Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

At this moment on the Nine Provinces Continent, it was the time when night and day intertwined.

The night sky was clear, and the crescent moon gradually faded into the deep blue morning mist.

In a house just a street away from the Imperial Pacification Office, a man who had been tossing and turning all night pulled the blanket over his head, complaining irritably, "Will it ever end? How many days has this been going on? I can't even sleep properly! I have work to do at dawn. Do they even care if we get any rest?"

"It's just you being fussy. I don't hear anything," the woman beside him muttered, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

The man retorted, "Of course, it's always you. I could bang a drum right next to your ear, and you wouldn't hear a thing. If someone kidnapped you in your sleep, you probably wouldn't even notice!"

"Enough, enough," the woman said, shivering as she threw off the blanket and quickly grabbed a coat to wrap around herself. "Haven't you heard? The Imperial Pacification Office has been hunting down a demon these past few days! That Jiang family is a den of demons, committing all sorts of heinous acts. My uncle's missing child—it's said the Jiang family took them! This is a good thing. They're working through the night for a reason. What are you complaining about? If the Imperial Pacification Office stops doing its job and just sleeps all day, it'll be your turn to cry."

The man covered his head with a pillow, blocking his ears. "Fine, fine, I'll stop complaining—"

Boom, boom.

Suddenly, thunder roared, drowning out all other sounds and rattling the windows.

The woman gasped, "Is it going to rain?"

"Please, no! Don't let it rain!" Rain would mean no work for him and his crew repairing houses. The man frowned, set the pillow aside, and got out of bed to look out the window.

Another thunderclap echoed, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, its golden light illuminating the dim bedroom.

The couple blinked, momentarily blinded. When they opened their eyes, they exchanged looks, realizing something was wrong. They hurried to the window, opened it, and gazed at the horizon.

Clouds churned in the sky like waves on the sea.

Thick, dragon-like golden lightning bolts gathered and struck toward the distant horizon, dyeing the clouds in a golden hue.

"Dao Xuan!"

At this golden-lit dawn, the leaders of the Harmony Union Sect, the South Dust Immortal Island, and other powerful figures rushed over. "Have you noticed that this Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation is unusual?"

In the residence of the Imperial Pacification Office, just a street away, where the sect leaders were staying, a man in a green Daoist robe stood by the window. The golden light fell on his plain, ordinary face.

His eyes reflected the golden lightning. Hearing the question, he turned around. "The place where the tribulation is striking is—"

Everyone spoke in unison: "The Dark Abyss!"

This was truly unbelievable.

Heavenly Tribulation had never entered the Dark Abyss before, yet now, this act defying the natural order was happening right before their eyes.

None of the people present knew what was going on.

But as high-ranking figures, they understood that now was not the time to discuss it. The details, rewards, and punishments could wait.

At this moment, they had more important matters to attend to.

What did it mean for the Heavenly Tribulation to enter the Dark Abyss? It meant that the Nine Provinces Continent could use this opportunity to completely eradicate the demon race!

The leader of the Harmony Union Sect pursed her red lips. "For the past few days, disciples from all sects across the Nine Provinces have been gathering. We're just waiting for the order."

A Buddhist monk clasped his hands together. "Amitabha. The Heavenly Tribulation has opened the barrier of the Heavenly Dao. Many demons will likely flee in panic. We must seize this opportunity and act quickly to surround and eliminate the escaping demons."

Dao Xuan looked up at the golden clouds swirling in the sky, his gaze distant, his heart trembling. "Everyone, if this is truly the case, the Nine Provinces may never have to endure another war between the righteous and the demons..."

Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation.

Both Shen Jizhi and Jian Huan were at the peak of the Golden Core stage. It was unclear which of them had triggered the tribulation.

But regardless, even though he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he could imagine how dangerous it must be for them in the Dark Abyss.

He just didn't know if those children, along with Peak Lord Gu and Yu Qing, were still safe.

"Someone!" Dao Xuan called out.

A disciple waiting outside hurried in and bowed. "I am here."

Dao Xuan removed the jade pendant from his waist and tossed it to the disciple. "The Dark Abyss has been revealed. Time is of the essence. I and the other sect leaders will go ahead. Follow this pendant and lead the disciples from all sects to reinforce us."

The disciple's heart tightened. "Understood!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the powerful figures in the room vanished, rushing toward the location of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Inside the spatial bowl, Gu Shan set Yin Yusheng down.

Yin Yusheng was about to thank him when he saw the old man stumble and collapse to the ground, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

"Peak Lord Gu!" Yin Yusheng quickly helped Gu Shan sit up, taking a deep breath and forcing out the nearly depleted spiritual energy within him to transfer it into Gu Shan's body.

The three of them had been guarding the Bodhi Pagoda for who knows how long. Their supply of spirit-replenishing pills had long run out, and their spiritual energy was almost completely drained. They were all at their limits.

Yin Yusheng, who had been protected by Shen Jizhi and Gu Shan at the rear, was in slightly better condition.

Gu Shan was in the worst state. Already severely injured, he had been resisting the tide of demonic heartworms. Now, his internal sword energy was in chaos, and many of his meridians were severed.

Gu Shan opened his eyes slightly and said weakly, "I'm fine."

After a pause, he asked, "That wretched disciple of mine didn't follow, did he?"

Yin Yusheng looked ahead.

The area around the Bodhi Pagoda was already engulfed in a sea of golden lightning. Apart from the surging thunder, nothing else could be seen.

"No," Yin Yusheng replied softly. "Brother Shen... he stayed in the sea of lightning..."

The spatial bowl fell silent for a while.

Gu Shan sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and placed his hands in front of his abdomen, slowly calming the chaotic sword energy within him.

Yin Yusheng thought for a moment and asked, "Peak Lord Gu, the restriction in Brother Shen's body..."

"It's the Demon Origin Stone," Gu Shan said, sitting upright. His usually mischievous expression turned solemn, tinged with sorrow and regret. "It's the Demon Origin Stone of the Demon Heartworm King."

"Then ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‍the Heavenly Tribulation must be extremely dangerous for Brother Shen..." Yin Yusheng trailed off, unable to continue.

"I don't know," Gu Shan admitted, opening his eyes and gazing through the barrier of the spatial bowl at the sea of lightning. Within the lightning, the faint outline of a nine-story pagoda could be seen. "But this Heavenly Tribulation is Jian Huan's tribulation, and it's empowered by the Bodhi Pagoda. That wretched disciple does have the Demon Origin Stone, but his Dao heart is as steady as a rock. Perhaps... perhaps he'll be fine..."

Moreover, this might be the only way for that wretched disciple to dispel the demonic energy within the Demon Origin Stone.

That was why Gu Shan had taken Yin Yusheng with him earlier. He had guessed that his disciple would not follow.

Gu Shan exhaled, shifting his gaze from the Bodhi Pagoda to the sky of the Dark Abyss.

The sky was like a vast black cloth, torn open by a long streak of golden lightning.

The initial onslaught of the Heavenly Tribulation had been solely for Jian Huan, but the Heavenly Dao had sensed the power of the Dark Abyss, and the tribulation grew even more violent.

Golden dragon-like lightning bolts fell like a torrential rain, striking continuously into the depths of the Dark Abyss, causing the entire world of the Dark Abyss to tremble.

The sky of the Dark Abyss also shook, and the tear in it grew wider and wider.

But the Heavenly Tribulation only struck the Bodhi Pagoda and the depths of the Dark Abyss, leaving a large open space in the sky for both humans and demons to pass through.

Within the Dark Abyss, aside from the Demon City, there were numerous other cities, and the number of demons was incalculable.

Faced with such a catastrophic event, the surviving demons would not wait for death. They would surely do everything in their power to escape through the tear and flood into the Nine Provinces.

Having recovered slightly, Gu Shan stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and looked at Yin Yusheng. "Nephew, stay here. Don't go anywhere."

Yin Yusheng was slightly confused. "Peak Lord Gu, what about you?"

"There's one more thing I need to do," Gu Shan said, tugging at his comical mustache. He turned to Yin Yusheng with a grin, waved his hand, and then, like an eagle taking flight, soared toward the torn sky!

Gu Shan landed at the boundary between the Dark Abyss and the Nine Provinces. Gazing at the majestic mountains and seas of the Nine Provinces, he let out a loud shout. A flash of five-colored light erupted from his body as he prepared to use his sword bone as a shield to block the hordes of demons fleeing in panic.

He could not allow these demonic worms to set foot on the Nine Provinces, to parasitize and corrupt the mountains and defile the seas of this land!

At that moment, a strand of whisk thread shot through the air, tightly wrapping around Gu Shan's body and pulling him toward the Nine Provinces.

Gu Shan gazed at the thread of the whisk, paused for a moment, and then exclaimed with delight, "Elder Brother Sect Leader! You've finally arrived!"

Several powerful figures appeared in unison, about to say something to Gu Shan.

Gu Shan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over them with a mischievous grin, "Gentlemen, did you bring any wine? This old brother has been craving it for so long..."

The powerful figures: "..."

With a loud thud, Gu Shan was flung into a pile of withered leaves clinging to icy pillars in the mountains, followed by a jug of wine that landed squarely in his arms.

With trembling hands, Gu Shan uncorked the wine and took a hearty swig, his eyes fixed on the surging spiritual energy in the sky.

The wine was fragrant and potent, like the vast rivers and mountains of the Nine Provinces Continent, leaving one utterly enchanted.

The thunder tribulation lasted for a long time.

Golden thunderbolts, as thick as dragon bodies, struck down one after another, each imbued with the power of the heavens, deterring both humans and demons from approaching.

After seeing off his master and Yin Yusheng, Shen Jizhi was about to turn and head toward the Bodhi Pagoda.

Before he could take a step, a bolt of heavenly thunder crashed down upon him.

In that moment, the meridians throughout his body, soaked in demonic essence, shattered one by one.

Electricity pierced through his skin, a searing heat spreading across his entire being, as if his blood were boiling and his flesh being carved away.

Shen Jizhi remained silent, sitting cross-legged on the ground, enduring it all.

The golden dragon-like thunderlight, drawn by his aura, coiled around the young man's back, tightening its grip.

A series of deafening explosions followed, and Shen Jizhi's sword-like bones were blasted apart, his flesh and blood scattering in all directions.

Within the sea of thunder, the young man was no longer recognizable, his body reduced to countless fragments of limbs.

In the first level of the Bodhi Pagoda, Jian Huan's body was jolted by the heavenly thunder, her meridians breaking and regenerating. The infant-like nascent soul in her consciousness was undergoing the tribulation, suffering immensely.

Suddenly, Jian Huan felt something. Her nascent soul opened its eyes and gazed toward the five-colored flower amidst the small Bodhi tree.

The five-colored flower shattered, its fragments seemingly about to dissipate.

The newly sprouted branches of the Bodhi seed swayed gently, a tender and compassionate green light flickering as it re-condensed the five-colored flower.

The scattered limbs, as if pulled by an unseen force, began to reform.

They reformed only to shatter again, shattered only to reform once more, until the young man's flesh and blood were completely purged of demonic energy, until he was reborn anew.

The demonic palace caught fire from the thunder, the flames consuming everything, reducing the entire palace to ashes. The fire spread further, devouring the demonic city and destroying the dark forests of the Dark Abyss.

The entire Dark Abyss was annihilated in the flames of the thunder tribulation.

The essence of the Dark Abyss, hidden deep underground, was completely obliterated by the heavenly thunder.

With its foundation destroyed, the world of the Dark Abyss began to collapse.

The powerful figures realized something was wrong and quickly shouted, "Retreat, retreat now!"

The numerous disciples who had come as reinforcements hovered densely in the sky, but they remained calm, retreating in unison as they had practiced in the days prior.

Moments after the people of the Nine Provinces retreated, the entire world of the Dark Abyss suddenly appeared above the polar sea, like a meteor from the heavens, crashing into the boundless ocean!

Crash—crash—

The sea surged with massive waves, and countless fish fled in all directions, the heavens and earth turning chaotic.

After what felt like an eternity, the golden thunderclouds in the sky dissipated, the waves gradually subsided, and peace returned to the land.

On the vast expanse of the sea, a black rock island now lay across the polar waters.

At the center of the black rock island, a young man lay sprawled on the ground.

The young man curled on his side, his eyes closed, his charred hair falling out in clumps as new black hair grew in its place. In mere moments, it was as long as it had been before.

His jet-black hair, smooth as silk, framed his delicate features.

What was that sound?

Suddenly, the young man's fingertips resting on the rock wall twitched slightly. His heavy eyelids slowly opened, and with a push against the rock wall, he stood up and looked ahead.

On a winter afternoon, the seaside was bathed in bright sunlight, the black rock island tinged with a golden hue.

The waves crashed against the cliffs, their snow-white foam shimmering with a rainbow of colors under the sun.

Shen Jizhi gazed at the world before him, his expression calm and composed, though his amber eyes held a faint trace of confusion.

The thousands of times his body had shattered and reformed left his consciousness still in a daze.

The sound of thunder still echoed in his ears, deafening, as if a barrier separated him from the world.

But Shen Jizhi had clearly heard something just now.

A voice, calling out to him, over and over. He couldn't make out the words, but his heart responded.

The icy sea wind howled, whipping through the young man's long hair.

As if sensing something, Shen Jizhi abruptly turned around.

Ten steps behind him, on a high rock wall, sat a young woman in a pale green dress, her legs swinging back and forth.

The sea breeze tangled her slightly curly hair, and Jian Huan, annoyed, held her hair in place with one hand while cupping the other to her mouth, calling out to him with a radiant smile:

"Shen Jizhi."

"Shen Jizhi?"

"Shen Jizhi!"

"..."

Her vibrant and clear voice broke through the barrier, dispelling the thunderous echoes.

In that moment, the sounds of the waves and the wind flooded his ears.

Shen Jizhi's lips curved into a faint smile as he said, "Jian Huan, I heard you."

"Kraa—kraa—" The high-pitched cries of two white-tailed seagulls grew closer as they flew low over the azure sea, landing side by side on the cliff.@@novelbin@@

The two of them gazed deeply at each other.

The winter sun dipped behind the clouds, then emerged once more.

As the light spilled across the sea,

Shen Jizhi took a step forward, then another, walking steadily toward her.

Jian Huan leaped down from the rock wall, her skirt fluttering as she ran toward him.

When she was three steps away, Jian Huan leaped gracefully, her legs wrapping around the young man in black robes as she threw herself into his arms, embracing him tightly.