Li Xuanxiao was inwardly horrified. What on earth was going on?
Hadn't he used his own Luck to wrap that Gu worm so tightly that it was practically impenetrable? How could it have just vanished into thin air without triggering a single internal alarm?
He looked up at Ya Qin, his expression full of suspicion. "Why did the Gu worm in my body disappear? Ya Qin, what did you do?"
Ya Qin shook her head innocently. "I didn't do anything, Master."
"The Love Gu of our Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is essentially a specialized form of a master-servant contract. It forces the afflicted target to fall hopelessly in love with the caster without them ever realizing their thoughts are being altered."
She smiled softly, taking a step closer. "However, the Love Gu only maintains its physical form as a parasite when the target is at a lower Realm and baseline strength than the caster. Now that your Realm is higher than mine, the Love Gu has naturally dissolved. It has transformed into a Soul Seal that controls me instead."
She tilted her head playfully. "If you don't believe me, look inward into your mind and see if there are any changes."
Hearing this, Li Xuanxiao immediately focused his awareness and scanned his own consciousness.
His brow twitched. Sure enough, nestled quietly within his mind was a distinct, glowing Fox Tail Seal.
The moment Li Xuanxiao connected his Divine Soul to it, a profound, esoteric sensation emerged. It felt remarkably similar to the absolute authority he held over the Southern Demon through their master-servant contract, yet this seal was clearly far more advanced.
Not only was Ya Qin's life and death entirely bound to his thoughts, but even her emotions, baseline desires, and immediate perceptions were now completely open to his influence. As long as Li Xuanxiao wished it, Ya Qin would obey any command, adopting whatever personality or appearance he desired.
This... this is a bit much, isn't it?
Involuntary, highly inappropriate images suddenly surfaced in Li Xuanxiao's mind. All the colors of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—and various styles of stockings flashed through his thoughts like a rapidly spinning lantern.
Across from him, Ya Qin's lips curved into a wicked little smirk. "Ah... so you like that kind of thing, Master. What a total pervert~"
Li Xuanxiao was so startled that he instantly yanked his Divine Soul back, violently waving his hands in panic.
"I don't! I didn't! Don't talk absolute nonsense!"
Having immediately denied it three times in a row, Li Xuanxiao felt a prominent flush creep up his neck.
"Just as you've seen, I pose absolutely no threat to you anymore," Ya Qin purred, stepping right up to his side. "As long as you wish it, both my body and my heart belong entirely to you~"
After fully awakening her bloodline memories, Ya Qin was acting more and more like a true Nine-Tailed Fox. Every subtle shift in her expression and every soft smile held an unusual, naturally seductive charm that stirred the senses.
Taking a deep breath, Li Xuanxiao forcefully suppressed the agitation in his chest. Now was absolutely not the time to be distracted by such thoughts. Having confirmed the true nature of the Gu worm and knowing his body was entirely secure, he could finally breathe a genuine sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the high-stakes negotiations between the Human Race and the Demon Race regarding the Devil threat had finally drawn to a close.
Since the situation directly involved the spatial anomalies of the Abyss and the active mobilization of the Devil Race, both sides were forced to take it with the utmost seriousness. No matter how deeply they disliked each other under normal circumstances, they had to prioritize the bigger picture at this critical juncture.
The last time the Abyss descended, both humans and demons had suffered catastrophic casualties. It had taken decades of quiet, agonizing isolation just to slowly recover their baseline vitality. An apocalyptic event of that scale absolutely could not be allowed to happen a second time.
After learning the full scope of humanity's intelligence, the leaders of the Golden Crow Clan let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was a relief to know that humanity's massive mobilization wasn't a coordinated invasion targeting their territory. The sight of the human factions deploying such an immense vanguard had truly terrified them.
With the exchange of information complete, all parties stated their immediate intentions. They agreed to a temporary ceasefire, establishing a consensus to prepare together for the Devil forces that could descend from the Abyss at any moment.
"Since everything has been made entirely clear, my Bai Ze Clan will take our leave now."
"Our Golden Crow Clan will also not tarry any longer."
Han Mei, the Nine-Tailed Fox senior who appeared as a poised, middle-aged woman, also cupped her hands in a formal farewell. However, when she turned around to assemble her squad, she froze.
Her clan's Young Miss was currently leaning entirely against a human youth. Not only was she clinging tightly to his arm with both hands, but her entire body was pressed firmly against him.
Han Mei was stunned, a faint trace of hostility instantly flashing in her eyes as she looked at Li Xuanxiao. Who is this brat? Why is the Young Miss acting so intimately with him?
Han Mei quietly walked over to the pair, her voice dropping to a cool whisper. "Young Miss, who is this?"
Sensing the immense, suffocating Supreme Realm pressure radiating from the approaching demon woman, every hair on Li Xuanxiao's body stood on end. This was a powerhouse of the Supreme Realm possessing an ancient, pristine bloodline. If she decided to strike him right now, his Void Realm cultivation wouldn't offer a single shred of meaningful resistance.
Ya Qin stated plainly, her tone unwavering. "He is mine!"
Han Mei was completely taken aback. "Is he... your Love Slave?" She paused, her eyes narrowing as she reassessed his aura. "But his Realm is clearly higher than yours..."
This was a disaster. If a Love Gu had been cast under these conditions, the human was far more likely to structurally influence their Young Miss. In other words, it would be more accurate to say the Young Miss was the one functioning as his Love Slave!
With that thought, Han Mei's gaze toward Li Xuanxiao grew incredibly cold. The previous Clan Head had fallen into the hands of a human master and ultimately perished in the ancient war against the Abyss, his Dao completely extinguished. Now, they had finally recovered the lost bloodline left behind by that legendary figure, only to find her tangled up with another human.
Han Mei's expression turned ugly. This would be incredibly difficult to report back to the Empress. Thoughts surged wildly within her mind, almost compelling her to execute a lethal strike on the spot.
However, Liang Jianqiu stepped up behind Li Xuanxiao at the perfect moment, his massive frame shielding the youth. "Your Excellency, we literally just reached a cross-faction consensus. Do you now intend to openly attack a disciple of our Ancient Martial Mystic Court?"
An immense, heavy Supreme Realm aura radiated outward from Liang Jianqiu. His presence was visibly stronger than Lingwuzi's and in no way inferior to Han Mei's.
Han Mei forcefully suppressed the violent impulse in her chest. She ignored Liang Jianqiu and turned to Ya Qin, her voice firm. "Young Miss, we must return to the Dream Illusion Domain. The Empress will be deeply worried about you."
Ya Qin was clearly reluctant to leave. Her six white fox tails swayed anxiously behind her as she clung even tighter to Li Xuanxiao's arm.
Li Xuanxiao spoke helplessly, gently patting her hand. "Ya Qin, go back with them first. We have plenty of time in the future."
Ya Qin shook her head, her beautiful, luminous eyes fixed entirely on him. "Why wait for the future? I can be fully available to you right now."
Li Xuanxiao's mouth twitched. Damn it, she blurts out such wildly suggestive words without blinking an eye! Do these demon clans honestly have zero concept of basic shyness?
"Just go back first," Li Xuanxiao urged, clearing his throat. "I promise I will come find you when I have time later."
Ya Qin's eyes instantly lit up. "Really? Then I will wash myself clean and wait for you in the Dream Illusion Domain!"
Li Xuanxiao covered his face with his hand, entirely speechless, and simply waved a weak goodbye.
Han Mei's parting glare grew increasingly venomous. Still planning to come to our Dream Illusion Domain to find the Young Miss? Just wait. See if I don't castrate you the second you step foot across our borders!
Thinking venomously, she forcefully took Ya Qin and set off on the journey back to the Central Continent. Ya Qin looked back three times with every step she took, only reluctantly withdrawing her gaze when Li Xuanxiao's silhouette completely vanished over the horizon.
Han Mei observed all of this with a grim expression. She flatly refused to believe that Ya Qin was acting this way out of genuine affection for a human. In her eyes, this was undeniably the lingering backfire of a miscalculated Love Gu.
Once we return, Han Mei resolved, I must inform the Empress immediately. We will pour every resource available into raising the Young Miss's Realm as fast as possible. Only when her cultivation eclipses his can we flip the seals, seize total initiative, and force that human brat to become her actual Love Slave!
Seeing that the powerful members of the major demon clans had all departed, Bian Qing, who had been awkwardly floating to the side, felt incredibly uneasy.
"Everyone... then I shall also take my—"
The moment he shifted his weight to flee, a massive hand clamped down on the local airspace, halting him dead in his tracks.
"Kid from the Qilin Clan, wait a moment."
Liang Jianqiu flew directly in front of him. Bian Qing's hairs stood on end, the purple lightning snaking across his scales sputtering as the Luck surrounding his body became entirely unstable.
"Don't look so terrified, I'm not going to kill you," Liang Jianqiu said, his voice casual. "Now that the Devil Race has begun to surface and the Abyss could fracture at any moment, I have no desire to create unnecessary diplomatic trouble at such a critical juncture."
The veteran commander paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I roughly understand why you targeted a disciple of our Ancient Martial Mystic Court. But regardless of your reasons—whether it's blood-feuds, revenge, or retribution—the Mystic Court will only tolerate this single act of ambush from your clan."
He tapped his heavy blade against his shoulder. "After today, any grievances regarding this matter are officially written off as settled. Take the contents of our grand consensus, along with what I am telling you right now, and report it directly to the elders of your Qilin Clan. Do you understand?"
Bian Qing's shoulders trembled, a profound wave of relief washing over him. He bowed deeply, his voice shaking. "Thank... thank you, Senior!"
Liang Jianqiu nodded curtly. "Go."
Bian Qing didn't dare waste another second. Struggling to calm the frantic beating of his heart, he violently activated his remaining Luck, transforming into a sharp streak of purple lightning that flew far into the distance, vanishing in an instant.