Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 68

Mu Ling had once given Yan Qi a handkerchief because it was the day she found Lin Qingge. Since then, Mu Ling had always regarded it as Yan Qi’s birthday. However, she never expected to hear the news of Zhao Yunshi’s death on that very day, nor did she anticipate discovering Yan Qi’s true birthday from the letter Zhao Yunshi left for her.

From that moment on, Mu Ling harbored the intention to make up for Yan Qi’s missed birthdays and began nurturing the desire to restore peace and happiness to Yan Qi’s life.

Though Yan Qi hadn’t shown it outwardly over the past month, Mu Ling knew deep down that Yan Qi likely enjoyed this kind of life as well.

In such a moment, some words slipped out almost involuntarily.

“Did you build the prison of ten thousand to use forbidden arts to break through the void and ascend to godhood?”

“Yes.”

“…Can you not become a god?”

“…I can.”

Having spent this time with Yan Qi in the demon palace and piecing together what she had seen and heard, Mu Ling had naturally discerned Yan Qi’s ambition to ascend.

Becoming a god was the aspiration of most cultivators, so Mu Ling had only asked tentatively. Yet, to her surprise, Yan Qi agreed just like that.

Mu Ling froze in place for a moment.

Yan Qi, however, stretched lazily and, catching sight of Mu Ling’s stunned expression, suddenly laughed. “What? You were the one who suggested it, and now you find it hard to believe?”

Mu Ling didn’t miss the flicker of smugness in Yan Qi’s eyes.

This Yan Qi seemed vivid and spirited, her laughter unlike that of a demon lord weighed down by endless bloodshed. Instead, she resembled any carefree, radiant young woman, untouched by the hardships of youth, living boldly and unapologetically.

Mu Ling’s eyes suddenly grew warm.

“Because I’m just too happy!” She blinked away the moisture in her eyes and gazed earnestly at Yan Qi. “Then, when we go back, will you release those people? We still have a long time ahead. You’ve made mistakes in the past, but given the circumstances, there were no other choices. We can atone together from now on…”

Mu Ling wasn’t even sure what she was rambling about, but she would always remember the sky that day, clear and boundless, with vibrant clouds at the horizon. And beneath that sky, Yan Qi’s smile, brimming with indulgence.

Mu Ling had always known that Yan Qi was a woman of her word.

But now, with the demonic realm at the height of its power and Yan Qi as its ruler, dismantling it wouldn’t happen overnight. Moreover, Yan Qi had accumulated too many enemies over the years, and old grudges couldn’t be resolved in an instant.

Yet, the fact that Yan Qi had ceased slaughtering new sects was proof enough of her changed stance.

Mu Ling was patient enough to wait.

Perhaps sensing Mu Ling’s reciprocated affection, Yan Qi finally stopped being plagued by insecurity. Mu Ling was also granted permission to come and go from the demon palace, though she knew her limits. Usually leaving in the morning and returning by night.

With this freedom, Mu Ling’s sources of information expanded greatly.

The current situation, however, was dire.

Somehow, word had spread through the immortal realm that Yan Qi had built the prison to sacrifice cultivators’ lives in a bid to break through the void and ascend to godhood.

In the immortal realm, everyone was on edge, fearing that Yan Qi would capture them and throw them into the Ten Thousand Prison. Rather than retreating, they gathered together, preparing for a desperate last stand. Meanwhile, unrest began to stir in the demonic domain as well. After all, the entire immortal realm barely numbered a hundred thousand cultivators. Now that Yan Qi had stopped capturing immortal cultivators, some demonic cultivators began to suspect that she might turn to the demonic domain to fill the quota.

Most demonic cultivators had followed Yan Qi from the very beginning. If anyone had to be chosen to fill the numbers, the best candidates would be the demonic cultivators under the command of Bai Junhao and Qian Jing, who had entered the demonic domain later.

Yan Qi observed all this with cold detachment. Both the immortal and demonic realms had their share of troublemakers. Only by eliminating these individuals could she rest easy and retire in seclusion with Mu Ling.

As for the future leaders of the two paths, Yan Qi’s gaze fell upon Ding Xin.

After Zhao Yunshi’s death, no one had expected her to pass the position of sect leader to Ding Xin. According to Mu Ling, Ding Xin hailed from the royal family of the mortal world but had been raised and educated by the Qingyi Sect. She was meticulous in nature and deeply empathetic to the suffering of the common people.

Ding Xin might not be the most exceptional cultivator, but she would be an outstanding guardian of their legacy.

Before passing the position to her, however, Yan Qi needed to clear all obstacles in her path.

Mu Ling had a vague inkling of Yan Qi’s plans. By now, the course of events had long diverged from the original story, and even Mu Ling couldn’t predict how things would unfold.

She had once caught a distant glimpse of Bai Junhao, the male lead from the original novel, outside the demonic palace. Under the influence of the rumor that “Yan Qi needed people to fill the quota,” Bai Junhao’s life seemed far from comfortable. His cheeks were sunken, his expression haggard, and his face as pale as paper. It was unclear how long it had been since he’d last slept properly. His mental state also appeared strange when Mu Ling saw him, he was muttering to himself, as if silently reciting an array formation.

He looked as gloomy and worn as a rat in the gutter, a far cry from the radiant, noble young master from a prestigious family depicted in the original novel.

Mu Ling couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Everything had long since deviated from the novel she once knew, The Domineering Immortal Lord’s Fierce Love. No one could predict where fate would lead them all.

At first, Mu Ling had assumed Bai Junhao’s transformation was due to his inability to cope with the drastic change in his circumstances. In truth, most demonic cultivators looked down on Bai Junhao, so when the earth shook and the entire Lufeng Town trembled, no one suspected him.

But when Yan Qi arrived at the scene, she found Bai Junhao in a frenzied state, having secretly activated the array beneath the Ten Thousand Prison.

Yan Qi had known Bai Junhao was secretly practicing forbidden arts. Years ago, his untreated internal injuries had been healed through such methods. However, his technique involved draining spiritual power from women. Those who were devoted to him and willingly offered their energy. Since it was a consensual exchange, Yan Qi had turned a blind eye.

All these years in the demonic domain, Bai Junhao had behaved as meekly as a dog. No one could have guessed that he secretly harbored ambitions to replace Yan Qi.

Now, Bai Junhao hovered mid-air, the prison below transformed into a living hell. The cultivators trapped inside paled rapidly, some of the weaker ones already vomiting blood. Multicolored spiritual energy was being forcibly extracted from their bodies, surging relentlessly into Bai Junhao’s own.

With a look of triumph, Bai Junhao glared down at Yan Qi and struck out with a devastating palm strike!

Yan Qi frowned and dodged, her gaze sharpening as she prepared to retaliate with a palm strike. But when she saw the cultivators beneath Bai Junhao, the spiritual energy gathered in her palm hesitated, never released.

This formation had been set up entirely by Yan Qi. Her unique abilities had evolved to the point where they could bewitch the minds of others. Originally, she had planned to gather enough people and then enchant these cultivators into offering their spiritual power as a sacrifice. That way, when she shattered the void, their lives could still be spared. But now, Bai Junhao had chosen the most sinister method. One where, unless the initiator voluntarily halted the process, any external interruption would cause those whose spiritual energy was being drained to perish, their souls obliterated!

Yan Qi’s brows furrowed tightly.

Bai Junhao caught sight of Yan Qi’s expression, his eyes flickering momentarily before he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. “Demoness! You actually—”

“Hah! Never thought you’d have a day like this!” As he spoke, he launched another attack toward Yan Qi.

Yan Qi remained unprovoked by Bai Junhao’s taunts. She withdrew the spiritual energy from her palm, energy that could have struck him dead in a single blow and instead matched his level of power, engaging him in a drawn-out battle.

Bai Junhao, forced to split his focus between fighting Yan Qi and absorbing the spiritual energy from below, found his absorption rate slowing significantly.

Highly vigilant, Bai Junhao seemed to have guessed Yan Qi’s intentions. Throughout the fight, he deliberately avoided meeting her gaze. But when their strengths were evenly matched, speed became the deciding factor.

Yan Qi narrowed her eyes, relying on her nimble footwork to dart in front of Bai Junhao. Caught off guard, Bai Junhao found himself staring directly into her eyes.

Yan Qi’s gaze seemed to hold a swirling vortex. Bai Junhao struggled to break free, but he was already pulled into the dark depths of that abyss.

Just as success seemed imminent, a deafening boom erupted in the distance. Bai Junhao’s eyes wavered, and in that instant, he slashed his own arm with his sword, his expression clearing once more.

The Immortal Alliance had launched their assault!

Yet Bai Junhao’s face twisted into a stiff, eerie smile, betraying no surprise whatsoever.

“It’s you?!”

“You made contact with the Immortal Alliance?” Yan Qi recognized that expression instantly. She would know it even if it were reduced to ashes. She immediately realized that Bai Junhao had been possessed by the former Demon King!

For such possession to succeed, the victim had to submit wholeheartedly. Even Mu Ling hadn’t expected Bai Junhao to be a devoted follower of the former Demon King.

A sudden thought flashed through Yan Qi’s mind, and she instinctively glanced toward the direction of the advancing Immortal Alliance.

“None of us wanted to be your sacrificial offerings!” ‘Bai Junhao’ cackled. “So when I proposed destroying the Ten Thousand Souls Formation first, not a single one of them objected. They even sent spies to assist me.”

From their vantage point in the air, the two could clearly see the Immortal Alliance forces charging toward them. The usually pampered elders had finally thrown caution to the wind, each unleashing their full power at the forefront. Bai Fengqing strode alongside them, his sword drawn, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Bai Mufeng, whose cultivation was weaker, lagged far behind. Whether due to injury or some other reason, his face was deathly pale.

Mu Ling, her spiritual energy severely depleted, knew that joining the battle would only burden Yan Qi. But her heart was filled with unbearable worry, so she had been watching from a distance. Unexpectedly, she found herself face-to-face with the invading Immortal Alliance forces.

Mu Ling’s spiritual power was far too feeble, and the others paid her no mind. However, Bai Fengqing froze for a moment when his gaze met hers, suddenly slowing his sword flight. “Miss, you…”

Bai Fengqing seemed about to say something, but in the next instant, a sword came hurtling straight toward Mu Ling perhaps her behavior had been too suspicious, for Bai Mufeng, who had been following behind, had launched an attack against her!

With a loud clang, Bai Fengqing struck Bai Mufeng’s sword aside.

“Uncle!” Bai Fengqing shot Bai Mufeng a disapproving look before turning to comfort Mu Ling. But in the next moment, Mu Ling was ensnared by mermaid silk and pulled into the territory beneath Yan Qi’s feet.

A protective formation immediately descended, shielding Mu Ling within its bounds.

Aware that she had caused trouble for Yan Qi in the midst of battle, Mu Ling remained silent, quietly staying to the side. Yet a belated sense of confusion arose in her heart: Bai Mufeng’s gaze when he attacked her just now had seemed familiar. Where had she seen it before?