The Villainous Demon Lord’s Handbook for Success: Rebirth - Chapter 6

It was merely pain. Physical agony was not even worth mentioning compared to the pain in her heart.

The white light descended upon her cheek, yet instead of a stinging sensation, a hot current surged from her heart and flowed through her entire body. In the eyes of the onlookers, it looked as if an immortal bird had fluttered its wings, scattering feathers that dissolved the cold light into a gentle breeze.

Everyone stood frozen in shock. Ning Fuyi’s eyes widened as she stared at her own palm, which had instantaneously become as smooth and white as snow.

When did she gain such a foreign power within her body?

However, before she could gather her strength to investigate, the warm current vanished, disappearing as naturally as if it had never existed.

“This…” Elder Pingyao started to speak, but her words were cut short by an indifferent voice.

“Elder Pingyao.” The speaker took a step forward, allowing the light to fall across the side of her face.

The white figure had apparently been standing there for a long time, her body completely shrouded in shadows. It was only now, as she stepped forward to reveal her face, that she drew everyone’s attention.

Elder Pingyao quickly performed a hand seal over her chest and bowed. “I have made the Exalted Goddess laugh. Fuyi, she—”

“It is no matter,” Chu Qingqiu said. Her gaze fell upon Ning Fuyi, feeling almost like a physical weight pressing down until her shoulders ached. Then, with a flick of her finger, the Gu insect on Li Chaoan’s wrist vanished.

Li Chaoan was too terrified to speak; her legs gave way as if she had been drained of all strength, and she had to be supported by nearby disciples.

Ning Fuyi had noticed Chu Qingqiu long ago. Now, she turned her head to stare at the ice coffin, avoiding Chu Qingqiu’s gaze while still marveling at where that power had come from.

Judging by the expressions of the other elders, they likely assumed Chu Qingqiu had blocked the strike for her. But she knew better; that power had clearly originated from within her own body.

“Exalted Goddess, Ning Fuyi used Gu techniques without permission. This matter—” The male elder beside them tried to press the issue, but Elder Pingyao cut him off.

“Elder Jingshan, it is true that Ning Fuyi disregarded sect rules, but the hour is late. If we do not reconvene the spiritual soul before sunrise, the Sect Leader will have no chance at reincarnation,” Elder Pingyao said solemnly. She glanced at Ning Fuyi. “The Sect Leader is the priority. We shall protect the soul first; punishment can wait.”

“Elder Pingyao is right,” Ning Fuyi said with a smile, seeing her scheme succeed. She stepped forward and took the Everlasting Lamp from the elder’s hands.

Seeing that she not only lacked remorse but was also so thick-skinned, Elder Jingshan’s face turned black with rage. Unable to stop her, he turned away in frustration, choosing out of sight, out of mind.

As Ning Fuyi passed by Chu Qingqiu, she suddenly heard a voice that only the two of them could hear.

“A cultivator should prioritize the big picture and not merely focus on the moment. Your cultivation is weak and your body is damaged; forcing yourself to be the protector is truly foolish,” Chu Qingqiu said softly, her words as cold as her expression.

Always lecturing, no matter the time, Ning Fuyi thought with disdain. This was the trait of Chu Qingqiu she hated most.

“And what does the Exalted Goddess consider the ‘big picture’? Is it handing over the chance to see my mother one last time to an outsider? Or is it like the Exalted Goddess herself—watching the passing of friends and family with cold indifference?” Ning Fuyi responded in an equally low tone.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but after she said those words, Chu Qingqiu’s breathing seemed to falter for a split second.

Ning Fuyi said no more. She walked straight to the ice coffin, holding the Everlasting Lamp in her left hand. She summoned immortal energy with her right and made a swiping motion in the air, opening a bloody gash across her palm. She held her hand over the lamp and squeezed her fist tight, letting the deep red blood drip into the wick.

The flame flared up instantly, growing from a tiny spark to a brilliance as dazzling as the sun. The onlookers cried out in surprise and retreated. Li Chaoan, being the closest, was nearly blinded by the glare; she screamed and was pulled back behind the elders.

The girl in the goose-yellow robes looked resolute and fearless. Her movements were clean and efficient, possessing a decisiveness and maturity far beyond her years.

Something seemed to churn in Chu Qingqiu’s eyes, but the emotion was gone in an instant.

Brilliant shadows of light burst from the small wick. Accompanied by a howling wind within the room, the glare forced Ning Fuyi to squint. The powerful energy caused the lamp base to turn scalding hot, greedily drinking the blood like a starving beast.

Ning Fuyi felt as if her very palm was burning along with the wick. She lacked the strength to summon energy to protect herself, so she relied solely on her will to endure. The tiny wick seemed determined to drain her of all strength, and an unknown force felt as if it were rattling her bones apart.

The agony was so great that Ning Fuyi nearly crushed her teeth from clenching them. She closed her eyes, her body trembling, yet she refused to let go of the Everlasting Lamp.

Witnessing this, even Elder Pingyao seemed moved and lowered her gaze. Chu Qingqiu also closed her eyes slightly, masking her expression, though her body remained as motionless as a statue.

Someone shouted from the side. Simultaneously, a shadow-like mist finally appeared above the ice coffin. Silky white strands of mist surged in from all directions, gathering gently.

Ning Fuyi’s face was deathly pale, devoid of color. She had almost lost consciousness, standing only by the sheer force of her will.

As her body swayed, Chu Qingqiu suddenly flicked her sleeve. A length of white silk flew out, wrapping tenderly around Ning Fuyi’s waist to steady her.

The white mist grew denser, eventually condensing into a cloud the size of a palm that slowly descended into the wick.

The scene before Ning Fuyi’s eyes suddenly changed. The dizzying glare vanished, replaced by a realm that looked like a celestial wonderland. The ground was made of clouds; stepping on it felt like sinking into soft cotton.

A person stood before her, wearing a form-fitting light blue cotton robe. Her long hair was tied in a bun high atop her head. She stood with her hands behind her back, facing away.

“Ning Changfeng,” Ning Fuyi murmured.

As if hearing her, the figure turned around. The familiar, gentle features caused Ning Fuyi’s eyes to instantly overflow with tears that fell in large droplets.

They hadn’t met in over a thousand years. Back then, she had found this face annoying, but after a thousand years of absence, she found herself yearning for it.

“A daughter of Ning Changfeng shouldn’t be a crybaby,” Ning Changfeng said with the same look of mock-distaste from memory. Yet, she raised her hand and wiped the area beneath Ning Fuyi’s eyes.

“Ning Changfeng,” Ning Fuyi said again. She didn’t want to cry; she was the peerless Demon Lord of the world, and crying was unseemly.

But she couldn’t help it.

“Alright, mother has to go. If I listen to you cry any longer, I fear it will disrupt my path to reincarnation,” Ning Changfeng said. She turned to leave, but then remembered something and placed her hand against Ning Fuyi’s forehead.

A white light shaped like a feather splashed up like water before scattering into firefly-like sparks. Ning Changfeng looked shocked for a moment, then her lips curled into a smile as she quickly withdrew her hand.

“Yiyi. Let the dust be brushed away; may you find peace and joy,” Ning Changfeng said with a smile.

As she spoke, her figure blurred and gradually became transparent. Simultaneously, the flame of the Everlasting Lamp began to flicker, its piercing light fading. The Ancestral Shrine returned to its usual state—empty and quiet.

The crowd knew the protection ritual had ended and breathed a sigh of relief. However, just as they were about to step closer to check on her, Ning Fuyi suddenly took a step directly toward Chu Qingqiu. She threw her arms open and pulled the woman into a forceful embrace.

Chu Qingqiu had not expected such a move. Caught off guard, she was jolted forward, her chest pressing into a damp, warm heat.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she froze in place.

Seeing Ning Fuyi’s frivolous behavior, the elders were left speechless with shock. They hurried forward to take the Everlasting Lamp, but when they reached out to pull Ning Fuyi away, Chu Qingqiu raised her hand to stop them.

“Exalted Goddess, this…” Elder Pingyao said in terror.

“It is no matter,” Chu Qingqiu said flatly. Her face was cast in shadow, hiding her expression, yet she made no move to push the girl away.

The girl’s frame was thin and small, yet her tears were staggering, pouring onto Chu Qingqiu’s chest like a flood through a broken dam.

Ning Fuyi seemed to have fallen into a trance. She wept silently, her hands possessively circling Chu Qingqiu’s waist as if she had mistaken her for someone else, refusing to let go no matter what.

She only reached Chu Qingqiu’s shoulder. The onlookers could only watch as the legendary, cold-faced Exalted Goddess was used as a pillow, her chest covered in a mess of tears and snot.

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