After Yan Chaosheng’s return, regardless of the turmoil in the outside world, the Ghost Realm was unprecedentedly lively.

Countless people came to curry favor. Yan Chaosheng, having crawled back from the abyss and endured eighty-one heavenly lightning bolts, was no longer the powerless demon who had been trapped and killed.

Su Lun had previously been unwilling to assist him, understanding that the youthful Yan Chaosheng, despite his cultivation, was too immature in temperament. Even if they followed him, the demon realm would never rise. This was why he had decided to take a gamble with his old friend Zhan Xueyang, hoping Yan Chaosheng would grow.

Unexpectedly, after dying thoroughly and returning, he had become something Su Lun could not comprehend.

Unlike his younger self, who would easily become angry and cold-faced, his occasional light, smiling glances now made people’s skin crawl with fear, as if nothing could be hidden from him.

The butterfly spirit beside him spoke with exaggerated enthusiasm. He always smiled and listened patiently, yet his eyes revealed contempt and coldness. Su Lun only needed one look to feel a heaviness in his heart.

Unlike Zhan Xueyang, Su Lun disliked being involved in the conflicts of the Eight Wildernesses. This lord, who had once been passionate and principled, was now ruthlessly determined.

He hadn’t even immediately sought “revenge” against Liu Shuang.

The previous Yan Chaosheng probably couldn’t have waited a moment before flying to Liu Shuang to strangle her. Now, however, Yan Chaosheng acted as if nothing had happened, as though she hadn’t killed him once.

Su Lun felt that following someone so deeply calculating would likely yield no benefits and might even cost him his life.

So one morning, he packed his belongings, planning to leave without saying goodbye and continue living among humans as before.

Just as he crossed the peak of Mount Qingcang, someone sat on the edge of a cliff with a long halberd stuck into the rock wall beside him, turning to smile at Su Lun.

“Where is Lord Su Lun planning to go?”

Su Lun gave a dry laugh, cursing inwardly: “I’ve been cooped up in the Ghost Realm too long. Just going out for a walk.”

Yan Chaosheng said, “Perfect. I also need to go out for a while. Let’s go together.”

Su Lun: “…” He stuffed his bundle away and had no choice but to follow.

When Yan Chaosheng led him to the borders of Kung Sang, Su Lun’s heart skipped a beat. Was he coming for revenge? But this kind of revenge, mixed with romantic entanglements, shouldn’t involve bringing him along.

Besides, Liu Shuang wasn’t in Kung Sang but far away on the battlefield, aiding Ji Shao You. Yan Chaosheng couldn’t possibly not know this.

“What does the Demon Lord plan to do?”

“Settle an old score early,” Yan Chaosheng said.

They arrived at Kung Sang’s spirit vein, where the abundant spiritual energy was refreshing.

Deep among the trees, a woman was pounding on a barrier: “Let me out! What right do you have to imprison me? To think you’re my father. You’re not fit to be a father—you’re probably only fit to be the Chi Shui clan’s lackey.”

After shouting for a while, she fell weakly to the ground: “Feng Fuming…”

Su Lun was shocked to see her face. Wasn’t this Liu Shuang? Looking again, it seemed not. The woman in the barrier had a face that was eighty percent similar to Liu Shuang’s, but their auras were completely different.

What was going on? And why would the Demon Lord, who had nurtured his soul for three years, come directly here? Su Lun raised an eyebrow, growing intrigued.

The barrier that Mi Chu could not break no matter what instantly turned to dust in Yan Chaosheng’s hands.

Mi Chu looked at him in terror, backing up several steps.

“Who, who are you? How dare you trespass into Kung Sang’s forbidden spirit vein? Someone, someone help!”

“Don’t shout,” Su Lun warned her. “Otherwise, when people come, they’ll just lose their lives needlessly.”

Mi Chu’s expression changed drastically. Her immortal sensitivity was still intact, and she could see at a glance that these two men were neither mortals nor immortals. One had a faint demonic aura, while the other emanated ghost energy. Neither was trying to hide it.

She still wanted to call her father for help.

The tall ghost cultivator’s fingers had already gripped her throat.

His fingers were so cold they made her heart tremble. Ghost energy burrowed directly into Mi Chu’s body, specifically choking off her voice, preventing her from making a sound.

She trembled, thinking the man was about to strangle her, but found he made no further move. Instead, he was examining her face.

Mi Chu gritted her teeth, clinging to hope. That bitch’s face was still useful after all.

This neither-human-nor-ghost creature hadn’t harmed her yet, giving her father time to arrive. Though Lou Xinzhu had imprisoned her here, he still cared for her and wouldn’t let her die. As long as she held on a bit longer and alerted the guards, she would be saved.

Her thinking was naive. If the guards had the power, these two men shouldn’t have been able to enter in the first place.

Yan Chaosheng’s gaze carried a smile, yet it made people shiver with dread: “You don’t deserve this face. I have already been lenient once and behaved like a beast. This time, I won’t let her be troubled.”

Before Mi Chu could react, the next moment, her body ached, and her face felt excruciating pain. She struggled, making “heh heh” sounds, but the man forcibly shattered the Illusion Appearance Pearl inside her body.

As the pearl shattered, her beautiful appearance seemed to tear away like a mask, returning to her original form. The man had no intention of killing her. After breaking the pearl, he released her, letting her fall to the ground.

Mi Chu realized what had happened and momentarily broke down: “My face, give it back, give it back!” She lunged forward recklessly, tears streaming. The Illusion Appearance Pearl was gone! She could no longer do what she wanted.

Replacing Liu Shuang had been her obsession for a long time.

Liu Shuang’s father was the Realm Lord, while her father was just a conservative minister guarding the spirit vein.

Liu Shuang was loved by thousands, while she lived under others’ roofs.

Liu Shuang possessed world-class beauty, while she was merely pretty.

Even in matters of marriage, Liu Shuang’s potential matches were either the brilliantly talented Young Lord of Kun Lun or the lofty Lord of the Celestial Palace. Mi Chu hated it thoroughly. She was intelligent and diligent—why was she inferior in every way?

Three years ago, Mi Chu’s secret dealings with Feng Fuming weren’t perfectly concealed. Before Chi Shui Chong became aware, Lou Xinzhu gritted his teeth and forcibly brought his daughter to the spirit vein, wanting to properly educate her and correct her temperament.

Mi Chu knew she couldn’t overcome her stubborn father and quickly expressed her willingness to follow him. However, on the night before departure, she went to the Bai clan’s celestial mansion and tricked Bai Yuxiao into coming out.

At that time, he had a cold expression: “What else does the immortal maiden need? Speak.”

After all, they had grown up together. The things Mi Chu had done weren’t openly acknowledged. She cried pitifully, red-eyed and constantly apologizing, finally making Bai Yuxiao’s cold expression waver slightly.

In the end, Mi Chu told him, “Tomorrow, Father will take me away. I was bewitched before and did many things that were wrong to you. When the Young Master passed away, I didn’t consider your feelings. I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll stay at South Mirror Spirit Vein for self-cultivation and never return to Kung Sang in this lifetime. Please tell Liu Shuang that Sister Mi Chu is sorry.”

Bai Yuxiao pressed his lips together and wiped away her tears.

In his youthful ignorance, the woman before him had once held a place in his heart. Now, with the passage of time and people from his memories leaving one by one, Bai Yuxiao was indeed somewhat melancholic.

At this moment, Mi Chu asked him for the Illusion Appearance Pearl, saying she had previously offended Feng Fuming and now only wanted to change her appearance and live a good life.

Men, when blinded, often don’t understand the jealousy that can arise in women’s hearts.

After hesitating briefly, Bai Yuxiao thought that the Illusion Appearance Pearl wasn’t a treasure—it was something his brother and Liu Shuang no longer wanted. So he casually gave it to her.

Mi Chu followed her father to the spirit vein and immediately transformed into Liu Shuang’s appearance. When Clan Leader Lou saw this, what was there left to misunderstand?

His daughter was bewitched, far from the repentance she claimed!

To prevent her from making mistakes, he imprisoned her at South Mirror Spirit Vein. This confinement lasted three years.

Feng Fuming was busy conquering the Eight Wildernesses and had no time for her. She remained imprisoned until Yan Chaosheng and Su Lun arrived today.

With her dream shattered in an instant, Mi Chu utterly despised the man before her.

Yet he no longer looked at her, turning instead to Lou Xinzhu behind her.

Lou Xinzhu helped her up: “Mi Chu, are you hurt?”

Seeing his daughter’s appearance change, Lou Xinzhu’s expression shifted as he looked at the visitors: “Your powers are formidable. Have you come today for the lives of the South Mirror guards?”

Lou Xinzhu wasn’t at Mi Chu’s cultivation level. He could see at a glance that even if all of South Mirror’s immortal soldiers rushed forward, they couldn’t match the man before them.

A pearl that could only be melted by the Shennong Cauldron, he could crush with his bare hands—what terrifying power!

However, the man looked at him with complex emotions: “I didn’t come to kill. I came to settle a karmic debt.”

Yan Chaosheng extracted a strand of spirit essence from his body and sent it before Lou Xinzhu: “Ancient bloodline spirit essence. With this, our karmic debt is settled. Clan Leader Lou, take care.”

After speaking, Yan Chaosheng left without lingering, taking Su Lun and disappearing from South Mirror.

Lou Xinzhu stared in bewilderment at the terrifyingly powerful spirit essence in the air, utterly confused. He took several steps before finally remembering why this person looked familiar.

Wasn’t this Yan Chaosheng, the demon who was executed in the great hall three years ago?

Mi Chu looked up at that strand of spirit essence. Clan Leader Lou sighed, collected the essence, but didn’t give it to her.

Such a thing—whether absorbing it would bring fortune or calamity was unknown. Though the man’s background was mysterious, even if his daughter wanted it, he couldn’t give it to her.

Wasn’t it good to live peacefully and cautiously?

His body was deteriorating daily, a consequence of guarding the spirit vein. He would leave sooner or later. Mi Chu was his only daughter, and he would make sure she was properly settled. Why would she need to resort to despicable schemes and walk a dirty path?

Clan Leader Lou—no, perhaps Yan Chaosheng should call him Master.

Before the Demon Lord had awakened, in his youth, he cultivated in Kung Sang, enduring endless bullying and near-death experiences.

His only chance at life came from Lou Xinzhu, who had returned from guarding the spirit vein with foresight. He guided Yan Chaosheng into the immortal sect, a favor of immense magnitude.

The Xiangyou royal clan had many flaws—cold-hearted, stubborn. However, they recognized talent, rewarded and punished fairly, and always repaid great kindness.

In the memories of Demon Lord Yan Chaosheng, things developed entirely differently from the present.

Back then, when he entered Kung Sang, Liu Shuang was already dead. Kung Sang didn’t have such a young mistress, only the thoroughly favored Immortal Mi Chu.

Clan Leader Lou had shown him many kindnesses and even wanted to match his daughter with him. Yan Chaosheng was noncommittal, but Mi Chu refused adamantly. With no alternatives, Clan Leader Lou had only one request: if someday he was gone, to ensure his daughter Mi Chu’s survival.

Yan Chaosheng kept this in mind. Later, when Mi Chu expressed a desire to be by his side, he brought her back, leading to the story of Liu Shuang breaking their soul bond. He allowed her to misunderstand and coldly watched her leave.

Many years ago, that delicate, tearful girl was heartbroken, thinking her husband loved someone else and treated her as a substitute.

Little did she know that he had harbored ulterior motives when deliberately entering the Azure Blue Immortal Realm. Later, a silly, adorable girl came to repay his kindness.

He raised his eyes to look at her, seeing a pure, exceptionally beautiful face.

So pretty and cute, like the morning clouds, full of vitality. He thought this was a feeling he had never experienced during his years studying alongside Mi Chu.

So beautiful yet foolish—the Xiangyou royal clan was inherently cold-blooded and wouldn’t be moved by such a pretty little thing. Nevertheless, Yan Chaosheng thought, before carving out her heart, it wouldn’t hurt to coax her. She might even willingly agree to refine the spirit marking heart, saving him much trouble and helping his clan rise again. By then, Yan Chaosheng had already traversed the mortal realm. When he met her, he was mired in filth and didn’t feel that doing evil required paying a price.

So he asked: “What’s your name, little immortal? Where are you from?”

She answered resoundingly, in a crisp voice: “Answering you, my lord! This immortal is Liu Shuang, a celestial herb from the Azure Blue Immortal Realm, now one hundred years old! Ready to serve the Demon Lord at any time.”

For some reason, he felt like smiling, and so he did. Walking right into the trap, utterly foolish.

Until many years later, when Yan Chaosheng was struck by heavenly lightning, his soul shattered like a vengeful ghost, yet still crawled to find her. Only then did he realize he had been wrong from the beginning.

Even if he was despicable enough to directly carve out her heart, he shouldn’t have overreached by trying to taste the flavor of love.

He had once drowned in endless brilliance, and since then endured ten thousand years of solitude, sitting alone at the mountain peak, tormented by everything he saw.

Even without qualification, defying heaven and fate, being struck to ashes for opposing the heavenly way, he still madly wanted to see her.

Meeting such scum, he lowered his eyes and thought, there was no help for it—she was simply unfortunate.