Each of the nine dragon maidens possesses extraordinary abilities.

Lu Yueyuan turned his head, but he didn't have a chance to say the lines he had prepared. Zhong Sifu below was smiling maliciously, and Ming Huaiwei was staring blankly at them. On the viewing platform, representatives from various sects were also watching this scene.

He was prepared to resort to a desperate measure, even though it would result in significant losses for him, but he had no choice but to do so in response to the changes brought about by Ji Chengshuo.

Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune. Changes not only bring benefits to others, but also to oneself.

The changes that belong to Lu Yueyuan have begun.

The great formation suddenly shook violently, and the phantom of the Dragon God and the light of the Four Gods became blurred.

The man ignored the dragon's might and the gods and walked in, his purple clothes giving him a smart and capable look.

Lu Yueyuan's pupils contracted. This change was truly beyond his expectations. Not only him, but everyone was surprised. Not only did the people on the viewing platform stand up, but even the guardians were on high alert.

Her cultivation level wasn't that high, but no one could ignore her radiance. She stood there, with the burning sun behind her.

"He can't be the sect leader, I don't agree. Lu Yueyuan, I think you want to get beaten up. I, your aunt, am still here. Who gave you permission to overstep my bounds?" she said. Her voice was clear and loud, and everyone heard it. It sounded like the sound of a sword being drawn.

But Lu Yueyuan was thinking more deeply. He looked at the purple clothes Su Zhaoran was wearing, which he had never seen in the simulation.

"I hate purple the most. It's all flashy and ugly."

This was said by Su Zhaoran a long time ago.

But Lu Yueyuan didn't think that way at the time. He thought his aunt would look beautiful in purple clothes.

“Purple is so pretty,” he said. “Sister Su, if you could wear that, you would definitely look like a lilac. I love lilacs the most.”

Su Zhaoran pinched his ear: "What do I care if you like it or not, kid? I don't like it. If I don't like it, no one can make me wear it."

Chapter 33: I can't be a sect leader? I don't look like a sect leader?

"..." The impact of the memories was enormous. Even Lu Yueyuan, who had simulated the events many times, was stunned. He was used to seeing Su Zhaoran in various places in the simulation, but this was the first time he had seen her at this time and place. He seemed to be able to smell the fragrance of lilacs in the river of time.

"And you, Zhong Sifu, you're here. You should know that with me here, it's against etiquette for Lu Yueyuan to become the sect leader. Does your Sifu lineage even preside over such a disrespectful ceremony?" Su Zhaoran said.

The blazing sun behind her seemed to solidify further, and everyone realized that she had entered through a celestial phenomenon. Many gazes were fixed on her, and Ming Huaiwei and Wei Daidan were the first to step out.

"Lu Yueyuan, aren't you coming down?" Su Zhaoran pretended not to see them.

She faced the imposing aura of the guardian, conveying a look only Lu Yueyuan understood. In that instant, Lu Yueyuan made his choice, ignoring Ji Cheng beside him, and strode down the jade steps. He walked towards her once more.

"Sorry, Auntie, I'm about to ruin your party," Su Zhaoran said with a smile as he approached.

"Is my aunt going to become the sect leader?"

“Can’t I be one? You are my master’s grand-disciple, and I am my master’s disciple.” Su Zhaoran said matter-of-factly.

"But you are no longer a member of the Jiuyi Sect."

“Now it is.” Su Zhaoran held up a scroll. “This is the proof that my master summoned me back. All of you guardians can verify it.”

Zhong Sifu's smile had vanished. She looked at Ji Cheng on the stage, but Ji Cheng did not move. She just stared intently at Lu Yueyuan.

Su Zhaoran put away the scroll and said, "If everyone has no questions, then we can prepare for a retrial, and then you can prepare the sect leader's robes for me."

"As for the other fellow Daoists, please excuse my rudeness. Everyone, please disperse and go home to your own families." She then addressed the people on the viewing platform, laughing and joking, making it impossible to see her serious demeanor, yet the sun behind her was impossible to ignore.

"Stop right there! Where are you taking my senior brother?" Ming Huaiwei couldn't hold back any longer and jumped out.

“I’ve finally come back, of course I have to catch up with him. My lord, you only need to mind your own lineage. Do you also need to concern yourself with the sect leader’s lineage?” Su Zhaoran said.

"Little rascal, let's go!" Su Zhaoran took Lu Yueyuan's hand.

Lu Yueyuan didn't resist and walked out with him. Su Zhaoran walked beside him, her scent mingling with his memory—it was indeed the fragrance of lilacs. The main hall was eerily quiet, but Lu Yueyuan could vaguely hear the sounds of noise from the woods. Long ago, they had walked hand in hand through the woods like this.

All the glory and majesty were hidden beneath the sun.

She was still as unreasonable as ever. She grabbed his hand and threw him into the air. A beautiful white bird spread its wings and caught him steadily. Su Zhaoran leaped up and simultaneously transmitted his voice downwards.

"It's over, everyone can go home now." She laughed heartily, acting recklessly.

White birds soared high, weaving through the clouds. Su Zhaoran, hands on her hips, exhaled heavily, looking thoroughly satisfied. Lu Yueyuan sat up, looking up at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, glancing sideways.

"I didn't expect you to come back," Lu Yueyuan said honestly.

“How could I not come back? Didn’t you tell me this was your home? After that, I thought about it and realized you were right. If this is your home, then of course it’s mine.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Lu Yueyuan paused at these words. After that meeting, Lu Yueyuan awakened the system and conducted countless future simulations. Perhaps for Su Zhaoran, it was not long ago, but for Lu Yueyuan, it had been a long time, so long that he was almost numb.

"You've come back and you're already trying to take the sect leader's position from me?"

"What, you can be the sect leader but I can't?" she asked.

The white bird slowed down, almost floating in the air, with a misty sea of ​​clouds below. The two seemed to be rowing a boat on a lake, their reflections in the sky.

“You seem to have changed.” Su Zhaoran suddenly squatted down in front of him, staring straight at him. “Last time we met, you were full of righteous indignation, but now you’re all old and decrepit. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’d been possessed.” She reached out and pinched Lu Yueyuan’s cheek.

“People have to grow up eventually.” Lu Yueyuan did not object.

“Growing up doesn’t make you an elder. Look how old you look.” Su Zhaoran put her hand down.

Lu Yueyuan looked at Su Zhaoran again. Her purple clothes made her look young. Yes, she was the youngest of all the disciples of his master. Although she was a generation older than him, the two of them were not much different in age.

Su Zhaoran sat down, proudly showing off her long legs: "How is it? Pretty, right?"

“It looks great, but I remember you don’t wear purple, do you?” Lu Yueyuan admired it openly.

Su Zhaoran did not answer, but supported herself with her hands behind her back and tilted her head back slightly.

"Then let me ask you a different question. Why do you suddenly want to become the sect leader?" Lu Yueyuan asked.

“Sigh… So you’ve become old-fashioned, not cute at all, always asking these difficult questions,” Su Zhaoran said. “Actually, there aren’t that many answers. You should know me; I just act according to my heart. I wanted to leave back then, and now I want to come back, that’s all.”

Lu Yueyuan stared into her eyes: "You haven't changed."

Su Zhaoran grinned: "Does everyone become as old-fashioned as you? Then the world would be really boring. Doing whatever you want is the meaning of our cultivation."

Lu Yueyuan's heart was no longer moved. He felt that he and Su Zhaoran had become strangers, and that they were both wearing masks.

“If you don’t like me, you can try to take it from me, but of course, I won’t give it to you,” Su Zhaoran said.

"Won't you regret it?"

“I never regret anything, but what about you? Will you?” Su Zhaoran said. “So think it over, if you want to take it from me, I’m ready to fight you anytime.”

“No, I won’t fight you for it.” Lu Yueyuan shook his head. “You are my only family. You can have whatever you want.”

“Such sad words. I thought Ming Huaiwei was also your family. You two were childhood sweethearts, weren’t you?” Su Zhaoran said, “I thought you would consider my suggestion.”

"I will consider it."

Su Zhaoran said, "You're lying. You haven't considered it at all. You're using her. Don't think I can't see through you."

Lu Yueyuan remained silent, preoccupied with more complex thoughts, primarily concerning Su Zhaoran's movements. He needed to understand why Su Zhaoran had returned and who was behind her. He then displayed masterful acting skills, saying, "Wouldn't it be better if I used her?" He added, "In my heart, only you are the most important person to me."

Chapter 34: Walking with the Gods

"Your words really touched me. I didn't know you valued me so much." Su Zhaoran smiled, her eyes crinkling. "So, you like me more, right?"

“Of course.” Lu Yueyuan nodded.

“I’m very happy,” Su Zhaoran said. “Even though it’s fake, I’m still very happy.”

Lu Yueyuan's smile faded. "You haven't changed? Actually, you have. You're back, and this isn't like you at all." Lu Yueyuan said, "Tell me the truth."

In that instant, a rift formed between them, a rift that could never be reversed. They both fell silent, the wind whistling past. How could they not have grown? People always change; the only constant truth in this world is change itself. That lazy, playful boy, and that carefree girl—they were both the same, and there was no going back.

Su Zhaoran met Lu Yueyuan's eyes again, and their eyes clearly told each other that they were lying. Su Zhaoran suddenly burst into laughter and said, "I want to cry."

Lu Yueyuan remained unmoved: "Go ahead and cry, I won't laugh at you."

Su Zhaoran suddenly felt dejected. She opened her arms and said, "What about you? Do you want to cry? I'll allow you to cry in my arms."

Lu Yueyuan paused for a moment. The scent of lilacs in the air grew stronger. Her purple dress clearly outlined her slender shoulders; the narrow sleeves were tightly bound, the neckline slightly open, and a small shadow clung to her collarbone. Lu Yueyuan said, "I'm not a child anymore."

Su Zhaoran said, "You've never cried in my arms even when you were a child. I'll give you a chance, do you want it?"

"No need," Lu Yueyuan said, turning his head away.

"Don't be ungrateful. You need to understand, you're the one taking advantage of me, not the other way around." Su Zhaoran waved her hand: "Hurry up, hurry up."

“…” Lu Yueyuan didn’t look at her: “No need.”

Su Zhaoran put down her hand, pursed her lips, and leaned back with a droopy face: "Whatever. Anyway, you can't come to me to cry anymore. You've grown up and become a man. Men can't shed tears. Even if you're sad, you can only bleed. Blood is your tears. Thinking about it this way, you're quite pitiful."

"Is that so?"

“Yes, so you can go. Go wherever you want. The position of sect leader of the Nine Peaks Sect is mine now. I’m sorry for taking your opportunity.” Su Zhaoran said, “Whether you hate me or love me, it doesn’t matter. But if you still want to get along with me, you’re welcome.”

“Me too.” Lu Yueyuan’s eyes lit up with a faint golden light.

The Holy Emperor activated his power, seeing through Su Zhaoran's true nature—a perfectly normal nature, without possession, curse, or control, only a soul riddled with wounds.

"Another one who refuses to admit defeat." The Holy Emperor's voice suddenly rang out.

Lu Yueyuan asked, "Su Zhaoran, are you really going to compete with me for the position of sect leader of the Jiuyi Sect?"

Su Zhaoran smiled, tilted her head back, and did not answer.

She opened her mouth and threw out a talisman, from which Zhong Sifu's voice could be heard.

“Lord Su, please come back. We need to verify your qualifications,” Zhong Sifu said.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” she said.

The talisman turned to ashes and scattered in the air.

Lu Yueyuan is safe now; someone has shielded him from disaster, but he isn't particularly happy.

"Once I become the sect leader, you can just tell me where you want to go. Of course, you can also go and live off Ming Huaiwei; I'll protect you," Su Zhaoran said. "Before we go back, let's go catch some fish."

"it is good."

A large white bird landed on the stream at the edge of the forest. Su Zhaoran, barefoot, waded into the water and splashed around at Lu Yueyuan, laughing and joking. Lu Yueyuan moved slowly, like a wooden puppet, mechanically cooperating with Su Zhaoran.

Her purple dress was soaked through, and she hadn't caught a single fish. Su Zhaoran lay under the tree.

The large white bird lowered its head, and Lu Yueyuan, standing beside it, reached out and touched it. Large patches of dark clouds swept across the sky.

"It's going to rain, let's go back," Lu Yueyuan said.

"There won't be a chance to play anymore," Su Zhaoran said. "You'll have to play by yourself from now on."

That evening, Lu Yueyuan declined Ming Huaiwei's invitation to go for a walk and sat alone in his cave.

"Was your plan a success? At least your mark wasn't applied, and no one made things difficult for you," the Holy Emperor asked softly.

In the realm of the mind, white sand swirled in the empty room. He stood by the window, while the Holy Emperor sat on his throne, legs dangling, watching him.

“Either Su Zhaoran became a divine agent, or Ling Suxian used her,” Lu Yueyuan said.

"Soul damage could have other possibilities," the Holy Emperor warned.

“If that’s the case, it would be terrible,” Lu Yueyuan said.

"The dimension of time..." the Holy Emperor said, "Have you figured out how to deal with it?"

Lu Yueyuan's heart trembled. Boundless darkness swallowed the white sand, the earth roared and rumbled, and a faceless monster stood outside the house. It roared and howled angrily, but its emotions could not be seen from its appearance. It was a monster that destroyed everything and the master of the abyss.

“My proxy, all the glory and all the humiliation, we will share. I feel your grievances, your anger. Your shadows have transformed into beasts, and your heart is an endless abyss. It doesn’t matter. Whatever choice you make, I will accompany you. This is what we agreed on long ago,” the little girl who was the Holy Emperor said softly.

“Hmm…” Lu Yueyuan nodded, his left hand trembling so much that he had to use his right hand to hold his left wrist.

"Shared honor, shared humiliation," the Holy Emperor said.

The Holy Emperor closed her eyes, empathizing with Lu Yueyuan's feelings. Hot tears streamed down her face, and her skin turned as red as if it had been scalded.

“We will go together,” He said.

Lu Yueyuan turned to look at him and nodded.

As long as the agent does not betray the deity, the deity will always be his backer.

“Since Su Zhaoran has shielded me, I now have time to deal with Ming Huaiwei,” Lu Yueyuan said. “However, the plan has changed, and I need a reasonable excuse.”

"Now, those people from other sects haven't left yet. Are you going to make trouble out of that?" the Holy Emperor said. "The Langya Gang?"

“We made a deal with the recluse, so let’s fulfill our promise ahead of schedule,” Lu Yueyuan said. “She should be very happy.”

Having finalized the new strategy, Lu Yueyuan withdrew from the mental world and lay down on the bed.

He suddenly felt sleepy, even though he hadn't had a good night's sleep since the simulated future began. His mind kept replaying things from long ago, but then he'd drift back to the simulated future, to all sorts of images of Su Zhaoran.