In the middle of the night, I dragged my body to my father’s quarters and saw that the light in his room was still on.

Julian’s voice came from inside.

“Although Queenie’s cultivation is gone, Wendy’s current strength is still far from enough to inherit the sect. Since Queenie is disabled now, her golden core is useless anyway. I plan to extract it and use it as a catalyst to enhance Wendy’s spiritual energy.”

My father’s expression changed. He was struggling to believe what he heard. “What did you say? Extracting Queenie’s golden core? You can’t do that. If you do that, she’ll never be able to use her spiritual energy again, and her lifespan will be drastically reduced.”

However, Julian looked determined. “Queenie was incredibly powerful. Her core will greatly improve Wendy’s cultivation. I have to do this for Wendy. Queenie still has me. I’m her fiancé. I won’t abandon her just because she has no spiritual energy. However, things are different for Wendy. She has nothing left.”

“Master, they are both your daughters. Queenie already has me. You can’t let Wendy be left with nothing.”

My father said nothing. His silence was his consent.

Every word they spoke pierced my heart like needles.

If they wanted me to go off the deep end, I would grant their wish.

I went to the sect’s forbidden grounds.

A thousand years ago, several great sects joined forces to defeat the Demon Lord. A remnant of his soul was sealed in the back mountain of Azurez Sect. Since then, the place had become a forbidden land.

Corroded by demonic energy year-round, nothing grew here. It was barren, lifeless, and desolate.

I walked to the altar that sealed the Demon Lord’s remnant soul and said calmly, “I need your power. Help me take revenge.”

A low, chilling voice echoed from deep within the altar. “Why should I help you?”

“This is your only chance to break free of the seal. Once I’ve taken my revenge, I’ll release you as agreed.”

The Demon Lord let out a scoff. “Aren’t you afraid that once I’m free, I’ll plunge the world into chaos and slaughter all beings?”

I replied indifferently, “It doesn’t matter. The world was never fair to begin with. Since everyone has betrayed me, I’ll tear it all down.”

The Demon Lord fell silent for a moment. Then, he accepted my offer.

A frigid demonic energy surged into my body, devouring my golden core. My spiritual energy faded bit by bit, replaced by a far more powerful demonic energy.

My pupils turned blood-red, then slowly returned to normal.

I had absorbed the Demon Lord’s power completely.

Azurez Sect prided itself on righteousness, yet its Sect Master could sacrifice his own daughter’s life.

There was no reason for the sect to continue existing.

The next day, Julian arrived right on time. After what I overheard the night before, I knew exactly why he had come.

Sure enough, after a few casual greetings, his expression darkened. He hesitated for a long while before finally speaking.

“Queenie, since you’ve decided to live down the mountain, the golden core in your body is no longer of any use. Why not remove it and become an ordinary woman? I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

By now, I had already fallen into demonic corruption. To me, the golden core no longer mattered.

However, Julian did not know my core had already been infused with demonic energy. If Wendy were to absorb it, the clash between spiritual and demonic energies would cause her body to explode.

Of course, I did not tell him any of this. I smiled faintly.

“You’re right. Since I’ve already lost my cultivation, that core doesn’t matter anymore.”

Julian had not expected me to agree so easily. After a moment of delight, a trace of unease flickered in his eyes.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered into my ear, “Don’t worry. Even without spiritual power, you’re still my fiancée. We can still live a good life together.”

I nodded as my plan for revenge quietly unfolded.

They dug out my golden core while I was still alive. However, I felt no sorrow—only excitement.

The moment Wendy took my core, her life would begin its countdown.

The succession ceremony was approaching.

However, I was no longer the one who would inherit the position. It was my younger sister, Wendy Yern.

Over the past few days, countless whispers reached my ears.

“Queenie Aasen had both talent and cultivation. Why was she replaced as Sect Leader?”

“You don’t know why? She went astray. Not only was her cultivation destroyed, but even her golden core was removed.”

“Really? With her level of power, how could she lose control like that? Seems like all that talk about her being ‘The Destined One’ was nonsense.”

“Exactly. Queenie is useless now, yet she still has the nerve to stay in Azurez Sect. She should go down the mountain and marry someone rather than cling to our senior. I heard he even lost an arm for her. No wonder people say she’s a jinx.”

Even the lowest-ranking disciples who worked as janitors in the sect gossiped about me behind my back. None of them remembered that I alone had defended the entire sect when the demons attacked.

Even after doing that, I was nothing to them now.

I pretended not to hear anything. The chatter outside the door went on endlessly until a familiar voice suddenly cut it off.

“Is Queenie someone you have the right to gossip about? You’re here spreading rumors instead of doing your work. Run a hundred laps along the mountain path, and don’t stop until you’re done!”

The junior disciples apologized and left.

Julian pushed the door open. When he saw me sitting on the bed reading, he immediately put on a stern expression.

“These disciples are getting more and more unruly. I’ve already punished them. Don’t take it to heart.”

Of course, I would not take the words of the dead to heart.

As for the matter of my going astray and ruining my cultivation, no one knew except him and my father. As for who had spread the rumor, it was not hard to guess.

He took my hand, looking at me with sincerity. “Once Wendy’s succession ceremony is over, I’ll take you to live in seclusion in the far mountains. Haven’t you always wanted a peaceful life? From now on, I’ll take care of you, all right?”

Before he even finished speaking, the door was pushed open again.

Wendy walked in, dressed in a dignified and elegant ceremonial gown. She spun once in place in front of us, then asked sweetly, “Julian, this is the dress I’ll wear at the ceremony. What do you think? Does it look good?”

I immediately recognized that the jade pendant at her waist belonged to Julian.

It was his mother’s pendant. He had once said he would give it to me as a token of our love on our wedding day, but now, it hung off another woman’s waist.

Julian’s attention was immediately drawn to Wendy. He let go of my hand and circled her, studying her for quite a while before curling his lips into a smile and nodding. “You’re beautiful. You’d look good in anything.”

This was what it looked like when someone truly loved another. Julian’s face displayed unhidden delight, genuine and effortless.

Compared to that, everything about how he treated me now felt deliberately staged.

Wendy came over to me with a bright smile and took my hand. “Sister, you look much better today. Can you get out of bed and walk a bit?”

Julian smiled and said, “Queenie is still very weak. She even needs me to help her eat.”

Wendy’s large, lively eyes flickered as she turned to Julian. “Julian, I’ve recently learned a new healing technique. It might be helpful to my sister.”

Julian’s face lit up with delight. “Really? Wendy, you’re really getting better.”

“Alright, now it’s time for just the two of us sisters. You can wait outside,” she said, pushing him toward the door.

Once she locked the door behind him, her expression changed instantly, replaced by smug satisfaction.

“What a pathetic sight, my dear sister.

“Since your cultivation is gone, you should’ve just died quietly. Why stay alive and burden Julian? He lost an arm because of you. I’ll never forgive you for that.”

I smirked.

“My apologies. I’m just too hard to kill. I didn’t die in the hands of those vengeful spirits as you hoped.”

Wendy let out a disdainful snort. “All you can do now is mock me. Didn’t you see how attentive Julian was to me? He even gave me your token of love. Don’t you understand who he truly loves?

“He schemed to make you go astray because of me. He even took out your golden core and gave it to me. Did you really think he’d go into seclusion with you? Don’t be ridiculous. The only person he has ever loved is me.

“Queenie, Father has given you everything all these years. The position of Sect Leader was yours, and so was Julian. You’ve had your turn. Now, it’s my time to shine.

I sneered deep down.

Wendy was introduced to everyone as my younger sister, but I knew she was nothing more than my father’s illegitimate child by a fox demon.

Before I could respond, Wendy spoke again, “Oh, right. Didn’t I mention I learned a bit of healing magic? Don’t you want to see it for yourself?”

As soon as Wendy finished speaking, a surge of spiritual energy burst from around her, surrounding me.

I could feel it tearing at my meridians, trying to cripple me.

However, the demonic energy within me was far beyond anything Wendy could control.

Sure enough, after only a moment, blood seeped from the corner of her lips. A powerful force hurled her backward, sending her crashing to the ground.

She stared at me in disbelief. “Impossible! Didn’t you lose all your cultivation? What is this energy?”

I scoffed, crouched in front of her, and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes.

“I’ll repay everything you’ve done to me and then some!”

Overwhelmed by my aura, Wendy froze on the spot.

Hearing the commotion, Julian rushed into the room and saw the scene before him.

Fury flashed across his face. He shoved me aside and hurried to pick Wendy up.

“Wendy, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Eyes reddened, she threw herself into his arms, looking utterly aggrieved. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I just wanted to heal my sister, but I didn’t expect…

“I know I have a disgraceful background and that I’m not worthy of becoming Sect Leader, but… but…”

Hearing her cries, my father rushed in as well. Seeing Wendy weeping pitifully in Julian’s arms, he did not even bother asking what had happened before lashing out at me.

“Queenie! Do you think Wendy wanted this position? She only stepped in because you were incapable of inheriting it! Instead of being grateful, you attacked her!

“What’s the point of you cultivating for years?”

The look Julian gave me as he comforted Wendy was filled with resentment.

“Queenie, you didn’t use to be like this. When did you become so cruel? You won’t even spare your own sister?”

I sneered. “Cruel? No matter how cruel I am, I could never be as ruthless as the two of you.”

I turned to my father. “Even a tiger wouldn’t eat his own cubs. How are you going to answer my mother when you meet her in the afterlife?”

“I’m so disappointed in you!” My father’s face flushed with anger. Leaving those words behind, he flicked his sleeve and stormed off.

Julian did not spare me another glance. Carrying the injured Wendy, he left my chambers.

The demonic energy inside me churned violently. I closed my eyes and forcibly suppressed it.

Not yet. It was not time yet.

Three days. In three more days at most, I would reduce this place to ruins.

It was almost time for the succession ceremony.

Sect after sect came in to wish Wendy.

Dressed in a black robe, I slipped quietly into the crowd.

Suddenly, someone yanked off my hood from behind.

“Well, well. Isn’t this our former heir to the Sect Leader position?”

He deliberately emphasized the word ‘former’, his eyes full of mockery.

He was nothing more than a lowly disciple. In the past, he would not have even dared meet my gaze.

However, now that my cultivation was gone and I had become useless, they had all grown bold enough to provoke me openly.

“Today is Wendy’s succession ceremony. What are you doing here? Get out of here already! Don’t show yourself in front of Wendy.”

The others chimed in, belittling me until I was worth nothing.

To me, they were already no different from the dead.

My pupils, corroded by demonic energy, turned a vivid crimson.

The suppressed demonic energy within me exploded outward in an instant, a terrifying force shooting straight into the sky.

Blood dyed the entire mountain red before everyone around me could realize what had happened.

As the ceremony began, I appeared before the Gate to Heaven, staring coldly at the lively scene above.

Step by step, I ascended the mountain peak. The stone stairs beneath my feet crumbled into dust with each step I took.