Ethereal World: Vicious Cannon Fodder's Immortality Road novel Chapter 819

Chapter 819: Demon Empress?

Shenlian Yingyue’s brow furrowed in concentration. Despite the twisted features of Shen Xian, she could sense the profound sorrow and anguish lurking beneath his demonic facade. Yet, she remained indifferent.

With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a torrent of attacks toward Shen Xian. They barely skimmed his skin, yet he seemed genuinely taken aback.

"Foolish woman, what do you think you’re doing?" Shen Xian gasped, momentarily releasing Tai Hua Lei out of concern for his safety.

Though she lacked strength, she was far from powerless.

Achieving her objective, Shenlian Yingyue let out a quiet sigh when Shen Xian relinquished his grip on Tai Hua Lei. She made a gesture for Tai Hua Lei to hold his tongue.

"I’ve heard tales that the Demon Emperor is a ruthless tyrant, instilling fear and reverence among cultivators across the nine realms. Yet, for those he loves, he displays a different side. Today, it seems, I’m witnessing just how profound that love really is," Shenlian Yingyue remarked in a flat tone, devoid of warmth.

"What are you implying?" Shen Xian’s gaze narrowed as he scrutinized her.

Tai Hua Lei felt an urge to intervene, to curtail Shenlian Yingyue’s provocations, but he found himself unable to do so. Unable to stave her off, he resolved to face whatever repercussions awaited them, standing resolutely by her side. His unwavering stance only deepened Shen Xian’s animosity.

"You profess to love him, but in reality, you inflict the most pain upon him. Does such a hollow affection even qualify as love? You sought my guidance on loving another, and I’ve offered it generously. Yet, here you stand, unchanged," she said, each word a precision strike against the anguish buried in his heart.

"Silence! Your pitiful mortal understanding is beneath me!" he shot back, his voice frigid.

"I can’t fathom your twisted conception of love. If this is how you express it..." She gestured toward the five-purple finger marks on Tai Hua Lei’s neck, her voice dripping in a muffled tone. "Then what a splendid display it is."

Guilt surged through him as he fixed his gaze on Tai Hua Lei’s neck.

"A’Lei...I never intended for this. Does it hurt?" The once proud Demon Emperor stood isolated in his confusion, grappling with his actions. He reached out instinctively, but Tai Hua Lei evaded him with an air of indifference.

"Don’t worry about me. This pain won’t be my end," Tai Hua Lei replied coldly, his words laced with an unyielding resignation.

Shenlian Yingyue, her face devoid of emotion, observed Shen Xian’s expression of heartache with an unsettling detachment. She left him with a thought that echoed in his mind: "Only when you learn to love yourself can you truly love another."

"Since my master is in the Abyssal Throne Ruins, I won’t trouble you further." Her icy gaze lingered on Shen Xian for just a moment, a final glance filled with an emptiness that resembled the look given to a complete stranger.

Though her words bore strange to him, the weight of her stare made him uneasy, hinting that if something were to befall Xiong Zi Ying, she would hold him accountable without mercy.

Shen Xian felt an unusual turmoil within his heart, an insistent thrum he chose to dismiss. He had never encountered her coldness in this manner before, save for that particular instance.

He recalled vividly a time when, in a fit of anger at her defiance, he had banished the people she held dear to distant realms as a punishment. During that moment, her gaze had been like ice, and her voice had been laced with fury."

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[Demon Realm, Royal Palace of Demon Clan]

"Where exactly are we headed?" Tai Hua Lei inquired.

"Abyssal Throne Ruins," she answered succinctly.

"Do you know the way?"

Shenlian Yingyue’s lips twitched.

They referred to him as the Demon Empress?

Tai Hua Lei caught the look of confusion on her face, and a wave of humiliation washed over him. Ever since his arrival, he had been labeled with that title, one he never wished to bear. He was undeniably a real man, not Shen Xian’s empress.

The guards, standing imperturbably at attention, kept their gazes lowered. They understood his significance, yet beneath their compliance simmered resentment; they couldn’t help but scorn the fact that a frail human depended so heavily on their master for cultivation provisions.

"Stand aside!" he commanded, exasperation leaking into his voice.

Still, they remained unyielding.

"Since His Majesty commands, you should do well to heed his words, Demon Empress." A figure draped in pale red Hanfu stepped forward.

"Greetings, Your Lordship." several demons intoned in unison, their demeanor shifting to one of deference.

Shenlian Yingyue watched the person who came with a recognition.

"You can only venture there alone. Should anything befall him, His Majesty will not take it lightly," Yao, the Destroyer Dahlia, cautioned with an unsettlingly calm tone.

"And you must be aware, should your life be threatened, the greatest suffering will fall upon her. That place is incredibly more perilous than the Mountain of Azure Dragon. Do not invoke the wrath of our lord." His gaze shifted, locking onto Tai Hua Lei, his words laced with warning.

He seemed acutely aware of their earlier exchange within the throne room.