Inside the main hall of Baihuagu.
Su Yuexi sat quietly on the main seat, dressed in a pale green silk dress.
Her gentle and beautiful face was currently clouded with a somber expression.
Below the dais, a middle-aged woman wearing the robes of a Baihuagu elder stood with a bowed head, solemnly reporting the latest intelligence from outside the valley.
“Reporting to the Sect Leader, according to the reports from the spies we planted in the major sects, the three leaders of the righteous path — Xuantian Holy Land, Wanjian Mountain Manor, and Miaoyin Pavilion — have publicly announced they are joining forces to crusade against the great demon, Lu Ning, who has reappeared in the world.”
“They have already assembled all the elites of their respective sects and are heading toward Baihuagu. They are certain the demon is hiding within our valley.”
“Furthermore, other righteous sects of various sizes in the Northern Region have responded to the news. they have sent their respective top experts to join the crusade army.”
“According to conservative estimates, there are at least 1,000 cultivators coming. Among them are many top powerhouses of the Integration Stage and Mahayana Stage.”
“Even the leaders of the three righteous sects have personally set out.”
As the middle-aged woman finished her last sentence, the entire hall fell into silence.
Su Yuexi listened quietly.
Although she maintained her composure and stayed calm, the way her fingers lightly tapped the armrest betrayed her restless heart.
She knew that Lu Ning’s previous seven-colored lightning tribulation would inevitably attract the attention of various forces.
However, she never expected the response of these so-called righteous leaders to be so swift and fierce.
Three holy lands joining forces with an army of 1,000 cultivators pressing down on them.
This level of combat power was absolutely not to be underestimated.
And the target was self-evident.
Lu Ning.
To the Northern Region, this name was like a forbidden existence.
“Sect Leader, what should we do now?” the middle-aged woman asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“Our Baihuagu has always been indifferent to the struggles of the world, but now we are dragged into this dispute. If we do not handle this well, I fear…”
She did not finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.
Once those righteous sects confirmed that the great demon was hiding in Baihuagu, the sect would instantly become the target of public criticism and face the threat of total destruction.
“What is there to panic about?”
Su Yuexi slowly stood up, a sharp glint flashing in her gentle eyes.
“Although my Baihuagu does not like to fight, we are not soft persimmons that others can squeeze at will.”
“Pass down my order to immediately activate the highest-level mountain-protecting array. No disciples are allowed to go out. Enter a state of maximum alert.”
“As for other matters, I will handle them personally. Rest assured, there is no great demon in Baihuagu.”
“Yes!”
The middle-aged woman did not dare to delay.
She immediately bowed to receive the order and quickly turned to leave.
Watching the middle-aged woman’s retreating back, Su Yuexi’s brow furrowed even deeper.
She knew that what she had just said was merely a temporary measure.
Although the mountain-protecting array was powerful, how long could it hold out against the combined attack of three holy lands and over 1,000 cultivators?
If those people confirmed that Lu Ning was in the valley, they would definitely break in at any cost.
By then, the foundation that Baihuagu had built over thousands of years would likely be destroyed in an instant.
And she had finally turned this woman, whom she once looked up to, into her own possession.
She hadn’t even “tasted” her enough yet; how could she let go so easily?
‘Grand Sect Master Lu, for your sake, I might really have to risk all of Baihuagu…’
Su Yuexi muttered to herself, her gentle and pretty face showing true distress for the first time.
She paced back and forth in the hall, her mind racing to think of a solution.
Suddenly, a thought surfaced in Su Yuexi’s mind.
Send Lu Ning back to the Tianmo Sect!
Although the current Tianmo Sect had become somewhat chaotic due to Lu Ning’s departure, its foundation was still unfathomably deep.
Especially since rumors said that in the forbidden area of the Tianmo Sect’s back mountain, a Tribulation Transcendence Stage ancestor, who had not appeared in the world for hundreds of years, was still slumbering.
Only when the Tianmo Sect faced a moment of life and death would that ancestor truly take action.
That ancestor was the true stabilizing pillar of the Tianmo Sect.
It was precisely because of that ancestor’s existence that these so-called righteous leaders only dared to shout outside but didn’t dare to truly launch a general offensive against the Tianmo Sect’s gates.
If she could send Lu Ning back to the Tianmo Sect…
Then this crisis would naturally be resolved.
Moreover…
Sending Lu Ning back did not mean she would completely lose control over the woman.
She had plenty of ways to make this great demon “never forget” her.
Thinking of this, Su Yuexi made a decision.
Without any further hesitation, her figure flickered, and she vanished directly from the Yushi Hall.
Inside the Cave Dwelling.
Lu Ning was still sitting cross-legged on the wide jade bed, concentrating on refining the medicinal power within her body.
She had nearly “wasted” almost all the rare spiritual herbs in Hua Lingyue’s Cave Dwelling.
Because of this, her cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds, leaving her only one step away from the late-stage Nascent Soul Stage.
However, just as she was preparing to push through the bottleneck of the late-stage Nascent Soul Stage in one go, a familiar figure silently appeared in front of her.
The newcomer was Su Yuexi.
Lu Ning was startled and quickly withdrew from her cultivation state, looking at her warily.
“I didn’t expect that a prisoner like Grand Sect Master Lu would practice so hard.”
Su Yuexi’s gaze fell on her, her beautiful eyes flickering with a deep meaning that was hard to decipher.
Hearing this, Lu Ning’s heart tightened.
She knew that her small actions could not be hidden from Su Yuexi’s eyes.
Moreover, the other woman immediately stepped into her role, treating her like a prisoner.
“Lady Yuexi, I… I just want to improve my strength as quickly as possible so that I can better ‘serve’ you.”
Lu Ning explained hurriedly.
“Is that so?”
Su Yuexi let out a light laugh.
She walked up to Lu Ning and reached out to gently stroke her cheek.
“Actually, I came here to tell you some good news.”
“Good news?”
A trace of doubt flashed in Lu Ning’s eyes.
“That’s right.”
Su Yuexi nodded.
“I’ve decided to set you free…”
“From today onward, you are no longer my prisoner.”
“You can leave Baihuagu, return to your Tianmo Sect, and continue to be your high-and-mighty giant of the demonic path.”
After hearing these words, Lu Ning was completely stunned.
She widened her eyes and looked at Su Yuexi in disbelief, doubting if she was hallucinating.
This female demon… was actually going to let her go voluntarily?
This… how was this possible?
“What? You don’t seem very happy?”
Looking at Lu Ning’s dazed expression, the smile on Su Yuexi’s face grew more brilliant.
“No… no…”
Lu Ning shook her head quickly, forcibly suppressing the wild joy in her heart.
“I… I’m just too surprised.”
“I can’t bear to leave you, Lady Yuexi…”
As she spoke, she even squeezed out a few tears, performing the image of someone reluctant to leave to the fullest.
“Heh.”
Su Yuexi chuckled.
She naturally didn’t believe Lu Ning’s nonsense.
She knew that this woman’s heart was definitely blooming with joy right now, wishing she could sprout wings and fly back to the Tianmo Sect immediately.
However, she didn’t care.
Because Lu Ning could not escape the palm of her hand.
“Alright, stop acting.”
Su Yuexi withdrew her hand, and her voice returned to its usual calmness.
“The reason I’m letting you go isn’t because of my great mercy. It’s because you are now a huge trouble.”
Su Yuexi told Lu Ning everything about the righteous sects gathering an army outside the valley and preparing for a crusade.
After Lu Ning finished listening, her heart was filled with lingering fear.
She didn’t expect that just breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage would cause such a massive commotion.
“So, you must leave now.”
“I don’t want Baihuagu to be dragged into this undeserved catastrophe because of you.”
“Fine, I’ll go.”
Lu Ning nodded without any hesitation.
She planned to claim the system rewards and leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.
However, Su Yuexi’s next words left her completely dumbfounded.
“However, I’m not worried about you going back to the Tianmo Sect alone.”
A “kind” smile appeared on Su Yuexi’s face.
“So, I’ve decided to personally escort you back to the Tianmo Sect.”
Lu Ning: “????”