"I hate, I hate so much."
At this moment, Yin Susu's emotions and words were all genuinely bursting forth from her heart, undeniably real.
What she expelled was, to some extent, also the truth.
However, Tao Qian was unwilling to bear such accusations and directly said,
"Princess, you are being completely unreasonable. You should know that it was you who abducted me. I resisted in every possible way, but after all, you are a Great Cultivator of the Cavernous Mystery Realm, and I am merely a little Daoist of the Qi Refining Realm. How could I be your opponent?"
"As for the many changes that happened subsequently, the princess must have just received news either from the remnants of the Devil God Army or from your father."
"All the plotting was done by Free Temple's Hundred Birds, and it really has little to do with me."
"If there really is a connection, I am also a victim of the princess's actions. If you seek vengeance, you should go to the Free Temple."
In just a few words, Tao Qian laid out the causes and effects.
Although speaking or not speaking made little difference since they were destined to be enemies from now on,
Tao Qian felt the need to speak up. He did not want to bear a reputation as a "little Daoist from the Spirit Treasure Sect who, in stealing exotic treasures, became the favored male courtesan of the Devil God's daughter."
If such a reputation tarnished him, how would he, Tao Qian, ever be able to mix in the Spirit Treasure Sect again, or become a Great Master who suppresses evil forces?
Although Yin Susu truly wanted to refute Tao Qian, having learned the causes and consequences, she knew that Tao Qian's words held no errors.
None of this should have happened.
At that time, Tao Qian was nearly out of Fumin, heading to the Penglai Sea.
Had there been no accidents, he would have journeyed northward to seek a mentor.
But by some odd chance, she had encountered him during a feast held by the Queen of Daughter Country. She wished to consume the Taisui Baby but suffered a loss of face due to him, and anger welled up. Then, two days after learning that the little Daoist had left Daughter Country, she immediately deployed the Heavenly Demon Secret Technique, planning to capture him, eat the baby first, and then torment this little Daoist to vent her anger.
Strangely enough, once she made her move, she inexplicably took a liking to the little Daoist.
She had ignored the delicious baby, intent only on capturing the little man to become her male courtesan, leading to many subsequent incidents. Mistake upon mistake ultimately destroyed her husband's foundation and ruined the possibility of gaining her father's further affection.
Thinking of this, Yin Susu felt her blood boiling with rage, anger attacking her heart, and her originally pale complexion instantly turned crimson.
"No, this isn't right."
"That old monk was only thinking of using you to steal treasures. At the time, he was far inside the Beautiful Corpse, how could he have helped you bewitch me."
"It's you, you little devil. What kind of magic skill did you use to so confound my divine soul and disrupt my composure?"
The more Yin Susu spoke, the smoother and angrier she got.
Now that she had sobered up, she immediately realized how bizarre her past behavior had been, especially the fact that she ignored the grand affair of her Prince Consort establishing the Devil Country, insisting instead on bringing this little man to indulge in joys at the Bottom of the Taiyin Pool. All these actions exuded an extremely strange flavor.
With this counter-question, Tao Qian was not really able to answer, for he, too, did not understand why Yin Susu had behaved so.
Just then, a delicate little head suddenly popped out from Tao Qian's chest.
The little demon elf from the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate raised her head proudly and said,
"You silly woman, you completely underestimate my Young Master. Let me, Zhong Doudou, tell you."
"My Young Master possesses divine talents and can resist the Three Calamities. Especially that third tribulation, which pulled even Southern Yue's Human Dao calamity; even the Spirit Treasure Sect has not seen such a person in hundreds of years."
"You silly woman, it would have been fine if you hadn't disturbed the Young Master. The moment you did, you were bound to be confused by the tribulation energy."
"That's why you started acting weird after abducting the Young Master and became desperately lustful."
"It was lucky that old monk knew the Joyful Zen Secret Technique, otherwise, I, Zhong Doudou, would have jumped out long ago and begged Grandpa Tianxing to chop you silly woman for daring to dream of stealing my Young Master's Essence Blood. You're deluding yourself."
"It's not too late now. With all this nonsense, Young Master, let's ask Grandpa Tianxing to slash her."
After speaking, Zhong Doudou turned her head to look at Tao Qian with hopeful eyes.
Even so, the girl did not forget to cling to Tao Qian's arms, showing a face reluctant to leave.
However, before the Demon-Slaying Sword could respond to her words,
The calm Taiyin Pool suddenly reacted violently; the peculiar mist instantly turned into a crimson blood fog, which swelled in the blink of an eye. Inside it, a blood staff and a sacred robe appeared, faintly visible.
The Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Divine Needle and the Heavenly Demon Blood Bag, both Devil God treasures revealed themselves, immediately also provoking the Demon-slaying Sword and the Returning Immortal Mirror to emerge.
Both parties stood in confrontation, neither making a move.
Soon after, the surging blood mist formed a large hand that grabbed everything within the treasure vault, including the furious Yin Susu, and whisked them all away.
Just as it seemed the matter was concluded, Yin Susu, about to fully enter the bottom of the Taiyin Pool,
gave Tao Qian one last complex look in the final moment, and then with a sharp voice said, "Well played, Spirit Treasure True Cultivation, well played, Young Master, well played, Secret Demon Dark Child. I, Yin Susu, will remember you. There will be a long future ahead, and a day will come when I'll return the favor."
Despite being extremely reluctant, she was outmatched by the situation.
Unless the mysterious "Devil God" personally intervened, there was simply no way to harm Tao Qian who was under the protection of three Immortal Treasures.
Yin Susu could only leave behind a vicious threat before she was teleported away by the Devil God from afar.
As for her parting words "Secret Demon Dark Child," even the Queen of Daughter Country, who was an onlooker, paid no mind, taking it as nothing more than a splash of dirty water.
Once Yin Susu had left, the atmosphere instantly eased.
Sui and Lian Jing'er, with tears welling up in their eyes, both rushed towards Tao Qian.
Tao Qian quickly comforted them while also glancing at his Puppet Body that had been discarded to the side. With all matters here resolved and the clone's cultivation being inferior, it should have been destroyed.
However, after pondering for a moment, Tao Qian decided to collect it anyway.
At this time, the Queen of Daughter Country, who had been standing by for a while with a puzzled face, stepped forward.
Listening to their conversation, she caught some clues.
However, since she was not from Southern Yue, many detailed explanations were still needed from Tao Qian. With nothing to hide, Tao Qian informed her of Bai Qin's plans and the intricate follow-ups.
After hearing the account, even the well-informed queen showed a look of surprise on her beautiful face.
"To Resist the Three Calamities, to be entwined by causality, just in time for a great Human Dao calamity... that girl wasn't wrong, even in Spirit Treasure Sect, you are the first in hundreds of years. Once you've entered the Mountain Gate, you will surely be regarded as a rarity, avidly observed by those Immortals and Devil Immortals."
"It seems that it's not only Yin Susu who's been charmed by your tribulation energy. I, too, have been similarly influenced."
"That day, on a sudden whim, I wanted to stop you, only to find you so agreeable that I had to introduce Sister Yunhua to you."
"That's good, it means that fate has arrived."
"Just right, when you go to the Spirit Treasure Sect Mountain Gate and meet Sister Yunhua, remember to... for me..."
As the Queen of Daughter Country was speaking, Zhong Doudou seemed to realize something suddenly.
She jumped up and hustled over to the side of the shining golden circle, whispering urgently,
"Grandpa Taixuan, quick, let's go. This woman is a good friend of Aunt Yunhua and has been encouraging the Young Master to take Aunt Yunhua as his mentor."
"If this comes to pass, it won't just be the end for Dou Dou; the three grandpas will inevitably be chastised by the Master."
No sooner had Zhong Doudou finished speaking than the Taixuan Ruyi Circle burst forth with golden light.
In an instant, it enveloped everyone in the area except the Queen of Daughter Country, tearing open the Void and leaping inside. In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.
Leaving only the Queen of Daughter Country standing there, stunned for a moment.
One second she was speaking with her nephew, and the next, he was gone?
Nevertheless, the queen was no ordinary person, and she had heard everything Zhong Doudou had said quite clearly.
A thoughtful expression appeared in her eyes, and she quickly realized everything, her face showing a conflicted look as she pondered,
"The Taixuan Ruyi Circle, the Heavenly Punishment Demon-Slaying Sword, the Spirit Treasure Rejuvenation Mirror... to send these three treasures to fetch someone, the 'Master' the girl spoke of must be that True Monarch."
"It makes sense, after all; this little Daoist is indeed exceptionally talented, and it's normal for that True Monarch to have taken an interest in him beforehand."
"But what should I do now?"
"Before this, I had already sent a message to Sister Yunhua."
"Now it seems I was rash; that tribulation energy is indeed formidable, ensnaring even me."
"Well then, I should write another letter. It's fortunate that Sister Yunhua has a very good relationship with that True Monarch; otherwise, this could have caused a rift."
"However, I do envy him; this little Daoist has exceptional talents and means. Once he enters the Spirit Treasure Sect for cultivation, it won't be more than a decade or two before we meet again, and by then, I may well have to address him as Daoist."