Each of the nine dragon maidens possesses extraordinary abilities.

Jiuyi Sect, Suxian Palace, Main Hall.

The door opened, and the shadowy figures accompanied the guardians to their respective seats. Ling Suxian sat high on the throne in the center. Despite being blind, she remained dignified and beautiful. She was the only guardian whose true form was present. As the eldest among the dragon maidens, she had the right to convene a private meeting limited to the dragon maidens.

Apart from Ming Huaiwei, whose fate was unknown, everyone else was present. Everyone had to give Ling Suxian some face, except for Ji Cheng, whose dissatisfaction was written all over his face. Even though Ling Suxian kept giving her benefits, the frequent transfers of her had delayed her preparations for her big plan.

“Sisters, I’ve called you here today because of the major events that have happened these past few days. As you all know, our youngest sister has gone missing, and with her, our connection to her bloodline has also disappeared. And our second youngest sister has been attacked by the Heavenly Venerable’s proxy. I can see both of these events as provocations against us, the guardians of our lineage,” Ling Suxian said. She played a few notes in the air, and the menacing sound of her zither made the air solemn.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, survival of the fittest. Someone activated the artifact left behind by the Holy Emperor and dealt with Ming Huaiwei. That person is most likely Lu Yueyuan. Although Su Zhaoran used some ridiculous reasons to portray him as a victim, anyone with a brain knows it’s him. We just don’t know what methods he used. Of course, I don’t care. Whether Ming Huaiwei lives or dies is her fate, and I don’t want to waste time on this kind of thing,” Ji Cheng said coldly.

“It can’t be Lu Yueyuan, he doesn’t have that kind of ability,” said the avatar of Mo Zhiyan.

"Oh? Seventh Sister, you know him very well?" Ji Cheng suddenly stared at her, like a tiger poised to pounce.

"...I just feel that he doesn't have that ability. We all know why the Four Gods' Agents chose him to be the sect leader. In the sect leader lineage, only he and Su Zhaoran are left, and one of them is rebellious and the other is cowardly," said the avatar of Mo Zhiyan.

"Ha, the rebellious and the cowardly survive to the end, what a fucking irony," Ji Cheng said with a sneer, seemingly unaware of what was causing her anger.

"Second sister, why are you so emotional? Has Lu Yueyuan offended you?" Mo Zhiyan asked in disguise.

"Haha, do you think an ant could offend you?" Ji Cheng said. "I'm just surprised that you would speak up for him. Have you been bribed by Su Zhaoran? Su Zhaoran is a despicable woman. Even an idiot knows she likes her junior apprentice. If you've been bribed by someone like that, then you're despicable too."

Mo Zhiyan's avatar said, "I am not speaking for Lu Yueyuan. I am just stating my opinion objectively. Moreover, I strongly agree with his killing of the Heavenly Venerable's agent because he did not abide by the rules of the Nine Peaks Sect and harmed our sister."

"One minute you're calling him a piece of trash, the next you're approving of him killing the Heavenly Venerable's proxy. Can a piece of trash kill the Heavenly Venerable's proxy? Your protection is as ugly and laughable as your clothes." Ji Cheng started making personal attacks. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Whenever it came to anything related to Lu Yueyuan, she would become extremely irritable and angry. She didn't want to get involved at all, but Ling Suxian kept pulling her into the game with bargaining chips she couldn't refuse.

“Perhaps so. I’ve protected many people, besides Lu Yueyuan, now there’s Qing Zaishan, and of course, there was you before, Second Sister,” Mo Zhiyan said.

"Tsk, then thank you." Ji Cheng said, and then stopped talking.

This is indeed true. Although Mo Zhiyan is aloof, she does value the bond between the guardians. In other words, she is a super hypocrite. She strictly enforces the rules when others break them, but she turns a blind eye when it comes to the guardians.

"Has the topic gone off track? It sounds like you two are arguing over a man," Shi Bingxin said slowly.

Mo Zhiyan remained silent. In truth, Lu Yueyuan's image had become incredibly complex within her. She had accessed Su Zhaoran's memories, and in Su Zhaoran's perspective, in countless simulations, Lu Yueyuan was cold, terrifying, and struggling in the abyss. But in her own memories, was he the boy who had mistakenly entered her territory, or the devoted man who, for Su Zhaoran's sake, knelt before her, begging her not to issue a kill order?

She had actually been observing him for a long time. With Su Zhaoran's memories, she became even more curious, and protecting him became a natural thing to do.

"Well, anyway, the Heavenly Venerable's proxy is dead, and Eighth Sister is fine. We'll all have to separate and live our own lives sooner or later, won't we?" Zhong Sifu's avatar said with a smile.

"You're quite carefree. Be careful, after Ming Huaiwei, you might be next," said the incarnation of Wei Daidan.

"Oh my god, I'm so scared! But Third Sister, your true form isn't in the Nine Peaks Sect. Have you already gone back to continue your grand plan? Hmph, you're even more dedicated than us. Which side are you planning to take? Surely not the Heavenly Venerable's proxy? Actually, among the Four Gods, Great Virtue True Lord is more suitable for you, Third Sister, since you're very afraid of danger." Zhong Sifu's avatar laughed.

"I can make you scared too, believe it or not?" Wei Daidan avatar gave her a cold look.

"Oh dear, I was wrong. Third Sister, please forgive me." Zhong Sifu shrugged indifferently.

"Do you have a horse? We're all horseless." Wei Daidan continued his attack, even resorting to sweeping generalizations.

"That's so mean, Third Sister! Your words are really hurting us younger sisters."

*Thud!* The menacing sound of the zither echoed again, and everyone fell silent. Ling Suxian smiled slightly and said, "Our youngest sister, Ming Huaiwei, is not dead. I have seen her fate; she is safe and sound. She has not contacted us, which was her own choice. Since that is the case, we must respect her choice. Zaishan, how are you? The betrayal by the Heavenly Venerable's agent must have caused you pain. I heard you are in Youzhou now. Are you alright? Is your seventh sister protecting you well?"

"I want to sleep... It's nap time now," Qing Zaishan said weakly.

“Zai Shan, my dear sister, the power of your lineage has always been a mystery. I sincerely hope that you can be safe and happy, but I have seen your fate. You have stood on the opposite side of us. Did your sisters do something to upset you? The ancient bell above Youzhou, you can deceive others, but you can't deceive me. The fate of that ancient bell is closely linked to you. Everyone thinks it is an ancient treasure, but I know that it is your doing. The aura of power it emits is your power.”

"Your power has already been activated. The version of you we remember is different from each other. Heh... Power is something that, if you don't see through its essence, will always come up with new tricks. Your power is 'history,' history, history. So what is the essence of your power? It's truly intriguing. Do you see it clearly? Do you see it more clearly than I do about my fate?"

"Enough!" Shi Bingxin suddenly shouted and slowly stood up.

Buzz!

Something bounced back in the air.

The atmosphere grew tense and heavy. Now everyone understood that Ling Suxian had orchestrated a trap, her target being Qing Zaiqian. In that instant, she had used destiny, and Shi Bingxin had taken all the blame for Qing Zaiqian, retaliating tenfold. At this moment, Ji Chengshuo and Zhong Sifu's avatars rose to their feet, but they sided with Ling Suxian. The camps were now divided.

“Although I hate this woman who likes to play with fate, Qing Zai Shan, you seem to be no simple character either.” Ji Cheng said, glaring fiercely at Qing Zai Shan. “You have more underhanded tricks than we thought. A long time ago… no, when you first inherited the Zai Shan lineage, you activated your power. Although we don’t know what your power is, it is clear that you left us with a different impression.”

"Not only that," Zhong Sifu said with a smile. "My subordinates have also gathered some interesting intelligence, such as about Yan Qianjie. Haha, that's a truly arrogant and foolish man, always collecting things in various places. Among his collection, I saw something interesting—a contract stone. It clearly states that you've already sided with the Heavenly Venerable. So I'm wondering, since you've already joined the Heavenly Venerable, why is Yan Qianjie so eager to attack you? He could just wait patiently for you to finish absorbing the earth veins. Why go through all this trouble?"

"I'm afraid it's because Yan Qianjie discovered some kind of truth, and he had to act before it was too late," Ji Cheng said with a sneer. "But I didn't expect that guy to be such a waste. Not only did he fail to kill Qing Zaishan, he also died at the hands of another waste. Hey, Mo Zhiyan, I advise you to stay away from her. Right now, you're the one in the most danger."

"Is what they said true?" Mo Zhiyan's avatar looked at Qing Zaishan's avatar.

"It's time for my afternoon nap," Qing Zaishan's avatar whispered.

“Zai Shan, that’s fine, but only honest children can take a nap.” Ling Suxian smiled slightly and gently pointed her finger at Qing Zai Shan’s avatar. “Now, the torrent of fate has locked onto you.”

"I want to take a nap, I want to take a nap!" Qing Zaishan suddenly burst into tears. "You won't let me take a nap, you're all bad people, Turtle, save me!"

"I said stop!" Shi Bingxin, who had been slow and deliberate, suddenly burst out.

Three powers collided: fate, constancy, and history... Space coalesced into a purple vortex, as if the world had encountered a bug and was now forced to stop operating. Wei Daidan keenly sensed something was wrong, his avatar dissipated, and he fled. Except for the fifth guardian, who sat there dumbfounded, everyone else stood up. What was initially thought to be a secret meeting among the guardians had unexpectedly turned into a sisterly slaughter.

"Big sister, isn't there a misunderstanding about all of this?!" Mo Zhiyan tried to stop it.

"Idiot, instead of wasting your time watching the show, why don't you get your real body moving and grab Qing Zaishan's real body first!" Ji Cheng said angrily.

The purple color expanded, and all the incarnations of everyone vanished into thin air.

Youzhou, deep within the earth's veins.

Mo Zhiyan suddenly opened his eyes. A strange bell rang out from above. Then, the sound of many people running could be heard from the passageway outside.

Mo Zhiyan walked out barefoot, wanting to see what his disciples were up to.

"I want to take a nap! I want to take a nap!" The disciples scattered and fled, their eyes unfocused, muttering incoherent nonsense. Mo Zhiyan caught one of them and examined his soul. He found that the disciple only knew how to laugh foolishly, his soul as clean as a blank sheet of paper, even his memories were blank.

What on earth was going on? Mo Zhiyan broke out in a cold sweat as rules appeared out of thin air, turning the entire underground area into her domain.

The new rule is: [Everyone, return to normal.]

It still didn't work; everyone remained as idiotic as ever. Mo Zhiyan was completely baffled. She had already written down the rules, so why were they still behaving this way?

All the rules were in flux, meaning the current situation conformed to her rules. Mo Zhiyan refused to believe it and fully unleashed her powers, only to discover that another power was permeating the underground.

No, not just underground, but the entire Youzhou, the entire world!

For the first time, Mo Zhiyan felt so unfamiliar with himself.

She felt half of her soul being tainted by darkness. What exactly was that thing, and what was the essence of that power? Mo Zhiyan never understood when she had been affected. She valued her life highly and checked herself every day. There were also many rules within the system to protect her.

A tiger's roar echoed through the earth's veins, and the phantom of a tiger with dragon whiskers appeared behind Mo Zhiyan as she charged toward Qing Zaishan's palace.

With a bang, she smashed the roof of the main hall and entered the room inside, where she found Qing Zaishan sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Someone was standing in the shadows.

Mo Zhiyan turned his head and saw the maid standing there quietly, looking tenderly at the sleeping Qing Zai Shan. She showed no surprise at Mo Zhiyan's arrival, and her expression remained unchanged.

"What did you do? Who... are you?" Mo Zhiyan asked.

The maid smiled slightly.

She strolled out of the shadows, and Mo Zhiyan saw her face clearly. It was an ordinary face, just like in his memory. She had always been by Qing Zai Shan's side. Every guardian had followers, and under normal circumstances, people wouldn't pay much attention to them. So Mo Zhiyan had also ignored her. Only now, after observing her closely, did Mo Zhiyan sense something amiss about the maid.

Yes, she never blinked; her eyes just stared straight ahead. It was such an obvious abnormality, how could Mo Zhiyan have overlooked it?

"Please be quiet, sir. It's nap time now." The maid smiled gently, her eyes fixed on Qing Zaishan without blinking.

Chapter 108: I haven't killed you yet, how can you die? (4k)

The dragon maidens were actually fighting amongst themselves. When Zhong Sifu's new orders reached Ye Buxi, the entire Sleepless Guard began to mobilize.

They were Zhong Sifu's most loyal henchmen, driven by fear to tear apart any enemy for him. Intelligence gathering, public opinion manipulation, and strategic maneuvering were their forte; diplomacy and etiquette were merely a facade. The rumors of the ancient treasure had barely spread throughout the land when new information emerged, suggesting it was just the tip of the iceberg, with something even greater yet to come. The Sleepless Guards aimed to incite desire in others; if Youzhou fell alongside Qing Zaishan, it would be a cause for celebration for Zhong Sifu.

It ignites human desires, followed by raging war. Over the years, the human heart remains unchanged.

Zhong Sifu said, "Let's instill the same fear in the people of Youzhou as in Qing Zaishan. Our sister likes to be clever, so let her go all the way."

"Your will."

The Sleepless Guard spread rumors everywhere, and Zhong Sifu, located in the northwestern ice state, was already preparing to pop the champagne. For her, the eldest sister's initiative to fight the eighth sister meant that no matter the outcome, she had already won.

"Aren't you good at playing tricks? Now you've let her avatar escape!" Ji Cheng, having reconstituted his avatar, returned to Suxian Palace, pacing back and forth in anger. He was almost about to point at Ling Suxian's nose and curse her mother, but after thinking it over, he realized he didn't have that thing, so he could only sulk alone.

Before the meeting, Ling Suxian privately told Ji Cheng that Zhong Sifu had also spoken to her, saying that she was going to take action against Qing Zaishan. Well, right, and then what? She talks a big game about fate all the time, but in the end, she can't do anything about it.

"How could she run away? Fate has already decided on her; she's destined to die. Relax, little sister. All we need to do now is wait patiently. How about I play you a soothing tune?" Ling Suxian stroked the air with her hands, as if there were real strings there.

"Heh, do you really think I'm blind? You didn't even use your full strength. With your power, how could Shi Bingxin possibly stop you?" Ji Cheng said with a sneer.

Ling Suxian sighed softly and lowered her hand: "Don't say that. She is still our sister. It's good that she has turned back from her wrong path. I will give her a chance to choose. As long as she is willing to turn back before the end of her fate, she still has a chance. Hengding can't protect her."

"Don't put on this hypocritical act. It's disgusting. You said you killed her, but you also said you spared her. What are you up to?" Ji Cheng asked.

"I went to the Zaishan History Pavilion," Ling Suxian said, tossing a stone slab to Ji Cheng. "Take a look."

"What is this? Is it some kind of magical artifact?" Ji Cheng asked as he took the stone slab and subconsciously poured spiritual energy into it. Cracks immediately appeared on the slab, and strange characters emerged, seemingly a record.

“Your record is on the stone tablet, and we all have such stone tablets,” Ling Suxian said with a smile. “What do you think it is? A prophecy? Or some unknown history?”

"When the hell did I find a Daoist partner? And why would I stupidly commit suicide?" Ji Cheng said, crushing the stone slab in his hand. "What the hell is that bastard Qing Zaishan writing?"

“It’s not just random writing. I can confirm that the stone tablet has only one purpose: to record the truth,” Ling Suxian said.

Ji Cheng laughed in exasperation: "I didn't even know I had a Daoist partner."

Ling Suxian smiled helplessly, then reached out and gently touched Ji Cheng. Ji Cheng's excited soul immediately calmed down.

"What are you doing?" Ji Cheng asked.

Ling Suxian said, "I want you to calm down, otherwise I'm afraid your soul will explode from excitement."

"I was angry. Qing Zaishan clearly thought I was an idiot." Ji Cheng said, and with a wave of his hand, the gust of wind made the broken stone slabs disappear into thin air.

Her soul trembled suddenly. Ling Suxian's ability failed to suppress this emotion. Like a newly sprouted seed breaking through the soil, Ji Cheng said that she couldn't control herself at that moment. She suddenly roared and slammed her fist into the ground.

Blood, blood, blood—a crimson flower blooming like blood, hatred and love seemingly two sides of the same coin. Ji Cheng's fist didn't land; Ling Suxian appeared before her, blocking her punch. Silent fate echoed in the hall.

"Damn it, what did Qing Zaishan do to me? I was affected by her power," Ji Cheng said breathlessly. "I couldn't control myself."

"No, it wasn't her... But seeing you like this makes me very happy." Ling Suxian smiled happily.

"You're crazy, what a waste of my time. I don't care how you plan to deal with Qing Zaishan anymore. Anyway, I'm going to carry out the plan." Ji Cheng said, stood up, cursed, and left Suxian Palace.

On Lu Yueyuan's immortal boat in Youzhou.

Led by the Ghost King, the agents of Youzhou gathered together. They had examined the ancient bell and completed the sealing, but no one could guarantee that other ambitious individuals wouldn't approach. Currently, the agents had completed preliminary research on the bell's condition and origin through their respective deities. This thing was the Fuxi Bell, a magical artifact created by the Human Emperor in ancient times using a secret treasure of heaven and earth. In essence, it was indeed an ancient treasure of heaven and earth, only it had been artificially modified. However, it had been destroyed in the Twilight Era, and logically it shouldn't be here, yet the aura of power emanating from it didn't seem fake.

The gods of Youzhou couldn't find an answer, so what about those of Zhongzhou? Everyone turned their gaze to Lu Yueyuan.

Unfortunately, even a forbidden god like the Holy Emperor couldn't understand why an ancient treasure of heaven and earth, which had been destroyed, would reappear. He didn't believe that the thing had been reassembled, but even with His eyes, He couldn't see where it came from; it seemed to have truly been formed naturally.

Lu Yueyuan, being cautious, sent Fengdu Ghost Mansion to explore the earth veins to see if there was any situation. Soon, news came from there: "Two energy auras have appeared in the earth veins, and they seem to be fighting."

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what was going on—fratricide?

So what should we do now? Should we fulfill our agreement with Lu Yueyuan and rush up together to kill those two guardians, or should we take the bell before other forces from Kyushu infiltrate? Actually, everyone had their own ideas, but because Lu Yueyuan was sitting there, no one brought them up.

“Lu Yueyuan is my brother now. I can’t go back on my word to him,” said the Ghost King. “Every secret treasure is accompanied by strange phenomena in the heavens and earth. It’s not so easy to get it. Besides, without my brother, I don’t know how to deal with the Netherworld Curtain. Anyway, the ancient bell has already set up a great formation. At worst, we can just send a few more people to guard it.”

The Ghost King's meaning was clear: to fulfill his agreement with Lu Yueyuan. Cang Song was the first to affirm, Xun Lan hesitated for a moment, then also said it was no problem. Only Su Changming hesitated for the longest time. It wasn't that he coveted the ancient treasure, but rather that he was wondering if this was a trap set by the guardians, feigning a fight to lure them in and wipe them out.

However, the True Immortal Protector quickly told him not to worry, that a real fight had broken out. Su Changming then thought that their side had four agents, the Ghost King's trump card had been unleashed, and they also possessed the strength of the Dao-I-One realm. They were currently at their peak strength, and if they couldn't win now, it would be difficult to have another chance to win in the future.

Let's go all out! Once everyone was sure, the celestial ship began to fly towards the earth's veins.

Another battle is about to begin. This time, the goal is to defeat the Dragon Girl, but Pride is not fully recovered yet. Lu Yueyuan was checking on Pride in the room when the Holy Emperor's voice suddenly rang out: "I have already checked. Although the ley lines are blurred into a mess by the power, I can still see them very clearly."

"Did Qing Zaishan and Mo Zhiyan really fight? Who won and who lost?" Lu Yueyuan asked. Based on his experience from so many simulations, Mo Zhiyan's powers were actually more difficult to deal with, since the system had been shut down.

The Holy Emperor said, "Although I am very reluctant to admit it, I must say... your concerns are correct, Qing Zaishan is indeed hiding something."

"Qing Zaishan is going to win? Hmm... then what will her powers be? Mo Zhiyan was defeated so quickly." Lu Yueyuan pondered.

The Holy Emperor smiled and said, "It's a pity, not that she was defeated, but that she was almost killed." His voice became distant and ethereal. "Although I can't see clearly, I feel that her life is like a candle flickering in the wind. Qing Zai Shan is really ruthless. If this continues, Mo Zhi Yan's soul will probably be crushed."

Lu Yueyuan sat on the edge of the bed like a statue, his ears ringing.

He felt something resonating in his soul. What a joke! He could accept Mo Zhiyan's defeat, but how could she possibly be beaten to death?

"Could the Holy Emperor have misjudged? This old fellow has been sealed away for so long; he might have made a mistake too. Others may not understand Mo Zhiyan, but doesn't Lu Yueyuan understand her? Her domineering omnipotence, capable of writing rules at will, allows her to maintain peak condition at all times. When they fought, Mo Zhiyan nearly disgusted him. You broke the rules! You broke the rules! You broke the rules!" Those rules completely prevented Lu Yueyuan from unleashing his full power; even his system was flagged as abnormal and shut down. He truly risked his life to kill Mo Zhiyan, and even in her dying moments, she glared at him angrily: "My sister... Ming Huaiwei... liked you so much... How could you kill her... When you begged me for Su Zhaoran... I thought you were a loyal and righteous person... You... You're a bastard..." She died with her eyes wide open, glaring angrily, making Lu Yueyuan feel ashamed.

The dragon girls are selfish and self-serving, but actually... Mo Zhiyan is the same way. She's a super hypocrite. Deep down, she cherishes twisted emotions, even if they're all fake.

Lu Yueyuan sat by the bed for a long time until the buzzing stopped and his blood started flowing again. He licked his dry lips, but no saliva came to moisten them.

Lu Yueyuan said almost to himself, "How could she possibly die? I wasn't even planning to kill her this time... Are you kidding me?"

“Qing Zaishan is probably more terrifying than you imagine. Your caution is justified,” the Holy Emperor said. “However, she has done us a great favor. You don’t need to bother dealing with her anymore. After she dies, you only need to eliminate her bloodline, and I can give you new powers again.”

Lu Yueyuan remained silent, his mind a complete blank. This wasn't what he had planned. He was supposed to fight Mo Zhiyan fair and square, subdue her, remove the curse of the Dragon God's bloodline from her, and then tell her that she no longer needed to suffer or be lost. Ming Huaiwei wasn't dead; she could go to Cloud Valley to keep her company, and he would send her other sisters there to accompany her. The home she longed for was there. Then Mo Zhiyan would ask, "Why did you do this? Didn't you kill her?" At that moment, Lu Yueyuan could answer with a dashing air, "Because I want to repay your kindness." Although it wasn't a great favor, just protecting a boy's pride, the boy had remembered it for a long time.

I won't kill you, because I want to repay your kindness... Lu Yueyuan felt like he was going crazy; he was turning into a psychopath.