Chapter 594: Priest Lingyin

Based on her understanding of Jiang Fan, he wouldn't fall silent without a reason. He must have been analyzing something.

This made Consort Yunxia find it incredible. How could Jiang Fan, a human, be involved with the aloof Priest lineage?

"I'm asking you, what's your relationship with the Priest lineage?"

Consort Yunxia's curiosity was piqued.

Jiang Fan replied noncommittally, "Then let's first discuss your relationship with the Demon Emperor."

Consort Yunxia was getting frustrated. She had just managed to uncover some unknown information about the Priest lineage, but Jiang Fan, however, began to tease her.

"Forget it then," Consort Yunxia said.

"Alright, conversation over."

Jiang Fan decisively closed his silent communication channel.

Consort Yunxia was annoyed. She gently pounded her thigh. That scoundrel, he really closed it! Breaking off a conversation mid-sentence was asking for divine retribution!

"What's wrong, Yunxia?" the Demon Emperor suddenly turned his head, looking strangely at Consort Yunxia, who had an angry expression.

"N-nothing, I just got angry thinking about how Venerable Qinghe lured the ancient giant to attack and harmed Chunni like that." Consort Yunxia hurriedly tried to cover up. Unconsciously, she had lied to the Demon Emperor again.

The Demon Emperor nodded slightly, saying, "We'll settle this score with him later. I will personally seek an explanation for both of you." After speaking, he withdrew his gaze.

Consort Yunxia breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, while secretly fuming. Jiang Fan, that little scoundrel, almost made her give herself away.

Several days later, at the Demon Clan's Sacred Altar.

In a valley not far away, a hundred flowers bloomed, and green trees provided shade. A gentle breeze whispered, and spring water gurgled. Insects, fish, birds, and beasts roamed freely in the valley.

Yue'er sat alone by a small stream. She held a small white rabbit in her arms, its tiny mouth munching on a green leaf. Yue'er stroked its soft fur, her eyes blank as she gazed absently at the stream. The clear water reflected her beautiful youthful face, and it also reflected a trace of her sorrow.

Suddenly, a dreamlike, breathtakingly beautiful young girl's face also appeared in the water's reflection. It was a beauty not of this world—pure, clean, and so beautiful it made one forget themselves. The fish in the water instinctively swam closer, circling the reflection. The peach blossoms by the stream also began to fall, even though it was their peak blooming season. They drifted away with the flowing water. Yue'er's already beautiful face seemed utterly ordinary before this suddenly appearing, flawless countenance.

Yue'er abruptly sat up. She looked at Lingyin, who had appeared behind her at some point, and spoke cautiously, "Mother."

Lingyin quietly looked at her and said, "You're hiding something from me." It was a statement, not a question.

Ever since returning from the Battle of Jieshan, Yue'er had been distracted and lost in thought from time to time. There was also a hint of sadness between her brows. She even deliberately avoided her.

Yue'er's heart pounded. She shook her head and said, "No. I haven't recovered from the defeat of the great battle yet. Mother, I'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry."

Lingyin's dreamily beautiful face showed no ripple of emotion. She softly asked, "Who did you give the Spirit-Link Worm to?"

The sudden question made Yue'er tremble violently from soul to body. Her lovely eyes widened, and she wanted to continue lying. But under Lingyin's deep gaze, she felt a chilling sensation, as if everything about her had been seen through. The lie on her lips couldn't be uttered.

"Mother... how did you know?" Yue'er cringed, feeling as if her world had just collapsed. The very thing she feared her mother would know, her mother now knew. But how did she know? She had clearly kept it a secret. Could it be that Haima reported her?

"I guessed," Lingyin said calmly, as if even the sky falling wouldn't change her expression. How could she not understand her own daughter? Daydreaming, distracted, avoiding her—these were not the signs of someone who had simply suffered a defeat. Rather, it was like she had done something wrong that could not be forgiven.

"Who is that person? Is he a Venerable of the Soul Transformation Realm?" Lingyin asked. The Priest lineage must have powerful descendants. This was an iron rule!

Yue'er lowered her head and shook it.

The water in the stream suddenly sped up, making a rushing sound. The lonely peach tree also trembled, shedding more petals.

"Is it a Venerable of the Nascent Soul Realm?" Lingyin asked again.

Yue'er's head was buried in her chest. Her slender figure trembled.

"Golden Core Realm?" Lingyin's jade-like face still remained calm and composed. But the green grass beneath her feet withered and rotted at a visible pace. The stream boiled, emitting rolling steam, and the fish in the stream floated to the surface in droves, bellies up. The peach tree's pink blossoms visibly lost their color, eventually turning into black, withered petals. The entire bright valley quickly became gloomy and overcast, with cold winds howling.

Thud—

Yue'er knelt down in terror, prostrating herself on the ground, saying, "Mother. Your child is guilty. To save my life, I injected the Spirit-Link Worm into an enemy's body. I have defiled the Priest lineage. I beg Mother to grant me death."

Lingyin was silent for a long time. She said, "Is that person Jiang Fan?"

Yue'er trembled. She hadn't expected her mother to deduce the exact person. She immediately admitted, "It's him. Mother, please kill me. If I can perish along with the Demon Clan's greatest threat, then my death will be worthwhile."

Lingyin gently closed her eyes. Once she confirmed it was indeed Jiang Fan, the entire valley trembled slightly. What was Jiang Fan's cultivation level? How could he be worthy of siring offspring for the Priest lineage? A moment later, she slowly opened them.

"Rise."

Yue'er looked up in surprise: "Mother, you... you're not blaming me?"

Lingyin calmly said, "You act impulsively, without considering the consequences. Using the Spirit-Link Worm to save your life was expected. It's just that I didn't expect it to be someone at the early Golden Core stage."

Upon hearing this, Yue'er was filled with immense shame. She was a Golden Core Stage Nine powerhouse of her generation. To be chased by a mere human junior at Golden Core Stage Two to the point of using the Spirit-Link Worm. It was truly absurd. Theoretically, one would only resort to using the Spirit-Link Worm at least at the perfected Golden Core Stage Nine, or the Nascent Soul Realm. But the reality was incredibly preposterous.

"Mother, please punish me; kill me," Yue'er said, overcome with mortification.

Lingyin said indifferently, "It hasn't come to that. Just retrieve the Spirit-Link Worm from his soul."

Yue'er's lovely eyes widened: "Mother, once the Spirit-Link Worm is released, it completely merges with the other person's soul. How can it be retrieved? That's an irreversible iron rule!"

Lingyin said calmly, "I will resolve it."

Those four simple words were like a stabilizer. They brought a look of joy to the anxious Yue'er. As far back as she could remember, everything her mother had ever said had come true, without a single exception. Since she said she would resolve it, she must have found a solution to the Spirit-Link Worm's intractable problem.

Lingyin said: "I need some time to prepare. Don't go out. There will be a major change in the Demon Clan soon."

"A major change? The Demon Clan?" Yue'er was bewildered. With the Demon Emperor presiding over them, what major change could there be?

Just then, a bird flew over and landed on Lingyin's shoulder. It spoke in the Demon Clan's language.

"The Demon Emperor has returned. He brought back Consort Yunxia, and the human, Jiang Fan."