Under the influence of the Blue Heaven Sect’s sword formation, sword energy splashed everywhere, preventing Xiang Haikui’s spiritual sense from reaching very far. She couldn’t determine the source of that gaze.

Until Tian Kuang paused in its excitement and switched to a different vibration frequency.

This was the resonance frequency that occurred between the Twelve Divine Swords.

Xiang Haikui focused her consciousness into the sword, and through Tian Kuang’s sword energy, she finally glimpsed two cloaked figures standing on a bare rock several hundred zhang away.

These cloaks could block cultivators’ spiritual probing. With the hood pulled down to cover the entire face or leave only the chin exposed, no one except familiar individuals could use spiritual power to see the true appearance.

Xiang Haikui recognized one of them as Bai Xingxian immediately.

This silly child hadn’t tucked his white hair into the cloak.

As for the other person, she wasn’t sure whether it was Lu Xiqiao or her boss, making her somewhat anxious.

The distance was too great for whispered communication, as the airflow would scatter the message.

“Are Young Master Meng and this young lady not leaving?”

Fang Zhiyou issued his dismissal, giving them a look that said, “You can’t seize it, don’t waste your time.”

Under the pressure of the sword formation, the little black sphere had already damaged two of its saw-like teeth, and its rolling and ramming speed was slowing down. They would soon be able to take action.

Meng Xilou let out a cold laugh, unintentionally aggravating the internal injuries from the sand bear’s beating, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He stood with his hands behind his back, appearing unaffected, refusing to show weakness before these “mortal dregs”: “I’ll wait here to see for whom your sect is making a wedding gown.”

As Fang Zhiyou was about to speak, his brow suddenly furrowed.

The sword at his waist also gave a warning.

“Since you’ve arrived, why hide?” He raised his sword guard an inch with his finger, and a beam of sword energy shot out like a rainbow.

Moments after he spoke, Xiang Haikui heard a noise. Turning to look with her spiritual sense, she saw dozens of people riding enormous lizards, methodically “crawling” toward them.

Besides camel beasts, another creature that could be controlled outside the border was the demon lizard, belonging to the demon race—the exclusive mount and battle pet of the dual-form celestial demons from Devil City.

The one in the lead should be the eighth-grade Demon Lady from Devil City, Qing Ni.

Fang Zhiyou first glared at Meng Xilou: “Devil City is Yin Sha’s greatest enemy. Young Master Meng, this is consorting with the enemy. Aren’t you afraid of severe punishment from your master after he emerges from seclusion?”

Xiang Heng had a straightforward personality and was known for fair rewards and punishments.

Fang Zhiyou believed in this.

Meng Xilou curled his lip slightly, unconcerned.

“Master,” emerging from seclusion?

When “Master” emerged, it would be the day for everyone in the border region, including your Blue Heaven Sword Sect.

Just wait and see how many more days you can remain arrogant.

Xiang Haikui’s gaze remained fixed on Qing Ni.

This female powerhouse had an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, with very delicate features. But because she never smiled and carried a heavy metal bow on her back, she looked very… rugged.

However, why did she seem familiar?

She tried desperately to recall her dream, confirming that she had only heard of Qing Ni’s reputation but had never seen her in person.

Finally, she remembered!

It wasn’t from her dream, but from her father’s!

Peering into others’ fate lines didn’t yield clear results, but Xiang Haikui remembered her.

After her father went berserk from cultivation deviation, Qing Ni was the first to come to Yin Sha to stop him, attempting to control him.

Initially, her father wasn’t completely insane and still retained some self-control. She had the opportunity to kill him, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Instead, he grabbed her neck and strangled her to death.

Moreover, she shed a tear that fell onto the back of his hand as he broke her neck.

This scene had left a deep impression on Xiang Haikui.

Because even through the blurry screen provided by the fortune-telling pen, she could feel that Qing Ni’s eyes were filled with tenderness for her father.

Good heavens!

The enemy her father had fought against for two hundred years, the female leader of Devil City, had been secretly in love with him all along!

Yes, secretly in love.

Because her father had always treated her as an enemy, their relationship was like fire and water.

Xiang Haikui’s little heart pounded rapidly. What should she do? She had accidentally discovered this secret.

Qing Ni rode her demon lizard, leading a group of celestial demons slowly forward. Her gaze was originally fixed on the little black sphere in the sword formation, but sensing Xiang Haikui’s “strange” stare, she looked over.

“Little Junior Sister, come behind me.” Meng Xilou only remembered that he was still trying to win over the woman beside him after being reminded by the elder.

Hearing the words “Little Junior Sister,” Qing Ni immediately knew Xiang Haikui’s identity. She pressed her thin lips together and sneered: “So you’re the bastard that Xiang Heng spent many years finding and bringing back?”

Auntie, with that attitude, you’ll never win my father. Remembering that tear, Xiang Haikui didn’t get angry. She adjusted the feathers at her temples and smiled sweetly at her.

With her bun hairstyle and two small dimples, this pure and harmless smile momentarily stunned Qing Ni.

By now, the disciples maintaining the sword formation had become somewhat flustered at the Demon Lady’s arrival.

Fang Zhiyou stood in front of the sword formation. “Demon Lady, your race has always relied on your inherent strength. When did you become interested in treasures?”

Blocked by the sword energy, Qing Ni raised her arm, and the demon lizards all stopped.

She said, “Poor. Stealing to sell for money.”

Fang Zhiyou: …

“Hahaha.” A laugh came through. “I’m different. I’m purely here to cause trouble.”

Xiang Haikui quickly looked toward the laughter. These were all characters who could increase Tian Kuang’s berserk energy—she needed to recognize them properly.

This group arrived riding camel beasts.

The front man was exceptionally handsome, but his lips were black as if poisoned, and he wore an earring.

His hairstyle was also peculiar—ear-length short hair, but with one long strand left at his left temple.

This person was the Send You Cult’s leader, Jian Chou.

Fang Zhiyou glared at Meng Xilou again before scolding Jian Chou: “You traitor!”

Jian Chou tilted his head: “I’ve corrected you many times. I was driven out by you, Grand Elder, after you broke my sword. I never betrayed the sect.”

Fang Zhiyou angrily said: “Someone as perverse and strange as you doesn’t deserve to wield a sword!”

Jian Chou clicked his tongue: “There’s no deserving or not deserving. In my eyes, sword cultivators only need one characteristic to cultivate the sword.”

“Oh?” Qing Ni picked up the conversation.

“Weakness.” Jian Chou used his pinky to brush aside the strand of hair hanging from his temple. “The strong are powerful in themselves, like me—why would they rely on a sword’s might?”

“Only weaklings like you depend on swords for power.”

All the Blue Heaven Sect sword cultivators’ faces turned green.

Xiang Haikui didn’t feel much reaction, as she was inherently a weakling without spirit roots. Her rapid progress relied entirely on Tian Kuang and the charging battery that was Yin Changli.

But hearing Meng Xilou let out a contemptuous snort beside her, she couldn’t help thinking, “Damn, am I attending a gathering of arrogant masters?”

It seemed like all the arrogant masters of the great desert had gathered here.

“Little Sister Kui.”

Suddenly, she heard Bai Xingxian’s telepathic message.

Xiang Haikui quickly extended her spiritual sense. Taking advantage of the crowd and confusion, and the fact that the Send You Cult members all wore black robes making them difficult to distinguish, they had managed to come not far behind her.

With powerful figures gathering, even Meng Xilou had no time to pay attention to a small fry like her. She responded telepathically: “Little Bai, how did you get here?”

“It’s Uncle. Uncle sensed it.”

“The Senior sensed the little black sphere?”

“After you left, Uncle tried to control Dao Chen’s body. I was guarding outside, but not even half a day passed before he suddenly came out and brought me here…”

After hearing Bai Xingxian’s explanation, Xiang Haikui confirmed that the other cloaked figure was indeed her boss.

She was quite concerned about whether he would be spotted by those two Underworld powerhouses.

“Little Sister Kui, please don’t let anything slip,” Bai Xingxian reminded her stealthily.

“What?”

“I mean, that we accidentally rescued him from the restaurant chopping board, and that we never pickled him, never cut him, and never thought about eating him…”

Xiang Haikui: … “Little Bai, isn’t it wrong to deceive the Senior like this?”

It wasn’t because of any noble character on her part. This wasn’t a small matter. Her boss might spare her life, considering she acted in ignorance.

But if he later discovered he’d been deceived, he might cut her into pieces.

Xiang Haikui was very clear about her position.

Her boss’s cultivation and protection of her were based on her having utilitarian value.

Not because they had any genuine attachment.

Similarly, her current help for her boss wasn’t out of attachment but to repay his kindness.

But now wasn’t the right time to explain. It wasn’t too late to resolve this after escaping their current predicament.

She had another question.

“Why did the Senior suddenly trust us?”

He had been so cautious before.

Bai Xingxian’s voice was equally puzzled: “I don’t know. After Uncle lost his memory, his living habits didn’t change, but his personality became so strange. I can’t figure him out—one moment cold, another gentle, sometimes seemingly shrewd, and then…”

In short, like the changeable weather of Jiangnan or the fickle mood of a young girl.

Xiang Haikui could understand. Her boss was a man with experience and stories. His personality, shaped by years, was naturally multi-layered.

With sudden amnesia, he couldn’t locate his true self.

“Miss Xiang.”

While she was communicating secretly with Bai Xingxian, Yin Changli’s voice suddenly interjected.

After the soul possession, even in telepathic communication, it was the original host’s voice.

He said: “I’ve tried, but I can’t establish a connection with it. I am a demon body, and demons typically don’t form soul contracts with magical treasures, but blood contracts.”

Blood contracts involved the physical body.

Xiang Haikui murmured to herself, no wonder on the day Dao Chen unsealed the Shen Yao, when she fought with Wu Mian, the little black sphere tried to swallow Wu Mian.

It wasn’t coming to seek revenge on her, but perhaps sensed the blood essence of the little black snake in her jar and wanted to help its master.

Yin Changli continued: “I think what I sensed might be some treasure inside its palace that resonated with my divine soul.”

Hearing a hint of disappointment in his voice, Xiang Haikui quickly consoled him: “It’s alright, Senior. The little black sphere is currently surrounded by sword energy, creating a significant barrier. Please wait—I’ll help you seize it back in a moment, and you can try again slowly.”

For a while, there was no response.

Xiang Haikui thought he probably didn’t believe she had this capability.

Indeed, facing nearly two hundred people from three factions, she felt somewhat intimidated.

But a woman who possessed the Tian Kuang sword couldn’t be cowardly.

She understood that if this continued, she would eventually qualify to join the gathering of arrogant masters.

Moreover, Tian Kuang’s second-level berserk energy was only a little short of full capacity.

Yet it had remained static for a long time.

She turned her attention to Yin Changli again.

However, cursing her boss to his face earlier seemed to have lost its effect.

She had already chopped up her boss—what were a few curses compared to that?

Unless she took advantage of her boss’s amnesia and slept with him—that might immediately fill the gauge to overflowing.

She was just thinking nonsense.

Yin Changli’s voice suddenly responded: “Good.”

Xiang Haikui:?

After a moment’s reaction, she realized her boss was responding to her earlier words.

He scared her.

“Miss Xiang, thank you,” Yin Changli added.

Xiang Haikui’s spiritual sense was still directed at them, so she saw Yin Changli raise his hand, lift his hood, and look directly in her direction.

The corner of his lips curved slightly, his eyes filled with firm trust, and also a faint, subtle… attachment?

Xiang Haikui froze.

She finally understood why Bai Xingxian said he was acting strange.

Boss, have you just lost your memory, not your mind?

Please don’t misunderstand yourself—you’re a real imperial CEO, not some puppy-like young man!