On the surface, Lu Ning quickly nodded and squeezed out a “sincere” smile.
“Sister Linglong, then let’s… go inside and talk.”
While responding, she also sent a secret transmission to Ji Linglong, her voice carrying a hint of a plea.
‘Sister Linglong, after we enter the Tianmo Sect, can you play a scene with me?’
‘It’s to avoid some unnecessary trouble later on.’
Listening to this transmission laced with flattery, a sharp light flashed in Ji Linglong’s golden phoenix eyes.
Acting?
She wanted to see what kind of tricks this little liar was trying to pull.
“Sure.”
The corners of Ji Linglong’s mouth slowly curled into an arc as she responded via transmission.
“However, this Princess wants to go to your bedchamber to catch up properly.”
“No problem. We’ll go right after the act.”
Upon receiving Lu Ning’s reply, Ji Linglong nodded with satisfaction.
Immediately, her gaze turned toward Gu Qinghuan, who was still frozen in place with a look of despair.
She flicked her finger.
The golden divine flame enveloping Gu Qinghuan instantly dissipated.
Once the restriction was lifted, Gu Qinghuan’s face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.
She stared blankly at her Master, who maintained a humble posture before Ji Linglong.
“Qinghuan.”
Just then, Lu Ning’s transmission rang in her ear.
‘I know what you’re thinking right now.’
‘But rest assured, your Master hasn’t truly surrendered to her.’
‘I’m only doing this as an expediency measure to lull her into a false sense of security and buy us time.’
‘Cooperate with me in a play for now. Once we return to the Sovereign Hall, your Master will have a way to reverse the situation.’
Hearing this transmission, the spark of hope reignited in Gu Qinghuan’s dead heart.
That was right…
Her Master was so proud; how could she bow her head so easily?
This must all be fake!
It was a sacrifice her Master had to make to protect her and the entire Tianmo Sect!
This realization filled Gu Qinghuan’s heart with endless self-reproach and regret.
It was all because she was too weak.
If she were strong enough, if she also possessed the power of the Great Vehicle Stage, then her Master wouldn’t have to suffer such a grievance.
“Master, your disciple understands.”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice carried a hint of a sob.
She raised her head, her eyes once again filled with determination.
“I will definitely cooperate with you.”
After temporarily stabilizing Gu Qinghuan, Lu Ning breathed a secret sigh of relief.
She turned her head and offered a smile to Ji Linglong.
“Sister Linglong, let’s go in.”
….
As she spoke, she proactively reached out to take Ji Linglong’s arm.
Ji Linglong allowed Lu Ning to hook onto her arm, and the two of them walked side by side toward the massive mountain gate.
Gu Qinghuan followed silently behind them like an abandoned shadow, appearing exceptionally lonely and desolate.
When the three of them stepped into the Tianmo Sect, a group of high-ranking members led by Elder Yanmo instantly swarmed forward.
They looked at Ji Linglong, whose arm was being intimately held by Lu Ning, with faces full of vigilance and hostility.
In their eyes, their Sovereign and Saintess must have been taken hostage.
“Sovereign! Saintess!”
Elder Yanmo’s voice was hoarse and tinged with anxiety.
“Are you all right?”
As he spoke, he secretly signaled to the elders behind him, indicating they should prepare to strike.
Even though they knew the woman before them possessed unfathomable strength, the Tianmo Sect was not a soft persimmon that could be easily squeezed.
If it really came down to it, they would use human-wave tactics and fight to the death!
However, before they could act, Lu Ning’s voice, tinged with a hint of “displeasure,” rang out.
“Stand down.”
“Who allowed you to be so unruly?”
As her words fell, the elders, who had been on the verge of an all-out battle, were instantly stunned.
They stared blankly at Lu Ning, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
At that moment, Lu Ning spoke again, saying something that shocked everyone beyond words.
“Let me introduce someone to you all.”
“This is the Eldest Princess of the Dahuang Dynasty, Her Highness Ji Linglong.”
“She is also this Sovereign’s cultivation partner.”
“Moreover, she is the firmest ally of our Tianmo Sect.”
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire Tianmo Sect fell into a dead silence.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at the man and woman standing together in an intimate posture.
Cultivation partner?
Ally?
Had they heard correctly?
Their legendary Sovereign, the great demon who stood at the peak and had rejected countless suitors, had actually found a partner?
Furthermore, the partner was the Eldest Princess of Dahuang, who had just led 3,000 divine guards to the gates of the Tianmo Sect to seek revenge?
This… just what was going on?
Lu Ning looked at the bewildered elders and disciples below, the curve of her lips turning upward even more.
She cleared her throat and continued her “performance” in a magnetic voice.
“I know your hearts are filled with doubt.”
“Are you all thinking that I was previously abducted by Her Highness the Eldest Princess?”
As Lu Ning’s voice fell, the people below looked at each other.
Although they didn’t speak, their expressions said everything.
“Hahaha…”
Lu Ning suddenly threw her head back and laughed, her laughter filled with disdain and dominance.
“Utterly ridiculous!”
“In all the world, who possesses the strength to abduct me?”
“The reason I followed the Eldest Princess to the Dahuang Dynasty was not because I was forced.”
“It was because I have long harbored feelings of love for her and wished to visit the Dahuang Dynasty.”
“I just didn’t expect those old fogeys of the Dahuang Dynasty to disagree with us being together.”
“They even sent out their Great Vehicle Stage Ancestor to stop me.”
“Unfortunately…”
Lu Ning paused, a hint of contempt flashing in her indifferent eyes.
“What does a mere Great Vehicle Stage rank count for in my presence?”
“In the end, those people from the Dahuang Dynasty had no choice but to agree to this matter, and they even became our allies.”
After listening to this, the disciples and elders of the Tianmo Sect didn’t find it absurd at all.
Instead, their blood began to boil with excitement.
So that was it!
Their invincible Sovereign hadn’t been abducted; he had gone to snatch a bride!
And he had succeeded!
Defeating a Great Vehicle Stage expert in one move!
What a domineering style!
“The Sovereign is invincible!”
“The Sovereign is mighty!”
It was unclear who shouted it first.
The next moment, a mountain-shaking cheer erupted within the Tianmo Sect.
“Under the Heavens! Only the Demon Sect is supreme!”
Every disciple of the Tianmo Sect felt an unprecedented sense of pride and honor at this moment.
They looked at the black-robed figure receiving the adoration of thousands, the worship in their eyes almost overflowing.
Some young disciples even began to whisper among themselves.
“I told you, how could the Sovereign be abducted by a woman?”
“So, when the Eldest Princess brought those 3,000 divine guards to find him, it wasn’t for revenge, but because of love turned into obsession!”
“Yes, yes! The Eldest Princess must be desperately in love with our Sovereign, which is why she used that method to catch his attention.”
“Tsk, the Sovereign is truly too charismatic. Even the Eldest Princess of the Dahuang Dynasty is infatuated with him.”
“With the Dahuang Dynasty as our ally, why should we fear the so-called Righteous Alliance?”
Everyone was cheering and discussing.
Only Gu Qinghuan, standing behind Lu Ning, felt endless heartache.
In her eyes, the reason her Master said these things—even sacrificing her own reputation to portray an enemy as her partner—was entirely to protect the Tianmo Sect and appease the hearts of the sect members.
Her Master… she had truly sacrificed too much.
While everyone was still immersed in the fanatical atmosphere, Ji Linglong, who had remained silent, suddenly made a move.
She slowly released Lu Ning’s arm.
Then, under everyone’s astonished gazes, she proactively took a step forward and gently leaned her head against Lu Ning’s shoulder.
The dominance and sharpness in her golden phoenix eyes were gone, replaced only by tenderness and bashfulness.
She spoke into Lu Ning’s ear in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“I’ll listen to whatever my husband says.”
Although her voice was soft, it was still clearly heard by the elders with high cultivation.
The entire Tianmo Sect erupted again.
If Lu Ning’s previous words had made them somewhat skeptical, then Ji Linglong’s simple action and the casual “husband” had completely solidified everything.
In that moment, Lu Ning’s image within the Tianmo Sect reached an unprecedented height.
After introducing Ji Linglong, Lu Ning dismissed the elders and disciples who were still in a state of frenzy.
Afterward, she finally led Ji Linglong and Gu Qinghuan back into the familiar Sovereign Hall.
As the doors slowly closed, the aura of a peerless demon lord vanished from Lu Ning’s body without a trace.
Her entire body went limp, and she felt as if she had just finished a great battle, exhausted in both mind and body.
Acting was truly too tiring.
Especially saying those things that made even her own heart race and her face flush in front of so many people—it was a massive psychological ordeal.
On the other side, Gu Qinghuan had remained silent since entering the Sovereign Hall.
She stood quietly to the side, her eyes fixed intently on Ji Linglong.
At some point, a longsword radiating a bone-chilling cold had appeared in her hand.
She was waiting.
Waiting for her Master’s signal.
As long as her Master gave the command, she would strike without hesitation.
She believed that if her Master used her trump card to temporarily recover her Great Vehicle Stage power and they attacked together, they could definitely catch Ji Linglong off guard.
However, Lu Ning’s next move caused Gu Qinghuan’s newly ignited hope to plummet into a bottomless abyss.
Lu Ning slowly crawled up from the floor and walked over to Ji Linglong, who was looking at the surrounding furnishings with great interest.
“Sister Linglong.”
Lu Ning’s voice carried a hint of flattery.
“There were many people outside just now, so those words were just for show. You won’t mind, right?”
Gu Qinghuan: “??????”