Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Oh man, I really admire Selene."

"Same here. Selene is like, the perfect role model for all of us!"

In the Blooming Sanctuary, a group of female disciples watched Selene, who was sitting under a tree, slowly polishing her sword. They couldn't help but sigh in admiration as they gazed at her back.

Petals from the tree above drifted down, gently landing on Selene's shoulders.

Her figure, though a bit thin, radiated a quiet strength that commanded respect.

It was as if nothing in this world could ever bring her down.

"Selene looks like she's lost weight again."

"Yeah… I admire her so much, but it really breaks my heart to see her like this."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the Sanctuary, if Holy Maiden Aeliana was the untouchable, revered figure that all disciples looked up to, then her younger sister Selene, though not as powerful, was still deeply respected by many.

The reason was simple: they admired Selene's unyielding spirit.

For most practitioners, no matter how strong or skilled they were, controlling their inner self was never a guarantee.

The heart, or inner self, was the most crucial thing for a practitioner. Once it was shattered, the damage could be catastrophic.

For the average practitioner, even a single break in their inner self could be nearly impossible to recover from, often leading to a complete collapse.

But Selene was different.

The first time her inner self shattered, she somehow managed to pull herself back together through sheer willpower. Not only did she recover, but her strength actually increased, defying everyone's expectations. It was nothing short of a miracle.

And even as her heart broke again and again, Selene never gave up. Today, she had emerged from her latest retreat, her inner self fully restored.

The disciples were stunned to notice that Selene's strength had grown significantly once more.

She had now reached the peak of the Mystic Core stage, just one step away from breaking through to Ocean's Gate.

To break and then rebuild, to be crushed but never defeated.

Only Selene could pull off such a miracle!

While they were happy to see Selene grow stronger after each setback, the disciples couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness every time her heart shattered.

"I really hope Selene never has to go through that again."

"Yeah, but she's already been through so much. Her heart's way stronger now than it ever was before. There's no way it could break again, right?"

As soon as one of the disciples said this, she noticed everyone staring at her.

"Uh… why do I feel like I just jinxed it?"

"Gee, you think?"

"Did I really?"

All eyes were still on her, and the intensity of their stares made her shiver.

"Okay, okay, I take it back! I take it back! Ugh, why would I jinx Selene like that? Selene's amazing! She's just going to the desert forbidden zone, what could possibly go wrong? Haha, I mean, what are the odds, right?

Haha…"

Everyone: "…"

"I swear, I didn't mean it!"

But her explanation fell flat.

…

Behind her, the playful chatter of the disciples continued, but Selene remained focused on polishing her sword, paying them no mind.

The blade gleamed, sharp and cold.

Just like the sword, Selene's heart was resolute, unwavering in the face of anything.

After several instances of her heart shattering, Selene had indeed hit rock bottom.

But it was precisely these moments of breaking that pushed her to grow stronger each time.

Not only had her cultivation advanced at an unprecedented pace, but her inner self had become as solid as a rock.

Right now, she felt as if her heart had been tempered by the vast ocean over millennia, becoming nearly unbreakable, immovable by any force.

As she continued polishing her sword, the blade seemed to grow sharper, gleaming with a cold light. Selene's gaze hardened with determination. Experience new stories on empire

Each time her heart had shattered, it had been because of Timothy.

But did she hate him?

The answer was no.

Selene could clearly feel that she had never hated Timothy.

In fact, it was because of Timothy's existence that she had been able to improve time and time again.

Even though her heart had been broken multiple times, she didn't fear or resent Timothy. Instead, she harbored a deep desire to surpass him.

And this time, Selene felt more confident than ever.

During her long period of seclusion, not only had she mended and strengthened her heart, but her cultivation had also soared.

No matter what happened on this journey to the forbidden desert, she was determined not to lose to Timothy again.

This time, she would claim complete victory!

Selene sheathed her sword, a flicker of confidence flashing across her face.

Just then, a fragrant breeze swept through the air, carrying a soothing scent.

In the distance, a graceful and holy figure descended gently.

"Big sister."

Selene respectfully bowed as she hung her sword back at her waist.

Though they were sisters, Selene had always shown the utmost reverence toward her elder sister, Holy Maiden Aeliana, never once displaying any hint of disrespect.

Except… for that one time when she had overheard a conversation between Timothy and the Holy Maiden.

The emotional turmoil from that encounter still hadn't been fully resolved.

Selene had tried to convince herself that she must have misheard.

After all, her sister, the pure and sacred Holy Maiden Aeliana, would never do something so disgraceful under Timothy's coercion, right?

It had to be a misunderstanding.

"This wooden box is for you."

Holy Maiden Aeliana smiled softly as she handed a small wooden box to Selene, instructing her, "Inside is a Heavenly-level Piccolo. If you run into any trouble, you can use its power to get out of it."

"A Heavenly-level artifact?!"

Even Selene couldn't hide her surprise.

Heavenly-level artifacts were incredibly rare and valuable, capable of unleashing immense power.

"Thank you, sister."

Selene accepted the box with deep gratitude, carefully tucking it away.

"Don't worry about using it. With this Piccolo, nothing in the secret realm should be able to stop you."

Despite her reassuring words, Holy Maiden Aeliana still felt a twinge of concern, given how many times Selene's heart had been shattered recently.

She raised her hand and gently tapped Selene's forehead, imprinting an Arcane Art into her mind. "This spell will allow you to sense the lingering aura on objects, helping you avoid potential dangers."

As the soft glow of the spell merged into Selene's brow, Aeliana finally felt at ease.

In fact, she couldn't help but feel a little proud and excited.

"With these two safeguards, there's no way anything could go wrong!"

After all, with both the Piccolo and the Arcane Art, it seemed impossible for Selene to face any more mishaps.

She really was the most thoughtful and caring big sister ever! (^▽^)