Bright red bed curtains, patterned with petals and stamens.

This was an extremely luxurious... prison cell.

The spacious and ornate cell had a floor covered in smooth marble tiles that sparkled with gold and mother-of-pearl hues.

In the center of the cell stood a huge and luxurious bedstead made of high-quality redwood, inlaid with gems and gold.

The bed was covered with soft, delicate, silk-satin bedding.

In a corner, a small dining table was laden with all kinds of exquisite delicacies. Gold and silver plates were piled high with pastries, fruits, and fine wines from various regions.

These foods had all been carefully selected.

The corner of the cell also housed a small bathroom. Its crystal washstand and marble bathtub exuded luxury.

Water jetted from a Golden Dragon's mouth, creating a miniature fountain indoors that made one feel cool and relaxed.

Sitting cross-legged against the wall of the cell, Ge Ping's face was expressionless. His hands and feet were bound by a pair of shackles resembling black snakes biting their own tails.

These shackles were imbued with an Evil Method.

If he harbored even the slightest thought of suicide, the black snakes would immediately burrow into his body, thwarting his actions.

"Young Master~"

A crisp tinkling sound reached Ge Ping. His eyelids twitched slightly, and a hint of coldness touched his face.

The bronze door of the cell was slowly pushed open.

A Charming Shadow stepped lightly inside.

She was a tall woman with skin as fair as jade, dressed in bright red light gauze that concealed only the essential areas. As she walked, the garment shifted, revealing and concealing in a way that tantalized the heart.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ge Ping saw a pair of small, exquisite jade-like feet standing before him. The bell tied to her ankle emitted a pleasant, crisp jingle.

"Our wedding is in three days, yet you're still so stubborn."

Xia Houlian leaned affectionately on Ge Ping's shoulder, a look of mournful grievance on her face as she sighed deeply.

"Does marrying me repulse you so much? My father said that as long as you willingly marry me and become the Prince Consort of Yin Tian Nation, he will use his great Mana to convert you into a Ming Body. He will also pass on to you the *Nine Serene Sun-swallowing Scripture*.

"With my father's protection and your talent, you might achieve the status of a Dao Expert in just a hundred years. Then, the entire Yin Tian Nation will be yours. Why bother returning to Shenxiao Sect to be a mere direct disciple?"

Caressing Ge Ping's earlobe, Xia Houlian's gaze grew hazy, and she leaned in as if to bite it.

"Miss Xiahou!"

Rising to shake off Xia Houlian's entanglement, Ge Ping spoke coldly, "I've told you many times: if you want me to abandon the Dao and turn to demonism, then you might as well kill me. As long as I, Ge Ping, am a disciple of Shenxiao Sect for a single day, I will be its disciple for life!

"Yin Tian Nation? Do you really think the great Sects of Dianchuan Province will just stand by and watch you swallow the entire Dianchuan? Once their period of observation ends, never mind Yin Tian Nation—even the entire Divine Sorrow Ridge will be reduced to scorched earth! You and your father will both accompany the countless lost souls of my Human Race in death!"

Ge Ping's words were extremely blunt.

He was even deliberately provoking Xia Houlian.

As a Shenxiao Sect disciple, he was upright by nature. Faced with the choice between death and becoming the Prince Consort of Yin Tian Nation, he would always choose the former!

He would rather shatter as jade than remain intact as a clay tile!

"Alright, alright, don't be angry, don't be angry."

Xia Houlian chased after Ge Ping. Despite his barrage of sarcastic mockery, not a trace of anger showed on her face.

Instead, her gaze on Ge Ping grew tender, almost smoldering with affection.

She had grown up beside the King of Yin Tian Nation. For so many years, everyone she met had been sycophantic and fearful, practically willing to lick her boots. Only this young cultivator from Shenxiao Sect was different. He was neither servile nor overbearing, carrying himself with natural poise.

As for needing to absorb his essence to advance to the Blood-Stained Realm? That was just an excuse she'd concocted to appease her Royal Father.

She genuinely wanted to marry Ge Ping and make him her Prince Consort, to love and cherish him for a lifetime.

"After our wedding, if you don't want to stay in Yin Tian Nation, I'll take you traveling. Have you ever been to Northwestern Dalang? I hear the starry sky there is incredibly beautiful and brilliant. And there's the Golden Mountain of Huihuai, towering for thousands of miles, like an inverted heaven, revered as the foremost mountain in the world. The delicacies of Minfu, the landscapes of Linghang...

"Oh, there are so many places! We'll have to carefully plan where to go first."

Holding Ge Ping's arm, Xia Houlian was lost in reverie.

Her large, watery eyes seemed completely oblivious to the desperate expression on Ge Ping's face, an expression that screamed he wanted to kill her.

If only my cultivation wasn't sealed! Otherwise, I'd definitely strike this Demoness dead with a lightning bolt!

Heaving a silent sigh, faced with Xia Houlian's persistent entanglement, Ge Ping could only say helplessly, "Miss Xiahou, what is it about me that you like? Can't I just change it?"

"I like that you're alive."

Blinking her eyes, Xia Houlian covered her lips in feigned surprise. "Are you saying you want to die for me? Oh~ I love you even more now!"

With a coquettish hum, Xia Houlian cradled Ge Ping's face and nuzzled against his cheeks, completely ignoring his utterly dejected expression.

...

「At the edge of an alleyway corner, near the perimeter of the Soul-Summoning Altar.」

Wei Wujie and Li Jun stood with their hands tucked into their sleeves, leaning against a wall as they discreetly sized up the deeply hidden, sinister altar.

"This won't be easy."

Wei Wujie rubbed his nose and shrugged. "Four Blood-Stained Realm experts. Judging by their auras, they're at least at the Bloodstain Fifth Layer. Killing them wouldn't be too difficult, but doing it silently is the challenge."

"Why not lure them out and kill them one by one?" Li Jun suggested.

"Luring them out isn't a good solution either. These four aren't fools. If one or two disappear without a trace, it will definitely alert the others. If we attract the attention of the King of Yin Tian Nation, things will get very troublesome."

Scratching his head, Wei Wujie crouched down, his eyes darting about as he pondered a strategy.

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