The brilliant light followed the wind out of the great hall, clean and crisp as if everything that had just happened was merely her illusion.
Er’er rubbed her eyes, bewildered, and made a gesture at the spot where the magic array had been: “What was just here?”
“What was here?” He walked up to her, looking down with a face of pure innocence.
Er’er: “…”
How could someone be shameless to such an extent?
She puffed her cheeks and looked back into his eyes, frowning hard.
Li Ye looked at her, remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand to wipe away the blood smeared on her face.
She was annoyed, but when her cheek touched his hand, she still nuzzled against it like a kitten. Then she looked up, continuing to frown at him stubbornly, waiting for his explanation.
His palm felt her softness and warmth, and Li Ye’s gaze softened a few degrees. He snorted impatiently, then said, “I just threw them out, didn’t kill them.”
…
…
Although those immortals were already close to death, they had struck first, and Li Ye felt he had done nothing wrong.
The barrier was set by them, and the magic array was first initiated by them—he had merely repurposed it for their use. Thinking about it, it was laughable. In the past, these people would never have dared to raise a hand against him. Perhaps he had been too well-behaved here, leading them to the illusion that they could defeat him.
He was merely waiting for someone.
Glancing down at the doubtful look in the little one’s eyes before him, Li Ye narrowed his eyes and poked her forehead: “Taking the outsiders’ side?”
“Not really,” Er’er said with a worried expression. “I’m just thinking, with you injuring so many immortals, if you stop now, the Heaven’s Diviner probably won’t let the matter rest.”
“Why would I stop now?”
About to speak but hesitating, Er’er swallowed her words and pondered for a moment, then opened her mouth cautiously: “What if Ji Ji wasn’t killed by the Heaven’s Diviner, what then?”
“There is no ‘what if.'” His features suddenly turned cold and hard as Li Ye looked past her toward the white barrier outside.
Who else would have such capability but him? The truth he had sought for tens of thousands of years wouldn’t be softened by a few words from her.
Li Ye could guess what she wanted to do—nothing more than hoping for peace in the world. But this time, he couldn’t indulge her.
Suddenly, earth-shaking thunder rumbled outside.
Er’er was about to speak to him about the “Mirror Flower Water Moon” matter when, without warning, his arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace. His wide sleeve covered her head, and then came a spine-chilling sound of shattering from all around.
Tai Shang Lao Jun looked up at the breaking barrier, his eyes showing both relief and despair: “He’s here.”
After so many days, Tai Shang Lao Jun had gone from initially harboring hope to later realizing that Li Ye wasn’t truly trapped here—he just hadn’t bothered to move. He seemed certain that the Heaven’s Diviner would appear here, and showed no concern for his situation.
Tai Shang Lao Jun wasn’t clear about the reason for the former, but he understood the latter very well.
Just now, so many immortals had displayed their divine powers, but Li Ye hadn’t even raised an eyelid. With just a wave of his hand, those fierce and intricate magic arrays had been thrown back like broken cages, perfectly covering their casters.
If one magic array had covered one immortal, Tai Shang Lao Jun wouldn’t have found it surprising, given that he was a Supreme God with ninety thousand years of cultivation. But to simultaneously cover dozens of immortals with dozens of arrays—what incredible control that required!
It was like throwing bamboo rings at a market fair. Some people could throw one ring and hit the target perfectly, but to throw dozens of rings at once and have each one land on a prize was almost impossible.
Yet he had done it.
Moreover, Tai Shang Lao Jun had been kneeling closest to him during the spell-casting, yet he hadn’t detected even a trace of immortal energy.
At such a level, even if the Heaven’s Diviner came and fought him within the barrier, victory would not be certain.
So, Tai Shang Lao Jun still wanted to mediate.
However, as soon as Li Ye sensed the Heaven’s Diviner’s aura, the killing intent around him suddenly surged, even whipping up a fierce wind that made it impossible for Tai Shang Lao Jun to open his mouth.
Er’er’s head rested against his chest, unaware of the wind or the killing intent, only feeling his heartbeat suddenly quicken.
“Li Ye,” she said softly, “I won’t stop you, but can you promise me to use your magic with restraint, not harming innocent lives?”
When immortals fight, who could be bothered with such considerations? Li Ye thought dismissively, merely giving a light snort, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Er’er sighed, wanting to leave his embrace, but was pressed back by his hand.
“Don’t move.”
If she didn’t move, was he planning to embrace her while fighting? Er’er frowned, about to speak when she suddenly felt lighter.
Hmm?
The person before her suddenly seemed very tall. Er’er was a bit slow to react, reaching out to grab his robe, but when she extended her hand, she saw a furry paw.
“Meow?” She was stunned.
Li Ye had turned her into a cat?!
Angrily, she scratched his chest with her claws, trying to speak, but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was: “Meow meow meow!”
Satisfied, he stroked her smooth fur, placed her on his shoulder, and said softly: “Hold tight.”
No one brings family to a fight! Er’er frantically complained through her divine consciousness: “Shouldn’t you place me somewhere safest?”
“This is the safest place,” Li Ye replied.
Deceiving ghosts, maybe! Er’er glared.
As the barrier of Shangbing Palace broke, the ghosts and celestial soldiers fighting outside surged in. He walked alone through the thousands of soldiers, and as he passed by one person, he reached out and grasped that person’s neck.
Er’er looked sideways and saw it was a Supreme God of the Kan clan. He looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen him.
She didn’t need to remember now, as Li Ye directly snapped his divine soul.
“…” That was too cruel. Er’er shook her head but persisted in trying to persuade him: “What you see may not be the truth. You should accumulate fewer karmic debts.”
If anyone else had nagged him while he was killing, Li Ye would have snapped their necks too. But hearing her chatter, he felt quite pleased.
“Worried about me?”
“Yes,” she said dejectedly. “If you suffer divine punishment, I’ll surely be struck by lightning alongside you.”
With a light chuckle, Li Ye rubbed her cat ears, then turned to sweep away Gen Qi, who had come to block their path.
The Heaven’s Diviner’s palanquin stopped behind layers of celestial soldiers. Li Ye glanced at it, quite disdainfully: “If our grudge could be settled between just you and me, wouldn’t that be splendid?”
“Shameless villain.” The Heaven’s Diviner’s voice came from afar. “As a Supreme God, you’ve led netherworld beings to invade my Nine Heavens, already violating celestial law. How dare you challenge me further?”
“Without them, you wouldn’t have come to see me.” Divine fire ignited at his fingertips as Li Ye smiled without mirth. “Now, will you come over yourself, or shall I kill my way to you?”
The Heaven’s Diviner didn’t speak again. From behind his palanquin, a cloud drifted out.