Chapter 510: Crazy Plan

Leng Qingzhu and a few others happened to walk over, and they were all stunned by what they heard.

“Senior Brother Jian, is that a joke?” Leng Qingzhu found the remark utterly baffling.

Jiang Fan also snapped back to his senses, and quickly said, “Senior Brother Jian, please don’t joke. My life being linked to this demoness is already a disgrace. If I’m also bound to her in marriage, I’d rather die!”

Yao Yue stamped her foot in anger, gritting her teeth as she retorted, “As if anyone wants to be bound in marriage to a scoundrel like you!”

This remark left Jiang Fan uneasy. “Senior Brother Jian,” he urged, “quickly tell me this isn’t true!”

Jian Linyuan smiled faintly: “Junior Brother, I just said it. The Twin Soul Worms are nurtured by the High Priestess from birth, using her soul and vital essence. After such a huge sacrifice, it can’t just be to find someone to die with, can it? What would be the point of that?”

He paused. Jian Linyuan’s smile became even more meaningful: “The Twin Soul Worms have another name. They are called the ‘Winged Lovers Worms.’ These are the worms released only when a demon High Priestess chooses a mate.”

At this point, Jiang Fan’s expression had already turned grim. But Jian Linyuan wasn’t finished.

“On each of the two worms, demon vows are inscribed. If the host violates the vow, the worm will self-destruct, destroying the host. As far as I know, the female worm usually has vows like ‘loyal to the partner, never serve two masters’ inscribed on it. While the male worm will have vows like ‘forever united, cherish and protect’ inscribed on it. Of course, the vows inscribed by each generation’s High Priestess are different; perhaps Priestess Yao Yue even added some other vows.”

“What?” Jiang Fan’s face twisted into an incredibly ugly expression. He grabbed Yao Yue by the collar again and shouted, “Have you no shame? You actually cursed me with such a worm?”

Yao Yue, for once feeling guilty, averted her gaze and mumbled, “You were the one who forced me to take you down with me. I didn’t have any other good options. This was the only way.”

“You!” Jiang Fan raised his fist, about to deliver a powerful blow. But from the depths of his soul, a tremor spread – it was the Twin Soul Worm warning him!

Everything Jian Linyuan had said was true!

“Damn it!” Not only could he not kill her, but now he couldn’t even hit her!

Jian Linyuan frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his voice: “Junior Brother Jiang, you’re like a well-fed man who doesn’t understand the hunger of a starving one. Every generation of demon High Priestesses is said to be of breathtaking beauty, capable of toppling kingdoms. Furthermore, their primal yin has immense benefits for both cultivators and demons, offering unparalleled fortune. For demons, it greatly enhances their physique; for humans, it significantly boosts their cultivation. Countless supreme powerhouses have wished to marry a demon High Priestess, but never had the chance. This is because demon High Priestesses are extremely selective about their mates. Only then can they produce exceptionally talented offspring.”

Jian Linyuan stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly privy to all these secrets. “For example, the previous generation’s demon High Priestess was also said to be of unparalleled beauty. However, even the current Demon Emperor’s proposal to marry her was rejected. She traveled far beyond the realm and committed herself to a great senior of the Soul Transformation stage, only then giving birth to Yao Yue, a descendant of astonishing talent. Junior Brother Jiang, you’ve enjoyed a blessing that only a great cultivator of the Soul Transformation stage could hope for. Yet you still look as if you’ve suffered a loss. It’s truly infuriating!”

The four accompanying disciples from the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets, who had initially watched with amusement, became incredibly envious when they learned of the many benefits of uniting with a demon High Priestess!

“Junior Brother Jiang, if you’re unwilling, I, your Senior Brother, will gladly take your place!”

“You truly don’t appreciate the blessings you have!”

“Is this some kind of reverse boast?”

Jiang Fan sighed deeply, then recounted what the demoness had done. “I barely had time to kill her, and now I’m bound to her in marriage? How can that still be a blessing?”

Upon learning the reason, no one present could laugh anymore.

Jian Linyuan cupped his hands and said apologetically, “Your Senior Brother was unaware such a great battle had occurred at Realm Mountain. Please forgive my ignorance, Junior Brother Jiang, and please accept my condolences.”

He finally understood why Jiang Fan was so distressed. On one side was hatred, on the other was a marital bond. Intertwined, they formed a cursed fate. Anyone in his shoes wouldn’t be happy.

“However…” He paused, then glanced at the rather pathetic-looking Yao Yue and said, “Your Senior Brother has something to say; Junior Brother, listen if you can. If you can’t, then just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Jian Linyuan chose his words carefully, speaking tactfully: “Throughout history, wars have always been games where the powerful elites contend for benefits. The middle ranks are their hands, and the lower ranks are pawns in their hands. It’s true that Priestess Yao Yue was the commander of this great battle, but if not for the Demon Emperor’s command, why would she have sent troops? She is guilty, but not the primary culprit.”

He stopped there, saying no more.

Jiang Fan remained silent. Jian Linyuan’s words were very objective; they transcended the human perspective. However, having personally experienced the battle, witnessed so many people fall, and even carried Fu Chaojun’s regrets, how could he transcend it? He was human. He had to stand from a human perspective. It was true that the Demon Emperor was the mastermind behind everything, but Yao Yue was also unforgivably guilty!

Sensing Jiang Fan’s icy gaze, Yao Yue showed no fear. “Kill me or dismember me, do as you please! And don’t expect me to repent for the human dead! I am a demon; everything I did aligns with the demon race’s stance, so I did nothing wrong!”

Murderous intent flickered in Jiang Fan’s eyes, but he couldn’t kill her. He couldn’t even let others kill her.

Rumbling—

The demon beast army finally arrived. A vast, dark mass, exuding a terrifying demonic aura.

Jian Linyuan’s expression changed, and he said, “Junior Brother Jiang, hurry and leave! This demon beast army has a general of the Ninth-layer Core Formation stage commanding it! We almost ran into them earlier.”

A glimmer of hope appeared in Yao Yue’s eyes. Her delicate body struggled, breaking free from Jiang Fan’s hand, and she huffed, “If you want to kill me, do it now! Otherwise, you’ll never have another chance.”

Jiang Fan’s expression shifted. This demon beast army would be a catastrophic disaster for the remaining disciples of the Nine Sects on Realm Mountain. If they truly marched south, everyone would die. Hearing Jian Linyuan and the others urging him, seeing Yao Yue’s stubborn gaze before him, and with the vast demon beast army approaching ahead, Jiang Fan’s mind raced.

His gaze suddenly turned cold, and he grabbed Yao Yue by the collar, huffing: “Only when the stone hits your own foot will you feel the pain. Before, you only sacrificed corpses. Now, let’s see how you feel when you watch your own kind suffer a tragic death at the hands of others!”

Yao Yue was startled: “What are you trying to do?”

Jiang Fan ignored her. Instead, he looked at Jian Linyuan and the others: “Senior Brothers and Sisters, do you have enough demon cores stored? If not, your Junior Brother invites everyone to try something audacious.”

Jian Linyuan’s gaze shifted, sweeping over the densely packed army of corpses behind them. He immediately understood Jiang Fan’s intention. “Junior Brother, do you intend to command the corpse army to fight the demon beast army?” He frowned, not thinking it was a good plan. “If so, Junior Brother, please be careful. Although the corpse army has over two thousand, they are all reanimated corpses with fragile bones and weak combat power. The demon beast army, however, consists of real, flesh-and-blood demon beasts with vigorous combat power; one demon beast can easily take on five corpses. If Junior Brother had an army of ten thousand corpses, destroying over a thousand demon beasts would naturally be easy. But now, it’s tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg.”

The other six disciples of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets nodded slightly, agreeing that it seemed like a suicide mission.

Jiang Fan’s eyes narrowed as he said, “What if we catch them by surprise?”