"Just ahead lies Zhaohuo City. Emperor Jin, I've been here before. This place is a melting pot of wandering immortals, mortals, and now certainly demons as well. We should be safe here," the tiger demon said.
As it walked alongside Tantai Jin, it resembled less a tiger demon and more a chimera of mismatched parts.
"Silence," Tantai Jin said coldly.
For him, living in hiding was utterly shameful. He would rather charge out and slaughter all those people outright.
Yet this tiger demon kept poking at his sore spot, constantly bringing up how he avoided crowds.
With the imbalance between spiritual energy and demonic energy in the world, the Demon God's crossbow grew increasingly powerful. Tantai Jin's immortal body could no longer suppress the God Slaying Crossbow, his entire being now radiating dense demonic energy.
Previously, he could barely conceal his crimson pupils, but now it was completely impossible.
Whenever members of the Immortal Sects or mortals saw him, they would immediately attack. Many times, urged by the God Slaying Crossbow, he nearly killed them, only regaining clarity at the last moment.
There was no place left in this world where he belonged.
The tiger demon hung its head, its whiskers trembling slightly.
No matter how isolated Tantai Jin felt, he didn't need its pity.
"Something's wrong ahead," Tantai Jin halted abruptly.
"Where? What's wrong?"
The white-robed young man narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the "Zhaohuo City" boundary stele before them. "The scent of blood."
They had thought Zhaohuo City would be relatively safe for now, but judging by the current situation and this intense smell of blood, the people of Zhaohuo City might already be completely wiped out.
"Then let's flee quickly... Hey, hey! Emperor Jin, where are you going? Wait for me!"
City Lord's Manor.
As the Heaven Severing Sword descended, poised to kill the blue-robed man on the ground, a fox suddenly materialized and leaped out with a sharp cry, crashing into the sword-wielder's hand. The Heaven Severing Sword veered off course, barely carving a several-zhang-deep gash in the ground.
"An ignorant little beast dares block my path." With a flip of his palm, Gongye Jiewu sent the fox flying. It landed on the ground, body convulsing as it vomited blood in great spurts.
The man on the ground lifted his gaze—it was none other than the former Ye Chu Feng. He crawled over with difficulty. "Pian Ran, Pian Ran..."
Just as his fingers were about to touch the little fox, the Heaven Severing Sword fell once more, the fox's terrified eyes reflecting the scene.
"Squeak squeak squeak!"
A bell suddenly descended, trapping Gongye Jiewu inside.
An old man with white hair and beard helped Ye Chu Feng up. "Quick, go!"
Ye Chu Feng moved swiftly, scooping up the severely injured fox from the ground. Together with the old man, they transformed into a beam of white light and vanished into Zhaohuo City's night.
The moment they left, the diamond bell shattered violently. Gongye Jiewu flew out in pursuit.
Knowing he couldn't outrun him, the old man pushed Ye Chu Feng away. "Take your fox and go quickly! You know what he's after. Protect the Life Gathering Pearl—it must never fall into demon hands."
Ye Chu Feng glanced at the weakened fox in his arms, gritting his teeth. "Understood."
The old man turned to confront Gongye Jiewu.
Aware that he was no match for Gongye Jiewu and the Heaven Severing Sword, he resolved to delay them for as long as possible.
The Heaven Severing Sword sliced the horsetail whisk in the old man's hand clean in two, sending him crashing to the ground.
"It's you," Gongye Jiewu said. "Where is the Kaiyang Pearl?"
The old man chuckled. "Naturally in a place you demons cannot find."
The demonic marks on Gongye Jiewu's face spread to his forehead as he stared expressionlessly.
The grating sound of the Heaven Severing Sword dragging across the ground mixed with the rumble of thunder in the sky.The old man knew what awaited him and smiled with resignation. "This day has come too soon, but it's just as well that the Heaven Severing Sword is in your hands."
Had it been the Demon God from ten thousand years ago, the land would have long been drowned in blood.
Gongye Jiewu raised his hand, then his expression shifted as he sensed something.
A dark demonic arrow pierced through the clouds, cutting through the air with a whistling sound as it shot toward Gongye Jiewu. He hastily blocked with the Heaven Severing Sword. The God-Slaying Arrow collided with the sword, and faint ghostly wails emanated from the blade.
Gongye Jiewu took a step back and looked up to see a white-robed youth approaching under the crescent moon, accompanied by a tiger. A flicker of unwillingness surfaced in Gongye Jiewu's icy pupils as he commanded the surrounding demonic cultivators still engaged in slaughter, "Leave!"
Tantai Jin stood at a distance, making no move to help the fallen Zhaoyou.
The youth held the God Slaying Crossbow, his body stained with the blood of countless demonic beasts from his journey. With his black hair and crimson eyes, he appeared more demonic than Gongye Jiewu.
Seeing the shock in Zhaoyou's gaze, Tantai Jin felt a chill settle in his heart.
This was the man who had once fished him out of the River of Wailing Ghosts, patiently carving away the rotting flesh from his body and shaving off the evil ghosts clinging to his soul.
Zhaoyou had taken children's primers and taught him as if he were a newborn babe, saying, "Humans are inherently good at birth."
He had taught him to draw qi into his body, taught him Sword Control, and taught him to live in harmony with his fellow disciples of the Carefree Sect.
Tantai Jin clenched his fists, his lowered eyes gloomy.
As he turned to leave, Zhaoyou's voice came from behind: "Jiumin, how did you become like this?"
There was no disgust or hatred in the old man's voice, only profound sorrow.
"I told Cang Hai to protect you properly, but that useless disciple has disappeared somewhere." Zhaoyou sighed. "Why are you running away when you see your master?"
Tantai Jin remained motionless.
The tiger demon quickly nudged him forward with its head.
Tantai Jin silently helped Zhaoyou up from the ground. "Master."
Zhaoyou frowned at the dark crossbow in Tantai Jin's hand. "What is this that can contend with the Heaven Severing Sword?"
"The God Slaying Crossbow."
"Where did it come from?"
"It had already merged with my body before you brought me to the Carefree Sect," Tantai Jin said.
Back when Tantai Jin had been reduced to a skeleton by the gnawing of evil ghosts, had the God Slaying Crossbow not fused with him in the River of Wailing Ghosts, he would have had his soul scattered after centuries in the river, never getting the chance to meet Immortal Venerable Zhaoyou.
Zhaoyou heaved a deep sigh. Merging with one's very bones and blood proved complete mastery over the God Slaying Crossbow. Since the crossbow couldn't be removed, this was fundamentally different from Gongye Jiewu's situation with the Heaven Severing Sword, which he hadn't fully mastered.
"This master always knew you were extraordinary." A genius who could build his foundation right after learning to draw qi into his body—such a person could never have ordinary origins.
Tantai Jin suddenly looked up, frowning. "What's wrong with you?"
Zhaoyou coughed and said, "Help me rest under that tree."
Zhaoyou tilted his head, revealing his neck.
Large patches of demonic marks covered his body, resembling intertwined dead branches.
Zhaoyou was on the verge of demonic transformation!
"That day when I went to Taixu, I unexpectedly encountered the ancient Hanba. Knowing I was no match for her, I hid and found a way to follow her back to the Demon Realm. Through a series of coincidences, I discovered a secret."
As Zhaoyou spoke, the demonic marks spread to the back of his hand. His expression remained serene, like a benevolent Buddha statue.
"There's an array in the Demon Realm."
"The Nine Revolutions Profound Return Array?"
"Correct, but not exactly." Zhaoyou said, "It's the Path of Shared Sorrow that wasn't activated in time during the War of Gods and Demons ten thousand years ago."
"The Path of Shared Sorrow..." Tantai Jin tightened his grip on the God Slaying Crossbow.When studying the Dao Heart, Zhaoyou had taught him that the great path shares sorrow, with mutual generation and completion.
Could there truly be another Heavenly Dao beneath the Demon Realm? What exactly were the demons trying to accomplish?
Zhaoyou recounted slowly: "Ten thousand years ago, the Demon God was peerlessly powerful and wildly ambitious. He wished for all six realms to become demonic beasts bowing before him. Thus, he created the Path of Shared Sorrow in the Demon Realm, attempting to open it and become the master of the Heavenly Dao himself."
"He madly slaughtered gods. When a god falls, they leave a gift for the world. The primordial deities from the beginning of heaven and earth, after their divine souls dissipated, left behind Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears. The Demon God fused these into four pearls: Illusion Face, Kaiyang, Greed Wolf, and Life Gathering."
"The Demon God poured most of his spiritual power into the Path of Shared Sorrow. But when refining the four divine pearls at the final step, he made an error. The ancient Demon King by his side seized the Illusion Face Pearl and Life Gathering Pearl. The Demon God failed, and his Evil Bone dissipated."
Zhaoyou's pupils gradually grew unfocused as he grasped Tantai Jin's hand: "But the Path of Shared sorrow remains. Hanba has awakened, and the Demonic Artifacts still exist. Xie Ying wants to use Demonic Energy to convert all spiritual energy in the world into demonic energy, opening the Path of Shared Sorrow to transform all six realms into demonic beasts!"
The ancient Demon King? Tantai Jin recalled that desolate Wang Land, and the man waiting for Su Su—the biological father of Little Phoenix.
So that's how it was.
Once the Path of Shared Sorrow opened, perhaps only ten percent of people would survive to become demonic beasts, while the rest would perish in the clash between immortal and demonic energies.
Just like how Xie Ying was now implanting Demon Cores in immortal realm practitioners.
The ancient Demon King had developed feelings and prevented the opening of the Path of Shared Sorrow at the critical moment, thus preserving peace in the six realms for ten thousand years.
Unfortunately, these past events were completely buried in the ashes of history.
"The Illusion Face and Greed Wolf pearls are now both in Xie Ying's possession," Zhaoyou said. "I took Kaiyang but was discovered by Xie Ying before I could escape far."
That was why he was injured, with a drop of Hanba's blood seeped into his forehead. Since Hanba was the progenitor of Jiangshi, this would allow him to serve Xie Ying after death.
Somehow Zhaoyou managed to hold on until returning to the human realm, where he witnessed the massacre at Zhaocheng City and Gongye Jiewu coming to seize the final Life Gathering Pearl.
Zhaoyou took out a pearl glowing with yellow light from his robe and placed it in Tantai Jin's palm.
"I'm glad to see you before I die," Zhaoyou smiled. "Mortals say raising children provides for old age. I took two disciples, and being able to see you at the end isn't a regret. Take the Kaiyang Pearl. You know what to do."
Tantai Jin said: "You won't die. I'll take you back to the Carefree Sect now. Zhaoyou, I'm filled with demonic energy and have become a Fallen Immortal. Yet you actually gave me the Kaiyang Pearl! If you truly care about all living beings, hold on until you see Cang Hai and give it to him personally!"
Zhaoyou smiled gently: "Jiumin, do you remember why I gave you this name?"
Jiumin means the bright heavens, the supreme nine skies.
You were born ominous, destined for loneliness. But no one remains decaying bones in darkness forever. You persisted in the River of Wailing Ghosts for five hundred years—if not for the lingering breath of love in your heart, how could you have endured until now?
Your beloved still exists. You will never become a Fallen Demon.
"Jiumin, it's winter in the human realm now. Could this master ask one final favor of you?"
That day, Su Su followed the trail all the way to Zhaocheng City and saw the moat stained red with blood.
Countless cultivators rushed angrily toward Zhaocheng City. Su Su hurried over using Sword Control when she heard someone exclaim in surprise.
Passing through the crowd, she saw the lone white-clad youth.He remained gaunt and pale, gripping a sword as he sat on the steps. Behind him, a raging inferno blazed, within which Zhaoyou's Immortal Body could vaguely be seen turning to dust amidst the flames.
The Cultivators' swords were all pointed at him. He sat quietly, holding the Primordial Chaos Sword left behind by Zhaoyou before his death. With just one person and one sword, no one dared to approach.
"Demonic Cultivator Cang Jiumin, you betrayed your sect and killed your master Zhaoyou—such grave impiety! Surrender and accept your death at once!"
"A master-killing traitor, a disgrace to the Immortal Sect—everyone has the right to slay you!"
"You slaughtered mortals, killing the common folk of forty-two cities, and today you massacred the entire Zhaohua City! The Immortal Sect won't tolerate you, nor will the Heavenly Dao!"
Su Su even spotted Cang Hai.
Stumbling down from his Immortal Sword, Cang Hai rushed up the steps, his eyes red as he grabbed Tantai Jin's collar. "Why? Why did you kill Master? I didn't believe what they said, but I saw it with my own eyes—you stabbed the Primordial Chaos Sword into Master's chest, you used True Fire to burn his Immortal Body! He treated you like his own child, pouring his entire life's efforts into you! Why? Tell me, why!"
Tantai Jin lifted his gaze. The disciples of the Carefree Sect, who had once cherished him, now had red-rimmed eyes, looking as if they wished to tear him apart and devour his flesh.
Never before had he felt so choked up. Tantai Jin never explained himself, but this time, he couldn't help speaking: "Because if he died..."
"The Lord has done well. We welcome the Lord back to the Demon Realm."
Demonic Energy filled the air as a purple-robed Demonic Cultivator smiled, leading a group of demonic disciples to kneel before Tantai Jin.
Jingmie said, "The Lord has endured humiliation to fulfill his mission. These sanctimonious fools dare disrespect the Lord—today, they won't leave here alive."
Tantai Jin paused, sensing something, and his expression turned grim. The skin on the back of his hand began to writhe, as if about to crack and peel off.
The tiger demon, seeing this, knew it was bad—Tantai Jin's body was fracturing again at such a critical moment.
Jingmie had already moved to attack Cang Hai.
Given his Cultivation, Cang Hai was no match for him. Just as Cang Hai was about to be slain on the spot, a zither adorned with blue fireflies blocked the attack in front of him.
Su Su struck the Chongyu Zither with her palm, sending it flying to collide with Jingmie's head.
Caught off guard by the blow, Jingmie's eyes turned savage. "It's you again, little girl."
Su Su was furious. What was all this? These Demonic Cultivators were clearly deliberately preventing Tantai Jin from speaking.
She had arrived late and hadn't witnessed Tantai Jin killing Zhaoyou. Tantai Jin shouldn't have killed Zhaoyou—something must have happened!
As Chongyu flew back into her hands, she plucked its strings, forcing Jingmie to hastily raise his arms to block.
His face shifted between dark and light as he recalled the mission. Anxiously, he reached out to pull Tantai Jin. "Lord, come with your subordinate!"
But the white-clad youth's Demonic Pupils were fixed on the girl.
"Lord, hurry and leave!"
The tiger demon also urgently said, "Emperor Jin, quickly find a place to hide. Don't let them see you..."
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Yet Tantai Jin only stared at Su Su. At that moment, every word he squeezed out of his throat sounded like broken notes: "Have you come to kill me too?"
I wore white robes, I did good deeds, I learned from Gongye Jiewu, I learned from Yue Fuyai—why do you still not love me?
As his form grew increasingly faint, about to vanish from this place,
Su Su stepped forward, reaching out to grasp his hand.Chongyu transmitted his voice, saying, "Something's wrong, Su Su. No matter what, keep him here!"
"No! Tantai Jin." Su Su gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing as she steeled her heart. "I'm here to fulfill my promise!"
So, don't fall into demonic ways again.
OpenNovel