Li Ye had lived for eighty thousand years and had broken the precept against killing many times.

He had seen all sorts of faces begging him for mercy—hateful, desperate, unwilling—each one was grotesque in its way.

But the person before him now neither scrunched her face nor wailed. She simply looked up at him, revealing a pair of eyes full of expectation.

“Taihe Xianshi said that once I reached the Nine Heavens, I could join a greater sect. Among the ten sects of the Five Elements Immortal Gate, after much consideration, I believe Upper God’s sect is undoubtedly the most formidable.”

Li represented fire, specifically the arrogant yang fire of Upper Bing, which the light of lamps and candles could not compare to.

The five elements counteracted each other. As long as the Kan clan declined, the Li clan would dominate the region.

Most importantly, Er’er thought, if she could become his disciple, then a teacher for a day was a father for life. Even if Li Ye wanted to destroy everything again, a tiger, no matter how cruel, would not eat its cubs.

Having one more “father” meant one more chance at life—she would gain tremendously no matter what.

“You,” Li Ye called to her.

…

…

Lost in her happy thoughts, Er’er responded excitedly: “Yes, Father?”

Li Ye:?

Quickly slapping her mouth, Er’er knelt properly at his feet: “This minor immortal is here.”

The divine flame at his fingertips openly revealed killing intent as Li Ye lowered his hand, placing the fire before her eyes: “Can’t you see my intention?”

“In response to the Upper God,” Er’er obediently answered, “this minor immortal understands. Upper God wishes to kill me to silence me.”

“…”

Her words were correct, but her tone contained not the slightest hint of fear.

Li Ye was displeased. He looked down at this person, feeling rather unsatisfied.

The divine flame subsided as Li Ye withdrew his hand: “Then what about now? What is my intention?”

“…”

Er’er thought he was a bit strange.

But then she reconsidered—someone destined to destroy heaven and earth surely couldn’t be a normal person. Unpredictable mood swings would be everyday occurrences. Since she knew the outcome, she might as well go all in and try her luck even in this hopeless situation.

So she looked at him sincerely: “Upper God has decided to trust this minor immortal once, seeing how obedient I am.”

Li Ye closed his eyes: “Trust you with what?”

“Trust that this minor immortal is truly sincere and will never betray Upper God.” Er’er clenched her fist, her gaze determined. “Since this minor immortal has joined Upper God’s sect, I will share life and death with Upper God. Even if heaven strikes me with lightning, I will never do anything harmful to Upper God.”

After speaking, she very decisively took out an eastern pearl and held it up before his eyes with both hands: “I humbly request Upper God’s favor.”

In cultivation, the essence was one’s foundation. The mortal body was easily harmed, so the essence was usually stored in a spiritual tool.

However, Li Ye had never seen such an impractical spiritual tool.

What could a pearl do? Shoot birds?

Extremely disdainful, Li Ye still took it between his fingers.

Giving the host of her essence to him meant life and death were his to decide. What she had seen and heard today, she would not reveal to others.

However—

Li Ye raised his eyelids: “Dead people are more reliable than any promise.”

“That may be true,” Er’er curved the corners of her eyes and extended her slender fingers to reason with him. “But if this minor immortal dies, I would merely be a dead person who won’t reveal secrets—boring and dull. If Upper God were to show mercy and spare me, then I would be a living being who won’t reveal secrets, able to serve before Upper God and provide some entertainment.”

He never lacked entertainment.

Li Ye was somewhat unimpressed. He didn’t need someone to be an eyesore around him, nor did he need others to serve him. He had withdrawn his divine fire simply because she wasn’t afraid of it.

So, in the next moment, he manifested a sharp, long blade, suspending its edge above her forehead. The silver-white blade gleamed with blinding light, shining directly on her brow.

Er’er blinked.

She knew this great lord was violent by nature and could easily develop murderous intent, but she also knew that those who cried and begged for mercy or stubbornly resisted him never survived.

So, even though her heart was somewhat fearful, she faced the blade without retreating.

In the next instant, the long blade transformed into a bolt of heavenly lightning, crashing down earth-shakingly, yet stopping abruptly about ten feet above her head.

In the next moment, the lightning changed into a ferocious giant beast, then an arrow piercing through clouds and moon, then a venomous flood dragon.

They came fiercely, seeming capable of killing Er’er in an instant, yet all stopped at the critical moment.

Er’er grinned, revealing a row of neat white teeth.

She knew it.

Although she had never been particularly diligent in cultivation matters, Er’er had been favored by heaven. The latest celestial aperture to open for her had given her a prophetic dream.

In the dream, Li Ye had killed all the gods and immortals one by one, returning heaven and earth to chaos. She, a minor immortal without even an honorary title, naturally became collateral damage.

Er’er didn’t understand what kind of person Li Ye was, but she clearly remembered that the immortals who cried and begged him for mercy were the first to die, while those with calm faces were left until the final moment.

And she, holding her breath and pretending to be dead, was also discovered by him in the end. A divine flame dispersed her thousand years of cultivation, dissolving her into heaven and earth.

In that final moment before her soul scattered, Er’er thought of nothing else but how she envied the cat in Li Ye’s arms.

An ordinary farm cat, not a divine beast, without any magical powers, was held in his arms simply because it caught this great lord’s fancy, thus avoiding the catastrophe.

And now.

Er’er carefully maintained her expression, not daring to reveal the slightest hint of begging for mercy.

Only by enduring this ordeal could she have the chance to become the cat in the great lord’s arms.

Li Ye showed no mercy. The things he manifested became increasingly powerful—qilin, xuanwu, demonic beasts, asuras—each appeared with overwhelming ferocity. The mucus on their scales seemed incredibly vivid, the killing intent between their teeth and claws almost piercing her eyeballs.

Yet the minor immortal before him still wasn’t afraid. Not only was she unafraid, she even covered her heart with both hands in adoration: “Upper God’s immortal techniques are truly formidable.”

Li Ye: “…”

“This powerful killing intent cannot be mere illusion. Upper God must have infused it with immortal power. But Taihe Xianshi said that without a thousand years of cultivation, one cannot casually let immortal power condense and leave the body. You must have practiced diligently for a long time.”

A thousand years of cultivation?

Li Ye laughed coldly in his heart. Indeed, she was an inexperienced minor immortal.

Inexperienced was one thing, but she was also talkative, chattering constantly while watching his illusions.

“Can I learn this? It’s so impressive. Even if not for killing, having a hundred swords flying behind you would look majestic.”

“You are truly the most powerful immortal I’ve ever seen—you can even transform into a phoenix.”

“Can you transform into a dragon? I heard from Xianshi that dragons are the most powerful divine beasts in the Nine Heavens. Ordinary illusions can’t possibly manifest them.”

“Wow, you really can transform into a dragon!”

“…”

Li Ye didn’t know how it happened. He had initially intended to scare her to death with his illusions, but in the end, he was like a street vendor making sugar figurines, creating divine beasts one after another for her to see.

He would create one, and she would exclaim in surprise, making a fuss with eyes full of admiration, causing him to create more and more enthusiastically.

Realizing what he was doing, Li Ye’s gaze darkened.

The illusion before him instantly vanished.

Er’er was enjoying the show when it suddenly disappeared, causing her eyebrows to droop in disappointment: “No more?”

She was disappointed? Li Ye’s anger rose, and he no longer cared whether she was afraid or not. He waved his hand, intending to strike her dead.

But before his palm could descend, the minor immortal before him swayed, her body going limp, and she suddenly fell from the cloud.