Jie Mingkong felt regretful the moment she spoke out those words. And she was itching to bury herself now.

Because she could see clearly a surprised look showing on Chen Xuanzong’s face which had been totally calm just now.

She lowered her head subconsciously under the stare of her master.

But soon she didn’t feel right.

She finally got the chance to spit out her feelings. How could she flinch at this moment?

The tough side of her character began to show its effect. Though she felt perturbed, she still raised up her head and look at her master.

However, Chen Xuanzong had already moved his eyes from her and said calmly, “Lili has asked a birthday gift from me since childhood. I already got used to it. But you are never particular about the birthday tradition. How come you being like a child this year?”

Jie Mingkong opened her mouth and tried to say something. However, Chen Xuanzong stopped her by waving his hands and saying, “Just go.”

“… Yes, master.” With her lips compressed, Jie Mingkong took her leave and stepped out of the Sweeping Snow Pavilion.

After she had got out of the door, her mind became clear. She felt extremely ashamed but also happy to get it off her chest.

Although she had finally poured out her wishes, she still felt disturbed.

She had a feeling that her master had already understood the implication in her words.

But not only did her master reject Lili’s love, he also rejected hers.

Still, there was a thought rising up vaguely in her mind.

Jie Mingkong couldn’t see clearly of her thought. But as long as she still had a slightest hope, she couldn’t help being swayed by considerations of gain and loss.

At last, the baby Feifei which was named Pingping by Chu Lili afterwards was handed to her by Jie Mingkong.

It was obviously to see that Chu Lili was a bit disappointed. Because it was Chen Xuanzong who had presented the birthday gift to her by himself in the previous years. Although she really liked that Feifei. Clearly, Chen Xuanzong had given much thought in picking a gift for her like before.

But this year was not the same.

Chu Lili was not stupid. She had told Chen Xuanzong her affection to him this year. And her master just answered her love by not giving her birthday present personally.

But this young girl wouldn’t give up.

“Constant effort brings success. It works for both women and men!” Chu Lili told Jie Mingkong that.

And Jie Mingkong could only give a wry smile secretly.

If she didn’t have the same affection like Chu Lili, she should advise and persuade Chu Lili to give up.

But now she really didn’t have the gut right now.

So she didn’t stop nor help Chu Lili.

What was in Jie Mingkong’s mind was her master’s reaction when she had spoken those words. The most thing she regretted was that she had lowered her head subconsciously and not dared to look into her master’s eyes. And when she had finally mustered up her courage and looked up, Chen Xuanzong had already turned away his eyesight.

Jie Mingkong always had a feeling that Chen Xuanzong seemed unnatural when he was with her, unlike the self-possessed master he was when he faced Chu Lili.

This faint intuition she had kept giving her hope. Meanwhile she was also afraid that it was just her illusion, her own wishful thinking.

The days on the Jade Sky Peak passed as Jie Mingkong worried about her master’s favor.

Until that day came…

“Boom!”

As the space above the glacier got frozen, there was a crack being opened on the ice layer under Female Emperor’s feet.

With no expression on her face, she was sending out cold air from all over her body.

At the same time, she was ‘looking’ at the mountain on the glacier far away from her with her closed eyes, in deadly silence.

Under the ice mountain, Astro Sovereign also kept silent.

After a long while, Female Emperor bowed to the ice mountain and said, “Master, pardon me.”

“You are in a rather disturbed state of mind today.” Astro Sovereign’s voice came through, “Are there any other reasons for you to be like this except for Xingtang’s descendant’s arrival?”

Female Emperor answered, “I remembered what had happened in the past. So my mind is flooded with memories now.”

Astro Sovereign fell into silence again.

“Master, I should leave now.” Female Emperor bowed to Astro Sovereign again and continued, “I’ll do everything I can to help Yan Zhaoge and her father.”

“You can go now, take care.” Astro Sovereign said that by sound transmission.

Then Female Emperor nodded and turned around to leave.

This Land of tranquil stream which was frozen returned to tranquility again.

In the meantime, far away from the ice glacier, Female Emperor ‘looked’ back at the space where Astro Sovereign was staying, remaining silent. There was a complicated expression appearing on her face again, which showed her struggle and hesitation.

“Master, even if you would hate me for this…” After putting on an icy look on her face, Female Emperor turned around and went back on her road again.

She also chose to leave from the Nine Underworlds. However, she crumbled a piece of ice crystal when she left.

The ice crystal drifted away in the space and turned into ice fog. In no time, even the ice fog vanished from sight as if nothing had happened.

However, after a while, there was devilish qi surging in the place far away.

With that, extremely scary aura overwhelmed the space.

It meant that more than one big demons who were on the level of True Immortals were approaching!

After pausing for a while, those big demons entered the Land of tranquil stream of the Nine Underworlds where Astro Sovereign stayed.

And after a short period of time, there were two rays of light flashing in the faraway space.

One was a dim light from sword while another was a golden and red ray of light.

They both came from the deep of the Nine Underworlds but not from the demons.

After the golden and red ray of light stopped sparkling, a middle-aged Daoist in dragon-tiger pattern rope showed up. That was none other than Earthly Tranquility Emperor, the expert of the Roving Jade Heavens who had fought Female Emperor.

And as the sword light stopped flickering, a young man around thirty years old appeared.

That was another bigwig of the Prime Clear direct lineage of the Roving Jade Heavens, the head of Green Duckweed Mountain’s Subtle Offensive Peak’s Purple Light Cave, the Grand Trueness Emperor, also known as Trueness Emperor.

Wen Daihong, who was also termed as Sword Sweeping Northern Wind, the cultivator of the Prime Clear lineage whom Yan Zhaoge encountered in Roving Jade Heaven, was the disciple of Trueness Emperor.

“Jie Mingkong was here before. But I don’t know if she has already left the outer space through the Land of tranquil stream in the front and got back to the World beyond Worlds.” Tranquility Emperor reached out a hand with his fingers spreading. Then a water dragon flew out, flying in the devilish qi in the Nine Underworlds.

In a moment, the water dragon flew back. After it had fallen in the hand of Tranquility Emperor, it shrank itself and spat out clouds of fog-like ice crystals.

“The Ancient Star Frozen Iron only occurs once in a thousand years. Not only can it be refined into immortal weapon, the most important thing is that it is helpful for curing our Great Grand Master’s injury.” Trueness Emperor said with his eyebrows knitted, “Jie Mingkong has robbed it all of a sudden. We have to prevent her from going back to World beyond Worlds. Otherwise we might not be able to get it back anymore.”

Tranquility Emperor nodded and agreed, “Let’s go take a look.”

As they were talking, they got out of the Nine Underworlds together and stepped on the Land of tranquil stream.

It never occurred to them that the endless glacier had already turned into bloody battlefield.

Meanwhile the devilish qi in the glacier overflowed and formed into a scary vortex, which almost swallowed them!

“Leave now!” A voice sounded from the glacier.

Being anxious and doubtful, Tranquility Emperor and Trueness Emperor were intending to back off to see the situation clearly. But they soon found that someone had already blocked the way to the Nine Underworlds.

Some wild big demons were already targeting on them.

Then the Land of tranquil stream was locked in a tangle fight.

At the same time, inside the Nine Underworlds and outside that Land of tranquil stream, Female Emperor stood in the space with no expression on her face. She formed seals with both her hands and interlaced them into a ritual.