I tried to kill the heroines of destiny, but they ended up chasing after me.

But after regaining her balance, Gu Qici's complexion became a bit rosy, and she even took a few deep breaths, showing that dodging the attack was quite difficult.

The man in black robes was surprised that Gu Qici was able to dodge his attack, but he said sarcastically, "Heh! Is dodging all you can do?"

Gu Qici didn't answer, but she was a little annoyed because she knew very well that this guy was really strong. If she hadn't dodged just now, she would definitely have been seriously injured.

"Ha! Although I don't know who you are, nor what your purpose is in coming here, you are destined to die here today, because you have offended my authority!" The man in black robes said fiercely, his eyes flickering slightly.

However, Gu Qici didn't care at all. He replied, "What bullshit dignity? Don't be so arrogant. You haven't hurt me yet! If you're so capable, hurt me first!"

"Hmph! Sharp-tongued!" With that, the black-robed man launched another attack in anger.

In an instant, the heavens and earth trembled, and a black light more powerful than any of the previous ones burst forth from the black-robed man's body, turning the sky into a black expanse.

Within this darkness, countless malevolent spirits with ferocious expressions and mournful cries emerged, fluttering and drifting in the sky, appearing utterly terrifying.

But this was only the beginning. In the next instant, these spirits began to merge rapidly, transforming into a colossal creature about fifty meters tall.

It was a ghost, a huge black ghost with a rotting body, its flesh and veins clearly visible. Its messy black hair that reached its heels and its ugly face without eyes completely revealed its terror.

"Attack!" The black-robed man gave the order, and the large ghost standing behind him raised its left hand and slapped it towards Gu Qici in the distance.

This seemingly simple action caused the surrounding space to hiss and crackle the moment it was performed, and some parts even shattered, demonstrating that its power should not be underestimated.

Of course, Gu Qici had already sensed the immense power of this giant demon, so she naturally wouldn't let her guard down. She gritted her teeth slightly and then roared, "Hmph! Don't think that only you can create something this big, I can too!!"

"Heavenly Slaughter Technique!!" With this shout, hands clasped together, and endless Yin power instantly filled the air, seemingly driving away half of the blackness, extremely domineering and powerful.

"Hmm?" The man in black robes looked at the sky above, which was half black and half deep blue, and for the first time his eyes became serious. Perhaps his mindset had changed, which caused the giant demon to subconsciously stop its attack with its left hand, and for a moment, there was silence.

Soon enough, a blue skeleton, about fifty meters tall, suddenly appeared in their eyes from the blue sky. Then, it leaped and nimbly arrived behind Gu Qici.

At this moment, looking to the left, there is a black sky, a large black ghost, and a black-robed man; to the right, there is a blue sky, a blue skull, and Gu Qici in red. Black and blue, demonic energy and the power of Taiyin, are completely opposed at this moment.

The two men stared at each other, a sense of hostility slowly swirling between them. But this didn't last long. Their expressions hardened, and they shouted at the same time, "Bomb him!"

As their voices echoed, both the demon and the skeleton roared, as if shaking the heavens and earth, and then they began to fight each other.

The giant demon still used its left hand, but this time it didn't grab; instead, it decisively clenched its fist and fiercely struck the skeleton in front of it.

The skeleton also used its fists, but instead of its left hand, it used its right. Perhaps because of Gu Qici, it found this big ghost extremely annoying, so the power of its right fist was unconsciously increased.

With a thunderous roar, the two fists, one on the left and one on the right, collided, creating a sound like the air being torn apart. As soon as their hands touched, a tremendous force transformed into a storm that swept across the entire sky. Even the mountains below, which had already become barren land, cracked open, demonstrating their immense power.

However, the skeleton's strength was clearly weaker than the great demon's, so after the clash, it let out a mournful roar and retreated as if seriously injured. Its body also exploded, turning into countless blue dust particles that drifted into the air in the blink of an eye.

Although the big ghost was also in bad shape, with its left hand broken and the left side of its body becoming increasingly mangled, it did not dissipate and even had the strength to fight again, since its right hand and legs were intact.

Furthermore, the black-robed man holding the unconscious woman in white merely snorted coldly at the oncoming storm, and with a wave of his left hand, he dispersed the storm. Compared to his effortless action, Gu Qici's situation was not so easy.

Under the terrifying power, she used all her Yin energy to try to stop it, but she still suffered considerable damage after the storm subsided. She was panting heavily and looked somewhat disheveled.

"Hehehe!" Seeing Gu Qici's appearance, the man in black robes laughed loudly, "The weak are weak, so what? Can you still talk big now? Now show me how arrogant you can be!"

"Tch! What are you so arrogant about! You only hurt me, you didn't kill me. If you're so capable, come and kill me!" Gu Qici said defiantly.

"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll grant your wish!" With that, the man in black robes sneered, once again controlling the Great Ghost, raising his right hand and striking fiercely towards Gu Qici's position without hesitation!

This punch seemed even more powerful than the previous one. The surrounding space didn't just shatter when it was thrown; it turned to dust. It was clear that if Gu Qici had actually taken this punch, he would have been crippled if not killed.

Faced with this punch, Gu Qici was not confident that she could withstand it, but that did not mean she had no way to deal with it. It was just that he was reluctant to use this method, because the method was to borrow Gu Qici's power.

She and Gu Qici had long since become one, but she didn't want to keep lending power to Gu Qici, nor did she want to use his power, so the two of them formed a situation where each was independent.

Gu Qici is Gu Qici, and in most cases she only uses spiritual power. She is herself, and he can only use the power of Taiyin. Therefore, spiritual power and Taiyin power have never been integrated, and the two have never been able to exert their true power as a whole.

The situation is critical. This "Gu Qici" knows that neither she nor Gu Qici can win against the black-robed man in front of her with their individual strengths. Only by combining their strengths can they have a chance of survival.

But there is one crucial problem here: after the fusion, one of them, Gu Qici, will disappear, disappear forever.

"Damn it! The only way out is to merge with that guy, but only the dominant one can survive." The red-robed woman, now possessing Gu Qici's body, was racing with thoughts: "Does this mean that even before I've gained my freedom, I'm already free? Or should I choose to die with Gu Qici?"

"What to do? What to do?!" The woman in red was so worried that her head started to ache.

But at that very moment, at this critical juncture, Gu Qici, who had been silent for a long time in the world of consciousness, suddenly spoke.

"I've thought it through. Since you're stronger than me, and since we're the same person, what's wrong with me handing this body over to you?"

Upon hearing this, the woman in red was startled, a hint of surprise on her face. Then, almost instinctively, she asked, "What...what did you say?"

“I said I’m willing to give my body to you, I’m willing to be the one who disappears, but I have one condition,” Gu Qici replied resolutely.

"Conditions...what conditions?" Upon hearing this, three emotions arose in the woman in red.

The first feeling is joy, because after Gu Qici's consciousness disappeared, she was completely free. The second feeling is confusion. She doesn't understand why Gu Qici would do this, because Gu Qici could have easily threatened her with the words "If you don't merge with her, the two of you will disappear together." She doesn't believe that Gu Qici wouldn't have thought of this, so she really feels a bit confused.

The last one is complicated. In that instant, she imagined what she would be like if she became Gu Qici, but that image was quite different from the one in her mind. It was as if something was missing, which made her very uncomfortable.

At the same time, the giant demon's fist finally arrived with a roar. Although the red-clad woman with Gu Qici's body could not contend with its power, she could still slightly stop it.

So in the next instant, the woman in red concentrated all the Yin energy around her, turning it into a blue barrier that directly blocked the fist. However, the moment the fist touched the barrier, it began to tremble and showed signs of breaking, forcing the woman in red to stretch out her hands and personally hold the barrier in place.

However, in just a moment, Gu Qici's bones and joints began to creak, showing that even though he was desperately trying to defend against the punch, it wouldn't have much effect and could only buy him some time.

As for Gu Qici, upon hearing the question from the woman in red, her expression suddenly darkened, and she continued, "I couldn't save anyone—my parents, my master, and the people around me. I was completely powerless and could only watch them perish. I don't want this, I really don't want this. You must be some kind of 'me' in this state? Please, change all of this."

"But I know very well that with my current strength, I can't save anyone. So I can only rely on you to help me accomplish what I want to accomplish. Therefore, my condition is that you become the real me, completely becoming me in appearance, personality, and inner self, and then..."

"And if you really want to become the monarch of this world of consciousness, then how about I give you the monarch's position? As long as you want it, I will give it to you!!" At this point, Gu Qici became even more determined.

"You!" The woman in red was speechless, a strange feeling rising within her.

"Really, I mean it. I really don't know what instinct is, but if I had to say, my instinct is to protect the people I want to protect. Nothing else, no matter what I do or what I think, can be called my instinct. So I won't take a weapon that can't protect the people I want to protect, no matter how strong it is or how much I need it!" Gu Qici said seriously, swearing that she had never been so serious before.

"So..." As she finished speaking, Gu Qici's consciousness began to disappear, turning into bursts of blue light and merging into the world of consciousness, which surprised the woman in red again.

Furthermore, the woman in red was well aware that once Gu Qici's consciousness and body completely disappeared, Gu Qici would never exist in this world again. There would only be a woman in red wearing Gu Qici's skin, using Gu Qici's power, and living in Gu Qici's place. She could be called Gu Qici, or she could take a name that belonged only to herself. In short, she would no longer be herself.

"So you must change all of this, otherwise, even if I disappear, I will become your inner demon, haunting you forever and making you live in a nightmare for the rest of your life!" As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Qici's expression suddenly turned ferocious.

The woman in red was both defending against the punch and listening to Gu Qici's words. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the trickle of blood that spilled from the corner of her mouth.

But just a few breaths later, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, and she decisively transmitted her thoughts to Gu Qici: "No! I'm not willing!"

Almost without a doubt, upon hearing this, Gu Qici's body trembled, her eyes slowly widened as if in confusion, and then she subconsciously stopped her body from dissipating.

"Why? Didn't you want to become a monarch? Why don't you want to?!" Gu Qici asked, extremely agitated.

"Of course I want to become the monarch!" the woman in red replied coldly, "but I don't want you to yield. I want to truly defeat you and truly become the master of this body!"

"What?" Gu Qici asked, puzzled.

"Don't try to preach to me, and don't try to play the emotional card. I'm not buying it. I am who I am. Why should I be yours? Why should I help you with your own things?" the woman in red replied, her emotions seemingly running high.

His words infuriated Gu Qici, who retorted angrily, "Are you kidding me?! You should know better than me! In this situation, only if the two of us become truly one can we survive. If you..."

"So that's why!!" However, before Gu Qici could finish speaking, the woman in red interrupted her through gritted teeth, "That's why I don't want to do your thing! Your thing... shouldn't you do your thing yourself?"

As soon as the words were spoken, Gu Qici's eyes snapped open again, and her mind jolted once more. Perhaps it was because of her that she finally understood the true meaning behind what the woman in red had said.

Chapter 150 Responsibility

The woman in red was not moved by Gu Qici's words, nor would she be, because she already understood the meaning behind Gu Qici's words and what Gu Qici was trying to express. Therefore, she had no need to pay any more attention to Gu Qici's words.

But she was unhappy! Really unhappy! Just as she herself said, if she really accepted Gu Qici's sacrifice, it would be equivalent to Gu Qici giving her the qualification to obtain a physical body. This was not something she had actively fought for, and it went completely against her thoughts, so how could she possibly be willing?

"Don't think I'll care about what you've done! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I want to truly defeat you, so I won't care about anything else. Listen to me, I won't let myself become yours, I'll make you into me!!" As she finished speaking, a hint of madness appeared on the woman's face.

Then, countless blue rays of light rapidly emerged from her body, decisively rushing into Gu Qici's world of consciousness. Like a flood, they completely covered Gu Qici's consciousness, causing Gu Qici's expression to change drastically and a strong sense of surprise to arise again, because she had already guessed what the woman in red would do next.

"Why?!" Gu Qici asked, extremely confused.

"Why? Humph! Because I don't like you! You're weak and incompetent, only knowing how to rely on others for help, so I never want to become like you!" As soon as she said this, the red-clad woman's aura rapidly weakened, as if in just a dozen more breaths, her consciousness would completely disappear from Gu Qici's body.

Gu Qici also felt her consciousness merging with the woman's body, and she was regaining control of her body. But for a moment, she didn't know what to say. This was the woman in red's choice, so she couldn't stop her.

There was almost nothing she could do but accept it.

On the other hand, the black-robed man watching Gu Qici desperately resisted had a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with coldness. Perhaps it was because he knew very well that with Gu Qici's strength, it was impossible for him to win. And now there was only one thing he had to do, which was to wait for Gu Qici to die under his ghost fist.

……

Demon Emperor Sect, Demon Emperor Palace, Shen Lian and Shen Xuan.

"Father, according to news from the front lines, she has already infiltrated the Demon Extermination Sect alone." Shen Xuan clasped his hands in a fist salute and said to Shen Lian with great respect.

"Alone?" Shen Lian asked, his eyes flashing.

“It was a bit unexpected, but what surprised me even more was that she was able to hold out in the Demon Extermination Sect for so long,” Shen Xuan said.

“That’s for sure. Although this person’s cultivation level is only Nirvana on the surface, her true strength is comparable to that of an early stage Transformation Realm cultivator. So unless those old guys from the Demon Extermination Sect take action, it’s impossible for me to stop her on my own,” Shen Lian said with certainty.

"So what should we do next?" Shen Xuan suddenly asked.

However, Shen Lian simply replied, "Let's wait and see."

"Wait and see? Shouldn't I seize this opportunity to strike?" Shen Xuan frowned, puzzled.

"Why launch an attack?" Shen Lian asked coldly.

“Well… I was thinking that she has already tied down those rabble and even some of the elder cultivators. If we make a move, wouldn’t that be a perfect opportunity to exploit an opening?” Shen Xuan said.

"Exploiting a loophole? Ha! Child! You're so naive!" Shen Lian laughed. "Do you think she alone can create a weakness in the Demon Extermination Sect's camp? Do you really think this is an opportunity? Don't judge a book by its cover!"

"Huh?" Shen Xuan said, clearly not understanding.

"It's very simple! As long as the Demon Extermination Sect takes it seriously and uses a stronger expert than her to quickly eliminate her, do you think she can hold out for so long?" Shen Lian asked.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xuan did not reply, but instead fell into deep thought.

"Those people in the Demon Extermination Sect aren't idiots. Why don't they just send powerful experts to kill her? Why let her cause such chaos within the Demon Extermination Sect? Are the people in the Demon Extermination Sect all fools? Or did the Demon Extermination Sect simply not think of this? That's impossible, right? So what is the reason?"

"This..." Suddenly, Shen Xuan seemed to realize something important, his expression changed abruptly, and he exclaimed in surprise, "It was intentional!!"

“That’s right! Hehehe! And there’s only one purpose for doing this, which is to lure us over. I think they’ve already set up a trap. As long as we move, we’ll be attacked. So understand? We absolutely cannot act rashly now!” Shen Lian said seriously.

"But... are we just going to let that person who's connected to my sister die somewhere like this?" Shen Xuan asked again, seemingly conflicted.

Both of them understood that as long as the people from the Demon Emperor Sect did not appear, the Demon Extermination Sect would lose patience and would surely kill Gu Qici, the intruder. However, in that case, they would completely lose track of Shen Qian's whereabouts. After all, Gu Qici was the only one who knew about Shen Qian over the years, and who knew when they would get another chance.

In fact, it was very similar to the previous choice. Shen Lian could either send troops to try and find out the whereabouts of his daughter, or wait for Gu Qici to die and do nothing, so that the Demon Emperor Sect and the Demon Extermination Sect would continue to be deadlocked.

Upon hearing Shen Xuan's question, Shen Lian fell silent. These repeated, agonizing choices had left his heart deeply troubled. Even as a cultivator nearing the Heavenly Monarch Realm, he was still human, with emotions and desires, capable of pain and suffering. Shen Lian's expression was extremely conflicted, but he finally calmed down and said firmly yet sadly, "No! I can't go! Your sister… I'll owe her for the rest of my life!"

"Is that so? Then..." Shen Xuan paused, speaking in a somewhat low voice. After speaking, she turned around and walked towards the entrance of the Imperial Demon Palace.

"Where are you going?" Shen Lian asked again.