423 - Senior Sister Is on Top

Attempting to use the artifact as the core of the barrier formation to resist the Nether Fire. It was a good plan since the artifact contained supreme power; using two of them should be more than enough to counteract the Nether Fire. However, her previous exertion had severely depleted her energy, and now, trying to wield two artifacts at once rapidly drained her internal spiritual power. Before the Nether Fire had dissipated, her face had already turned pale, and she was overwhelmed with fatigue. Jiang Yin noticed her struggling and immediately stepped forward, melding her Demon Binding Blade into the formation’s core as well. With Jiang Yin sharing the burden, Tang Muxi’s load eased significantly. "There are quite a lot of Nether Fires. Both of us have consumed considerable strength; merely holding on like this isn’t a viable strategy," Jiang Yin suggested, setting aside her chaotic thoughts for the moment. "Later, I will advance with the blade and use the unique devouring power of the Demon Binding Blade to consume the Nether Fire. Your internal power is lacking; let the Demon King sustain the artifact." Tang Muxi hesitated, worry in her voice. "But the Nether Fire is dangerous..." Jiang Yin laughed, "It’s alright, just think of it as giving your senior sister a chance to atone. Go rest; the other matters can wait until the evening." This time, Tang Muxi didn’t insist. Knowing that her inner strength was nearly depleted, she handed the task of stabilizing the barrier over to Wen Dai. However, before stepping away, she didn’t forget to hold Jiang Yin’s face and give her a kiss. "I don’t believe senior sister is guilty." Looking somewhat embarrassed, she left quickly, descended to the mountaintop, and went to rest. Jiang Yin was stunned for a moment, her heart calming significantly because of those words. On the other hand, Wen Dai, who watched the whole scene, wore a cold, indifferent expression. Good grief, can you two stop flirting? * Jiang Yin’s plan was very effective. Though the Nether Fire seemed formidable, it wasn’t endless. Once the demon summoned them, it didn’t manage them further. By now, Jiang Yin had reached the Integration stage, her power nearing the peak of her previous life. With the Demon Binding Blade in hand and the Demon King assisting, she swiftly consumed all the Nether Fire. However, the earlier strikes from the dark lightning had also inflicted substantial damage on the barrier. By the time the task was complete, two of the four divine beast avatars had lost their power. Should the Ghost Emperor and Demon Monarch invade now, it’s unlikely they could be repelled as they were ten thousand years ago. Tang Muxi had no Sky Color Spirits left to replenish the formation’s power and had to use the Qiankun Bagua to delay the barrier’s decay as much as possible. By the time everything was settled, two days had passed quietly. Seeing everyone was mentally and physically exhausted, Tang Muxi dispersed them to rest. Back at the palace, after bathing, she didn’t go to bed but sat at the table, patiently waiting for her senior sister. There were still things left unspoken between them; it was time to be frank. Jiang Yin, upon leaving the mountaintop, didn’t return with her junior sister. Instead, she wandered into the city to buy some snacks. Both had long since stopped needing sustenance, but Jiang Yin felt lost and needed some time alone to clear her head. She pondered many things during her slow return to the palace, which took over an hour. Unexpectedly, upon opening the door, she saw her junior sister sitting at the table, dozing off. Despite her quiet entrance, she made no effort to conceal her presence. Hearing Jiang Yin’s footsteps, Tang Muxi immediately shook off her sleepiness, looking at her senior sister with a smile. "Senior sister, you’re back." Her tone and demeanor were just as usual. Jiang Yin stood still, her inner confusion largely dissipated by that smile. "You ought to blame me," she said with a bitter smile, her first words a plea for punishment. "Do you know? I’m not only the original Demon Monarch but also the murderer who’s killed you in every lifetime. Even though those memories were initially sealed, the ones from the last lifetime never disappeared. From the moment I pierced your heart with a sword, they have remained with me, carried through time to this life." Upon hearing the first part, Tang Muxi wanted to argue, but the latter words left her stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief. Jiang Yin smiled. Starting was the hardest part. She had been fearful before confessing, but now that she had begun, she wasn’t as scared. She felt a sort of reckless abandon in her heart. Seeing her junior sister’s dawning realization, she confirmed without hesitation, "I am indeed the Demon Monarch from our past life. Since returning to the Tianji Sect, from the time you saved me from the Soul Gnawing Gu, I’ve carried these memories." "Back then, I intended to eliminate you, but later I realized you weren’t the same as in our past life—constantly making things difficult for me. Instead, you tried to be good to me. I guessed that, like me, you too had been reborn with your memories." Seeing Tang Muxi seemingly scared, Jiang Yin couldn’t help but soften her expression. "You called me a big demon, perhaps finding my actions unreasonable and erratic, but probably never imagined that I truly was a demon. At the time, I didn’t know you were imprisoned by demonic energy. I thought you were plotting something again, trying to manipulate me, so I was always on guard. But in the end, a heart is made of flesh. From the moment I knew you were willing to bleed to heal me, I stopped seeing you as an enemy and started caring more, silently vowing to protect you from others’ coveting." "Senior sister…" Tang Muxi, deeply moved by Jiang Yin’s words, had her eyes glistening like water-drenched spiritual fruits. Jiang Yin wasn’t adept at handling such sentimental scenes. Realizing the atmosphere was becoming gentle, she awkwardly threw cold water on it. "However, it’s not that I completely trusted you; I just understood your naive and foolish nature and thought that even if you turned against me, I could handle it." As expected, this statement caused her junior sister to freeze, her facial expressions rapidly shifting before settling on anger. Jiang Yin didn’t try to console her. After all, this was her honest feeling and it was better for her junior sister to see her true character clearly now. Following this, Jiang Yin recounted more, her recollections sometimes disjointed but sincere, which lent her words an emotional weight. She held nothing back, recounting her reasons for being reborn and her connection with the demonic forces. She even mentioned the earlier loss of control over the demonic energy in her heart. One spoke, the other listened, and by the time they finished, it was already deep into the night.