Two days later.
Xu clan estate.
Yang Cheng didn't alert the rest of the Xu clan. Together with Li Xiang, he slipped quietly into Xu Qingxue's room.
On the bed, Xu Qingxue was nothing but skin and bones, tortured until she was hardly recognizable.
"Miss, look who has come," Li Xiang said, eyes red with tears.
Xu Qingxue weakly lifted her head. When she saw Yang Cheng, her trembling hands hurriedly pulled the quilt up to cover her face.
"Your Highness… please, could you leave?" Her voice carried a sobbing note.
"Why?" Yang Cheng asked.
Before he came, he had thought he felt nothing for Xu Qingxue. No matter what state she was in, she wouldn't move him.
But now, seeing this once peerless beauty reduced to such misery, a faint tremor stirred his heart.
From the beginning, Xu Qingxue could have compromised with Su Lingchen. At worst, she would have been a servant for a short while, with no great loss.
Yet she refused without hesitation.
Later, when Su Lingchen changed his mind and wanted her to remain a servant forever, many other women would likely have accepted with joy.
She still refused.
Even after being struck with the Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger, and with so many days passing, she never went to Su Lingchen to beg for mercy.
All of this for one reason—because she considered herself his, Yang Cheng's, servant.
"Now I'm far too ugly," Xu Qingxue pleaded. "I don't want Your Highness to see me like this."
"A person's beauty or ugliness never lies in their face, but in their soul," Yang Cheng said. "Xu Qingxue, as you are now, you are truly beautiful."
His words stunned both Li Xiang and Xu Qingxue.
"Li Xiang, go out and tell the others—no one is allowed to enter today," Yang Cheng ordered. "Also, have someone deliver this to Su Lingchen: tomorrow I will go to Old Yin Mountain. Tell him to wash his neck and wait for me."
Li Xiang snapped out of her daze, startled. "Your Highness, how should I deliver the message?"
"Exactly as I said. Not a single word different," Yang Cheng replied.
In his heart, Su Lingchen had truly provoked his anger.
"Your Highness, you mustn't! You can't act recklessly on my account. Su Lingchen is a peak Martial Sovereign…" Xu Qingxue said anxiously.
"Peak Martial Sovereign? So what if he is?" Yang Cheng answered calmly.
Li Xiang couldn't help but add, "Miss, don't worry. Since His Highness dares to say this, he must have the strength to back it up."
She had seen Yang Cheng swallow heavenly thunder at Divine Medicine Valley, and witnessed the frenzy of Yu Qiuyue and the others. That alone was proof enough.
At the very least, His Highness absolutely wasn't afraid of Su Lingchen.
Xu Qingxue wanted to speak again, but Li Xiang was already walking out.
Seeing that it was decided, Xu Qingxue could only say, "Your Highness, please don't feel burdened. I didn't endure all this to force anything from you. It's just my nature."
Yang Cheng fell briefly silent.
This woman, broken down to this state, still thought of comforting him, not wanting to weigh on his heart.
"Perhaps it's better this way. Someone like you is destined to shine across the heavens. Countless women will throw themselves at you like moths to a flame," Xu Qingxue said softly. "I don't expect to be special to you. But if this leaves even the smallest mark in your heart, then I'm fortunate.
It's good. At least I finally got to see you one last time. Now I have no regrets."
Yang Cheng's gaze grew complicated. "You suffered all this pain, held on so long… just to see me one last time?"
"Does Your Highness think I'm childish?" Xu Qingxue asked.
Yang Cheng sighed. "Xu Qingxue."
"Hm?" She peeked out from under the quilt with her eyes.
"Don't worry. Since I'm here, you'll be fine."
Xu Qingxue stared at him in stunned silence.
"Close your eyes and sleep. Think of it as just a nightmare. When you wake, everything will be back to normal," Yang Cheng said.
Before Xu Qingxue could respond, Yang Cheng's eyes suddenly changed.
Within them appeared not one, but two pairs of black pupils.
Supreme Dual Pupils!
Yang Cheng had activated the Supreme Dual Pupils.
Under these eyes, Su Lingchen's Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger could not hide at all.
At the same time, a powerful wave of mental comfort washed over Xu Qingxue.
For nearly 80 days, Xu Qingxue had been unable to sleep, tormented every single moment.
Now, for the first time, she felt true exhaustion. Her eyes closed on their own, and she sank into sleep.
"Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger… what a vicious, cruel technique."
The more Yang Cheng observed with the Supreme Dual Pupils, the more furious he became.
This method inflicted pain worse than being gnawed alive by ten thousand ants every single day.
He couldn't even imagine how Xu Qingxue had endured.
Outside.
Li Xiang repeated Yang Cheng's words to the Xu clan members.
Everyone was stunned.
"We're really going to pass on those words?"
"If Su Lingchen hears them, he will definitely fly into a rage."
Their hearts trembled in fear.
"Perhaps that is exactly His Highness's plan—to provoke Su Lingchen into rage," Xu Wanhui reasoned. "When someone loses themselves in anger, they become careless, exposing flaws."
"So that's it."
Everyone breathed easier.
They guessed at countless reasons, but not a single one of them believed Yang Cheng truly intended to challenge Su Lingchen head-on.
Meanwhile.
The world was thrown into chaos.
Because an earth-shaking message had suddenly spread from the Xu clan.
"Su Lingchen, tomorrow I will come to Old Yin Mountain. Wash your neck and wait for me."
The Xu clan, following Yang Cheng's command, spread his words exactly as they were.
"The Crown Prince of Great Zhou, Yang Cheng, has finally appeared."
"He's at the Xu clan, and had them declare that tomorrow he will go to Old Yin Mountain, telling Su Lingchen to wash his neck and wait!"
"Hiss… is Yang Cheng seeking death?"
Countless martial artists boiled with excitement.
The next day came in a flash.
At Old Yin Mountain, crowds of martial artists gathered.
"Forget Su Lingchen—even Lin Zhuang is not someone Yang Cheng could ever defeat." Fang Wunian sneered.
"It seems Yang Cheng lost his mind over Xu Qingxue. Honestly, Su Lingchen went too far this time," Huang Yu sighed.
"With this, there's no way Su Lingchen will ever accept Yang Cheng as his disciple now," Ouyang Xue said with some regret.
At the Xu clan in Chanzhou.
Yang Cheng's eyes had already returned to normal.
On the bed, Xu Qingxue's appearance was restored, and even more breathtaking than before.
Her hair and pupils had turned violet.
Through the torment of the Nine-Nine Thunder Origin Finger, her body had been transformed into a Lightning Spirit Body.
And while healing her, Yang Cheng had guided her qi along the path of the Great Thunderous Sound Breathing Technique.
By now, this breathing art was ingrained deep into Xu Qingxue's subconscious.
"What… what is this?"
Xu Qingxue awoke slowly, confusion clouding her face.
"Xu Qingxue, the nightmare is over. Everything is back to normal," Yang Cheng said.
Xu Qingxue's eyes widened in shock. She felt her body free of pain, filled instead with an overwhelming sense of strength.
A mirror stood across from her bed.
When Xu Qingxue caught sight of her own reflection, she froze in disbelief.