Later, Meng Shuying wandered many roads and experienced countless trials, spending years searching for any trace of her master. However, it was as if her master had vanished into thin air, leaving no clues behind. Unable to suppress her advancing cultivation any longer, Meng Shuying returned to Qionghua Peak to prepare for the formation of her Nascent Soul.
The process of forming her Nascent Soul was anything but smooth. In addition to enduring the heavenly tribulation, she had to constantly guard against her master, Min Lanmeng, who hovered nearby, coveting her body and attempting to possess her. Min Lanmeng's intentions were obvious, but as a disciple, Meng Shuying couldn't openly refuse her "assistance." Forced to be on constant alert, she eventually succeeded in forming her Nascent Soul but accidentally killed Min Lanmeng in the process, resulting in her being accused of the crime of patricide and becoming a fugitive from the Qingxu Sect.
During the years she spent hiding and fleeing, the resentment in Meng Shuying's heart grew steadily. Perhaps that resentment had always been there, lying dormant while her master was present. But after her master's disappearance, Meng Shuying's temperament grew increasingly darker, and the seeds of hatred began to sprout, breaking through the soil and flourishing unchecked.
Her life had been one of isolation and hardship, marked by a relentless struggle for survival.
Her hatred accumulated, eventually overflowing.
So one day, she decided to stop hiding.
Since she was already in hell, she would drag everyone down with her.
Fuguang watched Meng Shuying with a smirk, amusement dancing in his eyes.
When the golden light entered her body, a brilliant, multicolored radiance briefly surrounded Meng Shuying. However, the light soon began to be consumed by an overwhelming dark aura.
The dark aura grew rapidly, soon rivalling the multicolored light.
The multicolored light gradually dimmed, flickering like a dying flame on the verge of being extinguished.
But it seemed that Meng Shuying's innate resilience refused to let the light fade easily, and the glow persisted stubbornly, just like its owner.
Fuguang waited patiently for a long time, watching as the light struggled to remain.
Finally, just as he was about to lose his patience and prepare to intervene, the light flickered one last time before it was completely snuffed out.
At that moment, Meng Shuying slowly opened her eyes.
With just one look, Fuguang knew that the person before him was the Meng Shuying he was familiar with.
Her expression was grim, and a dark aura surrounded her. Her deep, black eyes seemed like bottomless pools, lifeless and cold.
She stood there as if she were one with the surrounding darkness.
This filled Fuguang with immense joy, a sense of satisfaction clear on his face.
However, Meng Shuying did not share his happiness. She gave him a cold glance before pressing her hand to her chest, frowning as she asked, "Where is my divine bone?"
The next moment, she sharply turned her gaze to Fuguang, her eyes flashing with a deadly, venomous glint.
Despite knowing that Meng Shuying had only regained her memories and had not yet absorbed the divine bone to ascend as a Demon Lord, rendering her no match for him, Fuguang instinctively reined in his mocking attitude, a more serious expression replacing it, though he couldn't help but smile.
"Of course, it's with me," he said, pausing before adding, "I went to great lengths to obtain that complete divine bone."
He had sent out multiple groups, all of whom had met their end in the Qingxu Sect.
Recalling something, he shook his head and continued, "Fortunately, the Qingxu Sect isn't as united as it appears. Your master, Min Lanmeng, was as greedy and foolish in both lives."
She had been easily swayed by him, willingly stealing the divine bone and delivering it to him.
Hearing that familiar name again, Meng Shuying's expression remained unchanged. She stretched out her hand, palm up, and coldly demanded, "Give me the divine bone."
Fuguang's irritation flared at her indifference, and his tone grew impatient, "What if I refuse?"
His voice lowered, and the pressure in the air suddenly intensified. "Meng Shuying, it seems you still don't understand the situation. This time is different from the last. I've healed from my old wounds, and the divine bone is in my possession. Even without you, I can easily unite the two realms."
"Oh, really?" Meng Shuying's tone was calm as she assessed Fuguang with a cold gaze. "Uniting the two realms… I doubt it's as easy as you make it sound. Otherwise, why would you bother waking me up? Let me guess—"
She paused, considering for a moment before speaking again, "If I'm not mistaken, the half-divine bone given to me by the fox spirit could only heal your injuries but couldn't extend your life."
The complete divine bone that should have been hers—Fuguang must have tried multiple times but failed to absorb it. That was why he had sought out Meng Shuying again.
Her voice was steady, but Fuguang's expression darkened, and his face grew visibly more agitated.
Having his deepest fear exposed was enough to unsettle anyone.
Meng Shuying seemed unfazed by his darkening expression and continued, "You and I both know that there is a balance between the human and demon realms. While there may be no immortals in the human realm right now, the moment you step over that line, Wen Miaomiao will ascend. But if you don't take that step—"
She shook her head, her tone firm, "If you don't draw upon Kunlun's spiritual veins to prolong your life, you won't live much longer."
Fuguang wanted to live but was constrained by the rules of heaven and earth, unable to easily invade the human realm to seize Kunlun's spiritual veins. That was why, in the previous life, he had sought out Meng Shuying to help her absorb the divine bone and ascend to immortality.
Although Meng Shuying had demon blood, she became immortal by absorbing the divine bone left by her master. Her situation was so unique that the rules of heaven and earth couldn't determine which realm she truly belonged to, allowing her to exist outside their jurisdiction.
That was why Fuguang had awakened her.
Only she could help Fuguang.
Meng Shuying extended her hand once more, palm up, and fixed her gaze on Fuguang. "The divine bone."
Despite knowing he couldn't absorb the divine bone himself, Fuguang was reluctant to hand it over. His brows furrowed, and he was about to scold Meng Shuying when he caught sight of her eyes.
There was a blood-red swirl in her gaze, a sign he knew well—it was the prelude to her fury.
If he didn't give her the divine bone soon, Meng Shuying would attack.
Fuguang sighed inwardly. Even after being reborn, Meng Shuying's temperament remained unchanged.
She was still the same as in the previous life, caring for nothing but that person and what she had left behind.
In their previous life, after Meng Shuying had ascended to immortality, they had easily driven the human cultivators to the base of Kunlun Mountain, trapping them like pigs, confined to that small patch of land.
Once everything was settled, with the human realm thoroughly defeated, Fuguang had finally been able to extract Kunlun's spiritual veins to extend his life. That was when Meng Shuying quietly left.
She embarked on a journey of searching.
By then, she was the most powerful being on the continent, yet no amount of power, wealth, or status seemed to interest her.
For many years after that, Fuguang kept an eye on her movements. Reports from his generals revealed that she had scoured every corner of the two realms, as if desperately seeking something.
Only Fuguang knew what she was looking for.
And only Fuguang knew she was destined to be disappointed.
He had always believed that after countless fruitless searches, Meng Shuying would eventually give up. But to his surprise, she spent a hundred years crafting a ship-like artifact, which she used to sail from the northernmost part of the continent toward the Endless Sea.
That was the last time Fuguang saw her.
Reflecting on the past, Fuguang felt a brief moment of wistfulness, followed by a surge of deep resentment and murderous intent.
"I should have killed those cultivators the moment I had the chance, knowing they still had a trick up their sleeves."
After he had united the two realms, Fuguang had lived in peace for many years. But one day, he woke up feeling excruciating pain coursing through his body, even before opening his eyes.
The injury had plagued him for years, and though it eventually healed, the pain remained etched deep in his bones.
The resentment in his eyes flickered briefly before Fuguang's expression returned to calm.
"Though I don't know what kind of trick Wen Miaomiao used, I crushed her like an insect once, and I can do it again."
With a wave of his hand, a soft glow emerged, gently drifting into Meng Shuying's palm.
It was a small, translucent white bone, no larger than a knuckle, emanating a gentle light. Upon touching it, one could feel a cool sensation, though it wasn't cold.
As soon as the divine bone made contact with her skin, Meng Shuying trembled.
After absorbing the divine bone in her previous life, it had become an integral part of her body, accompanying her through countless years.
They had been together for so long that the divine bone had become inseparable from her being. Even though she had not yet absorbed it in this life, touching it again filled her with a deep sense of loss and recovery.
"The divine bone is yours now. Take your time absorbing it. I have many other matters to attend to, so I won't be able to keep an eye on you," Fuguang said, his gaze drifting beyond the barrier to where Su Luowei was, "As for your little lover... handle her as you see fit, but don't let her ruin our plans."
In the previous life, it had taken Meng Shuying years to absorb the divine bone fully, so Fuguang knew that rushing her would be futile. He was unwilling to continue arguing with her.
Moreover, Fuguang was confident that he knew his daughter well. He believed that in Meng Shuying's heart, there was only the person who had long since faded from the world, and nothing else mattered.
Even if she had been momentarily blinded by her current infatuation, once her memories returned, she would undoubtedly discard this woman.
Su Luowei had been walking forward, keeping a close eye on her surroundings. Suddenly, she felt a sharp sense of danger. She stopped abruptly, reaching out to grab Meng Shuying's wrist, feeling its coldness send a shiver through her.
"Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Meng Shuying asked softly, turning to face her with a gentle tone.
Su Luowei's heart tightened.
Though Meng Shuying was right beside her, and her actions and expressions seemed the same as always, something felt off to Su Luowei.
She couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but Meng Shuying seemed strangely stiff.
In that instant, Su Luowei recalled the puppet shows she had seen in the mortal world, where the puppeteer would pull the strings to make the puppet move and speak in a stilted manner.
Without hesitation, Su Luowei released Meng Shuying's wrist, drew her sword, and held it against Meng Shuying's throat, her voice cold as ice, "What are you? Where is my junior sister?"
Despite her vigilance, she had still fallen into a trap. The only question now was whether Meng Shuying was safe.
Meng Shuying looked at her blankly, seemingly startled by the sudden turn of events.
She stood frozen for a few seconds before her eyes flickered, and she seemed to regain some of her humanity.
Seeing this, Su Luowei immediately lowered her sword and asked, "What happened just now?"
Meng Shuying stared at her for a long time, her eyes filled with a turmoil of emotions that Su Luowei couldn't decipher. It was as if a deep, dark ocean was churning within her gaze, ready to swallow Su Luowei whole.
Meng Shuying closed her eyes tightly, then reopened them. When she looked at Su Luowei again, her eyes were a bottomless black, and there was a hint of wetness at the base of her long lashes.