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

"Nowhere." Shen Xuan didn't stop walking and said softly, "Since we can't help her, let those who can help her do it!"

"Xuan'er...you?" Shen Lian was speechless.

Shen Xuan continued, "I know this is my father's noble cause, and if I had a choice, I would do the same. So I won't say anything more, but I'm still a little unwilling. Although I've never met this older sister, I don't want to give up my few remaining relatives..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Xuan disappeared from Shen Lian's sight, leaving him alone in the empty hall, sighing softly. Perhaps this was the sorrow of being the leader of a sect!

……

In the Heavenly Mystery Realm, in Phoenix Valley, there is a courtyard and a small pavilion.

There were three people sitting around a stone table, quietly staring at the black and white chessboard on it.

Two of them were playing chess, while the other person was watching as if contemplating the game alongside them.

"I wonder how things are over there?" The nameless old man picked up a black piece, placed it slowly on the chessboard, and said softly.

"If you're worried, go and see," said the woman watching him play chess, her shrewd eyes seemingly seeing right through the nameless old man.

“I do have that idea, but I think she should be able to overcome all the difficulties,” the nameless old man said, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.

"Yes, we should trust her, because this is actually a test for her. Perhaps when she returns, she will have grown in new ways." The nameless expert picked up a white piece and placed it on the chessboard without hesitation, and said.

"I'm really sorry, although you two think highly of her, I feel I still have to say something. I believe you should have both realized it by now, but that little girl is actually destined to be a lone star!" the nameless woman suddenly said.

"So what?" The nameless old man didn't care and still placed a black piece.

"How about it? Hehe! If it were just an ordinary cursed lone star, that would be fine, but this little girl is a supreme star among cursed lone stars. Do you know what that means?" the nameless woman continued.

But as soon as she said those words, both the nameless expert and the nameless old man were stunned, as if they were puzzled.

Although both the nameless expert and the nameless old man were super strong at the Heavenly Monarch Realm, having experienced many things and understood many principles, no one is perfect. Therefore, they naturally had shortcomings and many things they did not know, such as what the nameless woman was saying at this moment.

The unnamed woman explained, "The so-called 'lone star of misfortune' is actually a kind of turbulent fate. People with this destiny will not only suffer misfortune themselves, but also bring misfortune to those around them. However, if one is lucky enough to be able to resist this fate, they can remain safe and sound..."

"But the 'Lone Star of Calamity' actually has both weak and strong aspects. Those who bring misfortune upon themselves and those around them are merely those with the most basic fate of being a Lone Star. But the so-called 'Supreme Star of Calamity' is something else entirely! Anyone who comes into contact with it will inevitably encounter calamity, and even with strong luck, they can only withstand it for a short time..."

"You all know how tragic this little girl's past is, and you've seen those who had close contact with her, such as the huge Heavenly Demon Sect, which was forced to close its gates. The sect leader forcibly broke through, and although an unexpected event occurred that saved his life, he won't live for long."

"That's why I said it! This is just a guess! You know, besides medicine, I've also studied some divination techniques, so I've been able to predict some things in the future. Although my predictions aren't comprehensive, I can tell you with certainty, Valley Master, that you should sever ties with this little girl as soon as possible! Find another pawn; you can't control her."

"What?!" the nameless old man exclaimed in surprise.

"Otherwise, not only will you, Valley Master, be implicated, but the entire Phoenix Maiden Valley might also be ruined. So I still urge you to think twice before you act. After all, sometimes, going to a certain point is really enough!" the nameless woman advised solemnly.

"What if I say no?" The nameless old man frowned slightly and asked in a cold voice.

"Of course, if you, Valley Master, are willing to see Phoenix Maiden Valley perish, then I have nothing to say. I just hope that you can prioritize the overall situation. It's not worth putting Phoenix Maiden Valley in such great danger no matter how you look at it!" the nameless woman replied calmly.

"Hmph! What divination methods? I've never believed in any of that. Fate is determined by people; if you believe, it exists; if you don't, it doesn't! If everyone learned divination methods, wouldn't this continent be in chaos?" the nameless old man said disdainfully.

The nameless woman remained silent in response to the nameless old man's words.

"I also hope you understand that the path of cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. If we care too much about fate, then why should we cultivators cultivate at all? Wouldn't it be better to be a mortal?" As he spoke, the nameless old man picked up another black piece, and coincidentally, the nameless powerhouse who had been silent all along also put down a white piece.

However, after refocusing his attention on the chessboard, the nameless old man hesitated to make a move, because the black pieces were completely surrounded by the white pieces, leaving no room for the white pieces to move. This meant that the nameless old man had once again lost to the nameless expert.

However, he calmly continued, "Just like this game of chess, although I lost, but..."

Having said that, the nameless old man waved his left hand without hesitation, using his cultivation to move all the chess pieces off the board and back into the container, as if starting anew.

"Start over?" the nameless woman murmured. "But not everything in this world can be started over!"

"Alright! Let's end this topic here. I am still the Valley Master after all. You can say these things to the newly appointed Valley Master when I retire! I believe you will live to see that day." At this moment, the nameless old man decisively picked up a black piece and placed it in the very center of the chessboard.

Chapter 151 The First Counterattack

Looking at the Demon Extermination Sect, Shen Lian was right. From the moment Gu Qici started causing trouble, the sect leader of the Demon Extermination Sect, the black-robed man who was now fighting Gu Qici, had already planned everything.

If he were to unleash his full power, if he were to use that supreme treasure of the Imperial Demon Domain, then neither Gu Qici nor the woman in red robes would last more than half an hour, and they might even be instantly killed, after all, that power is comparable to that of a Heavenly Monarch!

However, he did not do so, or rather, he wanted to do so but gave up on this approach. Now, so much time has passed and Shen Lian still has not led anyone to attack, so he guessed that Shen Lian must have seen through his purpose. Therefore, he naturally would not let Gu Qici continue to live.

However, just when he thought that the giant ghost he had conjured could kill Gu Qici with one punch, an unexpected change still happened before his eyes. A blue wave suddenly erupted from the location where Gu Qici was, and in an instant, it shattered the attacking giant hand completely, like dust.

"What?!" Upon seeing this, the black-robed man's expression changed slightly, as if he hadn't expected it.

But this was only the beginning. In the next instant, the blue wave struck the giant demon at incredible speed, causing it to seem to feel immense pain, its entire body buzzing.

The giant demon was already badly wounded in its previous battle with the skeleton, and now, after being attacked by this shockwave, it seemed unable to withstand it any longer. In the blink of an eye, its body finally vanished into nothingness.

Finally, one person emerged from the turmoil, and almost without a doubt, it was Gu Qici.

"Hmm? There's actually such power?" The man in black robes looked surprised and murmured.

When Gu Qici appeared, she was still a little confused. She could feel that the spiritual power and the Taiyin power in her body had completely merged and turned into a power that she did not know what to call it.

This power is immense, stronger than spiritual energy and even the power of Yin. I even feel that I could fight against a cultivator at the peak of the Transformation Realm.

"Is this...my true power?" Gu Qici murmured to herself, her eyes showing a hint of joy, but more so a sense of unease.

However, at this moment, the man in black robes took action. He diverted some of his power to levitate the blue-clad woman in his hands, and then, with a swift movement, he decisively charged towards Gu Qici, seemingly intending to continue his offensive and eliminate her.

In that instant, Gu Qici felt a sudden sense of crisis. Although she could not use this power perfectly, she would never be suppressed by this black-robed man as before. In just a moment, she shifted her attention to the black-robed man, then stretched out her right fist and quickly covered it with a portion of the fusion power.

Just before the man in black robes was about to launch his attack, Gu Qici's eyes suddenly narrowed, and she took the initiative to meet him. This surprised the man in black robes, who seemed to have been somewhat taken aback.

Perhaps that's why, taking advantage of the black-robed man's momentary lapse in concentration, Gu Qici unhesitatingly delivered a powerful punch to the black-robed man's chest!

But the black-robed man, being a top expert at the half-step Heavenly Monarch level, would not be attacked because of such a slight lapse in concentration. At this critical moment, he frowned, and his powerful cultivation suddenly burst forth, directly forming a counter-force!

However, the force of the recoil was not directed at Gu Qici, but at himself. At this moment, he used the force to retreat quickly, barely managing to dodge Gu Qici's punch.

But this was the first time he had retreated, the first time he had retreated in front of Gu Qici, because in that instant, a faint sense of crisis suddenly rose in his heart, and it was this sense of crisis that made him subconsciously retreat.

Furthermore, Gu Qici did not pursue the retreating man in black robes, because she herself was a little confused. In fact, she was well aware of the man's strength. She even felt that even though she had fused with the power of Taiyin and spiritual power, she still had to take him seriously. But this was the man who had retreated!

In silence, the man in black robes steadied himself, but soon a sense of humiliation arose in his heart. He stared intently at Gu Qici, while Gu Qici, on the contrary, raised a slight smile, as if she had seen hope, the hope of defeating the man in black robes.

Gu Qici's smile remained unchanged. With a wave of her right hand, the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd fell directly into her hand from the sky.

In fact, the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd had arrived here long ago, but because the one controlling the physical body was not the real Gu Qici, the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd did not appear on its own initiative. Now that Gu Qici's consciousness has regained control, the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd will naturally fly to its master's hand.

But the black-robed man who saw the sword smiled disdainfully, as if he had thought of something, and suddenly said, "Of course! Because your two companions have been completely killed by me, now... only you are left!"

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Gu Qici's heart stirred. She had just been pondering how the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd could appear here. However, she did not completely believe the man in black robes, nor did she show any grief. She would not think too much about things she had not seen with her own eyes or confirmed with her own eyes. Moreover, she was now facing the powerful enemy, the man in black robes, so how could she be affected by emotions?

"Oh?" Seeing the determination in Gu Qici's eyes, the black-robed man sneered, "Hmph! I didn't expect your willpower to be so strong, but that's enough!" With that, the black-robed man launched another attack.

At this moment, Gu Qici's expression also tightened.

But the next moment, something that Gu Qici could hardly believe appeared in his eyes.

He didn't even see how the other party acted, nor did he sense any fluctuations in power. In just a moment, his cultivation power was forcibly stopped, and the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd in his hand fell to the side without any chance of survival.

"What...?!" Gu Qici could barely catch her breath. Her heart and eyes were filled with extreme shock, because in the hands of this black-robed man, her strength was simply child's play. It seemed that she didn't even have a chance to fight back!

Meanwhile, before Gu Qici could adjust to this mindset, something even more despairing suddenly happened!

In that instant, a powerful fusion force, terrifying to Gu Qici, suddenly surged from the black-robed man's arm into her mind, invading her soul as if it were being altered.

A memory, like a brand, appeared in Gu Qici's mind, causing a great pain to permeate her mind, yet she was unable to resist the control of the man in black robes.

Soon, Gu Qici's eyes slowly turned red, her hair gradually began to turn white, and even her lips seemed to become dry and withered under the pain. Her breath also changed from calm to decay. Her whole person underwent a complete 180-degree transformation!

Even those who are close to her would probably find it difficult to recognize this person's true identity!

"Hmph! Enjoy the pain you just inflicted on her!" The man in black robes had a cold expression, but his words revealed that he was avenging the woman in gray and wanted to turn Gu Qici into someone else, a puppet who would only obey his orders.

Just as Gu Qici was about to lose all her original self, the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd flying in the air suddenly lit up with the most powerful black light in history. It was so fast that even the black-robed man did not have time to react. It immediately covered the two of them. When the light disappeared, Gu Qici strangely broke free from the black-robed man's control!

At this moment, Gu Qici gripped the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd again, her face grim, panting heavily, and suddenly appeared about a hundred meters away from the black-robed man, her eyes still lingering with the shock from just now!

Fortunately, all her changes stopped, and she returned to her original state. However, even after being freed from the black-robed man's restraints, she remained highly vigilant, her eyes fixed on the black-robed man in front of her, never letting her guard down for a moment. After all, she didn't want to experience something more terrifying than death again!

After recovering, the black-robed man's eyes were filled with surprise. But when his gaze fell on the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd, he seemed to understand something, and unconsciously murmured, "So that's how it is... A relic left by an ancient cultivator? Could it be that it reacts to my true power..."

Gu Qici remained calm upon hearing the words of the man in black robes.

At the same time, the man in black robes smiled slightly and said calmly, "Even so, with your strength, you can't fully unleash its power. And how long can you withstand my attacks?!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the man in black robes stopped talking and moved again, carrying an overwhelming killing intent as he suddenly attacked Gu Qici. His speed once again startled Gu Qici!

The only difference this time was that Gu Qici could vaguely see the direction of the black-robed man's attack. This was thanks to her fusion power, because she was becoming more and more familiar with this power. So, with gritted teeth, she did not hesitate to swing the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd!

"Gu Qici directly reversed the fusion power eight times, and then suddenly slashed with almost all her might towards her left side!"

This slash immediately generated an extremely strong shockwave, causing Gu Qici's body to be swept backwards for hundreds of meters like a kite with a broken string. Only after the force dissipated did it slowly stop, lying directly in the void. The entire process seemed to be so intense that even the space itself could not withstand it, creaking and cracking as if it were about to break apart!

That's not all. After Gu Qici finally managed to stand up again, her face turned deathly pale. By the time she came to her senses, her breathing was already somewhat disordered!

At this moment, her expression did not reveal a sense of powerlessness, but rather a sense of hope, because at the very moment she was injured, she clearly felt that her Nine Nether Emperor Halberd, although only a little bit, had still made contact with the black-robed man's body!

This situation was not only noticed by her, but also by the man in black robes. He showed a hint of surprise at Gu Qici, but it was only a hint of surprise.

He paused briefly before launching another attack, this time even faster, as if he were about to grab Gu Qici by the neck!

Gu Qici's expression tightened, and the power of fusion suddenly reversed its cycle to the eighth cycle. With the help of a burst of power, she quickly began to retreat. Although her speed was still not as fast as the black-robed man's, it had eased up. It was during this moment of ease that Gu Qici's eyes suddenly flashed, causing the power of fusion to reverse its cycle to the ninth cycle!

This ninth cycle was fueled by Gu Qici's intense fighting spirit and unwavering belief that she could not be defeated. Therefore, at this moment, a powerful force suddenly erupted from Gu Qici's body!

But the black-robed man was only slightly moved and still rushed towards Gu Qici's location. In that instant, Gu Qici also raised the Nine Nether Emperor Halberd, and with determination, immediately concentrated this power and fiercely slashed at the black-robed man!

This strike, her first counterattack, was destined to be extraordinary. The surrounding space was cracked by this power, as if it could not withstand it at all. At the same time, a huge black light, so large that it could not be seen to the end, seemed to connect the heaven and earth of this space, forming an endless crescent shape, and finally approached the man in black robes!

At this moment, facing this attack, the man in black robes also stopped. However, because the crescent-shaped black light was too big, his expression could not be seen. Only his movements could be seen. He slowly raised his left hand and then gently touched the black light.

And so, something incredible was imprinted in Gu Qici's eyes!

The black light slowly disappeared, and the shattering of the space gradually stopped. However, the man in black robes remained calm and motionless. Under Gu Qici's seemingly extreme attack, only his black robes were slightly damaged. Apart from that, it was as if Gu Qici had not attacked him at all. How could this not surprise Gu Qici? This was truly astonishing!

This difference is not simply a matter of strength, but a qualitative one. No matter how much Gu Qici uses the power of fusion and how strong he becomes, he is still a human. But the black-robed man in front of Gu Qici is like a complete god, making it impossible for Gu Qici to harm him or even touch him!

"This!" But there wasn't enough time for Gu Qici to be surprised. No matter how shocked she was, she had to fight this man in black robes with a different mindset. So, in just a moment, she put away all her emotions, turned around and flew away into the distance, hoping to buy more time to think of a solution!

Chapter 152 The Mysterious Woman Reappears

Watching Gu Qici leave, the black-robed man frowned slightly. Contrary to her expectations, Gu Qici's attack hadn't caused him no harm. On the contrary, the black-robed man was indeed moved. A closer look revealed that, besides his robes, there were some minor wounds on his hands.

Ignoring Gu Qici's escape, he gently raised his hand, turning his gaze to the wound on his hand. A strange glint suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he murmured to himself, "Just now I used power that was almost on par with the Heavenly Lord, but..."

"Hmph!" A faint sense of resolve suddenly rose in the black-robed man's heart: "No matter what! This person cannot be allowed to live!"

Soon, his eyes cleared of distractions and revealed determination. Then, he moved again, heading straight for the direction Gu Qici had fled.