"Tell Aunt Yun to set the wedding date for half a month from now, and I will come back."
"……good."
Chu Hongluan left the nameless immortal mountain under the cover of darkness.
After that, they disappeared without a trace.
Ten days later, the informant reported back: Elder Chu had successfully rescued 100,000 hostages from the Demon Realm, but he himself was ambushed during the retreat and controlled by the Demon Clan's secret technique, the Soul-Seizing Curse, becoming the Demon Lord's most capable henchman! He led the demon army to conquer seven cities in succession!
The entire Wanfo sect mobilized to defend against the enemy—but no one survived.
The entire Western Regions have fallen! It's been renamed the Demon Realm! It's now the territory of the demons!
"Impossible! Junior Sister wouldn't fail!"
"It's said that... during the hostage's escape, a child went back to retrieve her rattle drum, and Elder Chu was delayed in rescuing her..."
Liu Jinghong almost lost her balance.
"But... the Gu in my body isn't reacting, which means at least my junior sister isn't injured, right?"
"Before Sister Hongluan left, she asked me to remove the curse."
Liu Jinghong was momentarily dazed; she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
How could this happen?
"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"
At this moment, another disciple rushed back in a panic to report.
"A lot of people have arrived at the foot of the mountain! They're all blocking the entrance to the mountain's protective formation!"
The lady of the pavilion frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
"...he, they..."
Before the disciple could even compose himself, everyone heard a chorus of shouts coming from the foot of the mountain, each one shrill and deafening.
"The world is in great turmoil! The people are suffering!"
"We humbly beg the young master to succeed us as the head of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion!"
"Unravel the secrets of heaven and save the people from suffering!"
"We beg you, Young Master, to succeed us as the Head of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion!"
"Unravel the secrets of heaven and save the people from suffering!"
There is an astrological tower in Tianji Pavilion.
That's a place only the previous leaders of the pavilion could go.
The horoscope chart in the astrology hall is a medium for communicating with the celestial order.
It is also a unique inheritance belonging to the Liu family bloodline.
The prerequisite for accepting the inheritance is that the Pavilion Master orders the person to acknowledge the master.
"The world is in great turmoil! The people are suffering!"
"We humbly beg the young master to succeed us as the head of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion!"
"Unravel the secrets of heaven and save the people from suffering!"
If Liu Jinghong succeeds to the throne and contracts with the astrological chart, it means that he will have to take on the responsibility of saving the world and bringing blessings to the people, spending half his life in the astrological tower, and completely bidding farewell to the distant places and freedom that he yearns for.
Liu Jinghong gave a bitter smile.
If those people had chosen to stand idly by when he and his junior sister were framed by Mo Yu that day in the wilderness, he probably wouldn't be so hesitant today.
Because he could easily say without any shame: What does it have to do with me?
If he could possess the same cultivation level as his junior sister, with the strength to hold off ten thousand men, he probably wouldn't be in such a predicament today.
Because he could have simply stormed into the enemy camp and rescued his junior sister.
That's enough, that's enough.
Everything is fate.
He should take on the position of Pavilion Master.
Thus, in the final years of the Gods' Seclusion, the Heavenly Demon emerged, wielding the Demon Blade Evil Sun to unleash a world-ending war. In the same year, countless people knelt outside the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, pleading for Young Master Liu to succeed him. Responding to the people's wishes, Young Master Liu assumed the position of Pavilion Master, and after receiving the inheritance, he broke through to the Tribulation Transcending Realm in one fell swoop.
Inside the astrology pavilion, Liu Jinghong's first question to the astrologer was: How can I break the Soul-Capturing Curse and save my junior sister?
The astrologer says: Open your eyes, and the astrologer will tell you the answer.
"That won't do. If I give you my eyes, how will I ever see my junior sister's every smile and frown?"
"...Give me your hearing, that will do too."
"No, no, if I give you my hearing, I'll never hear my junior sister's voice again. You might as well kill me!"
"Then give me your love!"
"You're crazy! Impossible! Let me tell you! In this life, the next life, and the life after that, I will never give up loving her! Never!"
"..."
The horoscope remained silent.
"Go ahead and choose another one. As long as I can give it to you, I will."
Liu Jinghong seemed to hear the astrolabe sighing.
"Give me your voice, for three days."
"That simple?" Liu Jinghong had some doubts, but before she could think too much about it, her mouth had already given the answer.
"make a deal!"
"Regarding your question, 'How can I break the Soul-Capturing Curse and rescue my junior sister?' the answer is: People from beyond the heavens, everything is unpredictable and subject to change."
It means it's beyond the scope of the curriculum, and I can't answer it.
"?"
What are you doing, putting yourself where I am?!
Liu Jinghong wanted to curse it, but she couldn't make a sound.
Wow! This astrological chart is quite prescient!
"However, since you can't speak, you can't ask the next question. This is your return gift for bargaining with me."
"..."
Liu Jinghong rubbed her throbbing temples, feeling a wave of weakness wash over her.
He really isn't suited to be this damn pavilion master.
Without getting entangled with the astrolabe any longer, Liu Jinghong turned and walked out the door. Leaning against the railing, she used her finger as a brush to draw talismans in mid-air. The moment the golden veins took shape, an extremely dazzling beam of red light shot straight into the sky, exploding into a huge and eye-catching Big Dipper emblem!
A few seconds later, the emblem of Jian Ge also lit up in the sky!
Then there's Penglai! Jade Maiden Sect! Joyful Union Sect! Sword Sect!
The signal has only one meaning: War!
In just half an incense stick's time, all the disciples and elders above the Foundation Establishment stage of the entire sect had gathered.
Liu Jinghong stood tall on the high platform, her posture as straight as a pine tree.
Without saying a word, he simply waved his hand and took the lead, setting off in a grand procession of three thousand members of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion towards the Demon Realm.
At dawn on the third day, the various factions met outside the Demon Realm, totaling 20,000 troops.
The sky above the Demon Realm was shrouded in a gray haze, overgrown with thorns and rife with demonic energy, forming a distinct dividing line between it and the neighboring Northern and Southern Realms.
All around was quiet, except for the sound of the wind and the rustling of withered leaves, brewing an atmosphere of danger.
"Ha~"
A lazy yawn came from the darkness, startling everyone and instantly putting them on edge.
"You have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you for quite some time."
As he spoke listlessly, the footsteps drew closer, and finally, they could see who it was.
He was an extremely thin man, with demonic horns on his forehead symbolizing his demonic identity. His long hair was casually tied with a red ribbon, somewhat disheveled, and his clothes were loose and baggy, as if he had just woken up.
His eyelids were drooping, making him look very listless. His skin was a sickly white, which made the dark circles under his eyes even more noticeable.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Shi Ruyue, the third protector under the Demon Lord. I have been sent by His Majesty to test your abilities..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sword flash came hurtling towards him.
"You brat! Take this sword of mine!"
A strong wind ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, but he showed no sign of moving until the sword intent touched the tip of his nose. Only then did he burst into a cloud of black mist and dissipate.
"It's really impolite to attack before someone has finished speaking."
Shi Ruyue muttered softly, then reformed into human form and stood in the same spot.
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