3: Three fiancées gather on a night of murder!

Nine Nether Demonic Cult, deep within the blood-colored palace.

A faint, sweet, and cloying scent of blood permeated the air. The flickering flames of pale bone candles illuminated a lazy and enchanting figure.

The woman, clad in a black dress, leaned languidly on a throne forged from white bones. Her fair, slender legs were casually crossed, outlining a breathtaking curve. Her features were exquisite and alluring, a tear mole at the corner of her eye adding a touch of demonic charm. Her crimson lips were like fire, as if they could steal one's soul.

She was the Saintess of the Nine Nether Demonic Cult, Liu Ruyan.

At this moment, she was perusing with great interest the beast-skin diary that had appeared out of thin air in her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the pages, sending a tingling sensation.

"Interesting, truly interesting..." Liu Ruyan's crimson lips curved into a playful smile, her voice charming to the bone, echoing softly through the hall. "That little good-for-nothing from the Su Family actually has such a cute side?"

When she saw Su Chen complaining about the Su Family Elder, wanting to press him against the wall, she burst into uncontrollable laughter. She laughed so hard she leaned back and forth, her languidly reclining body sitting upright. Her black skirt spread out on the bone throne, and the curve of her chest became even more astonishing due to her violent movements.

"Hehehe... If you want to do it, just do it, what's there to be afraid of? If it were this Saintess, that old man's head would already be twisted off and used as a chamber pot."

When she saw Su Chen describe her as a "mad beauty," she showed no anger whatsoever. Instead, her eyes became seductive, and she extended her delicate pink tongue to lightly lick her fiery red lips.

"Mad beauty? Hmm... I like that evaluation. However, to say I was used as a pawn and ended up with my Divine Soul annihilated? Now that's interesting."

A chilling, heart-stopping glint of danger flashed in her eyes.

Liu Ruyan had always been the one to toy with others. Anyone who could use her hadn't even crawled out of their mother's womb yet!

"However, this Little Man seems to know a lot about future events..." Liu Ruyan's gaze fell on the end of the diary, her interest growing even stronger.

"Black Fiend Tower? Saint Realm assassin? Tonight at midnight?"

The smile at the corner of her mouth became even more enchanting, and even colder. "Someone actually dares to touch the man this Saintess fancies? They've got some nerve."

Although she and Su Chen only had a nominal engagement and had never even met, the fact that Su Chen was her fiancé was known throughout the entire Profound Heaven Continent.

To touch Su Chen was to slap her, Liu Ruyan's face, and to slap the Nine Nether Demonic Cult's face!

"Too lazy to move? Expose my strength?" Liu Ruyan chuckled softly, slowly rising from the bone throne and stretching a seductive yawn. Her perfect curves were revealed beneath the black dress, like a black Mandala blooming in the abyss.

"Little Man, since you're too lazy to move, then older sister will give you a hand."

"Just in time, my muscles and bones are almost rusty lately. I'll use this Black Fiend Tower to relieve some boredom."

Before her voice faded, her figure had already transformed into a wisp of faint black smoke, silently disappearing from the main hall, leaving only a string of bell-like, charming laughter that lingered for a long time... Under the same night sky, the bright moon hung high.

Unlike the bloody and eerie atmosphere of the Demonic Cult, the depths of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty's imperial palace were magnificent and resplendent, filled with surging Dragon Qi.

In the Imperial Study, a woman wearing a profound black imperial robe embroidered with nine coiling Dragons and a purple-gold imperial crown sat behind a desk, reviewing mountains of memorials.

Her countenance was majestic and breathtakingly beautiful, with an inherent domineering aura that looked down upon the world, inspiring awe without anger.

She was the Iron-Blooded Empress of the Great Xia Divine Dynasty, Ji Hongxue.

Before her, a beast-skin diary also floated. She had already finished reading its entire content, her face calm and unperturbed. Only in her deep, star-like phoenix eyes did an imperceptible ripple occasionally flash.

"Su Chen..."

Her vermilion lips parted slightly as she slowly uttered this name, which she had almost forgotten.

Her impression of this fiancé, who existed only by virtue of an engagement, was singular: he was an Adou who couldn't be helped.

He held the title of Divine Son, but lacked the substance of a Divine Son.

If not for the Su Family's Old Ancestor having once rendered a great service to Great Xia, she would have long since annulled this marriage, which disgraced the imperial family's reputation.

But today, this diary had completely changed her impression of Su Chen, if only slightly.

"I'm so strong, yet I have to pretend to be weak..."

"A small fry in the Saint Realm..."

"Too lazy to move..."

Ji Hongxue's slender fingertips gently tapped the desktop, made of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Nurturing Wood, emitting a crisp, rhythmic "thump, thump, thump."

She was thinking.

The appearance of this diary was too bizarre to be judged by common sense. Yet, the information within was not baseless.

Especially the prediction of her future — burning herself for the sake of all living beings, sealing the world-destroying demon.

This indeed sounded like a choice she would make.

As an emperor, protecting her territory and sheltering her people was her responsibility and her destiny.

Ridiculous? Foolish to the point of being touching?

Ji Hongxue's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous cold light flashing within them.

Su Chen actually found her choice ridiculous? Did he think she was foolish, or... did he believe there was a better solution? What exactly was this man hiding?

"Black Fiend Tower..." Her gaze finally settled on these three words.

A mere assassin organization hiding in the shadows, daring to set their sights on her nominal man, Ji Hongxue? They were simply courting death!

"Is he testing me?" A thought flashed through Ji Hongxue's mind, and then this thought was infinitely magnified.

Su Chen deliberately wrote in the diary that he was in danger, yet he showed an attitude of being "too lazy to act." This was clearly an overt scheme! A test for their three fiancées!

He wanted to see who would remain indifferent and who would act decisively.

He wanted to see who truly had the qualifications to stand by his unfathomable side!

"Heh, he's an interesting man indeed." The corner of Ji Hongxue's mouth curved into an extremely faint arc, imbued with supreme majesty.

Since you want to see, then I shall let you witness the wrath of an Emperor!

"Someone." She spoke indifferently.

A black figure, as if merged with the shadows, appeared silently before Her Highness, kneeling on one knee, even its breathing seemingly halted.

"Pass down my decree: order Shadow Guard Commander Xuan Ya to immediately proceed to the Everlasting Su Family. Tonight at midnight, anyone who dares to approach within three li of the Divine Son of the Su Family's residence, regardless of identity, shall be killed without mercy!"

"Furthermore, investigate for me! Thoroughly investigate the Black Fiend Tower! I want to know who gave them such audacity!"

"As you command!"

The black figure took the order, without a single superfluous movement, and once again merged into the shadows, disappearing.

Ji Hongxue slowly rose and walked to the window, her gaze seemingly piercing through the endless Void Realm, looking towards the direction of the Su Family, her eyes profound.

"Su Chen, let me see if you are a hidden Dragon in the abyss, or merely a clown playing tricks."

...Night deepened.

Su Family, Divine Son Peak.

Su Chen's courtyard was silent; he himself had long since entered a sweet dream.

However, outside the courtyard, on the high Glazed Tile Rooftop, it was exceptionally "lively" tonight.

A cool moonlight fell, and in the eastern corner of the roof, a white-clad figure quietly descended, light as a feather, making not a sound.

Ling Qingzhu concealed herself in the shadows. Where she stood, even the air seemed to condense a thin layer of frost. Her cold gaze swept around, her Divine Sense spreading out like mercury, vigilant against everything.

Almost simultaneously, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted by. On the western ridge of the roof, a wisp of black smoke gently rose, coalescing into Liu Ruyan's enchanting figure.

She licked her red lips, her seductive eyes playfully circling Ling Qingzhu, then looking down at the silent courtyard, as if admiring an interesting toy.

In the air, the cold chill and the demonic Qi silently collided, instantly making the surrounding atmosphere heavy and eerie.

Just then, a deeper, purer darkness descended.

At the highest point to the due south, a figure clad in black armor, with completely restrained aura, stood like a midnight sculpture. He was like a black hole, unable to reflect even moonlight.

It was none other than the Shadow Guard Commander, Xuan Ya, who had come by the Empress's command.

Three groups of people, from three distinctly different top powers, were now gathered here for the same person, surrounding the small Divine Son Peak courtyard so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

Ling Qingzhu's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she cast a cold glance at Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan, in turn, threw her a seductive wink, a provocative curve forming on her lips.

As for Xuan Ya, he stood silently like a ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, exuding a terrifying killing intent that warned, "Do not approach; approach and die."

They all sensed each other's presence, and the air instantly filled with a tense, murderous atmosphere, ready to erupt at any moment.