Allow Me to Introduce: Nangong Xiyun

Thud, thud, thud.

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed.

Yun stepped forward, sword in hand, having shattered the formation Su Luo had set up with a single strike.

Su Luo stared at Yun in disbelief. Though he had witnessed countless scenes before, this was one he had never imagined.

Yun walked past Su Luo and stood before him. "Let me handle it from here," she said.

The East Extreme Demon Lord threw another punch, sending several demonic energy projectiles flying—testing the waters.

Yet Yun effortlessly sliced through every attack with her sword.

"Who are you?!" the East Extreme Demon Lord roared.

But Yun turned to face Su Luo instead. "This might be a bit late, but let me introduce myself properly—Nangong Xiyun."

Su Luo's face twisted in confusion. How could this be?

He couldn’t accept it. For the longest time, he had believed everything was under his control.

How could Yun be Nangong Xiyun?

Nangong Xiyun wore a faintly apologetic expression before turning back to the East Extreme Demon Lord. Regardless of the circumstances, eliminating him took priority now.

"Nangong Xiyun… I know you." Hearing her name, the East Extreme Demon Lord immediately considered retreat.

At the first sign of trouble, the Heavenly Demon Sect was quick to flee.

Nangong Xiyun had no interest in conversation.

Right now, her mood was far from pleasant.

Had Su Luo truly resorted to a life-draining technique earlier, it would have broken her heart.

Knowing the Heavenly Demon Sect’s penchant for escape, Nangong Xiyun left no openings. She activated her Sword Domain, countless blades materializing to seal the surrounding space.

This was one of the abilities she had attained upon reaching the Great Ascension realm—using her sword to lock down an area.

The East Extreme Demon Lord’s expression darkened. Just a few exchanges had given him a rough grasp of Nangong Xiyun’s strength.

At his peak, he might have stood a chance, but Su Luo had already worn him down considerably.

He racked his brain for a way out of this dead end.

Yet Nangong Xiyun’s sword strikes forced him to remain on the defensive. The slightest lapse in focus meant death.

Her swordplay was nothing like Su Luo’s—every slash carried the weight of annihilation.

Su Luo watched their battle, finally accepting that Yun was indeed Nangong Xiyun.

That swordsmanship left no room for doubt.

How absurd.

Little Yu approached Su Luo, concern in her eyes.

Su Luo asked, "Little Yu, what do you think?"

"I… I don’t know either." Little Yu hadn’t expected Yun to be Nangong Xiyun, but even so, she saw no issue with it.

From her perspective, Nangong Xiyun had always been decent—at least during their time in the Seven Stars Sword Sect.

The East Extreme Demon Lord fought desperately, but the more he struggled, the more he faltered.

Even after burning his life force for a burst of power, his earlier battle with Su Luo had taken too much out of him.

Now, facing an opponent of equal—if not greater—strength, the odds were stacked against him.

Worst of all, escape seemed impossible. He even contemplated self-destruction.

But having narrowly escaped death before, he hesitated to take that final step.

"Don’t bother. You won’t escape." Nangong Xiyun’s blade widened one of his wounds.

The East Extreme Demon Lord ignored the injury, counterattacking wildly. His life-burning technique had a time limit.

"You think you’ve already won? And stop talking like him—acting so sure of victory! I’m not weak!"

Su Luo was one thing, but now you’re looking down on me too?!

Gritting his teeth, he burned more of his life force, but the gains were minimal this time.

Even such desperate measures had their limits.

Su Luo observed Nangong Xiyun. Without a doubt, she was far stronger than she should have been at this point in the story.

How had things spiraled so far out of his expectations? Where had he gone wrong?

Wait—had Yun been replaced at some point?

Su Luo couldn’t help but entertain the thought. The idea that Yun had been Nangong Xiyun from the start was too much to swallow.

And why would Nangong Xiyun hide by his side?

Su Luo stared at her, utterly lost.

But one answer became clear—the East Extreme Demon Lord was about to die.

Nangong Xiyun’s sword gleamed with radiant light.

For a long time now, her fighting style had been deceptively simple. A single swing carried devastating force, and only on rare occasions did she employ flashy techniques.

One slash.

The East Extreme Demon Lord’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at his ruined left arm, despair and fury twisting his expression.

Clenching his teeth, he raised his trembling right arm, gathering every ounce of power for a final strike.

But just as his fist neared its target—

A sickening crack.

His right arm was gone too.

Without hesitation, he turned to flee.

Yet within the Sword Domain, there was nowhere to run.

He kicked at the barrier, but his demonic energy was too depleted to break through.

Nangong Xiyun raised her sword, and the countless blades within the domain aligned with her will—all pointing at the East Extreme Demon Lord.

"No! I won’t die! I am the East Extreme Demon Lord, one of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s Four Great Demons!"

His roar fell on deaf ears.

The swords pierced through him.

Nangong Xiyun gathered her strength and delivered the final blow, erasing the East Extreme Demon Lord from existence.

Not a single fragment remained—no chance of survival.

The East Extreme Demon Lord was dead.

Nangong Xiyun’s power was terrifying. Though newly ascended to the Great Ascension realm, her foundation made her superior to peers of the same level.

Even while playing the role of Yun, she had never stopped refining her strength, occasionally drawing inspiration from Su Luo’s methods.

She had always been formidable.

Su Luo knew this better than anyone.

With the battle over, Nangong Xiyun approached Su Luo.

Silence stretched between them.

Little Yu lingered nearby, sensing the tension.

Finally, Su Luo spoke. "When did this start?"

"From the very beginning. Yun was me, and I am Nangong Xiyun."

"Why deceive me?"

"I…"

Nangong Xiyun struggled to explain. No matter what she said, Su Luo wouldn’t believe her.

Because he had no idea she had been watching him long before this.

Just then, the labyrinth trembled—on the verge of collapse.

Nangong Xiyun grabbed Su Luo and Little Yu.

Su Luo instinctively seized her wrist. In his mind, Nangong Xiyun was still his enemy.

But he quickly released her. If she had wanted to harm him, she’d had countless opportunities before—even moments ago.

In a low voice, Nangong Xiyun said, "I’ll get you out."

Su Luo fell silent.

How was he supposed to face her?

The subordinate he had trusted all along… was Nangong Xiyun.

This was something he had never dared imagine.

Nangong Xiyun faced the same dilemma. Though she had mentally prepared herself, considering various ways to handle it—playing dumb, brushing it off with a lighthearted joke...

Yet when the moment truly arrived, she found herself at a loss.