Ten thousand miles away.

The Demon Country, atop a desolate Snow Mountain.

A door of the Mo Sect slowly opened, and a handsome Great Demon with only one arm fell out from within, his back landing heavily on the ground, scattering a patch of snow.

"Phew..."

Cui Zhen lay in the snow, exhaling a long breath of foul air.

No matter how top-notch the Transmission Array Talisman is, conducting a long-distance Void transmission consumes a massive amount of Primordial Energy.

In addition to that,

the person entering the array needs sufficient physical strength.

With Cui Zhen's strength, he could naturally "Cross the Void," but this time, activating the Array Talisman and spanning ten thousand miles... caused him considerable injury.

Most of his mind was occupied dealing with the Path of Destruction piercing to the bone.

Cui Zhen had no time to erect a Taoist Intent barrier, nor to protect his flesh body, leaving him to withstand the Void Torrent head-on.

This ten-thousand-mile crossing.

His skin was cut with hundreds, if not thousands, of crimson marks.

The faint demon blood spread out, staining several feet around him red, but these wounds soon fully healed, even without the "Undying Spring," as he still possessed top-tier self-healing regenerative ability.

Cui Zhen closed his eyes, breathing in the cold air of the Demon Country.

"Great Venerable..."

A soft voice suddenly echoed from behind.

"How did you get so badly injured?"

A woman who had been waiting there for a long time, without saying a word, now squatted down and took out a clean silk cloth to carefully wipe the blood stains from Cui Zhen's face.

Cui Zhen silently enjoyed the woman's service.

He did not open his eyes, as if he was in a light slumber, while his mind replayed the scenes from earlier.

After a moment.

Cui Zhen suddenly chuckled and said, "Xie Xuanyi is indeed formidable... Wu Jiu is definitely no match for him, no wonder even someone of 'Chi Fu's' caliber would suffer..."

"Xie Xuanyi..."

The woman spoke softly, looking at the handsome Great Demon's broken arm with grievance, saying, "He is the one who severed your arm?"

"Heh..."

Cui Zhen heard this and did not become angry; instead, he chuckled softly.

He tried lifting his severed arm.

From the ragged wound at the stump, dense moisture steamed forth, followed by a rush of endless Yin Erosion gas from the wound. A blurred arm took shape, slowly regenerating white bones, and then flesh.

"I suppose so."

Cui Zhen slowly moved his arm, clenching and releasing his fist.

The reason for losing an arm was due to the terrible confrontation location. He had to escape the Sword Qi Nail Kill of [Chen Ke] quickly, without a moment to spare for lingering in battle.

After unleashing the killer move.

Cui Zhen dared not guarantee that Xie Xuanyi would still crush the Lotus Token and call for reinforcements.

That Desolate Ridge was only a dozen miles from the Sword Palace.

With the ability of a Yang God expert to cross the void, once they received the Lotus Communication Order, it would take only a few breaths to arrive from departure.

If it were Zhao Chunyang, it would be even faster, possibly completing a spatial lock in the blink of an eye.

"I've heard Xie Xuanyi is a millennium prodigy of the Human Race."

The woman continued to speak softly, "He... is currently only in the Yin God Realm..."

"That's right."

Cui Zhen laughed easily, "He is indeed only in the Yin God Realm."

A while ago.

News of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace's three Yang Gods heading south to retrieve the throne was abuzz, known to everyone.

Wu Jiu, Dead Phoenix, Chi Fu.

The three Great Venerables ventured south together, successfully retrieving the throne, but it came at a significant cost...

It's said Chi Fu is still recovering from injuries.

The battle at Jinli Mountain put Xie Xuanyi's name back into the view of the Great Cultivators of the Demon Country.

"The 'throne' retrieved by the Heavenly Phoenix Palace seems to have an extraordinary relationship with him too..."

The female Great Demon said, her expression becoming somewhat resentful, with a touch of hatred in her tone, "Those fools from the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, are they all crazy? That stray who wandered outside for decades is worthy of sitting on the throne? Great Venerable, they should leave the 'throne' for you; it's rightfully yours."

"..."

Cui Zhen's expression didn't change.

He simply smiled lightly, stretching out his hand to signal the woman to come closer.

The woman kneeled in the snow, quickly leaning closer, with Cui Zhen nestled in her embrace, using herself as a pillow, her snow-white fingers gently and slowly pressing the handsome Great Demon's head.

"Great Venerable."

The woman pondered a moment, then spoke again: "If you wish to reclaim the throne of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, Ye Ling is willing to follow you unto death."

"Ye Ling."

Upon hearing this, Cui Zhen shook his head and tiredly said, "Is the throne of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace something very precious?"

Ye Ling was taken aback.

The throne of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace... bore the supreme honor of the Demon Country.

Like the Emperor of the Great Chu?

Who wouldn't desire to be above all in the Demon Country?

In this millennium, how many have reached the top, how many have sat on the throne?

"I once lost everything."

Cui Zhen said softly, "Among the things I lost... the throne was the least important. Graced by heaven, I have the chance to try again, and this time, I want no more ties with the 'throne.' As for the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, I don't wish to have any more connections."

The snow danced and fell upon that stunningly beautiful face.

Contrasted against that face, the falling snow seemed dirty, tainted.

This handsome Great Demon who had once ascended the world's supreme heights, at this moment, appeared so breathtakingly beautiful as to move the soul.

"..."

Ye Ling silently gazed at the handsome face in her embrace, finding it somewhat unfamiliar.

Having followed the Great Venerable for so many years.

The image of the Great Venerable in her mind was decisive, high-spirited, with a commanding presence over vast mountains and rivers.

But now, it was as if a swordsman had broken his blade, a Sword Cultivator had cast aside his treasured sword, and what emanated from his chest was all a sense of deep melancholy.

"You needn't worry."

Cui Zhen seemed to have guessed Ye Ling's thoughts; he suddenly opened his eyes, lazily smiled, and said, "What I wish to do hasn't changed. I still want to conquer this world... but this time, I won't be as foolish as before. The muddy waters of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, I will not wade through again."

Ye Ling gazed directly into those eyes.

Dark and profound like an ink sea, but within the deepest depths, a fierce fire burned.

Just with this one statement.

She understood that the Great Venerable was still very much the Great Venerable.

"Understood."

Ye Ling smiled, veering away from the topic of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, and instead, with concern, asked, "That Human Race Sword Cultivator named Xie Xuanyi, is he a reincarnator like you? To defeat someone like you in the Yin God Realm, he must be a monstrous talent who reached 'Ultimate Perfection' in a past life, right?"

"Who says I was defeated?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Zhen proudly raised his brows.

He lifted his arm, gazing through the fingertip gaps of the newly-grown hand at the increasingly furious snow, smiling meaningfully, "I used the 'Nether Feather Fan,' and that brat's injuries... will only be worse than mine."

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