Qi Yu did not scream. Her first reaction was to summon her artifact to hold them back.
Behind Feng Si Qian, black wings unfurled, and she pulled Qi Nian, slowly standing on Qi Yu's circular artifact.
Qi Yu frowned, "This ice cave is truly strange. I wanted to use my magic to fly up, but it felt like something was desperately pulling us down."
Qi Nian looked up at the place where they had fallen.
Above them, a transparent barrier prevented Yu Zhen and the others from coming down.
When Qi Nian disguised herself as a human, her magic was compressed by more than half. Now, to exert her full strength, she had no choice but to reveal her true demonic form.
Qi Yu watched as Qi Nian's disciple robes gradually transformed into a jade-colored long dress, her long hair tied high into a cross bun.
Qi Yu stared blankly from the side, and for some reason, instinctively blurted out, "Why is it different..."
"What's different?" Feng Si Qian asked curiously.
Qi Yu snapped back to attention, opened her mouth, and didn't know what she had just said.
Qi Nian raised an eyebrow at Feng Si Qian, "Qi Yu probably means that my attire is different from when I went to the Underworld back then, right?"
Qi Yu was bewildered.
The Underworld?
She felt a splitting headache, as if some memory had been forgotten by her.
Feng Si Qian looked confused, "What Underworld?"
Qi Nian chuckled lightly. First, she bent down and patted Qi Yu's head, telling her that she knew she couldn't remember and shouldn't think about it. Then, she looked up and explained to Feng Si Qian, "It's when I caused a ruckus in the Underworld over two hundred years ago."
"Ah, I remember now! So this little one is the lonely soul you saved back then? No wonder her name is Qi Yu." Feng Si Qian realized they were still falling and decided to stop flying. She sat opposite Qi Nian and Qi Yu, the three of them cross-legged, wrapped in cloaks, chatting together.
"Third Princess Feng, what do you remember? What are you talking about?" Qi Yu looked at Feng Si Qian with confusion, "Saving a lonely soul, what does that mean?"
Feng Si Qian looked at Qi Yu and spoke to her slowly in the tone of a storyteller, "About two hundred years ago, Qi Nian was on her way to the Underworld for some business when she saw a lonely soul being beaten and casually saved it. That rescued soul was you."
"The name Qi Yu, she gave it to you."
"However, your soul was injured by the waters of the Forgetfulness River back then, so it's normal that you don't remember this."
Speaking of which, Feng Si Qian couldn't help but look at Qi Nian, "Speaking of which, the one who bullied Qi Yu in the Underworld back then was the daughter of Lord Liuyu, wasn't it? The current Lord Lingruo of the God Realm?"
"It's rumored that this Lord Lingruo is a soul from another world who took over a body, and some even say that Lord Liuyu was also harmed by this Lord Lingruo. I don't know if it's true or not."
Qi Nian patted Qi Yu's head, feeling Qi Yu's fingertips were cold. She held Qi Yu's hand and asked softly what was wrong, then turned to talk to Feng Si Qian:
"I don't know. Everyone says that the matter between Lord Liuyu and the Qilin Holy Lord is just an ancient story, not true."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yu trembled all over. As the stinging pain in her mind gradually subsided, the scene she had seen during the heart-testing trial for her innate artifact suddenly appeared before her eyes.
She clutched her head and suddenly let out a scream.
Both Qi Nian and Feng Si Qian were startled.
Feng Si Qian's expression changed drastically when she saw Qi Yu's fluctuating spiritual energy. She placed a palm on Qi Yu's chest and said urgently to Qi Nian, "Damn it, she has a heart demon, and the heart demon seed is growing rapidly! Qi Nian, as a demonic cultivator, I can't suppress it for too long, it will only worsen Qi Yu's condition. Quickly use your magic to suppress her condition!"
Qi Nian had already begun to circulate her spiritual energy when Feng Si Qian spoke.
Feng Si Qian released her hand and grasped Qi Yu's wrist. After a moment, she let go and frowned, "Strange, Qi Nian, was there something wrong with what we were talking about just now? What caused her heart demon to be so strong?"
"...It might be related to the Underworld," Qi Nian looked around, "My spiritual power is not pure enough, and I can't suppress it anymore. We must find a place to stand firm first."
"No need to rush, we'll be landing soon," Feng Si Qian said, channeling her demonic energy to give Qi Yu's circular artifact a push.
After the three landed, Qi Yu's circular artifact automatically retracted into her body.
Meanwhile, more and more demonic energy began to gather around Qi Yu.
"I can't suppress it anymore," Qi Nian pressed against Qi Yu's chest, "Feng Si Qian, think of a way."
"...What can I do about this? I'm a demonic cultivator," Feng Si Qian was also anxiously pacing like an ant on a hot pan, "All I know is that if this continues, Qi Yu will be possessed by demonic energy."
Qi Nian's expression was grave.
The two were so focused on solving Qi Yu's heart demon problem that they paid no attention to their surroundings.
Just then, footsteps suddenly echoed from the ice cave not far away.
These footsteps were very light. A normal person or an ordinary cultivator would not have noticed them.
However, Feng Si Qian and Qi Nian, one a demon and the other a demoness, quickly detected the source of the sound.
Qi Nian looked up.
The approaching girl bore a striking resemblance to Si Qing, with a pair of stunning, glazed eyes and wearing a magnificent immortal dress.
She saw Qi Nian and Feng Si Qian, and Qi Yu, who was being protected by them. She slightly curled her lips, her voice tinged with a hint of languor, "Well, well, isn't this Little Princess and Third Princess Feng? What brings you here?"
"Lingruo, why are you here?!" Qi Nian stepped forward, shielding Feng Si Qian and Qi Yu behind her, and drew her sword.
Feng Si Qian frowned.
Lingruo?
Lord Lingruo?
Lingruo looked at Qi Nian with arrogant eyes, "This is the territory of my father's Qilin clan, of course I'm here. It's you who came here without my permission. You're quite bold. How many lives do you think you have to lose?"
"Ignore her, Qi Nian, let's go," Feng Si Qian was worried about Qi Yu's condition and couldn't be bothered to argue with Lingruo. She pulled Qi Nian and turned to leave.
Lingruo, accustomed to being pampered on the Nine Heavens, had never been treated with such an attitude. She was instantly furious and whipped her whip towards Feng Si Qian's cheek.
This whip, infused with divine power, would not only scar but also rot the flesh of a demonic cultivator.
Feng Si Qian dodged to the side.
Qi Nian stood in front of Feng Si Qian, protecting Qi Yu with one hand and parrying Lingruo's whip with her long sword in the other!
As they clashed, divine and demonic power erupted in a blinding light.
Qi Yu, controlled by her heart demon, slowly raised her head, her crimson eyes meeting Lingruo's face.
In the next moment, she suddenly vanished from Qi Nian's embrace, sharp blades shooting from her fingertips as she lunged at Lingruo.
Qi Nian and Feng Si Qian's eyes widened.
Lingruo, however, met the attack without fear, raising her hand to counter Qi Yu's palm strike with divine power. During the confrontation, she suddenly grabbed Qi Yu's wrist and lowered her voice, deliberately provoking the heart demon-possessed Qi Yu:
"Long time no see. I never thought you'd still be alive after I destroyed your divine soul and nearly scattered it."
"Qi Yu, watching me ascend to godhood using your body, aren't you incredibly jealous? So jealous you're going mad."
"But I don't think this is enough."
Lingruo said, then repelled Qi Nian and Feng Si Qian, who attacked again, creating a barrier in front of them.
Then, taking advantage of Qi Yu's inability to control herself in her heart demon state, she lightly tapped Qi Yu's forehead with her fingertip and said cruelly:
"I want you to remember, bit by bit, starting now. Remember the pain of the Forgetfulness River water and the soul-whipping of the Soul Beating Whip, remember the pain of your divine soul being flayed alive in a jar after I possessed you... Remember the pain of separation from your family, the torment of memories day and night, making you wish for death but unable to die!"
With that, a divine light vanished into Qi Yu's mind.