Hearing Ye Ling's explanation, Ye You finally understood the logic behind it.
The ones stirring up trouble in the semi-spiritual realm this time were the Ye Ling siblings, the Shadow Hall, and a third mysterious force.
The Ye Ling siblings' goal was to rescue Su Ruoxue. The Shadow Hall's objective was the ultimate power and the mysterious key within the Ye Ling siblings. The third force was after that key.
The Shadow Hall and the third force had colluded to lure the Ye Ling siblings into the semi-spiritual realm. However, to prevent the Shadow Hall from obtaining the key, the third force had voluntarily returned Su Ruoxue, thus removing the Shadow Hall from the game.
The remaining two players in this game could now contend for the key without distraction, until one side was completely eliminated.
If the Ye Ling siblings refused to participate in this game, the hidden third force would not reveal itself, and the Shadow Hall would continue to lurk, waiting for an opportunity. If those two forces were to join forces again and make a comeback, all that had happened today in the Shu Mountain semi-spiritual realm would repeat itself.
Therefore, for the Ye Ling siblings, seizing this opportunity to find the mysterious key was the best chance to draw out the third force!
Once the third force was exposed to Ye Ling's sight and he found an opening, that third force might be completely wiped off the face of the earth by Ye Ling.
Since the third force was willing to risk their lives to play this game, it would be unreasonable for Ye Ling not to accept the challenge.
Although Ye You had grasped the intricacies of the game, Xu Xiaoqing, who had been listening from the side, was utterly confused, her mind a complete blank.
Shadow Hall, third force, key... she understood all the words individually, but when strung together, she had no idea what Ye Ling was planning.
All Xu Xiaoqing knew was that Ye Ling was currently playing a game against several forces, and this semi-spiritual realm was the chessboard. They, Shu Mountain, the Ancient Demon Town, and all the creatures within this semi-spiritual realm, were merely pawns on the board.
Thinking of this, while Xu Xiaoqing was awestruck by Ye Ling's power, she also felt immense sorrow for Shu Mountain and her own weakness.
Even though Shu Mountain was considered a renowned righteous sect in China, a semi-secluded sect, in the face of true powerhouses, it was merely a pawn to be manipulated at will.
The lives of the Shu Mountain disciples, so vibrant and real, probably didn't even count as a string of numbers to the great figures in power.
Although Xu Xiaoqing understood that Ye Ling was not treating Shu Mountain as a pawn, the mere thought of some powerful entity manipulating Shu Mountain just to force Ye Ling to find some key made her feel incredibly suffocated, unable to breathe.
"Se-senior... I'm going out for some fresh air."
Xu Xiaoqing could no longer bear to stay there. She bowed respectfully to Ye Ling and Ye You, then turned and ran out of the basement!
"Xiaoqing!"
Ye You saw that Xu Xiaoqing's state had suddenly become a bit off. Just as she was about to chase after her, Ye Ling stopped her.
Ye Ling said softly, "Let her go. She needs some time alone."
Although Ye Ling was now the Supreme of the Eastern Profound Continent, standing at its peak, he understood Xu Xiaoqing's feelings perfectly.
Back then, when he first transmigrated to the Eastern Profound Continent, he was just a commoner with nothing. Let alone a True Martial Saint, even a cultivator in the Heavenly Palace or Nirvana realm could easily slaughter an entire mortal city.
Ye Ling had witnessed too many scenes where mortal lives were as cheap as straw, and they were wantonly manipulated by the strong.
His sect, the Jade Cloud Sect, was annihilated simply because a disciple there had displeased the young master of a demonic sect...
With just a word from that young master, tens of thousands of disciples in the Jade Cloud Sect were slaughtered... Ye Ling had seen too many such scenes of hell on earth and knew how desperate and powerless the weak truly were.
Therefore, Ye Ling achieved his enlightenment through killing. After ascending to the position of Supreme, treading on countless corpses, the Demonic Palace he established had been striving to maintain order on the Eastern Profound Continent. Both the righteous and demonic paths had to abide by the rules set by the Demonic Palace, with the aim of creating a peaceful cultivation environment for the weak as much as possible.
Even so, Ye Ling had not been able to change the prevailing situation on the Eastern Profound Continent where the strong were revered and the weak were bullied.
Where there were strong and weak, there were classes.
Although Ye Ling had been an Emperor for a long time and had almost forgotten the despair of those days, seeing Xu Xiaoqing's expression just now, he seemed to have returned to the day he desperately escaped the Shura hell under his master's protection.
Ye Ling suddenly remembered Xuan Xiao, and a trace of melancholy flickered in his eyes. "Master... you hated bullying the weak most of all. You never surrendered to that demonic sect until the very end... Why have you now become the master of the Shadow Hall?"
"Brother?"
Ye You saw the melancholy in Ye Ling's eyes and her heart ached. She cupped Ye Ling's hands and comforted him, "Even though I don't know what you've been through, Brother, Xiao You is by your side now. You don't have to bear so many things alone."
Hearing Ye You's words, Ye Ling came back to his senses and smiled, "I was just reminded of an old friend, and felt a bit sentimental."
"That old friend must be very important to you, Brother?"
"Mmm..." Ye Ling nodded. "He was like a father to me once."
While Ye Ling and Ye You were talking, Su Ruoxue, who was being nourished by Ye Ling's spiritual energy, moved her fingers, immediately attracting the attention of both Ye Ling and Ye You.
"Sister Ruoxue is awake!"
Ye You noticed Su Ruoxue waking up and quickly went to her side, helping her up.
Su Ruoxue slowly opened her eyes, her mind still a bit hazy. She looked at Ye Ling and Ye You with confusion, "Ye Ling? Xiao You? Where am I?"
The basement was dim and eerie. Just being there instilled a sense of fear.
Su Ruoxue held her slightly throbbing head. "I only remember I was at home putting on makeup, preparing to celebrate my reunion with Xiao You, and then everything went black..."
"After that, I don't remember anything."
"It's fine if you don't remember. Everything is alright now." Ye Ling asked Su Ruoxue softly, "Can you walk around now?"
"Mmm."
Su Ruoxue nodded and stood up with Ye You's support.
She glanced at the eerie surroundings and said, "Let's go out first. This gloomy environment makes me uncomfortable."
"Okay, I'll help Sister out!" Although Ye You had lived for over a hundred years, in front of Su Ruoxue, she was still like the obedient girl she used to be, smiling and clinging to Su Ruoxue.
"Xiao You, it's been a long time." Su Ruoxue chuckled. "Our little girl has grown even more beautiful."
"Sister is even more beautiful!"
"You, girl, your words are as sweet as when you were little."
"Hehe..."
Su Ruoxue and Ye You chatted with laughter and affection as they walked up the stairs.
Ye Ling watched the backs of the two women, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips.
As long as the two of them were safe, what more could he ask for in this life?