The Eight Empresses Betrayed Me, Only to Deeply Regret It After Being Reborn

“Lu Ye ascended?”

Jiang Die was momentarily stunned upon receiving the news.
She carefully examined the content, scrutinizing every word again and again.
“Impossible. I deployed strong cultivators at every ascension point. If Lu Ye had ascended, he would’ve been captured the moment he arrived.”

“Unless… he used an irregular path to enter the Second Heaven.”
No trace.
There was absolutely no trace of Lu Ye in the Second Heaven.

Jiang Die recalled the way Lu Ye had once stared at her from the shadows—eyes cold, as if looking at a corpse—and she couldn't help but shiver, goosebumps erupting all over her body.
“Deploy more people. I want him found, no matter what. Find out where he is!”
Jiang Die was beginning to unravel.

“At the same time, monitor everyone related to Lu Ye. The moment any of them ascends to the Second Heaven, capture and bring them to me immediately!”
Lu Ye had completely vanished.
No one knew where he had gone.

Both the Buddhist sects and the forces of the Netherworld had returned from the void. The surviving experts of the foreign races were also starting to come back.
One month later, Liu Changfeng held his Dao Companion Ceremony as scheduled.
The entire Great Wilderness came to celebrate.

Lu Ye couldn't resist and sent Liu Changfeng a generous wedding gift—
A cultivation technique.
Its name: The Heaven-Penetrating Scripture of the Great Dao.

It even came with a full set of accompanying divine abilities.
In addition, Lu Ye warned Liu Changfeng that cultivators of the Tribulation Crossing Realm in Grand Dao Sect should avoid attempting tribulations in the near future.
Wait for a while—it would be better that way.
“If you ever face a true calamity that threatens to destroy the sect, crush this Thousand-Mile Stone. I will know.”

“Understood.”
Lu Ye looked at Liu Changfeng, his eyes tinged with a warm smile.
Just like in his previous life, when Liu Changfeng had once congratulated him.

“Be happy.”
Liu Changfeng fell silent.
He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but in Lu Ye’s words, he sensed a profound heaviness.

“You too—be happy,” Liu Changfeng replied.
Lu Ye couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, me? Forget it…”
“Farewell.”

That heaviness turned into relief.
Happiness or not… how boring.
Lu Ye left Grand Dao Sect. His karmic ties to the sect were nearly severed.

The sect had stood firmly by him, and in return, he had left behind his methods of artifact refinement, pill refinement, formations, and talismans.
And now, The Heaven-Penetrating Scripture of the Great Dao.
It was enough.

More than enough.
Time passed like a fleeting white horse crossing a gap.
Bai Qiulan had reached the ninth layer of Tribulation Crossing. The other three women were also advancing at astonishing speeds.

Yue Hongling was stunned.
Because she had helped Bai Qiulan endure the pain the most times, each session left her struggling alone between agony and brief moments of clarity.
It was undeniable—she had begun to develop a faint fear deep within her heart.

But in that same environment, her cultivation progressed the fastest. She was only a step away from entering the Tribulation Crossing Realm. She might even break through today.
Chu Ling had begun to cultivate the power of Supreme Yin from the peak of the Spirit Fusion Realm. Although she hadn’t endured as much pain as Yue Hongling, her cultivation had also reached the peak of the Unity Realm.
Shangguan Huanling was at the sixth layer of the Unity Realm. Every time she suffered through the pain of Supreme Yin Poison, it took her a long time to recover. Even though her Origin-Swallowing Scripture absorbed the power of Supreme Yin better than the other two...

Her endurance was just too weak.
Bai Qiulan had no intention of recklessly attempting tribulation. If she succeeded in ascending, the only one waiting for her in the Second Heaven would be Jiang Die. And given Jiang Die’s personality, there was a 99% chance she wouldn't help absorb the power of Supreme Yin.
Which meant Bai Qiulan would have to take Yue Hongling and the others with her.

But… it was just so slow.
Two full years passed.
Except for Shangguan Huanling, Yue Hongling and Chu Ling had both reached the ninth layer of Tribulation Crossing.

Bai Qiulan finally understood what Lu Ye must have felt.
Clearly capable of ascending at any moment… and yet having to wait.
“Should we ascend now?” Yue Hongling asked.

“No! I haven’t reached the ninth layer of Tribulation Crossing yet!” Shangguan Huanling blurted out.
“You’ve been stuck for so long, and you're only at the fourth layer. It’ll be forever before you reach the ninth. If we wait for you, we’ll be old and gray. By then, Senior Brother might already be in the Third Heaven,” Yue Hongling rolled her eyes.
“But… we’re allies! We don’t abandon or give up on each other! If Sister Bai ascends and the rest of you follow, what am I supposed to do?” Shangguan Huanling said, clearly panicking.

The three of them turned to look at her.
“You’re the one cultivating slowly. What do you want us to do? We can’t go rob others of their spirit treasures for your sake, can we?” Yue Hongling retorted.
Shangguan Huanling…

“You can’t be serious. You all promised me back when I saved Chu Ling—you haven’t fulfilled that promise yet…”
“Now that all our enemies are dead, where do you expect us to find treasures for you? What, do you want us to steal from our own allies?” Yue Hongling was visibly irritated.
Lately, for some unknown reason, she was constantly irritable—snapping at anyone and everyone.

“But you promised…”
Shangguan Huanling looked toward Chu Ling.
Others might still feel shame about betraying an ally.

But Chu Ling? That was practically her specialty—she might even get a buff for doing it.
Chu Ling slammed her palm on the table.
“What’s with that look? I already swore to the young lord—I’ll never betray my teammates again!”

“When did you swear that?” Shangguan Huanling blinked. She had a decent memory and was pretty sure Chu Ling had never even spoken to Lu Ye.
“I swore it in my heart, okay?!”
“But I saved your life…” Shangguan Huanling pleaded.

She really didn’t want to be left behind, watching all of them ascend while she remained below. What would be the point?
No family.
No lover.

No friends.
Chu Ling’s expression stiffened.
A life-saving debt…

Chu Ling may have a fondness for backstabbing, but she hadn’t forgotten that debt to Shangguan Huanling.
Now that she’d brought it up—
Chu Ling couldn’t just ignore it.

“Fine, we’ll bring you with us when we ascend. You’re only a few realms behind. I’ll go find you a spirit treasure,” Chu Ling said.
“Where are you even going to look?” Shangguan Huanling asked.
Chu Ling waved her hand.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll definitely find one. Let’s make a deal—once I help you reach the ninth layer of Tribulation Crossing, we’re even. Your debt is paid. Deal?”
Shangguan Huanling nodded vigorously.
She wanted to find Lu Ye again. She wanted him to know—

That she had once again cultivated the Path of Sentiment, that she had fallen in love with ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) him all over again!
That she was no longer someone who betrayed love!
Chu Ling, meanwhile, had already begun to consider…

Which faction to target?
The Buddhists?
No good. Too many tricks. Too many strong cultivators.

The Netherworld?
Also no good. They still retained most of their strength.
Grand Dao Sect? They didn’t guard against her much—but no, that wouldn’t do.

Got it!
Calamity Sect.
They’d once made an enemy of her Senior Brother. They were all body cultivators, simple and straightforward. Though they were on good terms with Grand Dao Sect now, that was only because they feared the latter’s strength.

We’ll go with Calamity Sect.
Not a betrayal!