When Ye Ling appeared in Yuan Xin's mind, he felt that all his consciousness became extremely blurred. He just stared blankly at Ye Ling, as if he had even forgotten to breathe.
The image of the person in front of him was so vivid. This was the first time Yuan Xin had seen Ye Ling in eighteen years. He wasn't sure if this was just a hallucination. After all, Ye Ling had been hunted down by them back then, and everyone had witnessed her death with their own eyes. There was no way she could come back to life.
"Yuan Xin, do you still remember me?"
It was only when the red - clothed woman in his mind started to speak that Yuan Xin couldn't help but tremble. This voice, this expression, this demeanor... She was exactly the Ye Ling from back then. But Ye Ling was dead. Where did this form in his mind come from?
After some thought, Yuan Xin covered his mouth in shock.
"The girl outside?"
"It's me."
Yuan Xin took a few steps back. Only now did he realize that he had been deceived. This was not some supreme beast at all. She was the master of the phoenix, which was why the phoenix obeyed her every word.
Yuan Xin shifted his steps from side to side. However, at this moment, his mind was sealed and controlled by an extremely powerful spiritual force. He couldn't find an exit. So in reality, his body just stood there stupidly.
Yuan Xin slapped the consciousness space around him, but he couldn't find an exit. Ye Ling simply sat down and watched him looking around in a panic, like a performance.
It was not until Yuan Xin was almost out of strength that she looked at him.
"Ye Ling, why aren't you dead?"
"You villains are all still alive. Why should I be dead?"
Yuan Xin slumped to the ground.
"The thing back then..."
"I know. You don't need to explain. It was all for a woman, right? I've seen through your mind, Yuan Xin."
"Ye Ling, why have you become so vicious? The people of Shengjing outside were once your subjects. How could you let them be trampled on by the phoenix like this?"
"Now, are you interrogating me?"
"Ye Ling, if you still have a shred of conscience, let me out. I can assure you that from now on, Shengjing City will still be your strongest support. You were an empress with benevolence. You shouldn't have become so bloody and cruel."
Zhao Shuning picked at her ear. This whole thing wasn't caused by her. Why were they shifting the blame again?
"Ye Ling, I know you're powerful. Back then, the few of us were just following the will of the people. We had no choice. We didn't really want to kill you. Look, you're still alive. Let's just pretend that never happened. It's all in the past, okay?"
"When I get out, I won't tell anyone your real identity. What do you think?"
Zhao Shuning looked thoughtful.
Seeing that his words were having an effect, Yuan Xin quickly added, "You know that I helped you accomplish many great things back then. My loyalty to you was obvious. We were also forced by the people of the Dongze Wilderness. We felt really reluctant when we hunted you down."
"Ye Ling, I know you're not a bad person. You wouldn't do such cruel and cold - blooded things. Let's take a step back on this matter, okay?"
Zhao Shuning laughed.
"Do you think I've agreed?"
Zhao Shuning put her hands in the air and couldn't help but clap for Yuan Xin.
"Brilliant!"
"Ye Ling, you?"
"Do you think I'm still the Ye Ling who could be easily fooled by you? Don't worry about how I survived. I only remember how I died at your hands."
"Yuan Xin, are you being too naive? Do you think I'm still the Ye Ling who didn't think about anything, just charged forward for the people and didn't care even if I died?"
Yuan Xin's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Yuan Xin, my name is Zhao Shuning, the second young lady of the Zhao family. Remember, I'm not Ye Ling, not the Ye Ling who was played by you."
Yuan Xin took a step back.
"Ye Ling, you're not the kind of person who bullies the weak. I'm weaker than you. If you're a fair person, have a proper fight with me."
Zhao Shuning shook her head with a smile. The dagger twirled in her hand.
"No no no. I'm not a gentleman, let alone a good person. I'm a villain. A villain, do you understand, Yuan Xin?"
The woman in front of him had the same face as Ye Ling, but their temperaments were completely different. Ye Ling was kind - hearted and lived a straightforward life, so she was easily taken advantage of. But this woman in front of him was more cunning than anyone Yuan Xin had ever met.
"Ye Ling, you've changed."
"I've already told you. I'm not Ye Ling."
Zhao Shuning casually drew a circle with the dagger and then said softly, "Go!" The circle quickly flew towards Yuan Xin and trapped him in the center, making him unable to move.
"Are you an alchemist?"
"Do you just realize it now?"
"What about your spiritual power?"
"Golden Realm, a Seven - Realm Spiritual Alchemist."
"Seven - Realm?"
Yuan Xin was shocked. After a moment, his eyes were filled with unwillingness. A Seven - Realm Spiritual Alchemist could subdue him to such an extent. He was not convinced. But now, they were in his mind's consciousness. Even if he was not convinced, he had no way to fight back with his spiritual power. Moreover, because of the previous phoenix cry, the spiritual power he had just gathered had been scattered by the sharp sound.
"Look at your eyes. What? You're not convinced because I deceived you."
"Tsk tsk tsk—"
Zhao Shuning's laugh was creepy.
"Yuan Xin, after all these years, why haven't you learned anything? Were you planning to use a disguise technique again to avoid the punishment of destroying your spiritual root?"
Zhao Shuning walked up to Yuan Xin, lifted his chin with the dagger, and forced him to look directly at her.
"Don't you forget who passed on your spiritual power. As long as you make a move, I'll know what you're up to."
Yuan Xin wanted to move, but he couldn't. If the Wolf King was here, he could still fight. But now, the Wolf King had sacrificed himself to the sky, and his consciousness was trapped in chaos. Zhao Shuning's spiritual power was an absolute crush on him.
Yuan Xin never thought that the once high - and - mighty Empress Ye Ling would now use schemes, taking advantage of the weakness of human nature and the awe of the unknown, so she could completely predict everyone's reactions.
Taking a risky move, this time, Yuan Xin had completely lost.
"Look, what's this?"
It was a lush spiritual herb, and the light it emitted was almost cyan - purple. Zhao Shuning reached out her hand, but before she even touched it, Yuan Xin let out a scream.
"Don't!"
Zhao Shuning turned around. Yuan Xin's hands were tied, but he suddenly knelt down.
"I beg you, don't. Ye Ling, I beg you."
Yuan Xin kept kowtowing until blood oozed from his forehead, and he still didn't stop.