“Sealing off Yaochi?”
Before anyone could react, a sudden roar echoed through the sky, startling everyone, and they all looked up.
Around Yaochi, countless streams of colorful light erupted like giant waves soaring into the heavens, spreading beyond the clouds, quickly connecting into one vast, radiant dome.
“Rumble—”
The earth trembled, clouds churned, and the interplay of light and mist wove together as the luminous dome expanded, eventually covering the entire Yaochi area before slowly stabilizing.
“This is… the grand formation of Yaochi!”
“Heavens, the legendary Radiant Sky Sealing Formation!”
“It’s truly sealed… completely sealed…”
The gathered Immortals exchanged glances, finally grasping the gravity of the situation.
The Great Fairy’s words were no idle threat—Yaochi had indeed been thoroughly sealed off.
“Does that mean none of us can leave now?”
“That won’t do, I still have urgent matters to attend to—I can’t stay long!”
“My alchemical furnace at home still has pills brewing; if I miss the timing…”
“The Mountain Gate I guard can’t be left unattended!”
At that moment, a Celestial Official in a golden robe hurried forward, “Great Fairy, the Peach Banquet is nearing its end, and every Immortal has duties. If Yaochi is sealed off recklessly, it might disrupt the operations of the Heavenly Court!”
Immediately, voices erupted in disagreement.
“Yes, Great Fairy!”
“Weren’t those demons already exterminated by you? Why seal off Yaochi again?”
Su Fu’s expression remained calm as she faced the crowd and said, “Everyone, please remain calm. This measure is also out of necessity. The ones you saw earlier were only the demons caught. Many more still hide among you.”
“With so many demons, if they are allowed to wander freely, they will spread chaos, becoming a grave threat in the future! This is Yaochi’s protective grand formation, specifically designed to kill demons and prevent their escape.”
“These demons are audacious enough to infiltrate Yaochi and even impersonate the Seven Fairies. Without such drastic measures, it would be impossible to catch them all. Once all hidden demons are exterminated, the formation will be lifted, and everyone may leave safely. Please cooperate with the inspection to restore peace to Yaochi as soon as possible.”
No one present dared to argue after that.
After all, the Queen Mother’s Decree had been issued, and coupled with the Great Fairy’s display of power, who would speak out?
Some even stepped forward to help pacify the crowd.
“The Great Fairy speaks wisely. Why panic? This is only to prevent more demons from escaping.”
“If we cooperate calmly, once the demons are cleared, we will surely be allowed to leave.”
“Yes, none of us are demons, so there’s nothing to fear. It’s those hidden in the shadows who should be trembling!”
“Exactly.”
“Feel free to inspect—we won’t object!”
Though uneasy, the Immortals nodded in understanding as quiet conversations broke out in small groups.
Su Fu smiled inwardly; ‘the plan was working.’
This formation was discovered “accidentally” by the Land Deity while exploring the map.
Who would have thought it could really be activated?
Now with Yaochi sealed, all abnormalities were trapped like fish in a barrel—no one could escape.
She silently thanked Lin Mo and Chen Jing for stirring up the Demon Calamity.
Their efforts in secretly introducing so many demons, and publicly exposing the “Seven Fairies” as demons with the help of the Yaoguang Mirror, gave her a perfect excuse to seal off all of Yaochi.
Without their work, this “Queen Mother’s Edict of Pardon” she wielded would be hard to justify.
Of course, that edict was a forgery, a mere illusion.
Under normal circumstances, she would never dare impersonate the Queen Mother’s decree so boldly, lest suspicions arise.
But now, with demons running rampant first, the edict came at just the right time and seemed completely reasonable.
The essence of the illusion was plausibility—if no one noticed anything strange, the fake would be indistinguishable from the real.
With demons causing chaos and Immortals still shaken, no one doubted the edict.
Now that the situation was set, she held the highest authority in Yaochi by “order of the Queen Mother.”
Indeed, when you’re out in the world, your status depends on what you claim for yourself.
Besides, no real Queen Mother would show up here to expose her.
Besides, the previous Great Fairy had also used the Queen Mother’s name to act.
Why shouldn’t she?
Having become the Great Fairy herself, she naturally inherited all associated power and status.
‘I really need to thank those two,’ Su Fu thought.
On her own, just impersonating the Great Fairy wouldn’t have been enough to hold everyone back.
Now, with the demon disturbance and the “Queen Mother’s Decree,” everything was perfectly justified.
Once these anomalies were eliminated, her score would soar, ensuring a smooth path in the final exam.
“Though… Why do those two look so grim?”
But… no matter.
Lin Mo’s feelings were unknown to Chen Jing.
Chen Jing only felt the weight on his back grow heavier—how could he bear so many black marks?
Now he finally realized Su Fu must have known their plan all along.
Or perhaps even earlier— ‘could the assassination attempt on Yun Tinglan have been staged by Su Fu?’
At that thought, his body stiffened.
If so, it meant she anticipated their every move, and had people follow them to confirm their identity.
She played along with their schemes, subtly pushing the plan forward, guiding them to reveal everything so she could plan her next steps.
It was very likely that their smooth progress at the Peach Banquet was thanks to her behind-the-scenes assistance.
Then, using the exposure of the “Seven Fairies” as demons as a grand spectacle, she manipulated everyone completely.
They brought in the demons; she cleaned them up.
They created chaos; she seized authority.
They even paved the way for her to lawfully seal Yaochi and inspect everyone.
Thinking of this, Chen Jing’s vision darkened.
So Su Fu knew from the start but said nothing—just watched them stir up a storm, then swooped in at the crucial moment to snatch the peaches.
After all their hard planning, all their scheming, it was for someone else’s gain.
Chen Jing was devastated: How could someone be this despicable?
Cheated once wasn’t enough—now she used them.
It was pure freeloading.
He glared fiercely at the cluster around the “Great Fairy,” wishing his gaze could turn into a blade and pierce her through.
Especially…
He had thought this Great Fairy was some unfathomable final boss, but now…
He realized how naïve he’d been.
Almost until the very end, he was completely manipulated by Su Fu.
She was truly ruthless, striking at the heart and soul.
At this point, was surrender the only option?
Chen Jing’s expression was uncertain.
Suddenly, his gaze landed on the Yaoguang Mirror in Lin Mo’s hand, and his eyes brightened.
Right, the Yaoguang Mirror!
His heart pounded as an idea rapidly formed.
They could use the mirror on this “Great Fairy” to prove to the Immortals that she was also a demon!
He hurriedly looked at Lin Mo, gesturing toward the mirror and then subtly nodded toward the Great Fairy.
But Lin Mo, understanding his intent, simply shook her head slowly.
“No use.”
Lin Mo smiled bitterly inwardly.
Of course, she had thought of this method, but unfortunately, no matter the result, it wouldn’t prove Su Fu’s identity false.
First, the Yaoguang Mirror might not even reveal her “demon” form—not just because they could use illusions to alter its results, but Su Fu likely could as well.
Otherwise, how could the “Seven Fairies” performance and her “killing” of them have been staged?
Su Fu’s tricks were probably far more sophisticated than theirs.
Secondly, even if they managed to expose Su Fu’s demon form, what good would it do?
She could easily turn it around and claim the mirror was flawed.
Remember, their own identities were riddled with holes.
Su Fu, clever as she was, would surely exploit their weaknesses, attacking them relentlessly.
If they were proven demons instead, that would be a true dead end.
The mirror’s results couldn’t withstand close scrutiny—it depended entirely on whose hands it was in.
It was merely a tool to stir chaos at the banquet.
But now, the chaos was quelled, and its usefulness greatly diminished.
Most importantly…
Lin Mo looked at Su Fu with a complex expression.
Su Fu likely never intended to prove whether she was a demon.
Why?
Because the moment she received the “Queen Mother’s Edict of Pardon,” she became the highest authority in the room.
The rules now belonged to her.
Prove herself?
Why bother?
Rather than preparing evidence, it was better to become the one who made the rules.
She had already succeeded—whether the Yaoguang Mirror was valid or not was up to her to decide.
If she said the mirror worked, then it did; if not, it was just a demon tool to confuse the Immortals.
That was the real terror of holding power.
When one controls the rules, black and white, truth and falsehood all bend to their will.
Su Fu no longer needed to prove herself; she was the rules.
The problem was, Su Fu’s current status was exactly because of their efforts…
Thinking this, Lin Mo nearly spat blood from anger.
Her head buzzed.
She had thought Chen Jing’s misstep was due to greed and carelessness, but now, experiencing this sense of helplessness firsthand…
All their efforts had been for nothing!
How could they continue like this?
And the most pressing question now: would they die?
Would they be eliminated?
She sighed quietly, overwhelmed by powerlessness.
One wrong move, and the entire board was lost.
Who knew how many moves, how many steps, had already been traps set by Su Fu?
She looked at Su Fu with complicated feelings.
Su Fu’s eyes glowed as she scanned the Immortals, confidently pledging:
“Everyone, rest assured, my actions are only to eliminate the demons. If you cooperate, no innocent will be harmed. This will end soon. Please cooperate. All demons will be purged, and Yaochi will return to its former peace.”
The Immortals nodded in agreement.
Lin Mo thought: ‘She was like a scheming woman. Painting such a grand and perfect picture.’
Lin Mo couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
These anomalies were still nodding along, while Su Fu was about to sell them out—and they were helping count her money.
She wanted to say Su Fu’s promises were all lies, that her mind was full of nothing but raw scores!
But strangely…
She suddenly felt a great sense of balance.
What was going on?
Su Fu was indeed in a good mood.
Look at these anomalies, all so good-looking—a huge pile of points.
Of course, she couldn’t let them cause trouble.
She had to keep them calm and obedient within the formation, waiting to be harvested.
Tsk tsk, this was harvest season—far more thrilling than picking immortal peaches.
But one last loose end remained.
Su Fu glanced toward the high platform.
Those generals were obviously stunned by the sudden demon outbreak.
How could they not be shocked?
These people were the ones holding significant military power, responsible for Yaochi’s security.
Yet now, demons had slipped in unnoticed, and they were still eyeing the Nine-Thousand-Year Peach, oblivious.
Doing absolutely nothing.
Fortunately, they knew when not to cause trouble, and didn’t try to snatch peaches at this moment.
Otherwise, she could have incited the Immortals to surround and beat them down first.
“Such a pity…” Su Fu shook her head in regret.
Such a perfect opportunity, yet they didn’t come down to stop her.
If she took them out now, the exam would be practically over.
But now, it wasn’t bad.
Before dealing with the big trouble on the platform, she couldn’t afford to lose these ready-made points.