Jian Lin had only one thought: this world had gone topsy-turvy.
Ning Xiao, as the male protagonist, was a child of destiny. From an ordinary, unremarkable youth, he had steadily risen to become the strongest.
In the original novel, he gained all sorts of good fortune wherever he went, but Jian Lin remembered very clearly that there was absolutely no appearance of the Sword Immortal.
She couldn't help but wonder if it was because she had brought the Sword Immortal out, and the protagonist's halo was too strong, directly sending him to the Sword Immortal's side.
Furthermore, even if Ning Xiao's protagonist halo was strong, had the Sword Immortal gone mad? They had only known each other for such a short time, how could he agree to take on a disciple!
Everything was in chaos, utterly chaotic!
Seeing Jian Lin's shocked and confused expression, the Sword Immortal stepped forward, patted her shoulder, and comforted her, "Good disciple, don't worry. You are my first disciple, and I will definitely favor you."
That's not important!
Jian Lin was about to die of frustration, yet at this moment, that damned system was still offline.
She fell into a daze, wondering why she existed.
If the system never recovered, would her mission to ascend to godhood and return to her original world still exist?
Also, with the impending chaos, the immortal sects, the demon realm, and the underworld stirring, if the God Array succeeded, and she ascended to godhood amidst the turmoil, would such a loophole-exploiting act count as a successful mission?
She suddenly remembered the mission description, which also included a line about needing to betray the great villain, the Demon Lord.
Why betray him? Could it be that the God Array would succeed, and that was the ultimate truth?
Jian Lin felt as if she had been struck by lightning, greatly stimulated.
Ning Xiao obediently retreated to a safe distance and remained silent. The Sword Immortal asked nervously, "Good disciple, are you alright?"
After a long pause, Jian Lin slowly regained her senses and said blankly to the Sword Immortal, "Master, I want to return to the Demon Realm. If you still wish to wander, you have your second disciple to attend to you. I cannot accompany you further."
The Sword Immortal had originally intended to stay in Daliang City for a few more days. Seeing Jian Lin's state, he didn't dare let her return alone and immediately agreed to set off together.
After the master and disciple had agreed, Jian Lin went to bid farewell to Miss Jin and her fake brother.
Miss Jin smiled gently and did not insist on keeping her, "Then I wish my sister a smooth journey. If you have time in the future, please visit often."
Jian Lin cupped her fists in a bow, not in the mood for further conversation, and left the Golden Scale Mansion as quickly as possible.
Seeing Jian Lin's dispirited appearance, her master dared not cause trouble and voluntarily offered to fly on his sword, taking his good disciple to the Demon Realm.
Her cheap junior disciple held his breath, shrinking in a corner, not daring to provoke his seemingly formidable senior sister.
Why seemingly formidable?
Because he knew his senior sister was only at the Golden Core cultivation level, but judging by the Sword Immortal Master's reaction, his senior sister must have some extraordinary quality that made him dote on her so.
After three days and three nights of rapid travel, they finally reached the edge of the Demon Realm.
Jian Lin had calmed down. She lowered her head and looked down through the clouds at the increasingly familiar scenery, then suggested to her master, "Master, please fly a bit lower. Speaking of the God Array, it happens to be on our way, so we can investigate it."
The Sword Immortal had no objections and quickly lowered their altitude. As the view gradually cleared, Jian Lin squinted to look closely and quickly noticed something was wrong.
Daliang City was bustling and prosperous, like a paradise.
On the Demon Realm side, however, the wind was as if carrying the cry of cranes, shrouded in a vague sense of unease.
From time to time, one could see teams of people galloping by, most of them looking serious and warily scanning their surroundings.
Once, the Sword Immortal flew a little lower, startling the team, who all drew their weapons. It was only because they were too close that Jian Lin noticed there were elderly people and children in the group.
She suddenly realized that these teams were not on a mission, but fleeing for their lives.
Jian Lin was stunned, feeling a pang in her heart. The Demon Lord ordering them to flee indicated that he had already made a decision, believing he had no chance of winning.
It shouldn't be like this. That proud, narcissistic, and powerful man, the greatest villain in this book, shouldn't surrender so easily.
He must have been very sad to make such a decision.
Anxious, they flew for another half-day and encountered the Demon Lord's defense force.
They were clad in black and silver armor, exuding a fierce aura, and questioned who they were.
Jian Lin, fearing any misunderstanding, knew it was not the time to fight. She quickly spoke to explain, "I am..." the Demon Lord's girlfriend.
She didn't dare say the last five words.
Privately, she and the Demon Lord were intimate, kissing and embracing, but publicly, no one knew who she truly was.
Strictly speaking, she was a dancer in the Demon Palace, but was that identity significant enough to allow these people to let her in?
Or perhaps, as the Sword Immortal's disciple, she was more famous and would be allowed to pass by the guards.
As she was hesitating, someone in the guard force seemed to recognize her and called out, "Are you Miss A'pei?"
Jian Lin was surprised, "You know me?"
"Oh, you are indeed Miss A'pei. No wonder you've come to the Demon Realm at this time," one of the guards said to his companions. "She is the Demon Lord's... that person. I served in the Demon Palace for a while and recognize her. Brothers, let her pass."
"Are you sure?" the guard leader asked.
"Certain, I've seen Miss A'pei a few times," the person replied.
After a careful verification, the guards cautioned them to be careful and politely let them pass.
After flying away on their swords, the unobservant Ning Xiao asked, "Senior Sister, who is that... person next to the Demon Lord?"
Jian Lin shot him a glare, "One more word, and I'll have the Demon Lord kill you."
Ning Xiao flinched and obediently shut his mouth.
At this time, he was still a child of destiny in cultivation, at the Golden Core stage, not yet fully accomplished. He couldn't defeat the Demon Lord and behaved himself, not daring to have any other thoughts.
Before becoming a disciple, Ning Xiao's view of the Demon Lord was that he was a demon who could be killed to make a name for himself.
Who was the Demon Lord? He was powerful, and everyone wanted to get rid of him.
If he killed him, no one would condemn him. He would earn the respect of the immortal world and widespread fame, letting everyone know his prowess.
However, after becoming a disciple, he abandoned such thoughts because the foremost Sword Immortal of the immortal world said that the Demon Lord was a good person and they should go help him.
Ning Xiao was shocked at first but quickly accepted it. Whatever his master said was right, as his master was the most powerful in the world.
The three of them traveled day and night without rest and finally arrived at the Demon Palace the next morning.
It seemed the guards had already passed on the message, and their entry into the Demon Palace was very smooth. Jian Lin saw the Grand Steward smiling from afar, feeling a sense of warmth, like returning home.
"Miss A'pei," the Grand Steward greeted with a smile, nodding to the two behind him, then continued to Jian Lin, "The Demon Lord is waiting for you in his chambers. You know the way, so I don't need to guide you, right?"
"No, no need," Jian Lin said happily, smiling at the Grand Steward. "Please entertain my master well and show him around, offer him some tea."
After speaking with the Grand Steward, she also said to her master, "Master, please follow the Grand Steward and look around for a bit. I'll go see the Demon Lord first, and we can chat later."
After saying this, without waiting for her master's reply, Jian Lin grabbed the hem of her skirt and ran off along the corridor.
The Sword Immortal had long been accustomed to it. This disciple, it seemed, could not sever her emotional ties. Let her be.
Ning Xiao observed secretly, unable to comprehend, and quietly asked his master, "Master, who exactly is this Demon Lord to my Senior Sister?"
The Grand Steward nearby heard and politely said, "Young friend, Miss A'pei is someone extremely important to His Lordship, the Demon Lord."
With Jian Lin gone, the master was too lazy to beat around the bush and said directly, "Hey, that Demon Lord is entangled with your Senior Sister. You might soon have to call him brother-in-law."
Ning Xiao was dumbfounded. What? He was becoming family with the Demon Lord, which meant he would also become part of the demonic path! How could he then achieve fame and recognition?
His master seemed to see through his thoughts and said leisurely, "Ning Xiao, if you are unwilling, I can expel you from the sect, and we shall have no further connection."
No, no, don't do that.
Ning Xiao immediately declared, "Master, once a master, always a master. Whatever you say is right. Your disciple will absolutely not be unwilling."
Demonic path or not, so be it.
As long as he was strong enough, he could still achieve fame and recognition.
Meanwhile, Jian Lin rushed all the way, pushed open the door to the Demon Lord's chambers, and unceremoniously rushed in, throwing her arms around the Demon Lord's neck.
Without a word, she directly hugged him and kissed him, murmuring softly, "Miss you, I miss you so much. Do you miss me?"
The Demon Lord held her waist and closed the chamber door with a wave of his hand. Even at this moment, he remained cautious and mindful of etiquette, not daring to answer directly, but instead asking indirectly, "Was your journey smooth? Did you encounter any difficulties?"
"Smooth, extremely smooth," Jian Lin was dizzy with the joy of reunion. At this moment, a surge of impulse arose in her heart, wanting to devour the Demon Lord. Her eyes became hazy as she looked at him, making an ambiguous suggestion, "Mo Chongyuan, let's go to the inner room..."
The Demon Lord's chambers were vast. The outer area was for receiving guests, the left side chamber was a study, the right side chamber was for dining and living, and the innermost room was the bedroom.
Jian Lin's hint was understood by the Demon Lord, but he hesitated.
He pressed Jian Lin's shoulders, ending the kiss and creating distance between them. With a smile in his eyes, he said softly, "You must be tired from your journey. Has Senior Sword Immortal arrived? I heard you also have a new junior disciple. I should go out and meet them."
"No, no need," Jian Lin was still not calm, saying very casually, "The Grand Steward is entertaining them. You don't need to rush."
After saying that, she tried to pull the Demon Lord's hand towards the inner room, but the Demon Lord remained motionless.
In terms of strength, Jian Lin could not match him.
The atmosphere gradually turned cold. Jian Lin looked back and met the Demon Lord's calm, placid eyes, suddenly realizing that everything seemed to be one-sided on her part.
Her ears felt a little hot. Jian Lin said helplessly, "Then... then let's go out."
What was she doing just now! Jian Lin regretted it immensely. She had revealed her feelings too quickly, and in the Demon Lord's eyes, she must have appeared frivolous and wanton, making him dislike her.
Jian Lin's face turned red with embarrassment. She took a step, wanting to escape. As she was about to reach the door, the Demon Lord suddenly grabbed her wrist.
She stopped and slowly turned her head, her eyes full of confusion. What did he mean?