Han Lie considered the question for a moment but did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, “You don’t mind?”

“Are you talking about Junior Sister Liu Li?” Zhuo Hongyi shook her head, a faint smile gracing her lips. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have asked you.”

“Good!” Han Lie’s expression softened, his voice firm with conviction. “As long as you are willing to wait for me, I will definitely become your Dao Companion in the future.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhuo Hongyi whispered, her gaze locking with his. “In this life, I will wait for you alone.”

The atmosphere in the room grew thick and warm, charged with unspoken emotion.

Han Lie lowered his head, capturing Zhuo Hongyi’s alluring red lips in a kiss.

This time, there was no rush, no rough demand. Han Lie’s movements were gentle, tender—like a lover cherishing a precious treasure.

Zhuo Hongyi was known as “Heartless,” but in this moment, her heart trembled. She melted into his embrace, her defenses crumbling as she responded to his touch, lost in the gentle fragrance of their intimacy.

When the kiss grew passionate, Zhuo Hongyi lay back, pulling him down with her.

Another intense battle ensued.

But this time, it was different. Zhuo Hongyi soared straight to the peak of spiritual ecstasy, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness envelop her soul. It was a joy and satisfaction that went beyond the physical—a fulfillment that, perhaps, only Han Lie could give her.

They lay together for a long time afterward, whispering sweet nothings in the quiet dark.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Han Lie finally bid farewell to a reluctant Zhuo Hongyi and returned to his post at the Violet Heaven Palace.

Before returning to his hut, Han Lie followed his usual routine and stopped by the Jade Clear Pool.

“How long has it been since the Violet Heaven Palace was cleaned? Get in here and clean it up.”

As soon as he stepped foot into his small wooden hut, the icy voice of the female demon echoed directly in his ear.

“Ah, this…”

Han Lie paused. Thinking back, it had indeed been quite some time since he had last cleaned the palace grounds.

As expected, the courtyard of the Violet Heaven Palace was carpeted in fallen leaves. The potted spiritual plants were overgrown and in dire need of trimming.

Without complaint, Han Lie resumed his old job.

With his current cultivation base, manual labor was child’s play. He moved with the efficiency of a whirlwind.

In less than half a day, the front courtyard, back garden, and the artificial lake were spotless. The entire palace seemed to breathe easier, looking far more pleasant to the eye.

Next was Ye Qingxuan’s bedchamber.

In under two hours, every surface gleamed. Except for one specific corner that Han Lie deliberately left untouched.

Just as he was packing up his tools, feigning readiness to leave…

“All cleaned up?”

Ye Qingxuan’s voice sounded from behind him, right on cue.

“All clean,” Han Lie replied, turning around with a straight face.

“Are you sure?” Ye Qingxuan’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of amusement dancing within them.

“Not sure.” Han Lie scratched his head and chuckled tactically. “Sect Leader, isn’t this just a ploy to get you to come out?”

“Hmph. Quite clever with your little schemes.” Ye Qingxuan crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want? Speak directly.”

“It’s… well… about the Soul Devouring Saber Art.” Han Lie rubbed his palms together, his face full of anticipation. “I’ve fully comprehended the second form. So… is there more?”

Ye Qingxuan didn’t tease him this time. She casually tossed a thin booklet through the air.

“This is the final form.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader! I knew you were the best.” Han Lie caught the book, his face lighting up with genuine joy.

Ye Qingxuan couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his shameless flattery. Yet, strangely, she found it rather pleasing.

” This Senior asks you: regarding Bai Ling… are you truly certain she is the mole?” Ye Qingxuan’s tone shifted, becoming serious.

“Hmm…”

Han Lie paused, considering his words carefully. “Based on my interactions with her, it is highly likely. But if you ask me to swear on it, I dare not make a definitive statement without absolute proof.”

In the cultivation world, speaking in absolutes before having solid evidence was a fool’s game. One must always leave a path for retreat.

Ye Qingxuan pondered for a moment. “What is her goal?”

“It should be the Yin Yang Demonic Art.”

“That explains it.”

The moment she heard the name of the technique, Ye Qingxuan understood. The allure of the Yin Yang Demonic Art was irresistible to the demonic path. She knew the Sun Moon Sect had coveted it for centuries. It was their misfortune that the manual had fallen into her hands first.

“Sect Leader, if I obtain conclusive evidence that the Saintess is the mole, what then?” Han Lie probed tentatively.

“Give the evidence to me. I will personally judge her.”

Ye Qingxuan’s tone was indifferent, cold as ice. But deep within her eyes, a flicker of complex emotion passed. It vanished in an instant, but Han Lie’s sharp senses caught it.

It seems the female demon’s heart isn’t as cold as her words suggest.

Bai Ling was her first disciple in hundreds of years. A genius with a quasi-ninth-grade spiritual vein, reaching the Golden Core Stage at twenty. She was the future of the Heavenly Void Sect. Even Ye Qingxuan would be reluctant to execute such a talent unless absolutely forced.

After the conversation, Han Lie quickly cleaned the corner he had deliberately left dirty and exited the Violet Heaven Palace.

Back in his wooden hut, Han Lie sat cross-legged on his bed.

” Soul Devouring Saber Art final form… Unity…”

He opened the booklet. Several profound, archaic characters leaped out at him.

He skimmed the contents, his eyes widening as he grasped the concept.

To put it simply, the essence of “Unity” was the fusion of “Soul Hook” and “Spirit Slash.”

“Soul Hook” possessed the terrifying ability to snag the soul and sever the primordial spirit directly, ignoring physical defense. Its flaw was its short range and difficulty to land.

“Spirit Slash” was a massive, wide-range physical destruction technique.

When combined… “Unity” completely compensated for the shortcomings of both. It created a wide-range attack that carried the soul-severing properties of the hook.

“Damn! That’s incredible!”

Han Lie gasped in shock.

Individually, the first two forms were strong but flawed. But when fused into one strike… the result was terrifying.

Without wasting another second, Han Lie closed his eyes, entering a deep meditative state to comprehend the final secret of the Soul Devouring Saber Art.

Violet Cloud Palace.

“Yu’er… save Mother…”

“Yu’er… your father’s life, your mother’s life… the lives of our entire Su family… hundreds of people… are all in your hands…”

“Bai Ling… you should understand… if you don’t obtain the Yin Yang Demonic Art… they will all die…”

“……”

Pleading voices.

Voices filled with utter despair.

Whispers that sounded like demons gnawing at her sanity hovered around Bai Ling’s ears, refusing to fade.

“Ah——!”

Bai Ling screamed, jolting out of her meditation.

She gasped for air, her chest heaving violently. Cold sweat soaked her forehead and drenched her robes, making them cling to her shivering back.

She clutched her head, her beautiful eyes wide with terror and helplessness.

Two clear streams of tears welled up and spilled over her cheeks, uncontrollable and heartbreaking.

“No… no! Wuwuwu…”