Ling Luo buried her face in Yue Liangze’s embrace, wiping the water from her face. This intimate gesture was seen by Yun Shouxi, whose killing intent increased as he gripped his sword.

Yue Liangze removed his outer robe and draped it over Ling Luo as he stepped forward to block her from view. Duan Yi, following orders, had already dispersed the two scrolls. He seemed unwilling to waste words with Yun Shouxi—if the confrontation was inevitable, they would fight directly.

However, Ling Luo looked down at the painting scroll that had fallen open on the ground and smiled: “Master, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. I was just wondering, does this woman in the painting resemble me?”

Yue Liangze coldly replied: “Not at all.”

Ling Luo blinked at him, gently tugging his sleeve to signal him not to interfere.

Yun Shouxi’s killing intent and displeasure had been triggered when his forbidden area trespassed and when his possession was held in another’s embrace. Though he maintained a facade of calmness, his eyes had already darkened with rage.

“Ling Luo, I don’t care if you’ve fallen to demonic ways. As long as I exist, no person or cultivator in this world will harm you.” Yun Shouxi extended his hand toward Ling Luo. “Come here. You shouldn’t stand behind him.”

Ling Luo raised her eyes to Yun Shouxi, unmoved: “Master, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

The aura of the Wusheng sword flared outward, confronting the Dushen sword. Both had stayed at Shangwujian before; they were old acquaintances now facing each other because of their masters’ conflict.

Wusheng muttered: “Don’t hold back later. My invincible master will beat you to death!”

Dushen remained silent.

Suiwu also said: “When Danshui True Lord learns what this person has done, I fear you’ll be cut in half.”

Dushen replied helplessly: “I know nothing about any of this.”

Just as the sword spirits finished their exchange, their wielders attacked.

The sword energies of Dushen and Wusheng collided and swept outward, stirring up fierce winds. The curtains billowed against the easel, while the lotus flowers in the pool shattered under the irresistible sword energy.

Yue Liangze blocked the way, preventing Yun Shouxi from approaching Ling Luo.

Yun Shouxi said coldly: “Get lost.”

Yue Liangze’s eyes revealed disgust as their swords clashed, creating explosive sparks. From the start, both used their full strength, each strike a killing blow, leaving no room for retreat.

Yun Shouxi disregarded the other’s status as a disciple of the Sacred Sword Sect, while Yue Liangze ignored his position as the master of the Tianji Sect. At this moment, they felt only contempt and murderous intent toward each other.

Water droplets splashed onto the painting scroll, creating darker marks that made the sea in the painting appear even brighter.

Ling Luo bent down to pick up the scroll and opened it again. She gently caressed the face of the figure in the painting, her fingertips tracing from the hair tie to the long golden tail. She said softly: “Master, do you still intend to transform me into this?”

“Replacing my spirit veins to merge me with a sea demon, growing an ugly tail, then using the Juanshen Lock to imprison me beneath this pool?”

Yun Shouxi glanced at her during the battle, his expression showing surprise that Ling Luo had guessed his entire plan correctly.

Chu Yi, confined behind the curtains by Ling Luo’s barrier, watched with a grim face.

In his heart, he didn’t want to hear Yun Shouxi’s affirmative answer.

Yue Liangze, feeling the oppressive sword energy coming toward him, was about to counter when he was blocked by the sword technique cast by Suiwu from behind. Ling Luo stepped forward with her sword, saying: “This is a grudge between him and me. I’ll resolve it myself.”

Ling Luo pulled at his sleeve and said quietly: “Wait a moment.”

Yue Liangze glanced at her, and Ling Luo added: “Or you could close your eyes, don’t look, don’t listen.”

This request was somewhat excessive.

Yue Liangze looked at her with deep, unyielding eyes. His wordless dissatisfaction made Ling Luo instantly compromise.

Yun Shouxi coldly watched the two of them. Ling Luo opened the scroll and turned it toward him, asking: “Do you want me to become like her, Master?”

“This is your original form.” Yun Shouxi’s gaze fell on the scroll with momentary tenderness. “You were meant to be this beautiful, predestined from the first moment I saw you.”

Chu Yi felt as if a heavy stone had sunk to the bottom of his heart, making it difficult to breathe.

Yue Liangze couldn’t help but frown, unconsciously turning his sword to face the blade edge toward Yun Shouxi, as if he might unleash countless sword strikes at any moment.

Neither man wanted to hear Yun Shouxi express any words of affection toward Ling Luo.

“Just because I have a face similar to your imagination?” Ling Luo faced Yun Shouxi with apparent indifference, though scenes of being imprisoned underwater flashed through her mind.

Yun Shouxi shifted his gaze back to Ling Luo, smiling slightly as he extended his hand to her, his tone gentle as always: “Ling Luo, you are her, and you will become her. This is destined.”

Yue Liangze could no longer contain himself and was about to act when Ling Luo moved first. Suiwu’s sword light flashed, and the divine sword technique imbued with demonic energy swept across the entire space. The dragon’s roar and sword’s cry targeted only Yun Shouxi.

Yun Shouxi’s expression darkened slightly. Even he had to be cautious against this sword intent, especially now that Ling Luo had embraced demonic power and her strength had become unfathomable.

During the battle, he said: “Ling Luo, you exist because of my desire. We are meant to be together.”

These words further provoked Ling Luo’s hatred. Even in this new life, her master remained so obsessively misguided.

“Yun Shouxi, look clearly!” Ling Luo delivered a fierce strike. “I. Am. Not. Her!”

The incantation marks on Yun Shouxi’s clothes all lit up, and his sword movements matched Ling Luo’s in power. The spiritual energy from their intense clash shot skyward like sparks. Amid the sounds of blade and sword, he continued to speak gently: “I know you can’t accept it yet, but that’s because you haven’t fully recovered. From the first day I saw you, I’ve been preparing.”

“When you return to the sea, you’ll understand the feelings with which I’ve waited all these years. Ling Luo, I’ve always wanted the right moment to tell you—I never wanted to be your master, because I—am madly in love with you.”

The sword’s howl was piercing. Each strike of the divine sword technique forced Yun Shouxi to counter with increasing spiritual energy, but he showed no fear. His gaze upon Ling Luo gradually lost control, becoming feverish.

The secret suppressed in his heart for far too long could finally be revealed to her without restraint today, making Yun Shouxi unable to contain himself.

But Ling Luo didn’t want to hear any of it. She felt only disgust. This obsession had destroyed her master, and once destroyed her as well.

With revulsion, she said: “Is your love about imprisoning me and making me unrecognizable?”

Yet Yun Shouxi replied: “We’ll go to the deep sea together. From now on, there will only be the two of us! This love permits no interference from others. I will take you away from this disappointing human world! Then, with only us together, I will make you forget all troubles and pain!”

“Ling Luo, come here!”

He reached out to Ling Luo again.

Ling Luo remained unmoved, responding only with sword strikes.

Yun Shouxi frowned as Ling Luo’s attacks grew increasingly fierce, her killing intent unrestrained. The enormous spiritual power she released was unconsciously suppressing him.

“You are my master, and will only ever be my master.” Ling Luo’s sword pressed downward as her gaze penetrated the transparent blade to stare directly into Yun Shouxi’s eyes. “The person I have loved, from my previous life to this one, has only ever been the one behind me.”

Yue Liangze’s previously gloomy eyes brightened at this moment.

Yun Shouxi, however, completely lost control. The sword energy that suddenly erupted made even the wind sound shrill as it bypassed Ling Luo to strike at Yue Liangze behind her.

Yue Liangze raised his sword, using Wusheng to neutralize the attack. Though he wanted to strike back, he remembered Ling Luo’s words and restrained himself.

From behind the curtains, Chu Yi shouted: “Master! Let yourself go! Stop being so obsessed!”

Yun Shouxi couldn’t hear anything. He shadow-flashed to Yue Liangze’s side with a clear objective—to kill him.

But Ling Luo moved even faster, fully opening her red folding fan into a semicircle. In that instant, with Yingxi’s spirit summoning, flower branches covered the entire dark chamber. The fluttering flower tide carried unmistakable demonic energy.

Ling Luo’s expression was haughty as she stood high above the flower branches, looking down at Yun Shouxi: “Master, you must be serious. This will be the last time I duel with you.”

“It’s alright, Ling Luo. I can tolerate occasional mistakes,” Yun Shouxi said with a dark smile. “You don’t yet understand my feelings. I’ll deal with him first, then we’ll have plenty of time.”

Chu Yi felt the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy around him. This power was becoming increasingly terrifying, churning the pool and causing mountains to crumble and the earth to split. Behind the curtains, he could only see the two forces colliding and entangling, but one was becoming increasingly dominant.

Amidst the unceasing, piercing sword howls, his shouted voice became tiny, almost inaudible.

As fierce flames consumed the painting that had been blown into the void, Yun Shouxi’s expression became frenzied. As he flew toward it, Ling Luo slashed across his eyes with the bone of her Yingxi fan from behind the flames. Blood and sparks mingled and splattered.

When Chu Yi broke through Ling Luo’s barrier, he saw Yun Shouxi being unceremoniously cut down from the void by Ling Luo. He had never seen his gentle, elegant master so out of control, so frenzied.

Eyes closed, two streams of bloody tears flowing, Dushen sword under Ling Luo’s foot, Yun Shouxi raised his head, his incomparably handsome face contorted as he howled his little disciple’s name.

Ling Luo’s Yingxi fan had already shattered, its falling surface consumed by the flames that had devoured the painting scroll. All that remained in her hand was the last fan bone.

Amid Yun Shouxi’s howls, she chuckled softly. As she bent down to draw closer, she glimpsed Chu Yi rushing toward them, but her movements didn’t stop.

Chu Yi said in a deep voice: “Ling Luo!”

He shadow-flashed between the two, only to see blood splatter and countless lights fly out from Yun Shouxi’s body, dispersing.

Ling Luo threw the broken fan bone on the ground.

Chu Yi drew his sword, his voice low and hoarse: “Spare his life.”

Ling Luo’s gaze was obscure.

In her previous life, that strike had slit Yun Shouxi’s throat.

But just now, seeing Chu Yi rush forward, she had merely destroyed Yun Shouxi’s spirit veins.

Because she knew what her senior brother would do and say.

In her previous life, Chu Yi hadn’t stopped her simply because he couldn’t arrive in time.

Back then, he was recovering from serious injuries.

The commotion at the mirage palace had already attracted various venerable masters, led by Mu Hengtian, along with many Tianji disciples.

They were all shocked to see Yun Shouxi, protected behind Chu Yi, in a wretched state with blood flowing from his eyes.

“Ling Luo…” Yu Xiu struggled to call out her name. “Master?”

“Shouxi!” Upon seeing Yun Shouxi’s destroyed spirit veins, Mu Hengtian was enraged. He drew his sword and slashed at Ling Luo. “You wicked creature!”

Before Ling Luo could move, a hand wrapped in half an iron chain caught and crushed the sword intent. The man who had arrived from the Death Mist Gate laughed mockingly: “How did Sect Leader Mu run away while fighting me? Are you afraid of dying?”

Mu Hengtian was so angry that blue veins bulged on his temples, his eyes filled with boundless rage.

These two demons before him—one had killed his second sect leader, the other had destroyed his third sect leader’s spirit veins and eyes—and both were Tianji disciples!

If such a disgrace spread, all the immortal sects would mock them for hundreds of years!

Mu Hengtian thundered in rage: “You two wicked creatures, willingly falling to become base, evil demons, killing the masters who raised you and taught you cultivation techniques, and your father, extinguishing your humanity. You deserve execution!”

The elders and hall masters who had followed began to attack. Ling Luo snorted coldly, ignoring Qing Shun and the hateful gazes of the Tianji crowd. She only turned to take Yue Liangze’s hand, and in the blink of an eye, she had shadow-flashed with him away from the mirage palace to the Ten Thousand Zhang Cliff outside the Blue Stone District.

Mu Hengtian and the others, along with their sword intent, pursued relentlessly. In an instant, they had also reached the mist-shrouded Ten Thousand Zhang Cliff: “Wicked creature, don’t think of escaping! Today you’ve caused havoc in my Tianji Sect, and injured my fellow disciples—I’ll ensure you never return!”

Dozens of powerful sword energies and incantations, carrying killing intent, attacked Ling Luo. However, the person beside her countered with a sword strike. Black sword intent and murderous energy overwhelmed the cliff’s mist. This strike fell between cultivators and demons, splitting the perilous mountain cliff in two, and creating an unbridgeable distance.

Ling Luo was somewhat surprised. She hadn’t wanted Yue Liangze to act; taking Yue Liangze away would only appear to those people as the twenty-sixth demon abducting a Sacred Sword Sect disciple.

After Yue Liangze delivered this strike, separating the cultivators from the demons, he turned back to Ling Luo and extended his hand: “I don’t want to be left behind by you again.”