Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

The tranquil atmosphere of the small mountain village was broken by the sharp sound of the wind.

"Clang!" The blade of the sword that Xue Lan was holding between two fingers suddenly shattered. The person who attacked from behind turned into a blurry black mist and disappeared into the surrounding mountains and forests in a moment.

Xue Tong, who had been secretly observing the area, spoke up: "What's that?"

Xue Lan's voice was icy: "I should ask you that too. Are you really not going to tell me everything about the protagonist?"

Xue Tong felt like she was swallowing a bitter pill, unable to express her suffering. The little girl sat on the steps with a furrowed brow.

[This isn't entirely my fault; the author created more than one plot hole in the beginning to set up the protagonist with multiple identities later on.]

The little girl's voice held a hint of resentment: "You and he are truly destined for each other. You've fallen into a plot hole the original author created for later."

After their recent exchange, Xue Lan had transformed into a white-haired woman dressed in black.

"Hmph!" the woman snorted lightly. "Compete with your souls before me."

An overwhelming surge of demonic soul power poured forth. Behind Xue Lan, a gigantic white wolf phantom appeared, sitting on the ground with its massive tail coiled beneath it, protecting the small Xue Lan within.

"Ouch!"

A clear, long wolf howl came from the white wolf behind Xue Lan, echoing throughout the entire world.

As if it were a signal, the howls of wolves began to echo from the previously silent mountains.

It was mournful and lingering, like a heart-wrenching elegy.

The black mist, which had been hiding in the shadows, finally couldn't hold back any longer and burst out of the darkness, rushing towards Xue Lan.

When it was only a few dozen meters away from Xue Lan, two silver-white figures suddenly darted out from the grass swaying in the breeze. One figure shoved the black mist aside, while the other leaped onto its back, opened its blood-red maw, and bit down.

Xue Tong then clearly saw the two silver-white figures; they were two robust white wolves, each the size of an ordinary family's ox.

Wait, moonlight.

Xue Tong then realized what was happening and looked at the sky in this illusion.

The once magnificent colors were imperceptibly disrupted. The sun that had hung in the sky had long since set, replaced by a cold, round moon above the white wolf's head behind Xue Lan. The silvery moonlight cast down, making everything around dark and blurry, presenting an overall deep indigo hue.

So this is the real battle of wits. Xue Tong thought to herself, Xue Lan had just been teasing her all along.

Xue Lan took a step back, and hard ice spikes rose from beneath her feet, forming a seat beneath her.

The woman sat there, her fair arm supporting her cheek. Her other hand hung by the armrest, and as she waved her sleeve, a thin whip appeared in her palm.

The battle between the two giant wolves and the black mist came to an end, and the black mist retreated back into the darkness.

The two giant wolves slowly walked to Xue Lan's feet, lowered their furry heads, and showed their submission.

Xue Lan stroked the head of one of the wolves, and the woman slowly stood up from the throne, her icy blue eyes gleaming with an eerie blue hue under the moonlight.

The woman walked slowly forward, a large portion of the thin whip in her hand dragging along the ground. The whip was made of ice, strung together like the spine of some kind of animal. It made a teeth-grinding crunching sound as Xue Lan dragged it.

"Heavenly Soul..." The woman's voice was clear and pleasant: "Willingly degenerate, it took over the body of the Dream Demon. It was inside this child's body, attempting to seize his body when he advanced to the Golden Core stage."

"Unfortunately, I was unlucky..."

Unfortunately, he was unlucky; his remnant soul was captured by Xue Lan outside, and then he ran into Xue Lan here.

Or perhaps... you're just unlucky!

A hoarse voice, demanding an answer, echoed from the mountains: "This junior has no grudge against you, sir. Why do you insist on killing us all?"

Xue Lan hated nothing more than people who asked "why" even when they were about to die. Why cultivate immortality if you hate the injustice of fate so much? She'd rather be sent on your way early.

Seeing that Xue Lan had no intention of letting him go, the black mist returned, splitting into several clones that attacked Xue Lan simultaneously.

"Why? Why are you picking on me?"

"This kid disliked his older sister when he was young; the entire Lu Family Village is a disgrace to him!"

Why are you protecting them again...?

A shrill scream echoed throughout the heavens and earth. Xue Lan lashed out with her long whip, producing a sharp crack in mid-air.

"nonsense!"

"The good and evil of mortals are recorded in the underworld and judged by the Yellow Springs and the Nine Netherworlds."

"Overstepping his bounds, using Langlang's name to satisfy his own selfish desires. Colluding with the demons in a grand and righteous manner—how shameless!"

As the last word fell, the woman flicked her ice whip, creating a dazzling whip shadow in mid-air. It then bypassed the several demonic clones in front of her and struck the real body precisely.

"what!"

A shrill scream rang out, and the black mist began to dissipate, but it still stubbornly spoke: "Nonsense...nonsense...If no immortals intervene, what does it matter if a mortal kills someone? Can he still live to a ripe old age with many children and grandchildren?"

"As for the next life, what does it matter if one commits all evil deeds in this life and there is no next life?"

Xue Lan slowly walked to the front of the dissipating fog.

"I'll say it again, you're meddling a bit too much."

"Evil deeds committed in the mortal world are governed by the laws of the state; when a woman enters the territory, the City God and judges will make their judgment. If an immortal insists on interfering, then we must ask the judge to use talismans."

"Immortals are not rulers of mortals!"

The woman's voice was icy cold.

"A selfish bastard dares to argue with me about justice."

The ice whip lashed down again, and all the soul energy on the black mist dissipated, leaving only a black object.

[Xue Lan, what you just said.] Xue Tong was somewhat surprised by Xue Lan's words; it didn't sound like something a person in a position of power would say.

The woman put away the black object.

"I was once a demon lord. If one were to cultivate immortality and one day establish a dynasty to rule over mortals..."

Xue Lan looked at Lujia Village not far away, where the once peaceful scene had been shattered.

Amidst the ruins, only Lu Feng leaned against the wall, drowsy and confused.

"Then their next step is to conquer the demon race and cause widespread suffering."

"This precarious Yuanming Realm may have external enemies, but we must not fight amongst ourselves and kill each other."

Xue Tong recalled how Lu Feng instigated a war between humans and demons in the original story, achieving fame and fortune in the so-called "glorious chaos," and suddenly felt extremely disgusted.

Xue Lan left Lu Feng's illusion and returned to her own body. She slowly rose from the steps.

On the Xuanling Peak Square, after the images in the central mirror changed several times, they locked onto a small gray figure.

Xue Lan noticed the prying gaze, a gentle smile appeared on her lips, and she slowly waved her hand.

Xue Tong was speechless: [If you don't court death, you won't die.]

Dao Xuanzi, seated at the head of the table: !

The only two people present who had seen Xue Lan as a child, Master Hengyang, looked at Dao Xuanzi and communicated with him telepathically.

Master Hengyang: "Your nephew?"

Dao Xuanzi: "Your junior disciple!!!"