Chapter 67 Sect Leader Zhou (The End) He leaned down and embraced her...

Seven days later.

Cloud Candle Pagoda.

A mystical aura filled the air as white jade steps wound their way up, and celestial officials solemnly passed by.

Golden beads glittered on the jade wall, and beaded curtains hung down. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, there was a huge living room.

Zhou Fuling sat in front of a suspended golden mirror that looked like the future, while a servant was helping her get dressed.

Her black hair was adorned with coral beads and red pearls, and she wore a small vermilion bird crown on her head. The jewels complemented her cool, dark eyes, creating a dazzling effect.

She wore a snow-white Taoist robe embroidered with the Xiezhi totem, a symbol of justice. The robe was adorned with delicate gold threads, and paired with a vermilion silk sash adorned with emerald beads—a style of attire typical of high-ranking cultivators of the Yun Ning Sect.

She wore a Vermilion Bird jade pendant on her waist.

"Sect Leader Zhou, please."

Zhou Fuling is the first non-royal sect leader in Yun Ning in five hundred years. Is this the beginning of a change in the world? The immortal master following behind her wondered.

She stepped onto the jade steps and, accompanied and guided by the Fire-Singing Immortal and others, entered the summit of the Cloud Candle Tower.

Towering cloud pillars, fragrant flowers, and the Vermilion Bird flew down from the Cloud Candle Tower.

Ling Fu and Qing Huyue stood together.

Qinghu Yue: "Are the people from your hometown still making things difficult for you?"

Ling Fu: "How dare I? The Sect Master has given the order; I'm now in charge of the Ling family! As for you, how does it feel to have broken through to the second rank?"

Qinghu Yue said, "Of course it's good!"

Part Four is filled with joy.

Because all the breakthroughs that needed to be made have been made.

Zhou Fuling also copied the second part and let them choose magic weapons, which naturally made them dazzled by the choices.

In the second part, a neutral elder is now in power, and Ling Fu has become his student.

In the third part, Liu Wuxing falls seriously ill, and Shu Minglian takes over the government.

The chanting of the fire led Zhou Fuling up to the cloud platform.

Zhou Fuling questioned Liang Huo, and then activated the sect's protective formation according to his instructions. Sword energy soared into the sky from the Cloud Candle Tower, and the ceremony was complete.

"The Yun Ning and Yun Yi tribes pledge their loyalty to the Zhou Fuling clan leader in the north."

"The Yun Ning and Yun Er tribes... pledged their loyalty to Sect Master Zhou Fuling in the West."

Afterwards, the four ministers pledged their loyalty to Zhou Fuling, who was seated in the position of sect leader.

They each took their place, placing the blood of the spirit bird on the cloud platform to awaken the spirit stone, causing it to radiate a dazzling light.

Afterwards, various minor sects from the Southern Continent, including Tianji Sect, Longtan Sect, and the Xu Family, came to congratulate their sect leader and offer gifts.

Xu Qingning also brought people with him:

"Tianji Sect respectfully congratulates Sect Master Zhou Fuling."

The two looked at each other.

-

As night fell, the moon shone coolly, and the Milky Way shone brightly in the sky.

The sword energy resounded, a customary gesture of the immortals congratulating the new sect leader on his ascension to the throne. The immortal master tossed out blessing scrolls, which the immortals vied for.

Inside the Cloud Candle Tower, the sounds of bamboo flutes, songs, and dances mingled with celestial music as the banquet began and continued until late into the night.

"Where is Xu Qingning, the young sect leader? Why did he disappear along with the sect leader?"

-

"Zhou Fuling!"

At the top of the Cloud Candle Pagoda.

Behind a thousand layers of beaded curtains, Xu Qingning was leaning against the couch.

It was pitch black before my eyes, as if shrouded in some kind of light, ethereal ribbon.

He shook his head, strands of hair falling behind him, and scratched his wrist—his wrist was also bound behind his back. Zhou Fuling had obtained the Immortal Binding Rope from who-knows-where; it didn't hurt, but it was enough to make him look disheveled.

One must find peace and tranquility to dispel vexation.

Was she drunk? No, he stared; she clearly hadn't been drinking.

Then why does she always treat him like this?

It's as if he's some kind of plaything.

Zhou Fuling stood before the couch, leaning against the carved pillar. The coral beads and red pearls in her black hair reflected in her deep eyes as she bowed her head.

Xu Qingning lay on the soft quilt, his Taoist robe as white as snow, adorned with bright jade, making him appear noble and elegant.

Beneath her sash, her crimson lips were lightly pursed.

He was clearly angry... and confused.

Zhou Fuling explained, "I treat my senior brother this way because I'm worried he won't tell the truth."

Xu Qingning raised his head: "What?"

"...Just ask whatever you want to ask."

Zhou Fuling: "Why do you say I'm your lover?"

Xu Qingning said, "The first part will only support you in order to remind them of that prophecy."

He sat up, unable to see, and braced his hands against the pillar.

Suddenly, a warm, soft touch came from his Adam's apple; it was Zhou Fuling who had pinched it.

Xu Qingning shuddered, and before she could dodge, her earlobe was pinched.

He really didn't know...when did she learn these things?

Xu Qingning's earlobes burned, and she turned her head away from her: "...Reckless!"

Then it suddenly leaned back, like a bird startled by a bow.

"...What exactly do you want to do?"

Zhou Fuling asked, "Why did you say that?"

She asked again why they were described as lovers.

Xu Qingning: "...I, I love you."

He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "You're forcing me to tell you. But you already knew."

Xu Qingning raised his eyes. His handsome face was still covered by a mermaid belt, yet it was very lifelike. His red lips were slightly pursed, like beautiful jade.

For a moment, the wind outside the window kept blowing, and the sounds of lamps, trees, and flowers all disappeared.

Only the sound of the wind remained, lingering for a long time.

Zhou Fuling remained silent for a long time. Xu Qingning pursed her lips tightly, leaning against the carved pillar, but a chill ran through her fingers, reaching all the way to her heart.

He knew that Zhou Fuling didn't have a high level of affection for him right now, so it would be difficult for her to reciprocate.

After the previous setbacks, Xu Qingning had lost hope, but remained somewhat saddened.

He lowered his eyes, pondering whether to say something, but his throat seemed to be choked.

However, his lips suddenly felt hot.

It was Zhou Fuling who grabbed the back of his neck, forced him to tilt his head back, and kissed him.

Xu Qingning was stunned.

Outside the window, the sound of fireworks exploding suddenly echoed in his heart, like thunder in the drums.

He was stunned for a moment.

He then leaned in to return the kiss.

The two of them lay together on the bed, and did not stop for a long time.

After a long pause, Xu Qingning said in a hoarse voice, "Let go."

Zhou Fuling said, "Okay."

As soon as he was free, Xu Qingning held Zhou Fuling in his arms and let her sit on his lap.

Zhou Fuling wrapped her arms around his neck.

Xu Qingning's eyes welled up with tears. He looked at her carefully for a while before leaning down to kiss her.

This was the first time the two had been so close.

Having known each other for many years and gone through many ups and downs, the feelings that had accumulated were hard to let go, so I did not restrain myself.

After a while, the two gradually rested.

Xu Qingning held her, looked at her tenderly, and whispered:

"When? Didn't you hate me before?"

Zhou Fuling said, "I have hated you. I disliked that you and I were on opposite sides of good and evil, and I disliked your hypocrisy."

Xu Qingning chuckled softly, then suddenly remembered something: "When I left you in my youth, did you still blame me? But in my eyes, you are different now. In the past, you were cruel, only knowing how to plunder and kill, but now..."

"What about now?" Zhou Fuling asked.

Xu Qingning stroked her hair and whispered, "My Fuling has changed."

Zhou Fuling: "Why were you unwilling at first?"

Xu Qingning: "It takes time for an elder brother to come to his senses after being in this position for so long."

"Later, when I came to my senses, I almost thought I was going to lose you forever. Fortunately, you are still here."

The two clasped hands, gazing at the starry sky outside the window, and both thought of the past.

Those were the ten years.

They looked at each other again, and Xu Qingning remained silent for a long time.

Zhou Fuling: "What are you doing?"

Xu Qingning kissed the corner of her mouth and suddenly said, "It was you, the villain, who saved me."

"What did you say?"

"nothing."

Outside the window, the sky was ablaze with fireworks, and stars seemed to fall like rain.

Illuminating the night sky.

-----------------------

Author's note: I'm sorry everyone, it took so long to finish writing this. It really took a long time, and I was on hiatus most of the time.

I am extremely grateful to all the readers who have made it this far. Thank you for your support.

There are reasons for repeatedly revising this section and for stopping here.

My main purpose in writing this piece was actually to train a unit similar to the Yun Ning Grand Competition. I've always wanted to write a group brawl like this, ending with a relatively satisfying conclusion.

But looking back now, it wasn't quite right. The premise was an emotional one, but I added a lot of plot, which seemed out of place. Actually, the first time I stopped updating was because I realized I wasn't very good at writing this kind of plot. I was stumped, and on top of that, I got sick, so I stopped updating.

Later, after I finished rewriting the Yun Ning Grand Competition and then stopped updating again, I realized that the characters in the first part of the story were basically unconvincing. Not a single character left an impression on me.

Now, after the revisions, although some issues still exist, the areas I wanted to train have been largely addressed. I can only say that I've done my best. It also eliminates the feeling I had in the past, where the plot felt rushed and the characters were all disjointed (now, after the revisions, most characters might be reasonably plausible, and the logic might be less rigorous, but the enjoyment is somewhat Schrödinger's cat).

The reason I'm ending here is that I genuinely don't have the energy to write the rest. The main storyline was originally designed for Zhou Fuling to conquer Zhongzhou, unify the Immortal Realm, and ultimately discover the truth about the system (that the Heavenly Dao wants to absorb her energy). However, these plot points still contradict the emotionally driven narrative. What would happen if I continued writing? I think it would drag on. Because the relationship between Zhou and Xu has already developed to this point, continuing would only involve numerous plot lines and the introduction of new conflicts, which would take an unknown amount of time. Therefore, I've chosen to stop here. Here, Zhou Fuling has temporarily completed her character arc through the Grand Competition; she has stepped out from behind the scenes, reaching a peak in her career (in the original version, she didn't conquer the three sects by the end of the Grand Competition, but now she has many confidants), and her relationship with Xu Qingning has entered a new phase. I feel this is a suitable place to end.

Thank you for reading.