At that moment, Ye Fan rebuked, "You think I have no way to deal with you?"
"Any pain you inflict on me is pain for her too!" Qiu Ji said coldly. Since Qiu Ji, not Su Qingxue, was now in control of this body, it was more accurate to say he was confronting Qiu Ji.
Then, she told him, "You wouldn’t dare!"
"Who says I wouldn’t dare!" Ye Fan suddenly strode forward and grabbed hold of Su Qingxue, who was under Qiu Ji’s control.
"What are you doing?" At this instant, Qiu Ji was shocked, a strange premonition dawning on her.
Ye Fan said, "You know exactly what I’m going to do! I’m about to show you what it means to be a man!" With that, he suddenly pounced, tearing apart the gossamer-thin clothes.
Qiu Ji yelled, "You’re shameless!"
"What’s shameless about being with my own wife? You’re nothing but an outsider. If you want to experience something, then experience this!"
Ye Fan took immediate action. He asserted his masculinity, enraging Qiu Ji so much that she nearly rolled her eyes in fury. As a proud daughter of heaven, when had she ever suffered such an indignity?
She shouted at Ye Fan, "You’re ruthless!"
Then, she withdrew from Su Qingxue’s soul, but she would never forget what Ye Fan had just done to her.
At that moment, Su Qingxue awoke, weeping. Ye Fan pulled her into his embrace and said, "Honey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so rough with you!"
"No, it was the only way you could have saved me! Besides, we’re husband and wife," Su Qingxue said. Though she was crying, she was happy, because the other soul within her had completely vanished.
「God Monarch Palace」
Qiu Ji, who was in meditation, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. She trembled with rage, hissing, "Ye Fan, I will not let you go! The next time we meet, I will tear you into a thousand pieces!" This time, her very psyche had been affected. If she hadn’t managed to withdraw in time, she might have been psychologically scarred for life. Because of this, she made an internal vow that the next time they met, she would make Ye Fan wish he were dead.
「Outer Realm」
Ye Fan received news that after suffering successive heavy blows, the Evil Divine Lineage had completely retreated. They had even abandoned many territories that were previously under their control, which they now dared not manage. This was the so-called price of war. The losing side always had to bear a greater cost.
From then on, the territories of the Righteous Gods and the Evil Divine Lineage became roughly equal, but Red Sand Main God and the others did not launch a new round of attacks. They knew that as long as the God Monarch Palace existed, the Evil Divine Lineage’s position would be as unshakable as Mount Taishan. Thus, they made a rational decision not to provoke the God Monarch Palace, as the retreat itself might have been its will.
Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this news. He began to focus on his cultivation to break through his tribulations, for this was only a temporary calm; the turmoil would soon return with a vengeance. He had a vague feeling that the Evil Divine Lineage was waiting for something—a desired outcome or answer. Once they obtained it, true danger would ensue.
「Seven Years Later」
Ye Fan achieved a breakthrough. It wasn’t to the realm of a Main God, but to the peak of a Divine General, just one step away. Though initially thrilled, his excitement waned as he perceived a crucial detail: his current realm was incomplete. He had not yet met the requirements to advance.
Therefore, Ye Fan did not attempt a further breakthrough. If he advanced to the Main God realm without perfecting his current one, he would truly have no path of retreat. He was, after all, a Martial Artist. So, Ye Fan abandoned the idea and instead sought ways to pinpoint his flaws.
In the following two years, he sought help from many Main Gods, hoping to use their methods to compensate for his deficiencies, but nothing worked. Ye Fan was greatly disappointed. Another year passed, and he still hadn’t broken through. His Divine General realm was even more perfected, but the Main God realm still eluded him.
The Main God realm was within reach; in fact, he could enter it at any moment if he wished, but now, Ye Fan didn’t dare. He didn’t dare at all. It was not a realm to be entered lightly. One misstep could lead to annihilation.
At this time, however, Ye Fan received an urgent summons from several Main Gods, so he traveled to Sha State.
Great Wilderness Main God, Red Sand Main God, Slaughter God Main God, and Evil Punishment Main God were all waiting for him in the council hall.
Ye Fan asked, "Senior brothers, what is so urgent?"
Red Sand Main God said, "Junior brother, a brief decade of peace has passed. Now, the Evil Divine Lineage is about to launch another full-scale invasion! If it were just a few Main Gods, we wouldn’t be afraid; we could even annihilate them. But this time, we’ve received confidential intelligence!"
"The God Monarch Palace is going to make a move!"
"What?"
At this moment, even the composed Ye Fan was shaken. He had not expected the God Monarch Palace to intervene. This was not good news.
"It seems the God Monarch Palace is getting restless," he said. "Is there trouble on the Demon Clan’s side?"
Great Wilderness Main God replied, "I have already sent people to the Demon Clan. For the God Monarch Palace to appear so brazenly is indeed terrible news for us. Those old monsters from the palace are too powerful. Their strength far surpasses that of a Main God, as they have undergone over ninety Nirvanas. Such individuals are more than capable of slaying Main God Experts."
"Indeed, this isn’t good news," Ye Fan said. "We’ll have to see what’s happening with the Demon Clan. Senior brothers, try not to worry too much."
Soon after, a streak of purple aura descended. The newcomer was the Seven-Colored Demon Empress, her expression solemn.
"Demon Empress, what’s wrong?" Evil Punishment Main God asked.
Ye Fan also looked at her.
The Seven-Colored Demon Empress said gravely, "Our Demon Clan’s forebears have completely passed on."
"What?"
The news struck like a bolt from the blue; no one could accept it. Ye Fan hadn’t expected reality to be so cruel. The Main Gods finally understood why the God Monarch Palace had decided to act now.
"From now on, we can only rely on ourselves," the Seven-Colored Demon Empress continued. "The last time they acted, it accelerated their demise. Even their lingering will has faded. From this day forward, the Demon Clan will fully support you in our joint fight against the Evil Gods."
"Good!"
At this point, it was their only option.
Then, Great Wilderness Main God spoke up. "At this rate, they will attack us in half a year at most!"
"Senior brothers," Ye Fan declared, "for now, I need you all to hold off the Evil Gods alongside my wife. I have to return to the Outer Realm for half a year.
"After that, I guarantee I will bring you an unexpected surprise!"
This was Ye Fan’s promise. The others looked at him curiously. Even the Seven-Colored Demon Empress forgot to be angry; in the past, if Ye Fan had dared to call her his wife, a painful lesson would have been inevitable. This time, however, they were all wondering what he was planning.
"I must keep it a secret for now," Ye Fan said. "Everything will be revealed in half a year.
"When I return, I will surely give you all a tremendous surprise!"
They were about to ask more, but Ye Fan had already vanished. He knew all too well how little time they had. If he didn’t hurry, annihilation would be their fate.