Once Pian Ran's figure disappeared from sight, Su Su stepped into the rift.
The world spun around her. Before she could react, she plummeted from the sky.
After an unknown length of time, Su Su crashed onto the ground with a muffled groan.
She struggled to her feet, torn between tears and laughter from the pain. That Demon Fox had played a final trick on her—perhaps nursing a grudge from earlier, it had deliberately let Su Su suffer without warning her that entering the Desolate Abyss meant a continuous fall.
The place resembled a graveyard, with ash-like particles drifting in the air and a blue moon hanging in the sky.
Su Su stared at the moon in wonder for a moment before the curved jade said, "That's the Demon Moon. It only exists in the Desolate Abyss."
Su Su asked, "Why have you awakened?"
The curved jade replied, "You're going to find the Divine Turtle, and I'm worried. Try to avoid the ash in the air as much as possible—it's formed from turbid energy. In your current mortal body, prolonged exposure will shorten your lifespan."
It then remembered the purple World-Toppling Flower within Su Su, rendering its warning pointless. Her fate in this life was sealed; only the manner of her death remained unknown.
Su Su lifted her gaze to the entrance of the Desolate Abyss, a scene of utter desolation.
Overgrown weeds covered the ground, and the soil reeked of a foul, rotting stench. Snakes, insects, rats, and ants scurried about, while several bats hid in the trees, watching Su Su with crimson eyes.
The curved jade said, "They're just low-level demonic creatures. Ignore them. Let's focus on finding the Divine Turtle elder."
Su Su nodded, pushing aside the weeds as she ventured deeper.
"Where might the elder be?"
The curved jade pondered for a moment before speaking, "It has been tens of thousands of years since the last War of Gods and Demons. The Divine Turtle possesses the bloodline of the ancient Xuanwu and has guarded the Desolate Abyss for millennia. It's possible his consciousness has long merged with the Desolate Abyss. He is the last God in the world."
Gods have always struggled to reproduce, and ancient bloodlines are exceedingly rare. Mortals cultivate to pursue the supreme path and become Gods.
Yet, those celestial deities of divine lineage had all perished in battle to protect the Three Realms, paying a heavy price to annihilate the previous Demon God and great demons.
Subsequent Cultivators followed their instructions, gradually sealing other Demonic Beasts in the Desolate Abyss. Now, with a new young Demon God about to awaken, neither deities nor mortals possess the power to suppress him.
A sense of sorrow filled the curved jade as it said, "Su Su, you must succeed."
Su Su replied, "I know."
She pulled out a fire starter to illuminate the path. "I also hope that one day, the disciples of the Hengyang Sect can freely descend the mountain to train, and the mortal world won't have to resort to trading children for food."
The curved jade said, "The last of the divine bloodline has endured ten thousand years of solitude guarding the Desolate Abyss. His consciousness may have transformed into a tree or a clump of grass here—stay vigilant."
Su Su remarked, "Demonic creatures like the Seven-tailed Fox have escaped the Desolate Abyss. I wonder if the elder is aware."
The curved jade sighed. "Even if he knows, he cannot leave the Desolate Abyss to capture the escaped demonic creatures."
After all, thousands of Demonic Beasts remain suppressed within the Desolate Abyss.
As they conversed, Su Su continued to observe her surroundings.
The Desolate Abyss resembled a massive graveyard, its gaping maw exuding an eerie aura.
There was no way to discern direction in this endless wasteland. Along her path, Su Su spotted several skeletal remains.
The curved jade explained, "The minor demons sealed here long ago may have grown into great demons, while the original great demons have likely aged and died within the Desolate Abyss."However, demonic creatures are unrestrained and dissolute, and might even give birth to little Demonic Beasts in the Desolate Abyss. Some monsters have weak reproductive abilities, while others are highly prolific.
Curved jade remained silent about those wanton demons, afraid of corrupting its own child, Su Su.
But fortunately, the Demon God left no descendants, or the world would be in chaos. Curved jade thought lewdly, perhaps the Demon God wasn't very capable. Historical records describe the Demon God as cruel, fond of slaughter, with no mention of liking to sleep with women—not even Tantai Jin was an exception.
It's just unknown whether he had an affair with that rumored beautiful right protector.
Su Su suddenly said, "There's a sound."
Without needing Curved jade's reminder, she immediately found a place to hide.
Nearby were several skeletons, which Su Su pushed outward. Holding her breath, she hid behind a black rock.
Faint footsteps approached, and Su Su peeked over to see several snakes surrounding an ice coffin.
A woman with a human body and snake tail circled the coffin, angrily saying, "I told you to find the rift, and you brought back this thing? Useless trash!"
The small snakes hissed, "Lady Si, please calm your anger. We had just spotted the rift when this thing fell from the sky. It knocked us out, and when we woke up, the rift was gone."
The snake demon called "Lady Si" seethed with rage as she examined the ice coffin. "This is a human! You were knocked out by a human child? The Boundaryless Jade I worked so hard to condense was wasted on you fools."
Extremely frustrated, she finally suppressed her anger and licked her lips. "Forget it. It's been a long time since I've eaten human flesh. I'll just eat him."
As she spoke, her hand touched the coffin, trying to open it.
But a golden light shot out, and Lady Si hissed as she withdrew her hand, her skin burned crimson.
She stared at the child with newfound interest.
"A coffin made of Ruoshui ice."
Hearing this, Curved jade was also surprised. "During the War of Gods and Demons, Ruoshui once flowed into the mortal realm. But over the years, it should have gradually disappeared from the world. Who could have collected Ruoshui and managed to make it into an ice coffin?"
Su Su asked, "What's the purpose of a Ruoshui ice coffin?"
Curved jade said, "To preserve the body from decay and sustain life. Not to mention, the process of forming the ice coffin is extremely difficult. The person inside must be highly valued."
Su Su extrapolated, "Similar to the Nether Pearl's function."
Curved jade replied, "Not exactly. The Nether Pearl only preserves the corpse, but the Ruoshui ice coffin can heal the body—far more useful than the Nether Pearl."
As Su Su and Curved jade conversed, the snake demon emitted brown light from her hands, attempting to melt the ice coffin.
Curved jade understood her intention and said, "If you want to save that child, it's best to act stealthily. The snake demon won't be able to melt the Ruoshui anytime soon. Wait until she leaves and the small snakes are guarding it, then take the person away."
Su Su said, "Alright."
Sure enough, as Curved jade predicted, the snake demon struggled for a while before leaving.
Only the small snakes remained guarding the coffin.
Dense clusters of snakes looked quite disgusting.
Su Su rubbed the goosebumps on her arm, tore a strip from her skirt, bit her finger, and drew two Talismans.
Her flesh and blood, fused with the World-Toppling Flower, were more effective than Fierce Beast Cinnabar.
Su Su formed a hand seal: "Go!"The talisman transformed into an eagle with sharp eyes, diving into the snake swarm. Since eagles are natural predators of snakes, the serpents panicked momentarily before realizing this "giant eagle" had no intention of eating them—it simply grabbed the ice coffin with its claws and swiftly flew away.
The eagle landed before Su Su, who immediately slapped another talisman onto the ice coffin. Without sparing a glance at the child inside, she shrank both the coffin and its occupant in an instant.
Tucking the miniature coffin into her sleeve, Su Su broke into a sprint.
"Run faster!" urged the curved jade. "Those snakes are catching up!"
Not daring to look back, Su Su sorely missed her wings at that moment.
She raced through the Desolate Abyss with a dense horde of snakes slithering behind her. Fortunately, these low-level demonic creatures lacked intelligence. After Su Su employed several decoy techniques, they lost her trail.
Just as Su Su began to relax, a palm suddenly struck her shoulder. Unable to react in time, she was sent flying backward, vomiting a mouthful of blood.
Si Nü swayed her body menacingly as she glared venomously at Su Su.
"We're done for!" exclaimed the curved jade. "Defeat the young one, and the old one arrives!"
Wiping the blood from her lips, Su Su ignored the jade's remark and scrambled to her feet, ready to flee. That single strike had nearly shattered her shoulder—had it not been for the World-Toppling Flower, she would have died instantly.
In a moment of desperation, the curved jade suggested, "Su Su, why not throw her the ice coffin and make a run for it?"
"Even if we did, she wouldn't let us escape," Su Su replied. The snake demon would never spare her.
At that moment, she found herself missing Tantai Jin. That freak had a knack for dealing with demons, yet he was no match for her—making him the perfect weapon against monsters.
Si Nü's body swelled rapidly, and soon a massive green-patterned python blocked Su Su's path.
Narrowing her eyes, the snake demon hissed, "Why do you carry the scent of that wretched woman?"
Flicking her tongue to taste the air, she advanced. Su Su subtly retreated, recalling the drop of heart's blood that had once merged with her brow. "Are you referring to Pian Ran?" she asked.
"You know that wretch?" the snake demon spat.
So she's Pian Ran's enemy, Su Su realized. It makes sense—they both dwell in the Desolate Abyss, constantly crossing paths.
But the snake demon was clearly far more powerful than the Seven-tailed Fox. Su Su wouldn't last a single move against her.
A thought sparked in Su Su's mind. "Yes, I know her," she declared. "That Seven-tailed Fox and I are enemies."
The snake demon hesitated, her expression turning peculiar. "Seven-tailed Fox? Wasn't that wretch a Nine-tailed Fox?"
After a pause, she burst into harsh laughter. "So that's it! Pian Ran forced her way through the rift, severing two tails and destroying millennia of cultivation. If you're still alive, she must be dead."
Su Su froze. Pian Ran was originally a Nine-tailed Fox?
Recalling the snake demon's earlier command for her minions to scout the path, Su Su understood: for Demonic Beasts to cross the rift, they had to pay a terrible price—thousands, even tens of thousands of years of cultivation wiped out in an instant.
The snake demon must have been no match for Pian Ran in the past. But after escaping, Pian Ran had grown so weak she couldn't even defeat ordinary humans.
No wonder the snake demon didn't dare venture out herself, preferring to observe from afar.
The snake demon flicked her tongue. "Even if you're her enemy, I'll still devour you."
With that, her tail whipped toward Su Su. Prepared, Su Su barely dodged the strike and resumed her frantic escape.
Blindly fleeing, Su Su paid no attention to her surroundings, clumsily evading attacks from all sides. The snake demon toyed with her leisurely, then raised a hand. Su Su was lifted into the air, clutching her throat in agony.
Si Nü cackled cruelly, tightening her grip.
"A mere mortal, daring to challenge me?"The ice coffin in Su Su's sleeve fell to the ground, reverting to its original size as her blood dripped onto it.
Si Nu, reveling in the thrill of slaughter, failed to notice the Ruoshui ice coffin tremble and begin to show signs of melting.
Curved Jade, recognizing the severity of the situation, had resolved to make a desperate move when suddenly the ice coffin spun through the air and repelled Si Nu.
With a piercing shriek, Si Nu was drenched as the Ruoshui completely melted over her.
Transforming into a giant serpent, she writhed on the ground.
Su Su tumbled down, where a pale-faced child stared at her in bewilderment.
Biting back the pain, Su Su crouched before the frail-limbed child and said, "Come on, let me carry you to safety."
The child gazed at her with moist eyes, then stretched out his arms and climbed onto her back.
Suppressing the metallic taste of blood in her throat, Su Su staggered forward with the child on her back.
The boy lay quietly against her, glancing back at the serpent demon before murmuring, "The monster is catching up."
Seeing her struggle, he added, "Put me down. Save yourself."
Su Su replied, "If you really want to help, keep an eye out for which way we should run."
The child hesitated, then finally suggested, "There seems to be an ancestral temple to the left."
Treat it as a last resort, Su Su immediately veered left.
When Si Nu caught up and spotted the temple, her face paled. She glared resentfully at Su Su and the child before gritting her teeth and retreating.
Su Su rushed into the temple, and the child looked back and reported, "The monster didn’t follow us."
Curved Jade exclaimed excitedly, "Su Su, look over there."
On a desolate meditation cushion sat a white-haired man, eyes closed.
Devoid of any Demonic Aura, he was enveloped in a soft white glow, radiating an ethereal and sacred presence. Sensing the disturbance in his Barrier, the man slowly opened his eyes.
What eyes they were—lonely and desolate, both aloof and compassionate.
In that single gaze, Su Su felt as if she witnessed epochs flowing slowly by.
Remembering that he was a God who guarded the Desolate Abyss alone, dwelling eternally with tens of thousands of Demonic Beasts in sunless darkness, Su Su felt a pang in her heart.
Setting the child down, she knelt properly and kowtowed.
"Esteemed Senior, I am Li Susu. I intruded upon this place out of necessity and disturbed your peace. I beg your forgiveness."
The man’s silver eyes rested on her without reproach, instead gleaming with a trace of relief. "You’ve finally come."
Su Su looked up in surprise, while the child behind her appeared equally confused.
The man said nothing more, but the next moment, the child fainted.
"Come closer," the man said to Su Su.
She hurried over and, upon approaching, realized his body had grown nearly transparent. He raised a hand and pressed his finger to the center of her brow—precisely where the Cinnabar mark lay on her true form.
"My name is Ji Ze," he said gently.
The internal injuries inflicted by the serpent demon gradually healed. Su Su stared wide-eyed, unblinking, at Ji Ze.
A smile touched his silver eyes as he softly stroked her hair.
"You are remarkably resilient, little friend."
Praised by the world’s last God, Su Su revealed a rare childlike awkwardness, fumbling nervously before offering a shy smile.
Even Curved Jade marveled, "Su Su, you can actually blush!"
Ji Ze lowered his gaze and remarked, "Nine Heavens Jade—a rare treasure."
Now Curved Jade felt embarrassed. For so many years, no one had known what it truly was. Hearing Ji Ze call out its name so directly made it flush with heat.Ji Ze did not expose the curved jade's hidden thoughts. His tone was gentle and unhurried as he said to Su Su, "I have guarded the Desolate Abyss for too long. As my divine power gradually fades, cracks have begun to appear in the Desolate Abyss. This world is about to be overrun by Demonic Beasts."
Su Su replied, "This junior has come precisely for this matter. My father and the elders hope that I can change everything from five hundred years ago—extract the Evil Bone and prevent the awakening of the Demon God. I humbly request your guidance on the method."
Ji Ze said, "Extracting the Evil Bone is no simple task. Are you truly indifferent to any cost?"
Su Su nodded solemnly.
Ji Ze's silver eyes were clear and pure. He neither offered words of encouragement nor spoke discouragingly, instead saying with acceptance, "If that is the case, little friend, go and try."
He opened his hand, revealing a pearl glowing with golden light.
The pearl flew from Ji Ze's palm into Su Su's hand.
The curved jade examined it carefully. "This is... the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears. I've heard that the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears can transform into nine divine nails, which can be driven into the body of a Fiend. But no one has ever seen the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears before."
"Only when a God is about to fall can they manifest the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears."
Su Su looked up, stammering, "You... you..."
Ji Ze smiled gently. "I am about to fall."
His tone was calm and serene, leaving both Su Su and the curved jade at a loss for words.
After a long silence, the curved jade asked quietly, "How can the Soul-Extinguishing Pearl Tears transform into Soul Extinguishing Nails to destroy the Evil Bone?"
No one had ever done this before; there was no experience to draw upon.
Ji Ze looked at Su Su.
"The only method in this world to extract the Evil Bone is to open the Demon God's heart, allowing the pearl tears to transform into nine divine nails, driving them one by one into his heart."
Su Su stammered incredulously, "O-open his heart?"
It couldn't be... surely it didn't mean what she thought it meant!
Ji Ze smiled and said, "Little friend, you are clever and will surely understand my meaning. The seal of the Desolate Abyss will break within three years. You have only three years to drive the divine nails into his heart."
"However..." Ji Ze looked at her and said softly, "Few in this world know that the Demon God possesses no love thread."
Su Su tightened her grip on the divine nails in her hand.
Even the curved jade was stunned.
Su Su wanted to say more, but Ji Ze had already closed his eyes again. The white-haired deity's body gradually turned transparent and vanished into the air.
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