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

In a secluded place within the Imperial Demon Realm, the middle-aged man and the old man...

"A pseudo-Celestial Lord in his late stage? But what I'm more concerned about is whether that person has truly discovered us?" The middle-aged man muttered to himself, as if speaking to the elderly man beside him, or perhaps to a mirror in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, this mirror appears to be very similar to An Ran's Xuan Tian Mirror, and the person in the mirror is also Gu Qi Ci.

"It's alright! Even if he discovers us, he won't know our identities. This can be seen from the fact that he only knows that three people have come from the future. Our plan will not be affected," the old man said.

"Perhaps! But I think we still can't let our guard down. Right now, everyone's eyes are on my disciple. Those three people who will arrive in the future, and An Ran, are all formidable. Although we have the upper hand, in reality, our advantage is not that significant!"

“That’s true, especially now that we’ve reached the most critical moment. That guy only has three years left to live, so we should get serious.” This time, the old man surprisingly didn’t argue with the middle-aged man, but instead agreed with him.

This surprised the middle-aged man, as if he hadn't expected it.

"Hmph! I'm just following what I think is the best outcome. It has nothing to do with you, understand?" the old man said suddenly, as if he knew what the middle-aged man was thinking.

The middle-aged man was only slightly taken aback, but said nothing more.

Two days later, on Emperor Demon Island.

The weather on Huangmo Island today is not very good. There are many dark clouds in the sky, and there are faint signs of rain, which makes the people on the island feel a sense of oppression.

Gu Qi, but Gu Qici did not immediately go to the Demon Extermination Sect. Even though she now possessed power comparable to the late-stage Heavenly Monarch, she still had to be careful.

She knew she had acted impulsively last time, and that she had only survived by a stroke of luck. So this time, she absolutely could not be careless again, because this time, she was absolutely certain of success.

After spending three days on a mountain ridge on the island, Gu Qici finally began her operation. This time, just like before, she flew directly from the left side of Huangmo Island to the right side.

A streak of light appeared in the sky, seemingly crossing the Imperial Demon Holy City and arriving at the central abyss of the island. Gu Qici did not cross the central abyss, but only entered its lowest point.

Her actions were very secretive, and only Shen Yuan and Shen Lian noticed them. However, the two of them did not take immediate action, but waited and saw what was going on. Perhaps they also wanted to see what Gu Qi Ci was planning to do!

Just like when Xiao Jian and the old man in black fought, the bottom of the central abyss was not completely dark. After Gu Qici arrived, she looked around and then suddenly said, "We've arrived."

"Okay! Got it." As soon as she finished speaking, a small green creature resembling a mouse darted out of Gu Qici's arms. Without a doubt, this mouse was the one Gu Qici had rescued from the Xuan Tian Mirror.

"Are you sure you're here?" After the green rat appeared, it also looked around before standing on Gu Qici's left shoulder and asking.

"I'm not sure, but we can give it a try. If we succeed, then all of this won't be so complicated. If we fail, it doesn't matter. It will all depend on your skills, Senior," Gu Qici said.

"Hahahaha, tricks? I don't have any tricks, but if that thing can really restore some of my cultivation, then why shouldn't I help you this time?" the green rat laughed.

At this moment, Gu Qici stopped talking and took out a black jade pendant from her spatial bottle. Without hesitation, she hung it around the green rat's neck. Upon closer inspection, the jade pendant was the treasure of Huangmo Island that An Ran had cleverly seized from Shen Yuan when she saved Gu Qici.

“This thing is the key to opening the entrance to this place. I believe that you, senior, possess boundless demonic energy and are one of the ancestors who created the Demon Realm. Therefore, you should be able to sense the location of the entrance to this place through this jade pendant. So, the rest is up to you, senior,” Gu Qici said softly.

"Hahaha! No problem, just don't worry," the green mouse said.

“I have nothing to worry about. You still have Senior Anran’s restriction on you. If you don’t follow my instructions, you will be the one who suffers in the end,” Gu Qici said in an unchanged tone.

"Hmph! Little girl, are you threatening me?" the green mouse sneered.

"No, I'm just telling the truth. Senior, you don't need to take it to heart, because it won't do any good anyway!" Gu Qici said.

In fact, when Gu Qici learned the true identity of the green rat, she already had a series of plans in mind. The first thing was to make the green rat obey her. Only in this way could she carry out her plan. Fortunately, An Ran saw through her thoughts and used the restriction to bind the green rat, which could be considered as helping her once.

Then she would use the power of the green rat to fight against Shen Yuan, which would increase her chances of winning, since it's not very safe for Gu Qici to fight alone.

However, the above plan was only Gu Qici's first round of planning. Before encountering those people from the Demon Extermination Sect, she really wanted to solve the problem directly with force, which was quick and convenient.

However, after learning that the treasure of Huangmo Island was on her, she changed her mind. The first plan was only a last resort. Even if she could defeat Shen Yuan, she would be severely weakened. If Huangmo Sect launched an operation, she would be helpless.

She didn't know Shen Lian very well. If Shen Lian took control of the Emperor Demon Island, what kind of actions would he take?

Therefore, she needs a more in-depth plan.

After two days of deliberation, Gu Qici finally came up with a final plan: to let him rule Huangmo Island! However, the "he" in this case did not refer to Gu Qici, but to the green rat who followed Gu Qici.

Gu Qici was well aware that as an outsider, she could not possibly be trusted by the people of Huangmo Island, whether in terms of qualifications or experience. After all, ruling Huangmo Island was equivalent to ruling the entire Huangmo Domain, and Gu Qici did not have such great ambitions.

But she didn't, while that stinky rat did. This rat had said long ago that if the Imperial Demon Realm fell into chaos, she would personally carry out rectification, which is why Gu Qici came up with this plan.

Now, as long as this rat successfully recovers its cultivation, it will be the strongest cultivator in the Imperial Demon Domain. In addition, its status as one of the ancestors of the Imperial Demon Domain is enough to put many people at ease, including Shen Yuan and Shen Lian.

"Alright! Enough with the unnecessary words. I will guard this place for you, but I will only give you three days. If you do not come out within three days, I will use my original method, and you will likely die in this central abyss. I believe you are a smart person and should understand what I mean." Gu Qici said seriously.

"Hehe! Of course I understand, don't worry! I care about my life more than anyone else, so I estimate I'll be able to get out in less than three days," the green mouse replied.

"I hope so!" Gu Qici's eyes flickered slightly, and then her figure leaped lightly, flying into the sky above the central abyss.

The green rat, watching Gu Qici leave, revealed a sinister look and muttered to itself, "Truly, a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs!"

Despite its complaints, all it could do now was listen to Gu Qici, so it quickly began to use the jade pendant around its neck to search for the location of the entrance.

On the other hand, Gu Qici also arrived high above the central abyss, but not long after, she sat in mid-air and closed her eyes. Judging from her appearance, she must be resting.

However, she was resting, which greatly puzzled those watching her. From their perspective, whether it was Shen Lian or Shen Yuan, Gu Qici had inexplicably entered the Central Abyss, inexplicably emerged from the Central Abyss, and then inexplicably floated high above the Central Abyss. Her entire behavior was utterly inexplicable and baffling.

"What exactly does she want?" On a balcony of the Demon Extermination Sect, Shen Yuan looked at the central abyss with some distress and murmured.

At this moment, the bald general who had replaced the old man in black was standing beside her, frowning as he said, "Sect Master, I feel that this girl is unlikely to do anything unnecessary. She must have some purpose there."

"Some purpose? What do you mean?" Shen Yuan asked thoughtfully.

“I think it must be related to the Imperial Demon Jade,” the bald general said. “After all, the only thing she has related to the Central Abyss is the Imperial Demon Jade, so I think she probably intends to use the Imperial Demon Jade to get a chance to advance.”

"Is that so?" Shen Yuan asked hesitantly.

"This is just the most likely possibility at the moment. All of this is just speculation. Who knows what kind of ulterior motive that girl might have? In the end, we don't know her very well," the bald general said.

“That’s right!” At this moment, Shen Yuan turned his gaze to the dark clouds in the sky, his eyes lit up, and he said again, “Fine! Since that’s the case, then I’ll just have to meet her myself, so we don’t have to make wild guesses.”

……

Meanwhile, at the other end of Huangmo Island, at the waterfall of Huangmo Sect, the person standing beside Shen Lian was no longer Shen Xuan, but Shen Yue, who had returned not long ago.

"The Imperial Demon Jade? But that's just speculation. We still can't act rashly," Shen Lian said, looking at Shen Yue standing beside him.

“That’s right. She only stayed inside the central abyss for a short while before flying up. In such a short time, it’s impossible for her to find the entrance to the Imperial Demon Realm. Moreover, even if she did find it, she couldn’t enter without demonic energy. So she must have another purpose,” Shen Yue said.

"Whether she has a purpose or not is none of our business. In short, we can't let her seek her own death," Shen Lian said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yue raised an eyebrow and asked, "What does the Sect Master mean?"

“It doesn’t mean anything, because I will handle the rest myself,” Shen Lian said seriously.

Chapter 171 Careless

The night sky was dark, with lingering clouds, no moon, and no stars. Under the cover of darkness, the Imperial Demon Realm was utterly quiet.

High in the abyss at the center, Gu Qici sat quietly cross-legged. In front of her was the Demon Extermination Sect, and behind her was the Demon Emperor Sect. She alone was as if she were separated from the entire Imperial Demon Island and the entire Imperial Demon Domain.

As midnight approached, a chill seemed to rise between heaven and earth, causing the trees and flowers on Huangmo Island to show signs of decline. But amidst this quiet and cold, two people were slowly approaching Gu Qici in the air.

One was from the Demon Extermination Sect, and the other was from the Demon Emperor Sect. One was the sect leader of the Demon Extermination Sect, and the other was the sect leader of the Demon Emperor Sect. They were the core figures in the war of the Imperial Demon Domain, and also the ultimate targets of Gu Qici's journey to the Imperial Demon Domain.

So a while later, when the two appeared one after the other beside Gu Qici, Gu Qici finally opened her eyes and turned to the side so that her gaze could catch sight of the two at the same time. However, her expression was very different from a month ago; she seemed more relaxed and calmer.

When she first met Shen Lian, his mere presence made her breathless. When she first met Shen Yuan, he treated her like a toy. But now, she had the right to communicate with them on equal terms. Although they might not think so, Gu Qici knew that she was qualified.

At the same time, neither of the brothers was surprised when Shen Lian saw Shen Yuan, nor when Shen Yuan saw Shen Lian. It was as if they had already guessed that the other would come, but they did not expect that the other would come at the same time as them.

"My dear brother, I've come here today to have a good talk with this young lady. If you have nothing else to do, you should leave as soon as possible." Shen Yuan, not wanting Shen Lian to know about the loss of the Imperial Demon Jade, quickly decided to send Shen Lian away, and said coldly.

"Hmph. Well, I'm really sorry, but I also have something to discuss with her today, just like you. Why don't you let me finish talking to her first, and then we can talk about your business?" Shen Lian smiled. He also didn't want Shen Yuan to know about his daughter, so he hoped to get rid of Shen Yuan as well.

"Tch, brother, everything has to be done in a first-come, first-served manner. I was here first, so naturally I should speak to Miss Gu Qici first. So please leave for a while, brother," Shen Yuan said, completely unconvinced.

"What do you mean by 'first come, first served'? We clearly arrived together just now, so why should I let you have it?" Shen Lian said disdainfully.

"Hey, hey, hey. You said I'm your younger brother, so isn't it normal for an older brother to give way to his younger brother?" Shen Yuan retorted.

"Alright then. Since you've acknowledged that you're my younger brother, then as the eldest brother is like a father, you have to listen to your older brother. So you should hand over the other half of Huangmo Island to me. That way, everyone will be happy." Shen Lian said, deliberately trying to provoke Shen Yuan.

"Tsk tsk. I say, brother. Aren't you a closed-minded old stubborn? When did you become so eloquent? That's quite unexpected." Shen Yuan didn't follow Shen Lian's words, but just chuckled and said.

"Old stubborn? I can't accept that title. After all, compared to my stubbornness, yours is truly unparalleled. Otherwise, you wouldn't have defied the ancestors' orders and led the Demon Extermination Sect in rebellion." Shen Lian's lips twitched slightly as he spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, no, no. Brother, you're wrong. I'm not rebelling. You have to understand that the Imperial Demon Domain is too conservative. This is not good for the development of the Imperial Demon Domain at all. Haven't you noticed that the Imperial Demon Domain has fallen far behind the outside world? It's even not much different from some wastelands. If this continues, the possibility of it being swallowed up by other forces in the future is too great. That's why I want to change the Imperial Demon Domain." Shen Yuan suddenly said seriously.

"Alright, alright, that's all a misconception of yours. You need to know that although there are constant frictions between various forces, the overall situation on the continent has been peaceful for tens of thousands of years, and we've never seen them do anything to us. You're worrying too much," Shen Lian said.

"Worrying about things that haven't happened yet? Brother, I told you you're being old-fashioned, and you really are. Indeed. They haven't done anything to us yet, but that's only now. Our Imperial Demon Domain has gone through so many years, each generation is worse than the last, completely lacking the prestige that our Imperial Demon Ancestor once had when he dominated the continent..."

"Do you think those with ulterior motives will remain inactive as we continue to weaken like this? Haven't you noticed that those people have already established quite a few bases within the Imperial Demon Domain? So, are you blind or something?" Shen Yuan's tone seemed to harden as he spoke.

Her words surprised Shen Lian, but he stubbornly insisted, "So what? Maybe they think our Imperial Demon Domain might infiltrate them, so they did this? Besides, we've also planted some spies over the years. Isn't that normal?"

"Normal my foot! We sent infiltrators, while those guys were blatantly using them. How stupid are you to not notice the difference? Or are you just fooling yourself?" Shen Yuan suddenly cursed.

"I'm deceiving myself? You're the one who's deceiving yourself! The once peaceful Imperial Demon Domain has been turned into a living hell because of your actions. You only think about strengthening the Imperial Demon Domain, but you haven't thought about appeasing our people. Haven't you considered that even if the Imperial Demon Domain changes hands and you succeed, what good will it do if you don't have the support of the people?"

"In that case, there will always be people opposing you, and the Imperial Demon Domain will remain a mess. Or do you plan to use force to wipe out those who oppose you and become the greatest sinner in the history of the Imperial Demon Domain?" Shen Lian asked rhetorically.

"Hmph. So be it. What I've done is irreversible. Rather than that, I might as well see it through to the end. I believe those people will eventually understand me..." Shen Yuan said solemnly.

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Lian interrupted her, saying, "No. Absolutely not. The people are not as clever as you think. Just like emperors in the mortal world, if an emperor does not attain enlightenment, he will be overthrown sooner or later. The same applies to you. The Huangmo Domain, which is used to peaceful life, will definitely provoke resentment if it suddenly increases its military strength and recruits cultivators."

“Moreover, your training methods are also problematic. I know that you will have a hundred cultivators kill each other in the secret realm, and only one of them will be chosen as a soldier to create the strongest army. Although this method is indeed effective, how many innocent people will be involved? Have you not thought about that?” Shen Lian questioned.

"To hell with your morality, to hell with your kindness. This world, this cultivation world, is a world of natural selection, survival of the fittest, a dog-eat-dog world. It's normal for people to die. Even if I killed ten million people and only selected one hundred thousand to form an army, I wouldn't feel the slightest guilt, because that's fate, that's destiny. Don't give me that crap. When you became the sect leader, didn't you also kill a lot of innocent people?"

"That's why I understand what it feels like to be hated, and you're my brother. That's why I don't want you to follow the path I took. So turn back. It's not too late to turn back now," Shen Lian advised, his tone softening.

Meanwhile, Gu Qici, who was watching the two of them argue, remained silent the whole time. She had no intention of getting involved or caring who was right or wrong, since it was none of her business. Her goal was simply to stall for time.

Unfortunately, this situation did not last long. After a short while, the two stopped talking. They had argued like this many times before, and this time Gu Qici was present, and they had important business to attend to. So they quickly turned their attention to Gu Qici, which made Gu Qici feel a little regretful.

"No matter what, we have to settle this once and for all. To be honest, I know you came here to find clues about your daughter. I might as well tell you that the Imperial Demon Jade is in her hands now. Although I don't know what she's up to, I have a feeling it's not good. Brother, do you want to stop me? Sure. Let's get the Imperial Demon Jade from her first." Shen Yuan suddenly said.

His words surprised Gu Qici and Shen Lian slightly. The former did not expect that this guy would take the initiative to bring up the matter of the Imperial Demon Jade, while the latter did not expect that he would be so decisive. This was not very consistent with the character of his younger brother.

"Is there some kind of conspiracy?" Shen Lian wondered to herself. In fact, like Shen Yuan, she had long guessed that the Imperial Demon Jade might be in Gu Qici's hands, so she wasn't surprised. The reason she didn't let Gu Qici hand over the Imperial Demon Jade to her was because she knew very well that since she hadn't helped Gu Qici before, and hadn't even thought about saving her, Gu Qici would never easily trust her.

So when Shen Yuan so easily revealed these things, she herself didn't believe it was without ulterior motives. After all, Shen Yuan was the kind of person who liked to use scheming and trickery, so she had to be on guard.

Sure enough, no sooner had she thought of it than Shen Yuan continued, "What? Aren't you going to act? If you defeat her now, you can obtain the Imperial Demon Jade and find out your daughter's whereabouts, right? What are you hesitating for?"

However, Shen Lian remained unmoved. She merely sneered, "Hmph. Give me that. If I were to fight her to the death, wouldn't you be able to reap the benefits? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Seemingly knowing that Shen Lian would guess her purpose, Shen Yuan wasn't surprised at all. She simply said, "So what do you want? To keep this stalemate going?"

"Of course not." At this moment, Shen Lian turned his gaze to Gu Qici. After hesitating for a while, he said earnestly, "Little girl, I can promise you that as long as you give me the Imperial Demon Jade and help me end this war, I will go with you once."

"Hehehe. Come on, little girl. Although we've fought before and have a grudge, I still advise you not to trust this person. He seems sincere on the surface, but that's not actually the case. Be careful, something bad might happen." Shen Yuan curled his lip and spoke in a smearing tone.

"Brother, only you could make such blatant lies so smoothly," Shen Lian said, a hint of coldness in his eyes.