67: Chapter 67 The Awakening of the Willow Goddess

The previous strike, although delivered in a fit of rage without holding back, she knew exactly how powerful it was.

If it had been the real "Stone Emperor" who had fought her for five hundred years, even if he took it head-on and was injured, he would never have been instantly killed like that old Supreme, leaving nothing behind!

The gap in strength between the two... was just too vast!

So vast that... they didn't even seem to be existences on the same level!

Then, the "Stone Emperor" who had managed to "hold on" and "escape successfully" time and time again under her hand for these five hundred years, what was his true strength...

And linking that to the flamboyant, deliberate, and even somewhat... familiar provocative methods of the "Stone Emperor" over these five hundred years...

Those tones imitating her brother...

Those postures imitating her teacher...

A thought she dared not even dream of, like the first ray of sunlight breaking through dark clouds, violently shone into the lake of her heart that had been frozen for over fifty thousand years!

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Not because of fear, but because of a massive, almost overwhelming hope and disbelief!

She bit her lower lip hard, using all her strength to barely suppress the call that was almost about to spill out.

She forced herself to calm down and transmitted her voice via Divine Thought, her voice carrying a tremor of caution and tentativeness she hadn't even realized herself, precisely sent to the "Stone Emperor":

"Teacher... is it you?"

These short five words seemed to drain all her strength.

Hearing this transmission that went directly into her Sea of Consciousness, carrying endless complex emotions, Chu Tianjiao, who was currently playing the "Stone Emperor" and was stunned, felt his heart skip a beat!

Oh no! I overplayed it!

Nannan is suspicious!

The scene of that old Supreme being instantly killed just now had too much impact, completely shattering her inherent perception of "Supreme strength"!

In comparison, the "strength" his "Stone Emperor" had been acting out for five hundred years had instead become the biggest flaw!

Admit it now? In front of so many Supremes?

No! The plan hasn't reached the final step yet; admitting it now would ruin everything!

In a flash of lightning, Chu Tianjiao forcibly suppressed the embarrassment and slight panic in his heart, his face instantly switching back to the "Stone Emperor's" signature, arrogant, and slightly conspiratorial grin!

"That's right! This Emperor is your husband, the Jiaoheng Emperor! Surprised? Unexpected? There's a chance!!!"

He deliberately roared this sentence at the top of his lungs, ensuring all the Supremes could "hear" it.

At the same time, he seized the split second when Xiao Nannan was mentally shaken by that shocking conjecture and subconsciously relaxed her vigilance, his figure surged, and the Stone Emperor's giant palm, wrapped in violent Stone Qi and Imperial Dao Law (fake), struck hard at Xiao Nannan!

In the eyes of the Supremes watching from the shadows, they saw the "Stone Emperor" first "stunned," then suddenly "insidiously" admit he was the Jiaoheng Emperor (obviously to deliberately anger her), and then, taking advantage of the "shocked and distracted" Ruthless Emperor, launched a despicable sneak attack!

The palm landed solidly on the chest of the Ruthless Emperor!

"Good!"

"Fellow Daoist Stone Emperor, well done!"

"Strike while she's down!"

Many Supremes even subconsciously cheered in their hearts.

However, the reality was completely different from what all the onlookers imagined.

Chu Tianjiao's seemingly powerful palm, capable of shattering the Star Domain, had all its violent power vanish without a trace the moment it touched Xiao Nannan's body.

All that came from the palm was warm body temperature and that slightly trembling, completely unguarded delicate body.

Xiao Nannan didn't even circulate any protective Chaos Qi, just looking at him with complete trust, even with a hint of pleading for confirmation, as she took this "palm".

The palm fell, her body didn't move, and there was no injury at all.

The last trace of doubt in Xiao Nannan's eyes completely vanished at this moment.

The cold murderous intent faded, replaced by a violently surging, almost overflowing complex light—there was shock, ecstasy, grievance, feigned anger, and the massive impact of regaining what was lost...

She looked at the face belonging to the "Stone Emperor" before her, yet seemingly able to see through to the true appearance beneath, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but slowly curl into an extremely faint, yet enough to make the stars lose their luster, smile.

In that smile, tears shimmered.

Chu Tianjiao inwardly cried out that it was bad, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore.

He maintained the "Stone Emperor's" grin, and forcefully (but gently) "pushed" Xiao Nannan backward; to outsiders, it looked like he had repelled the Ruthless Emperor with one palm.

"Hmph! Today's battle ends here! Consider yourself lucky!"

He threw down a "harsh word," not daring to look at Xiao Nannan's eyes that seemed to perceive everything anymore, turned into a streak of stone light, and rushed back to the Undying Mountain with a speed more "flustered" than any other time, instantly vanishing into the barrier.

Leaving Xiao Nannan alone, standing quietly in the starry sky.

She didn't pursue, just looked in the direction of the Undying Mountain, the smile on her face gradually widening, but the tears in her eyes finally fell.

One drop, two drops... flowing down her beautiful cheeks, silently dripping into the cold Void Realm.

"Teacher... Brother..."

She whispered softly, her voice so low only she could hear.

"You... have deceived Nannan... so bitterly."

And at this moment, inside the Undying Mountain.

Chu Tianjiao dispelled his transformation the moment he returned, wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and said urgently to Xiao Shitou who came up to meet him:

"Quick, quick, quick! Brother-in-law, prepare! Tidy up the courtyard, brew some Enlightenment Tea!"

Xiao Shitou looked confused: "Ah? Teacher, what's wrong? Did Sister come attacking?"

"It's scarier than her attacking!" Chu Tianjiao said with lingering fear, "She seems to... have guessed it! I estimate she'll 'pay a visit' very soon!"

He patted Xiao Shitou's shoulder, earnestly, though a flash of "finally it's your turn to take the blame" cunning light shone in his eyes:

"Next is the moment for your 'touching reunion' as siblings. Remember, you are the older brother, you must take the main responsibility for 'explaining' and 'soothing' your sister's emotions! This brother... will go to the quiet room to 'seclude and consolidate' for a while!"

After speaking, without waiting for Xiao Shitou to react, Chu Tianjiao's figure flickered, and he had already slipped into the deepest quiet room, closed the stone door with a "bang," and quickly set up a dozen layers of Immortal Dao Seal.

Xiao Shitou stood blankly in the courtyard, looked at the closed stone door of the quiet room, and then gazed in the direction of the starry sky outside the barrier, vaguely as if he could already see the scene of his sister descending with a Tyrant Blade and a "kind" smile...

... Chu Tianjiao quickly returned to his own courtyard.

Just as he passed by the pond, he suddenly froze.

He saw a tender willow tree growing in the pond; although it was only over three meters tall, the willow branches were very vibrant.

Seeing this scene, Chu Tianjiao couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"Senior Willow Deity, have you recovered?" Chu Tianjiao didn't expect that after five hundred years, the Willow Deity had recovered.

One has to say that the Willow Deity's vitality is truly abnormal.

And upon hearing Chu Tianjiao's inquiry, the willow branches of the willow tree swayed without wind.