Chapter 166: The Mother Gu

“So in the end... he still didn’t kill us.”

Shangguan Huanling spoke with quiet seriousness.

Even though Lu Ye had slashed at her the moment they met, she still didn’t believe he had truly intended to kill her.

Lu Ye had known she possessed the Heavenly Demon Blood-Escape Art—that strike was never going to kill her. But his heart had been filled with resentment, so he still swung the sword.

“If the hatred is that deep, and he still didn’t kill you, there’s only one explanation,” Jiang Die said.

“What explanation?”

“That he believes... you’ll suffer more alive than dead.”

“No way!”

“No way!”

“Lu Ye isn’t that kind of person!”

All four of them objected at once.

Or rather—all four simply couldn’t bring themselves to accept it.

“Want to test it for yourselves?” Jiang Die raised her brows, voice casual.

“Jiang Die, those eight Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu you gave us back then—you think we’ve forgotten? We’ve never betrayed you. Don’t forget, we’re tied to the same fate: if one thrives, we all thrive; if one falls, we all fall,” Chu Ling said sharply.

“Ding! Lu Ye—it’s her!”

Shen Xitong’s ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) eyes lit up. This was juicy—what an incredible revelation! The drama was beyond satisfying!

Lu Ye was surprised as well.

He’d assumed it had been Yin Qingcheng. He hadn’t expected... Jiang Die.

In that moment, the murderous intent in Lu Ye’s heart intensified.

“If my guess is right, the Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu—there must’ve been a mother Gu, right?” Lu Ye asked.

“Ding, there was.”

“Which means all the Dao principles I lost to the devouring Gu... ended up in Jiang Die’s hands.”

“Ding, that’s likely the case!”

“She wants to become a Saint in my place?”

“Ding! Highly possible!”

“Ding ding ding!”

Shen Xitong was already giddy with excitement. Yes, yes, yes! This is perfect!

She’d already fought the other women—they were nothing special.

But this Jiang Die... she lit a fire in her blood. A true villain! A real betrayer! An ambitious mastermind!

Compared to Jiang Die, the five women Lu Ye had met in the First Heaven were like kids playing house.

Lu Ye’s eyes brimmed with killing intent.

And he had no one to blame but himself.

He’d known from the start that she’d deliberately approached him—and then, after they’d slept together, he’d still accepted her into his harem, moved by some naive sense of universal love.

He was the one who’d let this landmine sit right at his side.

Back then, Jiang Die had been pressured by the Jiang Clan into marrying into the Wang family. She hadn’t wanted to.

But after they’d slept together—if Lu Ye had refused to take her in, she absolutely would’ve gone through with that marriage.

And wouldn’t that have made him a cuckold?

Come on now. He was a transmigrator—a fated protagonist with a system! No way he was letting that happen.

Other transmigrators all ended up with harems. He already had five women. One more? Why not. He absolutely wasn’t going to let that green hat land on his head.

Who would’ve thought Jiang Die’s ambition would run so deep?

Serves him right.

Would a true schemer... ever actually feel regret?

Lu Ye figured probably not.

Which meant Jiang Die could be killed—without hesitation.

“Lu Ye’s whereabouts are currently unknown,” Jiang Die said with a grin. “Since he didn’t want to kill you... and since you still want to see him... and considering we’re all on the same rope, I’ve got a great idea you can try.”

“I’ll guarantee one thing—no killing Lu Ye. Just like before. The goal is only to cripple him. That way, you can keep him by your side forever.”

The four women all felt a sudden, crushing sense of dread.

“This method...” Jiang Die hadn’t even finished speaking when—

Chu Ling’s demonic sword suddenly erupted with torrential sword intent and shot toward Jiang Die.

Jiang Die raised a brow and calmly lifted her slender fingers.

Clang!

She caught the sword between her fingers. The sword’s aura whipped the palace into a storm of rubble and shattered tiles...

But couldn’t hurt Jiang Die in the slightest.

With the gentlest pressure—

Crack...

The demonic sword shattered into countless fragments.

A terrifying force surged out from Jiang Die’s body.

All four women coughed blood and were flung backwards like rag dolls.

Jiang Die was strong.

Heavenly God Realm—without a doubt. And not just early-stage, but at the very pinnacle of that realm.

No wonder she could mobilize so many resources.

She’d absorbed part of Lu Ye’s Dao principles. Those principles had nourished her own Dao, allowing her cultivation to soar by leaps and bounds.

Her speed of advancement might be second only to Lu Ye himself.

After all, Lu Ye had abandoned his old Dao and re-cultivated—replacing the Path of Protection with the Path of Seeking.

Incredible.

“From here on... I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you a bit,” Jiang Die said with a smiling face.

“Men, lock them up in the Sky Prison. Spread the word.”

“Announce that seven days from now, if Lu Ye still hasn’t appeared, I’ll execute Chu Ling on the Heaven-Worship Platform. Seven days after that, I’ll kill Yue Hongling. One every seven days!”

“This news—spread it far and wide. I want everyone in the Second Heaven to know!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Watching Jiang Die’s series of ruthless moves, Lu Ye couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

What a gift.

Kill them. Kill away!

He’d prefer they die for real. None of that fake-execution nonsense.

The real thing—now that’s satisfying.

No more entertainment for now.

“Ding! You damn host, get back to cultivating! I want you up in the Second Heaven fast!”

“Ding! This system’s broadsword is getting thirsty!”

Shen Xitong’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Lu Ye, voice urgent.

“You better perform, then.”

Shen Xitong immediately thumped her chest with both hands, thud thud.

“Ding! Don’t worry. I guarantee results!”

Lu Ye gave her a sidelong glance—eh?

Weird...

Shen Xitong looked... more developed than when she’d first taken human form.

Back then, her form had been perfect—every detail in flawless proportion.

Now, that perfection had shifted. One part had... grown.

And somehow, that made her even more beautiful.

She used to be ethereally perfect—almost unreal. But now, she felt real.

Shen Xitong noticed where Lu Ye was staring—eyes locked on her chest.

“Ding. Want to look?”

Lu Ye coughed and closed his eyes.

“Ding. Hmph. Even if you want to, I won’t let you.”

“Begin cultivation.”

“Ding. Cultivation activated!”

Lu Ye plunged into a frenzied state of cultivation. Spirit stones around him shattered one by one, dissolving into dense spiritual mist that surged into his body.

Great Ascension, ninth layer!

Still climbing!

At this pace, he’d definitely reach the True Lord Realm within seven days.

His fourth life had fully formed.

And what kind of poison would the True Lord Realm trigger?

Seven days passed in a flash.

Lu Ye stepped into the True Lord Realm right on time.

At that instant, an aura of utter annihilation erupted from his body.

The Dao inside him began to tremble violently.

A single seed hovered above his Nascent Soul’s head, releasing countless black threads that wrapped around it entirely.

At the same time—

Chu Ling was being dragged to the Heaven-Worship Platform.

Throughout the Second Heaven, the news had already spread back and forth like wildfire.

Jiang Die had laid her trap.

Now all that remained... was for Lu Ye to arrive.