chapter 80

Leaving the mountain, defying fate, meeting her.

The more Yue Zhiheng thought about it, the more uneasy he became about Zhan Yunwei being alone.

Perhaps it was Qiu Jingshu's plight that triggered him. Cultivators with nine spiritual veins rarely dreamed, yet in the following days, Yue Zhiheng had several nightmares.

The worst one? A few years had passed, and Miss Zhan had completely forgotten him, happily marrying Pei Yujing. His daughter called Pei Yujing "father."

To make it worse, Penglai mistreated both his Zhan Yunwei and their daughter, oppressing them at every turn.

Yue Zhiheng woke up furious.

How could he tolerate that?

For Zhan Yunwei, however, it was rather unsettling to wake up in the middle of the night to a silent, lingering gaze fixed on her.

Half-asleep, she asked, "What's wrong?"

A light touch pressed against her back as he patted her gently. He suppressed his emotions and murmured, "Nothing. Go back to sleep."

Seeing that he seemed normal, she drifted off again.

But in the following days, Zhan Yunwei noticed that Lord Yue had become almost obsessively diligent in his cultivation. He even returned to the Moonwatching Pool, tempering his meridians over and over again.

If she hadn't forcibly made him come back to rest, Yue Zhiheng would have spent entire nights submerged in the pool.

Yet, with a great battle approaching, growing stronger was the one thing Zhan Yunwei couldn't stop him from doing.

Even his favorite pastime had been set aside due to the intensity of his training.

With his relentless efforts, Zhan Yunwei didn't remain idle either.

Ever since absorbing the remnant souls and emerging from the forbidden grounds, her spirit-controlling technique had reached an extraordinary level.

Under her command, the thirty thousand underworld soldiers at the seafloor were visibly strengthening.

At the end of May, when Yue Zhiheng suppressed the underworld army for the final time, lotus patterns bloomed in the eyes of every soldier. Standing at the ocean's depths, he watched as countless figures knelt before him, awaiting his command.

This army—carrying the hopes of generations—was finally ready.

At the same time, the clouds over the imperial capital struggled to contain the brewing tribulation lightning. The once-indulgent nobles began to waver, uncertainty creeping into their hearts.

Even the ghost kings of Dujie City stirred with unease.

All beings across the Three Realms, though unaware of the exact events unfolding, felt an instinctual premonition.

If the world's first demonic deity successfully ascended, it would mark the beginning of everyone's descent into hell.

Now that the underworld army was formed, Yue Zhiheng had to make arrangements for his family's escape.

Until the Ling Emperor sensed their actions, the Yue family couldn't flee en masse.

In the past life, Yue Zhiheng's grandfather and the rest of the family stood by him until the very end, facing death with unwavering resolve.

Even the notoriously cowardly Second Master Yue had no complaints.

But some people could be sent away—like Shihu and the others. Since the Yue Manor couldn't tell them the real reason, they had to come up with a plausible excuse.

The Second Madam personally instructed a few maidservants, "Follow the steward and learn to distinguish rouge for a few years. When you return, help me manage the shop."

It was, after all, a good opportunity. Yet as Shihu left, she looked back at Zhan Yunwei every few steps, reluctant to part.

Everything she had today—being treated with respect, having healthy parents—was all thanks to the young madam.

Zhan Yunwei waved at her with a smile. "Go on. When you return, we'll call you Steward Shi."

Only then did Shihu nod. "I'll study hard and come back to serve you properly, Young Madam."

The Yue Manor couldn't be left empty. Those who stayed behind had all resolved to stake everything on Yue Zhiheng.

At this point, even the old master didn't hide the truth from the remaining family members.

Yue Zhiheng had been waiting for the Second Madam to send away her children, but the next morning, he found Yue Wujie standing beneath a tree in the courtyard, sword in hand.

"Brother, I won't leave. I can fight on the front lines, stand till the last moment."

It should have been an inspiring, moving scene.

Instead, Yue Zhiheng lazily lifted an eyelid and said, "Get lost."

What kind of nonsense was this so early in the morning? With his measly strength, Yue Wujie couldn't even withstand half a strike from the Ling Emperor.

Yue Wujie had arrived brimming with heroic resolve, only to be sent away in utter dejection.

In the end, no one from the second branch left.

No matter how many conflicts they had in the past, in this moment, family ties proved unbreakable.

Zhan Yunwei knew she wouldn't be able to watch this dramatic scene for long. When she met Yue Zhiheng's gaze, she was already prepared.

"My turn, right? You don't have to rack your brains to drive me away—I'll leave tomorrow."

Unlike the others, she was never a bargaining chip the Ling Emperor had against Yue Zhiheng. The emperor wasn't even aware that she was in the Yue Manor.

Staying behind would only become an unnecessary burden to him. It was better to be useful elsewhere—to help the Yue family when it mattered most.

Lord Yue had been pushing himself to the limit lately; she saw no reason to make him waste energy scheming against her too.

Yue Zhiheng: "…"

If she hadn't cooperated, he might have had to persuade her, coax her, or even have his grandfather force her departure.

But she was being too cooperative.

Even Yue Wujie had been tearfully adamant about staying, yet Zhan Yunwei showed not the slightest hesitation to leave him.

Yue Zhiheng knew his own nature—his personality was stubborn and twisted. Bickering with Zhan Yunwei was only asking for trouble.

But then, his mind drifted back to that cursed dream—his daughter calling Pei Yujing "father."

Though his daughter didn't even exist, the thought alone was enough to make him laugh bitterly in frustration.

Yue Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Miss Zhan, we're about to part ways. Could you please pretend to be a little reluctant?"

"Fine." She gazed into his eyes and softly said, "Lord Yue, I've been thinking a lot lately. If I hadn't given you that talisman, if I hadn't said those words to you back then, would you have ended up on the path you're on now? All these years, I've wished to eliminate the evil, protect the people, and restore the immortal mountain. But now…"

She paused and gently caressed his face. "Among those wishes, I now also hope that you can live well and return safely." For that, she was willing to give up everything.

Yue Zhiheng's fingers trembled.

This was the first time Zhan Yunwei had told him just how important he was to her.

He had never imagined that one day, he would stand side by side with her in the peaceful world she envisioned.

Yue Zhiheng gently stroked her hair, smiling. "Both my sister and I are deeply grateful for your talisman. The thing I'm most thankful for in these years is that I picked up the axe, broke the barrier, and left the mountain without looking back."

Leaving the mountain, defying his fate, and meeting her.

Even though many years later, he endured hardships, facing the curses and misunderstandings of the world, to him, everything was worth it.

Zhan Yunwei hadn't wanted this moment to feel too sorrowful—after all, no one knew what the outcome would be. They were gambling, just as the Ling Emperor was also uncertain.

She sniffed and, trying to sound unaffected, said, "It's almost dawn. Are we going to the Moonwatching Pool today?"

Yue Zhiheng hadn't expected to hear such soft words. He took her in his arms and placed her on the bed. "Not today. Today, I'll stay with you."

The next day, the weather grew heavier. The dark clouds over the dynasty were ominous, and even in Fenhe County, the winds signaled an approaching storm.

Zhan Yunwei knew it was time to leave. Only Yue Zhiheng and Chu Qi would accompany her.

Yue Zhiheng's expression was calm as he packed her belongings into a Qiankun bag and handed it to her. Inside were the magical tools he had crafted day and night during this time, as well as all the spirit stones he had saved over the years.

Neither of them spoke any farewell words, as if they both believed there would be another meeting. Yue Zhiheng simply said, "If I return, I'll come find you."

It was Chu Qi, however, who clung to her leg and cried pitifully.

Even the spirit of the artifact understood that this was a battle where survival was uncertain. If its master survived, there might still be a chance to see Miss Zhan again.

If they didn't return, only Miss Zhan would remember them.

Yue Zhiheng placed a thumb-sized object in her hand. "I know you've always liked this, but unfortunately, there wasn't time to make it more beautiful."

It was his Qingmian Ghost Crane.

Zhan Yunwei lowered her gaze, and the first memory came to mind: the time when she fed Yue Zhiheng the demon puppet pill and first controlled the Qingmian Ghost Crane.

She had never said that she liked the majestic and murderous mount artifact, but Yue Zhiheng seemed to have understood it all.

"It's already the most beautiful."

He smiled. "Hmm."

Zhan Yunwei turned and walked into the morning light. She didn't dare to look back, afraid of feeling even the slightest reluctance.

Lord Yue had his duties, and she had hers.

Pursuing a common goal wasn't really a farewell.

She left Fenhe County, boarding a swaying boat. Inside, someone lifted the curtain and revealed a familiar face. "Zhan Yunwei."

Zhan Yunwei stepped inside and sat across from him. "Big Brother."

Zhan Shujing, now having lost his temper, just let it go. "Big Brother" it was.

"The things I asked you to bring, have you brought them?"

Zhan Shujing's expression was complicated. "What exactly is this?"

He took a sealed jade orb from his chest. The orb was dull, but a faint light flickered from within.

Months ago, Zhan Yunwei had sent him a letter, asking him to return to Changya Mountain to find an inconspicuous orb from the mountain lord's secret chamber, and to wait for her to leave Yue Manor.

Recently, Zhan Shujing had also noticed something strange with the dynasty. Even now, both the Penglai Elders and the remaining people of Changya were heading toward the dynasty.

In such an urgent moment, Zhan Yunwei had him find such an object—Zhan Shujing could not help but realize how important this item was.

Zhan Yunwei took the jade orb from his hand.

Without speaking, she tested it by dripping her blood onto the orb. The once-dusty jade began to shine more and more brightly. Eventually, a final dazzling gold light hovered within, as if something was slowly awakening.

Zhan Shujing watched in astonishment as Zhan Yunwei answered him.

"I'm not sure. It should be something that my clansmen and my mother took from me."

She had seen in the fate book that the mountain lord of Changya used this item in the forbidden grounds to awaken her.

Since it was something that belonged to her, it would certainly be useful.

Zhan Shujing's expression shifted with alarm. "What clansmen and mother? What are you trying to do? Don't do anything reckless. Come back with me, everyone's waiting for you."

Before Zhan Yunwei could respond, the sky suddenly darkened. The two exchanged a glance and then pulled back the curtain.

The boatman's face was filled with panic, muttering, "What's happening? It's broad daylight, there's no lightning, but why do I hear thunder?"

Countless dark energies erupted from the ground, and the screams of the people filled the air.

Zhan Shujing vaguely sensed something and let out a bitter laugh. "It seems like we can't leave." No wonder all the immortals were rushing toward the Spiritual Domain.

The wind howled, and the rain lashed down—an evil god was about to emerge.

In the face of the rise and fall of the three realms, no one could remain uninvolved. Zhan Yunwei had known this day would come, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly.

Yue Zhiheng looked up, staring at the palace gate before him.

When he stood here at the age of twenty for the first time, he had already known what he needed to do.

Seven years had passed. Day after day, he wore the silver-patterned dark robe, knelt before the person inside, and carried out all manner of heinous acts. The Ling Emperor had been waiting for this day, and so had he.

The palace servant, guiding Yue Zhiheng, looked at the evil aura filling the sky outside and the thunder ready to strike, his legs weakening as he could hardly walk.

Yue Zhiheng didn't look at him, instead walking toward the place where the lightning was most concentrated.

The sky rumbled, and it seemed as if the entire dynasty was about to be shattered. The Ling Emperor, holding his forehead, slowly opened his eyes.

This was the first time the Ling Emperor didn't engage in any deception or hide behind a veil.

He sat high on the throne, looking down on the person who was walking toward him from a distance.

The moment Yue Zhiheng saw him, he understood why the Ling Emperor had always avoided showing himself. The person before him looked aged, with a decaying aura that couldn't be concealed. The stench almost filled the entire hall.

His body couldn't even hold his own skin, and he appeared grotesque. The first palace servant to notice the abnormality screamed, but in the next moment, was reduced to ash. The Ling Emperor's body was like a corpse that had been preserved for too long, with sacred golden bones visible where his skin and flesh had fallen away.

This scene was both terrifying and absurdly divine. Yue Zhiheng stared for a moment before stepping into the hall.

The Ling Emperor twisted his lips, his eyes filled with a cold, assessing gaze. This was the first person brave enough to stand with him beneath the wrath of the thunder.

This heir, who had harbored malicious intent all these years… When the Ling Emperor was still the Lord of Du'e City, he had swallowed countless Demon Kings, only to later discover that this path led to the road of demonic corruption.

Low-level demons that couldn't even maintain their own natures.

What the Ling Emperor wanted wasn't that. He wanted to prove to the saintess, who had once bravely faced death and looked down on him, that it was he—someone like him—who would one day ascend to godhood.

A god who lived as long as the heavens, transcending the laws of heaven.

And the three realms they had protected, the people they had guarded, were nothing more than ants in his palm.

Thus, he suppressed the evil aura, usurped the body of the previous Ling Emperor, and continued to practice, constantly changing bodies to preserve his sanity.

He was originally the strongest spiritual cultivator of the ancient era, and his path had been smooth sailing. Over the years, the only obstacle had been the difficulty of having offspring.

Perhaps the heavens themselves feared him; spiritual cultivators had a hard time having children, and his descendants were even rarer.

While the demon kings' offspring often died before they turned sixteen, his own bloodline barely survived past the age of eight.

After all these years, the only one left alive was Yue Zhiheng.

By now, the Ling Emperor understood everything. His heir's nature was incredibly resilient—he had actually endured for seven years without the Ling Emperor noticing. But no matter what Yue Zhiheng wanted to do, it was destined to fail.

The clouds parted, and the thunder prepared to strike. Just before the first bolt of lightning descended, the Ling Emperor spoke in his old, steady voice:

"You're quite bold. I thought you would escape."

Yue Zhiheng raised his eyes, his gaze cold and calm, and smiled. "Escape?"

It's you who should escape, Ling Emperor.