“Glug, glug!”

The area composed of lava and flames suddenly boiled, the surrounding temperature also rising considerably.

“Splash!”

Shortly after, molten rock sprayed out, condensing into human form.

Initially just a rough outline, gradually condensing facial features, until the knife-carved face became completely three-dimensional—it was actually the red-haired man who’d been pierced through the brow by Nezha and died!

He—hadn’t died?!

“Wah!”

The red-haired man covered his chest, blood spraying out, merging into the flames and disappearing. His twisted expression: “As expected, not that simple!”

Actually when heading to the Eternal Realm, he’d guessed that having the Heavenly Demon Emperor send him meant the enemy was troublesome. Never imagined they’d be this troublesome—he had absolutely no ability to fight back against that fire-wheel-stepping youth!

And that berserk Eternal Sect disciple!

Even if he hadn’t died under the flame spear, he’d probably have been annihilated by him.

“Swoosh—”

Just then, cold aura came rushing over, a sinister voice ringing in his ears: “You failed?”

The red-haired man knew who it was. He plopped down in the molten rock, weakly saying: “Not only did I fail, your subordinates are all gone too.”

“…”

The Heavenly Demon Emperor’s face still couldn’t be seen clearly, but from those gradually reddening eyes one could tell he was currently extremely angry. From his fist-clenching motion, he seemed to be trying hard to restrain and suppress.

The Eternal Sect’s previous moves had troubled him but only hurt tendons and bones. Now it was breaking tendons and bones!

Who wouldn’t be angry?

Who wouldn’t rage?

The red-haired man naturally sensed this too. He took a deep breath, shaking his head: “I finally understand why you wanted me to act.”

“…”

The Heavenly Demon Emperor was silent.

“Using Foul Fire Rebirth barely preserved my life, but I’ll suffer foul fire backlash. For a long time I’ll be like a useless person. So, forget about freedom. Go find someone else to help,” the red-haired man said weakly.

“Of course.”

He said with difficulty: “You can also take the opportunity to kill me.”

“This Emperor disdains killing a useless person.” The Heavenly Demon Emperor seemed to have suppressed his anger, turning to leave this fire domain. However, just as he was about to disappear, he heard the red-haired man say: “Frankly speaking, these people aren’t simple.”

“So what?”

“I advise you to abandon your delusion of ruling the upper universe.”

“You’re wrong.”

The Heavenly Demon Emperor faced away from him: “This isn’t a delusion, because…” He paused, lowly saying: “It’s about to be realized.”

Joy impossible to suppress in his voice, forming stark contrast with the earlier effort to restrain anger.

The red-haired man looked up in shock: “Could it be…”

“Whoosh whoosh!”

At this time, from behind the Heavenly Demon Emperor spread some extremely special dark aura, like a cloak worn by demons from the abyss of hell.

“You’ve comprehended the Heaven-Devouring Demon Transformation Great Law!”

“A little.”

“…”

Now it was the red-haired man’s turn to be silent.

The Heavenly Demon Emperor’s figure gradually disappeared into the sea of fire. Before leaving, he left one sentence: “This Emperor lets you live to witness the New Era’s arrival!”

“This guy’s gone mad.” The red-haired man sat cross-legged, trying hard to keep his body upright. Then his thoughts returned to the earlier battle, even when facing ‘death,’ he sensed a long-missed familiar aura surging from behind.

Was it her?

Sigh, he was overthinking again.

The more the red-haired man tried not to think, the more he recalled past moments, especially thinking of the child still in swaddling clothes—the guilt in his heart deepened.

“Son.”

“Father hopes you can be an upright man.”

“Yet I’ve become a demon’s lackey.”

“If one day we father and son meet, can you forgive my once dark side?”

…

Eternal Realm, Stone Statue City.

“Lady Gongsun, this isn’t good, is it?” In the back courtyard, Zhang San sat in the pavilion with a face full of palm prints. Because Gongsun Ruoli struck too heavily with several successive hits, it still burned painfully.

“I’ve wronged you, sir.”

“Sigh.”

Zhang San sighed: “I particularly understand your pain. But deliberately hiding from Sect Master Jun—isn’t it a bit…”

“Letting him know he personally killed his mother would only bring more pain,” Gongsun Ruoli said.

“…”

Zhang San was silent.

“My son was just born when his mother heartlessly left. He has no memory of her at all. Sir needn’t worry about exposure—just interact as usual,” Gongsun Ruoli said.

“Alright then.”

Zhang San said: “Zhang will reluctantly pretend to be Sect Master Jun’s fa… mother for a while.”

Damn.

What the hell is this?

One feint wasn’t enough, here comes another?

Actually this is what happened: Gongsun Ruoli flew out from the Eternal Realm, her gaze always locked on the red-haired man. Just seeing his back, she recognized the heartless man who abandoned husband and child!

That is to say.

Readers guessed correctly from the start!

Zhang San? He just happened to stand between Gongsun Ruoli and the red-haired man, so confusedly became the mother.

Not really confused though. Actually, Gongsun Ruoli realized the flame youth was controlled by Jun Changxiao and immediately guessed he killed the person. At the moment of collapse, she communicated with him via voice transmission.

The two didn’t know each other, but that didn’t prevent cooperation.

So when Jun Changxiao and the entire Eternal Sect were questioning the red-haired man’s identity, she called out to Zhang San, even forcefully slapping him, forcibly making him the mother.

Why do this?

Because Gongsun Ruoli didn’t want Jun Changxiao to bear the pain of matricide.

Honestly, seeing the red-haired man killed, her state of mind was briefly in total despair, especially with the killer being her son.

Must calm down, must stay composed!

Gongsun Ruoli forcibly suppressed the grief and pain in her heart. To prevent Jun Changxiao from bearing the sin of matricide, she could only have Zhang San cooperate with her acting to dispel her son’s suspicions.

Zhang San.

Facing this sudden situation, performed flawlessly.

Carefully examine last chapter’s words “veteran actor.”

Their cooperation had flaws—for instance, before the heartless man left, the son was already born, yet Zhang San said “you were pregnant when I left?”

This didn’t match.

But Gongsun Ruoli intentionally had Zhang San say this, aiming to make her son understand he and his mother never met, making it easier to accept rather than produce suspicion.

Actually.

She overthought.

Jun Changxiao wouldn’t suspect.

Because he fundamentally wasn’t Gongsun Ruoli’s child—just coincidentally inheriting Stone Statue Clan bloodline. Even fearing exposure and hurting this woman, he absolutely had to cooperate.

He.

Also a veteran actor.

Some asked if Jun Changxiao felt any bloodline resonance when killing his mother? Sorry, no. After all, the bloodline was the Stone Statue Clan’s, not the red-haired man’s. Strictly speaking, the two had no blood relation at all.

Another detail showed this: the red-haired man also sensed no bloodline resonance with Jun Changxiao.

If you must argue, then you’re definitely right! I’m absolutely wrong.

Two consecutive feints finally clarified the truth.

However.

Most tragic was Zhang San—coldly becoming the mother, still having to keep up the act. Really tested his acting skills.

“Father, Mother!”

Just then, Jun Changxiao flew over.

In his brows were both joy and pain—one representing parents’ reunion, one representing permanent separation from master and disciple.

“Son!”

Zhang San walked over, patting his shoulder with loving eyes: “Didn’t expect you’d grown so big!”

Perfect acting.

But internally wailing: “Sect Master Jun! Heaven and earth witness! I’m really not deliberately taking advantage of you!”

“Good thing, good thing.”

Jun Changxiao secretly rejoiced: “Didn’t see through the flaw.”

Everyone acting, everyone’s acting on point.