Following Qing Xian's lead, the group entered the eighteenth level of hell.
"Qing You, do you still refuse to repent?" she said coldly. "If you admit your mistake, I'll let you go!"
Qing You shook her head. "Master, please stop. I will not admit to any wrongdoing!"
"Very good!" Qing Xian sneered. "You may not know it, but Yun Fan is already dead by my hand!"
Qing You was visibly shaken. "That's absolutely impossible! You only left me less than half a day ago. You couldn't have found him!" She refused to believe it.
Qing Xian continued, "Half a day ago, he came to find you and battled me. He died by my hand!"
At this, Qing You despaired, tears streaming down her face. She knew Yun Fan was no match for her master. It was entirely possible he had been killed by her.
"Do you admit your mistake now?" The others also hoped Qing You would confess. After all, with Yun Fan dead, if she admitted her mistake, the Qing Xian clan would gain another Immortal Emperor. With such a powerful individual, who could contend with the Qing Xian clan for dominance of the universe, aside from the Lord of the Universe?
Qing You sobbed, "If he is dead, then I will die with him!"
"So be it!" Qing Xian snarled in anger, exasperated that Qing You still refused to repent.
"Before I die, may I see his body one last time?" Qing You asked.
"No!" Qing Xian stated flatly. "I pulverized him into ashes!"
"I understand!" Qing You said blankly. "Then, proceed."
"Die!" As Qing Xian unleashed lightning and flames, Qing You was engulfed in fire and, before everyone's eyes, turned to ash.
...
After an unknown period, Qing You suddenly opened her eyes. "I'm not dead?" Her face showed utter shock. By all accounts, she should have perished. Yet, she was alive.
Struggling to sit up, she saw Yun Fan lying beside her.
"Husband!" Qing You wept, overjoyed to see Yun Fan again.
"Who are you crying for? He's not dead!" Qing Xian said, walking over slowly.
"Master!" Qing You looked at her in disbelief, wondering what her master had done. In truth, both her death and Yun Fan's were fabrications by Qing Xian. As ruthless as Qing Xian could be, while she might have killed Yun Fan, she would never kill her own daughter.
Qing Xian said to Qing You, "He will wake up soon. Since you are so devoted to each other, I will fulfill your wish!"
"Thank you, Master!" Qing You said gratefully.
"Don't thank me yet!" Qing Xian continued. "From this moment on, in the eyes of the world, both you and he are dead!"
"Yes, yes!" Qing You nodded eagerly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
Qing Xian then added, "I don't understand why you are so devoted to him. No one from the Zhan Tian clan is any good!"
"What do you mean?" Qing You asked, puzzled.
"Because I was abandoned by the Zhan Tian clan, I don't want you to suffer the same fate. Abandoning one's wife and child is a characteristic of the Zhan Tian clan!"
Qing You was stunned. "But I believe my husband is definitely not that kind of person!" she defended Yun Fan.
"They are all birds of a feather. While he might lay down his life for you now, if the Zhan Tian clan faces hardship in the future, he will be the first to abandon you!"
Qing You replied, "I still don't believe it!"
Indeed, in Qing Xian's eyes, Yun Fan was different. Even without his memories, he remembered to save Qing You. Such instances were rare, which was why she spared Yun Fan. Of course, the greater reason was her daughter. She didn't want Qing You to become useless after losing Yun Fan. Otherwise, given her hatred for the Zhan Tian clan, she would have killed Yun Fan long ago.
Qing Xian then asked, "Do you know why I'm granting your wish?"
"No," Qing You replied, confused.
Qing Xian said, "Because you are my daughter!"
"What?" Qing You was dazed. She had asked Qing Xian about her parents when she was very young, but Qing Xian had always brushed her off with excuses. Further questioning would result in a beating. She had even tried to investigate her own origins, but her master's punishment was inevitable. She had grown up under her master's harsh discipline.
Qing Xian continued, "Your father is Jun Wu Hen, the first commander of the Zhan Tian clan. He was the right-hand man of the strongest warrior!"
"What?" Qing You was dumbfounded.
"But why don't I have Zhan Tian power?" Qing Xian asked, perplexed. If she were truly Jun Wu Hen's daughter, she would possess Zhan Tian power. While it might not be as formidable as Yun Fan's, it would still be significant.
Qing Xian explained, "Because I extracted your Zhan Tian power!" She continued, "After the Zhan Tian clan left, anyone with Zhan Tian power would surely be killed by the Lord of the Universe. To protect you, I removed your Zhan Tian power!"
"So that's how it is!" After a long pause, Qing You finally called out, "Mother!"
Qing Xian shivered. "Don't be so sentimental. I don't have a disobedient daughter like you!" Qing You secretly rejoiced. She knew her mother was someone who was outwardly stern but inwardly soft. This reaction was not surprising.
Qing Xian then said, "Jun Wu Hen abandoned both of us, which is why I hate the Zhan Tian clan so much and joined the Lord of the Universe!"
"Mother, then my father..."
"Hmm?" Seeing Qing Xian's displeased look, Qing You quickly changed her words. "Mother, did that old scoundrel Jun Wu Hen also leave the universe?"
"No!" Qing Xian replied. "He stayed behind to cover the retreat back then, so I'm certain he likely hasn't left the universe!" Qing You was shocked.
Qing Xian added, "He stayed in the universe for ten thousand years and never came to see me. He's the biggest scumbag. Do you still think the Zhan Tian clan is good?"
Qing You gazed adoringly at Yun Fan. "He's different from others!"
"Pah!" Qing Xian spat. "A complete scumbag, and you treat him like a treasure!" She then issued a strict command to Qing You. "When he wakes up, take him and get lost! I don't want to see either of you anymore!"
"Yes!" Qing You was extremely excited. Qing Xian handed the lotus platform to Qing You and said, "Also, he didn't come just for you. There's this thing, and it's likely more important to him than you are!" Qing Xian was truly a master of psychological warfare, not missing a chance to undermine her own daughter. But Qing You was unfazed, knowing her mother's personality. She accepted the lotus platform. When she turned around, Qing Xian had vanished. However, before disappearing, she left behind many spiritual materials and treasures for Qing You.
"Mother, thank you!" Qing You said gratefully. She wasn't thanking her for the materials and treasures, but for her mother's thoughtful efforts, knowing the immense pressure she and Yun Fan would face in the future.
Just then, Yun Fan awoke. "Cough, cough, cough!" Yun Fan coughed repeatedly. Qing You's heart fluttered with joy. Just as she was about to ask if he was alright, Yun Fan blurted out, "Beautiful lady, who are you?" Qing You froze, utterly speechless.