Inside the Sovereign Hall.
The vast aura originating from an ancient beast was somewhat restrained by A-Lin, only covering the interior of the Sovereign Hall.
Gu Qinghuan stood in place with great difficulty, her delicate body trembling slightly.
She finally understood why her Master had become so fearless.
It turned out that she had truly brought back a terrifying existence from the forbidden area that was capable of suppressing everything.
And just now, she had actually dared to provoke such a being?
“What is it?”
From atop the jade bed, Lu Ning’s voice rang out once more.
“Did you not hear your Master’s words?”
Gu Qinghuan’s body jerked violently.
She slowly lifted her head and looked at Lu Ning, who was reclining on the jade bed with a playful look in her eyes.
Once upon a time, she had used this same manner to manipulate this high-and-mighty Master in the palm of her hand, enjoying the pleasure of pulling a deity down from her altar.
But now, their positions had been reversed.
A bitter smile appeared on Gu Qinghuan’s face.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over that cold-eyed “Little Junior Aunt.”
For some reason, she felt that this little brat’s gaze was filled with hostility toward her.
If she dared to show even the slightest disrespect to her Master again, she feared this so-called “Little Junior Aunt” would truly deal her a fatal blow.
….
Gu Qinghuan took a deep breath, suppressing all the resentment in her heart.
She walked slowly to the side of the wide jade bed, and then, under Lu Ning’s playful gaze, she bowed slightly.
“This disciple… obeys your command.”
She reached out her slender, jade-like hands and placed them gently on Lu Ning’s shoulders, beginning to clumsily massage her.
Her strength was light, and her technique was unrefined.
But for Lu Ning, this was enough.
What she enjoyed was not the massage itself, but the feeling of suppressing this rebellious disciple once again.
“Qinghuan.”
“Your technique isn’t very good.”
“It seems that during the days I was away, you only cared about your cultivation and forgot your skills in serving others.”
Hearing this, Gu Qinghuan’s body paused for a moment.
A rare blush crept onto her cold, beautiful face.
“This disciple… is dull.”
“No matter.”
Lu Ning waved her hand dismissively.
“Just practice more in the future.”
As she spoke, she intentionally shifted into a more comfortable position, casually resting her long, straight leg across Gu Qinghuan’s lap.
Gu Qinghuan’s body stiffened instantly.
She could clearly feel the warm touch from Lu Ning’s leg and that scent that haunted her dreams.
Her breathing became somewhat rapid at that moment.
“Master…”
“Hmm?”
“You…” Gu Qinghuan bit her lip.
In the end, she did not say the words in her heart.
Instead, she lowered her head and began to massage Lu Ning’s feet.
Lu Ning felt that the timing was about right.
She gave a look to A-Lin, who was still releasing her pressure nearby.
“A-Lin, retract your aura.”
“Oh.”
A-Lin nodded obediently, and the world-destroying pressure on her body vanished instantly.
The entire Sovereign Hall returned to its usual tranquility.
Gu Qinghuan felt as if she had been granted a grand pardon, and her whole body went limp.
She looked at the “Little Junior Aunt,” who had returned to her cute and obedient appearance, her eyes filled with dread.
“A-Lin, come here.”
Lu Ning beckoned to A-Lin.
Hearing this, A-Lin immediately ran over on her short legs.
Then, she naturally climbed onto the wide jade bed and pressed herself close to Lu Ning.
“Sister Lu Ning.”
A-Lin’s voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of coyness.
She even shot a provocative glance at Gu Qinghuan next to her, as if saying: ‘See? Sister Lu Ning loves me the most.’
Gu Qinghuan: “…”
Gu Qinghuan felt as if another arrow had pierced her chest.
“Qinghuan,” Lu Ning’s voice spoke again.
“Your Master is a bit tired and wants to rest for a while.”
“You may leave now.”
“Yes, your disciple obeys.”
Although Gu Qinghuan was reluctant, she did not dare to disobey in the slightest.
After bowing respectfully to Lu Ning, she slowly retreated from the Sovereign Hall.
Watching Gu Qinghuan’s dejected back, Lu Ning felt a sense of immense satisfaction.
She knew that from this day forward, she had finally become the master of herself in the Tianmo Sect and this Sovereign Hall.
“Sister Lu Ning, that disciple of yours has ulterior motives toward you.”
A-Lin’s voice pulled Lu Ning back from her thoughts.
The girl curled her lips, looking displeased.
“She even dared to lay her hands on you.”
“If you hadn’t stopped me, A-Lin would have sent her flying just now.”
Hearing this, Lu Ning felt caught between laughter and tears.
She reached out and doted on A-Lin by stroking her small head.
“All right, A-Lin, don’t be angry.”
“She won’t dare to do it again.”
“Mhm!”
A-Lin nodded heavily.
Then, she leaned her small head into Lu Ning’s arms and found a comfortable position.
“Sister Lu Ning, A-Lin is tired too. I want to sleep.”
“Okay, go to sleep.”
Lu Ning’s voice was very gentle.
She looked at the young girl in her arms who relied on her so completely without reservation, and her heart warmed for no reason.
She knew she had to be better to this silly girl in the future.
Amidst her reflections, Lu Ning did not forget her main business.
While she gently patted A-Lin’s back to lull her to sleep, she began to calculate her next moves in her mind.
Now, the internal hidden dangers of the sect were temporarily resolved.
After witnessing A-Lin’s strength, that rebellious disciple Gu Qinghuan likely wouldn’t dare to make a move against her for a short while.
And she finally had some time and space of her own.
Next, what she needed to do was increase her strength as quickly as possible.
After all, while A-Lin was powerful, she was ultimately an external force.
Only her own strength was true strength.
Moreover, there was a mountain of trouble waiting for her outside.
Xuantian Holy Land, Wanjian Mountain Manor, Miaoyin Pavilion… She wouldn’t let any of the enemies who had once pushed her into a dead end go.
Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in Lu Ning’s eyes.
However, the most important thing for her now was to deal with the impending crisis before her eyes.
The Righteous Alliance.
This was no joke.
Although she had a great killing weapon like A-Lin, the other side had superior numbers.
There were no fewer than 100 Great Ascension stage experts alone.
If a real fight broke out, it would likely be a tragic and bloody war.
At that time, the Tianmo Sect would surely suffer a devastating blow to its vitality.
This was not the result Lu Ning wanted.
She had to think of a steadier, more perfect way.
A way that could resolve this crisis while minimizing losses.
Lu Ning’s brain worked rapidly at this moment.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her.
She remembered another reward she had received from the system earlier — that tattered, ordinary-looking black blade, “Nameless.”
Although the grade of this blade was unknown and its origin was mysterious, since it was produced by the system, it could not possibly be an ordinary item.
Perhaps… this blade possessed something extraordinary?
Thinking of this, Lu Ning made a decision.
She no longer hesitated.
With a flick of her wrist, the tattered black blade, covered in rust and completely pitch-black, appeared out of thin air in her palm.
She laid the black blade across her knees, extended her fingers, and gently stroked the cold blade.
Then, she slowly closed her eyes and carefully extended her Divine Sense into that darkness filled with the unknown.
The moment Lu Ning’s Divine Sense touched the black blade, a desolate and ancient aura rushed toward her.
Her consciousness was instantly swallowed by a massive vortex, plunging her into an endless darkness.
At the end of this darkness, she saw a blurred silhouette of a back.
It was a man wearing tattered black armor, holding a black blade exactly like “Nameless.”
He stood alone atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Beneath his feet were the remains of countless gods and demons.
Before him were enemies that blotted out the sky.
There were heavenly gods clad in golden armor holding divine weapons.
There were giant dragons the size of mountains breathing dragon fire.
There were three-headed and six-armed demon gods with overwhelming demonic flames.
The aura emanating from every single enemy was enough to make the current Lu Ning feel suffocated.
However, the man showed no fear.
He merely raised the black blade in his hand slowly and struck out casually toward the sky full of gods and demons.
A black blade light that seemed ordinary and plain flashed and vanished.
In the next moment, the entire world went silent.
The gods and demons that filled the sky, along with the starry heavens behind them, were forcefully sliced into two halves under this single strike.
Ultimately, they turned into nothingness.
One strike to slay gods and demons, and to sever the river of stars!
What a terrifying strike this was!
Lu Ning stared blankly at this scene, her mind a complete blank.
She felt as if her worldview had been completely overturned at this moment.
She had always thought that the realms above the Tribulation Transcendence Stage were already the ceiling of combat power in this world.
But now it seemed she was still too naive.
Compared to the man before her, even her Master Liu Ningshuang, who had surpassed the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, was likely as small as an ant.
While Lu Ning was inwardly marveling, the man standing on the mountain of corpses slowly turned around.
The moment Lu Ning saw his face clearly, she was stunned.
What kind of face was that?
It was peerlessly handsome, like a heavenly god.
His jet-black long hair was draped casually behind him, and his deep eyes seemed to contain the stars and the sea.
Most importantly… that appearance was actually eight or nine tenths similar to the way she looked in her body’s male disguise!
What exactly was going on?
A mountain-toppling wave rose in Lu Ning’s heart.
She felt as if she had touched upon a heaven-shaking secret.
And just then, the man seemed to sense Lu Ning’s presence as well.
His deep eyes pierced through endless time and space, landing on Lu Ning.
Their eyes met.
Lu Ning felt her soul tremble violently at this moment.
“You… have finally come.”
The man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse yet carrying a sense of vicissitude that seemed able to see through everything in the world.
“I have waited for you for a long time.”