more..."

Jinzhu patiently and meticulously reported all these fragmented pieces of information to Yunshu inside the spiritual spring, describing them vividly and in detail. She never found it annoying; on the contrary, she enjoyed it immensely.

Yun Shu always listened gently, occasionally asking about a detail or two. Although he was blind, he could still sketch out the changing world in his mind through these fragmented scenes.

Information about the Northern Territory is scarce, and Senior Sister may have already ventured deep into its heartland, making it difficult for outsiders to know about her. However... the fluctuations in immortal energy in the Northern Territory have subsided today, so it seems there's nothing seriously wrong.

And in the Demon Realm... strange phenomena are occurring frequently, which must mean that something big is brewing.

"When the Grand Elder was instructing me on the cultivation technique today, he stopped and gazed southeast for a long time, then turned around and consulted with the other elders..." She suddenly remembered something and grabbed Yun Shu's big tail, "Oh right, they also asked me to come and ask you for instructions!"

"...Hmm?" The fingers that had been stroking the water trembled slightly. "What is it?"

"Actually, I don't really know either... They told me a whole bunch of things. I vaguely remember that they said the sleeping 'Ancestor Yunhua' had been disturbed and they needed to find a way to appease him... But then I heard them talking about 'demons' and 'secret realms'... The Grand Elder said you would understand."

...As expected, the strange phenomena in the Demon Realm were not accidental.

After a moment's hesitation, he got up and walked out of the spirit spring, asking softly, "Jinzhu, could you please fetch me some paper and pen?"

"Okay, I'll go right away!"

Soon, Jinzhu rested her chin on her hand, combed Yunshu's several fluffy fox tails, and nervously closed her eyes to wait.

Yun Shu chuckled: "You don't need to be like that."

She shook her head vigorously, as if it were a rattle-drum: "Such a big matter, the stories all say it should be kept secret, not shown to anyone... Fox Fairy, is this unusual situation very serious? I see the elders are all very worried... You too, you've been frowning the whole time..."

This child is quite thoughtful.

What Yun Shu wrote was certainly not some secret cultivation technique. What was presented on the paper was merely a few common spiritual herbs, along with the names of a few types of minerals. The only thing that could be called a "secret technique" was the extremely complex formula at the bottom, which combined and refined these ingredients. The effect of this method was neither for healing nor for sealing, but rather... to soothe and stabilize a soul that had been possessed by demons.

Although his medical skills were not as unparalleled as Yunhe's, he had been around his master and senior sister for many years and had absorbed some medical knowledge. Based on his understanding of his master Yunhua, he believed that this prescription should be effective.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

If this method is useless... then he will have no choice but to personally go to the Demon Realm to "visit" his master.

“Give this prescription to the Second Elder… He usually refines medicine in the alchemy room.” Yun Shu said calmly, “Just say that I wrote it. If he has any doubts, ask him to come and find me.”

Although she didn't understand why, Jinzhu still carefully wrote it down: "Yes! I'll definitely deliver it!"

After she ran away, Yun Shu faced the misty spring alone, her empty gaze seemingly piercing through the mountains and landing on the southeastern border of the Demon Realm.

The poisoned water source, Master Yunhua about to awaken...

Heng'er, are you in the eye of the storm right now?

He knew his disciple's temperament well. The boy was rather impatient and would never sit idly by and wait to be killed. But this time, the opponent... might be someone far beyond the boy's imagination.

A feeling of helplessness and anxiety gnawed at his heart once more. Due to the emotional turmoil, the demonic poison seemed to have become more active. Fine, intertwined pain coursing through his meridians. He tried his best to suppress the churning blood and qi, calmed himself down, and entered the spiritual spring to continue healing by circulating his demonic power.

At the very least, I need to recover some of my power before my master wakes up.

The Demon Realm, the Demon Lord's Bedchamber.

Before Mo Yiheng lay the same auxiliary medicinal plant that required a large amount of demonic energy to nourish it. A continuous stream of pure demonic energy overflowed, supplying not only the auxiliary plant but also nourishing the Ember Orchid within the hidden compartment. The magic crystal floated beside his hand; though the aura of cloud-like energy contained within was minuscule, it still stung his skin.

"Ah—ah—"

The crow's cry was particularly piercing. He twitched his fingertips, and the window lattice opened wide. The crow flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder, revealing a secret message hidden in its feathers.

"Heng'er".

The first two words made him instantly soften his heart.

"How have you been lately? I have recently sensed unusual activity in the Demon Realm, and I fear..."

The letter, though short, was almost entirely filled with concern that Mo Yiheng was overworked and that there had been changes in the Demon Realm.

His master was concerned about him. Mo Yiheng couldn't help but smile, all his irritability vanishing. He just wanted to go to Yun Shu's side immediately, kneel on his master's lap, and listen to his master tell him stories.

Before he could finish reading, Ye Xiuluo appeared without any sense of propriety.

Mo Yiheng's face darkened: I don't want to work.

"explain."

"Your Majesty, Shenyan and the others have secretly contacted people at all levels in the Demon Realm. I predict that they will activate the formation and launch a coup soon." Ye Xiuluo reported in a serious tone, pretending not to see his master's expression. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he added, "Also, today, in the alchemy room of Yunhua Mountain, it seems that they are developing some kind of... pill formula that can strengthen the soul."

Mo Yiheng was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked at the secret letter from Yunhua Mountain.

Stabilize the soul?

Coincidence? Or...?

This thought made his already softened heart almost turn into a pool of thick syrup, filling his chest completely. It was so sweet that he thought he wasn't in the cold, dark Demon Palace, but in the breezy, sunny Yunhua Mountain.

"Understood." He carefully tucked the secret letter into his personal pocket, placing it next to the jade pendant, and said gently, "Continue the surveillance and proceed according to plan."

Silence returned to the hall. Mo Yiheng gazed northwest, his eyes seemingly piercing through layers of illusions, caressing the pale, serene figure in the spring water.

Master, don't be afraid.

This time, Heng'er will protect you.