The mortal realm
A humid, fishy wind stirred a surging "tide," and swathes of scales, like spreading and covering scarlet flames, filled the horizon.
Due to a powerful barrier specially erected by the Heavenly Dao for the mortal realm, the demons and evil beasts that fell through the teleportation passages could only roar and batter wildly on the other side, temporarily unable to invade.
Mortal bodies were frail and short-lived. To maintain balance between the realms, the Heavenly Dao had, in turn, granted great power to the mortal realm.
That seemingly thin, transparent barrier was as sturdy as it could withstand a single attack from a divine being of the upper realm.
However, no barrier, no matter how powerful, could endure the attrition of dripping water piercing stone.
The demon creatures, astonishing in number like a "tide," employed all sorts of means. They smashed against it with reckless abandon. Each time the barrier resisted, its loosened, scaly structure expanded, creating a truly shocking spectacle.
The royalty and powerful nobles of the mortal realm gazed from high vantage points, their hearts filled with dread. Even with their vast armies, the countless commoners in their cities and villages likely could not withstand the crushing devastation that would follow the barrier’s collapse.
An imbalance of weight and a disparity in strength would ultimately only lead to demise.
The spiritual realm
Among the myriad realms, the cultivation world was the true disaster zone. Everywhere one looked, there was no place of peace or stability.
The phrase "living beings in misery" was vividly displayed in the cultivation world. Every cultivator, regardless of rank, even a low-level outer disciple tending furnaces in the Qi Condensation stage, had to pick up a fire poker and fight.
The demon race, having resurfaced from the abyss of the Boundless Sea, had temporarily lost their fighting capacity due to the Demon God. However, even if they could not fight, they still possessed other insidious methods to assist, leading to the downfall of immortal sects, the bloodshed of mountains and rivers, and corpses strewn everywhere.
Fengdu
"Urgh—"
Gu Er now had only one arm. His body, devoured by the Demon God, refused to regenerate, even with his formidable physique.
Black lines pierced Gu Er’s entire body, making him appear riddled with holes at first glance. His limbs were stiff and twisted. The pain and the rage of being manipulated caused his eyes to erupt like flames, yet also to be as dark and deep as an abyss.
Danyan and Cheng Hong, along with others, poured all their energy into destroying the teleportation array through which monsters continuously poured, cutting off the endless stream of monster legions created by the Demon God.
However, the Demon God manipulated Gu Er to engage them in combat.
With one arm, Gu Er drew a bone whip from his spine. This was a Dharma treasure refined from a part of his own body, connected to his soul, and moved by his will.
With a flick of the bone whip, it transformed into sharp spikes, coiling upwards.
The Demon God’s sinister red eyes shifted. Darkness spread like a heavy fog, engulfing the sky and instantly obscuring everyone's vision.
All cultivators who attempted to approach the teleportation array were swallowed by the light, weightless "fog," and shredded into dust, their blood raining down.
"Don't go any further—"
The cultivators behind them cried out in horror.
Yet Danyan refused to retreat. The tragic blood in the wind splattered his face. His eyes burned with the cold flames of intense burning, possessing both a destructive desire towards the enemy and a self-destructive will to spare no cost.
"Gu Chuhao—"
Hearing his name, Gu Er trembled all over.
He then heard Danyan cry out hoarsely, "If you don't want to shame Senior Brother Gu, then direct your strength at your enemies, don't be a coward who can do nothing!"
Gu Er's eyes widened, his golden-bronze pupils flickering incessantly. The violent tremor indicated his inner turmoil. Yet, his hands still followed the Demon God’s will, escorting the one who had killed his sister, allowing no one to cross the boundary.
Stop!
Hurry and stop!
Damn it!
Gu Er's eyes turned red with urgency. His mind roared with fury, but it did not shake his body in the slightest. Danyan, crackling with lightning, his fine sword winds carrying white light flashes, was about to confront him.
"Fine, consider it a debt repaid. After this, we'll be even."
At that moment, another sighing, helpless voice echoed in Gu Er's mind.
Gu Er jolted, his mind exploding.
"Tianyi? What are you doing?"
His bewildered question unexpectedly ignited Tianyi's fuse.
He roared in fury, "You're asking me what I'm doing? Of course, I'm stopping you, you fool, from going to your death. Your death alone would be one thing, but you've forgotten that my soul and yours are one. Your death means I can't live either. I thought that after you cultivated into a Hanba, I could separate my soul from yours and have Senior Brother Gu find a way to reshape a body for me. Now… nothing is left."
His anger, like an inflated balloon that had been popped, left only a flaccid husk.
"So, what are you going to do?!"
Gu Er also became agitated.
Tianyi was silent for a moment.
"Gu Chuhao, you are a Hanba, an existence outside the Six Paths. Even if this small world's spiritual energy is depleted and devoid of life, you can still survive. So… live, don't die."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Gu Er could react, Tianyi instantly seized Gu Er's consciousness.
In the past, with Gu Er’s consciousness as the primary host for this body, Tianyi had always been the suppressed one, like a house where the owner and guest were clearly defined. Gu Er was the owner, and he was the guest, with no reason for the guest to usurp the owner.
However, the current moment was a special circumstance.
While the Demon God appeared to be manipulating Gu Er's body, this was not entirely true. Those "black lines" were implants that bound the soul, making the body move according to the will. If it were merely physical manipulation, it would not have reached the point where Gu Er could not even offer the slightest resistance.
But the Demon God had not noticed the presence of another soul within this body.
Perhaps it was due to its arrogance, its utter disregard for Gu Er, believing that no matter how capable Gu Er was, he couldn't escape its grasp. Therefore, it hadn't focused too much attention on Gu Er, overlooking the fact that he had a dual soul.
Tianyi compressed Gu Er's soul to one side. He then turned and wielded the bone whip, swirling it into the wind. Spikes serrated out from the whip, sharp and formidable, like a fierce tiger tearing and twisting, severing the "black lines."
But these "black lines" were actually formed from the Demon God's divine power. Even though they were now a hundred times weaker, to sever them and escape, the target needed to be completely lost.
It required the sacrifice of a soul. Otherwise, if it were attacked, the backlash would simultaneously destroy everything.
Tianyi had long anticipated this situation. He sacrificed his soul in exchange, and while destroying the "black lines" embedded in his body, he also destroyed his own soul.
By the time Gu Er regained consciousness, he had shrunk from his giant form to normal human size. His body felt light and airy, free from the heavy sensation of being bound and manipulated.
As he fell from a height, he was caught by the Human Emperor, Danyan, and the others.
His eyes were crimson as he watched a faint green phantom shatter into a stream of light in the soft glow, ultimately vanishing into nothingness.
"Tianyi, you foolish fellow, why did you make that decision on your own…"
Danyan and the Human Emperor exchanged glances. They had witnessed the scene just moments ago. Although they didn't know the specifics of what had happened, Gu Er's liberation from the Demon God's control was a cause for celebration.