Cold as Ice

Of course, Nangong Xiyun had also noticed something else—Su Luo’s strength.

The last time the two had fought seriously, they were still evenly matched.

But now, the moment they clashed, Nangong Xiyun knew she was no longer Su Luo’s equal.

However, she had already anticipated this, so it wasn’t much of a blow.

The two then began their act.

The battle shook heaven and earth as Nangong Xiyun single-handedly took on the entire New Heavenly Demon Sect.

The more they fought, the more terrified the Demon Sect members became.

Nangong Xiyun was simply too strong.

Though she had already been injured by the Demon Lord, several of their own elites had already perished in the crossfire.

At this moment, they began to waver.

The outside world was far too dangerous—perhaps it was better to retreat and cultivate in seclusion.

Yet, as they watched Su Luo fighting desperately, covered in blood...

If even the Demon Lord hadn’t given up, how could they?

Well, truth be told, there was a moment when they considered abandoning Su Luo and fleeing. But remembering his ruthlessness, they quickly dismissed the idea.

If they were to run, it would have to be after Su Luo was dead.

Under the relentless assault, Nangong Xiyun also began to appear "battered and bruised."

Of course, these were just special effects she added herself.

Many of Su Luo’s attacks looked devastating but were actually nothing of the sort.

As for the others, their threats were even less significant.

Yet, Nangong Xiyun’s performance completely deceived the Heavenly Demon Sect.

"Attack! We can do this now!"

"Hold on, Demon Lord! We’re close to victory!"

"Nangong Xiyun, you can’t win against all of us alone!"

At that moment, Su Luo shouted to them, "Use that move!"

That move—a technique embedded within the Demon God Scripture. They instantly understood.

The time had come.

They raised their hands, and in moments, dark spheres formed in their palms.

Some were large, others small—the stronger the cultivator, the more powerful and massive the sphere.

Su Luo then cast a binding spell, restraining Nangong Xiyun.

She struggled fiercely against the restraints, but as soon as she broke free, another spell ensnared her—an endless cycle.

"With the dignity of the Demon Lord at stake, I will hold you back!"

Su Luo roared, blood streaming from his seven orifices, his appearance utterly wretched.

The Heavenly Demon Sect members saw it—their Demon Lord was truly holding Nangong Xiyun at bay.

This was the leader worthy of their allegiance.

"Now!"

At Su Luo’s command, they hurled their dark spheres at Nangong Xiyun.

"Sun-Moon Devouring Spheres!"

As the spheres flew, they began merging with one another.

Small spheres became large, large ones grew colossal.

Naturally, their power multiplied.

And the fusion was flawless—no instability, no explosions.

This was the might of the Demon God Scripture’s Sun-Moon Devouring Spheres. As long as the practitioners cultivated the scripture, their spheres could merge perfectly, regardless of individual differences.

The power converged.

Countless spheres of varying sizes fused into a mere handful of gigantic orbs as they hurtled toward Nangong Xiyun.

These few were not to be underestimated.

Nangong Xiyun’s expression turned grave, but there was no avoiding them now.

BOOM!

The colossal spheres collided with her, unleashing an earth-shattering explosion.

The energies within intertwined and clashed, generating an unimaginable shockwave.

A towering pillar of light erupted into the heavens, illuminating the sky for what felt like an eternity.

Wherever the radiance touched, all things were annihilated, reduced to nothingness.

As the energy gradually dissipated and the dust settled, a lone figure remained in the air.

Nangong Xiyun now appeared somewhat disheveled, her lips pale, her demeanor frail.

Yet, her icy elegance remained untarnished.

Her gaze swept over those below.

Instantly, they sensed impending doom.

Without needing Su Luo’s orders, they knew what to do.

"Again!"

"This time, we’ll kill her!"

The dark spheres reformed.

The Sun-Moon Devouring Spheres didn’t drain all their energy at once—they could be used one more time.

But now, Nangong Xiyun no longer pressed the attack. She unleashed a powerful slash downward, but its force was lackluster, dealing only minor damage.

Clearly, she was severely injured.

Then, she vanished into the sky, "fleeing" in disarray.

Everyone was stunned—Nangong Xiyun had retreated just like that.

They wanted to pursue, but their own strength was spent. They weren’t faring much better.

Still, driving Nangong Xiyun away was a feat worth boasting about.

"She’s gone? Hah! This is our victory!"

"We survived! We actually survived!"

"Who would’ve thought? Together, we could stand against a Mahayana-stage expert. We’re not so bad after all."

Amid their jubilation, they knew it was time to leave.

After this ordeal, any thoughts of continuing their killing spree were abandoned. It was best to return and cultivate.

For the first time, they had witnessed the true might of the Demon God Scripture.

Given more time, how powerful would they become? The thought was almost frightening.

So, they suppressed their bloodlust and prepared to retreat into seclusion.

Once Su Luo led them back, he went to find Nangong Xiyun.

She lay weakly in a secluded forest, her voice frail as she called out,

"Su Luo..."

Her arms stretched out, pleading to be held, her expression pitiful.

But Su Luo didn’t move. "Enough. Those spheres barely touched you."

At this point, Nangong Xiyun was stronger than in the original plot, and Su Luo had secretly aided her in resisting the attack.

In reality, she had taken no damage at all—it was all an act.

"Reward me."

Nangong Xiyun maintained her pitiful demeanor.

She had put on quite the performance—how could she not demand compensation?

Su Luo had no choice but to oblige. After all, he was the one who had asked for her cooperation, and she hadn’t even questioned his motives. A small reward was only fair.

As Su Luo lifted her into his arms, Nangong Xiyun nestled against his shoulder, satisfied. Her fingers traced idle circles on his chest.

"Any other rewards?"

From her expression, Su Luo knew exactly what she wanted.

But lately, her demands had been... excessive. Even someone as strong as him had his limits.

Yet, saying no wasn’t an option.

"Fine, but on one condition."

"What?"

"We’ll do an 'expressionless challenge.'"

Nangong Xiyun: ?

"You have to keep a straight face the entire time."

"Eh?!" Nangong Xiyun tried to imagine it—how could anyone remain expressionless during that? "That sounds... difficult."

"Difficult?" Su Luo’s reflexes kicked in. "Then forget it."

"No." Nangong Xiyun grabbed him. "I’ll... try my best."

At first, she managed to maintain her icy composure.

Su Luo even demanded she give him a "looking at trash" expression.

Though puzzled, Nangong Xiyun complied.

Su Luo nodded in approval: Perfect.

But by the second half, she reverted to her usual self—keeping a straight face was simply impossible.

Panting heavily...