456 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 456: The Death of Shen Mengjie/Yan Ke Ever since seeing Ye Linglong, anger surged fiercely within Yan Ke. Ye Linglong, it was always Ye Linglong. Every encounter with her brought nothing but misfortune. She seemed like her nemesis; wherever Ye Linglong was, everything Yan Ke planned fell apart, never once succeeding. For years, with Ye Linglong out of the picture, her life had been smooth sailing. Why did she have to return? Why come back at all? Yan Ke's anger grew, shaking her to her core, her expression twisted with fury. Ye Linglong's smile only grew brighter: "I didn't expect you'd miss me so much that it made you tremble." "Get lost! Who would miss you, Ye Linglong? Why did you come back? Since you already went to the Celestial Realm, why come back? Why not just die, why not just die!!!" Yan Ke screamed in rage, her mind consumed with the thought: why didn't Ye Linglong die? She felt that her own luck was being siphoned away by Ye Linglong; if Ye Linglong died, everything would return to how it was. "To dare to curse my daughter to death, I think you're the one courting death!" Baili Ming overheard Yan Ke’s vicious curse, outraged that someone would dare wish ill upon his recently reunited daughter, his treasure. In his fury, he directed a lethal array towards Yan Ke with a pointed gesture. Instantly, a terrifying force surged towards Yan Ke. This strike, delivered in Baili Ming’s wrath, used almost eighty percent of his power. For a practitioner just a step away from becoming an immortal emperor, eighty percent of his power was something even few in the Celestial Realm could withstand. Even an immortal emperor would struggle to block such an attack. Under this assault, the very space around them twisted faintly. The speed was so fast that no one had time to react. Yet Ye Linglong did. She watched the attack with focused eyes. After years apart, she wanted to see if Yan Ke still had the same "good fortune" she always seemed to have, escaping danger in the nick of time. In the blink of an eye, the terrifying force was upon her, and with a tremendous explosion, a cloud of dust swallowed Yan Ke whole. When the dust settled, Yan Ke was still standing, her expression terrified, surrounded by a purple glow. Baili Ming murmured in surprise: "What is this that it can withstand my blow?" The purple glow dimmed until it vanished. Ye Linglong was curious too. What was that purple light with a hint of gold she sensed? Perhaps it held some aura of fortune. At this moment, Qian Jun appeared beside Ye Linglong: "It was a trace of the demon race's fortune. This demon princess must hold significant status and importance." "The fortune of the demon race?" Ye Linglong mused. Qian Jun, a sword spirit born of heaven and earth with vast knowledge, nodded: "Indeed. Every race and family has its own fortune, and so do the demon race." "In their prime, the demon race nearly occupied half of the Celestial Realm, their fortune astonishing. But after being sealed, their fortune waned. Still, as long as the demon race exists, their fortune doesn’t disappear. I didn't expect this demon princess to carry a trace of that fortune." "She must play a crucial role in their revival. But now that her fortune dissipated upon protecting her, it’s the best time to kill her." These words made Ye Linglong's eyes shine with resolve. Not lingering to exchange more words with Baili Ming or Jiang Lingyun, she vanished and reappeared before Yan Ke. Her sword point aimed at Yan Ke's throat. Yan Xiu, standing by Yan Ke, instinctively moved to block, harboring disdain for Yan Ke’s foolishness, yet knowing she was key to the ritual, he couldn’t let her fall. However, he overestimated his ability. Before he could reach Ye Linglong, the gales from her sword energy tossed him aside, blood streaming from his mouth. Even the demon clan experts present were similarly dispatched. In terror, Yan Ke saw a flash of icy blue sword light, before feeling her perspective lift, then plummet into darkness. Yan Ke was dead. Finally, she was dead. Her head severed by Ye Linglong’s leader, Qian Jun, soared high then crashed to the ground, a look of terror frozen upon her lifeless face. Her headless body collapsed heavily, blood pooling beneath. Ye Linglong gazed at Yan Ke’s head, or rather, Shen Mengjie’s head, and felt a shackle within her break free. Perhaps it was the shackle of fate. She knew she and Yan Ke were destined for a lethal entanglement, their fortunes intertwined: whichever was stronger would seize the other's fate. Now that her foe was dead, that feeling vanished completely. Yan Xiu was stunned, Yan Ke was dead. What meaning lay in their long preparations now? Shen Hansong and Feng Tianxi were also at a loss, unsure how to proceed. Seeing Ye Linglong, the slayer of his son, again, Feng Tianxi’s heart was full of hate, yet devoid of the will for revenge. He wasn’t foolish; Ye Linglong's demonstrated power was beyond his means. Likely, the entire demon sect was but a single sword stroke away from her might. Now he could only hope she would have mercy and spare him. Yan Ke was dead; Yan Xuan quickly seized the opportunity, subduing Yan Xiu and consolidating the remaining demons. Ye Linglong watched as the leading, flamboyant male demon approached her. His face held an eerie familiarity, yet try as she might, she couldn't recall where she'd seen it. Searching through her memories, she found no man resembling him. He walked step by step towards Ye Linglong, his striking face spattered with blood, adding a bewitching allure. His eyes filled with Ye Linglong's image. His words sparked a sense of danger in Jiang Lingyun. He spoke: "Sister, do you remember me? I’m Xuan Xuan." As his words landed, Baili Ming’s gleeful mocking clicked in Jiang Lingyun’s ears. Simultaneously, the image of a small, thin girl resurfaced in Ye Linglong's mind. Her worldview turned upside down as she pointed at Yan Xuan in shock: "Xuan Xuan, wasn't she a girl?"