I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Qingyu tried her best not to overthink it.

It doesn't matter what fate has in store; what matters is whether fate is on your side.

Even a chess piece should be one that can survive and thrive.

She understood that the great calamity would definitely eliminate cultivators. No matter how many cultivators died, it didn't matter. At worst, she would take her children to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Xiaoya couldn't leave anyway. In any case, she was the most important part of the great calamity. She wouldn't die, and things would only get better. That was enough.

Having roughly understood these things, Bai Qingyu tried to stop thinking about them, but unconsciously thought of Changsheng and Dongqing.

Xiaoya is fine now, but what about the two of them?

Will one of the Heavenly Sword and the Demonic Sword die, or will they all die, or will they all survive?

Analyzing past calamities, the chances of all of them surviving are extremely low. The fact that the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Heavenly Demon Sword have been passed down to this day proves one thing.

That means both hosts are dead.

If one survives, the balance will be broken, which would make it impossible to start the next great calamity.

Either they all die, or they all live; abandon the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Unfortunately, she couldn't see through anything either, and she didn't have any good ideas.

We can't let those two kids team up, can we?

If they join forces, which side should they stand on?

Upright? Changsheng's identity is definitely not acceptable; he is Ji Canghai's son-in-law, and Changsheng himself would not agree to it.

Conversely, Dongqing's situation is the same. This cheap master treats her very well, so how could Dongqing, with her personality, turn against him and draw her sword? She wholeheartedly wants to be a righteous sword immortal, and she definitely cannot stand with the demonic sect.

Unless... both of them are on Xiaoya's side at the same time.

The thought flashed through Bai Qingyu's mind, and her eyes widened as she realized something.

Yes, neither the evil cult nor the righteous sects are suitable, but that doesn't mean these are the only two sides you can turn to.

The reason why the Great Spirit is being ignored is because the Great Spirit is too weak and doesn't even have the strength to protect itself. What would those two do there? Be generals?

However, once Xiaoya takes control of the ruins, everything will be different.

With Xiaoya now possessing the power to protect herself and even launch a counterattack, the addition of Changsheng and Dongqing would be like adding wings to a tiger.

It is certain that by then, both little ones will be top-tier Mahayana cultivators, possessing the strength of the world's first and second greatest.

It would be interesting to think about the two of them joining forces with Xiaoya.

Xiaoya has obtained the ruins, so what she lacks most is the power of the middle and lower levels. What she lacks is the power of the top level. With the addition of the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Heavenly Demon Sword, the power of the top level is no longer a problem. Destroying the Heavenly Sun Palace will be a simple and easy matter.

However, if that's the case, the two little ones will have to be separated: Dongqing will deal with the Demonic Sect, and Changsheng will deal with the Heavenly Sect.

Some arrangements still need to be made.

For example, waiting for the right opportunity to let Dongqing's master, Peak Master Fengyuan, ascend to the Immortal Realm of Immortality.

The same method can be used on Ji Canghai's side. Once he ascends to immortality, he will have no worries about longevity.

There's no need to kill all the cultivators; simply suppressing their numbers to a suitable level will naturally end the calamity. The Heavenly Demon Sword and the Heavenly Demon Sword will still be there. Perhaps without even needing to find a way, the two swords will naturally detach themselves and silently await the arrival of their next host.

Bai Qingyu felt that her idea was feasible. There was indeed a lot to do, but she wasn't afraid. Being able to get the two kids to work together instead of fighting amongst themselves would fulfill a wish of hers.

Not to mention that at that time, he could bring the Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji brothers, as well as Tamamo-no-Mae, the former demon king, and Ara, to join Aya's team.

Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji must have Mahāyāna strength, as must Tamamo-no-Mae and Ara. That makes four Mahāyāna. Adding the two Mahāyāna currently existing among the demon race, that makes six. If I can maintain my current strength at that time, I can also be considered a Mahāyāna.

With nine top-tier Mahayana cultivators, each capable of taking on two of their own level, how could they possibly fail to defeat the Great Calamity?

Not to mention that the Black Armor Army in the ruins must also have Mahayana strength, there are so many Mahayana cultivators that you can't count them on two hands. They would be the most powerful force in the world, and it's not impossible for them to sweep away cultivators and resolve the great calamity.

Bai Qingyu was suddenly filled with energy at this moment.

If she can really achieve this, then for her, this would be the most perfect ending, without exception.

When Bai Qingyu took out the Demon Book, she realized that it was no coincidence that this thing had fallen into her hands, nor was it a continuation of her unfinished mission from the previous one. It was very likely for the sake of a great calamity.

There's no rush. We haven't found many demons yet. Let's wait until the great calamity is over before we start looking.

Let's talk about Shiranui's secrets after the great calamity is over.

Bai Qingyu suddenly felt a strong urge to regain her power. She admitted that she was being selfish. She had promised to return the power to Xiaoya, but she had only returned less than one-tenth of it; most of it was still inside Xiaoya's body.

There was no way she could live without this power.

All of what she had just thought of required immense power to accomplish, and her current strength was barely enough. If she were to return to her previous state, she would truly be nothing.

Lost in thought, I arrived at my doorstep.

Bai Qingyu snapped out of her daze and pushed open the door to go inside.

As soon as they entered, their gazes were fixed on Xiaoya, who was still diligently cultivating.

He had borrowed Xiaoya's power years ago, promising to return it to her soon, but she broke her promise.

This power is very important to Xiaoya; it is the power of destiny.

If this power is lost, Xiaoya's growth will slow down, and she will be restricted in many ways.

When everyone saw her return, they greeted her and asked what she had been doing. Bai Qingyu gave a few vague answers and went back to her room.

No one noticed that she seemed a little off, except for Zhen Tian, ​​who could tell that Bai Qingyu seemed to have something on her mind.

When evening came, Bai Qingyu leaned against the headboard, holding a book in her hand. Her posture was indeed that of someone reading, but she hadn't turned the page for a full fifteen minutes.

Even her eyes were glazed over.

Zhen Tian took the book from Bai Qingyu's hand and closed it, staring intently into Bai Qingyu's eyes with a serious expression. "Sister, I've noticed you've changed."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingyu panicked slightly, "Have I changed?"

"Of course it's changed. Sister, you used to tell me everything that was on your mind."

Volume Two: Journey Through the Demon Book: Chapter Fifty-Five - Enlightenment from the True Heaven

Zhen Tian noticed during the day that Bai Qingyu had something on her mind, but she didn't ask. She wanted to wait until dark to see if Bai Qingyu would bring it up herself. Generally, Bai Qingyu would do that, but now, she hasn't revealed anything and has been lost in thought.

Judging from Bai Qingyu's state, Zhen Tian could tell at a glance that what she had encountered must be serious; otherwise, he would definitely have talked to her first instead of just sitting there in a daze.

Bai Qingyu was startled when Zhen Tian looked at her, her train of thought interrupted.

Well, she didn't actually have any ideas; she was just daydreaming and thinking about all sorts of possible scenarios.

There's no way around it; this matter is just too complicated, and the impact is so significant that we have to be extremely careful, taking into account every possible unexpected turn of events.

She had a general idea, but she still didn't know how to handle the details and the beginning.

Xiaoya is the main character in this matter, but the one who should really be busy is not Xiaoya, but her. Her entire plan is paving the way for Xiaoya, who is in the process of growing up.

Bai Qingyu remained silent for a long time before finally recounting what had happened.

Even at home, she still set up a protective barrier, just in case, because this matter was extremely important.

After listening to Bai Qingyu's story, Zhen Tian finally understood why she was so worried, a worry she had never seen before.

The Bai Qingyu of the past would never have acted like this, no matter how big the situation.

Let me think about it.

As Zhen Tian pondered, she was very happy that Bai Qingyu trusted her so much that he told her everything about such an important matter. Just now, Bai Qingyu had stopped her halfway through his story, but she had told him everything out of trust.

Zhen Tian knew she couldn't really help much, so her idea was simple: just offer Bai Qingyu a suggestion, or at least offer some guidance so she wouldn't be so worried. It was something important that she needed to stay clear-headed.

“Sister, you want Dongqing and Changsheng to join forces, but I think there’s no need to rush this. They are both still growing, especially Dongqing. Didn’t Dongqing say last time she came back that her master is keeping a close eye on her because the pressure from the outside world is too great?”

"So we might as well let them stay as they are and leave them alone for now. Let's start with Xiaoya and the others. For example, we can train Xiaoya so that she has the power to lead everyone. Since Xiaoya is the Human Emperor and the leader, she must have extraordinary courage and wisdom, as well as considerable strength. Even if she doesn't have to subdue everyone, she shouldn't fall too far behind."

Zhen Tian slowly spoke, analyzing for Bai Qingyu, "At present, everything is still early. It hasn't even started yet. Sister, you really don't need to rush. Just be prepared. Once the great calamity begins and Xiao Ya becomes the Human Emperor, everything will be able to continue in an orderly manner."

"It's impossible to achieve everything in one step, and it's also impossible to develop rapidly. It's best to proceed steadily. Anyway, at that time, all the cultivators' attention was not on Xiaoya, so Xiaoya could take advantage of this opportunity to develop secretly."

"Didn't you say you wanted Shuten and the others to help? Why don't you go find them in your spare time and give them some pointers to help them improve their cultivation faster and train the demon soldiers of Nanshan and Shiwan Mountain?"

“I think this is still very important. Sister, look, Shuten-dōji, Tamamo-no-Mae, and the two demon kings of the Ten Thousand Mountains—these four demons practically rule over all the demons in the world. If they join forces with Xiaoya, it means that the entire demon race will submit to them.”

"I don't need to explain the relationship between the demon race and the human race, as you, sister, already know. For cooperation to proceed smoothly, the decisions made above are important, but the reactions below are equally important. I don't expect the demon race and the human race to be extremely friendly, but at least we shouldn't have any conflicts."

"It's important to keep a close watch on the demon race and restrain their wildness. Otherwise, even if we join forces, our own internal situation will be in chaos. How can we possibly continue this battle then?"

"Sister is well aware of the nature of the demon race, so you must not forget these details."

At this point, Bai Qingyu's eyes lit up; she hadn't really thought much about it at first.

To be honest, she didn't even consider the lesser demons. The reason was simple: she was aiming for the powerful demons like Shuten-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji. Weren't the lower-level soldiers and the soldiers in the ruins enough?

I never expected that Shuten-dōji and the others weren't just representing themselves. Their presence meant that the entire demon race had joined forces with Xiaoya.

The demon race has always been in an awkward position, and they themselves are quite difficult to deal with. Some lesser demons lack sufficient intelligence, are simple-minded and physically strong, and might even eat people. Even if they can maintain their rationality, there's no guarantee that these demon soldiers won't clash with humans if they go to the human world.

Conflict is troublesome. After all, it involves two powerful clans. If the conflict starts from the bottom up and the lower classes cause trouble every day, how can they cooperate?

But once you notice this problem, things are different. There are still so many years to train them properly, just like Zhentian said.

I don't ask them to get along very well, I just hope they can be peaceful and not interfere with each other.

Zhen Tian hadn't finished speaking yet, so she continued.

"Sister hasn't paid attention to the movements of the demon race for a long time. Actually, with your status, your position in the demon race is no lower than that of Shuten-dōji and the others. As long as you show yourself and speak, it's not difficult to do so. In fact, I think you could try to get the demon race and the human race to make contact, specifically in trade. If we lay a good foundation now, we won't have to worry about joining forces in the future."

"That's the case on the demon race's side, and also on the Tianyang Palace."

“Dongqing herself said that her master can’t hold on for many more years. When the time comes, he will undergo tribulation and ascend to immortality. I think the reason why Peak Master Fengyuan has been unwilling to leave is because of Dongqing. As long as she knows that everything will be alright, that will be fine.”

"Sister, don't rush to do these things. Let everything take its natural course."

"When Feng Yuan can't hold on much longer and will ascend to immortality in a year at most, it won't be too late to go find her. At that time, she will have most of her attention on Dong Qing. As long as you tell her that you are here to find a way for Dong Qing to survive, she will definitely agree."

"Didn't my sister say that the two swords of the Heavenly Demon would most likely die in battle? How could Peak Master Fengyuan not know that? She is determined to keep Dongqing alive. Besides, with Dongqing on Xiaoya's side, Tianyang Palace will definitely show mercy."

"Everyone has selfish desires, and Peak Master Fengyuan is no exception. Faced with an irreversible situation, who wouldn't want their disciples to live longer? To these peak masters, every disciple of Tianyang Palace is like family. If possible, no one wants their disciples to become ashes in the great calamity."

“Once Peak Master Fengyuan leaves, Sister can try her luck with Sect Leader Ji.”

"Master Ji's identity is special, and he doesn't make all the decisions. Sister, you can say that the Heavenly Sect should lie low for a while and hide temporarily. With the great calamity approaching, the more of our original strength we can maintain, the more we can improve in a sense."

"Chang Sheng will eventually return to the Heavenly Sect. Besides, he is targeting righteous sects with Xiao Ya. Once Sect Leader Ji leaves, won't Chang Sheng be in charge of the Heavenly Sect? Just bear with it and leave the child some benefits. I believe he will make a decision."

“The great calamity is not a trivial matter. As the leader of a sect, Master Ji understands how important it is to preserve his own strength. Xiaoya has the blessing of destiny and the soldiers of the ruins. If it is really successful, no force will be a match for Xiaoya. At that time, everyone will be in danger. What reason will the Heavenly Sect have to stand at the forefront and become the ashes of the calamity?”