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

"Slander? You should know better than I whether it's slander or not," Shen Yuan sneered.

At this moment, Gu Qici knew that she would definitely get caught up in this argument, so she stopped being silent. With a quick glance, she interjected, "Alright. Seniors, please stop arguing. I don't actually have the Imperial Demon Jade you're talking about on me, so even if I wanted to take it out, I couldn't."

"Huh?" Upon hearing Gu Qici's words, the two were taken aback at first, but neither of them believed it. However, they also knew that Gu Qici's words did not mean to sever her relationship with the Imperial Demon Jade, but rather to tell Shen Lian another very important thing: that Gu Qici would never hand over the Imperial Demon Jade to her.

Gu Qici knew very well that even if she really handed the Imperial Demon Jade to Shen Lian, and even if Shen Lian really quelled the war, Shen Lian would not go immediately. He would definitely deal with everything first before going with her. But she didn't know if there would be any changes. If there were, then Shen Lian might change his mind.

After all, in Shen Lian's heart, the affairs of the Imperial Demon Realm were more important than Shen Xin's affairs.

"This Shen Lian may be a good leader, but he is definitely not a good father," Gu Qici murmured to herself.

"Hahaha. You got humiliated, didn't you? I told you you weren't up to the task. How could this girl possibly listen to you and give you the Imperial Demon Domain? I believe she also knows that even if she gives it to you, you won't immediately go to save your daughter, right?"

"Oh my, what a selfless person! The Demon Realm is truly fortunate to have a leader like you. It's a pity about your children, who will become appendages in your life. Hahahaha." Shen Yuan seemed unwilling to miss any opportunity to ridicule Shen Lian, and laughed loudly, making Shen Lian feel as if he had no face at all.

"Don't be so smug. She won't give it to me, and she won't give it to you either. Besides, we're both restricting each other right now, so neither of us can make a move. Although I don't know what this guy's purpose is, I know... it's not good to keep dragging this out." Shen Lian said, whether intentionally or unintentionally, revealing Gu Qi Ci's plan.

Although Gu Qici knew in her heart that both of them knew she was stalling for time, knowing it was one thing, and saying it out loud was another. It was like a person who had just broken up with their boyfriend. In fact, all of their friends and family could tell that they were heartbroken, but they didn't mention it to avoid hurting her. However, a rival who was unaware of the situation deliberately revealed the breakup, directly delivering a significant blow through words.

In short, Shen Lian said these things for revenge. Now that the problem is out in the open, the two of them can't ignore it. Perhaps because of this, Gu Qici's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Shen Lian. She used to think that Shen Lian was just a career-oriented cultivator who would put important matters first and not care about his children, but now she has a different opinion.

"Perhaps Shen Yuan is right. Xin'er's father is not a good person." Gu Qici thought to herself, and couldn't help but label Shen Lian. Although the label was not big, it was definitely not easy to remove.

"There's no way, there's no way. Brother, why don't you just let me have my way this once? After all, after I got the Imperial Demon Jade, we just returned to our original state. We won't have to completely fall out. What do you think?" Shen Yuan said nonchalantly.

"I don't think so? I've let you have your way since you were little, and that's how you developed this kind of personality. So I'm not going to let you have your way anymore. As for tearing each other apart, hmph. Didn't we already tear each other apart a long time ago?" Shen Lian said with a cold smile.

"Alright, alright. So what do you suggest we do? We can't fight back, and we can't reason with them. Are we just going to stay here forever?" Shen Yuan asked again, a hint of helplessness in her eyes, as if she were genuinely trying to get Shen Lian's opinion.

But at that very moment, Shen Lian's eyes flickered, a ruthless glint in them, and he suddenly said, "Who says you can't hit them?"

Upon hearing these words, those five words, and that tone, Gu Qici and Shen Yuan immediately frowned. For a moment, they both focused their attention on Shen Lian. Upon closer inspection, they seemed even more wary, perhaps because they all knew that Shen Lian's words could very well become a turning point in the current situation.

Indeed, that was the case. The next moment, Shen Lian turned his gaze to Gu Qici and suddenly said, "Little girl. I know you're stalling for time, and I know you're carrying out some kind of plan that we don't know about, but I'll let you have your way, even if you have a relationship with my daughter, so... do you understand?"

A warning. A stark warning. It was as if it were telling Gu Qici that she had better hand over the item, or something bad would definitely happen to her. However, Gu Qici might be swayed by soft words, but hard words were a different story. Everyone likes to be threatened, and Gu Qici was no exception. Perhaps because of this, a chill suddenly appeared deep in her eyes.

"Sect Master Shen, I respect you as a senior, which is why I am so respectful to you. But I ask you not to take advantage of your age, or you will bear the consequences." Gu Qici said without much thought, and the firmness in her tone far surpassed that of Shen Lian.

This surprised Shen Yuan and Shen Lian slightly. They never expected that Gu Qici, who was at the ninth level of the Sky Gazing Realm, would say something that sounded like she was courting death. But as mentioned before, Gu Qici was not stupid. If she didn't have the confidence to stay safe, she wouldn't have said something so "exciting". So, in addition to surprise, the two were more puzzled.

"There's a problem." These were the three words that both of them uttered at the same time.

Furthermore, Shen Yuan was probably startled, and instead of mocking Shen Lian as before, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Qici seriously. Shen Lian did the same, but the difference was that after realizing what had happened, Shen Lian also felt a surge of anger.

"Hey, don't speak so slowly, or you won't be able to take it back." If Shen Yuan hadn't been there, Shen Lian would never have said another word. She would have killed Gu Qici without hesitation, since Gu Qici had already violated her dignity as the sect leader of the Demon Emperor Sect.

"If you can't take it back, you can't take it back. I've never intended to take back what I said. If you're so capable, then go ahead and use it." Gu Qici said with a sneer.

"Fine." Shen Lian's anger grew, and he shouted, "Since that's the case, then let me see what the reason is for your confidence."

With those words, Shen Lian's cultivation power erupted completely, shooting towards the sky like a black rainbow, causing the surrounding space to hiss and crackle, and even shattering in some places, as if adding a dangerous aura to this already restless night.

Seeing that Shen Lian was about to make a move, Shen Yuan's lips twitched, as if there was a hint of excitement. Then, she moved away from the battle between Gu Qici and Shen Lian and stood calmly on the top of a distant mountain. It seemed that she wanted to sit back and watch the two tigers fight.

Given the current situation, he will not suffer any loss regardless of which side wins; in fact, he may even benefit from it.

If the two fight to the death and both are severely injured, that would be a wonderful thing.

"Hahahaha, let's fight! After all that nonsense, it's time to fight, my brother! Don't let me down! You must win!" Shen Yuan laughed heartily, feeling incredibly satisfied.

Looking at the night sky above the central abyss, Gu Qici also retreated rapidly under that aura, until she was about a thousand meters away from Shen Lian before she gradually steadied herself. She stood in the air, looking at Shen Lian with cold and resolute eyes, as if she had a fighting spirit.

"There are still one day and two nights left. Let me try to make the most of this time." Gu Qici thought to herself. With a serious expression, she moved her left hand and grabbed a five-colored bow. At the same time, she waved her right hand and conjured a five-colored arrow.

The combination of these two factors makes it inevitable that the arrow will be released once it is on the bowstring.

"The Five Elements Killing Technique." As she murmured, Gu Qici's eyes flashed, her spiritual power spun wildly, and the three blue flames of the Heavenly Soul Three Revolutions Technique immediately appeared on her shoulders and forehead. At the same time, a powerful force no weaker than Shen Lian's spread around, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and space to distort.

This power is proof that she is qualified to fight Shen Lian or Shen Yuan.

"This guy? He's definitely different from a month ago. I was careless. It seems things are getting tricky." Shen Yuan, watching from a distance, raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself.

At this moment, Shen Lian also seemed to feel a sense of apprehension.

………………

Chapter 172 Cooperation

"Although I knew this guy wasn't as strong as he seemed, I didn't expect him to be this powerful. No wonder he was able to defeat Shen Yue; this power is something Shen Yue simply couldn't withstand. However..."

While Shen Lian was pondering, Gu Qici had already bent down and drawn the bow, pouring spiritual power into it. Then, with a ruthless turn of her hand, she aimed at Shen Lian and released her grip without hesitation.

A whooshing sound echoed as the arrow was released, the five-colored arrow seemingly tearing through the sky. Its powerful force created a hole in the surrounding space during its flight, demonstrating its extraordinary power.

However, Shen Lian was not afraid at all. After all, he was an old monster who was half a step into the Heavenly Monarch. How could he feel that way because of a junior? So, he launched a counterattack the next moment.

"The reason why a Heavenly Lord is called a Heavenly Lord is because the cultivator of a Heavenly Lord has cultivated his own understanding to the extreme. Originally, he was just borrowing the power of the continent, but now he controls the power of the continent. These two are fundamentally different. Today... I will show you, a junior, what a Heavenly Lord is."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Lian raised his left hand and pointed at the dark clouds in the sky. A silver aura suddenly emanated from his body, making the sky seem to be covered in silver, giving it a faint sense of strangeness.

Perhaps affected by this, the five-colored arrow slowed down a bit for a moment, like a vehicle sinking into a quagmire. Even if someone pushed it, it would be difficult to move forward even one turn. This made Gu Qici frown.

However, Shen Lian's actions were not over yet. After the silver aura appeared, it seemed to dispel the dark clouds in the sky, making the entire sky cloudless. Then, a ray of moonlight shone down from the horizon, making the originally dark black a little brighter.

"What I comprehend is the power of moonlight, so what I control is also the power of moonlight. Gu Qici. Watch closely, this may be your only chance in this lifetime." Shen Lian shouted softly, and with a sudden wave of his left hand, the exposed moonlight became even more dazzling.

But that's not the key point. The key point is that in that instant, countless moonlight beams seemed to materialize, directly combining into a silver giant about a thousand meters tall. The moment this silver giant appeared, it let out a piercing cry, and then it raised its left hand into a palm, carrying a strong sense of impact, and struck the five-colored arrow with a palm.

Suddenly, the two collided, and a roar arose again. Although the power of the five-colored arrow was strong, it could not withstand this attack, which was equivalent to the early stage of the Heavenly Monarch realm. Amidst the roar, the five-colored arrow collapsed directly, turning into countless fragments, as if it had been destroyed.

However, this palm strike ended there. It continued to advance because its target was not the Five-Colored Arrow, but Gu Qici behind it. At this moment, it seemed as if the power of the sky collapsing was swirling again. The powerful force made Gu Qici's eyes narrow slightly and her robes flutter under this palm strike. She had a feeling that this palm strike was the strongest of all of Shen Lian's techniques.

Indeed, Shen Lian did not want to waste too much time on Gu Qici, because the longer he fought with Gu Qici, the more he would be exhausted. Therefore, he could only choose to defeat Gu Qici in one move, so that he might be able to deal with Shen Yuan again. Otherwise, Shen Yuan would definitely reap the benefits, which was definitely not what he wanted to see.

"This palm strike won't kill you, but it will severely injure you, making it impossible for you to continue fighting. Don't worry. I won't kill you, but for the sake of my daughter's whereabouts, you will definitely suffer some pain." Shen Lian thought to himself, his ruthlessness growing even stronger.

However, Gu Qici's thoughts were exactly the opposite of his. Gu Qici did not want to decide the outcome of the battle with Shen Lian immediately, nor did he want to end the battle so quickly. His main priority now was to stall for time. Therefore, he did not choose to engage in a fierce battle with the silver giant in front of him. Instead, he moved and retreated rapidly.

"Trying to escape? Not so easy!" Shen Lian snorted coldly, circulating his cultivation power once more, directly controlling the silver giant to retract its left hand. But this was not the end, because at this moment, the silver giant suddenly began to run in the sky. Without a doubt, the direction it ran was the very direction Gu Qici had fled.

"This behemoth is also agile." Gu Qici felt the silver giant approaching from behind and a sense of trouble suddenly arose in her heart, but she did not switch from defense to offense because of this. Instead, she increased her flying speed while remaining vigilant.

Gu Qici did not leave the central abyss. Her flight range was very small, only hovering above the central abyss, circling irregularly. She knew she could not leave. Even if she lured Shen Lian away, there was still Shen Yuan. In that case, the green rats below might be discovered, which was not what she wanted to see.

So now she can only stall, not only for time, but also to keep the two of them occupied. Although she knows very well that if this goes on for too long, the two of them will definitely have some problems, she can't worry about that anymore, because a perfect plan never existed in the first place.

"Hahaha. Silver Moon Giant. Brother. I didn't expect you to value this guy so much. But that's right, if you can deal with him quickly, you might have some strength left, which would allow you to continue the stalemate with me. That's a really good idea. So..." Shen Yuan, watching all this from afar, smirked and murmured, "Then let me see if you can do it."

To Shen Yuan's utter surprise, Gu Qici, who was dealing with the silver giant high in the sky, suddenly turned her gaze to him. Gu Qici's eyes flickered, as if she had thought of a brilliant strategy, and she flew directly towards him at high speed. Since the silver giant had been following Gu Qici, it also rushed over at this moment.

"Hey, hey, hey. What you're doing is immoral." As if he knew what Gu Qici was thinking, Shen Yuan's heart trembled, and with a slight movement of his cultivation power, he chose to leave without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared from that high mountain, and the next moment, he appeared in the sky, which was even higher than where Gu Qici was now.

At the same time, Gu Qici stood on that high mountain, but before she could stand firmly, the silver giant behind her decisively punched her. This punch was very strong. Before the wind of the punch even arrived, a loud booming sound immediately resounded in the sky. When this punch actually made contact with the high mountain, the high mountain was instantly turned into flat ground.

Debris flew everywhere, trees were reduced to rubble, and a powerful aftershock swept through the air, shaking the entire Emperor Demon Island. Even the space around the giant's fist shattered, demonstrating that this punch truly had the power to instantly kill an ordinary cultivator. It was likely that even his elders would not be able to withstand this attack.

Shen Lian already thought highly of Gu Qici, otherwise he wouldn't have delivered such a terrifying attack. However, this was not enough to defeat Gu Qici. Combining the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, these are all real forces in terms of realm, belonging to the category of the Transformation Realm. But in terms of power, the fusion of the five forces is absolutely comparable to the late stage of the Transformation Realm.

Moreover, Gu Qici did not intend to fight him, but only to stall him. Therefore, it was impossible for Gu Qici to suffer serious injuries from this attack. Amidst the flying sand and stones, Gu Qici stood up and leaped, easily dodging the silver giant's punch, and quickly flew back into the sky.

"This guy... he's really good at dodging. No wonder he managed to escape from Shen Yuan's grasp." Shen Lian thought to himself as he controlled the silver giant. Even so, he did not give up the pursuit. After calming his mind, he continued to circulate his cultivation, causing the silver giant to rush towards Gu Qici in the sky again. It seemed that he did not intend to show any mercy.

Ironically, Gu Qici flew in the same direction as Shen Yuan this time. He seemed unwilling to let Shen Yuan sit idly by and watch the show. He wanted this guy who was sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight to expend some energy and get involved in the chase. Perhaps he knew very well that as long as he got close to Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan would take care of the silver giant, which would be like binding his hands and feet, preventing him from taking any action.

"This guy is so annoying." Shen Yuan's eyes flickered as he watched Gu Qici charge towards him with the silver giant. He felt uneasy and had no choice but to change his position again. Unfortunately, every time he changed his position, Gu Qici could detect him and catch up with him.

And so, the silver giant chased Gu Qici, and Gu Qici chased Shen Yuan, forming a cycle among the three. Shen Yuan was furious, Shen Lian didn't care, and Gu Qici almost laughed, because it was a way to buy time.

Although she knew that even so, it wouldn't waste much of Shen Lian and Shen Yuan's strength, the current situation was not beyond her expectations, so she was happy to see it continue like this.

"It's almost dawn. If I calculate it this way, there should still be sixteen hours left..." Gu Qici thought to herself, her figure continuing to move. In short, she had made up her mind to delay as long as she could, and she would delay even if she couldn't.

However, she was deliberately dragging out the time, which inevitably made Shen Lian and Shen Lian feel strange. As mentioned before, although she was following Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan would sometimes go beyond the range of the central abyss. So whenever this happened, she would habitually have a safety-first mentality, which led to her not following Shen Yuan several times.

Perhaps for this reason, Shen Lian and Shen Yuan, almost without any surprise, became somewhat concerned, causing them to unconsciously shift some of their attention to the central abyss.

"Hey, little brother. How about we cooperate?" At this moment, Shen Lian suddenly transmitted his thoughts to Shen Yuan using his profound meaning.

"cooperate?"

"That's right, you must have noticed too, right?"

"You mean this guy won't leave the area of ​​the central abyss?"

"Yes. So this guy must have some secrets with the Central Abyss."

"Hehehe. I agree with that, but do you think I would cooperate with you? I don't really trust you."

"Trust is two-sided. To be honest, I don't trust you either, but there's a saying that goes, 'There are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.' Or rather, are you willing to let things continue like this? This guy is clearly stalling for time, so we have to be careful."

"Hahahaha. If we're talking about guarding against this guy? That shouldn't concern you much, right? But it's different for me. I had a fierce battle with this guy, and I even almost killed her. I don't think this guy is a soft-hearted person..."

"You're overthinking it. Who knows if they'll go easy on me? If something unexpected happens, I can't afford the consequences."

"An accident? Tsk tsk. You're afraid that the Imperial Demon Jade in this guy's possession will fall into my hands again, aren't you?"

“I do have that thought, but aren’t you worried too? The three of us may seem to be at an impasse, but we’ve actually fallen into this guy’s trap. Although he doesn’t have demonic energy and can’t enter the Emperor Demon Secret Realm, we can’t be too afraid of the worst. If he finds any loopholes, we’ll be in big trouble.”

At this point, Shen Yuan was clearly somewhat persuaded. While avoiding Gu Qici, he seemed to be pondering Shen Lian's words.

Upon seeing this, Shen Lian's eyes flashed. While continuing to control the silver giant to chase after Gu Qici, he transmitted his thoughts again: "Think it over carefully. Although we don't know this guy's purpose, I believe you have definitely sensed it. Her purpose is most likely related to the Imperial Demon Secret Realm, so we really can't delay any longer."

"Alright, alright. I know what you mean. I'll cooperate with you, but give me a promise and tell me your plan." Shen Yuan seemed unwilling to dwell on it any longer and said directly.

“Very good. My promise is that as long as we join forces to deal with this guy, I am willing to go with you to the Imperial Demon Realm with the Imperial Demon Jade. At that time, it will be up to fate who the remnant soul of the Imperial Demon Ancestor will pass on the Infinite Demon Heaven Technique. What do you say?”

"Destiny?" Shen Yuan's brows furrowed suddenly, as if surprised.

"Yes. It all comes down to fate. We've been fighting for this for so many years, it's time to end it. If you obtain the Infinite Demonic Heaven Technique, your plans and goals can all be achieved, and I can't stop you from becoming the Heavenly Lord. But if I'm chosen, you'll have to obediently be my younger brother from now on. How about it? Do you dare?"

The two of them had actually been to the Imperial Demon Secret Realm before, but each time they went, either Shen Lian would obstruct Shen Yuan, or Shen Yuan would stop Shen Lian. So in the end, the two of them almost always returned disappointed. Therefore, the promise that Shen Lian made really made Shen Yuan take action.

"Hmph. Why wouldn't I dare? I agree. So what's your plan?" Shen Yuan's tone suddenly turned serious as he spoke.

……

The night was not over, and the moonlight still lingered.

"These two are suspicious..." Gu Qici thought to herself as she dodged the silver giant's attacks and followed Shen Yuan, "They've been hovering above the Central Abyss for so long, it's impossible for them not to be exposed..."

"I wonder what methods they will use to stop me... No. I can't let them take control, otherwise I'll definitely be caught off guard and suffer a crushing defeat." With a change of heart, Gu Qici made her decision.

At that moment, her eyes flashed, her figure stopped, and she stopped following Shen Yuan. Instead, she turned around, waved her left hand, and solemnly took out the Emperor's Halberd.

"What?!" Seeing Gu Qici suddenly change her actions, Shen Lian and Shen Yuan, who were originally discussing how to capture Gu Qici, suddenly showed surprise. They never expected that Gu Qici would launch a counterattack so suddenly at this crucial moment.