A pressure unique to the Divine Lord realm surged forth.

Under that weight, Zhu Cangwen was forced down until she couldn’t even lift her head, only loosing a powerless roar.

Heng Xuanzhen had no intention of killing her last surviving sect elder. She dispersed the pressure quickly.

Freed, Zhu Cangwen snapped her head up, hatred burning in her eyes.

“Senior Brother Lyu truly raised a fine disciple—daring to defy your elder now?”

Heng Xuanzhen ignored her. The sword aura behind her still hadn’t faded; it blotted out the sky, turning the world into a realm of swords.

She herself was like a divine weapon of this age—unstoppable, sharp enough to sever all things.

“Master-aunt, forgive my discourtesy. But killing Dao-friend Ye Yu—no. And what you did today truly went too far.”

“Whatever state my master and junior sister are in, you should never have struck at them.”

She lifted a finger.

The sword-intent seal on Lyu Nian, Bai Jia, and the others shattered completely.

Freed, they rushed to Ye Yu’s side to stand guard.

Seeing that, Zhu Cangwen let out a cold laugh.

“Very well. I’ll remember today. Junior niece, enjoy this while it lasts—you and he won’t live long.”

The words had barely fallen before Zhu Cangwen vanished from sight.

Ye Yu’s brows knit. He flashed to Heng Xuanzhen’s side. “You’re just letting her go?”

Mercy to an enemy is cruelty to oneself.

He could feel it clearly—Zhu Cangwen truly meant to kill them.

If so, the right move was to eliminate her now and strangle danger in the cradle.

But with Ye Yu’s current strength, that was impossible.

Naturally, he pinned his hopes on Heng Xuanzhen.

Before she could answer, her body went slack.

If Ye Yu hadn’t been quick enough to catch her, she would have fallen from the air then and there.

Puzzled, he carried her down and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The sea of sword shadows behind her burst apart, and the light in her eyes ebbed.

“I just broke through and hadn’t stabilized my realm. I forced myself out of seclusion because I feared you were in danger.”

“It threw my divine power into chaos.”

“Pushing Zhu Cangwen away just now was my limit.”

“Besides... she’s my master-aunt—the last member of the Alliance besides me.”

“How could I strike her down?”

Her voice sank low.

Ye Yu couldn’t help a sigh.

Right. In terms of closeness, Zhu Cangwen outstripped him by miles.

They were aunt and niece in the sect; and what was he? Someone she’d met three times?

That she’d stood up to Zhu Cangwen for him already exceeded all expectation.

How could he ask for more?

What—did he really expect Heng Xuanzhen to cut Zhu Cangwen down without a word?

Obviously unrealistic.

But the earlier question resurfaced in Ye Yu’s mind.

Had this woman truly fallen for him?

Otherwise, why do all this?

And when had it started?

Heng Xuanzhen sensed the shift at once. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Uh, nothing. I’m just... curious about something.”

Ye Yu waved his hands.

After a beat, he tested the waters. “Do you... have a Dao partner?”

He’d figured it out. Rather than gnaw himself up inside, better to lay the dilemma in someone else’s lap.

Otherwise a blocked thought would hinder his own breakthrough speed.

Heng Xuanzhen looked baffled. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“Out of nowhere—why ask that? I don’t have one. Why?”

Ye Yu joked, “I was just thinking... you’re so good to me. Maybe you like me and want me as your Dao partner.”

People often use a joke to voice what’s in their heart.

Advance if accepted, retreat if denied.

A tidy little trick of the trade.

But Heng Xuanzhen didn’t play by the rules.

She answered with three words: “I don’t know.”

Great. She’d picked a third option between yes and no.

Looks like you’re a pro too.

As Ye Yu wondered how to respond, Heng Xuanzhen went on:

“I know this much: if you can appear inside Tongtian Pavilion, you must be bound to it in countless ways. As the last of Ancient Sword Gorge, I should by rights cut you down.”

“But you saved me once. I thought, after I repaid that debt, we’d decide life and death next time we met.”

“So I used formations to deduce your location and went to Dongliang Valley.”

“But I didn’t repay the debt—and you saved me again.”

“And now, even I didn’t expect I would drive off my master-aunt... for you.”

“By all reason, she and I should be the closest of kin.”

“But I just don’t want you to die.”

“I don’t know if that’s ‘liking’ you.”

Ye Yu fell silent.

This kind of undefined feeling was the most dangerous.

In truth, at this point, with a bit of guidance he could have taken Heng Xuanzhen right here.

Then he’d have another Divine Lord-realm consort.

Handle things carefully and keep her from meeting Liu Yuennong for a while,

and his safety in the God Realm would climb again.

Any way he looked at it, it was the best deal.

But Ye Yu didn’t intend to do that.

When it came to feelings, he didn’t want to force anyone.

He’d let Heng Xuanzhen think it through and talk when she knew her heart.

He hadn’t yet spoken when a familiar voice sounded behind him.

“Husband, it’s been a few days—what are you doing here?”

Ye Yu sucked in a sharp breath.

Liu Yuennong’s voice. Wasn’t she in seclusion? She shouldn’t be here at all.

He turned slowly. There was nothing behind him.

Phew. Scared him to death. So it was just an illusion?

Heng Xuanzhen frowned. “That’s the voice of the woman I saw earlier in Tongtian Pavilion. Was she calling you?”

Done for. Not an illusion!