On the Dragon-Slaying Platform, I was executed and became Yang Jian's brother-in-law.

Deep within chaos lies a paradise of illusion.

Yang Chan stood in front of the void portal connecting to the outside world and glanced back at the bamboo house.

Inside the room, Su Bai was still fast asleep, her face pale but her breathing steady. This was the result of her being nourished with countless spiritual herbs and her own life essence; it was also her only attachment in this world.

"My husband, wait for me."

Yang Chan's fingers gently traced the void, as if caressing her lover's face. The madness in her eyes was replaced by an extreme calmness. "As long as we patch up this last loophole, no one will be able to disturb us anymore. Neither the sages nor the Heavenly Way will work."

She took a deep breath, and the light from the Lotus Lantern in her sleeve flashed. She transformed into an extremely subtle stream of light and emerged from the illusion.

As she left, the void portal closed instantly and disappeared into the chaotic currents, as if it had never existed.

……

In the primordial wilderness, in the Western Continent of Hezhou.

The once radiant Mount Ling is now nothing but scorched earth and ruins. Although the Western Sect has sealed off the mountain and activated its grand formation, the terrifying traces of that great battle can still be seen on the outer perimeter.

The ground was stained dark red with blood, and fragments of the laws from the collision of supernatural powers still lingered in the air.

This is where Su Bai "fell," also known as the crime scene.

A gray figure landed silently beside a boulder at the foot of Mount Ling.

Yang Chan did not conceal her figure. Instead, she deliberately suppressed the fluctuations of her magical power, making herself look like an ordinary female immortal who had lost all her energy and spirit, like a walking corpse.

She stared blankly at the ruins, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

This wasn't acting; she was genuinely crying.

However, she wasn't crying because Su Bai was dead, but because she herself had taken a very risky step and almost lost her husband.

"Who?"

Just then, a cold voice came from above.

Yang Chan trembled and slowly raised her head.

Not far away, on the clouds, stood a female immortal dressed in plain white. Though she wore no makeup, she still possessed immense majesty, but her eyes, which once looked down upon the world, now held only a deathly silence.

Queen Mother of the West.

Yang Chan's heart stirred, and the corners of her lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

Sure enough, criminals like to return to the crime scene, and so do the victims' families.

Isn't this a coincidence?

"Greetings... Sister." Yang Chan's voice was hoarse, as if she had sand in her throat. She bowed gracefully to the Queen Mother of the West, her figure swaying precariously, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Seeing Yang Chan's appearance, the coldness in west Wangmu's eyes dissipated somewhat. She sighed and descended from the clouds.

"You've come too." The Queen Mother of the West's voice was soft, revealing a deep weariness.

"I...I want to see him." Yang Chan clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face. "Even if there's nothing left, even if not a trace of his spirit remains...I want to be closer to him."

Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West looked even more disheartened.

"Yes, nothing is left." The Queen Mother of the West looked at the scorched earth and laughed self-deprecatingly. "The Buddha's palm strike severed everyone's hopes. I used the Kunlun Mirror to search the Three Realms and Six Paths, but I couldn't even find a trace of his aura."

"Sister..." Yang Chan asked cautiously, "What about Sister Jinling and the others? Are they... alright?"

When the mention of Jinling Shengmu and others, west Wangmu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"They've all gone back."

The Queen Mother of the West snorted coldly. Although her tone was dissatisfied, it was more of a sense of helplessness. "Although the Tongtian Sect Leader is under house arrest, he is still a saint. That battle caused too much of a stir, and several saints were furious and forcibly issued a decree. Jin Ling was ordered to reflect on his mistakes in the Dou Niu Palace, the Three Immortals were captured and taken back to Qilin Cliff, and Wudang also sealed off the Lishan Secret Realm."

"Even Lady Pingxin..." Xi Wangmu paused, "was forbidden by the Dao Ancestor to leave the Underworld for ten thousand years."

Hearing this, Yang Chan finally felt relieved.

The sage has made his move.

This means that these crazy women have been locked up and will not be able to run around the world again in the short term, let alone discover any clues.

God helps me too!

Yang Chan was overjoyed, but she cried even harder, her body trembling violently as if she might faint at any moment.

"They...they all have the protection of saints, and they all have their own sacred places and responsibilities." Yang Chan slumped to the ground, looked up, and her tear-streaked face was filled with despair and desolation.

"Sister, you are the head of all female immortals, with Kunlun Mountain behind you; Sister Jinling is the mother of all stars, with the Jie Sect behind her; Sister Pingxin is an absolute saint..."

"just me……"

Yang Chan gave a bitter laugh, pointing to her heart, "I am nothing. Although I am the Jade Emperor's niece, so what? In the eyes of the great powers of the Three Realms, I am nothing more than a little girl who relies on the Lotus Lantern to bully others. Now that my husband is gone, my sky... has collapsed."

"In this primordial world of three realms, one more or one less of me makes no difference."

"Back then... I should have gone with my husband. Even if my soul were to be scattered, at least I could have been with him."

These words were spoken with such sincerity and emotion that they moved all who heard them to tears.

This is the highest level of tea ceremony.

First, by making a comparison, elevate the other person's status and belittle your own value, thereby arousing their sympathy. Finally, bring up the thought of "I want to die" to pave the way for the next plan.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Queen Mother of the West's dissatisfaction with Yang Chan's "possessiveness" vanished instantly.

Looking at the little girl crying her heart out, she felt nothing but pity.

Yes, even without Su Bai, these people still have their lineage, their responsibilities, and a long road ahead to endure.

But what about Yang Chan? She only has Su Bai.

"Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about?"

The Queen Mother of the West stepped forward and gently helped Yang Chan up, a rare hint of tenderness in her eyes. "He is gone, but the living must continue on. If you were to take your own life, he would be restless in the afterlife... no, in the void."

"But life is too bitter..." Yang Chan leaned against the Queen Mother of the West's arms, her body still convulsing. "Sister, it's really too bitter. Every breath feels like a knife cutting into me. I... I really can't take it anymore."

The Queen Mother of the West patted her on the back and sighed, "Time heals all wounds. Go back to Mount Hua, get a good night's sleep, and don't come back here. This place... only brings sorrow."

"Back to Mount Hua..." Yang Chan murmured to herself, her eyes vacant. "Yes, it's time to go back. That's our home. Even if we die... we should die at home."

The Queen Mother of the West did not understand the deeper meaning in her words, and simply thought that she was overwhelmed with grief.

After offering a few more words of comfort, and seeing that Yang Chan seemed to have calmed down somewhat, the Queen Mother of the West departed on a cloud. As the head of the female immortals, she could not remain in such a state for too long; her visit today was merely to take one last look.

As she watched the Queen Mother of the West disappear into the horizon, the sorrow on Yang Chan's face vanished instantly.

She slowly straightened up, wiped away the tears on her face, and a strange smile appeared on her lips.

"We've found an eyewitness."

"The groundwork has been laid."

Yang Chan turned her head and took one last look at the ruins, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.

"Sister, you're right, life is too bitter. So... I'm going to 'die,' to go to a place where there is only sweetness and no bitterness."

……

Mount Hua, the Western Peak.

Since the Investiture of the Gods, this place has been the sacred site of the Third Holy Mother.

The once bustling temple of the Holy Mother is now closed, with all the temple keeper and attendants dismissed.

The first thing Yang Chan did upon returning here was to activate the protective array of Mount Hua.

It wasn't for defense against external enemies, but for—self-destruction.

She stood in the main hall of the Holy Mother Palace, looking at the high platform where the statues of herself and Su Bai were originally enshrined.

She had personally toppled the statue, and it shattered on the ground.

"These clay dummy figures are an eyesore."

Yang Chan kicked aside a shard and took out the Lotus Lantern from her bosom.

She sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, her hands forming a mudra, and began to reverse the laws of the Lotus Lantern.

A destructive wave began to brew deep within Mount Hua.

She was going to stage a fake death, a fake death that would fool everyone, even her second brother Yang Jian.

Simple suicide is too easy to spot; there must be an irreversible illusion that even the soul has completely vanished.

"Second brother... I'm sorry."

A hint of apology flashed in Yang Chan's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination. "Only when you see me die with your own eyes will you believe. Only when you believe will the Three Realms believe."

She bit her tongue, spitting out a mouthful of her life essence blood, which landed on the Lotus Lantern.

"Buzz—"

The Lotus Lantern let out a mournful cry, and its originally holy light began to become violent and chaotic.

At the same time, she crushed a communication jade talisman.

This was left to her by Yang Jian, and it would only be used in a life-or-death situation.

……

Guanjiang Estuary, Erlang Zhenjun Temple.

Yang Jian was sitting alone on the roof of the main hall, drinking wine while gazing at the moon.

Su Bai's death was also a significant blow to him. Although he usually disliked his brother-in-law, he was, after all, the person his sister had chosen, and Su Bai's final "heroic" sacrifice also made this war god of the Chan Sect feel a sense of respect for him.

"Those bald monks are really ruthless."

Yang Chan was still thinking about Su Bai when suddenly, the jade talisman in her arms exploded.

An extremely unstable aura, carrying the will to die, emanated from the jade talisman fragment.

"Third sister?!"

Yang Jian's expression changed drastically, and the wine jar in his hand instantly turned into powder.

That's the direction of Mount Hua!

"Oh no! Third Sister is about to do something foolish!"

Yang Chan is notoriously love-struck; she definitely won't be able to handle the blow of Su Bai's death. Yang Jian had been worried about this for a while, and sure enough, his worst fears came true.

"Howling Celestial Dog! Follow me!"

Yang Jian leaped into the air, transforming into a golden light, and charged towards Mount Hua like a madman.

Please, please don't let anything happen! Please, please don't let anything happen!

Yang Jian pushed his speed to the limit, even shattering space itself, leaving a trail of sparks and lightning in his wake.

In just a short while, Mount Hua came into view.

However, the moment he saw Mount Hua, his heart skipped a beat.

The entire Mount Hua was enveloped in a dark blue flame—the flame of the Lotus Lantern's original source!

"Third Sister!!!"

Yang Jian let out a heart-wrenching roar, smashed through the protective mountain array, and rushed into the Holy Mother Palace.

Inside the main hall.

Flames shot into the sky.

Dressed in plain clothes, Yang Chan sat cross-legged in the center of the raging fire. Her body had begun to fade away, a sign that her true spirit was dissipating.

The Lotus Lantern hovered above her head, slowly disintegrating and turning into countless points of light that merged into her body, accelerating her "destruction".

"Second brother...you've arrived."

Seeing Yang Chan rush in, Yang Chan slowly raised her head, revealing an extremely beautiful smile on her face.

"Third Sister! Stop it! Are you crazy?!"

Yang Jian's eyes widened in fury as he tried to rush over to save them, but he was blocked by the destructive primordial fire. It was the power of a self-destructing innate spiritual treasure, and even he could not easily get close.

"Second brother, don't bother."

Yang Chan's voice grew softer and softer, as if it might be carried away by the wind at any moment, "My husband is gone, this world is too cold... I want to go and be with him."

"Damn it! That bastard is dead! You still have your second brother! You still have your uncle! How could you do this for a man..." Yang Jian was so anxious that tears came to his eyes, and he desperately slashed at the flames with his three-pointed double-edged sword.

"It's different, Second Brother."

Yang Chan shook her head, her eyes filled with infatuation. "What's the point of becoming an immortal or a god without him? Immortality... is nothing but endless torment."

"Second brother, you've always loved me the most since we were little. This time... please grant my wish."

"Tell the Three Realms for me... Yang Chan has gone with her husband."

Before she could finish speaking, Yang Chan suddenly clasped her hands together.

"boom!"

The Lotus Lantern shattered completely.

An earth-shattering power erupted in the hall, and Yang Chan's figure instantly transformed into countless points of light amidst the dazzling brilliance.

"No--!!!"

Yang Jian was thrown back by the shockwave and crashed heavily into the palace door, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But ignoring his injuries, he scrambled back to the center of the main hall.

empty.

Everything is gone.

There was no corpse, no true spirit, not even a trace of a remnant soul remained.

Only a broken lamp wick remaining on the ground, still faintly flickering, testifies to what had happened here.

"Third Sister..."

With trembling hands, Yang Jian picked up the broken wick, and as if struck by lightning, he knelt down on the ground.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

A heart-wrenching roar echoed throughout Mount Hua, shaking the entire Three Realms.

At that moment, the Heavenly Judge, a god of justice, wept like a helpless child.

In the instant the light burst forth, no one noticed that an extremely faint streak of light, taking advantage of the explosion of the Lotus Lantern, silently pierced through the void, entered an unknown coordinate point, and completely disappeared into the primordial world.

The crime scene has been fabricated.

The suspect, Yang Chan, has been confirmed dead.