Each Has Its Say

"Are you two still children? Settle down."

Yue Liuli spoke, and Mo Tianxiao was spared from being turned into a woman to please others.

"Hmph, you're biased." Su Muyao, believing Yue Liuli was making excuses for Mo Tianxiao, could only mutter discontentedly under her breath while glaring at Mo Tianxiao in warning, as if to say this wasn't over.

Seeing this, Mo Tianxiao didn't want to keep up the act with this woman and glared back without backing down.

With his Master backing him up, why should he fear a mere quasi-emperor?

"You...!"

Su Muyao saw how bold Mo Tianxiao was—daring to glare back at her—and was about to explode with anger.

But in the next second, Mo Tianxiao withdrew his gaze, his expression calm. "Master, the junior sister mentioned you had important matters to discuss with me. May I ask what they are?"

Yue Liuli set down her wine glass and looked up at Mo Tianxiao. "From today onward, you will be in charge of all affairs in the Demon Sect."

"Huh?"

Mo Tianxiao froze. "Master, isn't this a bit too soon?"

Handing him the top position in the Demon Sect so quickly—his current strength might not be up to the task.

"I won't be staying in this realm for long. This position will be yours sooner or later anyway."

"Master, are you about to ascend? How much time do we have?" Mo Tianxiao sat up straight, asking with curiosity.

"At most twenty years, boy. After we quasi-emperors ascend, the Xuanhuang Realm will face a great calamity. Don't forget to preserve the legacy of my Yaochi Heavenly Palace."

Su Muyao's voice rang out. She had become somewhat more serious now, her usual laziness dissipating as her brow furrowed slightly, seemingly wary of the so-called calamity.

A wave of pressure inexplicably settled on Mo Tianxiao. "What exactly is this so-called ascension calamity? Don't tell me it's some cliché like an ascension trap?"

Something like upper-realm cultivators being unkind, treating lower-realm cultivators as livestock—those overused plotlines.

Yue Liuli glanced at Mo Tianxiao. "I don't know much about that, nor am I clear on what the ascension calamity is. But based on the history of the Xuanhuang Realm, what you're imagining is probably close to the truth."

Although Yue Liuli was a quasi-emperor, she hadn't spent much time in the Xuanhuang Realm. She had lived for countless years in her previous life and had never heard of an ascension calamity.

"The so-called calamities are ultimately just the law of the jungle. Don't worry too much. This realm is suppressed by Heavenly Dao, and quasi-emperor is the peak of cultivation here. The calamity won't be that severe. Any calamity capable of overwhelming this realm's Heavenly Dao wouldn't bother with such a small place."

Yue Liuli's words eased Mo Tianxiao's mind a bit.

His Master had broad experience—if she said the calamity wasn't as exaggerated as imagined, then there was no need to be overly anxious.

Su Muxue's lips curled slightly. "As expected of Sister Liuli—you truly know so much."

"Young Mo, let me warn you: Sister Liuli isn't wrong, but if you let your guard down because of that, you might end up losing your life."

"The Yaochi Heavenly Palace's historical records mention a calamity that once reset the civilization of the Xuanhuang Realm, but that was the worst-case scenario. This era is a golden age, though the upper limit of cultivator strength is lower than in ancient times, so such an apocalyptic calamity shouldn't occur. Still, every calamity brings devastation to the Xuanhuang Realm. Use these twenty years to prepare well."

Mo Tianxiao fell into thought.

His Master dismissed the calamity with indifference, while Su Muyao described it as extremely dangerous. He didn't quite know whom to believe.

Forget it—he'd take it one step at a time. There were still twenty years.

Boom!!

At that moment, a burst of powerful energy erupted from the Time Tower within the Demon Sect, and Mo Tianxiao sensed it immediately.

"What's this...?"

"It seems my little disciple has broken through. I'll go take a look."

With that, Su Muyao's figure vanished.

"Senior Su's little disciple... is it Nannan?" Mo Tianxiao mused.

"Xiao Mozi."

"Huh?"

Hearing Yue Liuli call him, Mo Tianxiao turned to her. "Master, what is it?"

Yue Liuli extended her slender arm, her jade fingers gripping Mo Tianxiao's sleeve and pulling him closer. Her strength was such that he had no chance to resist.

"Master?"

Looking at her face—so close, with skin as fair as snow, seemingly ready to drip with moisture—Mo Tianxiao swallowed nervously, his tone carrying a hint of fear.

Yue Liuli tugged his sleeve down slightly, glancing at the crimson feather mark below his collarbone. A trace of red flickered in her eyes.

"Do you know who placed this mark on you?" Yue Liuli's gaze carried an odd edge.

Mo Tianxiao felt that his Master seemed different somehow, which inexplicably made his hair stand on end. His voice trembled slightly. "Master, a senior forced this mark on me. I don't know what it is, and I couldn't resist."

"That senior should be an ancestor of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan."

"Master, could you examine it for me? Is this mark harmful in any way?" Mo Tianxiao looked at his Master tentatively.

Yue Liuli stared into Mo Tianxiao's eyes for a while. Seeing no sign of deceit, she slowly released him, her tone calm. "Keep it. It won't do you any harm."

The crimson and clarity in her pupils interwove continuously. Yue Liuli said softly, "You may go now. Get used to your new role. I'll have more important matters to entrust to you later."

"Yes."

Sensing that Yue Liuli's gaze was growing increasingly unsettling—as if she wanted to devour him—Mo Tianxiao decisively fled, avoiding any unpredictable incidents.

After Mo Tianxiao left, Yue Liuli frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? You're asking yourself that? Don't you know what I want?!"

"That damned bird dares to leave her mark on Tianxiao! She's provoking me!"

A sick, frantic voice echoed within Yue Liuli's body, its tone brimming with fury, as if about to burst out, find the culprit, and tear her to pieces.

"Let me out now. I want to wash Tianxiao clean."

"Wouldn't that only hurt him?"

"Every inch of Tianxiao belongs to me. So what if I hurt him? You bastard, you separated me from you and now you're playing pure. When other women snatch Tianxiao away, you'll be crying in a corner!"

The voice inside grew more and more abusive, causing Yue Liuli's brows to knit tightly.

Come to think of it... the number of women around Xiao Mozi did seem to have increased quite a bit...

Rumble!

As Mo Tianxiao arrived at the Demon Sect's main plaza, he saw many disciples staring at the figure above the Time Tower.

"Junior Sister Nannan has broken through."

Su Muxue looked at the silhouette, feeling a mix of emotions. As her senior sister, she had only just broken through to the Saint realm not long ago, and now little Nannan had caught up.

Still, she felt no envy. Entering the Saint realm meant cultivation would slow significantly. Training at this stage was mostly about comprehension: understanding the laws of heaven and earth, grasping the Great Dao.