THIP Chapter 27 V2

Those of the Demon Realm who entered the cultivation world all regarded Mingli as their sovereign.

Of the Nine Great Sects, eight were utterly annihilated—only Taiyan Sect remained. Among them, the Astrological Tower was destroyed most thoroughly.

In the end, Mingli, dressed in a dark red robe, stood holding the divine artifact Heaven’s Tome, which she had seized after destroying the Astrological Tower. She looked over the cultivation world—now ravaged by demonic energy and reduced to a wasteland—and gave a bewitching, cold smile.

“I could have become immortal,” she said softly.

And with those words, the divine artifact crumbled in her hands into black ashes, like crow feathers, scattering across a world now devoid of cultivators.

“Xiao Jiu, so… was Mingli the reincarnation of the Lord of the Demon Realm?” Mu Liuyin asked.

Xiao Jiu paused, sounding a bit troubled in his boyish voice.
“How should I put it… Technically, the target was the Lord of the Demon Realm in her past life. But she doesn’t have a single memory of that life. And with her talents, she was born to become an immortal.”

“No one’s ascended to the Immortal Realm in over a thousand years. Even your current body, which has incredible talent, couldn’t do it. That means the problem lies with the Immortal Realm itself—or maybe the Immortal Realm simply doesn’t want anyone else to ascend.”

“But Mingli, with her past identity as the Lord of the Demon Realm, became an anomaly—the only one capable of breaking that thousand-year drought. If she succeeded in ascending, others would likely follow by overcoming their tribulations.”

After hearing this, Mu Liuyin frowned slightly. But Heaven’s Tome had delivered a prophecy that made it clear: someone didn’t want anyone in this realm ascending anymore. And Mingli was the key—the one who could open the path to immortality.

But cultivators in this world had always treated the Tome’s prophecies as gospel. With a prophecy like that, whether Mingli was destroyed or the cultivation world fell, it wouldn’t matter to the Immortal Realm. It might even benefit them.

“But… why would the Immortal Realm want that?”

“If it’s outside the mission scope, I wouldn’t know,” Xiao Jiu replied.

Mu Liuyin sighed softly.

This mission seemed simple—if she could keep the blood-red spider lily mark on Mingli’s collarbone hidden, then with her personality and talent, Mingli was certain to become immortal.

But if anyone other than the two of them ever saw that mark… then all bets were off.

She reached out with a finger and gently stroked Mingli’s collarbone, where the blood-red mark had been magically concealed to match the rest of her skin. Her eyes were filled with quiet affection.
“Little one, you must break the prophecy of that Tome and ascend to immortality.”

The moment she finished speaking, her expression shifted slightly, her gaze turning.

A man in a purple robe—handsome, elegant, and full of charm—entered the room. Despite Mu Liuyin’s cold demeanor, the man grinned playfully.
“Senior Brother, don’t always look so icy! Let me see the kid you brought back!”

This was Qin Yu, the original body’s junior martial brother. Exceptionally gifted, he had a good relationship with the original host and was the only one in Taiyan Sect who wasn’t afraid of Mu Liuyin’s cold exterior.

In the original timeline, after Mu Liuyin was forced to take her own life, Qin Yu became the new sect leader. Years later, as Mingli descended into darkness and chaos spread through the realm, he killed two of the cultivators who had forced Mu Liuyin’s death—those not already slain by Mingli.

Qin Yu was born with naturally flirtatious, fox-like eyes and a carefree charm. His words often carried no seriousness at all. True to form, he sauntered up to peek at Mingli.

Mu Liuyin didn’t block his view, but instead asked coldly,
“How did you know I brought back a child?”

Qin Yu blinked those charming peach-blossom eyes and grinned.
“Senior Brother Yanhui saw you.”

Remembering that brief encounter with Yanhui on her return, Mu Liuyin nodded. She was just about to say she planned to take Mingli as her disciple when she saw Qin Yu reach out a finger to poke the still-sleeping child’s cheek.

Mu Liuyin’s expression darkened as she brushed his hand aside. But the little one had already woken up. Still, she didn’t cry or fuss—just blinked her clear, glassy eyes at Mu Liuyin and reached out her tiny arms, offering an innocent, heart-melting smile.

And then Qin Yu witnessed the impossible—his usually cold and stoic senior brother’s expression softened, becoming gentle, as Mu Liuyin scooped the child into her arms with surprising tenderness.

Even more shocking was what Mu Liuyin said next in a quiet, affectionate tone:
“I’m naming her Mingli. She’ll be my one and only disciple.”

Qin Yu was stunned.

Was this still his cold, aloof senior brother? Did he just hear him speak with actual warmth in his voice?