Chapter 62: What Did He Think Their Relationship Was?! P1
The moment the stars appeared, everything around her vanished.
She was enveloped in a night-like void.
Countless stars, some forming rivers, some swirling into clouds, some just flickering faintly.
They moved silently through the void, brilliant yet lonely.
Li Yu stared at this sea of stars, a strange emptiness settling in her heart, a sense of melancholy she couldn’t resist.
The night, the stars, they were right before her.
This power had fueled the three-hundred-year-old resentment of the City of the Undying, caused chaos in the human realm, breached Mount Chao Yao’s defenses, and stolen the Upper Spirit Lamp.
She had suspected the black-robed figure was the ancient god who fell into darkness four thousand years ago, but she never imagined that the culprit was right here beside her, on Mount Chao Yao.
So, Weisheng Xuanzhu passing by the City of the Undying three hundred years ago wasn’t a coincidence.
Or rather, it was a coincidence.
He happened to pass by, saw the Huai army outside the city, saw the southern king’s desperation, saw the wicked cultivator, and saw Qin Ruoheng, her heart filled with pain and suffering.
It was the perfect seed for resentment.
He didn’t even have to exert much effort, just plant the seed and watch it grow.
No wonder the black-robed figure was so familiar with Mount Chao Yao, knew when Weisheng Xuanzhu would enter hibernation, and could easily break the seals on the mountain gate and Suiqiong Cave.
She had thought that someone who could break the seal on Suiqiong Cave simply by instructing others and providing a small amount of power must be far stronger than her and Weisheng Xuanzhu.
Although both Xiang Hanyu and Si Qinglan insisted that the ancient god had perished, she had suspected the black-robed figure was that god precisely because the seal was broken so easily.
Now, she realized it wasn’t because of the black-robed figure’s overwhelming power, but because the seal was already weakened.
Weisheng Xuanzhu must have tampered with it when he “repaired” it.
That’s why he said he could handle it alone, why he told her not to interfere, to focus on recovering…
She hadn’t understood, hadn’t seen through his deception, and that was how the Upper Spirit Lamp was stolen so easily.
He had always remained hidden, was it because he was afraid of confronting her directly?
And what about later?
He wanted the Upper Spirit Lamp but was betrayed by Xiang Hanyu.
After Mu Tao’s seal was broken, Li Yu was severely injured, but he still didn’t appear, didn’t try to take the Lamp.
That would have been the perfect opportunity…
…an opportunity that wouldn’t even expose his identity.
Why didn’t he do it?
And just now, he said he wanted to see Mu Tao.
He even asked her to bring back the Demon Bone!
Had his plan changed?
Initially, he only needed the Upper Spirit Lamp. Then, by breaking the ancient god’s seal, he could obtain the Heavenly Demon’s power.
But during this process, he discovered the Demon Bone and changed his plan?
Yes, that was likely it. There had been a strange note in his voice when he mentioned being kept in the dark for two hundred years.
If he had known about the Demon Bone earlier, everything would have been different.
But what did he want with the Demon Bone?
Was the cost of breaking the Lamp’s seal too high, and using the Demon Bone as a catalyst could reduce it?
Or was it that if the power within the Demon Bone was sufficient, he wouldn’t need to break the seal on the Lamp and release the more dangerous Heavenly Demon Soul Seed?
But that didn’t make sense. Whether it was the former or the latter, he should have taken the Demon Bone earlier.
He had opportunities to take Mu Tao, during their escape from Mount Chao Yao, during her imprisonment, even during their journey in the human realm.
He didn’t, was it because he was wary of the Demon Bone’s power, or because the Heavenly Gate was still open, posing a risk…?
Perhaps both?
Because of these concerns, he hadn’t dared to act directly, fearing failure.
Perhaps, at some point, he believed his plan had failed and needed a new one.
And then she returned, injured and bearing the guilt of releasing the Demon Bone, giving him a new opportunity.
He knew the Heavenly Gate could only be destroyed when it was open, so he watched as she and Si Qinglan faced pressure from the immortal sects, waiting until they were forced to open the Gate before “helping.”
Now, the Heavenly Gate was severed, she was injured, and news of the Demon Bone in the Demon Realm had arrived.
He knew it was time to continue his plan.
But the obsession in his eyes told her that he truly just wanted an answer.
Li Yu couldn’t understand what kind of answer required the power of the Heavenly Demon.
What was he planning to do with that power?
“Weisheng Xuanzhu!” Li Yu couldn’t help but shout at the void. “What are you trying to do?! Isn’t there another way?!”
“Haven’t you always known?”
A cold, disembodied voice echoed through the void.
“What I want…has always been to revive the Heavenly Demon.”
Not to obtain its power, but simply to revive it, just like he told the demons…?
Then the Demon Bone wasn’t just a catalyst for breaking the Lamp’s seal.
He wanted a vessel for the Heavenly Demon Soul Seed.
The Heavenly Demon would devour Mu Tao!
“Why? You just wanted an answer!”
“Are you finally willing to tell me?”
“…If she did, would he stop?
But she didn’t know, she truly didn’t!
Reviving the Heavenly Demon, such a heavy price.
What kind of truth was worth such a price?
The original story didn’t mention any of this; just how much had the author deviated from the outline?!
What should she do now?
He had first asked her to bring back the Demon Bone, now he trapped her in this void, what was he planning?
It was all so confusing!
—System, can you help me break free from this illusion?
【The host is currently low on spiritual energy. The system is unable to assist.】
She now suspected that the system, while claiming she was free to do as she pleased, already knew what awaited her.
Was this…her main storyline mission?
Weisheng Xuanzhu had been targeting her all along; there was no escape.
His sudden visit, right as she was about to leave, wasn’t a coincidence!
He knew she was leaving and came to give her an ultimatum!
If she couldn’t give him a satisfactory answer, he would reveal his true intentions and continue his plan to revive the Heavenly Demon.
She wasn’t being harmed in this void, so perhaps there was still a chance…
Li Yu said urgently, “Weisheng Xuanzhu, let’s talk, alright?”
She was met with silence.
“Are you even listening?” Li Yu persisted. “Whether you believe it or not, I truly don’t know the truth you want! But I’m willing to help, we can find a way together, I…”
“You’re still the same, always lying.”
“No, I’m not…”
“If you’re willing to help, then sleep.”
“Sleep?”
“When you wake up, you will have already helped me greatly,” the disembodied voice said calmly.
“…”
What did he mean?
How could sleeping help him?
Could he control her body while she was unconscious? Was he planning to use her identity to deceive Mu Tao?!
He couldn’t do that; it would ruin everything!
Li Yu wanted to say something but found she couldn’t speak, the silence impenetrable.
A wave of drowsiness washed over her.
She looked up at the stars, feeling herself being swallowed by the vast, lonely cosmos.
The nebula collapsed, the stars reversed their course.
All the starlight twisted and flickered, like a silent alarm, signaling impending destruction.
A star, as white as snow, descended towards her.
She instinctively tried to block it with her spiritual energy.
But it passed through her defenses, like snow through moonlight, and entered her forehead.
Everything blurred as her consciousness faded.
“If you’re tired, just sleep.”
She heard a voice, unfamiliar yet gentle.
Like a spring breeze, whispering in her ear.
“When you wake up next time…”
When I wake up…what will happen…?
“When you wake up, we…”
…We?
“Let’s go outside and see…”
Outside where? Inside where?
—She didn’t know.
As the nebula completely collapsed, the starlight extinguished, she fell into darkness.
A darkness without day or night, without time, only profound silence.
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear,
Couldn’t think, couldn’t remember.
She didn’t even know who she was, or where she would go upon waking.
In this nothingness, she heard the sound of waves and wind…
And a silent voice, seemingly from nowhere—
The North Sea, untouched by sunlight, a forgotten land of eternal night.
It slumbered in eternal night, and it awakened in eternal night.
The seawater flowed over it, like over a solitary island.
How cold the night, how long the years, it didn’t matter.
Until a moon appeared in the sky, its light illuminating the falling snow.
It heard her song for the first time.
So soft, so distant…
As if it could awaken the silent world.
But who was she…?
It wanted to see the figure bathed in moonlight, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t…
The mountain gate was open, and Mount Chao Yao was lively.
Whether disciples, spirits, or visitors from other sects, everyone was talking about the same thing.
The upcoming wedding of Cangming Revered One and Lingyao Revered One.
With the Upper Spirit Lamp still on Mount Chao Yao, and the mountain still the most prominent immortal sect in the human realm, despite the previous tension, all the sects sent representatives, eager to offer their congratulations.
“I never imagined Li Yu, the Exalted Immortal, would ever marry.”
“Why not? In the past, it was indeed unlikely; no one in the human realm was worthy of her. But now, with her reputation tarnished by the Demon Bone and her cultivation weakened, even marrying the Kun Peng Monarch of the North Sea depends on whether he’s willing.”
“You dare say such things on Mount Chao Yao?”
“Why not? I heard she’s the one who proposed. Firstly, to repay him for stopping the opening of the Heavenly Gate, and secondly, to use dual cultivation to recover her strength.”
“Really?!”
“Don’t tell anyone; a friend told me this in confidence.”
“Of course!”
—Of course, it was meant to be spread.
Even on Mount Chao Yao, with Li Yu being the head of the Three Revered Ones, gossip still spread like wildfire.
And it wasn’t just the outsiders; even the disciples were whispering about it.
As some said, ever since the Demon Bone incident, the once revered guardian of the Upper Spirit Lamp, the only god in the human realm, had lost her prestige—even the Mount Chao Yao disciples dared to gossip about her now.
Si Qinglan reprimanded anyone she heard talking about it, but rumors were hard to suppress.
Yet, Li Yu herself didn’t seem to react, as if she was oblivious to it all.
Si Qinglan couldn’t understand any of this.
Li Yu was like a different person, so unfamiliar that she didn’t even know how to talk to her.
It was like going back to the past, when Li Yu was cold and distant—always expressionless, quiet, and aloof.
Even more baffling was Li Yu agreeing to marry Weisheng Xuanzhu.
She had even asked Li Yu directly.
“Li Yu, no offense, I’m just curious, why did you suddenly agree?”
She was so curious it made her anxious.
“You always avoided him before, why marry him now?”
“Are you two planning something to deal with the black-robed figure and keeping it a secret from me?”
“If not, did he…force you?”
“I mean, did he offer you something in exchange, something you couldn’t refuse?”
“Nothing…?”
“I won’t tell anyone, although I talk a lot, I can keep secrets!”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine…”
“Tell me, did he force you or not?”
“If he did, just blink!”
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