Even though he had no facial features, Shen Mo felt a chill run down his spine, as if his very soul had been seen through.
"Shhh."
The man put his index finger to his mouth and seemed to chuckle.
"This is my first time planting flowers, please excuse my poor skills."
It was a brief meeting, but Shen Mo suddenly understood the meaning of that sentence.
—One flower, one world; one tree, one Bodhi [Note 1].
The world they live in may be just a book, a flower, or even a grain of sand to people on another level.
Chapter Sixty: The warmth of a thousand homes is less important than his single return…
It was that brief meeting that made Shen Mo realize that there was an even more powerful being above the Heavenly Dao. He couldn't tell whether it was his interference or the rules he set. In any case, His authority was taken back in each transformation. By the time He discovered Shen Mo's purpose, He could no longer use His authority to force Shen Mo to his death.
"When Zuo Shu came back before, she told me about the changes in Mount Li. I guess that it was because the senior was trying to break through to the third level of the Tribulation Transcendence." Shen Mo said it was a guess, but his tone was full of confidence.
The Demon Lord did not hide this fact: "Indeed."
"The reason why the senior has been unable to break through the third level of the Tribulation Transcending Realm is all because of His design and planning." Shen Mo sighed. "Neither Fen Qi nor Zhou Donghan have been able to break through again after reaching the top."
"I had long suspected that there was something wrong with my inability to break through for so long, but I always thought it was due to old injuries. But... ha..." The Demon Lord laughed self-deprecatingly, her desolation indescribable. All the ups and downs of her life had become a joke today.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, all her vulnerability had vanished, leaving only the sharp edge of a drawn blade.
How confident are you about your plan?
She asked.
"Sixty percent."
Shen Mo came to see the Demon Lord today with the intention of bringing her into his plan, but even so, he did not lie to the Demon Lord.
"Sixty percent is enough." The Demon Lord flicked her sleeve and instantly appeared before the two. She naturally knew that Shen Mo had brought her into the plan because he needed her help, so she asked directly, "What do you need me to do?"
Having achieved his goal, Shen Mo didn't stand on ceremony with her and directly stated his purpose.
He has now successfully persuaded the Eastern and Northern Continents, leaving only the most troublesome Western Continent. Even if the demonic sects, led by the Chen Sect, are willing to submit, there are still some who are unwilling to accept the terms, preferring to fight to the death rather than agree to the conditions.
Shen Mo didn't want to cause too many unnecessary sacrifices, so he wanted to ask the Demon Lord to help him "persuade" those "tough nuts to crack".
This was easy for the Demon Lord, because she had done it once before.
"Three days."
The Demon Lord left without a moment's hesitation after uttering those words.
This decisive and efficient Demon Lord is just like the spirited Demon Lord in Shen Mo's memory; perhaps this is the kind of Demon Lord she should be.
After all, both love and hate can give people a new lease on life.
With the Demon Lord's matter resolved, the next step is an even more troublesome issue.
Shen Mo looked at Qin Moyu, who had somehow walked to the corner.
Qin Moyu stood in the corner, idly manipulating the Red Lotus Karmic Fire with his fingers, the eerie blue light illuminating his profile, making him appear calm and melancholic.
He was not interested in how Shen Mo would reclaim Xizhou, nor did he know how to treat Shen Mo.
Rationally, he knew that Shen Mo was a complete stranger to him, and even if he had schemed against him, he had not really hurt him. His master's death had nothing to do with him, and it was only natural that Shen Yebai was a fragment of his soul that had merged with his own.
However, he couldn't calmly deal with Shen Mo emotionally. Whenever he saw Shen Mo, he couldn't help but think of Shen Yebai and his master's death.
Shen Mo walked up to Qin Moyu without her noticing, and hesitated for a long time before deciding how to speak.
Let's go.
Qin Moyu broke the silence first, turning her head away to refuse further communication. Shen Mo could only helplessly summon his flying sword.
They stood on the sword, the atmosphere even more tense than before.
To ease the tension, Shen Mo could only try to find a topic: "Speaking of which, you were the first person I ever took with me when I flew on my sword."
"Yeah."
Qin Moyu responded listlessly.
Is that not allowed?
Looking at Qin Moyu like this, Shen Mo felt a pang of sadness. He silently accelerated his flight to the outskirts of the imperial city and then slowly descended.
"Hmm?" This time it was Qin Moyu's turn to look at him with a puzzled expression.
"No rush to go back. I haven't seen the capital city in a long time either." Shen Mo glanced at the sky; the sun was setting, and the orange light enveloped the entire city.
The imperial city only has a curfew during special periods, and sometimes the night is even more lively and bustling than the day.
"It'll be very lively tonight," Shen Mo said softly, extending his hand to Qin Moyu.
Shen Mo knew that Qin Moyu liked lively places and crowded places.
Qin Moyu walked past Shen Mo and saw that some houses in the city had already lit lanterns at their doors, and there were many people moving around. She was somewhat tempted.