"Jian Lin, what's wrong?" the Demon Lord asked her softly.
Jian Lin snapped back to reality, suppressing her panic, and said in a low voice, "Nothing, just a bit tired, I lost my focus."
"Don't panic," the Demon Lord said calmly, looking outside. "No matter how terrifying things are, knowing is better than not knowing. We've already won the first step. Jian Lin, I still remember what Saint Fox Grandma said. She said you weren't from this world. I didn't take it seriously back then, but now, I wonder if everything was planned in advance."
He had guessed it all. Jian Lin looked at him with sorrow and decided to stop lying. "You guessed correctly. Everything was indeed planned in advance, but please forgive me, I cannot reveal the full truth yet."
How could she tell him her mission was to betray him, to hurt him, so that she could ascend to godhood and return to her original world?
This was more painful than killing her.
The Demon Lord gazed at her quietly, then nodded after a long moment, and said softly, "Alright, then tell me what you can."
The Sword Immortal had been listening confusedly for a long time, thinking he would find out who the person who moved the living dead was. But the conversation drifted further and further off track.
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" The Sword Immortal finally grasped the key point and asked Jian Lin, tilting his head. "My dear disciple, the fact that you're not from this world isn't that important to me. What's important is what you intend to do and what your purpose is. Tell me."
Jian Lin's thoughts were in turmoil. Under the Sword Immortal's questioning, she suddenly felt a sense of clarity. She looked at the Demon Lord, gazed at him steadily, and said with determination, "I want to marry Mo Chongyuan, to be his wife, to cherish each other, and to be together forever."
Yes, this was what she wanted to do. Being a boss in her past life was exhilarating, and falling in love and having adventures with the Demon Lord now was still exhilarating. She realized her desire to return was no longer as strong.
She couldn't bear to see the Demon Lord hurt. She wanted to stay by his side, love him, and protect him, forever.
The old Sword Immortal was furious. His mind was filled with romance, and his dear disciple was truly remarkable.
The Demon Lord curved his lips and slowly smiled. "Good, then I will marry you. After we figure out the ghost formation, we'll get married when we return to the Demon Realm."
Although saying this now felt like a curse, Jian Lin was still moved to tears. She hadn't dated in her past life, and in this life, she was proposed to, and by such an excellent man. Her life was complete.
If the Sword Immortal hadn't been present, Jian Lin would have rushed to kiss him.
However, even with the Sword Immortal present, the two exchanged glances, their eyes locking, so affectionate that they made the Sword Immortal shake his head in exasperation.
"Talk about that after we get out," the Sword Immortal said coolly. "The most important thing now is the ghost formation."
The Sword Immortal drew their attention back. The Demon Lord smiled awkwardly, then said with a serious expression, "Regardless, I want to go in and see what the situation inside is like, how the ghost formation is progressing, and approximately when it will be completed."
The Sword Immortal nodded, agreeing with the Demon Lord's suggestion. "Indeed, we must find a way to get in and see."
Since the two of them had the same idea, and the minority had to obey the majority, Jian Lin, despite her unease, decided to go with them.
Next, they thought about how to get in. Jian Lin's first thought was to use an invisibility talisman, but the system was unresponsive, so she disappointedly fell silent.
After much discussion, the Sword Immortal insisted on breaking through directly. They would go to the upper entrance and wait for Zhan San Dao to come out to get the living dead, then they would make their move. As a dignified Sword Immortal, was he afraid of them?
The Demon Lord had been hesitant, but after thinking it over, he found no better solution and followed the Sword Immortal's suggestion.
Taking advantage of the interval before Zhan San Dao emerged, the three of them cautiously moved to the rock face above and waited patiently.
Not long after, the stone wall made a grinding sound again. A bright fiery red light shone from within, and a dark figure appeared.
In a flash, the Demon Lord and the Sword Immortal attacked simultaneously. Even though Zhan San Dao realized something was wrong, he lacked the strength to dodge. He struggled to resist for two or three moves before being grabbed by the Demon Lord and pinned to the ground.
Zhan San Dao struggled to turn his head and, upon seeing the Demon Lord, a strange smile appeared on his face. "So it's you. I didn't expect to meet again. You really know how to find a place."
The Sword Immortal took the lead and entered the upper cave to check the situation. Jian Lin walked over to Zhan San Dao and noticed that after not seeing him for so long, Zhan San Dao had become very thin, skin and bones, with bloodshot eyes, like a malevolent spirit.
Zhan San Dao slowly shifted his gaze to Jian Lin, his smile becoming even more perverse. "Very good, you've come too. Everyone is here, ha ha."
Jian Lin squatted down and pressed him. "Enough nonsense. If you want to suffer less, answer my questions. Who ordered you to refine the ghost formation? What is your purpose?"
"Don't ask. Knowing too much won't do you any good," Zhan San Dao let out an unpleasant laugh, as if his throat was rusted. He said madly, "Instead of watching yourselves die powerlessly, it's better to die in ignorance. Don't delay our grand plan."
Grand plan. This wasn't the first time Jian Lin had heard this term. The last time, Bai Xian had begged the Demon Emperor, pleading with His Majesty to tolerate it for the sake of the grand plan and not kill the Demon Lord or act rashly.
There must be a connection between these two events, but she couldn't connect them yet.
Jian Lin remained silent. It was the Demon Lord's turn to speak, and he asked only what concerned him most. "What stage has the ghost formation reached? According to your plan, when will it be completed?"
Zhan San Dao rolled his eyes and began to feign death, refusing to answer the Demon Lord's question.
Just then, the Sword Immortal's voice came from inside the cave. "You two come in and take a look. It seems... things are not good."
Jian Lin and the Demon Lord exchanged glances. The Demon Lord grabbed Zhan San Dao and walked into the cave. A wave of heat hit them, indeed exuding an aura of impending disaster.
Jian Lin walked in with heavy steps. First, there was a section of cave, then it opened up into a vast cavern, illuminated by the lava from the abyss. All they saw was a scorching fiery red.
Near the cave, there was a stone path extending outwards. The three of them slowly walked over, pulling and tugging, until they reached the Sword Immortal by the edge of the abyss.
Jian Lin looked down and felt her eyes spin and her legs go soft. Everywhere was magma. The magma contained humanoid shadows with blackness within them, and they were pieced together in a strange way, forming the formation of the ghost formation.
The Sword Immortal stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice, "The ghost formation is more than half complete. At this point, nothing can stop it. Even if this demon didn't throw living dead into it, the ghost formation would be completed sooner or later, perhaps just taking a little longer."
Although there was magma everywhere, making the air hot, Jian Lin's heart was ice-cold. What a terrifying thing, that it was truly unstoppable.
The Demon Lord became much calmer. He pressed down on Zhan San Dao's neck and pushed him off the stone path, his eyes fierce. "Say something useful, or I'll send you into the ghost formation. I wish you eternal happiness in the lava."
Since he couldn't destroy the ghost formation, the Demon Lord didn't mind sending another demon down.
"What kind of threat is this?" Zhan San Dao sneered contemptuously. "This ghost formation is not only my destination, but also yours, Demon Lord. What if I go down earlier? I'm just preparing. Do you think I'm afraid? I'm not afraid, hahahaha!"
Zhan San Dao let out a chilling laugh and suddenly reached out to attack the Demon Lord, trying to pull him down. Jian Lin was startled and rushed forward to grab the Demon Lord's clothes. The Demon Lord was also quick and kicked Zhan San Dao into the ghost formation.
As he fell, Zhan San Dao's laughter continued. Facing death without fear made Jian Lin's scalp tingle.
She was momentarily dazed, and then the situation changed drastically. Before she could react, a black tentacle wrapped around her neck and, before anyone could react, pulled her into the lava.
The Demon Lord reached out to grab her, but missed by a hair's breadth. Without hesitation, he leaped into the air, chasing Jian Lin into the ghost formation.
The Sword Immortal was a little further away. By the time he caught up, all three of them had fallen into the ghost formation.
"This is truly... getting more and more absurd!" The Sword Immortal couldn't believe what he was seeing. He summoned Ming Yan and had it transform into a protective barrier, then jumped into the ghost formation himself.
Jian Lin watched as the boiling lava grew closer and closer, thinking she was about to turn into steam.
To her surprise, things were not as terrifying as she had imagined. It was very hot and scorching all around, but her body was still intact, and she was very clear-headed.
Looking up, she saw an orange-red sky. She struggled to turn over and looked down. Far, far away, there seemed to be a line of people.
The line was very neat, and everyone walked forward with uniform steps, not knowing where they were going.
Jian Lin let herself fall. She descended like a light, floating feather and discovered that the people in the line had no faces, only ethereal phantoms, constantly moving forward.
She thought for a moment. She couldn't just stand still. As long as she moved forward, for better or worse, she would discover something.
Jian Lin automatically joined the line, mimicking their pace and rhythm, and walked forward quietly.
She went from being anxious and uneasy to bored and tired, then numb, gradually losing all sensation.
Her senses were useless, so why not make them disappear? A dangerous thought gradually formed in her mind.
Just as she was about to be assimilated, a red light flashed from her hair, and a gentle female voice said, "Don't go. Come with me."
"Miss A Pei, stop and look at me."
Jian Lin stopped numbly. She tilted her head and followed the sound. A celestial crane flapped its wings, and against the backdrop of the orange-red sky, it looked like a pure white petal, slowly descending.
The moment it landed, it spread its wings and transformed into a graceful maiden. Dressed in white, she approached with gentle steps.
Jian Lin's gaze gradually focused. She ran towards her excitedly and said in surprise, "It's you, the Spirit Crane Maiden. We met before you died. I've properly buried all your tribesmen, so don't worry."
The Spirit Crane Maiden smiled slightly, her voice gentle and melodious. "I know. Thank you."
"You're welcome, don't mention it," Jian Lin said a little shyly. "I didn't do much. If I had the ability, I would definitely revive you. You know, in the Demon Realm, there's a young man from the Green Bamboo clan who has been looking for you. He's been thinking of you for many years, wanting to repay your enlightenment. If possible, I really wish you could meet."