Even without using the cultivation Li Ye had given her, Er’er had cultivated long enough that her spiritual power was sufficient to block that hidden weapon. So when the purple light struck her barrier, it only made a sharp metallic sound before losing its power and falling.

However, the blood of a Ninth Heaven immortal was truly too sweet. Earlier, she had been on guard, and the ghosts and death resentment couldn’t approach. Now that she had extended her barrier outward, the black energy that had been lurking around suddenly surged toward her, so quickly that Er’er had no time to react before a chill overtook her body.

Li Ye was secretly calculating how much damage this slash would cause to Zhong You and the other immortal guests in the hall. Seeing that everything was going according to his expectations, he was very satisfied as he withdrew his blade.

Then he turned around to see Zhen Huan Gong rushing toward him.

Raising his blade horizontally in front of him, Li Ye prepared for battle. He thought Zhen Huan Gong was attempting another sneak attack after the first failed, but unexpectedly, when three steps away from him, Zhen Huan Gong changed direction. Purple light blazed in his hand, lashing out like a long whip, striking forcefully to the side.

Crack.

A mass of death resentment that had gathered high was scattered. He withdrew his immortal power and stepped forward, directly pulling Er’er out from the black mist.

“Are you stupid?” Laughing in extreme anger, Zhen Huan Gong slapped away the death resentment still sucking her blood and said through gritted teeth, “Didn’t your master teach you that an injured person should never expose themselves in the Underworld?”

It was too cold. Er’er couldn’t even open her eyes. Her ears hurt from his shouting, and her teeth chattered as she trembled, “This, really wasn’t taught.”

How could Taihe Xianshi have predicted that she would one day come to the Underworld to cause trouble?

Seeing her face devoid of color reflected in his eyes, Li Ye’s fingertips tightened slightly. He withdrew the Phoenix-Slaying Blade and stepped forward.

Zhen Huan Gong turned his head, still wanting to stop him, but he was injured himself, and his spiritual power was nearly exhausted. Just as he raised his hand, Li Ye sent him flying two zhang away with a single palm strike.

Er’er’s body suddenly became weightless, but in an instant, she was caught by someone.

She couldn’t open her eyes, but she knew who it was by his scent. She wanted to clutch his sleeve, but after starting the movement, she froze.

Zhong Qin was still on him, her misty form wrapped around his sleeve.

Forget it.

Withdrawing her hand, Er’er simply pretended to be unconscious. She knew her gesture was unnecessary, and he might not be moved. There was no need to seek his pity at this point—it would only be awkward.

Li Ye truly had no intention of pitying her. He merely took a deep breath, sounding somewhat angry, then raised his hand and sent both her and Zhong Qin outside the Death God Killing Formation.

Her head was already dizzy, and after this swirling transportation, Er’er truly fainted.

In the last moment before her consciousness disappeared, she heard the sound of near-complete collapse from overhead.

***

Before embarking on this path, Er’er had seriously doubted herself. She was both foolish and lacking in abilities—could she change everyone’s fate and save the common people from calamity?

The answer had always been negative, so her initial wish was simply to be the cat in the powerful one’s arms, just to save her own little life.

Later, perhaps because Li Ye became less frightening as she grew closer to him, she became increasingly greedy, even presumptuous, thinking that a beauty strategy might work. What if the powerful one became bewitched and was willing to show mercy to this world because of her, no longer engaging in world-destroying acts?

The facts proved that someone who could become an ancient legend, live as long as heaven and earth, and glimpse eternity would not value love and emotion like the monarchs in storybooks who neglected state affairs for the sake of a beauty. He had things he needed to do, and no matter how intimate they became, he would not change anything for her.

His coldness was real, and his power was real too.

Waking up on the bed of the small mountain cottage, Er’er hugged her knees, lost in thought. Zhong Qin sat beside her, wailing continuously.

“It hurts so much! I’ve never suffered such physical pain before.” She moaned as she stroked her wounds, then turned to look at Er’er. “Don’t you have a spell in the Ninth Heaven that can stop pain? Use it on me?”

Er’er came back to her senses and pressed her lips together: “That’s a spell only Li Ye… Supreme God Li Ye knows. I don’t know it.”

Zhong Qin wrinkled her face and continued to moan: “He doesn’t know how to cherish beauty. He knows that spell but won’t use it on me.”

The battle over there was at its height; how could he have time to use such a spell?

Er’er sighed, looking at Zhong Qin’s beautiful and enchanting features. After thinking for a moment, she still couldn’t bear it: “Come here and let me see.”

Zhong Qin turned her body, casting a seductive glance at Er’er’s face, then pulled down the black gauze from her shoulder, revealing the wound.

A hole piercing through the shoulder bone—Er’er felt pain just looking at it. But after examining it for a few moments, she was puzzled: “How can ghosts in the Underworld be injured like this, as if they had mortal bodies?”

Glaring at her with irritation, Zhong Qin said: “I’ve told you before, not everyone in the Underworld is a ghost. There are living people too, and I am one of them.”

What? Er’er’s eyes widened.

“Look at your inexperienced reaction.” Zhong Qin pouted. “My father, the King, brought a mortal woman down to the Underworld. I was born with a body of flesh and blood. Without me, the Underworld couldn’t communicate with the mortal realm.”

The image of the mountain one must cross to enter the Underworld flashed in Er’er’s mind, and she lowered her eyes.

Everyone was so capable. Truly, she alone was useless.

“Do you know why Supreme God Li Ye fought with the people from the Ninth Heaven?” Er’er asked softly.

Zhong Qin was in pain and initially didn’t want to respond, but at the mention of Li Ye, her eyes gleamed: “Tell me what Supreme God Li Ye likes, and I’ll tell you why.”

Even wounded like this, at the mention of Li Ye, she still had the appearance of a lovesick girl.

Er’er looked at her and strangely felt as if she was seeing herself. She wanted to laugh but couldn’t, her heart tightening into a knot.

“He likes to be alone.” Er’er’s eyelids lowered as she said softly, “He doesn’t like noisy people, doesn’t like eating, doesn’t like sleeping, doesn’t like people who are lazy in their cultivation.”

Zhong Qin laughed at this: “That’s truly him. But what about things? Is there anything he likes?”

“No.” Er’er shook her head. “Nothing is worthy of his liking.”

Zhong Qin sighed, but the light in her eyes grew brighter. She looked at the dejected young girl before her and teased: “Then I know much more than you. He likes the fragrance on my body. Today, when he held me, he sniffed for quite a while.”

“…” Er’er rubbed her sleeve without making a sound.

Zhong Qin clicked her tongue and lay down on the soft couch: “There wasn’t much of a big deal today. The people from the Ninth Heaven came to kill me, and the Supreme God couldn’t bear to see it, so he saved my life. Who would have thought Zhen Huan Gong would show up afterward, insisting on a fight to the death?”

“I don’t know what grudges these people from the Ninth Heaven have, but from today on, he is my life-saving benefactor.” Glancing at Er’er, who showed no reaction, Zhong Qin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t mind, do you?”

She did mind, but what use was minding?