Upon hearing the word "Gate," a subtle change flickered across Baili An’s expression. The Female Demon Lord caught this shift and her gaze darkened slightly, choosing to remain silent. Without the command of their strategist and with the suppression by Demon General Zangxin wielding the Prison Law, the once-cohesive Manxie army had dispersed into disarray, devoid of any strength to fight back. The swarm of Manxie soldiers that surged atop the city walls soon crumbled under the one-sided slaughter, their blood staining the ramparts; compelled by their overpowering will to survive, they scattered like birds fleeing from the nest. Zangxin led his troops in an all-out assault, cutting down the enemies without hesitation. With the opposing army in chaos and on the run, Ning Feiyan felt a swift release from the pressure. After clearing the surroundings of the battlefield, she casually tossed aside the deadly City Slaughter Weapon, now reverted to its unassuming form of a square iron box, hovering above the city platform. She leaned wearily against the wall, her palm prickling with pain. Lifting her sleeve revealed the remnants of the ominous energy from the Tianji Umbrella etched in grey woody marks around her wrist. Her brow furrowed slightly; truly, the Tianji Umbrella was full of cunning and deceit. Down below, the Female Demon Lord huffed indifferently and grabbed Baili An’s arm. With a flash, they were upon the wall, casting a cool glance at the iron box. Ning Feiyan’s gaze lowered with utmost respect as she greeted, "I humbly welcome Your Highness back to the city." The Female Demon Lord paid her no heed, offering the box only a frigid glance; her pitch-black eyes bore a cold light as she looked at Baili An, her face tinged with a faint smile. "River Lord Si Chen is truly talented. You’ve only been to Tiangong City with me once, and I’ve only shown you the Tianji Umbrella one time, yet you have mastered it so thoroughly. Using my secret weapon has made it known throughout the city. I am quite gratified and impressed." Ever since Baili An had come to the Demon World, the Female Demon Lord had always been amiable. She had never spoken with such a sarcastic tone. Though her smile was as warm as the spring breeze, Ning Feiyan’s keen intuition still detected the pent-up fury and malice lurking within the Demon Lord. Ning Feiyan quickly spoke up, "Your Highness, the Manxie clan rebelled aggressively and fiercely. The Imperial City of Mo City suffered consecutive defeats, and their army pressed towards the Netherworld Palace, intending to seize the Dragon Vein to empower the Malevolent Spirit to ravage the realm. Outnumbered, River Lord Si Chen, in desperation, had no choice but to use Your Highness’s secret weapon to defend against the enemy, and I hope Your Highness..." With a cold sidelong glance, the Female Demon Lord’s eyes filled with chilling frost. "Do you think I am angry because he touched something he shouldn’t have?" Ning Feiyan bowed her head even lower as if frightened. "I dare not presume." Mocking her with a cold laugh, the Female Demon Lord summoned the iron box. The quiet display of her Demon Essence was a stark testament to her heinous acts. Nonetheless, the Female Demon Lord nonchalantly twirled the box in her hand, exhibiting no reverence for her father’s Demon Essence; her expression was indifferent. "It’s just a trinket, after all. In the Demon World, there’s nothing he can’t touch." "Yet, I wonder whether River Lord Si Chen drew the Tianji Umbrella truly intending to defend the city for me, or if he wished to destroy this city along with the Manxie army?" Baili An remained silent, and the Female Demon Lord’s smile grew more joyous. Finally, she addressed Ning Feiyan directly, "River Lord Ning just mentioned the Manxie’s rebellion and their push toward the Netherworld Palace to claim the Dragon Vein. Would you take a good look at what state my Netherworld Palace is in now?" A shiver ran through Ning Feiyan’s heart as she turned and gazed into the distance. The vast Imperial City of Mo City was ablaze with war; most palaces had been affected by the energy released from the Tianji Umbrella during this battle, reduced to a ruinous state akin to that of the war chariots. Notably, the Netherworld Palace, where the Demon Lord resided, bore the brunt of the damage, along with the Shangyi Bureau and the Astrology Department, all destroyed in this calamity. With the wedding imminent, these institutions in the Capital were chiefly responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the marriage ceremony and for preparing the King’s Ceremony Clothes and the Emperor’s Crown for the Royal Consort. Now, the impact of the Tianji Umbrella had left them in utter ruin. The Netherworld Palace, designated as the nuptial chamber for the consummation of the marriage, was destroyed. As a consequence, the hastily planned marriage ceremony was now in disarray, requiring a complete reconstruction of the four ceremonial institutes of the Netherworld Palace. With such devastation at hand, the wedding set for ten days hence seemed impossible; perhaps, even half a year would not suffice to fully prepare and rebuild. Ning Feiyan had not anticipated Baili An to take such a bold stance, rebuffing the impending marriage so flagrantly under the guise of war. The longevity jade had been taken by Baili under coercion and deceit from the Demon Lord, and the wedding date was unilaterally set by her, leveraging the lives of people like Wen Hanwei to force him to acquiesce to her decision. But even the Demon Lord herself might not have expected him to express his resolve and determination in such a way. To the Demon Lord, this display was even more unacceptable than a straightforward refusal of marriage. In this darkening sky, the Female Demon Lord turned her face, her features saturated with darkness, looking at Baili An. "Do you have nothing to say to me?" Baili An slowly opened his clasped hand, shaking his head. From start to finish, he maintained an unaggressive demeanor, speaking the most resolute words with the gentlest manner: "Nothing." Nothing to say was an acknowledgment. A heavy tint of blood seemed to diffuse slowly from the Demon Lord’s eyes. The iron box in her hand appeared to react to her emotions, with violent purple-red energy forming tangible currents that sparked continuously between her fingers. The dark red lightning cast her enchantingly cruel face into one of spiteful malevolence mixed with shards of despair.