Chapter 67: The Blackened Xu Tiannan

Changing Ji Yingying, who lacks human emotions, is not just because of Juzi's innate kindness and enthusiasm, but also because of the promise she made with Lu Jingming. Lu Jingming once said that if she could change Ji Yingying—make this girl, who was like a killing machine, regain her emotions and rediscover the warmth of being human—he wouldn't mind helping Juzi take her revenge.

Even without this promise, Juzi genuinely wanted to change Ji Yingying from the bottom of her heart.

In her eyes, Ji Yingying shouldn't just be a tool manipulated by fate and used for killing, but a living, breathing, feeling person.

After all, Ji Yingying had once saved her life. If not for Ji Yingying, when she encountered those vicious bandits back then, Juzi couldn't imagine what a tragic end she would have met.

"What exactly happened to you recently? Your vital signs almost disappeared. If the Linghuai Pearl hadn't activated, the Wuchang Division would have likely pronounced you dead." Ji Yingying's voice was still cold, but in her words, there was an unconsciously hidden trace of concern, even if she herself didn't notice.

Over the past few years, Ji Yingying had been by Lu Jingming's side and frequently interacted with Juzi.

Subtly, even she hadn't realized it, but although she still acted decisively and ruthlessly, compared to before, she had become far less cold and cruel.

Lu Jingming had repeatedly warned her to treat the White Wuchang and Black Wuchang of the Wuchang Division as comrades-in-arms, not as tools or killing machines to be used at will.

If a mission failed, punishment according to the rules was fine, but lives should not be taken lightly. As long as no fundamental principle was violated, one should not easily take a comrade's life.

After all, White Wuchang and Black Wuchang were fusion warriors that Lu Jingming had painstakingly cultivated with immense resources—they were valuable assets to him.

No one would casually waste their own assets; not even the richest person can afford such waste.

Given Ji Yingying's originally cold and heartless nature, Lu Jingming truly worried she might act recklessly and kill indiscriminately.

Fortunately, Ji Yingying always obeyed Lu Jingming. To this day, she had never hurt anyone from the Wuchang Division without reason.

Ji Yingying disliked interacting much with people like Changli, keeping to herself most of the time and only appearing when summoned by Lu Jingming.

Lu Jingming had always hoped to change her reclusive ways, but the girl was simply too cold. She never fit in with people like Zhang Lexuan or Keqing, never able to truly blend in.

Only Juzi, because of the life-saving grace from years ago, always harbored goodwill and warmth toward Ji Yingying.

That's why, when facing Ji Yingying, Juzi was always enthusiastic, never minding Ji Yingying's cold and distant attitude.

When the recent incident was mentioned, a trace of lingering fear flashed in Juzi's eyes, and her expression grew solemn.

Back then, she truly walked the line between life and death—she had almost died.

"A while ago, Crown Prince Xu Tiannan was assassinated. The situation was critical, the assassin's attack was fierce. I risked my life to block a fatal blow for him and was gravely injured. If he hadn't used rare treasures from the imperial treasury to heal me, I would have died."

Juzi slowly recounted the harrowing assassination attempt to Ji Yingying in full detail.

Through Juzi's words, Ji Yingying learned about the major event that had taken place in Radiant City: it all started with one of Xu Tiannan's brothers, who coveted the crown prince's title and secretly hired a top assassin to kill him.

If Juzi hadn't risked her life to shield Xu Tiannan from the fatal attack, he would have surely died.

Even so, Xu Tiannan was badly wounded—paralyzed from the waist down, losing normal bodily functions, becoming disabled.

After this, Xu Tiannan underwent a drastic change, plunging into a frenzy of revenge. He ordered the brother who tried to assassinate him to be executed by slow dismemberment—a method so cruel and bloody that it sent chills down people's spines.

This madness and brutality not only shocked the entire court but also won him the recognition and support of some radical factions.

Even the Holy Spirit Sect looked at Xu Tiannan with new respect; the Grand Priestess Ye Xishui personally adopted him as her foster son.

Thus, despite being disabled, Xu Tiannan retained his position as crown prince.

Because of this incident, Juzi, who had risked her life to save him, wholly gained Xu Tiannan's absolute trust.

She had now become his most trusted confidant, holding a position no one else could rival.

However, this assassination attempt not only changed Xu Tiannan's fate, it completely reshaped his character.

The once gentle, courteous, and warm crown prince was gone, replaced by someone sullen, full of hatred, and crazed for revenge.

As a witness to all this, Juzi had seen Xu Tiannan's transformation firsthand.

Now, faced with the changed crown prince, Juzi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of fear.

Because the current Xu Tiannan's methods were just too ruthless and cruel—they made one shudder.

Even his former staunch supporters would meet a miserable end if they angered him.

Juzi had personally seen a once-valued minister, who, after voicing dissatisfaction with Xu Tiannan's harshness, died a tragic death.

"I understand. This is from Xiao Ming—he asked me to give it to you. The energy inside is enough to support your cultivation to the Soul Sage level. Even though you have the Linghuai Pearl, it's always good to have more power for self-preservation."

Ji Yingying nodded slightly, then took out a mysterious, glowing purple collapse crystal from her bosom and handed it to Juzi.

Juzi instinctively reached out, and as soon as she took the crystal, a vast and pure energy surged into her body from her fingertips, making her shudder with surprise.

With her lips slightly parted, she asked in confusion, "But this is the simulated universe… Can I take it out with me?"

"Yes." Ji Yingying, ever sparing with words, replied simply, not bothering to explain further.

The simulated universe was indeed illusory, but Lu Jingming's Authority of Reality had the ability to turn the virtual into the real.

Through Herta's research, they had found a way to inject real power into the simulated universe.

With this power, the simulated universe could serve as a transit station, allowing objects to transfer between different spaces.