Chapter 775

Chapter 775: Where to Go

Ye Yun turned to look at the dejected Qing Li and gently patted her slightly lowered head, chuckling, "Don’t worry. Since I’m repaying my debt, I’ll definitely take good care of you. You can rest assured."

He needed to ease the girl’s anxiety. Living with someone constantly wary of him surely kept her nerves taut—a situation he wished to avoid. Though he had no perfect solution for her predicament, he hoped to find more ways to settle her peacefully.

As for her future cultivation, he thought it might not be bad if she became an ordinary Devil Race member living out her natural life and death. Even if she desired to cultivate, the Spirit Herb Continent’s utter lack of demonic energy posed an insurmountable barrier.

A Devil Race without demonic energy was no different from a mortal unable to cultivate. The demonic energy sustaining her now came from Magic Weapons he’d acquired. Though currently sufficient, it would eventually dwindle to nothing.

Though reluctant to dwell on it, he had to find Qing Li a suitable path—one free of lifelong fear and tension. Otherwise, ending her life now would be kinder.

Noticing the Ancestor had fallen silent, Ye Yun gazed at the flickering scenery. While it calmed him, it offered no solace to the anxious girl beside him. Even if she wanted to trust his earlier words, lingering unease remained inevitable.

"Master, are we stopping here?" Qing Li’s pink eyes betrayed her tension. Her mood had improved slightly, but Mo Tianxiao’s words sank her heart anew. As Ye Yun’s servant, peaceful coexistence with humans remained impossible.

Suspicion would inevitably fall upon her, and she could only endure it. This treatment was expected for a Devil Race member—had humans entered the Demon Realm, they’d suffer far worse.

Though immensely fortunate, Qing Li felt inexplicably discontent. If Ye Yun treated her as an ordinary human girl, perhaps hope might linger. But as a powerless succubus unable to cultivate, she feared being seen as mere decoration.

Ye Yun wasn’t one to vent frustrations, so her safety wasn’t at risk. Yet his detached kindness bred quiet resentment. He was her sole reliance, while she doubted she held unique importance to him.

She couldn’t understand why she felt this way. Perhaps because Ye Yun was the first to show kindness after her escape—that explanation had to suffice.

As dusk deepened, Qing Li obediently stood beside Ye Yun, uncertainty gnawing at her. She mimicked his actions, cautiously learning what to do.

Noticing her wariness, Ye Yun pretended ignorance. Mo Tianxiao’s remarks likely caused this. With Mo Tianxiao recovering spiritual power and true qi, Ye Yun lacked time to comfort her.

Though fond of her, his feelings stemmed from gratitude alone. Yet seeing her anxiety, he turned to the idle Mo Tianxiao and sighed, "Qing Li, are you hiding something? You seem afraid of me."

"N-no! A servant should fear her master. Before my capture, I saw other Devil Race servants. You treat me well—how could I fear you? I just… wish to maintain proper etiquette." She shook her head hurriedly.

"The Devil Race has such etiquette? Rare indeed." Ye Yun smiled wryly at her excuses. "Could you explain your customs? I know little of Devil Race ways. But I won’t force you."

"Of course! Since my clan abandoned me, human-Devil distinctions mean nothing." Qing Li nodded. Being needed by Ye Yun sufficed—whether he’d discard her later didn’t bear considering.

Even her remaining value belonged to him. She didn’t understand this devotion but refused to dwell on it. After long contemplation, she recalled how little she’d learned from the steles—the Devil Race’s vastness dwarfed her scant knowledge.

"What should I explain first?" She carefully avoided his gaze.

"Start with your succubus clan. I’m curious." Her surprised expression made him chuckle.

"We occupy an awkward position." Excitement flickered, then faded as she lowered her head. "Our combat strength is pathetic—we endure others’ attacks and avoid interaction."

"Endure attacks? Yet your status should exceed ordinary Devil Races." Ye Yun frowned. During his Celestial Tower ascent, succubi’s threat had been clear—even the Ancestor nearly fell to their charms, as did the seventh level’s late Heavenly Immortal guardian.

"Not exactly. Thanks to Lord Qingluo, we gained independence from Devil Race subjugation. But mere millennia after he became a demon god, we invaded the human realm. Lord Qingluo ignored this, and the doting Demon King indulged us."

"After Lord Qingluo killed the Heavenly Demon, our clan declined catastrophically—prosperity and ruin both stemmed from him." Bitterness tinged her voice. A race’s fate hinging on one individual seemed tragically fickle.

"Many clansmen didn’t understand Lord Qingluo’s actions but accepted the coming disgrace. Most prepared for soul shattering—weak as we are, dignity remains." Her voice caught, recalling how only a stumbled-upon spatial gate saved her from similar fate.

"The Demon King’s actions sound excessively harsh." Ye Yun didn’t confess slaying the Heavenly Demon himself. Though Qing Li likely wouldn’t resent him, the truth felt irrelevant—a triviality unworthy of mention.

"My Devil Race knowledge is limited. Curious about flight, I once glimpsed winged clansmen. During clan visits, I’d steal glances—they were rare, or perhaps my timing was poor. Training often made me forget to peek."

She glanced surreptitiously at Ye Yun, relieved by his neutral expression. Waving hands above her head, she added, "But you let me touch the sky—an amazing first experience!"

Ye Yun simply smiled. Unnoticed, the Ancestor roused and chuckled, "Told you this lass has a good heart. See?"

"Indeed, it was far better than ordinary Devil Race members, but that couldn’t deny her identity. You should remember the demon gods I faced on the Celestial-Demon battlefield all belonged to her clan." Ye Yun unconsciously glanced at his hand as he spoke – this pale palm had stained itself with the blood of multiple demon gods.

"What difference does it make? Those abandoned by the Devil Race no longer care about their kind. They merely yearn for their homeland. Wasn’t that demon god you met in the Celestial Tower the same?" The Ancestor pondered before slowly responding.

"Ah, him." Ye Yun recalled the handsome man devoured by his demon spirit, who first revealed his ferocious madness when his homeland was insulted. At the time, Ye Yun had wondered why a Devil Race member would react thus. Now he realized his own actions had provoked that desperate counterattack.

Ultimately, the demon god couldn’t escape being devoured. The demon spirit born from the world’s rules could withstand pure celestial and demonic energies – a fortunate coincidence. Had that woman not enhanced him, his body might have crumbled under the Heavenly Demon’s essence.

"Chuckle. This Ancestor naturally understands. But don’t undervalue yourself. Enduring such power proves your worth. Excessive modesty becomes false humility." The Ancestor remarked.

"Just sudden reminiscence." Ye Yun smiled at the Ancestor’s comfort, observing Qing Li dozing beside him. Closing his eyes briefly, he began assimilating the Extreme Cold Inheritance.

When his eyes reopened, Ye Yun beheld an ice-locked realm where everything appeared sculpted from frost. Reaching towards the falling snowflakes, he exhaled a misty breath, contemplating this frozen world.

As his consciousness merged with the inheritance, a dark silhouette materialized behind him. Turning to face his mirror image – identical save for snow-white hair – Ye Yun sighed ruefully.

"Cease your hostility. Though I regret our inevitable merger, remember this union requires my consent too." Ye Yun’s skin prickled under the demonic energy leaking from his double’s eyes.

"Has your Cold Aura progressed enough to affect me?" Ye Yun studied his demonic aspect. His current state shouldn’t permit receiving Xuelian’s inheritance. Perhaps absorbing this realm’s frigid energies caused unexpected effects.

"Impossible. Complete assimilation would leave no chance for resistance." Dismissing his own conjecture, Ye Yun felt unexpected hope. Merging after reaching Earth Immortal realm might restore his true self and complete the pure-hearted nature divided by demonic energy – though still inferior to Mo Wenxian’s genuine purity.

Mind and heart differed fundamentally, Ye Yun realized through recent insights. With demonic energy safely contained, he only needed await his ice spiritual power’s growth before final integration.

"Seize this Heavenly Immortal rule." Black light coalesced in Ye Yun’s palm, voraciously absorbing the ice energy. Colossal frost beasts materialized, charging to halt the theft.

"Total absorption proves ineffective. Another method next time." Snuffing the black light, Ye Yun retreated through a glowing portal as ice behemoths crushed his soul fragment.

Departing, he ignored the demonic glint in the beasts’ eyes. Left behind, the frozen "Ye Yun" suddenly stirred, halting demonic energy leakage as it absorbed extreme cold power across thousand miles.

"Result?" The Ancestor inquired upon Ye Yun’s return.

"Neither good nor bad – fifty-fifty. Had I lingered, my soul might’ve frozen solid." Ye Yun smiled faintly.

"Dangerous indeed. Timely escape shows the demon souls remain controlled. Were they to actively absorb the inheritance…" The Ancestor trailed off meaningfully.

"True." Ye Yun nodded.

Qing Li mirrored his smile despite understanding nothing. Ye Yun patted her head amusedly. "Why so cheerful?"

"When Master smiles, shouldn’t Qing Li smile too?" She tilted her head under his touch.

"Your consideration embarrasses me more than silence would." Warmth flickered in Ye Yun’s heart as he turned to Mo Tianxiao, now recovering.

"Status?" Ye Yun asked as Mo Tianxiao awoke.

"Nearly recovered. Red City approaches. Another Great Sky Teleportation Array should bring us to Lingxiao City." Mo Tianxiao grinned, having reached peak Earth Immortal Seventh Level – one step from joining Spirit Herb Continent’s main combat forces.

"Returning to her domain? Let’s revisit Red Qian Building’s True Dragon Feast." Ye Yun proposed. "But I’ll need hours there."

"Rare for Brother Ye to indulge! Their banquets excel but cost dearly." Mo Tianxiao laughed. "I’ll visit Beast Blood Pavilion – exhausted my reserves against those beast kings."

"To withstand two Earth Immortal Seventh Level beast kings… he held back during our duel." Ye Yun mused. Their contest had tested Sword Path will, not true cultivation method-powered combat.

Gazing at the night scene’s stars outshone by a crescent moon, Ye Yun dismissed these thoughts. The Immortal Dao Sect’s Elder position – though timing remained unclear – would provide ideal camouflage for surviving this turbulent land.