Lengyuan looked at Si Qing, her eyes filled with triumphant satisfaction.

Since the Heavenly Emperor had already issued the decree for her execution, she couldn’t be bothered to defend herself anymore. As long as Si Qing used the life-extension technique, she could continue living well regardless.

Fu Huan was different. This time, the Heavenly Emperor had become extremely wary of her, and no matter what, she would be difficult to save from calamity.

Before her, Si Qing was still gripping Lengyuan’s neck. Through his mind-reading technique, he discerned Lengyuan’s thoughts. Upon realizing Lengyuan’s calculated scheme, his face darkened with anger.

“Take me to Fu Huan!”

“Fine, but first tell me the secret incantation for the life-extension technique.”

…

The Extreme Cold Northern Lands.

“Huan’er, Huan’er.”

…

Fu Huan was trapped in this frigid domain, barely clinging to life. In her hazy consciousness, she seemed to hear Si Qing’s voice calling her, one call after another, coming closer and closer.

Must be a dream…

“Huan’er…”

With another gentle call, Fu Huan felt herself being lifted and tightly embraced.

When she slightly opened her eyes, she saw Si Qing holding her face, looking at her with panic and fear. “Huan’er…”

“Si Qing…” Fu Huan thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Si Qing looked at Fu Huan, whose hand and foot tendons had been severed, his eyes reddening. He picked her up by the waist and quickly headed outside.

As they passed through the gateway of the cold domain, Lengyuan was standing at the entrance. Seeing the two emerge, her gaze fell on Si Qing. “Once you leave here, we’re even.”

Si Qing ignored Lengyuan and directly left with Fu Huan.

After they left, Lengyuan stood in place for a while, then walked toward the secret prison. Now that she knew the method of the life-extension technique, she was no longer afraid even if the Heavenly Emperor had ordered her death.

With Si Qing and Fu Huan now escaped, the Heavenly Emperor would surely be furious. If a battle broke out between them, she could reap the benefits of their conflict.

Si Qing, since you don’t love me, I have no choice but to destroy you.

“Guards, go report to the Heavenly Emperor that Si Qing has escaped with Fu Huan.”

…

Si Qing brought Fu Huan to a cloud fairy spring in the lower realm.

After placing the badly injured Fu Huan in the fairy spring, Si Qing sat beside her, continuously infusing her with his inner power.

Fu Huan leaned against the spring wall, her eyelids drooping lazily. She had no strength left in her body, feeling nothing but pain.

Her internal energy had been invaded too deeply by the cold, and with only half her inner power recovered previously, her energy was now chaotic and impossible to concentrate.

“Si Qing,” after a while, Fu Huan called out to him.

“What is it?” Si Qing glanced at Fu Huan.

Fu Huan smiled slightly, “Stop now, don’t deplete your inner strength. This vital energy simply cannot enter my body.”

Si Qing frowned, reaching out to hold Fu Huan’s wrist, discovering that her pulse was indeed unstable and chaotic.

If even the fairy spring water was useless, then…

“Si Qing, carry me outside for a walk,” Fu Huan looked up at Si Qing, her eyes revealing a plea.

Now that Chunmeng’s matter had been exposed, the Heavenly Emperor would never let her and Si Qing go. Since she had taken the initiative to release Chunmeng, she now needed to take responsibility for it to protect Si Qing.

So, let her and Si Qing spend their last moments together.

Now she finally understood what the Purple Subtlety Emperor meant by the great calamity.

Si Qing sensed Fu Huan’s thoughts and silently released her hand, his dark eyes becoming unfathomable, yet revealing pain and concern.

Fool, Fu Huan was such a fool.

“It’s too stuffy here, will you carry me outside for a walk?” Seeing Si Qing’s silence, Fu Huan’s smile deepened. She wanted to raise her hand to gesture to Si Qing for an embrace, but she couldn’t lift it at all.

Finally, Si Qing carried Fu Huan on his back and slowly walked outside.

Each step was deep and heavy.

After walking for quite some time, Fu Huan suddenly saw a place in the cloud fairy spring that revealed a high platform. The platform towered into the clouds, appearing ethereal and distant.

Fu Huan momentarily became entranced by the sight.

Seeing this, Si Qing took a few steps forward, his dark eyes filled with warmth as he spoke with determination yet softness—

“Huan’er, when I marry you in the future, I will take you to the top of the Qionghua Platform to look down upon the splendid world below.”

Hearing these words, Fu Huan’s heart trembled. A sweet smile spread across her pale face as she teased, “Brother Qing, don’t make empty promises. The Qionghua Platform is the Heavenly Emperor’s private property; how could we possibly use it as we please?”

“If I say we can, then we can.”

With these words, Fu Huan, who had been smiling, felt her eyes completely moisten. Tears fell one by one onto Si Qing’s back, but Fu Huan still bit her lip, not allowing herself to cry out loud.

After walking Fu Huan around the cloud fairy spring, seeing that night was falling, Si Qing took Fu Huan toward the Floating Life Tree.

Half an hour later, in a temple in the lower realm.

“Huan’er, rest here first. I will come back for you tomorrow.” Si Qing tucked the blanket around Fu Huan and reached out to smooth her hair.

Fu Huan nodded, lying on the bed, her heart beating intensely.

“Be good, sleep now.” After saying this, Si Qing extinguished the candles in the room.

In the complete darkness, Fu Huan held Si Qing’s hand, unwilling to let go. In the darkness, Si Qing bent down and kissed Fu Huan’s forehead. “Wait for me.”

Those two words seemed to reassure Fu Huan. Then, with a flash of white light before her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.

After Fu Huan fell asleep, Si Qing slowly left the room and headed toward the Celestial Realm.

…

The Celestial Realm, Purple Subtlety Palace.

“Wuji, I have only this one daughter. Now I must do whatever it takes to protect Huan’er.” The Purple Subtlety Emperor was sitting in the great hall, conversing with Heavenly Lord Wuji.

Regarding the events of years past, the older generation had seen through everything but said nothing. Unexpectedly, one day, the truth was still exposed.

Now, Fu Huan, Si Qing, and Lengyuan had all been implicated—something no one had anticipated.

“Alas, what a karmic connection, what a karmic connection indeed!” Heavenly Lord Wuji heaved a deep sigh. Now there truly was no solution.

“Come, let’s go to Qingyang Palace now.” The Purple Subtlety Emperor couldn’t stay calm at the thought of Fu Huan being sentenced to death by the Heavenly Emperor.

Heavenly Lord Wuji stood up and had just taken a few steps when the immortal attendant Jiu Sheng entered from outside. “Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Shen of the Underworld requests an audience.”

“Good! He still dares to see me!” Upon hearing the visitor was Si Qing, the Purple Subtlety Emperor’s face immediately fell.

Heavenly Lord Wuji waved his hand at Jiu Sheng, indicating that he should let Si Qing in.

Soon after, Si Qing, dressed in a black brocade robe, entered. After entering, he nodded respectfully to the Purple Subtlety Emperor and Heavenly Lord Wuji.

The Purple Subtlety Emperor glared at Si Qing, but before he could speak, Si Qing slowly said—

“Everything began because of me. I will take full responsibility for this matter alone.”

After Si Qing finished speaking, a shadowy figure outside the door hurriedly ran away. That person was Zi Yu.

Zi Yu had come seeking the Purple Subtlety Emperor’s help because in the past two days, all the subordinates of the Phoenix Feather Pavilion had experienced strange physical changes. She couldn’t bear it any longer, but unexpectedly heard Si Qing’s words.

Lord Shen of the Underworld was going to take all the blame upon himself. What would happen to her master? She would be heartbroken if she knew.

With these thoughts, Zi Yu quickened her pace but suddenly tripped and fell, not getting up for a long time.

Sitting on the ground, she looked at her gradually appearing fish tail and panicked completely.

Something strange had happened in the past few days—the disciples of the Phoenix Feather Pavilion were, one by one, transforming into half-human, half-beast forms.

She had kept this matter under wraps for now, but if word got out, who knew what greater problems might arise.

After thinking for a moment, Zi Yu struggled to her feet, intending to return to the Phoenix Feather Pavilion first and use its spirit signal to find Fu Huan’s whereabouts.

After Zi Yu left, the three people in the Purple Subtlety Palace headed toward Qingyang Palace.

…

Inside Qingyang Palace, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. After Si Qing entered Qingyang Palace, the Heavenly Emperor had summoned a gathering of immortal lords to thoroughly investigate the past events.

“Where is Chunmeng’s true form?” After a while, the Heavenly Emperor’s first question was about Chunmeng’s whereabouts.

“I refuse to answer.” Regarding Chunmeng, he owed her too much. Now that he had rescued and settled her safely, he would never allow her to fall into the Heavenly Emperor’s hands again.

Hearing this, the Heavenly Emperor’s eyes darkened as he pointed at Si Qing. “How dare you! Do you know who you’re speaking to?”

“I do.” Si Qing replied calmly.

“Si Qing, you and Fu Huan have committed unforgivable crimes. You both face certain death. If you hand over Chunmeng, I will give Fu Huan a chance to redeem herself and spare her life.” By now, the Heavenly Emperor had completely seen through the intrigue between Si Qing and Fu Huan.

All these years, he had never been able to let go of Qingzhi.

Now that Si Qing had fallen in love with Fu Huan, he was probably the same.

“Heh, Fu Huan, that foolish woman…”

Si Qing paused, glanced at the Purple Subtlety Emperor standing nearby, then looked back at the Heavenly Emperor. “That day at your birthday celebration, when I accidentally learned that Fu Huan knew the spell to open the forbidden ground, I deliberately got close to her to trick her into revealing the spell-breaking technique. I thought it would take three to five hundred years, but she was surprisingly easy to deceive.”

“All that talk about being the daughter of the Phoenix Star—I see her as nothing more than a lovesick fool blinded by appearances.”

When speaking of Fu Huan, Si Qing’s face was full of disdain, his tone filled with mockery, showing complete contempt for her.

“Si Qing, you…” Upon hearing this, the Purple Subtlety Emperor was so angered that he moved to strike Si Qing.

The Heavenly Emperor frowned, looking suspiciously at Si Qing. Before he could speak, Si Qing continued, “Now this Phoenix daughter, born as a Supreme Immortal, is to be executed for this matter. It’s quite laughable when you think about it.”

As Si Qing finished speaking, he shook his head helplessly, though his lips revealed a sneering smile.

Seeing that Si Qing had completely betrayed Fu Huan, without showing any affection or pity for her, the Heavenly Emperor couldn’t help but half-believe Si Qing’s words.

If what Si Qing said was true, then that girl Fu Huan was indeed extremely foolish.

The Purple Subtlety Emperor’s heart remained tense. He wasn’t sure if Si Qing’s strategy would work on the Heavenly Emperor.

Although his daughter Huan’er was inevitably implicated in this matter, if she could now be spared from the death penalty, that would be a blessing.

He wasn’t asking for much now. There would be time in the future. He only wished for his daughter to live well.