It turns out, they were the main characters.

Gong Lianyue snorted coldly: "Does she really want to help me? She's just using a dirty trick."

Despite saying this, the female sword emperor still felt somewhat conflicted.

The most difficult tribulation to overcome in the Ascension Tribulation is the tribulation of inner demons. No one can be without attachments; everyone has desires, even those who have reached the Dao Integration stage.

She thought she would encounter many obstacles in this inner demon tribulation, but... she overcame it very easily this time.

The inner demon tribulation consists of three stages, and one of the inner demons that Gong Lianyue encountered was her lifelong pursuit—to ascend to immortality.

Secondly, he wanted to experience the wonder of being born as a furnace again... preferably as Mu Zhian in his boyhood.

The third option was to bind that holy and noble fairy in the eyes of the world with a love lock, so that the Azure Emperor could watch helplessly as his 'husband' was 'bullied' by her.

Hmm... the latter two inner demons are both related to Mu Zhi'an.

In most cases, most people get lost in their inner demons, or rather, become immersed in the scenes woven by their inner demons.

Even a peerless sword emperor like Gong Lianyue was no exception.

However, she had been in seclusion in anger. Until the very last second before she went into seclusion, all she could think about was how to tie up that bitch Qingdi and make him watch helplessly as she devoured the 'cake' bit by bit.

Therefore, even when she was in seclusion, Gong Lianyue's obsession remained.

But this obsession unexpectedly became the key to breaking free from the inner demons...

Knowing full well that the Azure Emperor was using an open scheme, there was nothing she could do. After all, no matter what, the final result was that she had indeed received the Azure Emperor's help this time.

Although that cunning fairy probably just wanted to enjoy the pleasure of being a 'green man'.

Bai Ruoxi walked gracefully out of the Sword Palace against the cold wind, her long hair cascading down to her slender waist, with a faint golden sword light shimmering behind her.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned her head and saw that, without realizing it, the boy's familiar figure had come into view.

"Mulang..."

Bai Ruoxi's originally cold gaze softened slightly. After gazing at her for a moment, her eyes inadvertently drifted to Yao Meng beside her.

"The Azure Emperor is here too."

Yao Meng'e raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she were in a celestial realm. She parted her alluring red lips and said, "Palace Master, you can rest assured and undergo your tribulation today. I will protect you."

Her voice was calm, yet it was accompanied by a gentle, ethereal aura that slowly rippled outwards.

The pleasant and calm voice sounded like heavenly music to the cultivators of the Eastern Continent, but the higher the cultivator's realm, the more dangerous the words seemed.

For the ancient creatures that were already somewhat restless, this sound was like a tidal wave crashing in their hearts.

The Azure Emperor is actually going to protect the Sword Palace Master and help her ascend to immortality?!

These ancient creatures found it difficult to understand and felt that the Green Emperor had ulterior motives.

After all, she could have been invincible in the Nine Provinces, but now she's helping others and only causing herself more trouble.

The next moment, Bai Ruoxi's flawless white palace dress was gradually eroded by black patterns. Gong Lianyue slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of Yao Meng.

“You don’t need to feel grateful to me. You helped me before, and this is me repaying you for protecting me in the past. It has nothing to do with anything else.”

As if understanding Bai Lianyue's thoughts, Yao Meng smiled and spoke softly.

Gong Lianyue snorted coldly, her figure transforming into a beam of divine light that soared into the sky, as if she were in the heavens. The 108 swords outside the Sword Palace quietly dimmed, turning into nourishment for Gong Lianyue.

A golden 'sun' appeared behind her, like a celestial fire suspended in the sky.

In the Eastern Continent, countless long-sealed swords rang out in unison. Many cultivators desperately used their spiritual energy to suppress their swords from being drawn. However, the moment Gong Lianyue reached out, thousands of spiritual swords, as if possessing their own consciousness, surged toward the Sword Palace.

There is only one Sword Emperor in this world. Although she severed her own Heavenly Dao in the past, causing damage to her furnace, it was repaired under Mu Zhian's 'careful care'. She even retraced her own path and resonated with the 'new Heavenly Dao', so her strength is naturally extraordinary.

A deafening roar came from high above, seemingly about to shatter the heavens, instantly shaking the entire Eastern Continent.

Some old monsters that were sleeping opened their eyes, angrily intending to settle scores with those who had disturbed them. Then they rushed out of their secluded caves, looked up into the distance, and silently returned to their caves.

"You and Linglong stay in the Sword Palace, I will go to protect her."

After Yao Meng finished speaking, her immortal body gradually became hazy, transforming into a wisp of green light and flying into the sky.

How wonderful! The fish in the pond have learned to help each other. All my past efforts have been worthwhile... Mu Zhian looked at this harmonious scene and felt quite gratified.

Oh, it would be even better if Yao Meng and Ruoxi could be together someday...

Just then, Lin Ling gently tugged at Mu Zhi'an's sleeve and started scribbling something in her notebook.

Mu Zhian initially thought she was concerned about what she had just said to Yao Meng, but when he turned his head and glanced at her, he saw Lin Ling writing crookedly in her notebook: "How can there be chaotic energy in your body?"

"You can sense what's inside my innate furnace?" Mu Zhi'an asked in surprise, somewhat incredulously.

Lin Ling pointed to Mu Zhian's storage ring and continued writing: "The magic treasure that shields you from the innate furnace was given to you by me, and I am quite sensitive to things like magic treasures."

Mu Zhian thought to himself, "I didn't realize you, Ling'er, knew how to find treasures. No wonder you're called the 'Daughter of the Great Dao'."

Then, he took out a talisman from his storage ring. The talisman was drawn with creatures that looked like ghostly scribbles. This was a shielding magic item that Mu Zhian had obtained from Lin Ling in the past. As long as he carried it, it would be difficult for anyone to detect the innate furnace.

...Unless Mu Zhian deliberately leaked the information about the innate furnace.

"The chaotic energy was personally given to me by the Blue Clan ancestor when I went to the Blue Clan's ancestral land not long ago," Mu Zhian explained.

Lin Ling nodded with an "Aaa" sound, her clear red starry eyes shining like jewels, looking thoughtful.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking me if I have chaotic energy in my body?"

Mu Zhian looked up and gazed at her. Because the two were close, a faint floral fragrance, like morning dew, seemed to waft into his nostrils. He looked at the silver-haired beauty in front of him and smiled, "Could it be that Ling'er is also interested in the Chaos Qi?"

Lin Ling stood before the ancient gate of the Sword Palace, dressed in a white silk dress, and wrote: "She once said that if there is chaotic energy, it can suppress bad luck for a long time."

"she?"

Mu Zhian's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had realized something, and he said, "The person you're talking about is the sect leader?"

The sect leader's fortune has indeed encountered some problems, and these problems are ongoing.

If that weren't the case, Lin Ling had clearly transferred the sect leader's bad luck to herself back then, so how could the sect leader possibly be 'afflicted with bad luck' again now?

Lin Ling nodded.

"Unfortunately, my innate furnace is not yet able to refine this wisp of chaotic energy." Mu Zhi'an's tone was tinged with regret.

If a natural furnace cannot refine something, then a Dao Integration Realm expert naturally cannot refine it either; otherwise, Lan Shihuai would probably have refined it long ago.

Because, although the innate furnace is passive, when Mu Zhian is currently refining his spirit and returning to emptiness, this innate furnace is equivalent to a furnace in the Dao Integration Realm... and even seals a real Heavenly Court inside.

The Dao Integration Realm is already the pinnacle of cultivation. The Ascension Realm, which is above that, is actually the Dao Integration Realm, which is not restricted by the rules of heaven and earth.

This means that the 'Chaotic Qi' was never meant for cultivators to refine. It's just unclear why this sacred artifact from the early stage of Chaos ended up in Lan Shihuai's hands, and why he handed it over directly to him.

Unfortunately, if I could refine the chaotic energy, I could help my sect leader sister.

Mu Zhian felt a little regretful.

He deeply respected that sect leader, and his only reason for wanting to help was that he couldn't bear to see her beset by misfortune.

After all, even Consort Shang Yanfei couldn't handle this misfortune... which gives you an idea of ​​just how troublesome it must be.

"I have a way to help you refine the chaotic energy."

At this moment, Lin Ling suddenly picked up her notebook and started writing on it.

Mu Zhian asked doubtfully, "Really? I don't believe it."

"What should we do?"

Then, he quickly followed up with more questions.

However, after saying that, Lin Ling remained silent.

Throughout the entire Sword Palace, only the deafening thunder could be heard, and lightning dragons flickered in the air, enveloping the Sword Palace with an aura of destruction.

A flash of lightning illuminated the silver-haired beauty's delicate face in the dim light. She lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes obscuring her beautiful red eyes, seemingly also to conceal the faint blush on her face.

Mu Zhian asked calmly, "Could it be related to dual cultivation...?"

Lin Ling shook her head quickly.

Then, she wrote in her notebook: "The third Heavenly Qi will allow your innate furnace to refine all the rare and precious materials in the world."

Mu Zhian thought to himself, "Since you're only giving me the Qi of Heavenly Dao, why are you blushing? Why don't you just give me the third portion of the Qi of Heavenly Dao and let me refine it?"

"If that's the case, why is your face so red?"

"Or is it that my Ling'er is already craving the spiritual energy of Heaven after not being intimate for a few days?"

With a gentle smile on his face, Mu Zhian gently pulled Lin Ling's delicate body into his arms as he spoke, softly stroking her smooth silver hair.

He could clearly feel Lin Ling's body stiffen at first, and then gradually relax.

She closed her eyes slightly in Mu Zhian's warm embrace, her slender hands instinctively wrapping around his shoulders, immersing herself in the warmth of the young man.

After an unknown amount of time, she gently patted Mu Zhian's shoulder, then broke free from his embrace and handed him the small notebook she had just finished writing: "In the past, the karmic fire burned my body, and the Qi of Heaven was one of the reasons, but if you only possess one Qi of Heaven, it doesn't matter."

“When I only possess one Heavenly Dao Qi, it will also suppress some of the karmic fire for me,” she continued writing.

Mu Zhian understood. It wasn't that Lin Ling couldn't refine the Heavenly Dao Qi, but rather that she couldn't refine multiple Heavenly Dao Qi at the same time.

Even those at the Dao Integration Realm can usually only refine one Heavenly Dao Qi, let alone Lin Ling, whose physique is special and who is already troubled by karmic fire.

If she only possesses one Heavenly Dao Qi, it won't have much of an impact on her.

"If that's the case, why didn't you save the last bit of Heavenly Dao Qi?"

Lin Ling gently shook her head, then held up her notebook and wrote: "Only by handing over all three Heavenly Dao Qi to you can I truly be free in the future."

Her eyes had always been clear and bright, but as she wrote this, they became somewhat shy and evasive, and she lowered her eyes slightly, turning another page in her notebook.

"After the third Heavenly Dao Qi is given to you, the karmic fire will be more severe than before for a short period of time, but it will gradually get better until finally, the karmic fire will completely disappear."

Mu Zhian was slightly taken aback. He finally realized what was going on and hesitated before saying, "Does that mean that after I refine the third Heavenly Dao Qi, I have to keep helping you... until the Karmic Fire is completely suppressed?"

No wonder Lin Ling, who was just eating a meat bun, has such a red face now, so that's what happened...

Mu Zhian swallowed slightly and asked tentatively, "...How long will it take?"

Lin Ling stood with her long, slender legs together, her head lowered, her face buried behind her notebook, and she looked at him shyly with her moist, red, starry eyes: "I'm not sure, it will probably take a little longer than before."

She gestured a small distance with her fingers.

Well, if it only takes a little longer than before, it's not a problem...

But Yao Meng is still protecting Ruoxi and the others, and it's unknown how long it will last... Mu Zhian subconsciously looked at the white-clad woman undergoing tribulation in the distance, and Yao Meng protecting Gong Lianyue outside the formation.

He quickly collected his thoughts, looked at Lin Ling, and said, "In that case, let's wait until they finish their tribulations and return to the sect before you transfer the third Heavenly Dao Qi to me?"