Chapter 120: The Nemesis of the Great Demon Lord

Ning Xianyu resisted with all her might, shrinking back in terror. However, Xuanyuan Tunhan’s grip was ironclad; he dragged her hand, insisting she touch it.

Terrified, Ning Xianyu burst into tears. "I won't touch it! I'm scared!" She was afraid of the pain; she knew touching it would burn her to a crisp.

Xuanyuan Tunhan, losing his patience, let his face turn cold. "Are you going to touch it, or do you want me to throw you in?"

[Damn it!] Ning Xianyu screamed internally. [That Great Demon King isn't human! He actually wants to burn me alive! System, save me!]

The system remained indifferent, repeating the same line: [Take care of yourself. I’ll find you a better body later.]

[Get lost! Neither of you is reliable!]

Unable to fight back and with no way to win, Ning Xianyu surrendered with the grim resolve of someone facing their execution. "I'll do it myself. Let go of my hand."

Once her hand was free, she desperately wanted to turn and bolt, but the space was so confined—where could she possibly run? Since she couldn't fight or flee, she had no choice but to comply.

Muttering in profound grief, she extended her index finger, cautiously probing toward the geothermal spring water. Inch by inch, closer and closer, until finally...

"Wait, this water is cool?"

The red water, which appeared to be steaming, was actually cold. It felt quite pleasant to the touch, as refreshing as drinking an ice-cold soda in the heat of summer. She dipped her entire hand into it, finding the sensation increasingly comfortable. It even felt somewhat familiar—yes, it was just like the feeling of consuming a Nine-Petal Epiphyllum.

Just as she was beginning to enjoy it, the bubbles in the water grew larger, and a gurgling sound erupted as if something was about to emerge. Before she could even think to run, Xuanyuan Tunhan grabbed her and retreated rapidly, pulling her behind him to shield her completely.

The gurgling grew louder. Driven by curiosity, Ning Xianyu tried to peek, but the wide sleeve of Xuanyuan Tunhan’s robe blocked her view entirely.

The spring water splashed outward, and two objects flew out from within. They struck the ceiling, ricocheted to the side, and finally landed on the ground. Immediately after, coughing sounds filled the air.

People?

Ning Xianyu peeked again and realized it was indeed two people—and familiar ones at that.

"Yi Tianling? Su Yun'er?"

How did they end up here? And what an entrance!

The two coughed, sputtering out water, and began to scan their surroundings until their eyes landed on them. "Senior Xuanyuan? Senior Ning? How are you here?"

Ning Xianyu looked at the pair and felt they seemed different.

The system piped up: [Of course they’re different. Both of them have had their souls purified, and their cultivation is much more refined. They’ll likely advance to the next stage once they leave this space.]

Ning Xianyu was overcome with jealousy. [Why is it so easy for them to improve their cultivation? You're a system too, look at them...]

[The Great Demon King boosted you from Qi Refining to Yuan Ying—what more could you want? You’re already advancing at rocket speed!] The system felt its host was becoming increasingly greedy.

Ning Xianyu pondered this and admitted it was true, but that didn't stop the envy from stinging.

Yi Tianling and Su Yun'er approached, asking in astonishment where they were and what had happened. Xuanyuan Tunhan naturally wouldn't answer them, so Ning Xianyu stepped in to give a brief summary, conveniently omitting the part about needing a human sacrifice. She claimed that Nian Laisheng held a grudge against Xuanyuan Tunhan and was seeking revenge.

"How despicable," Yi Tianling said indignantly. "Even if there's a grudge, how could they do something like this?" He argued that if there were a feud, one should challenge their opponent openly rather than using such underhanded methods to imprison them.

Su Yun'er was equally furious. "I never expected Master Nian of the Ten Directions Mountain to be such a person." Everyone spoke of the two masters of Ten Directions Mountain as being detached from worldly concerns and refined, yet they were actually such spiteful, treacherous villains.

Yi Tianling hadn't expected a figure like the Ancestor Xuanyuan to have such enemies either. He looked around and asked, "How do we get out?"

Xuanyuan Tunhan didn't answer, instead asking, "How did you two get here?"

Ning Xianyu was also curious. Yi Tianling looked troubled, pausing before he spoke. "We were following behind, but we lost track and took a wrong turn. We ended up in a strange place, fell into a lake, and then we arrived here."

The explanation was too simple; it was obvious they had skipped over some very important details.

"Do you remember the way back?" Xuanyuan Tunhan asked. "Can you go back through there?"

Yi Tianling said it was impossible; the path had been sealed. It was precisely because it was sealed and they couldn't get out that they had searched for an underwater route.

[They must have done something,] the system remarked. [Perhaps they took that stone.]

[So,] Ning Xianyu mused, [if they hadn't taken the stone, we could have actually left through there?]

[Yes,] the system replied, [but if they hadn't taken the stone, they wouldn't have come here, and you would never have known there was a path underwater.]

So, it was a paradox. Regardless of whether Yi Tianling had taken the stone, they were still trapped.

Ning Xianyu countered, [The Great Demon King asked me to touch the spring water earlier because he likely knew there was a path underneath and wanted to test it. But now the path is gone.]

[I have to say, the male lead really is the bane of the Great Demon King. Look, he just "banned" the exit out of existence.]

The system chuckled, having realized the same thing. Xuanyuan Tunhan cast a cold, sharp glance at Yi Tianling, clearly wondering if the boy was indeed his nemesis.

But dwelling on that was useless; finding a way out was the priority. Since the spring water route was blocked, they had to look elsewhere. Xuanyuan Tunhan began to feel around the perimeter, searching for a weak point. Yi Tianling and Su Yun'er sat down to meditate for a moment before joining the search.

Ning Xianyu, unable to contribute, wandered aimlessly. Seeing nothing, she crouched by the geothermal spring. The water was truly pleasant to the touch. She found a large jar in her storage bag, filled it with the water, and tucked it away, thinking it would be nice for a bath later.

Just then, she felt that little red stone figure appear again, jumping around her and crying out for water.

Ning Xianyu thought, *How am I supposed to give it to you?* She started to wonder if she was suffering from schizophrenia—why else would she keep seeing this little red figure? Did it live inside her? The system couldn't explain it either, suggesting they check it out when they had time.

The little figure was so persistent and annoying that Ning Xianyu scooped up some water, thinking, *If I give it to you like this, will you come out and take it?*

The figure mimicked the action of taking a bath, and Ning Xianyu sighed in frustration. Surely it didn't want her to jump in?

The figure nodded emphatically.

*What a brat, so many demands.* She had no intention of jumping in.

But the moment the thought crossed her mind, she felt a sudden heaviness, and with a splash, she tumbled straight into the geothermal spring.