"Mother!"
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
"Esteemed Mother!"
"Mom!!!"
Seeing Zi Zhuer on the verge of breaking down, her daughters immediately rushed over and surrounded her, crouching beside her with anxious expressions.
The youngest, Sixth Sister, who was Bajie's biological daughter, grabbed Zi Zhuer's hand and asked nervously,
"Mother, who exactly is this Star Lord of the Moon? Why are you acting like this...?"
"Don't talk about her! Don't provoke her! Stop talking right now!"
Before Sixth Sister could finish, Zi Zhuer cried out in panic, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Heaven is not a place meant for people to live in! It's the coldest, cruelest, and most heartless place imaginable! Don't mention it anymore, let me go see the Star Lord, I..."
"Hey, woman, your nerves are terrible. Why are you crying here? You're making Old Pig lose face!"
Zi Zhuer's words were interrupted again as Bajie grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her to her feet before straightening her clothes.
After patting down her sleeves, Bajie pointed toward Axel and spoke with obvious dissatisfaction.
"You old hag, you've become way too timid after living in the mortal world for so many years.
My Big Brother, the Great Sage, is still standing right here. Why are you so scared? That Star Lord of the Moon isn't here for you.
And this is Old Pig's fault for not explaining things clearly. Back when my Big Brother caused chaos in Heaven, the Jade Emperor tried to appease him by granting him the title Lord of Blessed Earth and Heavenly Abode.
But my Big Brother looked down on the Jade Emperor and couldn't be bothered accepting the title, so everyone still calls him the Great Sage!"
After saying that, Bajie turned toward Axel and asked curiously,
"But Big Brother, how did the Star Lord of the Moon even find you?
Are Clairvoyant and All Hearing Eye spying on you again? Or did the Jade Emperor use that mirror?"
"Neither."
Axel shook his head calmly before waving his hand lightly.
An invisible burst of psychic force instantly lifted the Spider Sisters to their feet.
The sisters had been completely focused on the conversation, so after standing up, they continued staring at Axel without blinking.
Meeting their gazes, Axel casually patted his armor.
"This armor told me my staff ended up in that woman's hands.
Damn it, wasn't that the prop I gave Little Change for her pole dancing practice?
If I don't get to see the dance, then honestly, I'm curious how exactly the Star Lord of the Moon plans to survive."
The moment his voice fell, Axel flicked his hand forward.
Boom!
An invisible psychic shockwave erupted violently, smashing straight through the Zhu Family courtyard wall before roaring toward the Star Lord of the Moon.
A second earlier, the Star Lord of the Moon had still been listening carefully to the conversation outside, especially Zi Zhuer's words.
Only after hearing her speak did she finally remember who Zi Zhuer truly was, the fairy maiden who once served Chang'e's palace.
She vaguely remembered Zi Zhuer being banished to the mortal world for making a mistake, but she never expected the woman had willingly done it just to follow Marshal Tianpeng.
Pathetic.
A mere fairy sacrificing herself over something so trivial, completely lacking the dignity expected of an immortal woman.
Then suddenly...
"Zhenjun, wait, no...?!"
Her thoughts shattered instantly.
Axel's voice had changed.
That playful tone from earlier had turned frighteningly cold.
At first, she didn't think much of it.
After all, she was the Star Lord of the Moon. During ancient times, she had once stood among Heaven's highest female immortals, respected across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Most male immortals would never dare oppose her.
But the moment Axel waved his hand, every thought in her mind vanished.
The debris-filled sky twisted violently as the psychic shockwave arrived in front of her almost instantly.
The Star Lord of the Moon raised her arm in panic, trying desperately to resist.
But Axel's psychic force was second only to the Tathagata himself.
And unlike the Buddha, she lacked the terrifying physical durability of a monk cultivator.
In less than a second, her entire figure vanished from the courtyard entrance.
BOOM!!!
The psychic shockwave tore through Spider Silk Ridge, splitting the entire mountain range apart and carving an enormous canyon through the land.
Animals screamed as they fled in terror.
Rocks collapsed from every direction.
The entire area shook violently.
The Spider Sisters stared blankly at the destruction, mouths hanging open.
Even Fourth Sister subconsciously curled her toes in shock.
That handsome Great Sage really was arrogant.
But some people sounded arrogant because they were fools.
Others sounded arrogant because they were simply telling the truth.
And Axel clearly belonged to the second category.
When the sisters looked back at him, standing proudly in his armor beneath the starlight, the admiration in their eyes became impossible to hide.
Axel himself paid them no attention.
He merely shook his hand in annoyance and sneered.
"Damn it, ever since Tathagata blocked this move, I've been irritated.
And now you actually came looking for trouble?
If you wanted to see me, you should've crawled inside yourself and knelt properly.
Standing outside the gate like you expected me to greet you personally, are you insane, Star Lord of the Moon?"
As he spoke, Axel spat lightly.
The gust of air alone shattered another courtyard wall.
The servants and maids nearby immediately dropped to their knees in terror, trembling uncontrollably.
Far away among the newly formed cliffs, the Star Lord of the Moon painfully crawled out from beneath the rubble.
She glanced at her ruined rainbow dress before taking a deep breath and suppressing the urge to repair it.
Instead, she transformed into moonlight and instantly appeared before Axel.
The moment she materialized, she dropped to her knees.
Seeing that scene, Zi Zhuer's face instantly turned pale again.
The trauma buried deep within her heart resurfaced immediately.
Her legs weakened, tears welled in her eyes, and she instinctively knelt.
"Star Lord!"
The Spider Sisters quickly followed.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
All six sisters knelt together.
Axel laughed softly and shook his head.
"No kneeling. Get up."
With another wave of his hand, Zi Zhuer and the Spider Sisters were gently lifted back onto their feet.
Across from them, the Star Lord of the Moon hesitated before cautiously standing as well.
Axel frowned instantly.
"I told them to stand up.
Did I tell you to stand?"
Thump!
The Star Lord of the Moon immediately slammed back onto her knees.
"This humble woman was foolish and failed to understand Zhenjun's intentions. Please forgive this humble woman.
I only came to return the As You Wish Gold Banded Staff.
Since A Yu has your protection, even without the staff, this humble woman would never dare harm her. I would treat her like a younger sister.
I merely worried Zhenjun might feel inconvenienced without a weapon nearby, so I rushed here hoping to ease your burdens."
As she spoke, she raised the Golden Cudgel higher and carefully shuffled closer on her knees.
Axel glanced down at her legs, already turning red and swollen from friction, then clicked his tongue.
"Your legs are way too fragile for an immortal.
And honestly, what's with all this drama?
Even if you ripped yourself open and cried in front of me, immortals can still reincarnate, so why are you trying so hard to gain sympathy?"
He stepped forward, snatched the staff from her hands, and casually spun it twice before shrinking it and sliding it back behind his ear.
After rubbing his ear, Axel lowered his gaze toward her coldly.
Silence filled the courtyard.
The Star Lord of the Moon instinctively swallowed.
She felt like the next few seconds would determine whether she lived or died.
Without hesitation, she hugged Axel's thigh tightly.
Her body pressed firmly against him as she pleaded desperately.
"Zhenjun, living in Heaven is miserable!
The Guanghan Palace is filled with eyes watching my every move. So many things in the past were beyond my control.
Otherwise, why would I rush here seeking refuge the moment I learned you had returned?
I've suffered under Heaven and the Jade Emperor for far too long. I only wish to escape this prison and follow Zhenjun to freedom.
Please don't kill me.
Reincarnation is unstable now. Even Emperor Zhenwu spent centuries searching for his reincarnated serpent and still hasn't recovered it.
Even Zhenwu himself has disappeared without a trace.
The world is already descending into chaos.
If this humble woman dies again, perhaps there won't even be moonlight left for anyone to admire.
I still wish to dance beneath the moon for Zhenjun someday.
Even hearing a single word of praise from you would make this life worthwhile.
Please spare me.
This humble woman can do anything for you.
Please show mercy, Zhenjun!"
By the end, tears streamed down her face as she clung tightly to Axel's leg.
Nearby, the Spider Sisters stared at her in disbelief.
Her clothes were already torn apart from the earlier attack, and now, pressed against Axel like this, even more skin was exposed.
One of the sisters whispered in shock,
"Mother... is she really a Star Lord from Heaven?"
Another sister swallowed hard before muttering,
"She looks even more desperate than that prostitute we almost ate before you let her go."
The sisters continued whispering among themselves while staring at the Star Lord of the Moon.
Axel finally exhaled and lightly shook his leg.
"Enough clinging to me already.
And stop exaggerating everything.
I can tell which parts of your words are true and which parts are fake.
The part about wanting to serve me is obviously nonsense.
But coming here to return my staff and seek protection... that part's real.
Damn.
I only beat Tathagata once, and my reputation's already this ridiculous?
It hasn't even been that long, yet people are already lining up to join me?"
===
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