The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

The place where the Great Sage Jueling resides is called Cloud Mountain, surrounded by towering peaks, but he specifically chose the most remote and desolate one. He said it was to escape the mortal world and live his life in peace.

Even so, people still flocked to the name of the Great Sage Jue Ling. Not only people from the Spirit Realm, but even people from the Ghost Realm greatly admired the Great Sage Jue Ling.

Ying Li stood in front of the mountain, looking at the layers of steps outside the mountain. His expression changed slightly. There were five gates on the front of the mountain. Only by breaking through those five gates could he see the Great Sage Jue Ling and rescue Chu Lianyi.

Ying Li clenched her right hand, turned around and glanced at Bing Yin, and said, "You don't need to go up. Just wait down here. I'll bring Lianyi back."

Bingyin smiled and said, "The city lord of Yinling Kingdom has already told me. I am your shadow guard, and so is Xiyue. If you die, Xiyue will die, and I will die too. I don't want to die for no reason. Lianyi, wait up there. We'll brave mountains of knives and seas of fire together!!!"

Ying Li smiled and didn't insist anymore. He walked up the steps and headed towards the first gate. The mountain was very high, and there were countless steps. By the time Ying Li arrived at the first gate, they had already walked for an hour. It was an ancient gate, with various runes carved on it. Ying Li couldn't understand them, but Bing Yin saw through them at a glance. The runes were all written using a secret technique.

“It’s ice. The people inside are skilled in using spiritual magic and can use ice swords to fight alongside others. They are the youngest disciple of the Great Sage Jue Ling, Xuan Bing,” Bing Yin said. “Because the Great Sage Jue Ling is from the Spirit Realm, we can use earth magic to fight without being known by others in the Ghost Realm.”

"That's good then. After being so restricted for so long, I can finally stretch my muscles and bones!" Ying Li said, pushing open the door without hesitation.

Inside the door was a world of ice and snow, a world so vast it was terrifying. In the boundless plains, one could see a spiral staircase winding far, far away, leading to a second door.

A chill swept over him, and Ying Li circulated his spiritual energy, instantly warming his body. The power of a ninth-level Spirit Gathering Master was very effective for Ying Li here. Bing Yin also rarely used his abilities; Ying Li sensed secret techniques and spiritual arts on Bing Yin's body, different from his own. These techniques transformed into invisible defenses in front of Bing Yin. Bing Yin picked up the Taoist flute, and for some reason, Ying Li suddenly thought of someone—Li Xiyue.

"Have you ever tried your best for someone you care about?!" Bingyin asked abruptly. Ying Li snapped out of her reverie, and the image of Jiang Huai flashed through her mind. "Too many, I can't remember them all, but I know that he has tried much more than I have."

After Ying Li finished speaking, her expression changed slightly. Looking at the vast expanse of white before her, her voice suddenly rose, and her spiritual energy rapidly shifted, "Come out!!! What kind of hero hides like this?!"

As soon as the voice fell, a man dressed in white emerged from the vast expanse of white icy mist opposite. The man had a cold expression, drooping eyelids, and a fierce appearance and a menacing aura.

He looked at Ying Li with an arrogant expression, "You clearly understand the runes outside the door, so why did you still come in?! Did you come in to die?!"

"How will you know I'm not here to take your life if we don't fight?!" Ying Li said, circulating his spiritual energy. "I'll give you one chance. Tell me, what do you want with Lianyi?! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!!!"

"Little girl, what a big mouth you have!!! Chu Lianyi has something that Master wants on her. Unless you step over my dead body, we will not hand over Chu Lianyi!!!" the man said, his expression still cold.

Ying Li's expression changed. He gathered spiritual energy into a sword in his right hand, held it horizontally in front of him, and said, "Then there's nothing more to say, let's fight!!!" After saying that, he stomped his right foot on the ground and shot towards the man! At the same time, Bing Yin's figure shot towards the man as well!!!

Chu Lianyi stared incredulously at Master Li standing before her, her face pale. Pointing at him, she exclaimed, "You're the Great Sage Jue Ling?! The Great Sage Jue Ling is so powerful, and he's always been upright and honest, why did you arrest me?! I, Chu Lianyi, have never set foot in the Ghost Realm, and even my grandfather had no connection with the Great Sage Jue Ling. Why is the Great Sage Jue Ling targeting me?! Why the Great Sage Jue Ling of all people?!"

She had dreamed of learning martial arts from the most powerful sorcerer, the Great Sage Jue Ling, since she was a child. She went to the Red Jade Palace to learn sorcery, but was captured by Madam Chu and taken home. She was forced to make a sacrifice for Chu Kuo. At that time, she was heartbroken. If she hadn't read that book, the book called Ghost Domain Chronicle, she would have died long ago.

The Records of the Ghost Realm document the story of the Great Sage Jue Ling, a great figure and the most powerful sorcerer in both the Ghost and Spirit Realms. She was determined to learn martial arts from him, but she never expected that they would meet in this way. Chu Lianyi was very disappointed and unwilling to accept it.

"Did you eat the Ghost Spirit Fruit when you were a child?!" Master Li asked, looking at Chu Lianyi. "Did you eat a kind of Ghost Spirit Fruit when you were a child?! A fruit that is red and black, with a sour, astringent, and sweet taste. After eating it, I felt dizzy and slept for more than ten days?!"

Chu Lianyi looked at them and suddenly remembered that when she was six years old, her grandfather, Chu Jue, returned from his cultivation outside and did bring back the Ghost Spirit Fruit. At that time, she didn't know what the Ghost Spirit Fruit was. She was just greedy and stole the Ghost Spirit Fruit and ate it all. She couldn't remember what happened after that. She only remembered that she fell into a daze and when she woke up, her grandfather slapped her hard. She cried very hard at that time. Her grandfather, who usually couldn't stand seeing her cry, didn't even look at her at that time.

"How do you know about the Ghost Spirit Fruit?! What is it used for?!" Chu Lianyi asked.

"The Ghost Spirit Fruit is a unique fruit of the Ghost Realm, bearing only one fruit every hundred years. If an ordinary person eats it, their life will automatically be extended by a hundred years. However, this fruit is highly poisonous, and ordinary people will die if they eat it. It is a miracle that you ate the Ghost Spirit Fruit and did not die," Master Li said, with a strange look in his eyes that made Chu Lianyi feel very uncomfortable.

"Automatically extend my life by a hundred years?! I can live to be two hundred?!" Chu Lianyi stared at Master Li with disbelief. Then, as if remembering something, she continued, "Even if I ate the Ghost Spirit Fruit and survived, that proves I'm lucky. What right do you have to arrest me?!"

"That Ghost Spirit Fruit was stolen from us by the people of the Spirit Realm!!! It belongs to the Great Sage Jue Ling!!!" The little boy suddenly became very agitated. He stared at Chu Lianyi and shouted loudly, his eyes fierce.

"You Spirit Realm people are always thinking about war, always wanting your master to help you eliminate the Ghost Realm people and seize their land. Your master refused, and instead hid in the Ghost Realm, using the unique Demon Ridge as a barrier to find temporary peace. This was permitted by the Ghost Realm Emperor; he didn't offend anyone. Your master's health is poor, and we disciples have never received his true teachings. Therefore, your master is unwilling to accept this and wants to live well, waiting for the day he can find a suitable disciple to whom he can pass on all his teachings! That's why your master eats the Ghost Spirit Fruit every hundred years—this Ghost Spirit Fruit was specially permitted by the Ghost Realm Emperor!!! But during the Spirit-Ghost War, on the way to where the Ghost Spirit Fruit was being delivered, it was stolen by the Spirit Realm people!!!"

The boy spoke excitedly, his gaze towards Chu Lianyi growing increasingly fierce, "Tell me why I captured you! You ate what my master relied on to prolong his life. Since you ate it, then pay with your blood!!! By draining your blood, my master can wait for the Ghost Spirit Fruit to grow again!!!"

Chu Lianyi's face was dejected. She stared incredulously at the people in front of her. Xuan Ye's eyes suddenly turned cold. He fixed his gaze on Chu Lianyi's eyes and asked, word by word, "The Ghost Spirit Fruit, was it taken by the Chu family?!"

He was the eldest disciple of the Great Sage of the Spirit Realm, yet she took away the very thing the Great Sage of the Spirit Realm relied on to prolong his life...

"I...I don't know...I really don't know. I was only six years old then...I just stole the things that Grandpa brought back. I really didn't know they were the things of the Great Sage Jue Ling..." Chu Lianyi said, her body constantly backing away.

"Come here!!!" The boy grabbed Chu Lianyi, pulled out a dagger, and slashed at her wrist! "I'm going to bleed you dry for Master!!! If you take something that belongs to someone else, you have to return it!!!"

Chu Lianyi couldn't avoid it in time. Just as the dagger was about to cut her skin, she closed her eyes in despair.

"Wait!!!" A sharp voice rang out beside her. Chu Lianyi slowly opened her eyes. The dagger in the little boy's hand didn't strike. Xuan Ye stood in front of her, pulling Chu Lianyi up. His eyes were incredibly dark, and his voice was as cold as ice, "I originally thought they captured you because..."

Chu Lianyi stared blankly into his eyes, terrified. After what seemed like an eternity, Xuan Ye suddenly released Chu Lianyi, causing her to collapse to the ground. Xuan Ye's figure vanished from the cave entrance. Chu Lianyi stared fearfully at the two people in front of her, at the Great Sage Jue Ling, and at the old man. Suddenly, she lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.

Now, everything is shattered...