Then, Mu Anxiao glanced at the monster's black, glowing claws and said, "You've done quite a bit of evil." With that, her expression turned grim.
Upon hearing this, the monster threw its head back and burst into laughter.
Jiong Ye involuntarily took a step back at the sight.
Mu Anxiao, still calmly observing the female monster on the other side of the barrier, remarked, "It seems doing evil is a source of honor for you."
"You little immortal are truly amusing. This is the demon realm; it would be strange to find a monster who hasn't committed evil," the female monster said, leaning forward slightly to scrutinize Mu Anxiao's face. "When you ascended just now, I already noticed you. Your spiritual energy is quite suitable for me."
"What, you want to eat me?" Mu Anxiao asked, not forgetting to cast a glance at the nearly cracked barrier.
The female monster: "A clever little immortal."
"It appears you don't fear Ouyang Ye at all," Mu Anxiao deliberately stated.
"Ouyang Ye," the female monster repeated, and then laughed. "What is he? If I feared him, I wouldn't be committing evil here. However, I must thank him. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to consume so many little demon lords and imps to enhance my demonic energy. And now, because of him, I've met you. Truly a cause for celebration."
"Indeed, it is a cause for celebration," Mu Anxiao said, attempting to find the female monster's weakness.
Conversely, the female monster did not perceive Mu Anxiao's subtle actions and continued to laugh. "I also feel that this barrier..." she patted it a couple more times, "is quite a hindrance to me. But those fellows were all fools; none escaped my grasp in the end. You, however, are fortunate." She shifted her gaze to Jiong Ye's face.
Seeing the female monster look at him, Jiong Ye's nerves tightened. "Why are you looking at me?" he asked, his eyes darting away.
"You've narrowly escaped my ambushes a few times, you are indeed lucky. But," the female monster tilted her head slightly and continued, "from now on, you cannot escape." With that, as she opened her cavernous mouth, the cracks on the barrier suddenly flared with purple light.
Mu Anxiao saw this and quickly tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand.
Jiong Ye exclaimed, "Not good, she's about to break through this barrier!" He quickly retreated a few steps.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao had no leisure to concern herself with Jiong Ye's feelings and continued to stare at the female monster before her. "It seems you are about to succeed."
"Yes, I have been trying to break this barrier for a long time. Today, you are all fortunate," the female monster said. After striking the barrier a few more times with force, the barrier… exploded, and she laughed.
As the smoke billowed, Mu Anxiao remained in her spot, watching the female monster emerge from the haze, her eyes narrowing. "It seems I cannot let you live," she said. Her gaze hardened, and as she swiftly dodged, the female monster's hand suddenly appeared beside Mu Anxiao. Mu Anxiao looked down, quickly evading the monster's subsequent lunge.
Meanwhile, the moment the smoke billowed, Jiong Ye quickly hid behind a tree not far from them.
A few minutes later, Mu Anxiao, wielding her dagger, attacked and retreated, engaging in a fierce battle with the female monster.
"I didn't expect you to be so formidable," the female monster said, swiftly swinging her 'claws' at Mu Anxiao.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao knew she couldn't afford to prolong the fight. She quickly turned and ascended into the air, attempting to lure the monster away.
As expected, the female monster pursued Mu Anxiao.
Jiong Ye looked up at Mu Anxiao and the female monster soaring into the sky and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mu Anxiao, I believe in you," he said. Taking a breath, he looked down and noticed a rope on the ground that Mu Anxiao had dropped. "What is that?" he mumbled, glancing around before stepping forward.
High in the air, Mu Anxiao turned around, facing the female monster. "I don't want to kill you," she said, her dagger already glowing with a blue light.
"But I want to kill you," the female monster stopped. "I truly didn't expect your spiritual energy and magic to be so profound. If I consume you, my power will undoubtedly increase greatly. Then, I will be able to leave this place."
"You eat these monsters, these little demons, just to leave this place," Mu Anxiao said, seemingly understanding the female monster's intention.
The female monster laughed. "As you are about to die, I shall let you die with clarity," she said, placing one hand behind her back. "I consume these monsters, these little demons, precisely to leave this place. Who knew, the demonic power of those fellows was simply insufficient for me to open the gate to the mortal realm. But consuming you is different."
"Are you saying there is an exit from this place to the mortal realm?" Mu Anxiao asked pointedly.
The female monster: "Yes, I am the demon guarding that exit."
"If you are the demon guarding the exit, then you must be one of Ouyang Ye's subordinates," Mu Anxiao said.
The female monster smiled.
Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "It appears you don't wish to admit your connection to Ouyang Ye."
"He never comes here, so naturally, I am not afraid," the female monster sneered.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao suddenly understood. "Oh, so you mean if Ouyang Ye were to come here, you would still be afraid, right?" she said, concealing the eager dagger behind her.
The female monster, oblivious to Mu Anxiao's every reaction, let out a cold laugh. "Even if he came, he wouldn't remember me."
"How so?" Mu Anxiao inquired intentionally.
The female monster, finding Mu Anxiao's question bothersome, explained, "It's just that I've been completely forgotten by all the monsters and demon lords from the outside. In their eyes, everything that happens here is done by the demon-devouring beasts. These fellows, they were all eaten by him. It's a pity," she laughed, "they never knew that the demon-devouring beast simply didn't have such a large appetite."
"Who set up that barrier?" Mu Anxiao asked again.
The female monster sighed softly. "Who else could it be? Of course, it was Ouyang Ye."
"It was him," Mu Anxiao repeated in a low voice, pondering. She continued, "So, it seems he has truly forgotten you." Considering Ouyang Ye's naturally suspicious nature, he would have frequently come to reinforce the barrier. Yet, in reality, he had never come, which led her to believe the female monster's words.
"Yes, it seems you know Ouyang Ye quite well," the female monster said with a faint smile.
Mu Anxiao also smiled faintly. "I wouldn't say 'know him well', it's just that my relationship with him…" she said, pausing for a moment, deliberately probing. "I believe you must have heard about my relationship with Ouyang Ye, haven't you?"
The female monster narrowed her eyes.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao smiled again. "It seems you are truly isolated from the world."
"Of course, I know about your relationship with Ouyang Ye," the female monster suddenly declared.
The moment the female monster spoke those words, Mu Anxiao's face turned cold. "Fine, consider that I've spoken a foolish word."