There are other people here

“So what you’re saying is, you think I’m in the way here?” Jiang Ningshu turned her head to look at Su Luo.

“You said it, not me. And you’ve been getting way too casual lately. Try to maintain some dignity as the Demon Sovereign, will you?”

Su Luo shot her a glance. Her lounging posture had become increasingly careless, her long legs now fully exposed.

“You’ve already seen me at my worst. I don’t care anymore.”

Jiang Ningshu didn’t bother changing her demeanor at Su Luo’s words, instead acting like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.

“There are other people here too, you know.”

“They’re far more interested in you than me. They ignore me completely now.”

What Jiang Ningshu said was true, but in a way, this lack of attention wasn’t so bad. As the Demon Sovereign, her status was lofty, and she could never truly relax wherever she went.

“……Fine, fine. Lie there all you want.”

Su Luo gave up on the conversation and retreated to her room to focus on serious business.

Naturally, that meant writing in her diary.

[Recent events haven’t gone entirely smoothly, but everything’s finally back on track. A cause for celebration.]

[Originally, I was supposed to report my mission results to the Demon Sovereign—of course, I hadn’t found the method to restore her strength as she’d hoped. I would’ve just claimed that I’d definitely find it next time and assured her not to worry…]

[Hearing this, the Demon Sovereign would’ve been disheartened and dismissed me without so much as a word of encouragement. Yet I’d still be willing to lay down my life for her, offering up my loyal heart without hesitation.]

[Just the sight of her fills me with excitement, satisfying something deep within me.]

[But now, all that plot can be skipped. With the Demon Sovereign here and her strength restored to its first stage, why bother with forced narratives? This arrangement feels pretty good—less hassle.]

[Still, I can’t laze around for long. I still have to make an appearance in Lin Xuan’s storyline.]

[Before that, though, I’ll have to wait my turn.]

[After the defenses at the Northern Heavenly Gate were reinforced, the next step was the allied sects’ battle against the Heavenly Demon Sect.]

[The Emperor Heaven Sect had suffered losses at the hands of the Heavenly Demon Sect and was determined to retaliate. Meanwhile, the Left Envoy, driven by his own ambitions, was willing to take the risk—even if they lost, he wanted it to be a spectacular defeat.]

[Unsurprisingly, Lin Xuan was the protagonist of this arc. At the Northern Heavenly Gate, most attention was on the Mahayana-stage experts. Though Lin Xuan was outstanding, he lacked the ability to dominate the battlefield, so his performance naturally seemed weaker.]

[But that wouldn’t do. Lin Xuan was the protagonist—the spotlight had to stay on him long-term.]

[This time, Lin Xuan had reached the Nascent Soul stage, so his opponents would be the titled Heavenly Demons.]

[First, he encountered Zhao Meng, the Murderous Fist, at the Emerald Lake… And just like that, Zhao Meng was killed, his proud fist techniques no match for Lin Xuan.]

[Next was Hong Yu, the Lake Phantom. With her bewitching figure, she excelled at playing the pitiful victim, even weaving a heartbreaking backstory. Some members of the allied sects began sympathizing with her, wanting to spare her and forgive her. But Lin Xuan struck without hesitation…]

[Hong Yu instantly revealed her true nature—still the same bloodthirsty, vicious creature. Lin Xuan hadn’t misjudged her.]

[…Successfully eliminating the Lake Phantom, Hong Yu.]

[The following encounters were more of the same—just straightforward battles, kill after kill.]

[For a time, Lin Xuan even earned himself a title: the Heavenly Demon Slayer.]

[This wasn’t an easy feat. Others had faced titled Heavenly Demons before, but they either lost or let them escape. Killing one was no simple task.]

[But this logic didn’t apply to Lin Xuan. Every titled Heavenly Demon he met ended up dead.]

[This arc also served to continuously boost Lin Xuan’s combat prowess—his innate ability to grow stronger through battle.]

[And it wasn’t all uphill struggles. Lin Xuan didn’t always face impossible odds; sometimes, he got to steamroll his opponents. What was the point of growing stronger if not to enjoy crushing weaker foes? Domination had its own thrill.]

[Finally, it was my turn.]

[My part of the story took place in Ancient Flare City, built against a massive volcano that naturally housed a treasure within.]

[The incident began when a group of Heavenly Demon Sect members, fleeing pursuit, took refuge in the city. Lin Xuan and his allies soon arrived in pursuit.]

[I was among them. Before entering, I’d been beaten badly by the allied sects and was in a sorry state, forced to hide in the city to recover.]

[I’d been lying low perfectly well, but the moment I saw Lin Xuan, I couldn’t resist—I had to get my revenge.]

[Then, by chance, I stumbled upon the city’s secrets in a dark corner. Half of it was just the convoluted history of the local families (irrelevant), but the important part was the treasure hidden in the volcano—the Emberheart Pearl.]

[This pearl could drastically amplify the power of flame-based spells.]

[I learned how to obtain it and immediately set out to claim it, though the process would take time.]

[Coincidentally, the city was celebrating the Flare Festival, commemorating an ancient powerhouse’s sealing of the volcano.]

[Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xuan’s group, having never experienced northern customs before, accepted the city lord’s enthusiastic invitation to relax and enjoy the festivities for a day.]

[They were in the north—it’d be a shame not to indulge a little.]

[But of course, fun never comes without a price.]

[I mentioned the volcano, right? Yeah, it was definitely going to erupt—because I made it happen.]

[The Emberheart Pearl was inside the volcano, and triggering the eruption was the only way to retrieve it.]

[In an instant, the joyous festival turned into a disaster.]

[Lin Xuan and his allies did their best to mitigate the damage, successfully minimizing the casualties.]

[Meanwhile, I secured the Emberheart Pearl—but after centuries of being sealed away, it was tainted with sinister energy.]

[I grabbed it without hesitation. The moment I touched it, the malevolent energy invaded my body, clouding my mind—but my cultivation skyrocketed instantly.]

[This empowered state allowed me to fight Lin Xuan once again.]

[And, with zero surprises, Lin Xuan won. I was defeated… yet again.]

[Still, I survived. The aftermath wasn’t pretty—memory loss, among other side effects. Oh, and I dropped loot. The Emberheart Pearl fell out.]

[I’d absorbed all its sinister energy, leaving behind a pure, uncontaminated pearl capable of unleashing its full potential.]

[Talk about being a living filter.]

Closing the diary.

[Diary entry complete. Reward: Constitution +2, Strength +2.]

[Special ability acquired: Charging Moment]

[The longer the charge time, the greater the power. Maximum duration: one day.]

Su Luo tested it discreetly. The formula was simple: her base charged attack power plus an additional boost proportional to the charging time. The longer she charged, the stronger it became.

The one-day limit made sense—otherwise, charging for 99 days would make her unstoppable. Absolutely broken.

Still, it was undeniably a powerful skill.

But charging took too much time. Unless she prepared in advance, who would wait for her to power up?

Su Luo preferred burst skills anyway.

But it’s better than nothing.