No one knew how Puhua had endured those ten thousand years. How many people had casually pronounced judgment on his entire life, and how many had mocked his futile and useless diligence behind his back? He worked far harder than Shen Qiyuan and had experienced far more life-and-death situations than Liu Ruyi, yet after more than ten thousand years of cultivation, he could only watch helplessly as they quickly developed divine bones comparable to his own.

And before long, their divine bones would far surpass his.

Supreme Lord, who had also cultivated for over ten thousand years, laughed: “You can’t ascend to the Nine Heavens, but you’ve managed to teach two accomplished disciples. That’s not bad either.”

He also laughed, saying Yes, not bad either.

But that wasn’t what he truly thought in his heart.

He didn’t want to helplessly watch his disciples step on him to reach the Nine Heavens, then return with pretenses to visit him, letting everyone mock him for lacking talent and being crushed by the rising tide.

That was simply a nightmare he had to endure once every three thousand years.

To avoid experiencing such nightmares again, he began seeking various secret divine techniques, practicing miscellaneous schools day and night. The consequence was a qi deviation, cultivating into something half-human, half-demon.

When he saw his appearance in the mirror, Puhua burst into wild laughter, laughing until tears and snot flowed, nearly collapsing.

Even so, he still wasn’t willing to give up or accept fate.

Enduring that ghostly appearance, he developed the method of dual divine-demonic cultivation. As long as he could seize another set of divine bones, he could still live among people with a god’s appearance. If he seized Shen Qiyuan’s or Liu Ruyi’s divine bones, he might even have a chance to ascend to the Nine Heavens.

Puhua dared to pat his chest and say that the suffering he endured was more than what Shen and Liu had experienced, and he had suffered no less hardship. So when he later became a god, he felt completely justified.

Those were things he deserved after ten thousand years of effort.

Wind mixed with yellow sand scattered the black mist, faintly revealing his outline.

Puhua suddenly awakened with a start, hurriedly covering his face in panic, then angrily turning his head: “Who?”

In mid-air, there was nothing but Liu Ruyi’s original body.

But wait.

He looked at Liu Ruyi in astonishment.

The body that had been deathly pale before had now regained its color, and those long eyes opened, seeming to look at him.

His heart sank. Puhua instinctively retreated two steps, countless black iron chains flying from his sleeves, instantly binding the limbs of the person before him.

“You…” He couldn’t quite believe it. “You’re awake?”

Ruyi’s lips curved slightly: “Master, you went to such great lengths to save me—wasn’t it so I would wake up? Now that I’m awake, why are you so afraid?”

With only one spirit remaining, even if the original body recovered, someone would need to nourish her with their divine blood for forty-nine days before her soul could return. No one had done anything yet—why could she wake up?

Not only had she awakened, but the memories of her original body had also come alive again in her mind.

“This disciple has always been puzzled about something.” She patted her head, the iron chains clanking. “Back then, Master’s magical power didn’t seem particularly impressive—how could you so easily avenge me?”

Opponents she couldn’t defeat—with just her set of divine bones, he had become invincible, razing that entire city to the ground. He had even revived all those dead clansmen one by one. Even the current Shen Qiyuan might not be able to accomplish that.

Puhua avoided her gaze: “With great enemies before us, how do you still have the mind to ask about this?”

Ruyi ignored him, slightly narrowing her eyes as she looked at the battle fires below: “Speaking of my clansmen, Master said they achieved eternal life, but I haven’t seen them for a very, very long time. They haven’t thought to come find me either.”

“They’re immortal and undying, already living as carefree minor immortals throughout the mortal world. How would they come looking for you, a demon?”

“Is that so?” She chuckled softly, then suddenly tensed her hands and feet.

The iron chains on her limbs shattered with the sound. Liu Ruyi rose with the wind, blowing away all the black mist around him.

Under everyone’s gaze, Puhua’s face flashed by, then quickly disappeared back into the mist.

“You’re seeking death!” He struck back viciously.

However, having lost his divine bones, how could he still be Liu Ruyi’s match? Even though he attacked the vital point on Ruyi’s wrist, and she only returned a strike to his chest, he flew out like a torn rag while Ruyi only retreated a few steps and spat out some blood.

The Demon King wisely dodged aside, descending through the clouds, wanting to seize the divine bones that Shen Qiyuan had placed on the ground.

However, when he descended, thick fog arose all around. Those divine bones seemed within reach but could never be grasped.

His heart sinking, Puhua’s eyes filled with bloodshot veins: “You little wretch tricked me!”

When the illusion broke, the Shen Qiyuan below only had a bloody gash on his shoulder—where had he scraped off divine bones? The smile on that person’s face was identical to Liu Ruyi’s as he struck at him head-on.

Puhua retreated step by step, escaping to clouds on another side, saying resentfully: “How is this possible!”

How could he have fallen for an illusion without any defense?

Ruyi smiled sweetly: “You use the scent of incense offerings, I use the scent of blood. Master, how well has this disciple learned?”

The groups of demons below were the best cover for bloody scents. She had unexpectedly approached her original body to return her soul and cast techniques. He had no defenses, so naturally couldn’t detect it.

Puhua angrily turned to flee.

“He still has my last piece of divine bone,” Ruyi said to Shen Qiyuan.

This person was too calculating and had kept a backup, precisely that piece at the wrist vital point that he hadn’t returned to her. As long as that piece of bone was shattered, she would also be severely injured.

Hearing this, Shen Qiyuan entrusted the formation to the Supreme Lord, then rose, condensing his divine consciousness to forcibly drive the Demon King out of the cloud layers. After several moves, he pinned his hands behind his back.

The Demon King was powerless to hide, his features becoming completely clear in his eyes.

Shen Qiyuan found it somewhat hard to accept: “Why?”

“Winners and losers—what’s there to ask why about?” He spat, yet still laughed. “In terms of talent, I’m not as good as you two, but in terms of strategy, you’re both just playthings in my palm. That I could play a losing hand to this extent is already remarkable. But you two played an excellent hand terribly. Haha—”

Ruyi flew up, grasping his mouth and forcibly squeezing out a trickle of blood: “I have a question for you.”

Puhua sneered, saying indistinctly: “You want to ask whether that disaster in your mother city had anything to do with me, don’t you?”

Looking at his expression, the answer was clear as day.

Ruyi’s hand suddenly tightened: “You are a beast. Just because I questioned your saying about diligence compensating for lack of talent on the mountain, you harbored such resentment toward me?”

Back then, she had advised a person without talent to give up divine cultivation out of genuine kindness. That person already had an immortal body—why be obsessed with ascending to the Nine Heavens? If he didn’t particularly enjoy cultivation anyway, why not properly enjoy all the world’s wonders?

Diligence compensating for lack of talent was premised on having some talent. Without it, why not take a different path?

But somehow this remark struck Puhua’s nerve. Upon hearing it, he immediately attacked her. Against his disciple at the time, a sword aimed at her heart.