Lord Can’s lifelong dream was to steal someone else’s celestial destiny and ascend to immortality. It’s just that although Wei Jie had fallen into demonic cultivation, he was still quite far from becoming an immortal.

In comparison, since Dong Yuan had returned, he truly was a piece of fat meat delivered right to his mouth!

When the seal’s mark appeared on the letter, Wei Jie looked down and slowly said: “It’s truly as you guessed. Lord Can has started showing us goodwill, saying that person has descended to the mortal realm this time with his divine status greatly weakened, and moreover, he seems to want to completely open the gates of the Underworld, releasing demons and monsters to make them fight against Demon City! Lord Can says he cannot bear to see the common people of the world suffer, so he came to tip us off?”

Xiaoxiao drew in a sharp breath: “How dare he?”

The “he” Xiaoxiao spoke of naturally referred to Dong Yuan. Not mentioning his name was also to prevent him from sensing anything.

Wei Jie’s eyes turned cold: “What wouldn’t he dare to do? Now that his reputation in the mortal world has been damaged, if the mortal realm doesn’t encounter a great disaster, how can he restore his reputation? Once changes occur in the mortal world, it would be the perfect time for him, this immortal, to display his divine might.”

Xiaoxiao thought of those demon clan people in Demon City who had just settled down, murmuring to herself: “Could it be that this great battle is unavoidable?”

If such a battle truly occurred, not only the demon clan people, but even the Wei family and all the people under heaven would be drawn into it.

For a moment, the two gazed up at the sky, wondering whether the immortals above were opening their eyes at this moment to look at the increasingly chaotic state of the mortal world.

When she grew tired of looking, Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Somehow, she slept very deeply. When she woke up, she discovered that Wei Jie was not beside her.

When she went out to look for him, she found Wei Jie standing by the riverbank under the moonlight, holding that feng shui mirror.

Could it be that this feng shui mirror had another revelation?

Thinking this, Xiaoxiao immediately ran over, but there was nothing unusual in the mirror—it only reflected Wei Jie’s expressionless, handsome face.

“What’s wrong? Did you see the Talismonger Sect from two hundred years in the future again?”

Wei Jie slowly turned his head and said calmly: “I was just trying it out, but it seems my luck isn’t good tonight—nothing appeared.”

Xiaoxiao looked at him and probed further: “You… aren’t hiding anything from me, are you?”

Wei Jie smiled slightly at her: “What? Do you want to hear that I saw celestial beauties in the mirror?”

Hearing his frivolous words, Xiaoxiao felt slightly relieved, but before she could say anything more, Wei Jie suddenly pulled her tightly into his embrace.

The young girl looked up at him and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Wei Jie touched her cheek with his hand and said lightly: “Nothing… Oh, right, this place isn’t far from Qilao Mountain, so Uncle is personally bringing people to guard the Cui family courtyard. You should stay here with my uncle while I return to Demon City to take a look, in case Dong Yuan does something underhanded.”

Xiaoxiao felt that today’s Wei Jie was somewhat strange. But when he didn’t want to talk, she couldn’t get anything out of him either.

So the two would have to part ways briefly again.

Before they separated, Xiaoxiao gave Wei Jie the sweet tofu pudding she had made with her own hands.

Wei Jie took the tofu pudding and drank it all in one gulp, then suddenly asked Xiaoxiao: “If we’re separated for a longer time this round, can you endure it?”

Xiaoxiao thought for a moment: “A few months would be fine, but if it’s too long, I’ll forget what you look like, so don’t stay away from me too long—come back to find me quickly!”

Hearing her say she would forget him, Wei Jie’s eyes suddenly darkened. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her face fiercely, as if speaking to her and also to himself: “It doesn’t matter, I’ll remember what you look like…”

After saying this, he took another deep look at Xiaoxiao, then turned and left.

Xiaoxiao gazed at Wei Jie’s retreating figure, lost in thought. Just then, the old Cui family’s wife happened to return from picking mushrooms.

Seeing Xiaoxiao watching Wei Jie’s departure, she couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Young lady, have you and he gotten married?”

Hearing the ancestor ask this, Xiaoxiao smiled somewhat embarrassedly: “Not yet… His mother isn’t by his side, and I don’t have any relatives either, so we haven’t had the ceremony yet…”

Hearing this, the Cui family’s wife shook her head disapprovingly: “If you’re not married yet, you shouldn’t be separated for too long. When a man is lonely outside for too long, complications can arise. Young lady, why don’t you go with him?”

Xiaoxiao thought to herself: If I leave, our entire old Cui family might be wiped out.

So after hearing the Cui family’s wife’s words, she just smiled sweetly: “It won’t happen. I trust him…”

Seeing that Xiaoxiao wouldn’t listen to her advice, the Cui family wife could only shake her head and sigh as she walked away.

When Xiaoxiao looked back again, that tall figure had vanished without a trace. Only the vast green fields reflected by the autumn sun stretched far, far into the distance…

At this time in the Heavenly Court, Rong Yao looked at the Mirror Lake Fairy, whose entire body was covered in burns, and couldn’t help but furrow her brows slightly: “What? When you were setting up your scheme, that Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao arrive in time? How could they have known?”

This time, Mirror Lake descended to the mortal realm, and she had entrusted her primordial spirit to a golden carp, seeking an opportunity to freeze the water on the stone steps that old Cui, the tofu seller, would step on, creating an accident.

She hadn’t expected Xiaoxiao to arrive in time and directly boil an entire pool of water, scalding her primordial spirit so badly that it was damaged upon leaving her body, causing her true form to be severely injured as well.

Having been injured, her primordial spirit didn’t dare linger in the mortal world and could only return to report to the Heavenly Mother Saint.

The Heavenly Mother hadn’t expected things to turn out this way either. She stated firmly: “That’s not right! They must have heard some kind of warning!”

Mirror Lake Fairy was startled: “Who could be so bold as to dare oppose the Heavenly Mother’s righteous path?”

Rong Yao hadn’t originally thought that Cui Xiaoxiao, who had traveled back in time two hundred years, would have such great abilities, like a cockroach that couldn’t be killed no matter what.

If this variable Cui Xiaoxiao remained, all the chaos would be difficult to return to its proper course.

Thinking of this, the Heavenly Mother closed her eyes, and a trace of unease suddenly flashed through her heart.

There were too many uncertainties in the mortal world now. For Dong Yuan to still be wandering the mortal realm at this time was truly inappropriate.

Thinking this, she made a decisive decision: “Release the welcoming holy light and summon Dong Yuan, the Divine Lord, to quickly return to the Heavenly Court!”

Hearing the Heavenly Mother give such orders, Mirror Lake Fairy hesitated: “The Divine Lord probably can’t return immediately… Moreover, when I returned just now, I came back through the Clear Pool, and I accidentally discovered at the bottom of the pool that the divine axe you sealed in the clear lotus pool of the great hall… seems to have been switched!”

The always calm and composed Rong Yao stood up with a start upon hearing these words: “How could the divine axe be missing?”

This divine axe was the weapon the Heavenly Emperor had originally used to pacify the territories. Later, when the Heavenly Emperor felt that the world had been settled, this axe carried too much killing intent, so he sealed it in the palace’s water pool, using the introduced Heavenly River water to cleanse the axe’s murderous aura.

Later, when the Heavenly Emperor went into seclusion, this place became the Heavenly Mother’s palace.

The Heavenly Mother Rong Yao raised so many spiritually aware golden carp in the water pool precisely to guard the divine artifact.

As for Mirror Lake Fairy, when she returned to the Heavenly Court from the mortal dust to treat the burns on her primordial spirit, she had also returned to that water pool, which was how she discovered the anomaly.

But there were divine officials everywhere inside and outside the palace—how could the divine axe possibly disappear suddenly?

When Rong Yao summoned the divine officials to question them, only then did she learn that when Dong Yuan was about to descend to the mortal realm, he had lingered by the water pool for quite a long time.

When Rong Yao saw the fake axe head sealed in the depths of the water pool, she raised her hand to lift it. Before she could even touch it, the axe head had already turned into a pile of flowing sand.

Seeing this trick, Rong Yao knew that the real divine axe had already been taken by Dong Yuan.

Although she knew her son’s nature well, Rong Yao was still so angry that she swayed backward: This wicked obstacle! His audacity has truly grown ever greater!

What exactly did he intend to do with this axe that could split mountains and hills and sever rivers?

Thinking this, she said urgently: “Quickly! Release the welcoming holy light and have Dong Yuan return to the Heavenly Court immediately!”

The people beside her took the order and acted, but soon returned to report: “Reporting to the Heavenly Mother, although we released the holy light, Dong Yuan, the Divine Lord, has been slow to respond and seems unwilling to return!”

Rong Yao clenched her hands several times.

Previously, she could ignore whatever tricks Dong Yuan pulled in the mortal world.

But now, if he truly used the Heavenly Emperor’s divine axe to do something, it would simply invite tremendous catastrophe.

She couldn’t let him continue to make such trouble!

Thinking this, Rong Yao instructed the divine officials below, saying she needed to go into secluded cultivation for a period, and they needn’t disturb her anymore.

At this very moment, outside Demon City, Dong Yuan was looking at the gradually rising walls of Demon City.

The Demon City of old had now reappeared. The demon clan that possessed a Saint would sooner or later become a great threat to the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Emperor had already gone into seclusion, and the Heavenly Court couldn’t dispatch troops to suppress them. However, Dong Yuan had long ago thought of a countermeasure.

He looked at the divine axe in his hand. Although it was currently only the length of an arm, as long as divine power triggered it, it could become a giant axe. Splitting open the Underworld beneath Fanshan Mountain would not be difficult.

Just as Dong Yuan was concentrating on the distant Demon City, Lord Can came up behind him and asked in a low voice: “Divine Lord, you said you had a way to completely open the gates of the Underworld. When do you plan to set it up?”

Dong Yuan glanced at him and asked unhurriedly: “What? Are you getting impatient? You should know that once the gates of the Underworld are completely opened, it will cause devastation to all living beings. At that time, your Great Qi’s reign might be even shorter than its original destiny.”

Lord Can bowed with clasped hands: “The Divine Lord is a true god who cares for all living beings under heaven. Your considerations in all matters are naturally more thorough than ours… If we can eliminate Demon City and prevent the demon clan from becoming a menace, even if some common people must be sacrificed, it would be worth it!”

Hearing these words, Dong Yuan said warmly: “Lord Can is indeed someone who was once emperor and king—you understand the way of sacrificing the small for the great and know the art of choices!”

Saying this, he paused again and smiled: “I just wonder, in your eyes, Lord Can, should I be taken or should I be sacrificed?”

Dong Yuan’s meaningful question made Lord Can’s heart tighten slightly, though his expression remained unchanged with the same smile: “In the original destiny, I should have replaced Wei Jie long ago and ascended to immortality in one step. Now that worldly affairs have become chaotic, if I want to ascend to immortality, I can only rely on you, Divine Lord. Besides you, who else can I depend on?”

Although he spoke flattering words, Lord Can’s eyes were fixed intently on the man before him.

This Dong Yuan had always been cunning—he was the one who had cheated Great Qi of two hundred years of dynastic fortune. Could it be that he knew about his secret communications with Wei Jie?

But if he knew and was holding back from acting, wouldn’t that further prove that Dong Yuan’s divine status was now damaged, and he didn’t dare easily tear apart their facade?

Thinking this, Lord Can’s heart relaxed slightly.

Now, everyone was in the mortal realm with the same abilities. Whether they lived or died, whether they remained human or became immortal, would depend on each person’s skill.

Lord Can narrowed his eyes as he looked toward Demon City. It was unfortunate that Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t know how to appreciate kindness and didn’t understand the shifting principles of being both enemy and friend, refusing to join hands with him against Dong Yuan.