Ye Yu awoke after an indeterminate time, his eyes fluttering open to unfamiliar surroundings. He frowned as he took in the scene.
âYouâre awake?â a familiar voice asked. Ye Yu turned his head and saw Xu Nanqiao seated not far away, engrossed in writing.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain stopped him. Glancing down, he saw a grim sword scar across his chest.
Only now did he fully «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» recall that as he had slain Tang Tianjia, the latter had driven a sword through him. He remembered excruciating pain, then blackness.
At the time, Ye Yu had even thought his dream would shatter and heâd return to reality. But clearly that had not happenedâhe had survived.
âTsk tsk tsk, lucky indeed,â came Xu Nanqiaoâs dry comment. âIf it werenât for Ling Qiansha and the
Fragmented Sword Demon-Slaying Art
injuring Tang Tianjia first, youâd have truly fallen in the Heavenly Realm. The power of an Immortal Emperor Realm cultivator is formidable.â
Ye Yu exhaled and said softly âShould I be thanking you?â
Xu Nanqiao set down her brush and rose to his side, studying him. âYou neednât thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for letting me go first back there. And if thanks are due, thank luckâit granted our return to the Demon Realm.â
She paused, gaze distant. âDo you know that in the Ascension War this time, Dongyao Prefecture deployed over nineteen hundred demons? Only about three hundred returned. Other prefectures fared similarly. That we two escaped on the final wave was no small feat.â
Ye Yu couldnât help but smile. Thank luckâhow amusing. He had half expected Xu Nanqiao to demand some reward for saving his life. Instead, she asked for nothing, elevating her in his estimation.
Xu Nanqiao smiled faintly. Something about Ye Yuâs smile struck her as rather pleasing, then she blinked and resumed her seat. As she wrote she asked, âWhat will you do next?â
âWhat do you mean?â Ye Yu winced but pushed himself up. âWeâre back in the Demon Realmâdo what we must.â
He stared seriously at his scar. Since cultivating
Demonâs Arrival in Heaven
his physique had improved remarkablyâinjuries normally healed in moments. Yet here, back in the Demon Realm, this wound lingered fresh. Peering closer, he saw lingering sword intent preventing normal regeneration.
He retrieved a storage ring from a demon lord and took out some healing pills, intent on mending himself.
Upon seeing the ring, Xu Nanqiao sighed. âThose Demon Spirit Pills wonât help your injuriesâeven an entire bottle wonât.â
Ye Yu examined the vial, noting only the character âHeal.â âHow do you know these are Demon Spirit Pills?â
Xu Nanqiaoâs tone held a hint of grievance. âThat ring belongs to Bai Qingsongâwhateverâs in it I know.â
Ye Yuâs expression flickered. Of courseâBai Qingsong was the puppet demon lord Xu Nanqiao had backed. She had invested great effort in him, only for Ye Yu to end it. It was natural she felt some sorrow.
He tossed the ring back to her. âDoes it pain you?â he asked.
âNot at all,â she replied as she caught it. âI hold rings from the other seven demon lordsâlosing this one is nothing.â
She continued as she replaced the ring. âWhile you were unconscious I used numerous pills on your wounds, but none worked. Immortal Emperor sword intent surpasses my expectations. Now you must rely on your own physique to recoverâperhaps several days.â
Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. A few daysâ recovery for slaying an Immortal Emperor cultivator was acceptable. âBy the way, why did you ask what I intend to do next? Is something happening?â
Xu Nanqiao tapped the table in mild puzzlement. âYou donât actually think life in the Demon Realm will be easy, do you?â
Ye Yuâs face twisted in confusionâher meaning was unclear.
Covering her face with one hand, Xu Nanqiao explained earnestly. âHeavenly Realm immortals arenât lambs waiting to be slaughtered, nor do they enjoy being bullied. History shows this clearly. After our last Ascension War failed, the demons retreated. But only half a month later, a massive force of immortals invaded the Demon Realm seeking vengeance. Both sides suffered countless casualties. The immortals never regretted itâthey vowed blood for blood. After that war, the Demon Realmâs vitality was shattered, and talk of ascension ceased for millennia.â
She paused. âIf this timeâs failure infuriated them as before, they wonât swallow it. Theyâll come again to settle the debt with blood.â
Ye Yu shrugged indifferently. âSo what? Let them come. At worst, we fight another battle.â