HOW DID I PUT THIS ON 1-3

1230 - How Did I Pug This On_1

“Ah Yao, Ah Yao… I know I was wrong. I’ll listen to you, I’ll listen to you… If you want to keep him alive, we’ll keep him alive. I’ll obey you as long as you don’t leave…”

Ye Qingtang inwardly heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the child who was plastered to her kneel. She had been merely probing and was also looking for an excuse to leave the Temple of Shadows.

But it turned out that…

The notoriously savage Holy Son could not bear to be apart from the Holy Lord…

“Men, throw this smelly worm into the dungeon.” The child turned and ordered.

Now, Ye Qingtang could not leave even if she wanted to. She had no choice but to keep the situation as it was for the time being.

“Ah Yao, don’t be angry. You’ve been away for so long, so you must be tired. Go and rest.” The child spoke gingerly, seemingly terrified that Ye Qingtang would leave.

Although Ye Qingtang maintained an expressionless face, she was emotionally exhausted.

Heaven knew how much mental energy she had exhausted to put on a show in the Temple of Shadows, which had previously reigned supreme in Central Mainland.

Ye Qingtang nodded.

The child only slowly released Ye Qingtang when he saw that she had agreed.

Ye Qingtang stretched out her hand and picked up the little white tiger, who had been knocked aside and cuddled it.

When the child saw that little white tiger was in Ye Qingtang’s arms, his expression immediately turned murderous.

The little white tiger was alarmed by his glare.

F*ck, this little devil looks terrifying.

“I will escort the Holy Lord for a rest. Holy Lord’s sleeping chambers have been cleaned every day in anticipation of the Holy Lord’s return,” said Xue Fu.

Ye Qingtang nodded and walked towards her sleeping chambers with Xue Fu in the lead.

As Ye Qingtang walked, the child’s guarded expression immediately transformed. He turned to look at all the Undead in the main hall with a vicious and cruel expression.

“Now that Ah Yao is back, if I find out that anyone has made her unhappy…”

A black flame suddenly burned in the child’s hand. As his fist closed, the black smoke instantly exploded.

The Undead were all silent and nodded repeatedly.

The Holy Lord was the supreme symbol of the Temple of Shadows, but it was the capricious and murderous Holy Son that everyone feared.

Ye Qingtang quickly arrived at the Holy Lord’s sleeping chambers. When she entered, it was as if she had suddenly returned to normal human dwellings.

The sleeping chamber was brightly lit with many lamps. Everything was clean and white. The entire atmosphere was completely incongruous compared to the dim Temple of Shadows.

One wall of the sleeping chamber was hung with many portraits. The portraits all looked similar yet different.

From emaciated to plump, the features of the person in the portrait had changed slowly from ugly and peculiar to beautiful. In the last portrait, the person looked exactly like Ye Qingtang.

“These must be the portraits of how the Holy Lord of Shadows slowly transformed from an Undead to a human…” Ye Qingtang slowly relaxed.

“F*ck, this Temple of Shadows is really terrifying. Did you see the last look that little devil shot at me? It was as if he wanted to skin me alive there and then. I think we better leave at the first opportunity. If your identity is revealed, we will both die here.” The little white tiger hopped out of Ye Qingtang’s arms.

The capricious Holy Son’s power was probably in the Heavenly Venerate realm, not to mention the guardians and elders of the Temple of Shadows.

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1231 - How Did I Put This On?_2

With that kind of power, all they had to do was twitch their fingers, and both of them would be crushed.

“Do you think that I don’t want to leave?” Ye Qingtang heaved a wordless sigh. When she was in the main hall just now, she had felt as if she was sitting on a carpet of pins. How she longed to escape from this place.

Just as Ye Qingtang was fretting, some noise suddenly came from her voice transmission stone.

“Miss Ye.” Ling Yan’s laughing voice slowly came from the voice transmission stone.

“Ling Yan?” Ye Qingtang was slightly taken aback. Ling Yan had not contacted her for a long time.

“Miss Ye, are you getting used to the Central Mainland?” Ling Yan’s voice held a trace of amusement.

“You knew that I’m back?” asked Ye Qingtang.

“I have always been concerned about Miss Ye’s affairs.”

“…” Ye Qingtang remained silent. But then she thought of something and said, “Ling Yan, what do you know about the Temple of Shadows?”

“Temple of Shadows? Why is Miss Ye suddenly asking about the Temple of Shadows? Thousands of years ago, the Temple of Shadows represented the height of the Undead’s power. But in the last few thousand years, it has sunk into obscurity. Rumor has it that their Holy Lord suddenly vanished, so they began to withdraw their influence. Even so, the Temple of Shadows has long been a very dangerous place,” said Ling Yan. “What if I told you… that I am now in the Temple of Shadows?” said Ye Qingtang.

Silence fell on the other end of the voice transmission stone.

Ye Qingtang knew that Ling Yan was intelligent, so she told him how she had been mistakenly brought to the Temple of Shadows and posed as the Holy Lord. She hoped that Ling Yan would have some way to help her escape.

However…

Quiet laughter came from the voice transmission stone.

Ye Qingtang’s brows immediately wrinkled. “You’re still in the mood for laughter? If I’m discovered, who knows how I’ll die?”

Ling Yan burst into laughter again, but just as Ye Qingtang was so infuriated that she wanted to turn off the voice transmission stone, he said, “Miss Ye does not need to worry. Since the Undead of the Temple of Shadows think you’re their Holy Lord and since you look just like the Holy Lord, all you have to do is to temporarily maintain the status quo. There is no need to worry about anything else.”

He said it so casually…

Ye Qingtang was speechless. “But if Miss Ye is truly worried, then she can just leave. Considering how much the Undead of the Temple of Shadows respects the Holy Lord, they will not make things difficult for Miss Ye. But… Miss Ye had better not reveal her identity,” said Ling Yan. “Of course I will not reveal my identity.” Ye Qingtang sighed again. As if she would dare to do that?!

“Since Miss Ye is now connected to the Temple of Shadows, she can make use of that. Although the Temple of Shadows is not as powerful as it once was, it is not to be underestimated. The Holy Son, Ming Gu, is a mutant Undead. He is extremely powerful and is absolutely loyal to the Holy Lord. If Miss Ye uses this opportunity well, perhaps it will help Miss Ye attain her own goals,” said Ling Yan.

Her own goals…

Ye Qingtang sank into deep thought.

So Ling Yan had guessed the reason behind her coming to Central Mainland.

The empty mainland surfaced in her mind, completely quiet and desolate. The Ancient You Clan was so powerful. Although she intended to snatch little You Yun from them, it would naturally be good if she could obtain more help. She did not yet know if the Temple of Shadows would be a blessing or a curse…

“The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows is not only powerful but also has many Dharma treasures. Miss Ye can borrow a few of them.” Ling Yan continued.

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1232 - How Did I Put This On?_3

Ye Qingtang sighed. If she could properly grasp the opportunity that the Temple of Shadows presented, of course that would be the best. But now…

She did not dare to grasp it. Just remaining undetected was a problem.

“I will take note of that,” Ye Qingtang said.

“Miss Ye does not need to worry. Anytime you are troubled, I am always willing to lend a listening ear.” Ling Yan’s laughing voice rang out again.

Ye Qingtang wanted to say a few more words, but there was a sudden knocking on the door of her sleeping chambers. Ye Qingtang immediately turned off the voice transmission stone and opened the door.

An Undead was standing outside the door, holding an intricate gold-gilded black box. When it saw Ye Qingtang, it immediately bowed.

“Holy Lord, the Holy Son ordered me to bring all the Dharma artifacts to the Holy Lord.”

Ye Qingtang took the box and nodded slightly.

The Undead spoke again. “Holy Lord, please rest assured that other than the incident with the Nine Souls Ring, no one has touched the Holy Lord’s things …”

“It doesn’t matter,” replied Ye Qingtang.

The Undead was slightly taken aback and then immediately responded. “I have said too much. After all, only the Holy Lord herself can use her Dharma artifacts. Even if someone else obtained them, they would be useless. I should not have spoken out of turn. I will now go and accept my punishment.”

Before Ye Qingtang could speak, the Undead covered its face and ran off to accept its punishment.

“Why are these Undead all volunteering for punishment like masochists?” The little white tiger poked its head out and muttered as it watched the disappearing figure.

But Ye Qingtang stood there in a daze.

Only the Holy Lord could use her things?

What did it mean?

She almost subconsciously turned on the voice transmission stone.

“Ling Yan, is it true that only the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows can use her Dharma artifacts?”

“That is what the rumors say,” replied Ling Yan.

“… then why did you ask me to borrow them?” Ye Qingtang murmured.

A laugh came from the other end of the voice transmission stone.

“That’s what the rumors say, but since it is you, Miss Ye, I think you can use them.”

“What does that mean?” Ye Qingtang vaguely sensed that Ling Yan’s words had a deeper meaning.

But this time, Ling Yan did not reply.

After waiting for a moment, Ye Qingtang realized that Ling Yan had turned off his voice transmission stone. Perhaps something had happened on his side.

Ye Qingtang carried the gold-gilded black box and sat wordlessly on a chair. She wanted to open the box but realized that the black box was locked and could only be opened by an incantation.

The incantation was carved on the outside of the black box, but it was in the language of the Undead Clan.

Ye Qingtang could not read a single word.

“Forget it, even if I opened it, I probably can’t use it.” Ye Qingtang set the gold-gilded black box aside.

But the little white tiger walked around the black box, then suddenly jumped into Ye Qingtang’s lap. It stared at Ye Qingtang’s face.

Ye Qingtang was puzzled by the little white tiger’s stare.

But the little white tiger said, “No one else can use the Holy Lord’s Dharma artifacts?”

“Um.” Ye Qingtang nodded slightly.

The little white tiger’s gaze suddenly fell on Ye Qingtang’s wrist.

“Then how did you put the Nine Souls Rings on previously?”

“…” Ye Qingtang was startled. At that moment, she remembered that she had previously put on the Nine Souls Rings as the Undead looked on.

Ye Qingtang subconsciously felt her wrist. She could clearly feel the shape of the Nine Souls Rings.

How had she put it on?!

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DOUBTS 1-3

1233 - Doubts_1

Just as Ye Qingtang and the little white tiger were puzzling over the matter, in the Temple of Shadows, Holy Son Ming Gu was looking extremely pleased. He returned to his room and tidied up his things. He looked at some small bones that had been painted gold and reached out his small hand to pick them up.

“Ming Gu, what are you doing?” The guardian, Xue Fu, was leaning on the door with his hands crossed over his chest, watching Ming Gu as he bustled around.

Ming Gu did not even raise his head but continued to focus on picking the small, golden bones.

He said, “I want to string a necklace for Ah Yao.”

“…” Xue Fu wiped his forehead and shook his head laughingly. “String your necklace later. Holy Son Ming Wang has returned to the Temple.”

The moment Xue Fu spoke, Ming Gu immediately raised his head and looked at Xue Fu with his dark eyes.

“Elder Brother has returned very quickly. I only just sent the news to him, and he’s back already.”

With that, Ming Gu put away his things and ran to the main hall.

The main hall currently felt rather constrained.

A petite, exquisite-looking child wearing black and gold armor was standing in the center of the main hall. His exquisite little face was identical to Ming Gu’s face. However, this child was surrounded by an evil aura.

Several peculiar-looking figures quietly stood next to the child.

The Temple of Shadows was the glory of the Clan of the Undead, and the Holy Lord was a powerful figure from the Skeleton Tribe within the Clan of the Undead. When the Holy Lord previously led everyone from the Second Domain to the Central Mainland, the Skeleton Tribe was not the only tribe in the Clan of the Undead to come along.

The Clan of the Undead was divided into many different tribes. The Holy Lord and the powerful figures of the other tribes had led their tribes here together.

Now, these powerful figures from the different tribes were tribe leaders in the Central Mainland.

At the moment, the Undead standing next to the child were some of these tribe leaders.

“Ming Wang, is your news accurate? Has the Holy Lord really returned?” spoke a burly man who looked as vicious as a devil and stood more than three meters tall. Within the Undead Clan, he was the leader of the Demon Tribe.

He turned his huge head to look at Ming Wang, who was only the size of his palm.

“Ming Gu sent the news.” Ming Wang spoke calmly. His eyes were completely cold.

The various tribe leaders exchanged a look but did not say anything else.

The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows was a powerful figure of the Skeleton Tribe. Although the members of the main tribes of the Clan of the Undead gathered in the Temple of Shadows, in the past, the power of the Holy Lord had elevated the entire Skeleton Tribe’s status in the Temple of Shadows.

But…

The Holy Lord had vanished a long time ago.

Outsiders only knew that within the Temple of Shadows, the Holy Son was renowned for his cruelty. But they did not know that the Temple of Shadows had two Holy Sons.

One was Ming Gu; the other was Ming Wang.

If one said that Ming Gu was only cruel sometimes and childish at other times, then Ming Wang was only cruel.

Ming Wang had been discussing some matters with these tribe leaders when he received news from his younger brother, Ming Gu, that the Holy Lord had returned to the Temple.

When the tribe leaders with Ming Wang heard the news, some of them were curious and had tagged along.

After a moment, Ming Gu rushed in.

“Elder Brother, you’re back. Ah Yao… Ah Yao has really returned,” Ming Gu said excitedly when he saw Ming Wang.

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1234 - Doubts_2

However, Ming Wang remained expressionless as he looked at his younger brother’s agitated face.

“I know. Where is she?” Ming Wang said expressionlessly.

“Resting in her sleeping chambers. Elder Brother, I’m so happy that Ah Yao is really back, I…” Ming Gu was in a rush to share his joy with Ming Wang. But before he could finish speaking, Ming Wang swept a cold look at him. Ming Gu’s remaining words stuck in his throat.

“Ming Gu.” Ming Wang raised his head slightly and narrowed his black eyes, which swept across his younger brother’s face.

“You are too noisy.”

Ming Gu was stunned. When he saw the chill in Ming Wang’s eyes, he subconsciously shrank back.

The Undead had no twins.

But he and Ming Wang were a rare pair of twins and were also mutant Undead. They were born with immense abilities, but compared to Ming Wang, he was much weaker.

Ming Gu held a bone-deep reverence for his elder brother.

“How do you know that she is Ah Yao?” Ming Wang asked coldly.

Ming Gu was slightly taken aback. “Ah Yao is Ah Yao… of course I know…”

“Idiot.” Ming Wang grunted coldly.

“Since the Holy Lord is back, we should follow the rules of the Temple of Shadows.” Ming Wang did not look at his younger brother again. He turned to a slender girl with an enchanting face, who was standing next to him.

“Guardian of Ghosts, go and make your preparations and invite the Holy Lord to the Hall of Gloom.”

Meanwhile, Ye Qingtang was still discussing the matter of the Nine Souls Rings with the little white tiger. Not long after, someone knocked on the room door.

Ye Qingtang had no choice but to put aside her bewilderment and open the door.

The door opened to reveal a scantily clad and enchanting-looking girl lounging against the door. When she suddenly saw Ye Qingtang at the doorway, a look of surprise flashed across her green eyes. But the surprise instantly vanished, and she smiled charmingly at Ye Qingtang and spoke.

“Your subordinate, Lady Ghost, greets the Holy Lord. The Holy Lord’s return is a joyful event. Please Holy Lord, come to the Hall of Gloom.”

Hall of Gloom?

Ye Qingtang looked at Lady Ghost standing before her. An ominous foreboding rose in her heart, but she maintained her composure and nodded slightly.

With the little white tiger in tow, Ye Qingtang walked with Lady Ghost to the Hall of Gloom. Along the way, she thought about what she was soon to encounter.

The Hall of Gloom was where ceremonies were carried out in the Temple of Shadows and was hundreds of meters underground.

After a long walk, Ye Qingtang finally came to a broad space.

It was a grand hall, so large that its end could not be seen at a glance. When she raised her head, she could not even see the hall ceiling.

At first glance, it looked like a public square bathed in darkness.

A huge picture of a skeleton was carved in the center of the Hall of Gloom. Around it were circular pictures in which black, glittering gems were embedded. Only a green flame lit the Hall of Gloom. It was both dim and oppressive.

Ming Gu and the other tribe leaders who were already in the Hall of Gloom looked at Ye Qingtang as she walked over slowly.

Their first glance shocked them.

The girl in front of them looked exactly like their long lost Holy Lord.

“Is this girl really the Holy Lord?” The leader of the Demon Tribe looked at Ye Qingtang and lowered his voice to whisper to the leader of the Goblin Tribe, who was standing next to him.

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1235 - Doubts_3

The leader of the Goblin Tribe was a slender man. He was extremely handsome but a little effeminate. He secretly studied Ye Qingtang and said softly, “The Holy Lord vanished a long time ago. No one knows why she vanished and where she has been all this time. I heard that those who first met the Holy Lord this time only coincidentally found her along the way. I think its rather peculiar.”

“Could it be that… this Holy Lord is an impostor?” The leader of the Demon Tribe asked.

“We don’t know yet. But Ming Wang must also be suspicious of her identity, which is why he is carrying out this ceremony. We can just wait and see.” The leader of the Goblin Tribe laughed softly. A sharp look suddenly flashed across his eyes.

“If she is fake, she will certainly die,” the leader of the Demon Tribe said with a cold laugh.

At that moment, Ye Qingtang had just stepped into the Dim Hall. She vaguely sensed that something was amiss, and the ominous foreboding in her heart grew stronger.

She tried her best to maintain her composure. Her gaze swept across all the Undead present.

Among the numerous Undead, Ye Qingtang saw a few figures with powerful breaths. They looked extremely peculiar.

Their appearance and breaths clearly showed that they were different from Xue Fu and the Skeleton Tribe she had met earlier.

In her previous life, Ye Qingtang had heard many things about the Undead. Naturally, she also knew that the Clan of the Undead was divided into many tribes. When she saw the breaths and auras of these Undead, she thought that they were probably the various legendary tribe leaders within the Clan of the Undead.

Besides these tribe leaders, Ye Qingtang also saw two little fellows who looked exactly alike. They were standing right in front of her.

Although they were identical, the two children gave off different airs.

Ye Qingtang was stunned.

“Ah Yao…” The moment Ming Gu saw Ye Qingtang, he charmingly reached out to ask for a hug.

But before he could take a step, the expressionless Ming Wang, who was standing next to him, held him back.

Ming Wang raised his eyes slightly. His calm black eyes looked straight at Ye Qingtang. His sharp gaze was clearly searching.

Ye Qingtang kept her face still and met his gaze directly.

Although she was inwardly shocked, how Ming Wang acted towards Ming Gu clearly showed that the former constrained the latter. In the entire Temple of Shadows, there must be only a few who were imposing enough to dare to act like that towards the Holy Son, Ming Gu.

Furthermore…

These children were identical…

Twins were rare in the Clan of the Undead. Even when they appeared, they were certainly mutant Undead.

Rumor had it that the Holy Son of the Temple of Shadows was a rare mutant Undead.

However, when twins were born in the Clan of the Undead, ultimately, only one could survive. Hence, everyone naturally assumed that the other child must have died long ago.

But now…

Ye Qingtang realized that the rumors that had reached the outside world were probably wrong.

The child who looked just like Ming Gu must be Ming Gu’s brother…

However…

Although they were brothers, the children were like chalk and cheese.

“We greet the Holy Lord.” The tribe leaders now went forward and gave shallow bows to Ye Qingtang.

Ye Qingtang nodded slightly, but she was inwardly on full alert.

Ming Wang, who was standing nearby, spoke coldly.

“Holy Lord, please ascend the tower.”

Ascend the tower?

Ye Qingtang was dumbfounded. She looked around with the corner of her eyes, but she was surrounded by flat ground. Where was the tower?

Ye Qingtang did not make any move. All the Undead present were staring at her.
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PAGODA OF THE DEAD 1-3

1236 - Pagoda Of The Dead_1

At that moment, Ye Qingtang almost collapsed emotionally.

Legends of the Temple of Shadows usually described its power and mystery but had never recorded what it was like inside. Come to think of it, no outsider would know about these matters.

Now…

Ye Qingtang was at her wit’s end.

Just as Ye Qingtang was about to secretly search for the location of the pagoda, Ling Yan’s voice suddenly rang out.

At that moment, Ling Yan’s voice was extremely soft, and only Ye Qingtang could hear it.

“Miss Ye, don’t move.”

Ling Yan?

When Ye Qingtang heard Ling Yan’s voice, it was as if heavenly music sounded in her ears. However, she was in the Hall of Gloom, and all the Undead had their eyes fixed on her, so she could not show the slightest sign that something unusual was happening and could not reply.

At that moment, Ye Qingtang could only follow Ling Yan’s instructions and remain expressionlessly in her original spot. She looked at Ming Wang.

Ming Wang had been secretly studying Ye Qingtang’s movements. After a moment, Ming Wang suddenly shouted coldly. “How dare you!”

This low shout so frightened Ye Qingtang that she broke out in a cold sweat.

At Ming Wang’s shout, an Undead kneeled down in a panic.

“I… I deserve to die…”

“How can there be any delay during a ritual? You can’t even get a small thing right.” Ming Wang’s gaze suddenly fell on the kneeling Undead. His small gray hand opened suddenly. The next moment, his fingers suddenly arched.

The Undead kneeling on the ground was instantly crushed by an invisible force. Its entire body transformed into a pile of ashes before their eyes.

“…” Ye Qingtang was shocked.

One must know that…

The Undead who had just died had the power of Arcane Supremacy Fifth Heaven.

Even she was no match for him.

But Ming Wang had crushed such a powerful figure into powder without even touching him!!

This Ming Wang was truly terrible!

“The Holy Lord’s return is a joyous occasion. There is no need to spoil the mood over such a small matter. Let me, Lady Ghost, activate the Pagoda of the Dead for the Holy Lord,” said Lady Ghost.

With that, she leaped up and suddenly took down one of the lamps that were hanging everywhere.

The moment she took down the lamp, the ground in front of the Hall of Gloom began to shake.

With a might quake, black fumes of death suddenly spurted out from the huge skeleton’s mouth that was carved on the ground. The endless fumes of death entwined to form a mirage of the Tower of the Dead. An altar suddenly appeared at the top of the pagoda.

“Holy Lord, please ascend the pagoda.” Lady Ghost descended to the ground and bowed to Ye Qingtang.

Ye Qingtang looked at the unreal, almost partially transparent Pagoda of the Dead. Her heart beat like a drum. How was she supposed to step into a pagoda that seemed to be made of smoke and mist?

However…

Given the circumstances, she had no choice but to steel herself and ascend the pagoda.

Ye Qingtang secretly took a deep breath and walked step by step towards the Pagoda of the Dead. But she could clearly sense numerous eyes behind her, watching her every move.

Ye Qingtang stepped into the Pagoda of the Dead. Although it looked unreal, it felt solid. Ye Qingtang had no choice but to continue upwards.

Ye Qingtang could clearly sense that Ming Wang and the tribe leaders did not believe that she was the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows. This was probably a test of her identity.

At that moment, Ling Yan’s voice rang out again.

“Miss Ye, how much do you know about the Holy Lord of Shadows?”
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1237 - Pagoda Of The Dead_2

“I’ve heard a little,” Ye Qingtang said softly as she gingerly walked across the Pagoda of the Dead.

“The Holy Lord of Shadows was supremely powerful in Central Mainland. She commanded millions of Undead, and all the clans in the mainland bowed to her. Miss Ye… if you want the Undead of the Temple of Shadows to believe that you are the Holy Lord, you need to imitate her attitude and behavior. The Holy Lord of Shadows is not as easy-going a mistress as Miss Ye.”

“I am now in the Pagoda of the Dead. What am I supposed to do?” Ye Qingtang vaguely understood Ling Yan’s meaning, but it did not apply to her current situation.

“The Pagoda of the Dead is a sacred pagoda in the Temple of Shadows. Millions of souls are gathered within it. Every so often, the Holy Lord of Shadows needs to release some of these twisted souls and pray for blessings for the entire Clan of the Undead. Miss Ye only needs to walk to the top of the pagoda and sing the incantation of the Undead at the altar,” said Ling Yan.

“What incantation?” The nearer she got to the top of the pagoda, the more Ye Qingtang felt worried.

Ling Yan was quiet for a moment. Then, he sang an obscure incantation of the Undead.

Ye Qingtang had never come across this incantation of the Undead. Even with Ling Yan smoothly singing it in her ear, it sounded very foreign.

However…

She had already arrived at the top of the Pagoda of the Dead and was standing next to the altar.

At the bottom of the Pagoda of the Dead, Ming Wang and the other tribe leaders were closely following Ye Qingtang’s every move.

With Ling Yan continually repeating the incantation, Ye Qingtang finally memorized some of it. She somewhat awkwardly imitated the incantation that Ling Yan had spoken and sang the incantation of release.

As Ye Qingtang sang, numerous black shadows suddenly poured out of the altar. The black shadows wailed continually. They coiled upwards as if they were enclosed in a whirlwind and rose towards the ceiling of the Hall of Gloom.

The wailing of the souls reverberated through the entire hall.

However, at that moment, Ming Wang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Something was amiss.

As millions of souls were released, their wails echoed in his ears for a long time before slowly dissipating. The souls seemed to vanish in the darkness.

“Miss Ye, you can go down now.”

With that, Ye Qingtang climbed down the Pagoda of the Dead.

Ming Wang was expressionless. His gaze swept across Ye Qingtang’s face, and he said, “Holy Lord, you must be tired after we have troubled you to conduct the ritual today.”

Ye Qingtang felt as if she had just had a brush with death. If not for Ling Yan, she would have been completely exposed.

After the ritual ended, Ye Qingtang went back to her sleeping chambers.

As Ye Qingtang left, many Undead also left the Hall of Gloom. Only the tribe leaders, elders, guardians, Ming Gu, and Ming Wang remained behind.

“This Holy Lord is probably an impostor…” The leader of the Goblin Tribe swept a look at all the Undead present as he spoke.

The leader of the Demon Tribe also frowned. “I think she is most likely a fake. When she sang the incantation just now, it was clearly different from how she sang it previously.”

They felt that the Holy Lord’s sudden return was suspicious. Now, although Ye Qingtang had followed the rituals and completed them in a satisfactory manner, there were many differences compared to how the Holy Lord had completed the rituals in the past.

“I remember that the Holy Lord used to fly to the top of the pagoda. This is the first time I have seen her walk up step by step…” Lady Ghost said with a soft laugh.

“The incantation was also rather jerky. It was completely unlike the Holy Lord’s cold and arrogant air,” the leader of the Demon Tribe said with a frown.
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“Don’t talk nonsense, she is Ah Yao…” Ming Gu panicked when he saw that everyone was beginning to doubt Ye Qingtang’s identity. “Only senior members of Clan of the Undead know the incantation of blessing. If she is an impostor, how would she know it?”

“There were a few elders in the Clan of the Undead who have left the Temple of Shadows. It is possible that they leaked it,” said the leader of the Goblin Tribe.

“I don’t think so. The Holy Lord has been gone for so long. Without the Pagoda of the Dead, she naturally had no need to sing the incantation of blessing. It is natural that the recitation was a little choppy. Also, no one knows what the Holy Lord has experienced during this long interval. It is normal for habits to change.” Xue Fu agreed.

“Change? Aren’t these changes too big? Since when has the Holy Lord been so affable?” The leader of the Demon Tribe grunted coldly.

“I already said that she might have had some encounter that caused her personality to change. Why won’t you listen?” The panic on Ming Gu’s face instantly turned murderous. “Ah Yao has already put on the Nine Souls Rings, how can she be a fake? In this world, who but Ah Yao herself can wear her Dharma artifacts?!”

The tribe leaders were all stunned by Ming Gu’s words.

They immediately looked at Ming Wang. “Ming Wang, what do you think?”

Ming Wang had remained silent up to that point. At that moment, he raised his head slightly. His black eyes were narrowed slightly and had an icy look.

“We have ample time. We will eventually find out if she is authentic or not.”

Ming Gu was shocked when he saw Ming Wang’s icy expression.

“Elder Brother…”

Ming Wang swept a cold look at him.

“Shut up, you idiot… If she is really Ah Yao, I certainly will not hurt her. If she isn’t, I will make sure she begs for death…”

Ming Gu bit his lips. He looked at his elder brother who was filled with murderous intent and forced his fear down. He argued. “But the Nine Souls Ring…”

“How can you prove that the Nine Souls Ring is real?” Ming Wang looked at Ming Gu coldly.

“That’s right. The Nine Souls Ring was stolen, and we only encountered the Holy Lord while in pursuit of the ring. In that interval, the Nine Souls Ring was with that human. If someone is pretending to the Holy Lord, then she must be in cahoots with that human to secretly swap the ring and confuse us,” Lady Ghost said.

Ming Gu glared at Lady Ghost furiously.

“All this is just our conjecture. We cannot be certain of anything. If she is an impostor, then it won’t matter. But if she is really the Holy Lord and we offend her, we will be guilty of a terrible crime.” Xue Fu spoke carefully when he saw that Ming Wang and the tribe leaders did not believe in Ye Qingtang’s identity.

With that, silence fell in the Hall of Gloom.

It was just this worry that prevented them from acting hastily. It was no joking matter to offend the Holy Lord.

“I will investigate this matter,” Ming Wang said calmly.

“With Ming Wang on the job, we don’t need to worry.” The tribe leaders nodded and left successively.

However, they all had some suspicions of this Holy Lady who had suddenly returned. Only Ming Gu was unwavering in his faith.

…

Meanwhile, Ling Yan was rubbing the voice transmission stone in his hand. A faint smile lurked in the corners of his mouth.

When the little azure dragon saw Ling Yan’s expression, it secretly sneered.

“Honestly, was it your plan for Ye Qingtang to go to the Temple of Shadows? It was already part of your plan, wasn’t it?” said the little azure dragon.

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AUTHENTIC OR FAKE 1-3

1239 - Authentic Or Fake_1

Ling Yan chuckled. “It will be very difficult for Miss Ye to single-handedly take on the Ancient You Clan.”

“So this was all part of your plan?” The little azure dragon widened its eyes slightly. Ling Yan was truly brilliant to be able to manipulate people so precisely from a thousand miles away.

Ling Yan laughed but did not reply.

In the Temple of Shadows, Ye Qingtang had returned to her sleeping chambers. But the moment she recalled the events of the Hall of Gloom, she felt terrified again. If Ling Yan had not known the incantation of blessing, Ye Qingtang would have been exposed there and then.

When she thought about it, Ye Qingtang could not help but take out the voice transmission stone.

“Ling Yan.”

“Yes, I’m here.” Ling Yan’s rather indolent voice rang out from the voice transmission stone.

“Thank you,” said Ye Qingtang.

Ling Yan chuckled. “If Miss Ye really wants to thank me, why not marry me?”

Ye Qingtang was just beginning to feel a little touched, but Ling Yan’s words immediately dispelled her emotions.

Marry him? As if!

“Miss Ye has merely lulled the suspicions of Ming Wang and the tribe leaders. But in order to completely dispel their suspicions, Miss Ye needs to begin imitating some of the Holy Lord’s behavior in the Temple of Shadows…” Ling Yan changed the subject.

Ye Qingtang grew serious.

“I don’t know much about the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows.”

“Miss Ye only needs to listen to me. The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows is unpredictable. She usually shows a smiling face to everyone…” Ling Yan slowly introduced Ye Qingtang to some of the behaviors of the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows.

The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows used to be supremely powerful in this mainland. Although she had the appearance of a slender girl, no one dared to offend her in the least.

What was most terrifying about the Holy Lord was her capricious nature. Although she was always smiling, she killed without blinking an eye.

Even when she was attacked by powerful figures from the Second Domain, she had chatted and laughed while carrying out a bloody slaughter.

Many secretly called her the Smiling God of Death.

As Ye Qingtang carefully listened to Ling Yan’s synopsis, she got the general idea.

After speaking to Ling Yan for a while, the two broke off their connection.

In just one short day, Ye Qingtang had experienced a severe shock. In a powerful place like the Temple of Shadows, a single slip would lead to death. What was even more frightening was that Ming Wang and the tribe leaders had begun to suspect her. One misstep and she was dead.

If possible, Ye Qingtang wished to escape as quickly as possible.

But given the present circumstances, she was unable to leave.

She had no choice but to slowly dispel their doubts to save herself.

In the Temple of Shadows, Ming Wang was standing in the empty main hall, looking at the black bone throne. His face was expressionless.

In the gloom, an image seemed to appear on the black bone throne.

Ming Wang’s expression flickered.

There was a sound of soft footsteps. Ming Wang suddenly raised his hand, and with a wave, the image on the black bone throne vanished completely.

“Holy Son.” A stooped old man walked over slowly. He was wearing a large black cape, but white bones on his back pierced the cape and could be seen from the outside.

“What did the human say?” Ming Wang turned to look at the old man.

The old man was the Master of the Hall of Justice in the Temple of Shadows. He specialized in various forms of torture. He had millions of ways to open the most tight-lipped mouths.

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1240 - Authentic Or Fake_2

Ming Wang had his suspicions regarding the Nine Souls Ring incident, so he ordered the Master of the Hall of Justice to go to the dungeons to interrogate Mu Shi.

“Reporting to the Holy Son, the human says that he did not swap the Nine Souls Ring. I also searched his space ring and found no trace of the Nine Souls Ring,” The Master of the Hall of Justice reported. It was just a simple sentence, but anyone who had suffered his torture would not be able to hide any secrets.

Ming Wang frowned slightly. The suspicions in his heart were not yet dispelled.

“There’s one more thing…”

“Speak.”

“The Luo Family sent an invitation to tomorrow’s birthday banquet for their Grand Elder.” As he spoke, the Master of the Hall of Justice placed the invitation in Ming Wang’s hand. “I am informing the Holy Son because the Holy Lord is resting, and I am afraid to disturb her.”

Ming Wang took the invitation. A strange look flashed across his black eyes.

“The Luo Family… Luo Qufeng must be more than a thousand years old now?” Ming Wang suddenly asked.

The Luo Family was one of the ancient clans in Central Mainland. Their foundations were solid, and their Grand Elder, Luo Qufeng, was outstandingly powerful. His position in this mainland was a lofty one.

The Luo Family had nothing to do with the Temple of Shadows. Although their bases of power were close to each other, they usually minded their own business.

“Yes,” the Master of the Hall of Justice said.

Ming Wang narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he suddenly thought of something. “Since that is the case and since the Holy Lord has just returned to the Temple, she might as well take the opportunity to let the outside world know that she has returned. Send this invitation to the Holy Lord.”

The Master of the Hall of Justice was somewhat taken aback. He took the invitation and brought it to Ye Qingtang’s sleeping chambers.

In her sleeping chambers, Ye Qingtang was familiarizing herself with the Holy Lord’s behavioral patterns. Fortunately, there were many portraits of the Holy Lord in the sleeping chamber. Together with Ling Yan’s description, Ye Qingtang began to grasp some of the Holy Lord’s expressions.

Ye Qingtang opened the room door in response to a knock and took the Luo Family’s invitation from the Master of the Hall of Justice.

Ye Qingtang could not help but frown slightly when she saw Luo Qufeng’s name on the invitation.

Ye Qingtang had known this Luo Qufeng in her previous life.

He was an extremely talented and powerful figure in Central Mainland. Now, he must be about a thousand years old. In her previous life, he had been a powerful tyrant in this mainland.

In her previous life, the truth about Ye Qingtang’s Heart of the Demon God had been revealed sometime after she had arrived in Central Mainland. This Luo Qufeng had ordered the Luo Family to pursue her in an attempt to rob her of the Heart of the Demon God.

Ye Qingtang had narrowly escaped death a few times, but they had all been close calls.

But it turned out that…

In this life, she was going to attend Luo Qufeng’s birthday banquet in the capacity of the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows.

Ye Qingtang was not stupid. She guessed that this invitation was another test. In the Temple of Shadows, she could use the excuse of remaining in her sleeping chambers to escape observation.

But if she went out…

Sure enough, the next afternoon, Ye Qingtang saw a group of Undead standing in the main hall of the Temple of Shadows. There were about a dozen of them, and one of them was the Hall Master.

These Undead were chosen to accompany Ye Qingtang to the Luo Family to present her good wishes.

On the surface, they were accompanying her, but Ye Qingtang knew that Ming Wang had sent these Undead to secretly observe her.
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1241 - Authentic Or Fake_3

“Ah Yao…” The moment Ming Gu saw Ye Qingtang, he scuttled over and pressed his little face against her. He clutched Ye Qingtang’s leg and hugged it.

Meanwhile, Ming Wang looked at Ye Qingtang expressionlessly. Although his expression was civil, he was clearly secretly observing her.

Ye Qingtang secretly took a deep breath. A trace of a smile suddenly appeared in the corner of her mouth. She reached out and picked up Ming Gu.

“Be good and wait here for me.”

Ming Gu was shocked by such tenderness. His eyes opened wide in agitation.

When he saw that familiar smile, Ming Gu hugged Ye Qingtang around the neck.

“Ah Yao, I will certainly wait obediently in the temple for you.”

Ah Yao had finally smiled.

When Ming Wang, who was standing nearby, saw the smile on Ye Qingtang’s face, a surge of emotion involuntarily flashed across his eyes. But he quickly forced it down.

As Ye Qingtang teased Ming Gu, she secretly observed Ming Wang from the corner of her eye.

It looked like Ling Yan was accurate.

Ye Qingtang had been too constrained previously because of her uneasiness. This had aroused even more suspicions. Now, she only needed to properly act the role of Holy Lord and slowly dispel these suspicions in order to preserve her life.

Ling Yan had said that there were two Holy Lords in the Temple of Shadows—one was capricious, and the other was gloomy.

In the presence of the Holy Lord, Ming Gu acted like an immature child. The Holy Lord also treated him like a child, doting on him and guiding him. As a result, Ming Gu had become very attached to the Holy Lord.

“Alright, I have to go.” Ye Qingtang saw that she was having an effect and put Ming Gu down.

Ming Gu seemed to be in a trance of delight over the hug. He held his little fists in front of his chest and gazed blissfully at Ye Qingtang.

This time, Ye Qingtang did not bring the little white tiger along. After the preparations were complete, she led the dozen Undead to the Luo House.

The Luo Family had a great influence in the area.

All the powerful figures in the neighboring area had come to present their good wishes at the Grand Elder’s birthday banquet.

It was evening, and rays from the setting sun were scattered over the ground. The enormous Luo House stood proudly in the dying light of the evening.

An endless stream of guests arrived at the Luo House. Dozens of Luo Family guards stood at attention outside the main door. It was a magnificent sight.

The Luo House was gaily decorated and brightly lit with numerous lamps.

A white-robed youth slowly walked among the guests. A pair of pure white wings grew from his back. In the light of the lamps, they looked exceptionally pristine and beautiful.

“Uncle, who exactly is Luo Qufeng? I saw many alien clans here too.” The youth with the white wings widened his blue eyes and looked at a tall, handsome man.

This man also had a pair of white wings growing from his back. They were similar to the youth’s wings except that his feathers were slightly gray and seemed to be stronger.

They were from the Clan of Winged People. Their Palace of Wings had received an invitation to Luo Qufeng’s birthday banquet, and they had made a special trip to offer their good wishes.

“Luo Qufeng is the Grand Elder of the Luo Family. He participated in the battle between the Central Mainland and the Second Domain. He is extremely powerful but has seldom appeared in recent years. However, he still maintains his former status,” the winged man said with a smile.

“The battle with the Second Domain? Uncle, didn’t you participate in it too?” The winged youth asked curiously.
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LUO FAMILY 1-3

1242 - Luo Family_1

One must know that the battle between the Central Mainland and the Second Domain was earth-shattering. Although it had happened thousands of years ago, it continued to be spoken of.

The winged man laughed and shook his head. “At that time, your uncle was not powerful enough and did not actually enter the main battlefield. I only participated in other battles.”

The winged youth seemed rather puzzled. However, he was clearly curious about this historical battle.

“Uncle, I heard that the battle was extremely intense and that Central Mainland suffered terrible losses.”

“That’s right.” The winged man nodded slightly. “If the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows had not led the senior members of the temple in an attempt to turn the tide, the battle might have been lost.”

“The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows? Hasn’t she been missing for a long time?”

Before the winged man could answer, the current Master of the Luo Family, Luo Feng, slowly walked over. He immediately stopped talking and advanced.

“Master of the Luo Family.”

“Brother Lan, how have you been?” Luo Feng looked to be about middle-aged, but he was more than a hundred years old. Even so, he looked much younger than the winged man, who looked like he was in his twenties. So, it was not strange for Luo Feng to call him Brother Lan.

“I am sorry that I am unable to personally congratulate Old Master Luo on his birthday. I hope the Master of the Luo Family will convey my good wishes,” the winged man, who was called Lan Yu, said with a smile.

“You are too kind. The Luo Family and the Palace of Wings have always been on good terms. There is no need to stand on ceremony,” said Luo Feng with a smile.

Luo Feng chatted with Lan Yu for a while before he went to greet his other guests.

Numerous guests had come to congratulate Luo Qufeng at his birthday banquet, many of which were powerful and influential.

Lan Yu was just about to continue his previous conversation with his nephew when a petite little fellow with a huge wine gourd on its back dashed over.

This little fellow looked somewhat like a cat with a pair of large, furry ears. Its entire body was covered with fluffy hairs, and it wore an intricately-worked set of leather armor. It jumped about gaily, its large, fluffy tail swaying lazily behind it.

Lan Yu laughed when he saw this little fellow, who stood only as high as his knee, approach.

“Mi Qiu, the birthday banquet has not even officially started. Why are you already drunk?”

The furry little fellow swept a glance at Lan Yu and simply sat down, leaning on Lan Yu’s leg. Its large fluffy tail curled up and took down the huge wine gourd on its back. It held the gourd firmly with four small claws and used its sharp teeth to open the lid of the gourd. The fragrance of wine spread from the gourd. It held the gourd full of good wine and gulped it down.

“Burp… The Master doesn’t like what you’re saying. Since when has the Master been sober?” The small and adorable Mi Qiu actually spoke in the careless tones of a man.

Although Mi Qiu looked adorable and harmless, it was actually part of the Qiu Clan and was vicious by nature.

The Qiu Clan was actually an animal clan. Although they looked like animals, they acted like humans. No matter how adorable they looked, they were usually very aggressive.

Besides that, the Qiu Clan was known for their love of wine.

Which was why members of the Qiu Clan were often seen carrying large wine gourds on their backs.

The Qiu Clan was often in a half-drunken stupor.

But their capacity for liquor was shocking.

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1243 - Luo Family_2

“Today is Luo Qufeng’s birthday banquet. You better restrain yourself a little,” Lan Yu said with a laugh.

Mi Qiu ignored him and took another gulp of wine.

“The Master is only here to make up the numbers. I’m not involved with the birthday banquet later, but… the Luo Family’s wine is really fragrant. Before you go, remember to remind the Master to bring a few carriages of it back with me… burp…”

Lan Yu shook his head wordlessly.

It was the nature of the Qiu Clan to have no respect for anyone. They not only wanted to bring back wine when attending a birthday banquet, but they even wanted a few carriages of it?!

The winged youth standing nearby was still young and had not had much contact with the Qiu Clan. His youthful blue eyes widened as he looked at the little fellow leaning on his uncle’s leg and drinking itself into a stupor. He was filled with curiosity.

It was just a little fellow, yet why did it keep referring to itself as Master?

Besides the Winged People and the Qiu Clan, there were many alien clans at tonight’s birthday banquet. They all looked rather strange. Some were vicious-looking, some were gray, and some… were furry.

The winged youth was still wondering to himself when he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shake.

At that moment, a few giants, who stood dozens of meters tall, slowly walked in among the guests. The ground beneath everyone’s feet shook with every step that they took.

“Burp… even the Giant Clan is here…” Mi Qiu took a look, then gulped a mouthful of wine, and muttered to himself.

The giants were huge. They were especially conspicuous in the crowd. However, the Luo Family had already prepared special seats for them. The giants looked like small mountains piled up in the Luo House courtyard when they sat down.

A female giant was wearing a huge dress. When she sat, her skirt drifted down and whipped up a wild wind that almost sent Mi Qiu, who was sitting nearby, flying.

The entire courtyard was bustling.

Many guests had brought rich gifts.

The evening sank into the night, and the birthday banquet was about to start.

Luo Feng stood amidst the guests. He swept a glance over everyone present. However, the warm smile that hung on his lips seemed a little strange.

“Elder Brother, its about time. Grand Elder and the others are about to come over.” A middle-aged man, who looked very similar to Luo Feng, walked over. He was Luo Feng’s younger brother, Luo Qi, and also the Deputy Master of the Luo Family.

Luo Feng nodded and walked to the front of the courtyard. He said to all the guests,

“Today is the birthday of the Grand Elder of our Luo Family. Thank you, everyone, for coming. Allow me to toast you.”

With that, Luo Feng gave a signal to the servants. Hundreds of servants immediately brought out wine and served the guests.

“The Master finally gets to taste this wine.” Mi Qiu took a cup of wine and drank it without a second word.

The speed at which it drank the wine shocked the servant who had brought the wine.

It was not time to drink yet.

“Alright, hand all this over to the Master.” While the servant was still in a state of shock, Mi Qiu stood on its back legs and took the entire tray and all the wine on it.

Lan Yu, who was standing nearby, sighed helplessly.

When all the wine had been distributed, Luo Feng raised his cup.

“Please.”

With that, he emptied his cup.

Many had heard that the Luo Family’s wine was of an excellent vintage. They emptied their cups. The wine was indeed excellent.
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1244 - Luo Family_3

However, just as Luo Feng and his guests were emptying their cups, the guards at the door suddenly announced loudly,

“The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows is here to present her good wishes.”

The pronouncement made by that piercing voice dumbfounded everyone.

“The Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows? Have I heard wrongly?”

“Perhaps they have announced the wrong name? Hasn’t the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows been missing for thousands of years?”

“It was mostly the external world that spread the rumors that the Holy Lord had gone missing. The Temple of Shadows itself has never confirmed the rumor. Perhaps the Holy Lord was never missing in the first place.”

The guests all discussed the matter avidly. Even the Master of the Luo Family, Luo Feng, could not help but show a trace of surprise.

They had invited the Temple of Shadows out of courtesy because the two centers of power were near each other.

They had previously sent many similar invitations, but the Temple of Shadows had never sent a representative. They had, at most, sent a gift.

But it turned out that…

The Temple of Shadows had not only come this time, but the person who came was the Holy Lord, who had vanished for thousands of years.

In Central Mainland, there was no real distinction between good and evil. Here, might was right.

The Temple of Shadows had been supremely powerful in Central Mainland. Many people had the utmost regard for it and did not dare to offend it in the least.

But with the disappearance of the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows, the might of the Temple of Shadows had waned for the last few thousand years. However, its former status was still entrenched in many hearts.

Just as everyone was discussing the matter, a slender figure slowly walked through the moonlight and appeared before them.

A breathtakingly beautiful young girl stood in the glow of the moonlight. She walked over gracefully with an elusive smile on her face. Her slightly lifted eyes were more beautiful than the moon.

Dozens of Undead followed the young girl closely.

A hush instantly fell over the entire courtyard.

Those who thought the guards had announced the wrong name now stared at the surpassingly beautiful girl.

She was so aloof and so beautiful…

Under the mingled light from the moon and the lamps, her flawless face looked unreal.

Everyone looked at the young girl as she stepped forward. Many secretly gulped.

One must know that the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows was the most powerful symbol of the Temple of Shadows. She was the one who previously led the Temple of Shadows to its peak.

But the Holy Lord had vanished for a long time, and everyone thought that she was never coming back.

But it turned out that…

They were now seeing her in the flesh!

When Lan Yu, who was standing nearby, saw the young girl, his eyes were filled with astonishment. The beautiful women in his memories were swiftly overlaid by the present.

“Burp… am I really drunk? Why do I seem to see the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows?” Mi Qiu burped drunkenly as he squinted at the figure, his brow wrinkled in bewilderment.

“I must be really drunk.”

Ye Qingtang slowly walked through the courtyard under everyone’s shocked gaze. A small smile lurked in the corner of her mouth. Her amused eyes were aloof as she swept a casual gaze over everyone’s face.

That’s right…

That’s what the Holy Lord of the Temple of Shadows should look like.

Ye Qingtang inwardly noted everyone’s reaction. She only heaved a secret sigh of relief when she peeked at those near her from the corner of her eye and saw that their expressions were normal.
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