After Betraying the Whole World, You’re Telling Me They Were All Real? - Chapter 17:

Chapter 17: Isn’t This the Man My Daughter Has Been Waiting for Seven Years?

As soon as Ye Youluo spoke, the auras of the Demon Sect disciples surged violently. A fight? The Demon Sect had never been afraid of one.

Even if the Great Yan Empire’s army truly arrived, the Demon Sect would still dare to face them head-on. Let alone the Snow Sect. Let alone a mere ancestor of the Snow Sect.

At the bow of the ship, the Snow Sect Ancestor sneered, “Sect Master, your beauty is like that of a celestial being, stunning beyond compare. I truly hate to use force against you. But unfortunately, it seems men must be forceful to truly conquer a woman!”

BOOM! As soon as he finished speaking, the overwhelming black aura around him erupted, enveloping the entire ship in a thick fog-like mist.

“Attack!”

SWOOSH! 

The next moment, the Snow Sect Ancestor burst from the black fog, dragging his monstrous aura as he smashed toward the port of Demon Island.

Ye Youluo sneered coldly. Gripping her longsword, she shot into the sky and clashed with him midair.

CLANG! 

The Ancestor’s claw, wrapped in black energy, struck Ye Youluo’s sword with immense force. The impact sent shockwaves across the sea, causing waves to churn.

Looking at the black-qi-shrouded skin of the Snow Sect Ancestor, Ye Youluo said coldly, “Demonic arts and crooked ways.”

It was clear the Snow Sect Ancestor practiced heretical cultivation. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have needed to lie dormant for years, nor depend on sacrificing a so-called Saintess to break through.

The Snow Sect Ancestor laughed wildly, “You’re the Sect Master of the Demon Sect, a demonic woman. Isn’t it absurd for such words to come from your mouth? Ye Youluo, I am indeed one who walks the crooked path. But you… are the same as me!”

As his words fell, black energy rapidly condensed on his arms, forming a layer of black-scaled armor. He charged at Ye Youluo, launching a furious assault.

“You’re not even qualified to be compared with him, much less with me!” Ye Youluo snorted coldly. Her sword surged with blood-red energy, releasing overwhelming sword Qi that collided with the black aura midair above the port.

Meanwhile, atop the Snow Sect’s ship, the people the ancestor had brought surged forward. Though they were unwilling, they were under his rule and had no choice but to obey.

“Courting death!”

The Demon Sect’s experts sneered and struck back simultaneously. The Snow Sect’s strength was already weak; how could they hope to match the Demon Sect in direct combat? With only one Heaven-Revering Realm cultivator, the Snow Sect was no match.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In an instant, the port of Demon Island turned into a battlefield once more. The area, just repaired after Zhao Cheng the demonic dragon’s destruction, was again reduced to chaos.

Amid the battle, the sky filled with clashing sword Qi and black mist. Ordinary people couldn’t even get close.

“Ye Youluo, I admire you. I admire your charm!” The Snow Sect Ancestor’s white hair danced in the wind as he attacked relentlessly. He sneered, “I once thought of pairing with you and soaring through the world. But now it seems, to deal with a strong woman, one must use stronger means. Too bad… you don’t have the strength to match.”

Ye Youluo’s eyes were full of disdain as she replied, “Oh, and by the way, your strength is far beneath Ling Qi’s. And your face… compared to his, you’re hideous!”

BOOM!

That comment immediately enraged the Snow Sect Ancestor. “Very good! Ye Youluo, I’ll enjoy the entire process of conquering you!”

He roared, his black aura wildly condensing over his body. In the blink of an eye, his skin turned pitch-black like charcoal, with only his white hair fluttering in the wind.

“If you hadn’t used some special method to sleep for so long, wouldn’t you now be a wrinkled old man covered in sagging flesh?” Ye Youluo sneered, “That’s your real appearance!”

“Let’s see if you can still talk tough once you’re under me.” The Snow Sect Ancestor’s gaze turned cold, and he launched a frontal assault.

At this moment, his entire body had become a weapon—impenetrable and indestructible.

Ye Youluo, infuriated by his words, erupted with blood-colored sword Qi. She slashed furiously at him, one strike after another.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

But her sword Qi, landing on the pitch-black armor covering his body, only rang out with dull metallic sounds. The black energy had formed a protective shell like the Vajra’s indestructible body.

CLANG!

After a series of attacks, the Snow Sect Ancestor suddenly struck forward with a punch. Ye Youluo blocked with her sword, but the force knocked her back. Her fair feet skidded across the sand before she came to a stop.

Her crimson eyes narrowed, and her brows furrowed. This Snow Sect Ancestor was indeed formidable. Though not yet at the Supreme Limit Realm, his combat strength wasn’t inferior to the demonic dragon she had just slain.

If Ling Qi at the Supreme Limit Realm was the strongest under heaven, then this Snow Sect Ancestor had the qualifications to be the strongest below that realm.

“This guy’s tough. Thirty-Six Heavenly Fiends, assist the Sect Master! Leave the rest of the Snow Sect riffraff to the others!” someone commanded.

“Can’t you speak with some respect? You make it sound like we’re all riffraff,” someone else grumbled.

“Attack!”

Numerous Heaven-Revering Realm experts from the Demon Sect surged forward to stand behind Ye Youluo. They immediately activated a formation, just like they had done against the demonic dragon earlier.

“A formation? Ye Youluo, so what if you combine your power in formation?” the Snow Sect Ancestor sneered. “You still won’t break through my defense.”

He grinned savagely and charged toward Ye Youluo once more.

Ye Youluo snorted. With the support of the many experts behind her, she charged straight ahead. Her sword Qi exploded again, encircling the Snow Sect Ancestor.

Even with so many cultivators working together, they still struggled to break through the protective scales on the Snow Sect Ancestor’s body. His attack and defense were truly on par with the demonic dragon.

“Hehe, how about now? Do you see that I truly have the power to conquer the Great Yan Empire?” the Snow Sect Ancestor laughed while attacking furiously. “You still have a choice. If you agree to dual cultivation with me, you can still become the Empress of the new empire. Together, we’ll rule the world.”

Facing his arrogant tone, Ye Youluo remained calm and firm. She slashed again and said coldly, “Did I ever tell you I wanted to be Emperor?”

To her, being the Sect Master of the Demon Sect was no less than being the Empress. Others might dream of becoming rulers, but she never cared. In her eyes, she and Empress Jiang Ling were equals.

“Is that so? Then sorry, but I’ll only make you a queen. No—if you behave poorly, you’ll just be a concubine I can send to the cold palace anytime,” the Snow Sect Ancestor grinned. “World-Destroying Pagoda Palm!”

BOOM!

A giant black palm print infused with black energy slammed toward Ye Youluo and her allies. Ye Youluo raised her sword. With the formation backing her, her blood energy surged wildly. She stabbed forward with all her might!

The countless sword Qi condensed into a massive blood-red light sword that collided with the black palm print.

BOOM!

A massive explosion followed. The sea roared as waves surged violently. The shockwave spread across heaven and earth.

As the waves dispersed, Ye Youluo’s body retreated again. She skidded across the ground before coming to a stop.

The Snow Sect Ancestor, in contrast, landed lightly on the sea, standing atop the waves.

“Hehe, you may be at the peak of the Heaven-Revering Realm, but there’s still a gap between us. I… have stepped half a foot into the Supreme Limit Realm. How could you be my match?” the Snow Sect Ancestor sneered.

Ye Youluo was indeed powerful, and combined with the other Demon Sect experts, she was difficult to deal with. But he still had confidence in winning—though at a price.

“You’re still just a half-baked one. Compared to him… far too inferior!” Ye Youluo steadied herself, gripped her sword horizontally, and ran her fingertip along its blade.

Buzz! 

The sword Qi on the blade ignited instantly, growing more violent and frenzied.

BOOM!

An overwhelming sword aura erupted from her body, like a blazing fire. The temperature around them soared. The seawater began to evaporate into steam, visible to the naked eye.

“Is that…” The Demon Sect members squinted. “Is that the power of the Fire Origin Pearl Ling Qi gave the Sect Master?”

It was terrifying!

Across from them, the Snow Sect Ancestor also showed a slight change in expression as he felt the intense heat. Ye Youluo… was actually hiding such power?

BOOM!

Ye Youluo burst forward, her red dress sweeping across the sky like a phoenix. Her fiery blood-colored sword Qi slashed toward the Snow Sect Ancestor.

BOOM!

With another explosion, her sword strike sent massive waves surging from the sea. The waves immediately began to evaporate under the scorching heat of the sword Qi.

The Snow Sect Ancestor was blasted back several hundred meters, carving a long trail on the sea before he managed to stop himself. He barely steadied himself and ran his hand across his chest.

A deep, diagonal wound had been left on his chest. Blood oozed continuously.

Feeling the sharp pain and looking at the blood on his palm, the Snow Sect Ancestor’s gaze turned solemn. He slowly looked up at Ye Youluo, who was also standing on the sea.

Blood-red flames surged around her, evaporating the sea at her feet. She stood with her sword in hand, her figure noble and untouchable. Like a goddess descending upon the ocean—sacred, beautiful, and inviolable.

“Now that… was unexpected,” the Snow Sect Ancestor said through gritted teeth. He hadn’t expected Ye Youluo, a peak Heaven-Revering Realm cultivator, to actually pierce through his black armor.

This woman… was becoming more and more desirable.

He raised his hand and beckoned. The few remaining Snow Sect members retreated to the ship in a hurry.

“Very good, Ye Youluo. You’ve made me even more interested.”

He also leapt onto the bow. Now that she had broken through his black armor with the support of the formation and the Fire Origin Pearl, he understood—if they kept fighting, no one would gain anything.

This Demon Sect… had strength.

Ye Youluo waved her sword and withdrew her aura. “You don’t need to talk nonsense. Whether you’re interested or not means nothing to me. I don’t care what some stray mutt is thinking.”

The Snow Sect Ancestor withdrew his black aura, revealing his face again. “Ye Youluo, believe me… one day, you’ll pay the price for your words today. One day… you’ll regret the choice you made today.”

He couldn’t defeat her now, nor could she kill him. But he had many ways to deal with her. And the more he couldn’t get her now… the more he wanted her.

He craved the day he could fully conquer this queen—make her kneel beneath him and beg for mercy.

“If you still want to fight, I’ll accompany you to the end,” Ye Youluo said coldly. “If not, then get lost! I have no desire to see your hideous face again.”

The Snow Sect Ancestor’s brow twitched. He wasn’t actually that old. He’d used a special method to preserve his youthful appearance, and he considered himself a handsome man.

But Ye Youluo had repeatedly mocked his appearance, clearly humiliating him. And even worse—it wasn’t true! He was clearly handsome, so why did she keep calling him ugly?

Who would accept that?

“We shall meet again. I hope next time… you’ll still be this bold,” the Snow Sect Ancestor said, waving his hand as he turned. With his remaining subordinates, he retreated in defeat.

As the large ship slowly disappeared over the sea, the Demon Sect finally lowered their guard.

“Heh, that Snow Sect Ancestor is certainly bold. The entire Snow Sect doesn’t even have a single Heaven-Revering Realm cultivator left, and he still dared to come directly to our Demon Island?”

“Next time he dares show up again, just kill him. Let’s see how many people the Snow Sect has left to lose.”

The Snow Sect Ancestor did have some strength and managed to retreat, but the rest of the Snow Sect lacked such power. 

Every time he came to Demon Island, it would cost him dearly.

Ye Youluo’s slender figure returned from above the sea. She calmly said, “Qing’er, Wan’er.”

“Here!” Two black-robed women rushed over.

“Go immediately to the imperial palace of the Great Yan Empire and inform Ling Qi of the Snow Sect Ancestor’s actions.” Ye Youluo continued, “That old man won’t give up easily. He must have more schemes. He’ll be quite the trouble.”

After that fight, she had a clear understanding of the Snow Sect Ancestor’s strength. It was no less than that of the demonic dragon. She couldn’t kill him, and he refused to back down. In the future, he would definitely cause more trouble.

The best way to solve trouble… was to eliminate it completely.

That Snow Sect Ancestor was the mastermind behind the Snow Sect’s destruction and the one who harmed Xu Qingxue. As long as Ling Qi knew, he wouldn’t let the old man live.

“So… is the Sect Master asking Ling Qi for help?” the two black-robed women quickly asked.

This was good! Wouldn’t this be another chance for the Sect Master to interact with Ling Qi? A new entanglement between them?

“Ask for help? When has this seat ever needed help from anyone? I’m simply informing him of the situation!” Ye Youluo frowned and said.

“Er… yes, yes, of course!” Qing’er and Wan’er nodded obediently.

The Sect Master clearly wanted to stay connected with Ling Qi, but she was too proud to admit it. As a woman, she should show a little softness sometimes, so that Ling Qi would feel protective toward her…

“Go now!” Ye Youluo waved her hand.

“Yes!” The two nodded, boarded a ship, and left Demon Island.

Ye Youluo took a deep breath, then smiled faintly.

Ask him for help? Impossible!

Right now, he was the one who should be begging her…

…

On the ship, only Qing’er and Wan’er sat together.

“The Sect Master clearly has feelings for Ling Qi, but she refuses to show it,” one of them said.

“That’s just how she is,” the other replied. “And besides, Ling Qi already has a wife and child. The Sect Master can’t just interfere.”

“So what if he has a wife and child? That doesn’t mean she has no chance!”

“Hey… what if we help her out?”

“How?”

“We say the Sect Master was in danger, nearly died. That the Snow Sect Ancestor tried to force himself on her, and she barely escaped with her life. Now she’s vulnerable and needs Ling Qi’s support.”

“I don’t believe that guy doesn’t care. He said himself that he was the Sect Master’s husband.”

Since Ye Youluo wouldn’t lower herself or reveal her true feelings, the two of them would add fuel to the fire. What she wouldn’t say, they’d say. What she wouldn’t express, they’d deliver for her. No matter what, they would help bring her and Ling Qi together.

The two nodded seriously. It was settled. Once they met Ling Qi, they’d exaggerate everything as much as they could.

…

At the far west of the Great Yan Empire stood the Border Wall.

A massive wall over 30 meters tall stretched north to south, extending beyond the horizon. Majestic and imposing, from above it looked like a line splitting the land in two.

On one side were humans. On the other—demons.

This wall had been built with nearly all of Jiang Ling’s resources ever since she learned of the Millennia Catastrophe. It was humanity’s first and strongest line of defense.

The military strength stationed here far exceeded that of the rest of the empire combined. It showed how much importance Jiang Ling placed on this wall.

After all… it was tied to the future of all mankind.

From atop the towering wall, one could see the Forbidden Demon Region in the distance.

Beyond the wall lay barren land, and at the end of that wasteland was eternal darkness. Black clouds sealed the sky, demon Qi surged, and lightning occasionally flashed—truly a spectacular sight.

At the wall’s edge stood a figure.

A tall female general in silver-white armor held a red-tasseled spear in hand. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, and beneath the armor, her curvy figure was well-defined. Her presence was both heroic and feminine.

She was the daughter of the Border Wall’s Grand General, the empire’s top female warrior, the “Goddess of War” in the eyes of the soldiers—Xiao Qian.

She stood there, spear in hand, her beautiful eyes gazing into the darkness beyond the Forbidden Demon Region. Her expression held sorrow and deep longing.

“Still waiting? Daughter, it’s been seven years. You’ve waited for him seven whole years!”

A voice came from behind her.

A tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man in armor stepped up. He was Xiao Jiankong, Grand General of the Border Wall and Xiao Qian’s father.

“You know there’s no future. Or maybe… this is already the end. Why keep waiting?” Xiao Jiankong said. “Your Majesty once sent 100,000 troops into the Forbidden Demon Region. None returned. What could one man possibly do?”

Xiao Qian was waiting for a man. A man she once had feelings for.

She remembered clearly: seven years ago, Xiao Jiankong held a martial tournament to find a husband for his daughter. It was a grand event. When that man took the stage, he crushed all opponents effortlessly.

In the end, even Xiao Qian had to step in. At the time, she didn’t want to get married and thought she could beat the final winner.

But she lost.

That was when the complicated emotions began to stir.

In just a few short days after, Xiao Qian fell for that sly, laughing, roguish man. Yet she never admitted it, saying her man must be the strongest in the world.

So that man said he’d go to the Forbidden Demon Region to prove himself. He’d kill a great demon and bring its corpse back—to prove he was number one.

Xiao Qian agreed. If he returned alive, she’d marry him.

He really went. Before leaving, he said goodbye.

She never imagined… that would be their last farewell.

After he entered the Forbidden Demon Region—one day, two days, three days, a month, two months…

As time passed, she realized how serious it was—how deeply she actually liked him.

So she waited. Day after day. Until now.

She had no idea that the man who entered that Forbidden Demon Region for her… had already returned.

Because that man… was Ling Qi!

Back then, Ling Qi just wanted to play around in the Forbidden Demon Region. He happened to come across Xiao Qian’s tournament and joined for fun, treating Xiao Qian like an NPC to mess with.

Then he left, long forgetting about Xiao Qian.

He could never have guessed she had waited here day and night for seven whole years—for him.

Over the years, Xiao Qian not only missed him, she also blamed herself.

“If I had agreed to marry him earlier, he wouldn’t have gone to the Forbidden Demon Region,” she murmured, eyes reddening. “Why was I so arrogant back then? Why did I let him go?”

She knew it was impossible, yet she still encouraged him to go.

She liked him, had already given herself to him—yet still refused marriage, holding firm until the very end.

So he left. And never returned.

She stood there every day, replaying their farewell in her mind.

Ling Qi’s words echoed in her ears, “I will definitely come back alive. Wait for me!”

“Sigh… maybe I’m to blame too,” Xiao Jiankong sighed. “I raised you to be too proud, too strong.”

Even when she met the man she truly liked, she couldn’t admit it.

“If it really won’t work out… let it go,” he said, gently patting her shoulder. “If he’s watching from above, I doubt he’d want you to wait in sorrow every day.”

“No! I won’t give up!” Xiao Qian said with reddened eyes. “If he’s still alive, he’ll come back. If he’s dead… then it was my fault!”

“I’m willing to grow old alone for him!”

She could never love another man. In her heart, there would only ever be Ling Qi.

Even if Ling Qi were dead, she would still remain a widow—for the man who should have been her husband.

Hearing that, Xiao Jiankong could only shake his head helplessly. He turned to walk down the wall.

Just then, a soldier rushed over. “General! Envoys from the capital have arrived!”

“Oh? That fast?” Xiao Jiankong smiled. “How many?”

“Just… two,” the soldier replied.

“What? Only two?” Xiao Jiankong frowned. “Are they messengers?”

“N-no… I don’t think so. They’re carrying His Majesty’s imperial sword,” the soldier said.

Hearing this, Xiao Jiankong frowned deeply.

If they bore His Majesty’s sword, that was like His Majesty arriving in person. Were they here as imperial representatives?

Who could wield such authority on behalf of the Emperor?

“You don’t recognize them?” Xiao Jiankong asked.

“General, I was born and raised on the Border Wall. I’ve never seen outsiders,” the soldier replied.

“Then come. Let’s see what kind of people His Majesty trusts so greatly.” Xiao Jiankong waved his hand and walked toward the reception hall.

When he arrived and saw Ling Qi and Chu Xinyue, his expression instantly shifted.

What the hell!?

Wasn’t this… the man his daughter had waited seven years for!?

He was still alive!?