Chapter Twenty-Five: Dark Clouds Over the Border

The sparks ignited within Starshine Garden, before they could spread like wildfire, were engulfed by the suddenly intensified low pressure deep within the Demon Palace.

Fragments of information from various sources converged on Shang Jiuya's desk with unprecedented frequency and urgency.

Bai Yu's face grew paler day by day. The information relayed by her low-level informants became increasingly fragmented, yet more alarming than ever: the guards outside Elder Youchi's palace had been replaced by more unfamiliar faces, their auras unusually cold and stern; the convoys transporting supplies to Elder Gongliang's residence had suddenly become more frequent, but they weren't carrying ordinary daily necessities, but rather boxes tightly covered with thick cloth, emanating subtle energy fluctuations; the maids in Princess Guanshanyue's palace hurried about, their faces bearing a strange expression of suppressed excitement and fear; there were even rumors that someone had seen one of Prince Aoli's trusted advisors quietly leaving Elder Youchi's villa through a side gate late at night…

Relying on the reconnaissance of the Shadow Guards on the perimeter, Li Yue reported more specific movements: several elite squads under Qi Mu's command, under the guise of "troop rotation," were secretly moving towards several strategic points on the outskirts of the Demon Palace. Their marching routes and deployment positions were subtly forming a potential encirclement of the Purple Light Palace. The number of visible and hidden sentries throughout the Demon Palace had noticeably increased, and the frequency and routes of patrols had become more aggressive and targeted, especially the surveillance of the Purple Light Palace, which was almost blatant.

Even Qingcheng, who had just established contact, made contact through an extremely discreet exchange of supplies. In a batch of boxes labeled "inferior magic crystals," a small amount of rare healing potions and purer cultivation magic crystals were mixed in at the bottom. Attached was a piece of animal hide without any writing, only a pattern of a crimson magic eye pierced by three cracks—a variant of the Yuchi family emblem, implying that Yuchi had torn off its disguise and was preparing to take action.

The news from Xing Yuan focused more on the atmosphere: the Elders' Council meetings had suddenly decreased recently, but You Chi and Gong Liang's private meetings had become extremely frequent, with Jiang Zheng participating on several occasions. A rhetoric of "cleansing house and restoring order" began to quietly circulate among the upper echelons. Many neutral officials felt the impending pressure and chose to stay home to protect themselves.

All the clues, like countless streams, ultimately converge on the same chilling conclusion: You Chi and Gong Liang have lost patience. They have likely reached some dirty agreement with Guan Shanyue and Ao Li based on shared interests—to first eliminate all "unstable factors," and the first to bear the brunt is none other than her, the nominal Demon Lord, Jiu Ya! Qi Mu's troop movements may not only be for self-preservation, but also for being courted or tacitly approved to participate in this "purge."

The intrigues and undercurrents within the Demon Palace seemed to have subsided, replaced by an almost overt atmosphere of oppression and chilling tension. Rumors, far from diminishing, became even more rampant and direct, with blatant claims such as "The Demon Lord is unworthy of her position, a divine warning has been sent" and "The Elder Council is about to be abolished." This was a psychological offensive, intended to undermine the will of her already scarce supporters.

A storm is coming. It's no longer a premonition, but an imminent reality.

Inside the Purple Light Hall, the lights were bright, but they couldn't dispel the thick, oppressive tension. Shang Jiuya stood before the animal hide map covered in markings, her cold gaze sweeping over the symbols representing various forces, finally settling on the arrows pointing towards the Purple Light Hall, indicating troop movements.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over all the core members in the room: Bai Yu, whose face was firm yet unable to hide her worry; Li Yue, who stood ramrod straight; Shi Gu, the Shadow Guard captain whose aura had become more composed and capable after several missions; and two young demons who had secretly come through Xing Yuan's channels, representing the most steadfast supporters among the younger generation—one was a master craftsman's disciple who was proficient in defensive magic runes, and the other was a clerk who worked at the Academy of Documents and had access to some official documents.

"Everyone," Shang Jiuya's voice rang out, "I'm sure you're all aware of the situation. They've lost patience and aren't going to wait any longer."

The room was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing.

“This may be the last moment of peace,” Shang Jiuya continued, “but we will never sit idly by and wait for our doom.”

She began to issue the final instructions:

"Li Yue!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I hereby order you and the entire Shadow Guard to immediately enter the highest state of combat readiness. All rest days are cancelled, and the number of duty shifts is doubled. Immediately develop several contingency plans: including a plan to hold out for reinforcements, a route plan for an emergency evacuation from the Purple Light Palace, and... if necessary, a plan to launch a limited counterattack and create chaos to buy time. Each plan must have a detailed contingency plan and a secret code for rendezvous. You will be personally in charge of this matter, and I need to see a feasible plan before dawn tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!" Li Yue accepted the order without hesitation. He knew this might be his last gamble.

"Shigu!"

"Your subordinate is here!" The Shadow Guard Captain stepped forward.

"You will lead the Shadow Guards, in coordination with Li Yue, to immediately conduct a final thorough search of all areas of the Purple Light Palace, ensuring that no surveillance arrays or traps have been overlooked. At the same time, familiarize yourself with every emergency evacuation route, so that you can walk with your eyes closed! Stockpile all available combat magical artifacts and potions, and distribute them."

"yes!"

"Bai Yu!"

"Yes, sir!"

"You are in charge of internal stability and information hub. Make sure there is no chaos within our organization. All informants are to go into silence, but the most critical lines must remain open, especially the communication with Elder Qingcheng and Elder Xingyuan! Report to me immediately if you receive any warning information, no matter when! You also need to soothe the emotions of the people in the hall."

"This servant understands! I will do my best!" Bai Yu nodded vigorously, her small hands clenched tightly.

Finally, she looked at the two young representatives:

“You two,” she said, her tone softening slightly, “thank you for coming at this critical moment. Your tasks are equally important: please use your respective channels to closely monitor any official orders issued by the Elder Council, as well as any unusual large-scale mobilizations of forces from various factions. Any subtle anomaly could be key to determining when they will act. Be careful, and prioritize your own safety.”

The two young demons bowed deeply, both excited and nervous: "We obey Your Majesty's command! For the future of the demon realm, we are willing to die a thousand deaths!"

Once the order was given, everyone accepted it and quickly got to work.

Shang Jiuya remained alone in the inner room, walked to the window, and looked out. The sky of the Demon Realm was still that eternally gloomy expanse, but at this moment, the sky seemed to hang low as if one could reach out and touch it, pressing heavily upon the entire Demon Palace.

She felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest, but strangely, under this extreme pressure, an unusual calmness and determination also arose.

She recounted her journey since her transmigration: from the fear and confusion upon waking from poisoning, to the humiliation of sitting on pins and needles in the Daqing Hall, to saving Bai Yu and receiving her first warmth, to promoting Li Yue and giving him his first sword, to forming the Shadow Guard and possessing her first force, to using conflicts to stir up disputes, to win Qing Cheng's aid, and to ignite the flame of hope for the younger generation...

Step by step, from a puppet at the mercy of others, to now, although still weak, it has partners to fight alongside and the means to struggle and resist.

The road was full of thorns and blood, but she made it through.

So, no matter how difficult this final step may be, she must take it.

She slowly clenched her fist, her fingertips digging deep into her palm, bringing a distinct pain, but also making her more alert. The short blade in her sleeve, which often emitted a slight warmth, seemed to sense its owner's surging emotions, emitting a buzzing sound. A scorching power quietly flowed into her body through her skin, merging with the stinging energy generated by her cultivation of the "Burning Marrow and Corroding Heart Technique," bringing a strange sensation.

"bring it on."

She silently uttered two words while looking out at the gloomy sky.

Inside the Purple Light Palace, time seemed to be pulled by an invisible hand, moving both suffocatingly slowly and terrifyingly fast. Shang Jiuya relentlessly squeezed every last bit of her potential out of herself in an almost self-destructive way. That small study became her only fortress for fighting against fate and accumulating strength.

Her cultivation of the *Shadowy Secrets* was beginning to show results. She closed her eyes and concentrated, striving to extend her spiritual energy outwards like a spiderweb. Initially, she could only vaguely perceive the flickering demonic fire within the hall and the distant footsteps of patrolling guards. Now, she could faintly "touch" the subtle emotional fluctuations in the whispers of maids in the distant corridors—a trace of weariness, a hint of worry, even a fear of the unknown that lay ahead. This perception wasn't clear language, but rather ripples of emotion. More importantly, her vigilance against malice had reached a new level. Any hostile gaze or energy approaching would trigger a warning in her spiritual sense several times stronger than before, undoubtedly greatly increasing her chances of survival.

However, compared to the pain and power brought by the "Burning Marrow and Eroding Heart Technique", the progress of the "Shadow Secret Knowledge Chapter" can be described as gentle.

The process of cultivating the "Burning Marrow and Eroding Heart Technique" was like actively throwing herself into purgatory each time. When she guided the thin demonic energy to run along the strange route recorded in the technique, it was as if molten magma was instantly poured into her meridians, bringing with it extreme pain of tearing and burning wherever it passed.

Sweat poured from her pale skin like streams, instantly vaporizing into a thin mist from the intense heat within her body. She clenched her teeth so tightly that she could even taste the blood from her bitten tongue. Only with her strong will—a refusal to be subjugated and a determination to control her own destiny—could she barely maintain a sliver of clarity in her mind, guiding the turbulent energy to complete cycle after cycle.

But even under such inhuman torment, the effects are astonishing.

In this painful transformation, the short sword "Kunwu," now completely red, plays a peculiar role that even Shang Jiuya herself cannot fully understand. It is like a living symbiote, cultivating and growing alongside her.

An invisible bridge seemed to have been built between the person and the blade, the hum of the blade gradually matching the rhythm of her heartbeat. She didn't even need to consciously control it; with just a thought, the Kunwu Blade could adjust its angle on its own. Wherever the blade pointed, a subtle tearing sound would be heard in the air, and a chilling sharpness would naturally emanate from it, causing Li Yue, who was protecting her, to often feel a stinging pain between his brows and to be secretly alarmed.

Shang Jiuya could feel that this mysterious short blade was becoming a part of her body, and was her most powerful trump card besides her growing spiritual sense and condensed demonic energy.