Rou'er hugged Qingyi tightly.

It was surreal...

She still remembered her aunts, known back then as the priestesses of corruption.

They placed her in a strange chamber and told her, who was still just a little girl, that on the day she opened her eyes, her father's heir would come to protect her.

When she woke up in that damp cave, that was the only certainty Rou'er had carried with her her entire life.

Her father's heir was coming, and she was supposed to be a good girl while she waited for him.

It took so long that she, honestly, even lost hope for a brief moment.

But it was all over now.

When she heard Uncle Shen speak of Qingyi, something in her heart stirred, a strange sensation taking hold of her entire body.

From that day on, she was absolutely certain that he was the one, her father's heir. The only one.

And now she was with him. She was happy.

Turning her face slightly, Rou'er gazed at the sword at Qingyi's waist, her eyes shining instantly.

"What's that, big brother Qingyi?" she asked, her fingers already closing around the Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword before even finishing her sentence.

Qingyi didn't try to stop her, nor did he show any reaction to having her touch it, but in the next instant, everything changed.

The world around them warped.

When he realized it, he was in the Mind World, outside the temple, without having even tried to enter the Mind World.

"Oh... what is this place?" Rou'er's purple and pink eyes sparkled as she slowly turned, taking in every detail around her. "It's so beautiful!"

Qingyi grabbed the Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword without

hesitation and left the Mind World in the blink of an eye.

Rou'er turned her gaze to him with a look of disappointment, her lips pursed into an exaggerated pout.

"How did you do that?" Qingyi asked, his voice firm but tinged with genuine bewilderment.

Only he and Ruxue were supposed to have control over who entered that space.

"That?" Rou'er blinked, responding with completely sincere bewilderment. "I just... did."

It was so natural to her that the question sounded almost absurd.

[It must be her bloodline. Her mother, wife of the Dragon God of Corruption, was the greatest array master the celestial heavens had ever seen, with a powerful bloodline shaped exclusively to create and break formations.

She must have used that bloodline to take control of the arrays of the Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword without either of us realizing it... it's a terrifying talent.]

Qingyi nodded silently as he heard Ruxue's soft voice in his mind.

The beautiful spirit could barely contain herself, eager to materialize, grab Rou'er, and squeeze those cute little cheeks until she couldn't take it anymore, but she held back with effort.

This was a moment between Rou'er and Qingyi. When the time was right, Ruxue would introduce herself.

In silence, the two simply stood there.

Rou'er hugged him tightly, savoring every caress like a needy kitten that had finally found a home, not even considering letting go. She had never allowed her adoptive father to pat her that way. The idea of any man getting close to her always disgusted her.

But Qingyi's touch wasn't like that.

It was warm. It was protective. It was the touch of the man her aunts, the priestesses of corruption, had said would protect her forever.

She wanted to stay there for all eternity.

But between her robes, a golden token pulsed with a subtle glow.

It was the signal to confirm that she was all right. If she didn't respond, the guards from the main palace would come looking for her, and that could get Qingyi into trouble.

"Big Brother Qingyi..." Rou'er finally loosened her arms, taking a step back and turning her face to look up at him. "You're going to reach the Realm of Celestial Ascension and accompany me to the Cosmic Void

Sect, right?"

"Yes, I will." Qingyi smiled.

Failing the mission he'd received from the sect princess's head maid

had once been a possibility, but now, knowing who she was, such a thought didn't even cross his mind. He would reach the Realm of Celestial Ascension in the blink of an eye.

"Yay!" Rou'er let out an excited squeal, accompanied by little excited hops.

The movement caused her skirt to lift, the soft, plump flesh of her thighs jiggling with the momentum, the skirt rising to reveal the pure white panties hugging the plump lips of her vulva, barely concealing the tight, virgin interior hidden beneath.

Qingyi savored that sight for a moment before realizing that Rou'er had already thrown herself at him, pressing her lips against his in a clumsy and completely inexperienced kiss.

"Just marking my territory, hehehe~~" She gave a sweet little laugh, turned her back, and disappeared shortly after.

He could no longer detect her, neither with his spatial abilities nor

with his draconic eyes.

"That woman...'

Qingyi touched his own lips, still feeling the residual heat of hers and

a powerful bulge pressing against his pants.

The kiss had been so clumsy that he could barely taste her, but he

was still happy, and even slightly anxious at the thought of having her

all to himself.

Well, from now on, he couldn't treat Tianhao as just an annoying,

clueless idiot anymore.

Rou'er wanted nothing to do with that bastard, and a single word

from her would be enough for him to ensure Tianhao wouldn't breathe for another single day.

Of course, he didn't have the power for that yet, but he knew full well

he was close.

A few more encounters with Rou'er, and getting to Tianhao would be

a piece of cake.

Rou'er wouldn't suffer anymore. Not while he was there.

'Heavenly Demon...'

Qingyi raised his gaze to the sky.

That was the name of the man who made that lovely woman suffer so

much, the same one who made his Ruxue suffer so much, the same

one who took everything from his Meilin...

Qingyi would kill him.

For Meilin's grandfather. For Ruxue's teacher. For Rou'er's parents.

He would make the Heavenly Demon regret ever being born, making

him pay for every life taken, both in the Immortal Heaven and the Celestial Heaven.