Ascension of The Unholy Immortal

Liang's eyes flickered with amusement as he looked at the now-conscious Dong Rui.

"Regret?" He shook his head, his voice laced with nonchalance. "I've never been one to dwell on such things."

"I see," Dong Rui murmured under her breath, then fixed him with an expression that was part curiosity, part suspicion. "Maybe you don't regret, but you're rarely truthful either."

"Oh?" Liang raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence.

"I already know who you really are," Dong Rui said, her tone tinged with triumph. She chuckled softly, almost mockingly. "Liang Yifei from Spiritdrift World, correct?"

At this revelation, Liang's expression didn't falter; instead, his lips curved into a faint smile. If the Dong Clan had decided to ally with him, they would undoubtedly have done their homework. He wasn't surprised his true identity had come to light.

"You've been lying to me from the start, haven't you?" Her voice remained calm, yet there was an edge of anger beneath its surface.

"Lying to you?" Liang replied, his tone dripping with amusement. "The truth isn't always meaningful, is it?"

Dong Rui's gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing slightly. "That's not an answer."

He leaned closer, until their noses were nearly touching, his breath brushing against hers. "Does it truly matter, as long as the outcome remains unchanged?"

"Of course it matters!" she snapped, pushing against his chest with surprising force. "It matters because everything you've shown me, everything we've shared—it's all been a lie!"

Liang held her gaze steadily, his features unreadable. "Is that what you truly believe?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she shot back, her voice rising. "You think I'm a fool, Liang Yifei? You think I didn't realize your sole aim was to get close to my clan?"

To her surprise, Liang laughed—a loud, genuine laugh that echoed through the room. "You're absolutely right. Back then, I wanted something from your clan."

"What about now?" Dong Rui pressed, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within her.

Liang studied her for a moment before speaking. "No. Now, I don't need anything from them."

"So it's us who need you, then?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You could say that," Liang admitted, a sly smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "But I prefer to think of it as a mutually beneficial partnership."

Dong Rui crossed her arms, unconvinced. "And what exactly do *you* gain from this 'partnership'?"

"You, of course," he replied casually, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Her eyes widened, and a blush crept up her neck. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Am I?" he countered, leaning in again, his gaze intense. "I find myself strangely drawn to the fiery Miss Dong—the one who sees through my facade yet chooses to play the game anyway."

She scoffed, trying to mask the flutter in her chest. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Toying with me."

"Perhaps," he admitted, his eyes locking onto hers. "But tell me, Dong Rui—are you truly upset by my deception, or by the fact that you're starting to enjoy the game just as much as I am?"

Her brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out. "Truthfully, the final round was fun. Unexpected, even. But your sudden confession... well, let's just say it caught me off guard."

"So, how much does your clan know about me?" Liang asked, his sharp gaze piercing hers.

"Almost everything," Dong Rui replied with a confident smile. "Including your appearance in the Devil Realm alongside Legion members."

Liang's eyebrows shot up, his composure momentarily slipping. "That's... impressive. Even I wasn't aware that information had traveled so far."

"The Dong Clan has its ways," she said smugly, her confidence growing. "We've built our reputation on being well-informed."

Her expression turned serious. "Which is why I know your involvement with the Legion isn't something to be taken lightly. In fact, they're searching for any trace of you everywhere."

"Let them search,They won't find anything substantial."

He paused, a flicker of amusement returning to his eyes. "As far as I know, your clan is planning to forge an alliance with them. Aren't you worried my past might jeopardize that?"

Dong Rui shook her head. "You're overthinking this. The people involved in the Devil Realm incident were mid-level operatives at best. The Legion is pragmatic more than you think—they wouldn't risk a potential alliance with the Dong Clan over minor encounters."

"Perhaps," Liang mused, leaning back with a thoughtful expression. He'd anticipated this possibility and wasn't overly concerned. After all, he'd been little more than a novice among them, and his actions hadn't crossed any significant lines. The matter stemmed entirely from the Alliance's machinations, not his own doing.

---

In another grand palace in the Dong Clan headquarters, Dong Tian Shu stared at his father with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.

"Father, are you sure about this?" he asked hesitantly.

"What's so strange about it?" Dong Tian Di replied, his tone mild but his eyes were deep. "Marriage has always been a means to strengthen relationships."

"What about the situation with the Divine Spirit Palace?" Dong Tian Shu probed, unable to hide his unease. Knowing his father's strategic nature, he suspected there was more to the arrangement than met the eye.

"You may not realize it yet, but this Liang isn't an ordinary cultivator," Dong Tian Di's voice took on a deeper tone. "Do you remember the girl from the Alliance?"

"Mi Ling?"

"This girl possesses remarkable cultivation talent—spirit, soul, bloodline, and perhaps even body refinement," Dong Tian Di explained gravely. "Though her progress hasn't been extraordinary, I suspect her combat prowess rivals that of a Void Return Realm expert."

"What?" Dong Tian Shu exclaimed, shock evident in his wide eyes.

Silence hung heavy in the air.

"Father, you can't mean that Liang is the same person?" Dong Tian Shu asked, reluctance coloring his words.

Dong Tian Di nodded solemnly. "That's precisely the case. Hence, I don't oppose his marriage to your sister."

"If so, will the Divine Spirit Palace acknowledge such an arrangement?"

"They already have," Dong Tian Di stated with a sly smirk curving his lips. "With sufficient benefits, anything is possible."

"How is that possible?"

"The Divine Spirit Palace may wield great power, but they're no fools," Dong Tian Di snorted coldly. "They understand the value of a strategic alliance with the Dong Clan, especially now."

"Now?" Dong Tian Shu frowned slightly.

"The winds of change are blowing," Dong Tian Di murmured, his gaze distant, as if peering into the future. "The balance of power is shifting, and old alliances are crumbling. The Divine Spirit Palace needs us as much as—or perhaps more than—we need them."

Dong Tian Shu fell silent, absorbing the gravity of his father's words. He knew his father to be both shrewd and ambitious he can almost make use of any situation.

"But Father, what about Rui? Have you considered her feelings in all of this?"

A fleeting shadow of guilt passed over Dong Tian Di's face, but it vanished almost instantly. "Rui is a Dong, and her duty lies with the clan. This marriage is for the good of the entire family, for the future of our lineage."

He placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "Trust me, Tian Shu. Everything I do, I do for the Dong Clan. This marriage, this alliance... it will secure our position for generations to come."