Ning Xiaoxian frowned and said, "The Jiuxiao Sect perished, and the only ones who know of these two Demon Sects’ unrighteous deeds are the Hidden Stream. Since they can commit such acts, they shouldn’t hesitate to turn against you on the spot... Didn’t they plan to silence you at the scene?" Hidden Stream Demon Soldiers numbered only three thousand, while the other side had a crowd of twenty thousand.

Changtian’s smile held an indescribable mockery: "They wanted to, but unfortunately, indulging in comfort for too long has weakened their combat strength, unlike the Hidden Stream Demon Soldiers who have honed themselves out of piles of corpses and seas of blood. The Jiuxiao Sect isn’t a pushover after all; even with my assistance, those two Demon Sects were considerably weakened after dealing with the Jiuxiao Sect. If they wish to fight me again, they had better not expect to gain anything good."

After killing his way back from Central Capital to the Ba Snake Mountain Range, he orchestrated a massive expansion of the Hidden Stream. He utilized the best test stone of war to fully unleash the fierce spirit in the bones and blood of the Hidden Stream Demon Soldiers. How could such a bloodthirsty army be matched by the Sea Demon crowd born into comfort? When the three sides converged overseas, preparing to advance on the Jiuxiao Sect, the terrifying reputation of the Hidden Flow Army had already secretly shaken the hearts of the other two forces, consistently maintaining a significant distance during their march.

After the three sides bloodied the Jiuxiao Sect, the Hidden Stream alone bore the guilt, but in exchange, Guanghui Sect and Zhu Tao Palace had to hand over the materials mined within the Jiuxiao Sect’s territory to the Hidden Stream as annual dividends. The material list submitted by Changtian was so lengthy that both sect leaders felt heart attacks but had no choice but to agree. After all, it was a gain acquired for nothing; without the Hidden Stream’s intervention, they wouldn’t have gotten a single cent.

These two Demon Sects naturally didn’t worry that Changtian would turn against them. The Hidden Stream is after all in the far southwest of the continent; if Changtian disclosed their crimes to the world, should chaos resurface in the East Sea, what good would it do him? On the contrary, the annual Fortune Gold harvest would disappear.

Therefore, this transaction was completed with subtlety, revealing the truth behind the sect-destroying tragedy. For the Hidden Stream, the Jiuxiao Sect had to die, and Changtian didn’t mind bearing an extra crime, as long as this deadly action brought additional rewards.

"It’s the same with Jishi Building; it has its own way of courting death, the difference lies only in the method. So, you don’t need to take all the blame onto yourself." After finishing speaking, he gently stroked her hair and said, "The Jiuxiao Sect’s demise was inevitable, and its downfall wasn’t entirely because of you."

She responded softly with a sound, just realizing Changtian was using the opportunity to enlighten her. Although she had never expressed it, he must have known that since she awoke, whenever she thought of the tens of thousands of cultivators who died and got injured on the continent because of her, her heart was heavy.

Her heart warmed slightly. Changtian hadn’t been blinded by hatred and could still strategize and plan, which was fortunate, after all, they still had Yin Jiu You to deal with in the future. As she was moved, Changtian leaned over her ear, changing the topic: "Does it still hurt?" His warm breath blew into her ear, and his fingers had already slipped under her skirt to gently touch her wound.

Her behind had endured four heavy blows, now the pain had largely subsided; only the skin remained hot and swollen, his cold fingertips touched it in such a way she wanted to close her eyes and sigh in comfort.

Hmm? No, this was clearly the result of his handiwork, she couldn’t be easily placated by him!

With a sudden quiver, Ning Xiaoxian gathered strength at her waist, sliding out of his embrace. Changtian was caught off guard, and she managed to break free.

With a stern face, she said, "Rest well, let’s set off!"

#####

Two days had passed, and Changtian felt increasingly uneasy.

Ning Xiaoxian was becoming more skilled at manipulating the Jade Boat, responding to his coursework challenges with more effort, and that level of focus almost seemed to satisfy his critical standards.

Except for one thing—

This lass was sulking.

Rather than saying she was studying seriously, it was more like she was holding a grudge, determined to excel in everything, leaving no room for him to find fault. Aside from answering questions during divine skills learning, at other times when he tried to tease her into conversation, her little mouth stayed tightly shut like a clam shell, only displaying a focused expression on controlling the boat.

This little brat is going to turn the tables?

Initially, he ignored it, solely focusing on reading. But as time went on, each time he lifted his eyes to see her puffed cheeks, he had an urge to pry her mouth open.

This immature, rash impulse was inexplicably troubling even to himself.

On the third afternoon, she finally controlled the Jade Boat to slowly descend. Ahead was vast expanses of deserts and Gobi, they had to find a place to rest first, only then would she be energized to continue the journey tomorrow morning.