Chapter 82.1 Not Once In Dreams

She’d prayed that once they parted ways in the mortal realm, they’d never see each other again.

Right now, the young man looked more like someone else, rather than the emperor without the String of Affection from five hundred years ago——

When Su Su was young, in the black mist shrouded devil domain, she’d once seen the vicious and unbridled pale-skinned Devil God.

She’d clearly removed Tantai Jin’s evil bone, so why was his appearance still similar to him? Even his charm was somewhat similar.

What really happened over the last five hundred years?

Encountering him again caught her off guard, and Su Su unconsciously bit the inside of her cheeks until they bled. Sensing that something was wrong with her, Yue Fuya softly called out to her in confusion, “Senior Sister?”

This moment seemed both endless and brief.

Yue Fuya’s voice suddenly brought Su Su back to her senses, like a drowning person pulled from the water. Tantai Jin’s presence had turned her whole body icy-cold, but fortunately, she was no longer Ye Xi Wu, and would never again experience that kind of desperate and powerless past.

She was Li Su Su now.

Su Su was the first to avert her gaze. Perhaps her expression just now had raised his suspicion, because Tantai Jin stared at her and slightly frowned.

When Su Su walked up to Qu Xuanzi, her expression had long returned to normal.

The Heartless Dao had spread from her spiritual core to every inch of her meridians, and the shadow of the past held in her heart slowly faded.

“Dad,” Su Su called out.

Qu Xuanzi nodded at her.

A gaze followed her like a shadow ¹ 如影随形 (rúyǐngsuíxíng) – as the shadow follows the body (idiom); closely associated with each other; to follow relentlessly , but Su Su didn’t want Tantai Jin to recognize her. Memories were like smoke and clouds, meeting but not recognizing each other was already the best way to end things.

Her gaze was cold, and she didn’t look at him anymore.

Zang Hai nudged Tantai Jin, who was beside him, “Junior Brother?”

Why does he keep looking at Immortal Yu Ling? Isn’t he not interested in beauty? Besides, that immortal’s face is covered with a mermaid yarn veil, and only the cinnabar between her eyebrows can be clearly seen. Junior Brother won’t really take a fancy to her, right? She’s totally out of our Xiaoyao Sect’s league ² 高攀 (gāopān) – make friends (or claim ties of kinship) with someone of a higher social position !

Tantai Jin’s expression became indifferent. “It’s nothing,” he said.

The moment he met the young girl’s eyes, within his chest, he felt as if a hand was tightly squeezing. But when she turned around and sat down, her eyes were already devoid of emotion, just like ³ 别无二致 (biéwú’èrzhì) – without the slightest difference every other cultivator at the immortal banquet.

Tantai Jin found it a little ridiculous. Have I gone completely mad? She’s just a stranger, but I actually saw a familiar shadow from her gaze.

He sometimes thought that after five hundred years, he should have forgotten her face completely.

Seeing him quickly collect his emotions, without the slightest interest in Qu Xuanzi’s precious daughter, Zang Hai inwardly sighed in relief.

It’d be difficult if he really took a fancy to her. How could we send the only genius of Xiaoyao Sect to Hengyang Sect? Master would definitely beat me to death.

Zang Hai said, “Speaking of, no one’s ever seen Qu Xuanzi’s Daoist partner. A hundred years ago, it was suddenly said that he had a daughter with an innate spiritual body. Junior Brother, you don’t know how shocked the cultivation realm was back then.”

Qu Xuanzi’s existence was like a benchmark of the righteous Dao, but the mother of his daughter, Immortal Yu Ling, was still unknown to this day. Seeing that Qu Xuanzi loved his daughter like a treasure, he must have loved Li Su Su’s mother very much back then.

Tantai Jin raised his eyes and suddenly asked, “Senior Brother, did you say that Immortal Yu Ling has an innate spiritual body?”

“Yes, Little Junior Brother, why do you ask?” Zang Hai said.

The young man revealed a smile, “It’s nothing, I’m just curious.”

Although he said so, the heart within his chest cavity suddenly beat with excitement. According to the Book of Reincarnation, an innate spiritual body was the best vessel for a soul.

He touched the jade in his Qiankun pouch and licked his lips.

Don’t worry, soon, I’ll find a place for you to live in, he said to it silently.

It’s just that the young girl had a distinguished identity. If he wanted to crush her soul, leaving only an empty shell, he’d have to put in some effort.

As people talked, Elder Qing Wu of Hengyang Sect had already taken out the Soul Calming Lamp. In the presence of everyone, he gave it to Tantai Jin.

Tantai Jin’s fingers holding the Soul Calming Lamp tightened, and Su Su’s gaze paused on it, then moved away.

Whose soul is he looking for? Ye Bing Shang’s?

Right, Ye Bing Shang was also a mortal. I’m afraid she only accompanied him for a few short years. After his evil bone was extracted, his String of Affection would’ve grown. He would’ve hated me and surely fallen in love with Ye Bing Shang. Even before his emotional awareness awakened, he already cared so much about her, so it isn’t surprising that he’d make such a painstaking effort ⁴ 煞费苦心 (shàfèi-kǔxīn) – to take a lot of trouble (idiom); cudgel (or rack) one’s brains to bring her back.

The mist of the immortal mountain drifted through Su Su’s palm. She lowered her eyes. Anyway, the evil bone had been destroyed, and everything about Tantai Jin had nothing to do with her anymore.

Su Su heard Qu Xuanzi say, “This time, Qu Xuanzi has two things to discuss with my fellow immortal friends. After the Great War of Gods and Devils, the Devil God is dead, the great demons are suppressed, and the little demons and devils have retreated back to the barren ⁵ 寸草不生 (cùncǎobùshēng) – lit. not even a blade of grass grows (idiom) Saha ⁶ 娑婆 (suōpó) – Sahā or more formally the Sahā world in Mahāyāna Buddhism refers to the mundane world, essentially the sum of existence that is other than nirvana. Devil Domain, not daring to come out and cause trouble. Five hundred years ago, the seal on the Abyss of Desolation was broken, and black Qi soared. Countless demons and monsters fled from it, causing trouble to the mortal realm.”

At the mention of matters about the Demon and Devil Realm, everyone’s expression became solemn.

Su Su was very focused, also wanting to hear what the Three Realms were like now without the Devil God.

“Fortunately, over the past century, all the immortal sects have worked together ⁷ 齐心协力 (qíxīn-xiélì) – to work with a common purpose (idiom); to make concerted efforts to fight against the demons and devils, which has ensured peace in the mortal realm and stability in the immortal realm. However, the Demon Emperor has recently appeared in the world, and the demons and devils respect him.” Qu Xuanzi closed his eyes and seriously said, “Some time ago, the Sect Leader of Taixu ⁸ 太虚 (tàixū) – great void/emptiness; universe Sect was found dead in his own room, and none of the three hundred and sixty disciples under him were spared.”

As soon as he said that, everyone was shocked.

Demon Emperor? Su Su instinctively looked at Tantai Jin. How is that possible? The evil bone is gone, how could there still be a Demon Emperor!

Edited by: Gaze