Meanwhile, somewhere in Evil Soul Forest.
A man and a woman stood side by side, watching the contents of the Sky Curtain with very different expressions.
"..."
After a long while, Long Xiaoyao glanced at the woman beside him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but had no idea how to begin.
Though the woman looked middle-aged, she still couldn't hide her charm.
Her curvaceous figure, fair skin, and the seductive air that unconsciously lingered between her brows made it clear that she must have been a stunning beauty in her youth.
It was no wonder she had bewitched two peerless men like Long Xiaoyao and Mu En.
"Don't say anything. This was your own choice."
Ye Xishui looked at Long Xiaoyao with a complicated expression and shook her head. "You've never owed me anything."
Ye Xishui's feelings for Long Xiaoyao were complicated and deep.
She loved Long Xiaoyao, but her identity had forced her to make a painful choice.
She had also once exploited Long Xiaoyao's trust to engineer the misunderstanding that plunged Mu En and Long Xiaoyao into unbearable conflict.
By the time they met again, Ye Xishui had already escaped her master's control. Yet because she was the Cult Master of the Holy Spirit Cult and the Evil Soul Masters' queen, she didn't dare be with him.
In the end, weary of living, Ye Xishui had deliberately fallen into Xu Tianran's trap.
She had hoped to find a place she could call home, and to test Long Xiaoyao's feelings for her.
But Ye Xishui hadn't expected that Long Xiaoyao had already been injured. The trap only made his injuries worse, and his life had reached its end.
During the last moments of his life, Ye Xishui told Long Xiaoyao everything, allowing them both to find redemption.
"Xishui..."
Before Long Xiaoyao could finish, a hint of killing intent rose in Ye Xishui's eyes. "You have your own choices. I have my own path to walk."
Ye Xishui's feelings toward the Holy Spirit Cult, the cause of the tragedy that had defined her life, were just as conflicted.
She both resented and hated the Holy Spirit Cult, yet also felt responsible for it.
Otherwise, when Zhongli Wu seized power, Ye Xishui wouldn't have chosen to turn a blind eye.
But one thing was certain: the Holy Spirit Cult could not be destroyed—not while she was still alive.
What happened after her death was none of her concern.
Meanwhile, on the road from the Star Luo Empire to Shrek Academy.
Azure Luan Douluo, flying at tremendous speed with Cyan Flame wrapped around him, saw the scene and his expression suddenly changed.
His greatest fear had come true.
Ye Xishui was indeed alive—and she was an Evil Soul Master.
What was more, even the long-vanished Dragon Emperor Douluo, Long Xiaoyao, had close ties to the Holy Spirit Cult.
It was true that Long Xiaoyao would eventually join their side, the Star Luo Empire.
But no one knew what he was thinking now.
"If the Sun Moon Empire joins forces with the Holy Spirit Cult, the Star Luo Empire's current strength won't be enough to protect that young fellow."
"Knowing Mu En, he should agree to form an alliance with our Star Luo Empire."
Azure Luan Douluo's gaze flickered as he flew even faster. "But this involves Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao, and that person in the sky. I hope everything goes smoothly!"
The scene shifted rapidly.
An empty hall came into view.
A figure clad in imperial robes stood there.
His features were cool and reserved. His eyes were calm yet profound, like a vast starry sky, inspiring fear at a single glance.
Yet every so often, his gaze revealed an air of disdain for all beneath the heavens.
Simply standing there, he made people afraid to look directly at him.
Every gesture displayed the dignity of an emperor.
"That big brother is so handsome!" Meng Hongchen gazed at him dreamily.
"He is handsome, sure, but is it really necessary to go this far?"
Xiao Hongchen looked utterly speechless.
For the first time, he truly understood just how lovestruck his little sister was.
"None of your business!" Meng Hongchen glared fiercely at Xiao Hongchen.
Just then, a streak of blue light rushed toward them.
The sight immediately drew the attention of many people.
Judging by its layout, this hall was clearly the bedroom of Gu Tian, the new Star Luo Emperor.
Anyone who could come here must have been very close to him.
The Star Luo Empire's Venerables all looked up, staring intently at the scene on the Sky Curtain.
"Do you think that might be Princess Jiujiu?" Giant Hammer Douluo asked with a gossipy grin.
"Probably not."
Star Cloud Douluo shook his head at once. "Jiujiu isn't the sort to act recklessly, and the energy surrounding that figure should be ice-attribute Soul Power."
The Star Luo Imperial Palace—or indeed, the imperial palace of any empire—had an unwritten rule.
Unless there were special circumstances, flying high above the palace was forbidden.
Xu Jiujiu was a refined and well-mannered member of the royal family. She would never commit such a breach of etiquette.
So Star Cloud Douluo, who had spent years around Xu Jiujiu, only needed one look to determine that the person in the scene couldn't possibly be her.
With everyone watching,
a young woman in blue flew over.
Her features were like a painting, her beauty breathtaking, and her loveliness beyond compare.
Her long, straight silver hair was gathered on the right side into a ponytail, gleaming with a faint luster.
She looked lively and adorable, as if she had been blessed with all the world's spirit.
In the Sun Moon Empire's capital, at Jing Hongchen's residence.
Seeing herself, grown several times larger, on the Sky Curtain, Meng Hongchen froze on the spot.
She hadn't expected to appear on the Sky Curtain too.
"Why does that person look so familiar?"
Beside her, Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow and lowered his head, deep in thought.
"You brat, that's what your little sister will look like when she grows up, of course she looks familiar!"
Jing Hongchen smacked Xiao Hongchen on the back of the head and scolded him.
At that, Xiao Hongchen's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That beauty in the sky is A Meng? How could—"
Before Xiao Hongchen could finish, a voice as cold as ice suddenly reached his ears.
"Xiao Hongchen, what do you mean? Are you saying I'm not beautiful?"
Xiao Hongchen shivered and instinctively ducked behind his grandfather, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Of course you're a great beauty! Don't lose your temper over every little thing."
"That's how you get wrinkles. Be careful you can't find a man later, and end up embarrassing your big brother!"
Meng Hongchen's expression turned even colder.
"Xiao Hongchen, I'll make you pay!"
She could no longer hold back her embarrassment and anger. With a sharp cry, she clenched her little fists and chased after Xiao Hongchen.
Watching the two siblings squabble so affectionately, Jing Hongchen smiled faintly.
After his son and daughter-in-law had died in battle, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were the only family he had left.
The two siblings meant more to Jing Hongchen than even the Sun Moon Empire he served.
"I hope I'm just overthinking things."
Jing Hongchen looked away and gazed up at the Sky Curtain overhead. An ominous feeling welled up in his heart.
Judging by what the Sky Curtain had shown so far, the Sun Moon Empire should already have been destroyed, along with the Heaven Dou Empire and the Dou Ling Empire.
In light of that, the meaning of his granddaughter appearing there was far from ordinary.
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