Sweat beaded on Mo Qingcheng's forehead as she spoke.
Her eyes held a murderous hatred, so potent it could kill.
Alas, the excruciating pain of ten thousand ants gnawing at her heart rendered her incapable of uttering even a single curse.
Zi Linling watched her coldly, witnessing her disfigurement without a trace of pity.
Mo Qingcheng had brought all this upon herself; she had no one else to blame.
She and Mo Qingcheng had no prior grievances.
Had it not been for Mo Qingcheng's maid, Qing'e, deliberately colliding with Xue Ying, and had Mo Qingcheng not nearly taken Xue Ying's life, they would likely have never crossed paths.
No!
Because of Ye Lingyuan's presence, they were destined to intersect.
Therefore, she and Mo Qingcheng were fated to become enemies.
Zi Linling was no saint, nor did she harbor any saintly compassion.
Even her acts of saving lives were based entirely on her own preferences.
Thus, she never showed mercy to her enemies, especially those who dared to harm the people she protected.
Beneath the spectral form of the Soul Suppressing Stele, Mo Qingcheng had lost all her strength.
To combat the pain within her body, she had curled herself up, resembling a ripe lobster.
Ye Lingyuan observed the scene with a detached gaze, only occasionally furrowing his brow.
While he did not know who Mo Qingcheng had entrusted the Harmonious Union Powder to, he deeply cherished Zi Linling's protective demeanor towards him.
As for the hidden viper, he would eventually pull out its venomous fangs and stew it into a soup.
The seal was gradually being perfected, and the overflowing energy could no longer harm Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan.
Consequently, the two of them dispelled the barrier and emerged hand in hand.
"Mo Qingcheng! I don't care who you've left the Harmonious Union Powder with, because I believe in my medical skills!"
"Of course, you'd best pray that person doesn't make a move, otherwise, no matter who it is, I will make them wish for death more than life!"
Zi Linling spoke with immense arrogance, yet it was tinged with absolute confidence.
Her domineering protectiveness towards her husband filled Ye Lingyuan's heart with sweetness.
The seal was completely finalized.
The spectral form of the Soul Suppressing Stele descended to the ground, trapping the exhausted Mo Qingcheng within it. It then transformed back into a triangular stone and returned to Zi Linling's hand.
Zi Linling casually toyed with it before tossing it off the Cliff of Severed Souls.
Then, she cast a thoughtful glance in the direction of the Misty Forest, a sly smile gracing her lips.
The moment the spectral form of the Soul Suppressing Stele appeared, she had recognized the origin of that triangular stone—the Soul Suppressing Stele!
With Ye Lingyuan's sharp eyesight, he too had recognized the spectral form of the Soul Suppressing Stele.
The two exchanged a knowing glance, then walked hand in hand down the Cliff of Severed Souls, heading towards Dark Night City.
Children of Destiny? Daughters of Destiny?
Go to hell!
"Hmph! Ye Lingyuan, if you ever dare to attract any more unwanted attention, I'll sever your roots of attraction!"
"Would Lin'er bear to do that?"
"Hmph! What's there not to bear! It would be for the best, saving me the trouble of constantly pruning your admirers!"
"Lin'er wishes to live a widow's life, but this king does not!"
"Who told you to attract bees and butterflies all day!"
"This king is naturally beautiful, attracting attention is not this king's desire!"
"You have the audacity to argue! Don't forget, you belong to me now! Without my permission, whoever dares to set their sights on you, I'll let them taste the torment of a confused heart!"
"Can this king interpret this as Lin'er being jealous?"
"You're the one who's jealous!"
...
The sounds of their playful bickering echoed throughout the Cliff of Severed Souls.
At the bottom of the Cliff of Severed Souls, the moment a fragment of the Soul Suppressing Stele fell, a complex pattern suddenly appeared on the ground.
If Zi Linling were present, she would have recognized it as a formation pattern.
The formation pattern lit up, and the fragment of the Soul Suppressing Stele instantly fell into the formation.
"Qing Tian, you scoundrel! You dare to return!"
"Eh? Why are you only left with this little bit? Did someone shatter you? And shatter you so completely!"
"Eh, is this a... woman? Didn't Qing Tian, that scoundrel, dislike women? Why did he bring a woman back?"
"Who knows! Perhaps after having his fun outside for so long, his iron tree has finally bloomed! Oh well, oh well, it's been so long since a woman has entered the sealed land."
"No! This woman has... demonic energy? And a... demon soul within her?"
"Qing Tian, that scoundrel, doesn't he know that demons are forbidden in the sealed land? He deserves to be beaten until only a fragment remains."
...
"Silence!"
As the voice of the Soul Suppressing Stele boomed, the incessant chatter immediately ceased.
It wasn't that they didn't want to speak, but they had been silenced.
If someone could see these residual spirits, they would notice how red-faced they all were.
"You are too noisy! Quietly await His Majesty's return!"
Within the fragment of the Soul Suppressing Stele, Qing Tian left a message and then fell silent.
Meanwhile, the moment Zi Linling stepped through the doors of the Purple Gold Pavilion, she felt a figure crash into her arms.
"Miss, you're finally back! Wuwuwu..." Xue Ying sobbed, her body trembling and her eyes brimming with tears.
Heaven knew how she had endured these past three days.
During this time, she had regretted more than once not insisting on accompanying Zi Linling to the Cliff of Severed Souls.
Zi Linling patted her back with affection. "Silly girl, don't cry, I'm back now, aren't I?"
Three days prior, Xue Ying was supposed to have accompanied her to the Cliff of Severed Souls.
However, Xue Ying's current strength was only at the late stage of the Qi Gathering realm.
And Mo Qingcheng harbored such deep hatred for her that it was impossible to guarantee Mo Qingcheng wouldn't strike at Xue Ying.
Fearing for Xue Ying's safety, she had left her at home.
Originally, she had promised the girl she would be back in a day at most, but she hadn't anticipated the incident with Mo Qingcheng transforming into a demonic god.
Thus, the time had been stretched from one day to three.
She figured the girl must have been terrified.
Receiving Zi Linling's comfort, Xue Ying gradually stopped crying. She looked up at Zi Linling and said, "Miss, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"
Zi Linling looked at her swollen eyes and knew she had been crying for a long time.
She said with heartache, "Xue Ying, I'm sorry, I made you worry."
Xue Ying haphazardly wiped away the wetness at the corners of her eyes and said, "Miss, I'm the one who should apologize! Madam entrusted you to me, yet I lacked the ability to protect you."
A warmth flowed through Zi Linling's heart. She hadn't expected Xue Ying to feel this way, but she didn't want to see Xue Ying blaming herself so much.
Everyone had their own path to walk, and she didn't want Xue Ying's world to revolve solely around her.
Xue Ying was a kind-hearted woman and deserved to have her own life, rather than bear the responsibility of looking after her.
Therefore, she said earnestly, "Xue Ying, your Miss has already learned to stand on her own two feet, and is no longer a little girl who needs your protection. You must believe me, I can take care of myself."
Upon hearing this, Xue Ying's tears, which had just stopped, began to flow again. Her face filled with panic as she exclaimed, "Miss, you're not going to send Xue Ying away, are you? Xue Ying won't leave! Miss, Xue Ying begs you, please don't send Xue Ying away!"