Luo Xinlan thought killing Jiang Ningshu would be a simple task. She had anticipated unexpected events, but she never imagined Jiang Ningshu would regain her strength.
It was because Jiang Ningshu had lost her power that Luo Xinlan had grown increasingly bold.
Now that Jiang Ningshu had recovered, Luo Xinlan was no match for her.
At this moment, Luo Xinlan finally recalled the terrifying strength Jiang Ningshu had once possessed as the Demon Lord.
Yet, Jiang Ningshu calmly said, "Don't panic, Xinlan. I've only recovered to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage."
Luo Xinlan, on the other hand, was at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm.
"You're not lying to me, are you?"
"I'm not lying."
Hearing this, Luo Xinlan felt a surge of confidence again.
"Hahaha, you scared me for a moment. Turns out you've only recovered a little."
Su Luo, however, was incredulous. How could Jiang Ningshu have regained her Nascent Soul-level strength? Wasn't it just a tiny bit? What had gone wrong?
But now wasn't the time to ask questions. They were about to fight.
Su Luo naturally wouldn't get involved, but leaving wasn't appropriate either. At the very least, she wanted to see the outcome, so she decided to sit back and watch the show.
"Let's fight, then," Jiang Ningshu said, flipping her hand to summon the Heavenly Demon Sword.
"Hmph, bringing out the Heavenly Demon Sword? You're just bullying me!"
"Don't worry, I can't unleash the full power of the Heavenly Demon Sword in my current state."
"Haha, do you think I'll be grateful for that? Not a chance."
Hearing Jiang Ningshu's words, Luo Xinlan felt slightly reassured. She also drew her sword. While it was far inferior to the Heavenly Demon Sword, it was still a fine blade—one that Jiang Ningshu had given her.
With an 80% chance of victory, Luo Xinlan began her assault on Jiang Ningshu. Her only goal was to kill Jiang Ningshu, and every move she made was lethal.
"If you fully recover, I'll be in trouble. I was right to act early."
Jiang Ningshu didn't respond. She simply parried Luo Xinlan's attacks, one move at a time.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Do you think you've already won? I hate how calm you look! You were so panicked when you lost your cultivation before."
Even though her cultivation was higher than Jiang Ningshu's, why was Jiang Ningshu the one handling the fight so effortlessly?
Luo Xinlan's sword strikes grew faster and more ferocious. Finally, taking advantage of her superior cultivation, she managed to slash Jiang Ningshu's arm.
The successful attack boosted Luo Xinlan's confidence, confirming that Jiang Ningshu was indeed only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
So why wait? It was time to finish Jiang Ningshu off.
Luo Xinlan poured all her strength into a relentless barrage of attacks.
Jiang Ningshu focused solely on defense, but even her defenses couldn't block everything. New wounds continued to appear.
"Why are you just defending? Do you look down on me? Just because you've recovered a bit of strength, don't get cocky!"
Jiang Ningshu's defensive stance only further enraged Luo Xinlan.
You like defending? Fine, defend all you want!
"Rain of Heavenly Needles!"
Luo Xinlan's attack was like pouring a basin of needles onto her opponent. Countless sword shadows surrounded Jiang Ningshu.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Jiang Ningshu continued to block with her sword, but as she looked at her former friend, who was now desperately trying to kill her, a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.
"I don't look down on you, Xinlan. I'm just sad. After all the years we've spent together..."
"Stop talking! It was all an act. I don't want to pretend anymore. This fight was long overdue. If it weren't for your sudden rise in strength, I would have killed you long ago."
"There's no going back now..." Jiang Ningshu murmured, as if speaking to Luo Xinlan or perhaps to herself.
"That's right. Today, you'll die by my sword."
Luo Xinlan suddenly merged the countless sword shadows into one, unleashing her most powerful strike.
"Hahaha, I did it! I killed the Demon Lord! I killed Jiang Ningshu! Hahaha!"
The sensation in her hand didn't lie. Even without looking back, Luo Xinlan knew Jiang Ningshu had been cleaved in two.
Luo Xinlan turned triumphantly to Su Luo, the only witness, and declared, "Submit, or die."
Su Luo couldn't help but laugh. "Look behind you."
Jiang Ningshu stood there, bearing only an additional wound—far from dead.
Seeing Jiang Ningshu still standing, Luo Xinlan was reminded of the past, when Jiang Ningshu would always emerge victorious no matter how dire the battle. It infuriated her.
"I'll make sure you never stand again. This ends now."
"Yes, it ends now."
For the first time, Jiang Ningshu shifted into an offensive stance.
But just that stance alone made Luo Xinlan instinctively step back.
She couldn't accept her own reaction.
What was she afraid of?
Jiang Ningshu was covered in blood, her hair disheveled. She was no threat.
"Jiang Ningshu, stop bluffing! In your current state, you deserve nothing but death. Die!"
Luo Xinlan swung her sword again, sending a multicolored wave of sword energy straight at Jiang Ningshu.
Finally, Jiang Ningshu began to counterattack.
"Heavenly Demon's Strike."
With a single, simple slash, Jiang Ningshu's sword seemed to carry the power of a demon god. Nothing could withstand it—everything shattered upon contact.
First, the sword energy crumbled, then the sword itself, and finally, Luo Xinlan's arm.
If Jiang Ningshu hadn't held back at the last moment, Luo Xinlan wouldn't have even had a corpse left.
"I curse you, Jiang Ningshu! I curse you to die a miserable death!"
"You killed me, and now you'll be alone forever. You deserve it!"
"No one will love you. You'll never find happiness!"
As Luo Xinlan felt her life slipping away, she wanted to drag Jiang Ningshu down with her, but she could do nothing. All she could do was scream curses.
Yet, the residual power of that single strike was enough to slowly end her life.
Finally, Luo Xinlan died.
Jiang Ningshu watched her until the end, saying nothing.
After a long silence, Jiang Ningshu finally spoke.
"Goodbye, Xinlan."
Then she remained motionless for a long time.
Su Luo hadn't expected this outcome either.
Whether Jiang Ningshu would kill Luo Xinlan or not—until the very last moment, Su Luo couldn't have guessed.
Their bond was deep, and it wouldn't have been surprising if the Demon Lord had spared Luo Xinlan.
But killing her in one strike was also understandable, given that Luo Xinlan had been trying to kill her.
Su Luo felt no particular emotion about Luo Xinlan's death. It was just one of the reasons Jiang Ningshu would later turn against the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Now that Luo Xinlan had tried to kill Jiang Ningshu, it was the same. Jiang Ningshu's heart must have been heavy.
As for who would win the fight, Su Luo had never doubted it. The Demon Lord's cultivation had long since reached a high level. Even if her current strength wasn't at its peak, her insight, mastery of techniques, and experience hadn't diminished.
And Luo Xinlan? Her talent had always been lacking. She had only reached the Void Refinement stage thanks to Jiang Ningshu's help. Her foundation was shaky.
Her defeat was well-deserved.
Now that the show was over, Su Luo stood up and politely excused herself. "I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave."
But then, a hand landed on her shoulder.
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
