The Demon Lord, severely injured, refused to retreat and recuperate. He insisted on enduring, pretending to be fine, and appearing before his subordinates.
Jian Lin felt heartbroken but could not utter any words of dissuasion.
The Demon Lord asked if she understood. Jian Lin said she did. He saw her as a kindred spirit, and she could not say anything useless or emotional.
Most importantly, she had come to terms with it. She didn't want to oppose the Demon Lord over trivial matters. At worst, she could start all over again.
With this mindset, the Demon Lord refused to go into seclusion for healing. Xie Jin could only try to implement some remedial measures, while Jian Lin took care of him with immense gentleness and thoughtfulness.
Even though she had come to terms with things internally, Jian Lin still felt a pang of heartache every time she saw the Demon Lord in pain, silently praying for Heaven to grant them a little more breathing room.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't happen.
Once the war between the immortals and demons began, it could not stop unless one side was annihilated.
Soon, the Demon Realm faced its second offensive. This time, the Demon Lord was still to lead the charge. Unlike the previous time, Jian Lin was resolute in accompanying him.
Since Jian Lin transmigrated, she had experienced quite a few adventures. However, with the Demon Lord protecting her, they were ultimately minor skirmishes.
That day, she experienced a brutal battle for the first time.
Various magical artifacts and formations were unleashed, spiritual energy and demonic aura intertwined in a deadly dance. Cultivators exploded and died in mid-air, their flesh and blood flying everywhere, leaving a deep shadow on Jian Lin.
Later, the shadow turned into numbness. She could face everything frankly. After the battle ended, she rummaged through the piles of dead bodies for survivors.
She saved those she could, and for those she couldn't, she ended their suffering with a single sword strike.
Jian Lin recognized a subordinate, the one who used to guard the entrance of the Demon Palace and later identified her as Miss A Pei within the guard.
She had met him twice, so they were acquaintances.
However, he was severely wounded and barely clinging to life. Jian Lin had to personally send him on his way, ending his pain.
After bidding farewell to one life, she looked up towards the west. The setting sun was like blood, casting a desolate scene.
Thus, after three battles, both sides had suffered significant casualties.
That night, as Jian Lin was tending to the Demon Lord, she suddenly heard urgent voices from outside. The door then opened, and a dust-covered figure rushed in – it was Ning Xiao.
Ning Xiao panted, his appearance weathered, his body covered in dust and bloodstains. His gaze found Jian Lin, he swallowed hard, and raised his voice to say, "Senior Sister, Master sent me to tell you that he can't hold on any longer."
Jian Lin put down the medicinal herbs she was holding and slowly walked to Ning Xiao's side, saying with utmost calmness, "Good Junior Brother, I understand. You go and catch your breath first, and tomorrow we will go find Master together."
In the face of great disaster, her feelings for this convenient junior brother had also changed. She no longer felt disdain and now considered him one of her own.
Ning Xiao was stunned, not expecting such a calm reaction from his senior sister.
He couldn't help but repeat, "Senior Sister, Master can't hold on any longer. The Yin Corpse army is about to attack. We're truly doomed."
"Yes, we're doomed together. There's nothing to be afraid of, is there?" Jian Lin gently patted Ning Xiao's shoulder, comforting him, "Don't think too much about it. Go and get a good night's sleep first."
Ning Xiao was sent away in a daze, and the Grand Steward took him to rest.
The door closed again. Jian Lin turned to look at the Demon Lord. He had been sitting behind the book the whole time, and he had heard their conversation clearly.
"The God Array is about to be completed..." Jian Lin walked to his side, touching his shoulder, unable to say a word.
Although she couldn't speak, the Demon Lord understood. The next unspoken words were, his time was drawing near.
Both of them were calm. The Demon Lord gestured, and Jian Lin took his hand.
At this moment, the Demon Lord still had the mood to joke, "I wonder if I'll have a chance to see what the Divine Realm looks like once the array is completed."
Jian Lin gave a bitter smile, her sorrow overwhelming, swallowing her unbearable anguish.
The next morning, Jian Lin waited for Ning Xiao, and they set off together for the Underworld to fetch the Sword Immortal.
According to the original plan, they had avoided the Immortal Realm's forces and taken a detour, so there shouldn't have been any danger.
However, for some unknown reason, a message was miscommunicated, and the senior sister and junior brother walked right into an ambush.
Seeing the two emerge from the direction of the Demon Realm, the Immortal Realm gave them no chance to explain, encircling and attacking them with all their might.
Ning Xiao desperately protected Jian Lin. Although he was the protagonist, a child of destiny, and had taken the Sword Immortal as his master, he was, after all, still a novice. He was quickly overwhelmed by continuous attacks and severely injured.
Although Jian Lin was not afraid of death, she absolutely could not bear to see others get hurt for her. Her eyes widened in fury, and she gripped the He Yi Sword, charging out, deciding that even if she died, she would take someone down with her.
In the brutal battle, Jian Lin was attacked from all sides. She blocked an attack to her chest but exposed a weakness in her back, receiving a fierce slash from a sword qi.
Jian Lin, unable to resist, stumbled forward. Shadows surrounded her, and she closed her eyes in despair.
Just as she thought she was finished, a familiar "ding" sounded in her mind. The system was back!
Jian Lin was shocked. She immediately regained consciousness. Without questioning or getting angry, she desperately grabbed Ning Xiao's hand and used a teleportation array to escape the encirclement, evading the clutches of death.
Jian Lin had been to the Underworld before and remembered the long bridge and the black river. Even though the distance was far, they arrived instantly.
Having escaped death, she was given no chance to breathe, as the Underworld had changed drastically. Jian Lin almost didn't recognize it.
The change was truly shocking.
The edges of the Underworld were originally desolate and dark, filled with black and gray.
Now, the edges of the Underworld were blazing red, emitting an unsettling aura. If one listened carefully, they could almost hear a surging sound, like thousands of horses galloping.
Jian Lin felt only terror. She gripped Ning Xiao's arm, ignoring his injuries, and urgently pulled him up, asking where their master was.
Ning Xiao pointed inside and asked doubtfully, "Senior Sister, did you do something? Why did we suddenly appear in the Underworld?"
"Ask less. Just remember that Senior Sister is very capable," Jian Lin said, having no time to explain. She pulled Ning Xiao inside to save their master.
The Sword Immortal was very annoyed by their arrival. He had only sent Ning Xiao to deliver a message, stating that the God Array was about to be completed, not to have them come and court death together.
Jian Lin couldn't stand it. She grabbed the Sword Immortal's arm and desperately pulled him, "Master, listen to me. If we're all going to die together merrily, then you should come with us."
The Sword Immortal couldn't argue with Jian Lin and was helped away by his two disciples.
This time, Jian Lin did not hide it from others. She directly used the system, recalling the layout of the Demon Palace in her mind, and teleported the three of them back to the Demon Palace.
This was the first time the Sword Immortal had experienced something like this. His eyes widened in surprise, and he said to Jian Lin, "This ability to travel thousands of miles in a day is something only a Divine Venerable can achieve. How do you possess it? Who are you?"
"I am a big boss, a female CEO," Jian Lin blurted out, making it up. "I am even more powerful than that Divine Venerable."
The Sword Immortal listened, stunned, and murmured to himself, "What is a female CEO?"
Just as he was about to ask for details, Jian Lin saw the Grand Steward rushing over. Seeing her, he looked surprised and said urgently, "Miss A Pei, you're back! Please go and see the Demon Lord quickly, he..."
Jian Lin's heart tightened. Before the Grand Steward could finish speaking, she rushed to the Demon Lord's chambers.
It turned out that the Demon Lord had received news that Jian Lin and Ning Xiao were ambushed and surrounded by people from the Immortal Realm, and it seemed they had been captured.
He was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Xie Jin hastily tried to rescue him. The Demon Lord woke up and, ignoring all obstruction, insisted on rushing out to save Jian Lin.
Fortunately, the system appeared in time. Jian Lin moved swiftly back and forth, not wasting much time, and happened to encounter the Demon Lord desperately trying to leave.
Jian Lin ran quickly towards the bedroom, pushed open the door, and saw the Demon Lord struggling on the bed.
He looked weak and his lips were pale. Xie Jin was trying to stop him from moving around, and they were in a standoff when Jian Lin returned.
Xie Jin's face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, "My Lord Demon Lord, you see, I didn't lie to you. Miss A Pei is fine. She's back."
Jian Lin hurried forward. Before she could say a word, the system suddenly emitted a familiar prompt.
System: Heartbeat value has reached 99+, congratulations to the host for triggering the final mission. Betray the Demon Lord and take the Xing Tian Sword, and you can ascend to godhood and return to your original world.
Jian Lin was stunned, not expecting to hear this.
It was truly ironic. The heartbeat value she had longed for had finally succeeded at this moment.
Meeting the Demon Lord's eyes, filled with deep affection and worry, Jian Lin let out a sneer and cursed fiercely, "Get lost! I will absolutely not betray the Demon Lord."
"You're alright," the Demon Lord said weakly. "I heard news that you and Junior Brother were ambushed by people from the Immortal Realm. Was that false?"
"No, it was true," Jian Lin suppressed her surging emotions and pretended to be nonchalant, saying softly, "Later, we found a way to escape. Don't worry, we're fine. You should lie down quickly."
The Demon Lord breathed a sigh of relief and lay down, saying softly, "That's good. As long as you're alright."
Jian Lin spoke with the Demon Lord for a while, and after calming his emotions, she pulled Xie Jin aside and asked him about the Demon Lord's condition.
Xie Jin looked troubled. "If he were to go into seclusion for cultivation, he would be fine. But if he continues to endure like this, he won't last three months. Miss A Pei, I know you are close to the Demon Lord, and you must know about the Xing Tian Sword..."
Jian Lin nodded, "I do know."
After receiving an affirmative answer, Xie Jin continued, "Once the Demon Lord's power dissipates and he can no longer suppress the Xing Tian Sword, the Xing Tian Sword will begin to devour the Demon Lord's power."
That would be truly terrible.
Jian Lin understood the implications, her heart heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
After talking with Xie Jin, Jian Lin went to a corner of the back garden to space out, her mind entirely occupied by the Demon Lord, completely ignoring the system.
It wasn't until the system couldn't bear it any longer and emitted another prompt, reminding Jian Lin that she could complete the final mission.
Jian Lin sighed deeply. After experiencing so much, she didn't even have the strength to get angry.
"Stop rushing," Jian Lin leaned against a corridor pillar, her entire being numb and sluggish. "I will not carry out the mission. I'll just wait for rebirth."
The system was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Host, aren't you curious about why I disappeared for so long?"
"Not curious," Jian Lin said indifferently.
"Then, if I told you that because my power was damaged, I couldn't support your rebirth again, would you be curious?" the system said in a measured tone.
Jian Lin's silence was deafening. What did this damned system mean?
What did it mean by being unable to support her rebirth again!