After Faking Her Death and Escaping, the Junior Sister Fell to the Demonic Path - Chapter 147

Zhou Zhixue stood by the cliff, staring blankly until the Goddess’s figure vanished with the wind, leaving no trace.

The glow in the sky still lingered, but Zhou Zhixue suddenly felt a void in her heart.

She didn’t know how long she stared like this, but the officials behind her finally couldn’t hold back, pushing one unlucky person forward.

That person was helpless, but seeing the time for the Feng Shan ceremony drawing nearer, she had no choice but to step forward and advise:

“Your Majesty, the auspicious hour is approaching.”

Zhou Zhixue came back to her senses, lost in thought: “Is it almost time?”

Seeing that the sovereign did not blame her for the interruption, the official sighed in relief, bowed respectfully, and confirmed: “Only half an hour remains.”

Zhou Zhixue slowly nodded, concealing the disappointment in her eyes.

“Then let us change, lest we miss the auspicious hour.”

With that, she got up and left the edge of the broken cliff.

The Goddess loved the world, and she was also a part of the world. The Goddess had favored her three times; she should be content.

At the Feng Shan grand ceremony, Zhou Zhixue wore a deep black dragon robe and offered sacrifices to the heavens.

“I have ended the chaotic era, ushered in a new beginning, and guarded the state… I hereby swear that as a ruler, I shall eliminate all injustice in the world, diligently govern day and night, and establish eternal peace… This oath is witnessed by the sun and moon, and acknowledged by heaven and earth!”

“And I also pray to the Goddess to protect the mountains and rivers of my Great Zhou, for eternal prosperity!!”

Below the altar, the officials bowed in reverence, all submissive.

After the Feng Shan ceremony concluded, the celestial glow gradually dissipated. Zhou Zhixue looked up, until her eyes were sore and tearful.

Now that she had completed the Feng Shan ceremony, the glow also disappeared.

Zhou Zhixue knew that the Goddess had left.

But the Goddess had promised that they would meet again after a hundred years.

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhixue reached for her heart and pulled out the soft silk handkerchief hidden there.

Out of selfishness, she had not returned the item.

But, hadn’t the Goddess also not actively asked for it back?

Zhou Zhixue gently pressed the silk handkerchief to her heart and slightly closed her eyes.

This was the only remaining token of her affection for the Goddess.

“I will become a good emperor, Qingyi…”

Only at this moment did she finally speak the name.

The name she had silently chanted countless times in her dreams and in her heart, yet dared not profane in the slightest.

The name of the Goddess.

In the years that followed, she governed diligently and loved her people during her reign, knowing how to choose and employ talented individuals, and actively promoting new policies. She truly became a beloved emperor, adored by her subjects and officials.

When she passed away, the common people spontaneously donned mourning clothes to see her off, their cries shaking the heavens. History recorded her deeds, praising her as an unmatched, good emperor throughout the ages.

But none of this made Zhou Zhixue happy.

After her death, her soul did not depart but lingered in place.

She still remembered that the Goddess had said she would return to take her away.

But a long time passed, and she never waited for that person.

Spring went, autumn came, year after year rotated. Emperors changed one after another, the world divided and reunited, mountains and rivers transformed, the seas changed into fields.

Perhaps several hundred years had passed.

Zhou Zhixue was squatting in front of a small mound. This had once been her imperial mausoleum, but after years, it had long been destroyed by war, and nothing remained.

She squatted there, the vast wind and snow submerging her.

A hundred years passed, and her soul was so weak it was almost transparent. She remained in the mortal world due to her obsession, and now, she was on the verge of dissipation.

“Liar.”

Zhou Zhixue murmured.

The Goddess would not come.

She had lied to her.

She buried her head in her knees, letting herself be swallowed by the wind and snow.

Just before her consciousness dissipated, in the haze of her mind, she seemed to finally see that person.

“Qingyi, is that you…”

The same warm embrace as always, and a sigh filled with utter helplessness.

“You, ah…”

Meanwhile, Qin Qingyi had just emerged from the illusion.

She naturally saw her Junior Sister’s persistent wait for her, but the demonic energy in the pendant was depleted, and she was powerless.

She could only seize a brief loophole in the illusion just before the other person was about to leave this illusion and fall into the next, to give her Junior Sister a quick hug.

Then, after a dizzying spin, Qin Qingyi opened her eyes.

She spread her hand, the soft flesh in her palm was already scorched black, a punishment for violating the rules of the illusion.

However, she didn’t seem to care much.

Looking at the pendant in her palm, which had been depleted of demonic energy and turned into ashes drifting away.

Qin Qingyi couldn’t help but sigh in the end.

She hoped her Junior Sister wouldn’t blame her.

Qin Qingyi hadn’t quite pulled herself out of the illusion and was feeling lost when a slap landed on the back of her head.

“Ouch—”

The force was immense, making Qin Qingyi see stars.

Qin Qingyi cried out in pain, clutching the back of her head and grimacing.

“You still have the nerve to sigh! Do you know you almost didn’t make it back!” Immortal Venerable Wuwang grabbed her ear and angrily scolded, “Just a little bit, just a little bit more, and you wouldn’t have been able to come out!”

“How can you be so reckless?! Who taught you to do that?!”

Immortal Venerable Wuwang was rarely so furious. She was anxiously pacing outside, watching this dead cub lingering in the illusion, refusing to come out.

It was hard to tell if it was more anger or worry.

In short, seeing Qin Qingyi reluctant to leave the illusion, Immortal Venerable Wuwang almost tore the Demon of Illusion into a hundred and eight pieces.

But ultimately, for the greater good, she forcefully held back.

If the person wasn’t safely out now, she really wouldn’t have been able to resist tearing everything here apart in a little while.

Qin Qingyi dared not speak, squatting on the ground, clutching her aching ear, feeling extremely guilty.

After all, everything Immortal Venerable Wuwang said was true.

The demonic energy in the pendant was depleted, yet she still lingered in the illusion, only forced out in the end by the illusion itself.

She felt extremely guilty.

Immortal Venerable Wuwang continued to scold for a while before her anger subsided, but the look she gave Qin Qingyi still conveyed the disappointment of an iron that couldn’t be forged into steel.

Truly remarkable, worthy of being a cub of her Fox Clan!

They would do anything for love!!!

Immortal Venerable Wuwang shot another disgusted glare at her.

Qin Qingyi was timid and submissive.

She turned her head and saw the Demon of Illusion squatting respectfully at the feet of Immortal Venerable Wuwang.

It was as shrunken and pitiful as she was.

It was just that its face and body seemed to have acquired a few… footprints?

There were only a few of them present, and she had just been in the illusion, so who kicked these footprints?

Qin Qingyi’s eyes darted, and her gaze gradually swept towards Immortal Venerable Wuwang.

Surely… not?

“I kicked it. Do you have an opinion?” A displeased voice came from above.

Qin Qingyi happened to meet her gaze, and the threat within made her draw her neck back again.

Her little heart thumped twice. The next moment, she shook her head obediently like a rattle.

No, no, she had no opinion at all.

Immortal Venerable Wuwang snorted softly.

Just now, this little fox stubbornly refused to leave the illusion. She was truly anxious. What was wrong with kicking this little demon a few times?

Who told it that it couldn’t retrieve the little fox either? Taking a few kicks was getting off lightly.

Leaving it alive now was already a sign of her benevolence.

Qin Qingyi quietly shifted two steps to the side, her fox paw gently patting her chest, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Fortunately, fortunately, she wasn’t kicked.

The Senior was still fond of her.

After Immortal Venerable Wuwang’s anger subsided, Qin Qingyi finally stepped forward. Looking at Zhou Zhixue, whose spirit was still asleep and had entered the second layer of the illusion, she turned to Immortal Venerable Wuwang for help: “Senior, how should I settle my Junior Sister?”

It wouldn’t be quick for her Junior Sister to emerge from the Myriad Mortal World Illusion, and where she was going next, she needed to go alone.

That place was too dangerous, and she naturally couldn’t keep her Junior Sister by her side.

Immortal Venerable Wuwang sneered: “Now you know how to worry? What were you doing earlier?”

Though her words were harsh, she wasn’t heartless enough to abandon the person here. Immortal Venerable Wuwang turned and grabbed the Demon of Illusion, lifting it by the collar to stand before her. Then, she pointed her index finger at its glabella, and a bright light of a restriction disappeared into it.

The Demon of Illusion shivered as it endured, until Immortal Venerable Wuwang tossed it onto the ground.

“You shall guard her here until she awakens.”

Immortal Venerable Wuwang’s words fell like the decree of a deity. Instantly, the Demon of Illusion felt a sharp pain in its mind.

It couldn’t help but cover its head and wail.

“Stop struggling. I have branded you with a Slave Seal. From now on, you can only obey my commands.”

Immortal Venerable Wuwang spoke lightly, but it left Qin Qingyi wide-eyed with shock.

“Ah? That… that’s all it takes?”

She was dumbfounded, which earned her another look of disdain from Immortal Venerable Wuwang.

“Useless. Haven’t you even seen this before?”

Qin Qingyi: “…”

Was she supposed to have seen it?

The Xuan Tian Realm now was not the Xuan Tian Realm of the past. Many immortal arts had long been lost, including Immortal Venerable Wuwang’s Slave Seal technique. It was normal for her not to know it, right?

However, in just a moment, the Demon of Illusion had recovered. The pain on its face disappeared, replacing its former slightly cunning and treacherous expression with only reverence for Immortal Venerable Wuwang as it knelt in submission.

“Yes, Master.”

After speaking, it returned to the side of the still-sleeping Zhou Zhixue, respectfully guarding her.

The series of actions were smooth and skillful, leaving Qin Qingyi speechless.

Is this technique that useful?

She wanted to learn it too.

An eager look was cast at Immortal Venerable Wuwang, who chuckled: “Want to learn?”

Qin Qingyi nodded vigorously like pounding garlic.

Want to learn!

She desperately wanted to learn!!

“When you get out of here alive, I will teach you.”

Qin Qingyi immediately beamed with joy.

“Alright, your Junior Sister’s matter is settled. She will naturally leave when she wakes up, so you don’t need to worry anymore.”

Immortal Venerable Wuwang lightly tapped Qin Qingyi’s forehead: “Aren’t you going to find the remnants of the Demon God? Seeing as you’ve been relatively obedient, I’ll lead the way for you.”

Although Qin Qingyi was reluctant to part with Zhou Zhixue, her rationality told her that she had a more pressing matter to attend to. Thus, she could only follow behind Immortal Venerable Wuwang, looking back with every step as they left.

The underground palace tunnel twisted and turned. Qin Qingyi dared not delay for a moment, but the underground palace was fraught with obstacles. The deeper they went, the harder it was to advance, and more Demon Generals blocked their path.

She was late!

Qin Qingyi realized that her actions were still a step behind the Demon Race.

But now, she had no turning back; she could only charge forward.

Killing until the end, the Flowing White Sword was stained with the blood of countless demons. Qin Qingyi was covered in wounds, but finally, she crossed over heaps of demon corpses and stood before a stone door.

Behind it was the location of the Demon God’s remnants.

And through the crack in the door, wisps of the ancient Demon God’s immense pressure seeped out. Just a slight perception revealed its power.

“Have you made up your mind?” Immortal Venerable Wuwang asked her.

Qin Qingyi was somewhat numb from all the killing. Her wrist trembled slightly, and her spiritual and demonic energy were nearly exhausted.

Hearing Immortal Venerable Wuwang’s voice, she turned her head blankly to look at her.

Seeing her dazed appearance, Immortal Venerable Wuwang sighed helplessly: “Are you truly sure?”

“Beyond this door is what you seek on this journey. You must have felt it; its power is not something you can contend with. The Xuan Tian Realm paid a huge price to seal it back then. Even after a thousand years, even if its strength is less than one-ten-thousandth of what it once was, you will not be its match. Perhaps the moment you enter, your soul will instantly be annihilated, and you will never be reincarnated.”

“Are you truly sure you want to go in?”

Qin Qingyi remained silent, lowering her head as she stood before the stone door.

The demon blood on the Flowing White Sword dripped down, drop by drop. After a moment, she turned her head and looked at the countless demon corpses behind her.

These demons were all slain by her sword in their attempts to stop her.

She said softly: “If I don’t go, then who should go?”

The Dao of Heaven had chosen her. The Master and Senior Uncle in the upper realm had given this task to her.

It was not given to the entire Xuan Tian Realm, nor to the Sword Sect, but only to her alone.

Now, she was only one step away from the Demon God’s remnants.

If she didn’t go, then who should go?