When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan was indeed taken to the Supreme Mystery Main Peak, where many others were already waiting. Among them was the Moon Palace Master, who had lost her beloved daughter. She scrutinized Liao Tingyan with a hostile gaze and asked, "Is this the one Sima Jiao keeps by his side?"

Shi Qian Du replied, "It's her."

Under the Moon Palace Master's piercing stare, Liao Tingyan felt a chill run down her spine. She heard the woman say venomously, "Sima Jiao killed my daughter and made me suffer unbearable pain. I will make him endure the same agony!"

As she spoke, the Moon Palace Master seemed to lose control, summoning her weapon, the Moon Ring Sword, and thrusting it toward Liao Tingyan's face. With a clang, the sword was deflected. Liao Tingyan remained unharmed, though the invisible silk threads binding her defense armor were severed—proof that the Moon Palace Master's strike had been no mere bluff.

Shi Qian Du, unable to intervene in time, darkened at the sight of her silk threads being cut. Her tone grew stern as she said, "Moon Palace Master, we have urgent matters at hand. Do not act rashly!"

Only then did the Moon Palace Master notice the formidable layers of defense shielding Liao Tingyan—her sword would not break through so easily. Reluctantly, she sheathed her weapon and stormed off in a fury.

Liao Tingyan surveyed her surroundings. Many had already gathered, and elders were continuously sending messages and issuing orders. She saw disciples descending like meteors from the sky, rushing to join the assembly. Below, a solemn formation was being arranged, while several palace masters engaged in hushed, heated discussions. The scene was chaotic.

Shi Qian Du did not see the sect leader, Shi Qianlv, but instead met Shi Zhenxu, who was handling affairs in his stead. Frowning, she asked, "Where has my elder brother gone?"

Shi Zhenxu bowed respectfully before answering, "After you left, anomalies were detected near the Jade Lotus Pool. The sect leader took some people to investigate and has yet to return."

At the mention of the Jade Lotus Pool, Shi Qian Du could no longer stay put—that place held something the Shi Clan could not afford to lose. She immediately said, "Stay here and oversee the preparations. Keep a close watch on Liao Tingyan—she is our leverage against Sima Jiao. Do not let anything happen to her. I will take some people to see what has delayed my brother."

The timing was too coincidental. She feared Shi Qianlv might have encountered Sima Jiao. If that were the case, her presence could help Shi Qianlv negotiate. After all, they now held Liao Tingyan in their grasp.

"Remember, guard Liao Tingyan at all costs."

By the time Shi Qian Du arrived, both Sima Jiao and Shi Qianlv bore injuries, though the latter was clearly at a disadvantage, appearing far more disheveled than Sima Jiao.

Shi Qianlv knew he was no match for Sima Jiao and was merely stalling for time. He was aware that Shi Qian Du had gone to capture someone—with Sima Jiao here, seizing the other would be easy. Once Shi Qian Du returned, it would mean they had succeeded, and then they could negotiate properly with Sima Jiao.

Meanwhile, Sima Jiao was also waiting—but unlike Shi Qianlv, he had nothing to fear.

Originally, he had planned to ignite the spirit fires he had planted during the upcoming sacrificial ceremony, turning the Shi Clan's central stronghold, the Three Sage Mountain, the Supreme Mystery Main Peak, and the surrounding spiritual mountains belonging to various palace masters into a blazing inferno. However, his meeting with Sima Shi had prompted him to act sooner.

The nascent spirit fire from Sima Shi had already been devoured by him, leaving behind only a small flame he had separated. This tiny flame would soon become the spark that ignited the heart of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion's inner sanctum.He had previously ignited the Spiritual Pools at the base of those mountains. Now, as this cluster of flames seeped underground, the original power of the spirit fire, the explosive force of the mountain Spiritual Pools, and the energy from the blood river where Sima Shi resided would combine to reduce everything above and below ground to ashes.

With Sima Shi’s assistance, the plan’s destructive power had grown even greater.

The reason he had been stalling Shi Qianlv here was to wait for the spirit fire to fully penetrate the earth.

Sima Jiao drew the long blade he had used to slay the fierce beasts. Shi Qianlv wielded a qin, whose melodies could bewitch and unsettle minds—yet they had no effect on Sima Jiao. Forced to resort to other means, Shi Qianlv fought desperately. Sensing the time was right, Sima Jiao ceased his entanglement with Shi Qianlv and slashed through the strings of his jade-shattering qin, leaving a deep gash across its body.

Shi Qianlv staggered back, blood spurting from his mouth as his life-bound qin’s strings snapped. Just then, he heard Shi Qian Du’s voice.

“Elder Brother! I’ll help you!” Shi Qian Du leaped forward.

Shi Qianlv’s face lit up at her arrival, but before he could speak, his expression twisted in horror. His eyes widened as he stared at the barrier below.

Flames—golden-red molten fire—erupted in a deafening explosion that could shatter Divine Souls. The once-ordinary mountain scenery shattered like a mirror, revealing the crimson blood river and black lotuses beneath. But before they could take in the sight, everything was swallowed by the surging inferno.

Shi Qianlv and Shi Qian Du paled simultaneously. Their Black Jade Lotus Pool—the spirit fire they had nurtured—!

“No!” Shi Qianlv lunged forward, desperate to stop it. But the fire had ignited from the blood river, fueled by the burning blood of the Sima clan. Unlike ordinary flames, it turned everything in its path to ash, devouring even the earth, leaving a scar over a hundred feet deep.

To Shi Qianlv and Shi Qian Du, the scene was no less than the collapse of heaven and earth. They didn’t even spare a thought for the disciples they had brought—those too close to escape were instantly engulfed, vanishing into wisps of smoke over the river of fire.

“Hahahahaha!” Sima Jiao laughed wildly, gripping his long blade. Gazing down at the blood river, his hair and robes whipped by the scorching updraft, he pointed mockingly at the nearly deranged Shi Qianlv. “Shi Qianlv, this is only the beginning.”

Shi Qianlv’s hate-filled glare finally locked onto him. Gritting his teeth, he forced out words as if vomiting his very organs. “You… what do you mean?”

Sima Jiao tilted his chin up, looking down at him with a careless, mocking smile. “The spiritual mountains where your Shi clan resides—your ancestral temples, graves, even your sect leader’s Tai Xuan Peak—will soon share this fate. By tomorrow, those mountains and your mighty Shi clan will cease to exist.”

His grin dripped with malice, chilling Shi Qianlv to the bone. Trembling, Shi Qianlv could only think one thing: It’s over. Everything is over.

“Sima Jiao! You’ll regret this!” Shi Qian Du shrieked. Her cultivation was weaker than Shi Qianlv’s, and she struggled to endure the scorching spirit fire. Her skin flushed red, her robes beginning to burn. The reflection of the flames below filled her eyes with hatred and distortion.Sima Jiao remained indifferent, toying with the long blade in his hand. Unfazed by the spirit fire, the temperature was nothing out of the ordinary for him. Thus, he merely watched the two struggling before him with a faintly raised brow.

Shi Qian Du's voice, twisted by rage and resentment, turned shrill in the scorching wind, "The Supreme Mystery Peak—that woman you keep by your side is also on the Supreme Mystery Peak! If we die, she will perish with us!"

Sima Jiao's fingers paused on the blade's edge. With a slight press, the sharp edge sliced his finger, and a drop of golden-red blood slowly trickled down the blade.

He abruptly shot a vicious glare. "What did you say?"

BOOM—

At that moment, an earth-shattering explosion erupted. Even within this isolated space, the sound was terrifying.

Sima Jiao had once imagined the scene that would unfold during the sacrificial rites—a magnificent spectacle akin to the apocalypse. Countless spiritual mountains, driven by the Fengshan Spirit Fire, would self-destruct in a cataclysm so devastating that no one within range could escape.

It was indeed a grand sight. Lush spiritual mountains brimming with spiritual energy transformed in an instant, erupting in unison. Surging flames and molten fire swallowed everything in sight.

The barrier space could no longer withstand the pressure from within and without, shattering completely. Simultaneously, Sima Jiao felt an inexplicable pang in his chest, instinctively clutching at his heart.

Through the fragments of the broken barrier, he turned abruptly and saw the distant Supreme Mystery Main Peak. In that single glance, the peak collapsed before his eyes, the towering flames dyeing his vision crimson.

His careless smile froze, like a peeling, mottled white wall cracking apart.

His expression was so terrifying that even Shi Qian Lv sensed something amiss. Laughing maniacally, he cried, "Hahaha! Sima Jiao, for all your scheming, how could you have foreseen that you would personally kill the one you care about? Your arrogance has finally brought you retribution!"

He laughed and wept, utterly unhinged.

Without sparing him a glance, Sima Jiao flew toward the now unrecognizable Supreme Mystery Main Peak.

...

Shi Qian Du hurried away, and Shi Zhen Xu promptly took his place beside Liao Tingyan, not daring to slacken for even a moment.

Liao Tingyan: "..." You're really watching me too closely—I genuinely can't escape.

Though her life wasn't in danger, she was otherwise completely restrained, unable to move a muscle. Lying there helplessly, she thought, Surely my ancestor will come find me soon?

After this ordeal, she resolved to study communication methods—perhaps something like a telephone—so she could contact him remotely next time. Otherwise, every incident would escalate into such a terrifying spectacle.

Many bustled about on the Supreme Mystery Peak. As Liao Tingyan watched the darkening sky outside, she inexplicably felt a growing heat.

It seemed to rise from beneath the ground. Unable to resist, she stared at the floor.

If even she could sense it, those with higher cultivation naturally noticed as well. Conversations halted, and even the clueless disciples sensed the unusual tension.

BOOM—

A tremor came from somewhere. Liao Tingyan saw the disciples' horrified faces, the ground suddenly upheaving, and crimson molten fire erupting. Blistering heat, carrying explosive flames and spiritual energy, surged skyward.

What was happening?She saw the fiery magma surging toward her and was scared stiff. Holy shit, it's a volcanic eruption!!! But where the hell is there a volcano around here!!!

...

Under the night sky, the rivers of magma connected like blood vessels in a human body, forming networks of varying thicknesses. Viewed from above, it was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Sima Jiao stood on the still-burning earth, momentarily dazed. His Soul Abode throbbed with a sharp, relentless pain that filled his eyes with bloodshot streaks.

The Supreme Mystery Main Peak was gone. He stood on a flat plain, and as far as he could see, there was nothing but fire and scorched earth.

He walked forward for a while, then moved his hand slightly, unearthing something from beneath the ashes and charred soil.

A vaguely circular object floated before him.

The Beaded Necklace Collar, once imbued with formidable defensive power, was now utterly useless, reduced to this pitiful state. And the person who had worn it—perhaps now lay beneath his feet, turned into scorched earth or ashes, unable to even be gathered.

He grabbed the remnants of the collar floating before him and crushed it to dust with a single, forceful squeeze.

Then, murmuring an incantation, he reached out and grasped forward. Countless glowing specks surged up from the ground—these were the souls of those who had just perished here. Left unattended, they would soon disperse or return to the cycle of reincarnation.

Sima Jiao had once told Liao Tingyan that as long as he didn’t want her to die, she wouldn’t.

So he would reclaim her soul. Losing a body didn’t matter—as long as her soul remained, she could always be revived. She could continue lounging lazily by his side, doing nothing. She must have been terrified. She might cry after being revived, but that was fine. He could promise her that something like today would never happen again.

With a furious determination, he single-handedly seized all the souls in this expanse of land and sky, stirring even the heavens into rumbling with thunder.

Sima Jiao paid no heed to any of it, meticulously examining each captured soul.

Not all souls were here. Some, with unstable or fragile Divine Souls, had been scattered or shattered in the earlier catastrophe.

Sima Jiao thought, Liao Tingyan’s soul wouldn’t be that fragile. She must still be here, somewhere in this very place.

He couldn’t possibly fail to find her.

Yet, he truly couldn’t.