It turns out, they were the main characters.

No wonder the font color of 'Friend of the Villain' is so black... I never thought that even the will of this 'Empress' had descended.

If he had known that killing the man in black would draw out the queen of the demon realm, he would never have acted so soon.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." He bowed slightly and clasped his hands in greeting.

The graceful, illusory figure slowly approached, finally standing before him. She lowered her head slightly to examine him and chuckled, "I thought I had run into that woman, Shang Yanfei. I didn't expect that a mere Qi Refining Realm brat would summon a wisp of my consciousness."

Mu Zhian kept his head down, secretly pondering the name "Shang Yanfei".

The only one who can rival the strength of the Devouring Python is probably the sect leader of the Two Elements Sect.

Is Shang Yanfei the name of that sect leader?

"I wonder what brings Your Majesty here?" Mu Zhian asked calmly, though his heart was still beating faster than usual.

The woman slightly raised her eyelids and said softly, "Where is the Qi of Heaven?"

“If Your Majesty desires it, I will fetch it shortly,” Mu Zhian said sincerely.

“You’re very thoughtful… However, I’m not very interested in the Qi of Heaven.” She gently shook her head. “I have something more important to me.”

Mu Zhi'an looked up at her, only to see her lips slightly upturned as she looked down at him, whispering:

"you."

Being born as a cultivation furnace also means that when cultivating with other female cultivators, the cultivation speed of both parties will be accelerated to an indescribable degree. However, even at the level of the Devouring Python, the innate cultivation furnace is of little use.

However, occasionally indulging in the delicious spirit can be a delightful experience.

She casually changed the subject, saying, "If I remember correctly, the Liangyi Sect's sect assessment will be in less than half a month. After you join the Liangyi Sect, I will have someone contact you and report on the Liangyi Sect's intelligence every three months."

Mu Zhian was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously asked, "Why me...?"

He couldn't quite figure out what this beautiful snake woman was thinking. He had assumed that her will had descended here to avenge the man in black robes, but now it seemed that she didn't care about his life or death at all.

If that's the case, then why did she descend upon us...?

Could it be the influence of the title 'friend of villains'...? Mu Zhian thought to himself.

The alluring empress gently reached out her hand, her slender fingertips lightly stroking Mu Zhi'an's face, and said with a smile, "With your abilities, it won't be difficult for you to enter the upper echelons of the Liangyi Sect in the future."

Seeing that Mu Zhian remained silent, she gently continued to ask, "Or are you going to reject me?"

In short, I'll agree for now, and we'll consider what happens next later... Mu Zhian nodded slightly: "Since it's a request from a senior, I will naturally do my utmost to fulfill it."

The woman smiled sweetly: "I look forward to the news you bring. After entering the Liangyi Sect, I will have my subordinates secretly contact you."

Does this mean there are already demon cultivators within the Liangyi Sect? This beautiful snake woman seems to have grand ambitions... Mu Zhian watched the figure gradually disappear and silently hummed in agreement.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you,"

As that overwhelming, ocean-like will was fading away, accompanied by a delicate fragrance wafting into her nostrils, she leaned close to Mu Zhian's ear, her alluring lips slightly parted, and whispered, "I can read minds."

Mu Zhian: "..."

It wasn't until the empress disappeared into the 'cage' that Mu Zhian realized his back was covered in cold sweat.

Since awakening his memories, this is the first time he has realized just how true the saying is: when the disparity in strength reaches a certain level, no amount of conspiracy or trickery will work.

Chapter 42 Haha, there are too many villains.

The 'cage' created by Lan Mulian quietly shattered, and Mu Zhian's figure appeared in the dim cave.

Lan Mulian looked at the rather handsome young man and asked, "Where is that demon cultivator?"

“He’s dead,” Mu Zhian said.

He paused, then continued, "But he's not completely dead."

The man in black robes is dead, but after his death, the demon queen from the far north of the continent appeared.

...Even if I said that, I'm afraid no one would believe me, right?

It's astonishing that a world-renowned empress would appear in such a small place, and even ask Mu Zhian to join the Liangyi Sect to provide intelligence for the demon realm.

...If this gets out, probably no one will believe it.

Because Mu Zhian was just a minor cultivator at the Qi Refining stage.

Perhaps it really is the title of 'friend of villains' that's causing this... Mu Zhian could only console himself with this thought.

Lan Mulian frowned slightly and said softly, "What do you mean?"

She didn't understand Mu Zhian's "contradictory literature" just now. What does it mean to be dead but not completely dead?

"It means he died, but I was marked before he died. According to him, the seventh seat of the demon realm should put me on the blacklist."

When Mu Zhian got to this point, he glanced at the four large characters 'Friend of the Villain' on the interface, as well as the note next to them: "Has gained the attention of the Demon Queen."

I really don't want to be a villain... Mu Zhian sighed inwardly, looked up at Lan Mulian's bright and beautiful eyes, and said, "Senior sister, what do you think I should do in the future?"

The underlying meaning is... seeking favors from powerful figures.

Lan Mulian said softly, "If I join the Liangyi Sect in the future, it won't matter if the Seventh Seat is targeted."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "However, the sect's assessment is extremely difficult. Only a handful of people from each county can enter the Liangyi Sect. If you don't cultivate diligently, with your Qi Refining Stage 3 level, I'm afraid..."

Her unspoken message was that she hoped Mu Zhian could work harder. He clearly had good talent, but he was only a minor cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining, which was really a bit unreasonable.

Mu Zhian was slightly taken aback and asked, "Is the sect's assessment really that difficult?"

Lan Mulian nodded slightly.

Mu Zhian fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Lan Mulian couldn't help but say, "But don't be discouraged. Even if you can't enter the sect this year, you can cultivate diligently for a year and maybe pass the assessment next year."

Mu Zhian snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head gently: "It's alright, I'll be able to join the sect this year."

Lan Mulian raised her eyebrows slightly and said softly, "You have good aptitude, but it will be difficult for you to enter the sect this year."

She glanced again at Bai Ruoxi, who was also dressed in a white dress and had a pretty, delicate face, and said, "She should be fine."

“I’m fine with it too,” Mu Zhian said.

Lan Mulian glanced at Mu Zhian and slowly shook her head: "It's difficult."

Although she was one of the people in charge of this sect assessment, it was impossible for her to give Mu Zhian special treatment just because she had some relationship with him.

This is a matter of principle and cannot be changed arbitrarily.

“It’s not difficult,” Mu Zhian said again.

Before she could speak, Mu Zhian continued to explain, "The Mu family has some influence in Tianxuan City, so I was recommended to the Liangyi Sect."

Lan Mulian: "..."

Beneath the thin veil, Senior Sister Lan's usually calm eyes rippled slightly as she gave Mu Zhi'an a deep look.

Was he deliberately teasing me just now? Since he's already been recommended for admission, why ask so many questions?

"People outside are looking for you everywhere. You can handle the rest yourselves. I'll be going to Tianxuan City later." Lan Mulian changed the subject.

She was a disciple of the Liangyi Sect and it was not convenient for her to interfere in these external affairs.

Mu Zhian nodded, becoming much more serious, and said, "Thank you very much for your help this time, Senior Sister."

Lan Mulian nodded slightly, then turned and walked away gracefully.

Mu Zhi'an gazed into the distance until the figure of the beautiful Senior Sister Lan disappeared before turning his gaze back to the girl behind him and reaching out his hand: "Can you still walk?"

Bai Ruoxi gave a soft "hmm," clutching her injured shoulder, and reached out to hold Mu Zhian's hand, using his strength to barely stand up.

Her lips were slightly pale, and the girl, who already gave off a cool and delicate feeling, looked even more sickly at this moment, making people feel a little sorry for her.

"Are you really alright?" Mu Zhian asked with a hint of concern.

Bai Ruoxi gently shook her head: "It's nothing... The toxin didn't enter my body. I should be able to recover after two days of recuperation."

"That's good." Mu Zhian nodded, relieved.

Then, he glanced at the cave entrance again.

However, getting back home sooner or later might not be so easy.

The aura of Heaven vanished into thin air, and he and Bai Ruoxi also disappeared just as suddenly. Gongsun Xiong and the others weren't fools; they couldn't possibly not suspect them.

There's probably going to be a big show soon... Mu Zhian turned his head to look outside the cave entrance, his eyes filled with a thoughtful expression.

Bai Ruoxi gazed at the young man's handsome profile and suddenly asked softly, "What is your relationship with that senior sister?"

Mu Zhian snapped out of his thoughts, turned to look at Bai Ruoxi, and smiled, "Of course, Senior Sister is Senior Sister. What other relationship could we have?"

"Are you planning to join the Liangyi Sect?" Bai Ruoxi asked again.

Mu Zhian nodded matter-of-factly: "If you want better cultivation conditions, going to the Liangyi Sect is naturally the best choice. Don't you have that in mind?"

Originally, Mu Zhian joined the Liangyi Sect only to improve his cultivation, but now... he has an additional mission of betraying his master, which makes Mu Zhian feel a little heavy-hearted.

He didn't tell anyone about the Demon Queen's recent appearance, because he didn't know what kind of supernatural powers the Queen possessed, and it was best not to spread the word.

Upon hearing Mu Zhian's answer, Bai Ruoxi gently placed her slender hand on her high breasts, secretly relieved, and said softly, "I did have this plan... that's why I asked you."

Not only her, but most of the young talents in Tianxuan City will participate in the sect assessment. As Mu Zhian's maid, Wei Mengrou will probably go as well.

However, given Wei Mengrou's Refining Spirit Realm level, passing the sect's assessment shouldn't be difficult.

Thinking of this, Bai Ruoxi slightly raised her head to look at Mu Zhian. Finding that he hadn't spoken for a long time, she hesitated for half a second before she couldn't help but ask, "The man in black robes is dead. Is there anything else you're worried about?"

Mu Zhian seemed to realize something, turned to stare at Bai Ruoxi, and said, "The landlord is dead, but now that the landlord is dead, everyone has no enemies... What do you think will happen?"

Bai Ruoxi was slightly taken aback. She looked at Mu Zhian, her small mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say.

Mu Zhian grinned and said, "There will be infighting... there will be internal strife."

The real show is about to begin.

Chapter 43 Sect Assessment 3.5K

At this very moment, in the lush and verdant Dragon Head Forest, several cultivators at the Refining Spirit Realm were flying on their swords. Gongsun Xiong, dressed in a magnificent robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes scanning the forest with an extremely grim expression.

Beside him, the guest retainer of the Gongsun family also wore a long face, clearly in a very bad mood.

It's no wonder. Gongsun Xiong invited him to 'suppress bandits,' and as a guest of the Gongsun family, he naturally agreed without giving it much thought at first.