Inside the Sovereign Hall, upon the jade bed.
Lu Ning had calculated every possibility, but she never expected that this rebellious disciple would actually bring up the promise of “one request” from back then.
And at a time like this, no less.
“Qinghuan, you…” Lu Ning’s voice carried a hint of weakness.
“Haven’t we… been fulfilling that promise over these past few days?”
Lu Ning tried to use this logic to muddle her way through.
After all, over the last few days, she felt as if she had already endured all the humiliation she could possibly face in a lifetime.
However, Gu Qinghuan slowly shook her head.
She reached out and pressed a finger gently against Lu Ning’s lips, silencing her further words.
“Master, that’s different.”
‘Previously, those were your disciple’s punishments for you. You did something wrong, so you deserved to be punished.’
‘But the request you promised me is my “reward.”‘
“Punishment is punishment, and a reward is a reward. How can the two be confused?”
Lu Ning: “…”
Lu Ning was completely stunned by Gu Qinghuan’s twisted logic.
When had this rebellious disciple become so eloquent and such a rogue?
“Master, you aren’t thinking of breaking your word, are you?”
Gu Qinghuan looked at Lu Ning’s dazed expression.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, flickering with a dangerous light.
“You promised me personally back then.”
Seeing her disciple on the verge of turning dark again, Lu Ning felt a sense of impending doom.
“No… I’m not.”
“As the Sect Leader of the Tianmo Sect, I naturally keep my word. I will never break a promise.”
“That’s good.”
Upon receiving a satisfactory answer, a radiant smile instantly bloomed on Gu Qinghuan’s face.
She leaned down again, and under the gaze of those helpless eyes, she gently kissed Lu Ning’s forehead.
“Master, then let’s begin.”
As she spoke, she began to reach out and untie Lu Ning’s Sect Leader robes.
“Wait!”
Lu Ning hurriedly caught her straying hand.
“Qinghuan, not now.”
“Hmm?”
Gu Qinghuan’s movements stopped, and a flash of displeasure crossed her cold eyes.
“Master, are you going back on your word again?”
“No.”
Lu Ning shook her head quickly, a troubled expression appearing on her face.
“I have to go to the forbidden area in the back mountain tomorrow.”
“You know that place. It’s exceptionally dangerous. I must maintain my peak condition to deal with any danger that might arise.”
“If we were to… tonight…”
Lu Ning didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was self-evident.
Gu Qinghuan listened, her brow furrowing slightly.
The forbidden area of the back mountain was the most mysterious and dangerous place in the entire Tianmo Sect.
Even someone of her level wasn’t qualified to step foot there yet.
Throughout history, only the successive Sect Leaders had the right to go.
If she really pushed her master too hard tonight and caused her to have an accident in the forbidden area tomorrow… she would definitely regret it for the rest of her life.
At that thought, the fire in Gu Qinghuan’s heart was significantly dampened by her reason.
“Fine.”
She let go, somewhat unwillingly.
“In that case, I will wait a few more days for you.”
“However…” Gu Qinghuan’s tone shifted, and the paranoid light flickered in her cold eyes once more.
“Once you return from the forbidden area, you must double the reward you owe me.”
“Fine… fine.”
As long as she could dodge tonight, she would take things one step at a time.
“That’s more like it.”
Gu Qinghuan smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing Lu Ning’s clever and obedient appearance, the madness in her heart finally calmed down completely.
“Master, you must be tired.”
“Let your disciple serve you while you rest.”
As she spoke, she began to tidy up Lu Ning’s Sect Leader robes, which she had already half-untied.
Lu Ning’s body stiffened slightly.
“Master, don’t be afraid.”
Gu Qinghuan seemed to see through her thoughts and immediately reassured her.
“I just want to hold you while we rest for a while.”
“I promise I won’t do anything excessive to you tonight.”
Her voice carried a hint of attachment.
“I just want to hold you and talk to you.”
Hearing this, Lu Ning felt a bit more at ease.
Just holding her while they rested?
That request wasn’t too much.
After all, compared to what had happened before, this was practically heavenly treatment.
Inside the Sovereign Hall, the candlelight flickered.
“Master.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think… the Grand Sect Leader is really still alive?”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice held a touch of curiosity.
After all, she had heard of that legendary figure ever since she joined the Tianmo Sect.
“I don’t know.”
“However, I certainly hope she is.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to throw this mess of a Sect Leader position back to her.”
Gu Qinghuan: “???”
Once she processed the words, Gu Qinghuan was deeply moved.
‘Master… she’s saying this because she cares about me. She doesn’t want to see me tied down by the sect’s affairs.’
‘So her wanting to invite that mysterious Grand Master back is all for my sake…’
“Master…”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice trembled, and a thin layer of mist gradually clouded her beautiful eyes.
She suddenly wondered if the things she had done to her master before were a bit too much.
“Go to sleep.”
Lu Ning’s voice rang out again.
“Yes.”
Gu Qinghuan nodded.
She pulled Lu Ning a little closer into her embrace, found a more comfortable position, and closed her eyes.
The entire Sovereign Hall returned to its usual silence.
Only on the jade bed did two rhythmic sounds of breathing intertwine in the quiet night.
The night passed without further words.
….
The next morning.
When the first sliver of morning light shone through the window, Lu Ning slowly opened her eyes and rose.
“Master, are you heading to the forbidden area now?”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice carried a hint of reluctance.
“Yes.” Lu Ning nodded.
“I’ll leave the sect’s affairs to you.”
“Yes, as you command.”
Although Gu Qinghuan was reluctant, she responded respectfully.
“Master, you must be careful. I will wait for your return.”
“Alright.”
Lu Ning didn’t linger.
She walked out of the Sovereign Hall.
Gu Qinghuan stood in place, quietly watching that familiar back until the figure completely disappeared from her sight.
Only then did she slowly look away.
“Master… you must come back soon.”
“Your disciple… will miss you.”
As she spoke, a sickly smile appeared on her cold, beautiful face.
“Of course, if you dare to stay in there for too long, or if you get involved with another woman… I will personally go in to find you.”
….
The back mountain of the Tianmo Sect.
This was the most mysterious and core area of the entire sect.
Normally, no one except the Sect Leader was permitted to take a single step here.
Lu Ning walked alone along the quiet path leading to the forbidden area.
On both sides of the path, ancient trees reached for the sky, blotting out the sun.
A faint, terrifying pressure permeated the air.
The further she went, the stronger the pressure became.
If an ordinary cultivator came here, this pressure alone would likely be enough to break their spirit and cause a cultivation deviation.
But for Lu Ning, who possessed the Tianmo bloodline, this pressure gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Soon, she reached the entrance of the forbidden area.
It was a massive stone gate carved from a single block of giant black stone.
On the gate, profound and complex demonic runes were inscribed.
This was the location of the core of the Nine Nether Slaying Immortals Array, one of the sect’s protective arrays.
Lu Ning looked at the stone gate radiating a terrifying aura, and a look of gravity flashed in her eyes.
She knew that behind this gate lay a forbidden land filled with the unknown and danger.
She took a deep breath and no longer hesitated.
With a flick of her wrist, an entirely black token carved with the ancient character for “Demon” appeared in her palm.
This was the true Sect Leader token of the Tianmo Sect.
She slowly pressed the token into the indentation in the center of the stone gate.
Thrum—
A muffled humming sound rang out.
The Sect Leader token instantly erupted with light, and streaks of black demonic energy surged from it, pouring into the stone gate.
The previously dull demonic runes on the gate were activated in that instant, beginning to rotate wildly in a profound trajectory.
Crrack—
A loud boom followed.
The massive stone gate, which had been sealed for 100 years, finally began to open a crack.
A surge of demonic energy, 100 times denser than before, erupted from the gap, instantly enveloping Lu Ning.
Lu Ning steadied her mind and stepped into the pitch-black opening.
When she opened her eyes again, the scene before her had changed drastically.
This was no longer the gloomy, terrifying back mountain.
Instead, it was a vast, boundless range of ancient mountains.
The sky was an eerie blood-red, and a massive black sun hung high above, emitting an exotic light.
On the ground, mountains rose and fell, and ancient trees towered over everything.
The air was filled with an incredibly violent demonic energy.
Lu Ning looked at this world filled with primitive wilderness, her eyes full of shock.
She never expected the forbidden area of the Tianmo Sect to look like this.
This was practically a small world independent of the outside!
A blessed land for cultivation!
Lu Ning even felt that if she could stay here and cultivate peacefully for a few years, she might truly be able to return to the Mahayana stage.
However, she was not misled by the beauty before her.
She carefully spread out her Divine Sense to scout the surroundings.
Soon, she discovered many powerful auras lurking within the mountain range.
She even vaguely sensed several terrifying existences that were not inferior to the Mahayana stage.
Lu Ning’s heart sank.
She knew she had to find the legendary Grand Sect Leader as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, the demonic beasts in these mountains alone would be enough to give her a hard time.
Just then, an indescribable and terrifying pressure suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping Lu Ning entirely.
She struggled to lift her head and look toward the source of the pressure.
In the blood-red sky, a massive black shadow had appeared at some point.
The shadow blotted out the sun, covering even the giant black sun.
The entire world was instantly plunged into darkness.
Lu Ning’s pupils snapped shut.
She could see the shadow clearly now.
It was a giant beast as massive as a mountain.
Its body was covered in a layer of scales as black as ink, and purple-black flames burned upon them.
Atop its head grew two pairs of ferocious horns, flickering with lightning.
Beneath its four hooves were black auspicious clouds, and a pressure capable of destroying heaven and earth radiated from its body.
“A… A Dark Qilin!”
Lu Ning cried out in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The Dark Qilin was a legendary beast that had gone extinct during ancient times.
In the records of the game Immortal Demon Era, there were only a few brief mentions of such a creature.
Rumor had it that these creatures were originally Qilins—top-tier divine beasts—that had mutated after falling into the demonic path.
Not only did they inherit the powerful physical bodies and fire-controlling talents of the Qilin clan, but they also possessed the terrifying ability to swallow all things and grow infinitely.
Because of their heaven-defying bloodline talent, they were besieged by all races in the ancient era and eventually disappeared completely into the river of history.
Lu Ning never expected that a creature which only existed in legends would appear right before her eyes.
And inside her own sect’s forbidden area!
What made her feel even more desperate was that she clearly sensed an aura from this Dark Qilin that was not inferior to Su Yuexi.
The Great Perfection of the Mahayana stage!
This was actually a Dark Qilin at the Great Perfection of the Mahayana stage!