Blood dripped steadily from the blade, thick and crimson, staining the silken sheets beneath them.
The once-pristine bed, adorned with roses and symbols of love, was now soaked in the deep red of Ye Tian's blood, creating a chilling contrast to the sweet fragrance that still lingered in the air.
The metallic scent of blood mingled with the overpowering aroma of roses, filling the bedchamber with an unsettling, suffocating sweetness.
Qing Yue stood over him, her eyes fixed on the blade protruding from his back, watching with wide-eyed fascination as his life's essence slowly drained from him.
A twisted smile curled on her lips... no, not a smile, a manic grin... one that barely concealed the madness lurking beneath.
Her heart raced, pounding against her chest in exhilaration. She had done it. After all these years of planning, waiting, and pretending, she had done the impossible.
"Heh… hehehe…" she began to giggle, almost hesitantly at first, as though she couldn't quite believe what she had just achieved.
But as the seconds ticked by and reality sank in, that giggle turned into a louder, more unhinged laugh. It started softly but grew louder with every breath, until it became a wild, maniacal cackle that echoed off the chamber walls. She clutched her sides, doubling over, her laughter spiraling into hysteria.
Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction, and her body trembled with excitement as the realization fully hit her: Ye Tian, the Absolute Demon, the most powerful being in the cosmos, was at her mercy.
"You're dead, Ye Tian!" she shrieked between bouts of crazed laughter.
"I've done it! I've finally killed you!"
Ye Tian, still seated, made no move, no sound. His body remained upright, though the blade protruding from his back should have paralyzed him, should have ended him.
His crimson blood continued to drip, pooling beneath him, but his face was expressionless, unreadable.
His blood-red eyes, half-lidded, watched Qing Yue with a calm detachment, as though he were observing a passing storm... one that could not touch him.
But Qing Yue was too far gone to notice. Her victory had consumed her, and she reveled in it. She took a step forward, standing directly in front of him, towering over the man who had once ruled the cosmos. She looked down at him, her manic grin widening.
"You…" She bent down, her face inches from his, her breath warm against his skin. She placed her hand gently on his cheek, stroking it as if to mock him.
"You never thought this day would come, did you?"
She leaned in closer, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, her voice thick with mockery.
"All those years, pretending to love you… All those years, acting like your devoted wife, like your obedient little Yue'er… You were so blind, Ye Tian. So blind to my true intentions."
Her fingers slid down his face, tracing the outline of his jaw, trying to seduce him even in this moment of triumph. She moved closer still, pressing her body against his, her lips hovering near his.
"Now, now, dear husband," she cooed, her voice sweet but filled with venom.
"I've finally made it. I've finally killed the greatest obstacle in my path to becoming the strongest."
She paused, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes, her own glistening with madness.
"I bet you don't mind, right? After all, every husband has to make sacrifices for his beloved wife."
Her hand slid down his chest, leaving a trail of blood from her fingers, the blade still embedded in his back. Her eyes darkened, her smile turning even more deranged.
"In return, when I ascend the throne of the cosmos, I'll make sure your body doesn't go to waste. I'll turn you into a jiangshi. You'll walk by my side, an undead servant bound to me for eternity." Her voice dropped to a whisper, dripping with twisted affection.
"Isn't that what you always wanted, Ye Tian? To be by my side… forever?"
She let out a giggle, the sound high-pitched and full of glee, as though the very thought filled her with ecstasy.
"And of course…" she continued, her lips curving into a wicked grin...
"I'll bear your child. Yours and only yours." Her breath quickened as she said the words, her eyes gleaming with lust and insanity.
"Won't that be beautiful? An heir… to the Demon Emperor… born from me."
She was no longer just speaking to him... she was speaking to herself, lost in her own delusional fantasy. Her mind had clearly unraveled, her sanity frayed and broken.
She stood up straight, looking down at him with a mix of triumph and desire.
"But before that, since it's our wedding night…" she purred, leaning in close again, her breath hot against his skin.
"We should enjoy ourselves, shouldn't we?"
Her lips hovered just inches away from his, her eyes half-lidded with lust as she leaned in for a kiss, ready to claim her prize.
But just before her lips could touch his, a voice... cold, mocking, and filled with disdain... cut through the air like a blade.
"What a horny bitch."
Her entire body froze. Her lips stopped just before they could meet his. The room seemed to plunge into silence, the sound of her heartbeat deafening in her ears. She pulled back, blinking rapidly, as if she hadn't heard him correctly.
"What…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She stared at him, her mind racing, trying to comprehend what she had just heard.
"What did you say…?"
Ye Tian remained seated, his face as calm and unreadable as ever. His voice had been quiet, almost bored, yet each word dripped with scorn and authority, cutting through her like a knife.
"No… no, no, no…" Qing Yue shook her head frantically, her heart pounding in her chest.
"You… you should be paralyzed by now! The poison…" Her eyes darted to the wound on his back, where the blade still protruded. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all.
"The Nine Heavens Annihilating Poison… it… it should have destroyed your soul by now… There's no way…"
Her voice trailed off, her breathing quick and shallow. She took a step back, her legs shaking as the reality of the situation slowly dawned on her.
"I… I must be dreaming… There's no way the poison didn't work…"
She was speaking to herself now, trying desperately to convince herself that what was happening wasn't real. The poison was legendary... said to be able to annihilate even the souls of Supremes. There was no way anyone could survive it.
And yet… here he was.
Suddenly, a voice... calm, authoritative, and carrying a chilling weight... echoed through the chamber once again, shaking her to her core.
"Is that so?"
The moment the words left his lips, the air in the room seemed to shift. A suffocating pressure descended upon her, making it hard to breathe. Her entire body stiffened, and a wave of cold fear washed over her.
Slowly, almost unwillingly, she turned her gaze back to Ye Tian. He hadn't moved, but there was something different... something terrifyingly wrong.
His eyes, once crimson red, were now swirling with dark energy. A black aura pulsed through his irises, coiling like serpents, consuming the vibrant red and leaving behind a void of malevolent power.
His pupils had changed, becoming thin and elongated, resembling those of a demon.
A shiver ran down Qing Yue's spine. Her hands trembled as she took another step back, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.
"N-No…" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
"This… this can't be happening…"
Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat loud and painful. She tried to look away, tried to escape the suffocating grip of his gaze, but her body refused to move. It was as if she were paralyzed... not by the poison, but by the sheer terror.
"Y-You…" she stammered, her voice trembling.
"You're supposed to be dead…!"