"What skulking rat dares to prevent my descent! Show yourself and die!"
Just as despair filled Yang Xiao's heart, a voice as cold and clear as the celestial wind boomed in everyone's ears.
Immediately after, a cold and arrogant woman wearing a purple Star Robe appeared above Xuan Tianxin's corpse, descending into the mortal world from the void.
The moment she appeared,
the entire world seemed to stand still.
Under the pressure of her aura, even the void trembled slightly.
And yet, this woman was incomparably beautiful, like a Divine Maiden from the highest heavens. She could make one fall in love at first sight, but upon a second glance, they would be prostrating on the ground,
not daring to harbor the slightest blasphemous thought.
It was as if a single glance in her direction was a grievous sin.
Only Yang Xiao
stared back coldly.
This was the woman he had seen through the Thousand Mechanism Eye.
"Hostility? A mere mortal dares to show hostility toward me, a god? You are truly courting death!"
Sensing Yang Xiao's gaze, Nangong Tianling raised her palm. Without even looking at him, she was about to strike.
To smash this mortal who dared show her hostility into dust.
But just then, her heart stirred. It was as if some unknown force was stopping her.
She subconsciously glanced at Yang Xiao.
A single glance.
And this high and mighty, incomparably tyrannical, powerful True Godāone who could kill with a lookāfroze.
On her beautiful face, her lips parted slightly. Her raised palm...
...simply wouldn't come down.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to kill me?"
Yang Xiao was surprised, but he showed no fear.
He rose into the air and stood before Nangong Tianling. He wasn't used to being looked down upon.
Even if the woman before him was a high and mighty True God.
Even if this act would likely cost him his life.
Yang Xiao felt not a shred of fear.
But just as he braced himself for the inevitable storm his actions would provoke, the voice of the Thousand Mechanism Eye suddenly rang out in his mind.
'Master, the crisis seems to have been resolved.'
'Resolved? What do you mean?'
Yang Xiao was stunned.
He saw that the arrogant woman who had viewed him as an antāone she could crush at her whimāwas now looking at him with pure excitement on her face. This was the same woman who, according to the Thousand Mechanism Eye, could have casually destroyed his Carefree Sect and everyone he cared about with a single strike.
Furthermore, the oppressive aura she had been exuding was now completely withdrawn.
The look she gave Yang Xiao was even a little apprehensive.
A little uneasy.
"I can't believe it... I can't believe it! I, Nangong Tianling, just arrived and I've already found you! The Miss will be overjoyed if she learns of this."
Nangong Tianling's expression was one of utter excitement.
She had come here for the sole purpose of finding the young man before her.
Sixteen years.
For the sixteen years since the Miss's disappearance, she had cultivated desperately. Then, half a year ago, she had finally broken through in one fell swoop, becoming a supreme True God.
She had attained a certain status within the Star Emperor Dojo.
And had immediately come here.
To find the child the Miss had left behind.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
Yang Xiao was growing more and more confused.
'Is this woman crazy?'
'Why is she spouting all this incomprehensible nonsense?'
'A moment ago, she was clearly trying to kill me.'
'And if the Thousand Mechanism Eye hadn't warned me, she would have destroyed everything I care about.'
In his heart, Yang Xiao was clearly wary of this arrogant woman.
But now...
she was pulling a stunt like this.
'Could it be...?'
A thought struck Yang Xiao. 'Could she be connected to my mother in this life?'
At this thought,
Yang Xiao immediately studied the beautiful woman before him again. This time, he noticed something was different.
If he focused his senses,
he could feel a terrifying Star Power emanating from her.
She had clearly comprehended the Heart of the Stars to become a Demigod, then broken through to the Star God Realm in one go.
Thinking of the Starburst Skill,
Yang Xiao understood.
This woman might truly be connected to the mother he had never met.
"But... why is your cultivation so low? You're seventeen, but you're only at the Heavenly Gang Stage. And your constitution..."
Just as a flicker of warmth had begun to stir in Yang Xiao's heart, leading him to feel a sliver of closeness to this arrogant woman, her cold voice dragged him back to reality.
Nangong Tianling's figure flashed, and she was suddenly right in front of him.
She laid a palm on his body.
A terrifying aura, the power of a True God, coursed through his body,
as if it sought to expose all his secrets.
A tremor went through Yang Xiao.
Instantly.
He concealed the Heaven and Earth Origin Fire, his Spirit Will, and the True Greater Yang Fire. The Inheritance Altar, the Time Secret Pattern, and the Greater Yang Secret Pattern's Inheritance Seedāall of them were hidden away.
Thankfully,
the woman before him seemed to bear him no great malice. Her power merely circled through him once
before vanishing.
Aside from Yang Xiao's current cultivation, his constitution, and other superficial attributes, she had discovered not a single one of his most important secrets.
The woman's face immediately fell, her expression one of disappointment, even dejection.
'How is this possible? Just a mere Mid-grade Fire Spirit Body... How could the Miss's child have such a weak constitution?'
She couldn't believe it.
Nangong Tianling truly couldn't believe it.
She looked at Yang Xiao.
Her gaze, once filled with excited joy, now grew complicated.
There was pity.
Disbelief.
Resentment.
A trace of indifference.
And endless pain.
'With such a poor constitution, he could live a decent life if he stays in a small place like this. But to go to the Divine Land Continent... no, he isn't even qualified to enter the Star God Academy! Miss... what am I supposed to do?'
Nangong Tianling's heart felt like dead ashes.
Ever since the Miss disappeared and left her with one final orderāto find the child she'd left behindāher entire goal in life had been singular.
To cultivate to the True God Realm.
Then, she would bring the Miss's child back, nurture him with the utmost care until he grew up, surpassed her, and became a great figure on par with the Miss herself.
Only then would they have a chance to find the Miss and bring her back.
Only then would they have a chance to kill that heartless man and exact their revenge.
But now...
all hope was shattered.
This young master's aptitude was so poor he couldn't even compare to her. In the future, he would likely struggle to even reach the True God realm. How could he possibly face off against that heartless man, a man who could contend with a Great Emperor?
Nangong Tianling felt her heart turn to cold, dead ash.
She looked at Yang Xiao,
and her gaze involuntarily grew indifferent.
And filled with deep, deep disappointment.
She even began to regret coming here.
If she hadn't come,
she could have at least held on to hope.
But now that she had,
there was no longer any chance of turning things around.
Nangong Tianling was overwhelmed with resentment!
What should she do?
At this moment, Nangong Tianling herself had no idea.
Her state of mind, yet to stabilize after her recent breakthrough to True God, began to crack at this moment.
And as these emotions continued to fester,
the cracks in her mind grew wider and wider.
Wisps of Demon Thought began to rise spontaneously within her.
Nangong Tianling!
This powerful expert of the True God Realm.
Because of her disappointment in Yang Xiao, she was now on the verge of Falling into Demon...
At the same time, the Thousand Mechanism Eye inside Yang Xiao's body
began to throb wildly,
warning Yang Xiao.
This place was now extremely dangerous!