They were bound to Gu Junshi, sharing in her every loss and gain.
Having expended the reincarnation formation they had set up in Fengdu City, all that remained was a clandestine formation they had prepared as a contingency measure—an array that pulsed with blue light, though calling it merely blue wouldn't be accurate; it was a shade so deep it bordered on an inky, purplish hue.
The heavens were clear and the air pure, the earth a chaotic void.
The formation, instantly rising, enveloped Fengdu’s sky. The perceived edges blurred within the blue luminescence. From above, deep blue lines converged, weaving themselves into a totem.
"What?!"
"What fire is this that has ignited?"
"Quick, run!"
On one side, demonic energy raged, relentlessly pursuing. On the other, thorny flames surged from the ground without wind. This sudden turn of events left people utterly bewildered, their first instinct being to flee, to bolt.
However, not everyone possessed such swift reactions, nor the absolute speed to escape the scene.
In the blink of an eye, many confused and frightened individuals found themselves trapped within the blue flames, their bodies engulfed.
"Aaaargh—"
"Huh?!"
Some screamed in terror, but their terrified expressions soon froze.
Their eyes widened, darting around. Strangely, these seemingly demonic and dangerous flames did not harm them.
They stood within the firelight, utterly unharmed.
"It's fine?! Huh, it really is fine!"
The flames, upon touching them, brought no burning pain. Instead, they felt a warmth akin to the winter sun, as if bathing in a hot spring, a pervasive comfort throughout their bodies.
"But what is this? Why did this appear so suddenly?"
"In my humble opinion, the world has mortal fires, artifact fires, and soul fires. Mortal fires are generally used for warmth and cooking. In the cultivation world, there are artifact fires, graded from low to high, capable of refining all things in the world, with vibrant and varied colors. Then there are soul fires, pure white, used to nourish the souls of those with damaged spirits... But these inky blue flames seem more like demonic realm fires, yet strangely, they do not harm people..."
As he spoke, he circled back upon himself, becoming more confused the more he explained.
At this moment, in the heart of the formation, in a place no one could spy or observe, a group composed of demons, fiends, and unorthodox cultivators stood.
Every single one of them, who stood here, had once been the weakest, most lowly survivors in this world. Later, fueled by resentment and hatred, they had grown powerful step by step. But this had not altered their inner fragility and hurt; instead, it had driven them to an extreme.
In the process of their revenge, they had gradually forgotten their origins, becoming the very oppressors and villains they once fought against, even surpassing them in cruelty.
But the world operates on a principle of cause and effect; ultimately, they reaped the bitter fruit of their actions, driven out like stray dogs into a thorny thicket, awaiting a final, tragic, and humiliating end.
"In this lifetime, I've never anticipated anything so much..." Cang Yu Yao's icy, beautiful lips curved subtly, exchanging a glance with the nearby Shí Tóng.
"Since death is inevitable, why not stake everything on one gamble..."
Shui Fu, a wood demon with green skin and pink hair, placed a finger to her lips: "Shh, what if we win? Then we..."
A shared, almost pathological, yet resolute expression dawned on their faces.
"Can defy fate!"
People like them, neither black nor white, whether alive or dead, would likely meet a grim end. To die a bad death would be considered fortunate.
Therefore, they were desperate to grasp the only "floating wood" within reach.
To become her subordinates, bound by life and death; if they lost, they would cease to exist, but if they won, they would ascend to glory.
They had watched her journey from a mortal to a height capable of confronting a demon god. She was like a miracle, rarely seen in millennia. She had promised to lead them to different realms, opening a new chapter in their lives. For this reason, they could not simply stand by and watch.
At the very least, they wanted to become a force for her, to protect her.
Jidu Mo licked his sharp fangs, his crimson lips curving upwards: "She will not disappoint us, so, my monsters..."
Kai Shan Gui flexed the muscles on his body, emitting a deep rumble from his chest: "Let's go—"
"Roar—"
A call answered by many.
Gazing at the scarred Gu Junshi, they offered their necks for slaughter, each drawing their sharp weapons or various piercing implements and cutting themselves. They let their blood spill into the flames, instantly splashing sparks. In a flash, the flames transformed, taking on a vibrant, blood-red hue, as if fully sated.
They sacrificed their own lives, offering themselves with the utmost loyalty and piety.
This blood was no ordinary blood, and these flames were no ordinary flames. Once the formation was ignited by blood, its gluttonous desire would be stirred.
The flames roared upwards, their tongues of fire madly entwining themselves around their bodies and bleeding wounds, forcefully penetrating and drawing out their life force to fuel the flames' intensity.
Simultaneously, Gu Junshi, engaged in battle with the demon god, was astonished to find her wounds healing at an incredibly rapid rate.
The demonic energy receded, as if being consumed by something unseen.
A hint of surprise crossed her heart; she was unsure of the reason for this unusual phenomenon.
The demon god, however, would not give her any time to be distracted. This time, He had lost patience with resolving her after restoring His divine and demonic forms. He would never allow her another chance to turn the tide.
The divine power possessed by the demon god exerted absolute suppression over Gu Junshi. Just as in the mortal realm there's a saying about a higher rank crushing a lower one, so too did divine beings possess a natural, insurmountable chasm over immortals.
Even though she had employed every trick before confronting Him directly, she had only managed to draw the current battle into a seemingly winnable state.
"Still daring to get distracted at a time like this, Gu Junshi? Are you truly so arrogant and ignorant, or do you underestimate me?"
The demon god extended a hand. Humanoid, its flesh was nurtured and poisoned by demonic energy, with black veins appearing and nails sharp and black. A spherical object materialized in His palm, pulsing with a heartbeat-like rhythm, surrounded by crackling black lightning.
"Let's see if your abilities are as heaven-sent as you believe them to be."
As He spoke, the black lightning sphere shot forward with the speed of electricity, slicing through the clouds and creating a path of immense destruction directly towards Gu Junshi.
Sensing the imminent danger, she instinctively dodged. Her body, as if cut by a blade, split in two. After the black lightning sphere passed through the gap, she reformed herself, turning to look.
*Boom—*
The black lightning sphere, like a concentrated atomic bomb, exploded with a world-shattering roar. The immense energy it released behind Gu Junshi caused immeasurable destruction. All that existed vanished instantly, like morning mist evaporated by the sun.
As if to ensure the scene was not spectacular enough, the demon god then raised His arm, and a series of "black lightning spheres" harmlessly circled His limb.