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

The light of destruction engulfed heaven and earth at that moment.

The primordial power of the Lotus Lantern and Yang Chan's essence blood burned wildly, transforming into a terrifying torrent capable of completely erasing this chaotic little world. It was about to sweep Su Bai and everyone present into an abyss of no return.

Although the Queen Mother of the West, the Golden Spirit Mother, and others possessed extraordinary cultivation, this was, after all, a self-destruction of an innate spiritual treasure, and the distance was so close. To completely protect Su Bai, even a peak Quasi-Saint would have to pay a heavy price.

"It's over!"

Su Bai felt a blood-red blur before his eyes, and the aura of destruction made even his Ancestral Witch bloodline tremble.

However, just as the destructive red light was about to touch Su Bai's brow—

"Buzz—"

A soft yet undeniably powerful seven-colored halo suddenly bloomed from the depths of the void.

This halo was neither domineering nor earth-shattering, but rather, like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, it silently seeped into the raging torrent of destruction.

That is... the sacred power left behind by the goddess Nuwa!

When Nuwa flicked her finger in the Nuwa Palace, it wasn't just for show; it was a life-saving charm left for this ill-fated couple (mainly Su Bai) at the most critical moment.

"Certainly."

In the void, a sigh from ancient times seemed to echo.

The Lotus Lantern, which was about to explode, seemed to have encountered its natural enemy and instantly went silent under the seven-colored halo. The raging primordial fire was forcibly suppressed back into the depths of the wick, and the destructive wave that was capable of tearing apart chaos was also frozen at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, a phantom image of a seven-colored stone, exuding an aura of supreme creation, slowly appeared above Yang Chan's head.

"saint?!"

The Queen Mother of the West's pupils contracted sharply, and she immediately suppressed her aura, pulling the Golden Spirit Mother and the others back a few steps as a sign of respect.

In this vast and primordial world, there is no one else who possesses such abilities and can manipulate the Lotus Lantern at will, except for the Holy Goddess of Nuwa Palace.

As the phantom of the seven-colored stone appeared, a grand, majestic, yet somewhat helpless will descended with a thunderous roar.

"Foolish child, have you had enough?"

The sound exploded directly in Yang Chan's mind, like a great bell, instantly dispelling the madness and crimson in her eyes.

Yang Chan's body trembled violently, and the hand that had been tightly pressed against her chest loosened uncontrollably.

"Master...Master?"

Yang Chan raised her head blankly, looking at the blurry yet extremely familiar figure above her. She felt as if all her strength had been drained away, and collapsed to the ground.

"If I hadn't come, what other trouble would you have caused?"

Nuwa's will manifested as a hazy Dharma form. She looked down at her most beloved disciple, her eyes filled with both exasperation at his disappointment and a subtle, barely concealed heartache.

"For the sake of a man, he deceived the heavens and plotted against the sages, and now he wants to drag many people down with him."

"Yang Chan, you have disappointed me greatly."

As Nuwa finished speaking, the seven-colored stone phantom floating in the air suddenly shone brightly.

"Strip!"

Nuwa gave a soft rebuke.

The Lotus Lantern in Yang Chan's hand trembled violently, as if resisting, but it had no chance to fight back against the power of the sage.

Visible threads of cause and effect were forcibly severed from Yang Chan's soul by Nuwa. The Lotus Lantern let out a mournful cry, completely breaking free from Yang Chan's control, transforming into a stream of light and flying into Nuwa's hand.

Without the blessing of the Lotus Lantern, Yang Chan's aura plummeted instantly, and the quasi-saint level pressure vanished, turning her back into a mediocre Golden Immortal.

"No...that's mine...that's our home..."

Yang Chan reached out to grab it, but could only grasp at nothingness. The light in her eyes went out completely, like a child whose beloved toy had been confiscated, helpless and desperate.

"Home?"

Nuwa snorted coldly, "A cage woven with lies and imprisonment, does it deserve to be called a home?"

She glanced around at the Queen Mother of the West and the others, and said calmly, "My unworthy disciple has indeed gone too far today. But she is, after all, my disciple, and her inner demons are deeply ingrained, causing her to lose her mind. I will take her back to the Nuwa Palace and personally discipline her to dispel her obsessive inner demons."

"As for Su Bai..."

Nuwa's gaze fell on Su Bai, her eyes flashing with complex emotions for a moment before returning to their usual coldness. "Since he's alright, you may take him away yourselves."

This is to give an explanation to these victims, and also to protect Yang Chan in a roundabout way.

After all, if Yang Chan were left here, facing the Queen Mother of the West and her group of women who hated her to the core, she would be lucky to escape with her life.

"I will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Although the Queen Mother of the West and the others were still angry, who would dare to act rashly in front of a sage? They could only bow and pay their respects, thus turning the page on the matter.

With a wave of her sleeve, Nuwa unleashed a seven-colored auspicious cloud that swept up Yang Chan, who was slumped on the ground, and shattered this broken little world, taking her away into the depths of chaos.

……

Nuwa Palace, the sacred site of the sage.

Inside the cold and desolate hall, Yang Chan knelt on the ground, her body still trembling slightly.

Having left that little world that drove her mad and escaped the influence of the Lotus Lantern, her reason finally returned little by little.

Looking back on his actions over the past few months—deceiving women, imprisoning Su Bai, and even nearly leading everyone to self-destruct…

"Master...this disciple knows his sins."

Yang Chan lay prostrate on the ground, her forehead touching the cold earth, tears silently streaming down her face. "This disciple has committed heinous crimes, almost harming my husband and all my sisters... This disciple does not ask for forgiveness, but only for Master's punishment."

She was really scared.

It was a lingering fear after waking from madness. She couldn't imagine what would have happened to Su Bai if her master hadn't intervened in that moment…

Get up.

On the cloud bed, Nuwa looked at her disciple kneeling on the ground and sighed softly.

She wasn't as furious as Yang Chan had imagined; instead, her tone revealed an indescribable weariness.

"I don't blame you. Love is the most hurtful thing, but also the most alluring. Even saints may not be able to see through it, let alone you?"

Nuwa raised her hand and gently tossed the lotus lantern in her hand into the air.

As she cast her incantation, the spiritual essence that had been dormant within the seven-colored stone was awakened once more and slowly merged into the wick of the Lotus Lantern.

The flickering lights cast shadows of the master and his apprentice.

"Chan'er, look up at me."

Nuwa's voice suddenly became much gentler.

Yang Chan raised her head tremblingly and met Nuwa's wise eyes, which seemed to see through all things in the world.

"You think you love Su Bai very much, don't you?" Nuwa asked.

Yang Chan nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with determination: "I love him more than my own life. For him, I can betray everything, even give up everything."

Is that really the case?

Nuwa's lips curled into a smile that was neither a smile nor a smile, a smile that carried a hint of pity and an indescribable meaning.

"Chan'er, have you ever considered whether your so-called 'love' is truly love?"

Yang Chan was taken aback: "What do you mean by this, Master?"

Nuwa stood up and slowly walked to Yang Chan, looking down at her. Her voice struck straight to the heart: "What you are fixated on is not Su Bai as a person. What you are fixated on is the figure that saved you from the fire and water at Guanjiang Estuary back then."

"At that time, your family was destroyed, the whole world was against you, you were so helpless and so desperate."

"And then Su Bai appeared."

"He was like a ray of light, cleaving through the darkness in your life. He carried you on your back as you fled, sheltered you from the wind and rain, and healed your wounds to prolong your life."

"At that time, a seed was planted in your heart."

Nuwa's voice grew softer yet more penetrating, "You've clung to him like a lifeline, the only person in the world who can give you a sense of security. You're afraid of losing him, just as you're afraid of returning to that despairing Guanjiang Estuary."

"So you desperately want to hold onto him, to possess him, even to the point of imprisoning him."

"Chan'er, this is not love."

Nuwa reached out and gently touched Yang Chan's brow. "This is a morbid dependence, a fear of the shadows of the past. You projected this fear onto Su Bai, thinking that it was deep love."

"Actually, what you love is not the current Su Bai, but the 'god' who protected you and made you feel safe back then."

"If Su Bai were no longer powerful, if he could no longer give you that sense of security... are you sure you would still 'love' him the way you do now?"

boom!

These words struck Yang Chan like a thunderbolt, exploding directly in her mind.

Yang Chan was completely stunned.

She opened her mouth wide, wanting to refute, wanting to loudly tell her master that she loved Su Bai, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Because involuntarily, images of Guanjiangkou from years ago surfaced in her mind, along with the image of that little girl shivering in the cave.

"Am I... because I'm scared?"

Yang Chan's eyes began to glaze over, and the belief that had sustained her madness began to crack at this moment.

"Did I treat him as my lifeline? As my only light?"

"So that's why I'm so afraid someone will take him away? That's why I'm locking him up?"

Once the seed of self-doubt is planted, it will grow wildly.

Yang Chan was lost in deep confusion. She looked at her hands, as if they were stained with blood called "love".

"So... I'm a patient?"

Seeing Yang Chan's distraught and seemingly world-shattering appearance, Nuwa felt no sense of satisfaction at having guided her disciple onto the right path.

Instead, she felt a sudden, inexplicable pang in her heart.

She looked at Yang Chan as if she were looking at another version of herself in a mirror.

"What...what am I saying?"

Nuwa was somewhat dazed.

These words sounded so rational and insightful, perfectly fitting the image of a sage who had transcended all emotions.

But why did she feel a strong sense of guilt and regret after saying it?

Am I advising my apprentice? Or am I... deceiving myself?

Nuwa's gaze unconsciously drifted down to the lower realm, landing on the man who had just escaped his confinement and was now surrounded by women.

She recalled the memories brought back when her body returned to its former state.

The thrill of stargazing beneath Mount Buzhou, the resolute determination to strike above Mount Ling.

Doesn't she have that kind of "morbid" obsession with Su Bai?

She severed her physical body to attain sainthood and enlightenment. But now that her physical body has returned, she realizes that the part she severed has always been there, and is stronger than ever before.

She was scared too.

He feared being tempted by worldly desires, feared falling from his holy position, and feared repeating the mistakes of when he mended the heavens.

That's why she didn't dare to see Su Bai, and that's why she wanted to bring Yang Chan back and use this almost "brainwashing" method to deny Yang Chan's feelings.

Because denying Yang Chan was like... denying the stirrings deep within her own heart.

"Master schemes against his disciple..."

Nuwa gave a self-deprecating laugh in her heart, a laugh filled with bitterness.

"Chan'er, your master isn't saving you, your master is... running away."

She looked at Yang Chan, who was still immersed in self-doubt, and a barely perceptible trace of guilt flashed in her eyes.

But this guilt was fleeting, replaced by a deeper, more repressed obsession.

Because at this moment, having merged with both body and soul, she knew better than anyone else.

Compared to her still confused young apprentice, her obsession with that man was even more intense...

It would probably be a thousand times, or even ten thousand times heavier.