Everyone came out of Xihe’s ancestral land with heavy hearts. When they emerged, sunlight shone directly down, even blazing to a dazzling degree.

The human race had no mind to linger, feeling like thorns in their backs, staying in this place. Soon, Lu Chen stepped forward to greet Xue Yu and the others. From his expression, he couldn’t even squeeze out a forced smile: “We still have a commotion to deal with when we return, so we’ll leave first. When Yedu holds its great events in March, I’ll come to your door to ask for a couple of drinks.”

Xue Yu’s pretty face was frosty, only nodding slightly. Su You gave face to everyone who would come to witness his and Xue Yu’s grand wedding, slightly lifting the corners of his lips and saying clearly: “Go on.”

“The human race this time won’t die but will shed a layer of skin.” Watching Lu Chen and the others’ rapidly departing figures, someone said with considerable emotion: “At least half of the top hundred families and sects secretly made moves. Settling accounts one by one, the human race’s strength will sharply decline.”

“Just wait and see. When this group returns, within half a day, those families will start erasing traces and fabricating innocence like rats digging holes.”

“Is it useful?” Xue Yu turned back to glance at the tree shadow standing among the clouds, boundless as far as the eye could see, like a green ocean. She spoke coldly: “Not one will escape. I’ll personally capture them. Dare to step one foot out, and the crime increases by one degree.”

Shan Shu followed her gaze, feeling uncomfortable in her heart. She said gently, “I have the same thought. When Sacred Lands sends people over, they may not be consciously cooperative and will resist greatly. With things reaching this step, compared to those who truly bore karmic retribution, they indeed have no injustice to cry about, no mercy to be forgiven.”

“You go ahead.” Cang Ju had strutted in to negotiate conditions, but the conditions weren’t negotiated. Instead, he was emotionally and rationally burdened with heavier responsibilities for all living beings by the Fusang Tree. He listlessly lifted his eyelids: “Before the Fusang Tree withers and dies, it will take away all the death energy from Tai Hua and this piece of heaven and earth. I need to return to guard the Heavenly Pool. I still have work to do and can’t go with you all.”

The Sacred Land’s successors had long witnessed Tai Hua’s peculiarities and all expressed understanding.

Hearing these words, Xue Yu pressed her lips together.

This sacred object, born of heaven and grown from earth, before withering and dying, was like a gentle elder who worried about everything, considering its long future, wishing to scatter all family wealth and utilize every usable part of itself.

All things were like children to “Him.”

As their group stepped onto the immortal bridge to leave this place, Ji Tingxi, the Xihe Holy Son, suddenly felt heart palpitations. Following some angle, he suddenly looked over and his heartbeat skipped a beat.

On the ancient hall’s steps stood a slender figure shrouded in thick mist, wearing layers upon layers of complex garments, with long hair bound high like an inverted waterfall flowing downward.

Unlike the warmth and lasting quality the Fusang Tree gave people, “He” appeared cold and aloof, emanating an unbending solemnity.

Ji Tingxi slightly bent his spine, performing a distant salute, calling out clearly: “Greetings to the Sacred Ancestor.”

Not the Fusang Tree – the only other entity that could be called “Sacred Ancestor” was the Book of Heavenly Secrets.

Facing such beings who had existed for tens of thousands of years, absorbing the power of heaven and earth and forming with the Heavenly Dao’s tacit approval, even without feelings of closeness, one felt deep reverence from the heart.

The others followed suit, performing ceremonial bows with their sleeves.

The Book of Heavenly Secrets’ robes moved slightly, and a golden scroll floated over like a falling leaf, landing precisely in Xue Yu’s hands. The voice was ethereal and distant: “Bear my decree and proceed.”

Thus, the Sacred Land’s successors split into two groups upon leaving Xihe, one heading south, one north.

The Demon Capital people also didn’t leave. Jiu Feng squinted at the blazing sun overhead and stood on Xue Yu’s side: “Let’s go together.”

The Demon Capital couldn’t just do nothing either.

Xue Yu and the others used teleportation arrays to reach the human world’s Three Provinces and Five Cities that very afternoon. This was the region where human extremist authoritarianism was most rampant, and also where Qiu Tong had once carefully cultivated his power base. In the Three Provinces and Five Cities, plus the surrounding twenty-odd cities, powerful human sects occupied more than half.

To make an example of others, Xue Yu chose the most renowned among them. This sect was located among mountains, with immortal energy floating ethereally through mountain streams and forests like a sacred realm. As the human prodigies who had gone to the Sacred Lands returned, the Fusang Tree’s intentions quickly spread to all families.

They were on tenterhooks, ready for battle.

Learning news that the Fusang Tree was about to wither and die, many long-reclusive human mighty ones fell silent, and after sighing, felt deep confusion and guilt.

There were also others who had participated in this matter who, at the crucial moment of life and death, saw the Fusang Tree’s withering as a glimmer of hope.

The human race had strength. Without the Fusang Tree’s deterrence, they could unite to contend with the Sacred Lands. At this critical juncture, unless they wanted to trigger another great war, the Sacred Lands wouldn’t be willing to fight to mutual destruction.

The family Xue Yu went to settle accounts with had exactly this mentality.

Facing life and death, who cared about righteousness?

They had made full preparations. The moment Xue Yu, Jiu Feng, Shan Shu, and others stepped inside, they activated their sect-protecting great formation. Yin Ling casually deflected silver light slashing toward her face, saying with complete incomprehension: “Fighting Xue Yu with formation techniques?”

What were they thinking?

Jiu Feng stood with arms crossed, not even planning to act.

Xue Yu spread her palm toward mid-air, then clenched her fingers one by one. Thousands of formation lines flew out in reverse, precisely inserting horizontally into the muddy formation cores. The next moment, it was as if a massive piece of glass had shattered in the world, with endless cracking sounds.

Dozens of elderly men with flowing sleeves and white hair appeared before them. The leader had a grim expression, looking at Xue Yu: “Your Highness of Yedu, being so aggressive isn’t good, is it?”

“Has the Tianyi Sect already decided on this?” Shan Shu stepped forward, frowning: “Won’t you think of future generations?”

The leading elder had no confidence in his heart. They might not be able to defeat the people before them, but escaping and surviving ignominiously wasn’t impossible.

What they truly feared was the Fusang Tree – that unstoppable existence.

But the Fusang Tree was going to die, and might have already died after talking with them.

Everything might still have hope for a turnaround.

But Xue Yu didn’t intend to say much. She swept over these people’s faces one by one and understood what they were thinking.

After the battle against Mei, having thoroughly comprehended the formation intent of the All Living Beings Formation, she had nearly reached the ultimate end of the Spirit Array Master path.

At this moment, she didn’t say much, nor did she use the techniques from the Three Lands Grand Assembly or the Battle of Xiao City.

Vast and refined spiritual power gathered in her hands into a simple bow, with an automatically nocked arrow that extended snow-white. She aimed across the distance at the forehead of the foremost person, and at a certain moment, suddenly released.

An indescribable explosive sound rang in their ears.

The leading elder’s forehead twitched. He retreated, layering many defensive spiritual treasures on himself. His speed was fast, but not fast enough.

In the blink of an eye, that arrow had pursued to his eyes, easily cutting through his spiritual power shield, then embedding in the spiritual treasure. Its speed slowed but continued determinedly penetrating until finally, with a “whoosh,” it pierced straight into his right pupil, heavily nailing his entire body into the mountain behind him.

The power of this strike made both Jiu Feng and Yin Ling look sideways simultaneously.

Xue Yu paid no attention to others. She just swept through like this, arrow after arrow, clean and efficient, like a blind executioner harvesting lives.

Watching this, Jiu Feng smiled: “I thought you Sacred Land successors were all kind-hearted good people.”

She couldn’t be blamed for saying this. Sacred Land successors did indeed have such an image in many situations, only thinking of acting when they could no longer endure.

But Xue Yu wasn’t like that. She could distinguish too clearly when to be kind and when to be ruthless.

The Crown Princess, about to take over Yedu, not only had the soft heart of a Sacred Land successor, but also iron-blooded methods and decisive will.

After the dust settled here, the small scroll in Xue Yu’s sleeve flew out on its own. It leaped into the clouds and slowly unfurled. Countless golden rays flowed down, and everything the Fusang Tree had done for this world – ancient times, present world, two boundless catastrophes, taking karma upon itself – flowed with the golden light and embedded into everyone’s memories.

Countless people were moved, raising their heads to look at the heavens.

Above the heavens, the scroll was small, yet seemed to encompass heaven and earth. No matter where one was, anyone who looked up could see the two characters on it.

—— No Pardon.

Those who disregarded other races’ survival for personal gain: no pardon. Those who remained unrepentant even now: no pardon. Those who blindly covered up, reversed black and white, and erased facts: no pardon.

Seeing this scene, all elders who had participated in the behind-the-scenes preparations for Xiao City felt like they’d been struck by thunder.

Perhaps before, it was always the Fusang Tree who intervened, while the Book of Heavenly Secrets only issued various tasks. They had forgotten that there were two great sacred objects in this world.

“The images from ancient times have all been released.” Jiu Feng watched this scene and said.

This action undoubtedly also indicated that the sacred object that would repeatedly act out of compassion was gone.

Thus, the living beings of this world needed to constantly self-reflect and consider how to walk the path ahead, where to go.

Perhaps this was the true natural order.

This reckoning against the human race lasted a full three to four months. It wasn’t just the human race – the Sacred Lands and Demon Capital also began self-investigation, completely uprooting all dark, unseen corners.

Xue Yu and Su You were incredibly busy.

Because of the approaching monarch ceremony and grand wedding, with both parties having no time and constantly away on business, Sui Jinyu and over ten Sui family siblings simply moved to Yedu. Along with them came hundreds of enormous chests.

Opening them revealed huge Eastern pearls, stacked shark silk, and various rare and precious objects that dazzled the eyes. The Lord of Yedu initially maintained composure, but after a while, the entire standard of Yedu improved.

Even the tea the Lord of Yedu drank daily unconsciously changed to the highest grade Qiongshan Jade Dew.

With nothing left to say, he finally understood that these two people’s grand wedding was to be held on the grandest, most lively scale.

Money wasn’t a problem.

It wasn’t a problem.

More miserable than the Lord of Yedu were Lu Chengze, Ji Tingxi, and Lu Chen, who partnered with Su You to investigate and settle accounts throughout human lands.

One day, they went to investigate dozens of cities near Shanhai City and discovered several large sects that had participated in the Battle of Xiao City but slipped through the net.

These old foxes were cunning. The moment they saw things going wrong, they disbanded their sects and gathered together to live anonymously among the masses as ordinary people, so investigating them took considerable time.

The two sides quickly began fighting.

Five against over twenty, while unable to harm city residents – this undoubtedly tied their hands and feet.

More infuriating than this was that two people in the team weren’t putting their hearts into it.

And they were the two most formidable.

Seeing the leading old man’s dying counterattack sweep over, Su You, who could have intercepted it, just lightly blocked once before flying back to retreat. Then there was Cang Ju, who also dodged as if he’d seen a ghost.

Lu Chen, who had been working like an ox and horse for the human race’s atonement recently, stared wide-eyed with no choice but to forcibly block this move, getting blasted back dozens of steps and creating an escape route for the enemy.

Like this, what could have ended in half an hour took them a full three hours.

The opponents suspected they were being toyed with.

“What exactly do you two mean? Are you targeting me?” Lu Chen sat panting to one side, his face full of suspicion.

If he didn’t understand these two’s capabilities, it would be one thing, but he had not only seen but personally experienced what level Su You fought at and what Cang Ju was like when seriously fighting.

Fighting like this once, no one would believe it if told.

It wasn’t that they weren’t doing their job – they fought when they should fight, but they were especially cautious, particularly Su You, as if preventing all dangerous things from approaching, protecting himself thoroughly.

This intuition was too bizarre for Lu Chen to believe.

“We’re not targeting you.” Ji Tingxi’s eyes were lifeless as he painfully rubbed his face: “These two have been like this recently.”

Su You leaned against a tree, slowly wiping blood-splattered fingers, smiling with elongated eye corners: “Understand a bit – I can’t be injured when I’m a groom.”

Cang Ju had other concerns.

He tilted his chin up, talking intermittently with the woman on the other end of a communication talisman: “I’m perfectly fine, not even half a scratch of skin broken. Don’t give me those bile-like medicines. Qin Ningning, instead of this time spent tormenting me, you could do something else.”

Lu Chen, who had never had a dao companion, never even touched a woman’s hand, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to repaying debts, fell silent.

Su You held the unattended communication talisman in his hand, slowly lowering his eyelashes.

After the great battle, Su You felt that Xue Yu’s temper seemed to have grown a bit.

This bigger temper was only directed at him.

Two months ago, he had gotten slightly injured, not seriously, just scratched while capturing fugitives. At that time, Xue Yu had finally had a moment to return to Yedu, and they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

He… did miss her, so he fought quickly to finish.

Getting injured during combat was commonplace for cultivators.

When he returned, Xue Yu looked at that bloody gash, frowning as she applied medicine. Afterward, she silently set the porcelain bottle aside and said, “Su You, I don’t have wings. Being a bit late won’t make me run away.”

They didn’t have much time together, but that night, for the first time, Su You slept alone.

He had dealt with Xu Yunqing.

The latter was whipped eighty times with spirit lashes, half her cultivation sealed, then expelled from Yedu. The Xu family, having spread rumors about the future monarch of Yedu and the Demon Capital monarch, quickly declined and never recovered.

The next morning, when he asked, Xue Yu had already left Yedu again for business. Not only did no one answer the communication talisman, but she didn’t even leave him a word.

With the wedding approaching, Su You dared not let himself be injured in the slightest.

After May, in early March, the three lands had calmed down.

After this incident, the demon race in the mortal world was finally tentatively accepted by humans for peaceful coexistence. All hands that had wantonly killed innocents honestly withdrew, and looking at the streets, everything showed rare harmony and stability, everywhere revealing an atmosphere of settled dust.

When Xue Yu hadn’t decided how to handle Song Heng, the Book of Heavenly Secrets had already made its decision.

A few days before the succession ceremony, Xue Yu finally had some free time. She went to the Sui family in the Demon Capital to meet with several uncles who had hurriedly returned for Su You, and when she came back, she almost immediately noticed something wrong.

Above Yedu hung an ocean-like aura that hadn’t completely dissipated.

Chao Nian ran up, gesturing as he described: “Your Highness had just left when a very thick vine broke through the Sun-Moon Wheel’s defenses and lifted Song Heng from the Si Court’s prison. The monarch saw it and forbade anyone from interfering, saying this was a sacred object of power.”

“That vine became thousands of roots, nailing him in the air, piercing his heart with ten thousand arrows, then took his soul away.”

Xue Yu nodded: “It was the Book of Heavenly Secrets.”

Worth mentioning was that at the Fusang Tree’s final moment before withering, the Book of Heavenly Secrets acted to roll down one of its leaves. Though it might never grow to its original degree in its entire life, at least some possibility remained.

On the day Xue Yu succeeded as monarch, basically all prestigious families, clans, and reclusive sects from the three lands came. The entire process was very solemn and grand.

She wore monarch’s court robes, ascending directly to the Sun-Moon Wheel, with hundreds of officials following and ten thousand people kneeling in worship.

Among the witnesses, even Cang Ju and other Sacred Land successors who had once stood equal with her all bowed their heads, performing ancient ceremonies. Only Jiu Feng, the newly-appointed Demon Capital monarch, stood straight-backed.

After a moment, she sensed something was wrong and looked to her side.

The other demon race monarch stood tall and elegant, graceful as a banished immortal, performing a more subtle, restrained, and uniquely different ancient ceremony than Cang Ju and the others.

This represented——

He would forever, fervently, and firmly submit to her.

Jiu Feng gritted her teeth, unable to watch anymore.

If the monarch ceremony was too grand and solemn, from that night when red silk was hung on every branch inside and outside the halls and lanterns were lit, the atmosphere immediately became lively.

The Sui family and Yedu spared no expense. Whether the monarch ceremony or grand wedding, everything was done solemnly and magnificently, with attention to every detail, striving for perfection without the slightest carelessness.

Early the next morning, the two monarchs set out from the main hall, hand in hand, entering the ancestral land, paying respects to elders, accepting subjects’ worship, and finally changing clothes in the hall when evening came, emerging to toast guests.

The last two tables were occupied by Jiu Feng, the Sui family, and various Sacred Land successors.

They were the liveliest, cracking sunflower seeds and playing flower cards. Sui Jinyu drank more penalty wine for losing at cards than Su You, the actual groom.

Chao Nian, whose skills were lacking, loved playing with him.

Shen Jingshi also came. Having sealed his cultivation to become the human race’s regent king, he represented the court in drinking this cup and offering congratulations. After finding an excuse to leave, he also joined their table to watch the excitement.

His complexion was somewhat pale. After becoming mortal and burning the midnight oil working all night, his body immediately couldn’t handle it. After several cups of wine, drunkenness rose, and blown by the wind, he coughed repeatedly, his cheeks and eye sockets flushing with slight red heat.

Shan Shu frowned, signaling a Buddhist attendant to bring sobering tea.

Shen Jingshi half-lay against the table edge, smiling as he looked at her: “In over ten years, will Buddhist Maiden Your Highness come to receive me? Mortals have no way to reach Sacred Lands themselves.”

“I heard recent news from Buddha Province suggests it won’t be long before Buddhist Maiden becomes Buddha Lord.”

Shan Shu felt his forehead, patiently answering that she would, then frowned and said softly: “Drink less wine – it’s bad for your health.”

Shen Jingshi seemed to set his mind at ease, lazily stretching and closing his eyes. But before the sobering tea could be brought up for two sips, Chao Nian, who had been blown to pieces by Jiu Feng, pulled his sleeve, howling for him to replace himself at the table.

Shen Jingshi methodically rolled up his sleeves and joined the battle.

When Xue Yu and Su You toasted their way here, they were casually chatting about the second meeting with the Fusang Tree: “…When it was time to distribute things, the Fusang Tree asked me why I agreed to jointly manage the mortal demon race with Su You, why I turned the tide and experienced the Battle of Xiao City with them. How could I say?”

Jiu Feng propped her cheek, being exceptionally honest: “I couldn’t very well say I didn’t want to manage these things either, but Qiu Tong insisted on recruiting me. If I said that, I wouldn’t get a single thing.”

“But we couldn’t compete with our Demon Capital’s other monarch being sincere.” Qin Qingchuan continued her words: “In front of the Fusang Tree and Book of Heavenly Secrets, he said he wanted to make this world a little better, so that Xue Yu could be a little happier.”

“He said that?” Ji Tingxi thought about it, feeling this matched Su You’s character, and immediately said: “Really bold. But he used the Heavenly Wolf Cage and rendered merit, impossible to get any benefits. Just a matter of how much.”

Su You patted Ji Tingxi’s shoulder: “You talk quite a lot.”

Xue Yu wore monarch ceremonial robes, with bright eyes and beautiful glances, leaning under lamplight, turning her head to listen to them spouting these words she had never heard before. Her gaze shifted and stopped on the man in full red not far away, hidden amusement in her eyes.

Shan Shu rarely joined the conversation, smiling as she patted Xue Yu’s wrist, saying warmly: “You don’t know – what our A Yu said then wasn’t much more subtle than Su You.”

The second audience with the Fusang Tree followed the same order as the first, with Shan Shu, Xue Yu, and Cang Ju left for the final group.

Others didn’t know about this matter.

Shan Shu’s saying this drew everyone’s attention.

Yin Ling elbowed Cang Ju: “What did she say? Come, expose some embarrassing secrets.”

With one glance from Cang Ju, Xue Yu preemptively cut off his words, saying leisurely: “Your wedding ceremony with Qin Ningning isn’t far off, is it?”

Cang Ju shut his mouth.

Before getting together with Qin Ningning, he didn’t know how much bitter water he’d poured into these Sacred Land successors. In short, through gritted teeth, it was nothing much.

This topic quickly passed, but one person took it to heart.

After returning to the inner hall, red candles flickered, female attendants filed out, and the sounds of music and dance could be faintly heard outside. The two drank the nuptial wine and sat on the bed’s edge.

Due to the Sui family’s involvement, the inner hall had completely changed style. Cabinets and screens were all inlaid with fist-sized moon-bright pearls, every edge of hanging paintings dotted with gold sand. Even the curtains were divided into bright and dark layers, using the finest shark silk in three layers inside and out, with round, lustrous pearls threaded below. Beside the red sandalwood tables and chairs burned the finest incense in the world, personally crafted by the Lingque clan.

Everything in sight was luxurious and bright.

Even the nuptial wine cups felt as heavy as gold bricks in hand.

Xue Yu leaned against the bedside, looking down at Su You, whose entire face showed gorgeous color from the wine-induced flush. She hooked his chin with her fingertip, watching him cooperatively raise his head in discomfort, asking: “Did you say that in front of the Fusang Tree?”

She might not know that despite wearing the monarch’s grand robes, tonight she appeared especially dazzling.

A brilliant radiance that made one dare not look directly.

Su You raised his eyes to look at her, humming softly in acknowledgment.

“That’s fine then.” Xue Yu nodded slightly: “Our Demon Capital monarch indeed lacks nothing.”

Su You tugged her wrist slightly, and she smoothly sat on his lap, the ceremonial robe’s heavy jewels draping over snow-white ankles, highlighting a slender, delicate section.

“Yu Yu.” He leaned up to kiss her lips, first pecking like a dragonfly touching water, then gradually losing control, smudging the red lip rouge on her lips and getting it on his own, like a vividly enchanting fox spirit. “…You’ve been cold to me for two months.”

“Do you know your mistake?”

Xue Yu looked at his deliberately lowered, seductive eyes presented before her, somewhat uncontrollably brushing open his collar.

Having been with him so long, she still had no method in this aspect. When passion deepened, she truly could suck and bite his collarbone and neck sides into blue-purple marks.

He never stopped her, almost indulgently allowing her to do as she pleased.

Xue Yu, with hair like seaweed, lay against his chest. Cold, heavy earrings fell onto his skin, and the slightest movement drew out crisp ringing sounds.

“What should we do in the future?” At such times, her pronunciation was only slightly unclear, but her meaning was perfectly proper.

“I know.” He tilted his head back, murmuring. Due to passion, desire, and wine, his eyes showed a layer of moisture. The back of his hand supporting her forearm showed blue veins, his voice low and intoxicating: “In the future… I’ll treat myself well.”

“Try not to get injured.”

“Yu Yu.” After saying this, he used his fingertip to caress her snow-white nape, stroke by stroke, hiding a seductive tail note as he asked: “What Shan Shu mentioned – what was it?”

To get the answer to this question, Su You fell into unprecedented passivity, his clothing removed piece by piece, exposing large areas of cold white skin.

Xue Yu examined him in this position, her expression lazy, eyes like silk, as if appreciating a flower’s complete blooming process.

“I said.” She seemed satisfied, leaning down to lightly bite his ear with sharp teeth, whispering: “At first, it was largely duty-driven – wanting to see harmony in the mortal world, rivers clear and seas calm, wanting every life to receive equal treatment.”

She hoped every being in the world had land to live on, grievances to voice, and could live openly and naturally.

No one was born to be ostracized to death.

She paused, propping her chin to meet his gaze, reaching out to brush aside a strand of black hair covering his collarbone: “Later, probably because I didn’t want another Nineteen to appear in the mortal world.”

How much, how much her heart ached for his past self.

Su You’s body trembled slightly. After a long time, he opened his eyes wide in some confusion, feeling the throbbing tide from both his chest and body simultaneously, his fingertips sinking deep into the bedding, emitting low, gasping breaths.

He had never known love was such a thing.

She saved him, taught him, wanted him to be self-reliant, self-supporting, self-respecting, then gave him much love and taught him how to cherish and love himself.

Su You leaned in to kiss her deeply. As he waved his hand to extinguish the candles outside the curtains, his eyelashes trembled as he thought:

——His entire life was destined to completely sink into this single sentence.

Until death, without rest.

The End