At this moment, Lu Ning’s sycophantic cry of “Sister Linglong” left everyone present in a state of shock.
In the distance, the Xuantian Holy Lord and her two companions, who were locked in a fierce struggle with A Lin, stiffened simultaneously the moment they heard those words.
They stared blankly at the great demon, Lu Ning, who stood before Jing Linglong with a humble posture and even managed to squeeze out a flattering smile.
Their faces were written over with disbelief.
Was this really the peerless demon who, six months ago in the Burial Immortal Mountain Range, had single-handedly turned the world into a river of blood and left corpses strewn across the land?
The contrast was simply too great.
The three exchanged glances, seeing deep shock and a sense of absurdity in each other’s eyes.
On the other side, A Lin was also rendered somewhat dazed by Lu Ning’s sudden behavior.
Her large, watery black eyes were currently filled with massive question marks.
‘Sister Lu Ning… why is she saying that to that bad woman? Aren’t they enemies?’
‘Could it be… they know each other?’
This thought flashed through A Lin’s small head, causing her heart, which had been brimming with battle intent, to waver instantly.
She looked at Jing Linglong standing before Lu Ning and, for a moment, found herself at a loss for what to do.
The Xuantian Holy Lord and the others were incredibly cunning; they keenly sensed A Lin’s momentary lapse in focus.
The three of them shared a look, seeing a flicker of resolve in each other’s eyes.
Without hesitation, they struck at the same time.
Three distinct yet equally terrifying forces, like three enraged dragons, swept toward A Lin.
Simultaneously, they quickly retreated, intentionally drawing the battlefield away from the Tianmo Sect’s mountain gate.
In their view, since that great demon Lu Ning had already shown such a cowardly side, her end would likely be miserable.
They did not want to miss this opportunity just because this little girl of unfathomable strength was interfering.
Caught off guard by their sudden combined strike, A Lin was pushed back.
Although she was powerful, she had never encountered enemies in the Forbidden Zone, and her combat experience was shallow.
Facing these three veteran Great Completion stage experts in her human form, she still appeared somewhat green.
She was forced to engage them and was led away almost passively.
Soon, only Lu Ning, Jing Linglong, and the restrained, immobile Gu Qinghuan remained outside the gate of the Tianmo Sect.
At that moment, Gu Qinghuan watched her Master acting so submissively before Jing Linglong, her eyes filled with unbelievable shock.
‘Master… how could she show that kind of expression to another woman? She’s even using such a flattering tone to call another woman “Sister”? Why?’
‘Why has Master become like this?’
Just then, Jing Linglong finally snapped out of the shock of being called “Sister Linglong.”
She gently pinched Lu Ning’s somewhat pale cheek, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness.
“Little liar, you escaped from my side and hid for so long, but now you’ve finally fallen into my hands.”
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
Hearing this, Lu Ning’s body trembled slightly.
She knew that if she didn’t give the other woman a satisfactory explanation today, her end would be bleak.
Taking a deep breath, under Jing Linglong’s startled gaze, Lu Ning opened her arms and proactively pulled Jing Linglong into an embrace.
This action left Jing Linglong completely stunned.
‘She… she actually took the initiative to hug me?’
Before Jing Linglong could recover from the sudden turn of events, a soft, warm voice whispered gently in her ear.
“Sister Linglong, I am truly happy to see you again.”
“I originally intended to visit the Kingdom of Dahuang to see you as soon as I finished handling the sect’s affairs.”
“I didn’t expect you to come looking for me yourself.”
Lu Ning’s acting was pushed to the limit.
The sincerity in her tone and the intimacy in her movements seemed more genuine than pure gold.
Sure enough, after hearing these words, Jing Linglong’s heart, which had been full of playfulness, softened inexplicably at that moment.
She remembered the time back at the inn when she had turned into a “silly princess” with the intellect of a child after being affected by a pill.
She also remembered how this “little liar” had cared for and looked after her with meticulous attention back then.
She even remembered that this “little liar” had indeed promised her personally before leaving that she would come back to see her.
‘Could it be… everything she’s saying is true? Does she really miss me?’
Jing Linglong looked at Lu Ning, who had proactively thrown herself into her arms, and was momentarily unsure of how to react.
On the other side, when the restrained Gu Qinghuan saw her high-and-mighty Master proactively embracing another woman, her cold eyes instantly turned blood-red.
An indescribable fury and sense of betrayal washed over her.
Earlier, with the “Little Martial Aunt,” it was one thing because Master clearly treated the other party like a child, but this situation with Jing Linglong was entirely different.
However, just as Gu Qinghuan was about to lose her reason, a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
‘No!’
‘Master isn’t that kind of person!’
‘She is so proud; how could she truly throw herself into another woman’s arms? This must all be fake!’
‘It’s a honey trap!’
‘Master is using this method to numb the Princess’s guard and buy time for that “Little Martial Aunt” who possesses unfathomable strength!’
‘Once that “Little Martial Aunt” deals with those three annoying women and returns, everything will be fine.’
This realization caused Gu Qinghuan’s heart, which had been on the verge of exploding, to miraculously calm down.
She secretly decided that she would definitely make Jing Linglong pay a heavy price later!
Back with Jing Linglong, she finally recovered from her complex emotions.
She looked at Lu Ning in her arms, a flash of doting appearing in her golden phoenix eyes.
But soon, that trace of affection was replaced by an even stronger sense of possessiveness.
She extended her arms and returned the embrace just as tightly.
Then, she slowly leaned into Lu Ning’s ear and said softly in an aggressive tone, “Little liar, since I’ve come to find you personally…”
“A simple embrace isn’t going to be enough to get rid of me.”
“I’m not the little fool you could trick back then.”
As she finished, her tone suddenly shifted.
Her golden phoenix eyes swept over the massive mountain gate shrouded in demonic energy behind them, and the corners of her mouth curled into a playful arc.
“Grand Sect Master Lu, now that those meddling flies are gone…”
“Don’t you think you should invite me inside so we can properly ‘reminisce’?”
“Since you aren’t used to living in my Dahuang palace and are always thinking of running away…”
“Then I shall reluctantly stay here at the Tianmo Sect with you for a while.”
“Once you’ve finished dealing with all the messy business in this sect, you will obediently follow me back to the Kingdom of Dahuang.”
Hearing this, Lu Ning was completely dumbfounded.
She stared blankly at the smiling Jing Linglong, her mind going void.
‘She… she actually wants to stay here and not leave?’
‘Is this right?’