The small boat drifted across the seemingly endless sea. Although this area was still at a safe distance from the Endless Sea, Su Luowei felt secure enough to tease Meng Shuying.
She had already calculated everything in her mind. The boat beneath them was made of solid material, and its sides were engraved with intricate runes, clearly no ordinary vessel. Even if they encountered unexpected danger, it could hold out long enough for them to respond.
Su Luowei's playful teasing of Meng Shuying wasn't spontaneous; it was premeditated. Meng Shuying's recent behavior had been odd—she seemed to be deliberately avoiding her. Despite living and eating together, Meng Shuying avoided eye contact and didn't walk beside her. At night, she maintained a strict distance of half a foot between them as if she were afraid of offending her.
Her attitude was exceedingly respectful, even more so than when she served her at Yanmo Peak.
Su Luowei was eager to understand why her dao companion was behaving so strangely.
She had tried to ask directly and had also hinted subtly, but Meng Shuying's lips remained tightly sealed, her responses limited to "I'm fine."
No one in their right mind would believe that.
If she didn't want to talk, that was fine. Su Luowei had other methods. Since they were bonded by a dao companion contract, as soon as they entered each other's spiritual seas and their souls intertwined, everything would become clear without needing a single word.
Surrounded by Su Luowei's scent, Meng Shuying's body stiffened like a piece of wood. Seeing no response, Su Luowei leaned against her chest, wrapping her arms around her waist, their eyes meeting, noses touching. In a soft, affectionate tone, she called out, "Ah Ying."
She deliberately drew out the last syllable, turning it into a gentle hook that tugged at Meng Shuying's heart.
Su Luowei's heartbeat was fast, but Meng Shuying's was even faster.
Since they left the underground palace in the demon realm over a month ago, Meng Shuying hadn't told Su Luowei about those memories. She knew, however, that the memories from her past life had slowly merged with her current self, influencing her actions.
At first, she could pretend to be an outsider, merely observing a scene. But now, the two sets of memories had fully integrated, making her the true Meng Shuying.
This was why she had been acting so strangely.
Both she and the Meng Shuying of the past life had complicated feelings toward that person.
She was the only light in their dark lives, the only one who had shown them kindness.
The only difference was that while the current Meng Shuying had early on realized her feelings, the past Meng Shuying had remained oblivious, believing that what she felt for her master was respect, not love.
So, every time Meng Shuying wanted to be intimate with her dao companion, a voice in her mind would tell her to stop.
She's your master, and you cannot defile her.
The voice was so strong that it overpowered her own will, controlling her actions.
But now…
The moment Su Luowei leaned against her, the voice echoed in her mind again.
Hypocrite.
Meng Shuying sneered inwardly.
Let's see how long you can deceive yourself.
Driven by a sudden surge of jealousy, Meng Shuying's consciousness forcefully suppressed the voice, pulling Su Luowei close and pressing her lips against hers.
The taste of lily of the valley filled her senses. She kissed with a fierce possessiveness, stubbornly asserting her claim.
She was her dao companion—what did it matter to anyone else?
It was like a stone shattering thin ice, breaking some kind of seal.
Desire was unleashed, becoming an undercurrent that flowed into deeper, hidden places.
A wave of emotion as powerful as her love for Su Luowei surged through her, filling her body. Everything around them seemed to freeze, leaving only the softness of their kiss and the person before her.
In that moment, nothing else mattered.
Not the human realm, not the demon realm, not even immortality.
She didn't care.
Because she was complete.
The sea was calm, the vast waters holding only a single drifting boat.
Su Luowei had intended to coax Meng Shuying into opening her spiritual sea so they could dual cultivate. But after that kiss, it was as if a floodgate had opened, and Meng Shuying, who had been so distant lately, suddenly became wild.
Her dark eyes seemed to be shrouded in mist, glistening like a mountain spring in the springtime.
In the heat of the moment, Su Luowei thought she heard Meng Shuying whisper, "Never leave me, okay?"
Her breath was light, but her words carried weight.
In that instant, Su Luowei sensed a profound vulnerability in her voice. She wanted to hold Meng Shuying and comfort her, but instead, she found herself arching her body, gripping Meng Shuying's shoulders tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Her heart fluttered, and amidst the intensity, she softly replied, "Okay."
Ripples spread around the boat, but fortunately, they were far from land, and there were no other vessels nearby. Otherwise, the commotion they were causing would surely have drawn attention.
Leaning against Meng Shuying, Su Luowei let her untangle her long hair. The stickiness on her body had been cleaned, but the lingering sensations remained.
During their dual cultivation, Su Luowei had entered Meng Shuying's spiritual sea. Everything seemed normal, except for the deepened love she felt from Meng Shuying.
Meng Shuying finished tying Su Luowei's hair and kissed her on the forehead before turning her attention to her own clothes.
Su Luowei, leaning against the wooden wall, watched her and suddenly said, "Ah Ying, it seems like your cultivation has increased again. At this rate, you'll become immortal soon."
Meng Shuying glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What's so good about becoming immortal?"
In her past life, she had absorbed her master's divine bone, becoming a demon lord. But what did it matter? She still couldn't find the one she loved.
Su Luowei thought for a moment before replying seriously, "I can't really say what's good about it, but isn't it every cultivator's goal to achieve immortality?"
"I don't want that," Meng Shuying shook her head.
"Why not?" Su Luowei looked puzzled.
By this time, Meng Shuying had finished adjusting her clothing and sat down next to Su Luowei, their knees touching. Her gaze, however, was fixed on their joined knees rather than on Su Luowei.
"Senior Sister has never asked me what my dao heart is."
Su Luowei felt a slight pang of embarrassment, sensing what Meng Shuying was about to say, but she still bit her lip and asked, "What is your dao heart?"
"It's you." Meng Shuying's tone was steady, though the tips of her ears betrayed her with a subtle blush. "Back when I was on the Ninety-Ninth Step of the Ascension Platform, I saw you, Senior Sister."
The Ascension Platform.
That was so long ago, it felt like another lifetime.
Back then, Meng Shuying had stopped at the Ninety-Ninth Step, using it as an excuse for Su Luowei to reject her entry into Yanmo Peak.
So it was because of her.
Meng Shuying had liked her that early on…
Su Luowei felt a moment of daze, and then her heart began to ache, a bittersweet pain swelling inside her.
She took Meng Shuying's hand, intertwining their fingers as if this simple act could ease the ache in her heart.
"It's my fault for making you wait so long."
"It won't be like that anymore."
After passing through the calm sea, they reached the edge of the Endless Sea. From here on, every step forward would be fraught with challenges and dangers.
But Meng Shuying wasn't afraid because she had already faced these dangers in her previous life.
In that life, after searching the human and demon realms for every possible clue to find her master, Meng Shuying had entered the Endless Sea, alone and heartbroken.
For years, she drifted, finally discovering a solitary island, where she found an ancient teleportation array.
She didn't care where the array would take her—by then, she was little more than a walking corpse, indifferent to everything.
So she activated the array, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a familiar place.
The Ten Directions Abode.
—It was the residence her master had lived in before she fell.
Elsewhere, in a remote corner of the Danyang Alliance, a loud noise suddenly erupted. A black mist shot into the sky, transforming into a menacing black dragon that spewed dark energy in all directions.
At the base of the rising dragon, a massive black hole opened up, its depths unseen, as if it led to the underworld itself.
There was no need to wait for the alarm signal—the commotion had already roused the Danyang disciples from their sleep. In no time, they were flying towards the black hole, only to be struck down by the dragon's dark breath before they could even summon their defensive artifacts. They screamed, their bodies dissolving into pools of blood on the ground.
The ground was soon stained red, and the air filled with the stench of blood. Standing by the black hole, four figures exchanged glances before dropping to their knees, shouting, "Welcome, Demon Lord!"
They didn't have to wait long before sounds began to emerge from the other side of the black hole.
They heard the sounds of marching, the clattering of hooves, and the roars of giant beasts.
But amidst all these sounds, the most prominent was the unmistakable footsteps of a god.
Step by step, they came, echoing in the hearts of all present.
The Demon Lord stepped onto the blood-soaked earth, approaching them.
"Was it you who opened the seal for me?"
His voice was young, cultured, and gentle.
Jiang Ye couldn't resist lifting her head slightly, wanting to see what the Demon Lord, the subject of so many rumors, looked like.
The first thing she saw was a pair of black boots, spotless despite the bloody ground.
Her gaze moved up, taking in the black robe, as dark as the night and as splendid as the stars.
Jiang Ye had served under Min Lanmeng for many years and considered herself accustomed to fine things. After all, among the elders of the five sects, Min Lanmeng was notoriously picky, with very few things or people meeting her standards.
But compared to this robe, the garments she had once envied now seemed utterly mundane.
No, it felt blasphemous even to compare those mundane items to the Demon Lord.
If… if she could somehow attach herself to the Demon Lord…
Even if… even if he wasn't attractive, she would still want to.
After all, he was the most powerful being across both realms, capable of bringing forth storms with a mere gesture.
The thought made Jiang Ye's heart race, and she couldn't wait to see the Demon Lord's face.
But what she saw was a pair of eyes—black as ink and eerily similar to the one person she despised most.
And then, she saw nothing more.
Guided by memories of her past life, Meng Shuying led them to the island. After drifting on the sea for so long, stepping onto solid ground felt almost surreal to Su Luowei.
By that time, they both looked a little disheveled but were otherwise unharmed.
Watching Meng Shuying disembark and carefully stow away the boat, Su Luowei smiled and remarked, "We were lucky—though we encountered some wind and waves, we didn't attract any formidable sea beasts, nor did we lose our way in the sea mist."
Her lingering doubts surfaced again. At first, she hesitated, but considering their close relationship, she asked directly, "Ah Ying, have you been here before?"
Meng Shuying remained silent, and just when Su Luowei thought she wouldn't answer, she heard her softly say, "Once."
Su Luowei nodded, asking no further questions. She took Meng Shuying's hand and let her lead the way.
Meng Shuying's palm was warm, but her fingertips were cool.
Unlike the human world, the demon realm had no sun, so most plants were mosses and algae, with trees and greenery being rare. But this island was an exception, filled with towering trees so tall they seemed to reach the sky.
There was only one path leading to the island's summit, and though the island wasn't large, it took them about fifteen minutes to reach the top.
As Meng Shuying had said, there was indeed a teleportation array at the summit. However, the array seemed ancient, with no signs of any spiritual energy.
In her previous life, Meng Shuying had been a demon, less attuned to the world's laws and the flow of Dao compared to her current self. Back then, she had assumed this was an ancient teleportation array left behind by a powerful figure.
But now, standing before the array again, she could sense something different as she carefully examined the Dao patterns that formed it.
This wasn't just a teleportation array—it was also a "life" gate.
Suddenly, certain memories clicked into place.
In her past life, she had joined forces with Fu Guang to drive the human cultivators to the base of Kunlun Mountain, trapping them there forever.
Kunlun was perpetually cold and couldn't sustain that many people for long. Unless something unexpected happened, humanity would likely perish within a few centuries.
Later, she had entered the Endless Sea in search of her master. With Fu Guang indulging in pleasure and neglecting the human captives, Wen Miaomiao had managed to escape, searching for the souls of fallen immortals in hopes of finding a way to save humanity.
For countless years, Meng Shuying had drifted in the Endless Sea, her spirit waning. She should have become a ghost of the sea, but instead, she discovered this teleportation array, which transported her to the Ten Directions Abode.
And there… she glimpsed the path to salvation.