On the third day of the tenth month, at Penglai Island, before dawn had broken, various flying spirit treasures began descending one after another across the sky. The disciples responsible for reception and arrangements dutifully stepped forward, examining the visitors’ invitations, verifying them, then leading people to the cluster of aerial pavilions behind the island to familiarize them with the locations and explain the arrangements for the following dozen or so days.

At a glance, human figures were everywhere, bustling with activity.

Each session of the Three Lands Grand Assembly was hosted by the pillar families and renowned clans among the three territories, and their hospitality toward guests was beyond question.

The Xu family arrived neither early nor late, descending gracefully from their bronze battle chariot with its proudly neighing head amid the morning clouds. Xu Zihua and Xu Yunqing stood one behind the other on a small hill of Penglai Island, facing the many scrutinizing gazes as they observed this island that seemed like a paradise beyond the mortal world amid the sea.

An attendant who had been waiting stepped forward to guide them toward the back of the island. Chen Lu’an had arrived not long ago. These two brothers were too eye-catching to ignore. He slapped the handkerchief in his hand into the attendant’s palm and walked forward with a smile: “Well, I didn’t expect you to arrive quite early.”

Xu Zihua and Chen Lu’an were old acquaintances. Xu Yunqing nodded toward the latter and said, “Brother Lu’an.”

“How’s this island built?” Chen Lu’an smiled back at Xu Yunqing and patted Xu Zihua’s shoulder: “How does it compare to what our two families have hosted? This time it’s Kunlun’s home field.”

Penglai Island was situated in the territory of Kunlun, known as the greatest sect among the three lands and one of the Six Sacred Lands. Surrounded by boundless deep seas on all sides, the island was perpetually wreathed in immortal mists. Far from the bustling crowds, it had been chosen as the opening venue for this session of the Three Lands Grand Assembly.

The Sacred Land’s ten-thousand-year foundation was displayed in the arrangement and construction of this barren island, revealing just the tip of its massive iceberg.

“Quite excellent.” Xu Zihua’s gaze swept around as he objectively evaluated: “Many people have arrived as well.”

“Almost everyone with any reputation has come.” Chen Lu’an shrugged: “Though the Three Lands Grand Assembly is always lively, there are different degrees of liveliness. In the past hundred years, every time I compiled and updated the Prodigy Rankings, looking carefully, there were barely any Sacred Land successors or Demon Capital aristocratic families showing up. How boring to rank them. For occasions like this, you need dragons gathering together to make it worth watching.”

“This time you got your wish.” Xu Zihua walked while pulling at the corner of his mouth: “All the Sacred Land successors have arrived, and seven or eight out of ten Demon Capital aristocratic families are here too. Everyone gained something in the Flying Cloud Realm. I wonder if you can make it into the top two hundred.”

“There’s nothing I can do about that. My ambitions don’t lie there.” Chen Lu’an spoke quite naturally: “In terms of cultivation, being on par with Chen Longzhi is enough. I don’t have high demands. But for you two, the pressure is greater than mine.”

Xu Zihua fell silent, his expression gradually darkening.

Chen Lu’an was right. The Xu family indeed faced considerable pressure in the Three Lands Grand Assembly.

“By the way, about what you asked me to investigate last time, I have some news.” Chen Lu’an yawned and raised his hand to create a barrier, separating the three of them from the two attendants guiding them ahead. “That Su You is no longer serving in the Yedu Hall’s Front Office. He seems to have returned to the Demon Capital and grown close to Jiu Feng and others. I tried to investigate his whereabouts, but found nothing. You should know what this represents.”

“He might have other backing.” Xu Zihua glanced at Xu Yunqing and replied steadily: “Perhaps somewhere better than Yedu.”

Chen Lu’an spread his hands and, looking at Xu Zihua’s expression, still said: “In my opinion, why not forget about it? Our Yunqing is young, has already surpassed you in the path of Spirit Array Masters, has a good temperament and looks, and I’ve heard that the number of girls who like him exceeds those who liked you back in the day.”

“Brother Lu’an.” This time, it was Xu Yunqing who spoke. He stood with his back to the light, his figure lean, his words carrying a sense of calm indifference: “In this world now, Spirit Array Master families are in decline. The Xu family is already considered outstanding among them. Outsiders see us as prestigious and proud, but inside we’re already withered, at the end of our strength, barely holding on.”

“How…” Chen Lu’an was shocked by such frank exposure of family circumstances and immediately looked at Xu Zihua. Seeing his expression was also unpleasant, but he said nothing. Chen Lu’an couldn’t help but whisper: “I guessed that Spirit Array Master families wouldn’t have easy days, but how could it be this difficult?”

“It’s not difficult. The Xu family also has thousands of years of foundation and has weathered countless trials. But the threshold to become a Spirit Array Master is too high, making this path destined to be arduous. Depending on Sacred Lands can improve the Xu family’s reputation and help us screen for spiritually gifted Spirit Array Master prospects, making one last gamble. This is for the public good. As for contemporary Spirit Array Masters’ natural talent and strength, Xue Yu is hard to surpass. In my youthful arrogance, I only wish to like the most outstanding woman. This is for personal reasons.”

“So you’ve both made your decision? Yunqing, have you thought this through? Once you step onto that competition platform, everyone goes crazy and only knows how to push forward. If you want to fight Xue Yu and attract her attention, you can’t lose a single match in at least the first fifty.”

Xu Yunqing smiled and nodded: “The decision is made. If we meet on the battle platform, I hope Brother Lu’an will show mercy.”

Xue Yu arrived at Penglai Island at noon that day. The first day of the assembly wouldn’t immediately begin competitions, but rather settle visiting guests, familiarize them with Penglai Island’s various arrangements, and post the next day’s schedule for everyone to see.

Shan Shu accompanied her, discussing Mu Shaoqi’s injury: “I gave him medicine. Whether he can wake up depends on these few days. If he can wake up, after resting for three or four months, he should be able to let you use the Binding Curse.”

Xue Yu nodded and spread her palm. Five dragon breath pieces the size of soybeans rolled together in her hand, fusing into a thumb-sized demon pearl. Observing, she discovered spider-web-like cracks on the pearl’s surface, like a riddled net desperately guarding its final line of defense.

“Five pieces, about what Jiu Feng said.” Xue Yu looked at the flowing clouds on the horizon, then at the black mist surging like living water within the dragon’s breath, saying: “This dragon breath doesn’t feel quite pure to me.”

As a Buddhist, Shan Shu chanted sutras daily and was particularly sensitive to such malevolent thoughts. But this dragon’s breath was very unique, like a cover tightly locking all bad things inside, making it very difficult to discern.

She reached out to stroke the cracks on the dragon’s breath, frowning slightly: “We’ve never seen what an Azure Dragon’s breath looks like before. This type of demon race is too powerful, with inherent ferocity and violent qi in their bones. It sounds… normal?” Even at the end, her tone was uncertain.

Xue Yu put away the dragon breath in her hand and said slowly: “Law Enforcement Halls everywhere are under full alert, and the Sacred Lands have also dispatched most of their patrol forces. I used Binding Curses on all the other four city lords, and their confessions are just those same few things over and over. Now there are no other clues. No matter how uneasy I feel, I can only wait.”

Shan Shu looked at the dark circles under her eyes with some heartache: “You’ve traveled to many places for this matter and had to divide your attention to oversee the Three Lands Grand Assembly. You’ll have many matches in the next fifteen days. Don’t think about these things today. Rest well.”

She paused: “These past few days, because of our actions, many human sects have come to inquire about the situation, mostly with words of comfort and concern, saying the human race is not ungrateful. They’ve seen the Sacred Lands rescue common people from danger countless times. They can’t interfere in court matters, but if needed elsewhere, we need only ask.”

Speaking of this, she smiled and said, “Miss A Yu, I can understand you. Whether human or demon, all are warm and lovely beings. When we’re in these positions, sometimes suffering a bit or being tired doesn’t seem like much.”

She twisted a strand of Xue Yu’s hair and tucked it behind her fair ear, saying gently: “But for this matter, what we should do and what we could do, we’ve done it all. We tried our best. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

Xue Yu pressed her lips together and nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the attendant guiding them stop and respectfully say: “Your Highnesses, we’ve arrived.”

The aerial pavilions for rest were located behind Penglai Island. Because so many people came to participate in this assembly, great powers from Kunlun personally acted to build a dense forest of towering trees on the turbulent sea surface. The giant trees soared into the clouds, but their cores were hollow, divided into layers of rooms, elegant chambers, many spiral staircases leading upward, plus wine cellars and auction houses.

As long as you paid, everything was available.

“Has Chen Longzhi’s business reached even Kunlun?” Xue Yu stepped into a giant tree specially partitioned on the first floor, said to be prepared specifically for Sacred Land successors, the top ten immortal cultivation families of the mortal world, and the five great families of the Demon Capital. Upon entering, everything was in the familiar Shenyu Pavilion style, so she couldn’t help but ask.

“More than that.” Chao Nian had followed a colleague from the Front Office to complete a task, finishing it and coming directly to Penglai Island. He’d arrived last night and spent the whole night familiarizing himself with various places. Finally waiting for Xue Yu, he hurried forward and looked around the magnificent, extremely luxurious hall, then said through gritted teeth: “Your Highness, this Chen Longzhi is no good person. He even opened a gambling house here for betting on who wins or loses among the competitors, as well as final rankings. When I went to look last night, many people had already placed bets. I said he was unrighteous, and Chen Longzhi even told me that the Sui family had put money into every part of this, and in the end it would all—” He resentfully stopped speaking.

Chen Longzhi’s original words were that the Sui family’s money would all be Su You’s in the future, and what would Su You need so much money for, if not for betrothal gifts?

In the end, Yedu still got the advantage. Getting the advantage and still acting good—that described Chao Nian perfectly.

Chao Nian’s voice gradually became more animated: “But Your Highness will be first. I’ve already bet all my wealth on it.”

After finishing, he looked at Shan Shu and said: “I also placed a bet for Your Highness Shan Shu.”

Shan Shu smiled gently: “Then you might lose some money. Northern Wasteland Buddhist cultivation methods aren’t skilled in killing techniques. On the competition platform, I’m quite limited and probably can’t achieve results as good as your Highness’s.”

Chao Nian made a sound of surprise and scratched the back of his head: “Eh, is that so? Then Shen Jingshi might have to pack up and go take office as Regent King.”

“What?”

Chao Nian sighed: “Yesterday he joined me in leaving all his future wife-marrying savings on that gambling table.” He had great confidence in his own Highness and felt he could probably multiply it several times, but Shen Jingshi… hearing Shan Shu say this, the situation didn’t look good.

Shan Shu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

“Xue Yu.”

Jiu Feng’s voice came from behind them. Xue Yu turned around, her gaze sliding past Jiu Feng’s bright and flamboyant face, then lightly glancing at Sui Jinyu and Sui Yu, finally settling on the person in the center of the group.

Indeed, he was quite eye-catching.

Dressed entirely in pure white, the young man had a tall, slender figure with an elegant bearing. His hair was bound with the simplest jade crown, revealing a long, supple neck. Everything seemed unchanged from before he left. Only those eyes that used to show endless charm when he smiled were now completely occupied by golden yellow, with pupils carrying indifferent ferocity, cutting his carefully selected, deliberately gentle, pure-colored attire into pieces.

Without saying half a word, standing there, he was a cold killing machine.

Tian Ao and Azure Dragon had both been called “tyrants” among the demon race.

“This… this is Young Master Su You?” Chao Nian widened his eyes in disbelief. With the latter’s appearance, he didn’t dare approach to greet his old friend and former superior.

Just this aura pressing down overhead, seeming ready to transform into a demon blade to strike down at any moment, was frightening enough.

Chao Nian sniffed and whispered: “The Demon Capital is a terrifying place.”

Their eyes met, and Su You slightly moved his lips: “A Yu.”

Even his voice had changed.

Xue Yu remembered how his voice sounded when he called her name tenderly in her ear, and now it was colder, sharper, like snow that never melted on thousand-mountain peaks, with ice-water drilling into bone crevices.

A single name, yet he managed to speak it with the weight of judgment.

An earth-shaking transformation.

As if wary of something, Su You never stepped forward. Xue Yu walked a few steps ahead, examining him carefully, then frowned and asked Jiu Feng: “What’s going on here?”

“Don’t look at me. I know nothing. Ask them.” Jiu Feng threw the difficult problem entirely to Sui Jinyu.

Xue Yu quietly looked at Sui Jinyu.

How strange and peculiar. Nineteen was his brother, his blood brother, but when Xue Yu looked over, Sui Jinyu felt a bizarre sense of guilt, like accidentally breaking someone’s treasured possession and needing to give a proper explanation to escape.

He took a deep breath and said: “We don’t know about Nineteen’s condition either. In the past, when clan members entered the ancestral ground, they could only see ancestors who died over the past ten thousand years. Those ancient departed Tian Ao spirits never showed themselves, after all, our bloodlines aren’t pure either.”

Xue Yu looked at Su You again. The two were very close; when she lifted her head, she could completely capture those two golden pupils in her sight. They blazed with sun-like brilliant radiance, yet she couldn’t discern any emotion within them.

But he seemed vaguely well-behaved, letting Xue Yu look, and even after she withdrew her gaze, his eyes remained on her.

Su You’s fingers were slightly clenched.

Since leaving the ancestral ground, he’d become this way. Due to complete bloodline pressure, from last night on, not a single person who saw him could maintain eye contact for more than three glances. Even Jiu Feng, who didn’t submit to his aura, would unnaturally look away when meeting his gaze.

He had no requirements for his appearance, and even as a ruler, this kind of stern majesty could perfectly intimidate everyone while deeply suppressing his overly beautiful features. Logically, this had no impact on him.

But in front of Xue Yu.

There were too many uncertainties.

Whether she would be unaccustomed to, or dislike it.

Like now, when his “A Yu” sounded like he was about to engage in combat, even though his voice would improve in a few days due to absorbing too much Tian Ao power, these eyes would probably be difficult to change.

“I understand.” Xue Yu looked at Sui Jinyu and said, “I need to speak with him privately.”

Sui Jinyu nodded with a pained expression.

The two disappeared around the corner, one after the other.

Xue Yu pushed open her room door. Inside was bright, with windows open and sea breeze pouring in, swirling around the incense burning in the burner, filling the entire room with sweet fragrance.

Almost the moment the door closed, a burning body pressed against her from behind.

Su You embraced her waist from behind, his lips against her pulsing veins, burying his face in her warm neck. Because of that earlier “A Yu,” this time he didn’t even call her name, only tried to lower his voice as much as possible: “My eyes, and my voice, have both changed.”

“Mm. I saw.” Xue Yu gently pushed him and asked, “What happened?”

Speaking at length would make his voice sound even more coldly harsh. Su You pressed his lips together and said concisely, “Due to the ancestral ground, too much ancestral power was sealed away. The voice will recover in a few days.”

“What about the eyes?”

Su You’s breathing paused slightly. He released Xue Yu and watched her turn around, then frowned and slowly brought his eyes close to hers, asking: “Don’t you like them?”

He pulled at the corner of his mouth, drawing out a lingering smile. If this were before, it would certainly be very tender and seductive, but under the destruction of these golden pupils, that smile seemed like condescending mockery.

Completely, utterly changed in meaning.

Seeing Xue Yu remain silent, he slowly lowered his eyelashes: “Not as good-looking as before, right?”

“I like them.”

Xue Yu reached out to slowly cover his eyes, feeling his eyelashes trembling restlessly in her palm. She seriously examined his features for a long while, then said: “It’s from absorbing too much power. When I was little, after receiving an inheritance from several clan elders, my face was frozen like this, too. It recovered after some time. Your eyes like this are also quite good.”

She released her hand and quickly got onto the bed, sitting with knees bent, patting the space beside her and saying to him: “Come sit with me for a while.”

Su You sat on the edge of the bed.

Xue Yu’s hair flowed down her back onto the silk like an inverted waterfall. Su You sat beside her, feeling that in this moment, in this small piece of heaven and earth, she slowly released herself, taking off all her burdens.

That process of transformation, shown only to him.

Su You quieted down. He reached out, cradling her head with his palm and gently pressing it against his shoulder.

Xue Yu slowly closed her eyes and said softly: “Your voice sounds good, and your eyes are beautiful too…” She thought for a moment, unable to find good descriptive words, so she said: “Chao Nian was stunned just now. Didn’t you see?”

“…”

“I’ll look through books to find a way to see if we can change them back.” Even breathing came from his shoulder. Su You glanced sideways and saw her eyelashes quietly drooping in a row, casting a small shadow. She had already fallen asleep.

He used his other hand to stroke his vivid eye corners, his voice low: “If they can’t change back, you’re still not allowed to like anyone else.”

Xue Yu didn’t hear.

She woke up partway through and found herself lying on her side. Through a layer of light-blocking curtains, looking outside, he was holding a bronze mirror, smiling at his reflection, then as if greatly dissatisfied, suddenly pressed the mirror face down, then got up in apparent self-abandonment.

Not long after, the door opened and closed. Chao Nian came in carrying a large stack of letters and documents, placing them on the desk, then clasping his hands together toward the man standing against the light, his expression showing nothing but the deepest gratitude.

Seeing that person’s face clearly, Xue Yu felt no concern at all and let herself fall asleep again.

When she truly awakened, sitting up silently from the bed with the covers, reaching out to lift the gauze curtain, she saw the demon race’s true “tyrant” sitting straight and proper under the lamplight, doing the old work from his time serving in the Front Office.