The demon’s lair was vast, with gloomy mountain paths. Some kind of formation sustained the lair, causing the roads to transform in countless ways, quite similar to the Thousand Silk Path of the Moon Palace. As one walked, directions would shift.

Sometimes one would exit a cave to see the dusky sky outside; sometimes one would enter a pitch-black cavern and walk along a seemingly endless dark passage; or turn a corner and suddenly find oneself in a rain-drenched courtyard.

Ling Luo looked at the rainy courtyard before her and said, “It resembles the Zhao family’s place.”

Yue Liangze stood in the courtyard, gazing at the lit houses, still remembering the scene when Zuo Bai had his left eye gouged out by Young Master Zhao under the eaves.

Ling Luo tapped her fingers on a corridor pillar. She had never been here before and didn’t know that the demon’s lair contained an identical courtyard.

Yue Liangze said, “It’s been over a month since he obtained the Flying Thunder Pearl. If it truly works, Zuo Bai should have been resurrected by now.”

“If Zuo Bai had truly been resurrected, he would have eagerly led people out to provoke us. How could he still be hiding?” Ling Luo took one last look at the courtyard and walked out with Yue Liangze. “I told you this Flying Thunder Pearl is useless. Even with the Moon Palace’s forbidden spell, it’s still useless. It can only preserve the three souls and six spirits of someone with severe injuries…”

Before she could finish speaking, just as they exited the courtyard gate, they encountered flying sword blades. Faintly, they heard someone shouting “Young Master.”

Young Master?

Wu Sheng destroyed the flying sword blades. Through the black sword, Ling Luo glimpsed a dazzling gold.

The terrain had changed again, transforming from a dark cave entrance to an exposed cliff with a wooden bridge. A group of young people were crossing the bridge over the cliff, and the two leading figures looked familiar.

Feng Tianyao paused when he saw the courtyard gates at the end of the bridge. “How are you two here?”

After asking, he irritably added, “Another illusion?”

Covered in dirt and fanning himself, Zi Xiu, who was being held by Chu Yi, widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Stop scolding me and look at Ling Luo! Junior Sister, you’ve finally come to rescue me!”

Ling Luo regarded the people on the bridge with a profoundly mysterious expression.

As Chu Yi moved forward, Feng Tianyao stopped him, cautiously saying, “Be careful, it might be an illusion like before.”

“Usually when these two appear together, I want to convince myself it’s an illusion,” Chu Yi sneered. “Unfortunately, it never is.”

Ling Luo raised her eyebrows with a brilliant smile: “Sorry to disappoint you, Senior Brother, but this time it isn’t either.”

Feng Tianyao froze.

What did that mean?

Why was it not an illusion when these two appeared together?

He glanced at Yue Liangze, unconsciously appraising him.

A moment later, Feng Tianyao withdrew his gaze.

This guy was too strong to fight. Better to hold back for now.

After crossing the bridge, Chu Yi asked Ling Luo, “Just you alone?”

Ling Luo nodded, looking at the nearly-dead Zi Xiu, and asked, “Why is Senior Brother Zi Xiu here too?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be hiding in Tianji, not coming out?

“Don’t ask, just call it bad luck, eight generations of bad luck,” Zi Xiu weakly waved his hand and sat down heavily, gasping for breath. “I was just passing by when I saw a demon forcibly abducting a village girl. Even though my spiritual veins are ruined, I couldn’t just watch without helping, right? As a result, the demon captured me too!”

Zi Xiu raged: “Truly, not everyone can perform good deeds.”

Ling Luo remembered that she once summoned demons to abduct people in the mortal realm, and couldn’t help blinking.

“He was unfortunate enough to be captured, and I came because Tianji disciples were trapped. But what about you?” Chu Yi narrowed his eyes at her, also glancing at Yue Liangze.

Ling Luo answered righteously: “To rescue you.”

Chu Yi: “…”

“And you?” Chu Yi turned to ask Yue Liangze. “I don’t see Brother Bai here either.”

Yue Liangze replied calmly: “Rescuing someone.”

Chu Yi pressed aggressively: “Who?”

Yue Liangze’s expression remained unchanged: “My son.”

Chu Yi: “…”

Ling Luo said: “Senior Brother, why are you asking so many questions about other people’s family matters?”

Chu Yi glared at her fiercely, while the two Nanshan Xuehe disciples listening nearby looked at Yue Liangze with horrified eyes.

Rescuing who?

His son?!

Feng Tianyao drew in a sharp breath, using his eyes to signal to Yu Cang beside him if he had heard.

Yu Cang stroked his eyebrow, exclaiming in shock: “Is this what the Holy Sword Sect is like?”

“Stop joking around and discuss how to get out of here,” Zi Xiu said irritably.

They then began exchanging information.

Chu Yi and Feng Tianyao’s groups had also met on the road. The demon’s lair constantly transformed, and they had been wandering through the passages unable to find an exit or see the White Bone Demon. They had encountered disciples from other immortal sects but unfortunately separated due to demon creatures and changing paths.

“What’s the situation outside?” Chu Yi asked.

Ling Luo looked at Feng Tianyao as she answered: “People from all twelve great immortal sects are joining forces to enter the demon’s lair. Sect Leader Feng is also rushing over to save his son.”

Feng Tianyao, bewildered by her stare, unconsciously raised his hand to touch his face: “Of course, my father is worried about me.”

Ling Luo smiled slightly.

“That’s great! With Sect Leader Feng coming, everything will be fine,” Zi Xiu collapsed on the ground in relief. “Quickly get me out of this dreadful place. This Twenty-Four Phase Formation has me completely disoriented, worse than any ghost maze!”

“This courtyard looks familiar,” Yu Cang walked a couple of steps into the courtyard, peered around, and said, “Isn’t this the Zhao family’s courtyard from Shunyi Town?”

After listening, Feng Tianyao looked disgusted: “Is this Twenty-Six Demon some kind of pervert? How shameless to build a Zhao family residence here! Don’t tell me he wants to harm Zuo Bai again?”

Ling Luo walked to the edge of the bridge and snorted softly: “Who’s harming whom?”

Feng Tianyao felt aggrieved by the mockery in her words: “What did I say wrong?!”

Without looking back, Ling Luo walked onto the bridge: “Every word was wrong.”

Feng Tianyao couldn’t bear it anymore. He chased after her saying: “Stop right there! Explain yourself! What have I done to you that you treat me with such contempt!”

“Hey! Young Master, say less!” Yu Cang ran after them, intending to stop Feng Tianyao, but just as he reached the bridgehead without stepping on it, he was blocked by a pillar of light that surged upward.

The suspension bridge spanned an invisible abyss, with clouds and mist beneath their feet. Massive pillars of light emerged from the void and the deep abyss, separating everyone.

Ling Luo and Feng Tianyao both turned around simultaneously.

The entire scene had changed. The two saw an endless suspension bridge; the courtyard and their senior brothers had vanished.

Feng Tianyao’s expression shifted slightly: “Yu Cang?”

No response.

Feng Tianyao drew his divine weapon Shuofang and slashed at the pillar of light, but couldn’t make the slightest impact, not even producing a sound.

“What is this now?” the young master raged.

Within the Twenty-Four Phase Formation, all scenes were created by the spellcaster. If one couldn’t find the correct exit, they would be trapped inside, walking until death.

Ling Luo asked him: “How many scenes have you encountered?”

There were twenty-four scenes in total.

Feng Tianyao angrily replied: “Sixteen, all chaotic nonsense. This demon is truly a pervert!”

Ling Luo turned and walked toward the other end of the suspension bridge: “Then find the exit from these chaotic scenes.”

“Where are you going?” Feng Tianyao immediately followed.

Ling Luo said: “I’m going to find someone. Don’t follow me.”

Feng Tianyao laughed incredulously: “There’s only one path! If I don’t follow you, who should I follow?”

Ling Luo turned around, pointing to the other end of the suspension bridge.

Feng Tianyao’s face darkened: “Isn’t that blocked and impassable?!”

Ling Luo withdrew her hand with an annoyed expression.

Her disdain made Feng Tianyao feel terrible. Following her, he kept asking: “What do you mean?”

Ling Luo didn’t bother talking to him.

Yet Feng Tianyao continued chattering endlessly like a parrot, occasionally with flashes of anger, his expression full of grievance, as if he had been greatly wronged.

Ling Luo didn’t say a single word, and Feng Tianyao howled: “Say something!”

Ling Luo coldly replied: “Say one more word and I’ll throw you off the bridge.”

Feng Tianyao snorted: “How can we break this Twenty-Four Phase Formation if you won’t communicate with me?”

White mist rose from beneath their feet, spreading out. Sword blades flew from all directions, attacking Feng Tianyao. He drew his sword to block them: “What are you doing?! Be reasonable!”

She was going to throw him off!

On the other side of the light pillar, Yu Cang stared at the empty suspension bridge in shock: “It’s over. Those two alone together—disaster! Ah Yao is doomed.”

Zi Xiu was lifted from the ground by Chu Yi. He wiped his face and said: “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Ling Luo knows her limits.”

Chu Yi: “You said it, not me.”

He didn’t believe Ling Luo knew her limits. This Feng Tianyao would be lucky to escape without missing limbs or broken bones.

Only Yue Liangze silently calculated the formation, trying to locate Ling Luo.

The suspension bridge was long. Feng Tianyao and Ling Luo had only reached the middle after sparring back and forth. Sometimes the wooden vines of the bridge couldn’t withstand the attacks, cracking apart with loud snaps where they had been cut.

Feng Tianyao, sword in hand, said: “It’s about to break! Keep fighting and it will break! If you want to fight, let’s fight on shore!”

Ling Luo’s expression remained unchanged, coldly moving toward the end of the suspension bridge, her attacks undiminished.

At this moment, she was debating between two choices in her heart.

Kill.

Don’t kill.

Even though she had been reborn into the past.

Her essence was still that of the demon from her previous life.

Brutal at heart, fierce, enjoying torture, skilled at killing, destroying beauty.

Ling Luo glanced at Feng Tianyao behind her. In her previous life, she had contemplated this question.

Kill or don’t kill.

While deep in thought, another pillar of light burst from the abyss below the bridge, shooting straight at Ling Luo. Seeing this, Feng Tianyao swiftly flew forward, attempting to pull Ling Luo away, but was blocked and pushed back by the sudden explosive sword intent of Sui Wu. Ling Luo herself avoided the light pillar.

One light pillar after another came rapidly, as if unable to watch these two fighting on the bridge, urging them to quickly reach the shore.

“You’re determined to fight me, aren’t you?!” The young master’s anger ignited, and he began fighting recklessly, changing his sword grip as golden sword intent flowed around him. “Fine! That’s exactly what I want! If I don’t strike back, you’ll think I’m afraid of you!”

As the two flew through the void, avoiding light pillars, Feng Tianyao’s momentum surged. Clouds and mist swirled beneath his feet, highlighting the dragon might emanating from each swing of his sword, as if a divine dragon truly coiled in the sky above, joining the battle.

Ling Luo mocked: “Didn’t you say there was no need to use divine sword intent against women?”

Feng Tianyao was somewhat embarrassed and angry: “You’re not an ordinary woman!”

“Don’t underestimate me! Times have changed!” he said, his expression serious.

Finally, Ling Luo turned and drew her sword.

Yue Liangze was right; Nanshan Xuehe’s young master had improved. From the Grand Feast at the Golden Phoenix Pool until now, his cultivation has greatly increased. Originally, he had mastered only three-tenths of the divine sword intent, but now he had mastered five-tenths.

At least he could force her to be somewhat serious when countering his attacks.

Since his defeat against Ling Luo using the divine sword intent, Feng Tianyao’s youthful pride had been crushed. He felt deeply frustrated, inwardly questioning what he had done insufficiently.

Even though his father told him not to mind, saying he was still growing and temporary failure meant nothing.

Yet day and night, the young master kept replaying that battle in his mind.

The image of Ling Luo pointing her sword at him lingered in his dreams, impossible to dispel.

The versatile swordsmanship, profound sword intent, ferocious tide-like sword momentum—every move confused him yet also made him feel reverence.

In this world, Feng Tianyao only acknowledged his father’s swordsmanship as supreme and only admired his father.

But now, watching Ling Luo swing her sword to destroy his sword momentum, completely unaffected by Shuofang, still displaying that infinitely oppressive sword intent, firmly trampling his divine sword intent underfoot.

Feng Tianyao had to admit Ling Luo was a powerful cultivator.

Powerful like his father, inspiring fear.

And also like Ling Luo, inspiring submission and the desire to follow.