Female demons could read minds.

Liu Shuang remembered when she first saw her, the demoness had uttered the words “Azure Blue.” So, the demoness also learned about Mi Chu from her.

But this was the first time someone had told her that Yan Chaosheng did not like Mi Chu.

How could that be possible?

Liu Shuang asked hesitantly, “If he doesn’t like Mi Chu, then who does he like?”

The demoness giggled coquettishly, “You might not believe it coming from my lips. Why not ask him yourself? If you think carefully about many things, perhaps you’ll understand the answer. Little Immortal, don’t mistake your direction. You must clarify his true feelings, otherwise, he won’t be grateful to you. Ask him yourself, and he will surely tell you the answer.”

Qing Luan looked toward Liu Shuang, who nodded.

If she had truly misunderstood, it was necessary to correct the wrong path.

The demoness said, “We only made him fall asleep. His injuries are severe, with three wounds on his body. One inflicted by your Kung Sang sect, another from breaking into the tower to save you, and the third from his attempt to escape the tower himself.”

Liu Shuang murmured, “The Demon Suppression Tower imprisons demons. He cannot escape.”

The Demon Suppression Tower was forged by ancient True Gods. No demon could ever escape from here. Otherwise, the Night Demon Lord would not have remained trapped until now.

“He can escape, and you can find the fifth spirit meridian,” the demoness stated with certainty. “As long as you dare to descend into the Weak Waters to retrieve it.”

Before Liu Shuang could ask what she meant, the demoness waved her hand.

Another demon controlled the vines, delivering Yan Chaosheng to Liu Shuang’s side. He was still unconscious, forcing Liu Shuang to support him.

The demoness smiled eerily and asked without warning, “Little Immortal, have you ever witnessed the collapse of an ancient divine relic?”

“What?” Liu Shuang felt an ominous premonition rising in her heart.

The demons burst into unrestrained laughter.

Someone shouted, “Being trapped for tens of thousands of years, I’ve truly lived long enough! After tens of thousands of years, those Daoists have made no progress, not even producing someone capable of destroying me.”

“This wretched tower will no longer imprison our demon kind!”

“I’ve been waiting for this day. Now I can finally rest assured!”

The Demon Suppression Tower resonated with rumbling sounds, suddenly becoming extraordinarily lively. Demons who could still use a trace of spiritual power became even more unbridled.

Liu Shuang had never seen so many greater demons behaving so brazenly before her eyes.

Even the little demon bird began to feel frightened, curling up in Yan Chaosheng’s arms.

The immortal guardians, unaware of what was happening, were all alarmed and attempted to suppress the demons, who only grew more frenzied.

Like a final burning before destruction.

The first demon laughed, “The Qilong Tribe bids farewell to Your Highness!”

With those words, he self-destructed his essence, transforming into a gray beam of light that struck the Demon Suppression Tower. Immediately, a second demon did the same, then a third… More and more demons self-destructed their core essences until the Demon Suppression Tower finally began to shake violently.

The immortal soldiers were shocked. Wu Chen muttered, “Have they gone mad? They dare to destroy the tower!”

Yan Chaosheng awoke at some point and steadied himself. The first clear image to enter his eyes was countless chaotic scenes.

Colorful light streams rippled outward in circles.

He saw the enchanting woman stand up and bow gracefully to him, her lips moving slightly.

Inexplicably, he understood what she was saying: “Farewell, Your Highness. Take care.”

Then she transformed into a red beam of light, merging into the tower.

Yan Chaosheng’s fingers twitched, his heart sinking. He stepped forward twice but didn’t know why he felt such distress. Three days ago, to evade the immortal soldiers, he had come to the thirty-second floor and found this woman familiar.

He had stayed on the thirty-second floor, where all the greater demons had been friendly. Not one had harmed him; they had all come to speak with him, asking about the current state of the Eight Wildernesses.

Even though Yan Chaosheng was taciturn, they weren’t annoyed, each showing him great respect.

This woman had also chatted with him briefly. Her voice and gaze were gentle, vaguely making him feel disoriented.

Yan Chaosheng had never lived in such a friendly demonic atmosphere before. Ironically, this was inside the Demon Suppression Tower. The vine demon had woven a bed for him, and during these days, Yan Chaosheng, who never slept, fell asleep for the first time.

His demon eyes had not detected any killing intent.

Upon awakening, he witnessed all the demon tribe self-destructing to impact the Demon Suppression Tower.

Yan Chaosheng watched with his own eyes as the woman and countless demons perished. A demon’s self-destruction of their essence was undoubtedly the most tragic end. His pupils contracted sharply before he finally stopped and frowned.

He wasn’t familiar with these demons.

One by one, the demons died, most leaving a puzzling “farewell, Your Highness.”

The Demon Suppression Tower was on the verge of collapse. The immortal soldiers finally realized that something terrible was happening—all the ancient greater demons had gone mad. The Demon Suppression Tower might not be saved. They awakened their five senses and fled outward until finally, the iron chains on the thirty-fifth floor burst open, and the Night Demon Lord transformed into a giant silver-eyed serpent, breaking free from his shackles and laughing loudly.

The Demon Suppression Tower was precarious, and the iron chains on his body no longer existed.

The Night Demon Lord, who had lived for tens of thousands of years, appeared before everyone with his enormous body.

His true form was almost magnificent. He lowered his head to approach Yan Chaosheng and Liu Shuang.

He narrowed his eyes, “Little Immortal, I gift you something. Beneath the Weak Waters, I wish you good fortune.”

A visible bright light shot over, catching everyone off guard, and entered Liu Shuang’s sea of consciousness.

The Night Demon Lord then looked at Yan Chaosheng and said, “A clan’s glory rests on one person. You must forever remember what happened today. Don’t let us down.”

For the first time, the Night Demon Lord’s voice shed its disguise, becoming cold and solemn: “Night Demon Lord, lieutenant under the ancient Xiangyao, bids farewell to the Young Demon Lord.”

Yan Chaosheng frowned.

Liu Shuang covered her forehead and stepped back, momentarily dazed, not hearing what the Night Demon Lord had said to Yan Chaosheng. When she raised her head, she thought that the day Bi Xun died would be the most significant demon death she would witness in her lifetime.

But the scene before her was utterly shocking.

The ancient greater demon Night Demon Lord, who had lived for countless years, merged into the light. The silver-cyan brilliance was splendid, like thunder across the sky, exploding magnificently. The Demon Suppression Tower, like a bell jar with cracks, began to collapse from the bottom.

Everything happened too quickly for anyone to react.

Flying swords couldn’t be used inside the Demon Suppression Tower. Liu Shuang lost her balance and fell, only able to form a barrier to await the falling debris.

Being an ancient divine relic, its collapse was not something a mere barrier could withstand.

Few immortal soldiers escaped from the tower. Amidst the unceasing wails, when the tower completely collapsed, Liu Shuang didn’t feel any pain.

A drop of blood fell beside her cheek. She looked up to see the person supporting himself above her body.

Yan Chaosheng, his lips tightly pressed together, gave her a cold look.

From his arms, a little demon bird timidly emerged.

Liu Shuang was stunned. She looked up, meeting Yan Chaosheng’s eyes.

The pain in the young man’s eyes was subtle, overshadowed by gloom and coldness. A demon’s body was not more resilient than an immortal’s; he would be injured just the same.

She saw her reflection in his dark, cold eyes.

For some inexplicable reason, at this moment, Liu Shuang suddenly recalled the demoness’s words—

“Who he truly likes… if you think carefully about many things, perhaps you’ll understand the answer.”

At this moment, her pupils contracted sharply with shock.

The pain in Yan Chaosheng’s body lasted only an instant. After the Demon Suppression Tower completely collapsed, it turned to dust and flowed into the world.

Several immortal soldiers were severely injured. They all got up from the ground, including Wu Chen, who was also wounded.

Liu Shuang was protected beneath Yan Chaosheng. Seeing him coldly turn his face away without looking at her, he tucked the little demon bird into his arms and was about to leave.

She grabbed Yan Chaosheng’s sleeve.

He said with disgust and mockery, “What else do you want to do? Capture me to face punishment? Liu Shuang of the Chi Shui Clan, I am no longer a disciple of Kung Sang!”

“I know,” Liu Shuang said. “I don’t want to capture you. You were injured saving me, so I should thank you.”

She raised her hand, and green phosphorescence flowed from her fingertips into his body, slowly healing Yan Chaosheng’s wounds.

He gripped her wrist, his voice almost suppressed and hoarse: “Enough. Don’t touch me.”

He stood up and left without looking back.

After walking several miles, Yan Chaosheng covered his mouth and coughed twice. His hand was covered in fresh blood. He calmly sat under a tree and released the little demon bird: “Go find food yourself. Call me if anything happens.”

The little demon bird looked back at him, very hesitant.

Yan Chaosheng: “Get lost.”

The little demon bird left.

Yan Chaosheng raised his eyes to look at the dark sky. The forest he had once called home had been destroyed on a day with weather just like this. Countless Daoists and mortals had invaded, and demons who were slow to leave ultimately turned to ash.

He had witnessed countless demons die.

These corpses were enough to form a mountain. He should have felt nothing, but a sense of empathy suddenly made him feel depressed. The sight of these demons self-destructing kept appearing in his mind, refusing to leave. Among these corpses, perhaps tomorrow, his figure would be among them.

He had always been so lonely, living in solitude, and one day, he would also die in solitude.

The little demon bird was too weak; it would take a while to find food.

With nowhere to go, Yan Chaosheng simply sat cross-legged to heal his wounds.

After some time passed, light footsteps sounded. Yan Chaosheng paused, opened his eyes, and saw the young woman before him.

The crabapple blossoms on her dress hem were vibrant as she crouched before him, holding in her hands the disheveled little demon bird with its round belly.

The young woman placed the wretched little demon bird in his arms.

“It’s too small. It almost drowned trying to catch fish. You should keep an eye on it.”

Yan Chaosheng sneered, “If it’s truly so useless, let it die. No need for the Chi Shui Immortal to concern herself.”

“Yan Chaosheng,” she paused before saying, “You left too quickly earlier. I had a question I didn’t get to ask you.”

“Ask, then leave quickly after.”

After a long silence, the young woman looked into his eyes.

Yan Chaosheng heard her ask, “Do you like me?”

The spring breeze of the mortal realm brushed past. Behind him was a cluster of tender new branches by a small stream. The gloomy sky was so oppressive, yet they swayed unrestrained under the spring breeze, flourishing.

His throat tightened. A heat surged upward, coloring his neck, then his cheeks, rushing to the crown of his head.

This intense sensation made it difficult to contain his wounds.

He lowered his head, coughing violently, not forgetting to deny: “When did the Chi Shui Immortal develop such delusions! Even if I liked a roadside stone, I couldn’t possibly like you!”

“Oh,” she said softly. “So it’s not me?”

“It’s not!”

“Look me in the eyes and say it.”

Yan Chaosheng gritted his teeth, unwilling to show weakness. He raised his head, trying to look at her coldly with hatred and anger.

The young woman’s clear apricot eyes were soft and gentle as she crouched before him, examining him inquisitively.

“Say it,” she said.

“I…” Yan Chaosheng said hoarsely, “I don’t li—”

The little demon bird in his hand let out a desperate shriek. It truly hadn’t meant to make a sound at such a crucial moment, but its master’s grip had become tighter and tighter, nearly crushing it without realizing.

Yan Chaosheng came to his senses. The heat that had rushed to the crown of his head finally dispersed. Belatedly, he realized that as an unrestrained demon, should he obediently cooperate with her?

He laughed coldly, “The Chi Shui Immortal is truly idle. The Demon Suppression Tower is gone, yet you still have time to seek out a demon like me.”

She lowered her eyes and said quietly, “So it’s true. How could this be…”

For once, since their first meeting at the lotus platform in the Nine Thoughts Pond, without anyone telling them, their thoughts seamlessly connected. Yan Chaosheng immediately understood what she meant.

“So it’s true, you do like me.”

He was extremely angry, with nowhere to vent his resentment. The feelings he was unwilling to acknowledge had been so lightly exposed by the very person concerned.

Most hateful was her reaction… her reaction!

It was shock and disbelief, mixed with regret.

Yet there wasn’t a trace of joy or shyness. He felt a slight pain in his heart as he stood up. Nothing in sight was pleasing to him, least of all the young woman still crouching before him.

“Think whatever you want. If you follow me again, when we next meet, we will be mortal enemies!”

He walked away hurriedly, unwilling to admit that the sadness churning inside him was his desperate attempt to preserve the last shred of dignity after being so easily hurt.

Once she stepped out of her misunderstanding, it was so obvious.

How could he have hidden it? From his breaking into the Ghost King’s Tomb to save her, to later holding her hand, touching his inner core, kissing her transformed little furball, and even instinctively protecting her in the Demon Suppression Tower today…

There were too many traces. Even if he denied it, he could hardly deceive himself anymore.

He felt somewhat embarrassed. It shouldn’t be like this. He was no longer a Kung Sang disciple, yet she was still a Chi Shui Clan immortal. From today onward, they should have gone their separate ways without further interaction. If there was anything, it should have forever remained buried inside.

As long as no one pointed it out, they could have continued peacefully like this.

But now, even this fragile covering of shame no longer remained. Yan Chaosheng walked until late, finding a cave to temporarily shelter in. By then, rain had begun to fall from the sky.

The wind howled through the mortal realm. The little demon bird looked up at him and chirped, “Jiu!”

He angrily said, “Which eye of yours saw that I was upset? If you’re blind, I’ll dig them out!”

The little demon bird dejectedly conceded: “Jiu.”

Yan Chaosheng closed his eyes and said coldly, “No matter what, there will be no more intersections in the future.”

An endless dejection swept over him like a tidal wave.

Liu Shuang stood still for a long while, watching Yan Chaosheng walk away.

She truly hadn’t dared to imagine it was like this.

The formidable Demon Lord from her memories had left too deep an impression. She remembered how good he had been to Mi Chu, so good that in the end, he had severed their spiritual connection, preventing her from ever setting foot in the ghost realm again.

If she hadn’t witnessed his reaction with her own eyes, if someone had told her about Yan Chaosheng’s feelings, she would have thought they were joking.

How could it be possible… She had been scheming to match him with Mi Chu, never imagining that the one Yan Chaosheng liked was her. It was truly absurd. When she was a little spiritual grass, she had liked him, but couldn’t gain his affection. Now that she no longer liked him, she learned of his feelings.

It was all ruined! She turned pale. Things had completely spiraled out of control, and Liu Shuang feared what might happen next.

Wu Chen came looking for her: “Shuang Shuang?”

Liu Shuang quickly stood up: “Uncle-Master.”

Wu Chen nodded: “The Demon Suppression Tower is destroyed. Such a momentous event must be reported to Kung Sang immediately. Will you return with me?”

Liu Shuang nodded.

“Let’s go.”

She looked once more toward the forest, her heart urgent. The matter concerned life and death, even overshadowing the absurdity and shock of discovering that Yan Chaosheng liked her. Yan Chaosheng had been ordered executed by her father; all that remained for him was humiliation and hatred. No matter what she said, he probably wouldn’t believe her anymore.

What could she do now? The path with Mi Chu had gone wrong. Could everything still be salvaged?