As his words fell, several streams of demonic qi abruptly burst out of the ground and shot toward Li together.
Xia Jue's words had left Li momentarily stunned. Unable to dodge in time, she was surrounded by the streams of demonic qi in an instant.
"How did you know?"
Xia Jue smiled rather happily. "The laws of the Heavenly Dao told me."
Li seemed to think of something, and her expression shifted, but in the end, she did not continue.
She glanced at the demonic qi coiled around her. "So what do you intend to do now that you've caught me? Kill me and clear an obstacle out of Su Jiu's path?" At this, Li suddenly grew delighted.
"Come to think of it, you actually gave Su Jiu the human portion of your cultivation, didn't you...?"
"Su Jiu was already exceptionally gifted. Back in the Demon-Subduing Land, her cultivation had nearly reached the Body Integration Realm. Add yours to that, and, tsk, straight into the Tribulation Transcendence Stage..."
As Li spoke, she watched Xia Jue's expression. Sure enough, he was beginning to struggle to maintain his smile.
"And once she reaches the top of the Heaven-Connecting Tower, she'll be able to shed her mortal form and ascend directly. When that happens, seeing her again won't be so easy."
A hint of beguilement crept into Li's voice, though what she said was indeed a fact.
And precisely because it was a fact, her beguilement became all the more effective.
"Say, Xia Jue, don't you love her? Once she leaves, you'll never see her again. You'll be so miserable, left all alone in the Azure Realm.
"Keep her here. Wouldn't it be wonderful to stay together forever?"
"As long as you obediently do as I say and help me accomplish what I