The figure cloaked in a voluminous, ink-black robe had hemlines that hung heavy and sodden as if drenched, with hands and neck tightly wrapped, as if fearful of revealing even a sliver of skin for scrutiny. So mysterious was she, yet in the taut atmosphere, one felt her sensitive nerves perpetually on edge, under constant threat.
Regardless of the schemes brewing within their minds, or the extent of their suspicions, the brutal and bloody scene that had just unfolded compelled them to temporarily suppress all thoughts.
As Lu Ziyin assumed a ready stance, Ru Lan, with a face contorted in hatred, followed suit. Her long sash whipped through the air. No matter how much Yan Tianjiao disregarded regulations, he himself represented a member of the righteous path. His phoenix eyes blazed with a sharp, elegant light. He unfurled his hand, and a blue, icy crystal shimmered in his palm. Cheng Hong, Dan Ya, and Liu Jiang Fusheng all acted in unison, their intent clear: to detain the person.
What was this person’s identity, true or false, these chaotic and intertwined matters would be confirmed later.
But in the next instant, her figure flickered and vanished. They looked around in bewilderment, their scalps prickling. Then, with a sudden jolt, they looked up, only to see the dark, aloof, and impossibly cold figure now standing at the highest point.
They swallowed, their expressions turning grim.
…Wasn't her movement far too fast?
She had moved from below them to directly overhead. She looked down from above, stable as a mountain, as if completely reversing the oppressive aura from moments before.
The sky, previously shrouded in frost and mist, emanated an aura of extreme danger and strangeness. The cold intensified, gathering and deepening, refusing to dissipate, yet never fully dispersing. Finally, it plummeted to zero degrees, and pure white snowflakes began to fall. The air was filled with a suffocating, oppressive sensation.
The dark figure unfurled her wings, large, black, and rigid like newly sheathed feathers, which Shu Weishu had gently stroked. The edges of their wings shimmered with a fine, lustrous golden sheen.
They watched the figure in the sky, their hearts pounding wildly, their blood seeming to freeze from the cold.
Could this be a demon?
They had heard far too much of the demons’ ferocity and brutality, naturally developing a profound hatred for them. Yet, they had never deeply considered just how powerful the demons who committed such heinous acts truly were.
Their minds felt as if doused with a basin of ice water. They shivered, simultaneously realizing a chilling truth.
Very strong—
This demon… might be stronger than everyone they had ever fought combined!
A heavy and powerless pressure descended upon them, crushing them with its reality. They gritted their teeth, their brows furrowed in defiance, straining their shoulders and backs to prevent their pride from being forced to bend.
The mysterious person in the black cloak’s gaze was like a physical entity, an all-seeing penetration, yet it was also relaxed and casual. She didn’t need to feign ferocity or a cold demeanor; her very presence was enough to capture all their attention and energy for resistance.
"I never kill so petty-mindedly…"
As her slow, languid tone filled the air, the very expanse of sky she occupied was swallowed by a black dreamscape. The sky and light were stolen. The tide-like blackness transitioned from white frost and gray-blue to darkness. They watched with their own eyes as their entire world plunged into darkness.
The dark, heavy night seemed like an endless expanse of thick ink smeared across the heavens. The arrogant and fiery red sea of sparks beneath the bone bridge instantly lost its luster and brilliance, becoming dim and faded.
Heaven and earth, because of her, had fallen into a state of utter darkness.
Before they could fully comprehend the meaning of her unfinished words, an ominous premonition struck them.
"If I am to do something, I would at least do it to this extent."
The next second, an intensely blinding light pierced their eyes. The impure white energy formed a violent beam, mixed with somber black and restless blue, complex and profound. It was so chillingly terrifying that their vision instantly went blank, followed by a storm of a colossal impact wave—kan shu wu. xia
The colossal explosion seemed to shatter everything within a radius of several kilometers. Everything caught in the light instantly vaporized, became airborne, and then annihilated, evaporating into mist. It continued its mad rampage, its speed constantly increasing. The hurricane swept across their pale, stunned faces, their ears, and the tips of their hair…
An instant, or perhaps a long time.
The flow of time became unpredictable and erratic. When they finally regained their senses and perception of the outside world, they discovered that the entire space had been blasted into dust.
They remained frozen in place. Sparks floated in the air, twinkling merrily. Amidst the desolation, their deafened ears emitted a piercing shriek. Their minds were in a daze, their souls seemingly adrift. They looked around again—
Mountains, cliff faces, the white bone stone bridge, the jagged stone eaves… The entire landscape, once a relatively cohesive scene, had been utterly demolished. It was now barren and flat, empty and desolate. Everything had turned to scorched earth. Nearby formations and mountain bodies were reduced to ruins. Even the perpetually flowing red sea lava had fractured, leaving behind a massive, dried-up crater.
Terrifying?
Terrifying.
Is this real?
…Real.
The dark figure still floated there calmly, unyielding, as if demanding worship after unleashing her power.
Absurd?
Absurd.
Wasn't it incredibly, utterly absurd?
Except for her, who remained unchanged, clean and pristine, with not even a wisp of dark smoke daring to lightly soil her. Everything else had been rendered unrecognizable in an instant.
Coldness, fear, lingering dread, and the numbness of near-death instantly intertwined. Ru Lan’s entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. From her hands clenching into fists with slight tremors, to her arms curling inward, she eventually collapsed onto the ground, weak and spent.
She did not wish to appear so cowardly and helpless. She wanted to be fearless, but in reality, human fear could not be concealed. Even if the mind could control it, the body could not.
It was as if they were submerged in a sinister ocean, facing an irresistible leviathan, an existence of unfathomable depths and hidden darkness.
Lu Ziyin’s complexion was as pale as window paper. The hand gripping his sword was so stiff from exertion that he couldn't loosen it. His body trembled violently.
Everything had happened too quickly, and ended too quickly. Thus, Yan Tianjiao still maintained his original posture, his face blank. His breathing was uneven, becoming more strained with each gasp.
He recalled facing so many formidable individuals, even his mother, a powerhouse of physical cultivation, he had only ever felt defiance, never this feeling—
Insignificance.
His expression flickered with a childlike bewilderment for a moment, then contorted into shock.
She had actually made him feel… so utterly insignificant.
Dan Ya’s current feelings encompassed everyone’s, a complex mix that was difficult to describe.
The strength this person displayed was simply not on the same level as theirs.
If she wanted to kill them, it would be as easy as flipping her palm.
He couldn't believe this person could be Gu Yi… perhaps, from the very beginning, he had overthought things.
Honestly speaking, considering Gu Junshi’s vast experience and cultivation, employing such a method of deterrence was rather like an elder bullying young disciples. She, a being akin to an ancestor, was here trifling with these tender, young sprouts.
In the past, many had privately discussed Gu Junshi’s conduct as being neither strictly righteous nor evil, simply because she never killed for the sake of killing, but only killed to achieve her objectives.
Therefore, the final outcome depended entirely on what purpose she intended to achieve.
Just like now, her objective was to enter the White Tower City and obtain the "Dragon's Eye." In this process, as long as they didn't truly impede her, she wasn't necessarily compelled to exterminate them.
Her cool, deep gaze swept over each of the more or less familiar figures, deliberately bypassing Liu Jiang Fusheng. She asked, "Do you understand?"
Her voice, light as a feather and calm, struck their eardrums like heavy thunder.
Do you understand?
Understand what?
For a moment, they were stunned, but as they had managed to pave their own way on the arduous path of cultivation through their own comprehension, they were naturally not foolish.
Combining her previous few sentences… did it seem as though she was subtly guiding them to think?
Seeing them seemingly lost in thought, Gu Junshi smiled enigmatically and said no more. She turned, a flash of black light, and then vanished into the White Tower City.
Seeing her display her abilities and then brazenly depart, they fell silent, none of them immediately giving chase.
Was it unwillingness?
No.
Was it fear?
Also… no.
The primary reason was that some were still lingering in shock, their minds and bodies not yet coordinated.
To put it plainly, Ru Lan and Lu Ziyin, their blood still pumping, felt their limbs were still weak. What was the point of chasing, only to be served up as prey?!
As for why Cheng Hong, Liu Jiang Fusheng, and Yan Tianjiao didn't immediately pursue, their reasons were likely known only to themselves.
The only one who pursued Gu Junshi closely was a fox with soft, snow-white fur, moving as fast as lightning.
—
On the way to the White Tower City, Gu Junshi suddenly said to Gu Er, "Your words are indeed prophetic; you spoke the truth."
Gu Er had been blocked by Gu Junshi and had no idea what had happened.
"Sister, Sister, let me out!"
Gu Junshi remained unmoved, merely instructing, "Watch the Ghost Infant."
The Ghost Infant was not lightly injured, and his spirit was somewhat unstable. It seemed that being possessed by the evil red eyes had taken a significant toll on him.
Gu Er stomped his feet in anger. "What relation does he have to me? I don't care if he lives or dies. Sister, you must not casually engage with others. If there's danger, I'll—"
But before Gu Er could finish, Gu Junshi directly severed their communication.
—
The White Tower City in the "Dragon Island Secret Realm" was not a single white tower, but a cluster of buildings forming a spired castle, with towers, blockhouses, and city dwellings. However, no one lived there. Instead, like the underwater Dragon City Palace, they connected one adjacent structure to another.
And what linked them were bridges, each a wide, arched dragon bone. The surface of the dragon bone bridges was flat, with jagged protrusions on either side, their whiteness and clarity as bright as the setting sun on snow.
Therefore, no doors were visible in the White Tower City, only arched openings of varying sizes—semicircular, crescent, or full moon-shaped. From afar, it resembled a queen bee's magnificent, porous hive.
The previous peak battle between "Heavenly Dao" and "Heavenly Demon" had absolutely suppressed this area, causing all lurking beings within the White Tower City to tremble in fear. Along the way, not a single spirit beast had emerged. The guardian spirit beasts within the White Tower City likely knew they couldn't handle this generation of outsiders and had voluntarily retreated into hiding.
A black light descended upon the top of one of the spired white towers within the White Tower City. Gu Junshi casually raised her eyes and saw a flash of white-scaled shadow disappear around a corner.
As she felt a flicker of doubt and prepared to move forward to pursue, she suddenly felt a discomfort in her abdomen, like being struck by a nail. A sharp, piercing pain concentrated at a single point.
Her breathing hitched, and a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
—What exactly was that yellow dust?
No matter how potent the poison, it shouldn't have had any effect on her…
At this moment, she heard approaching footsteps behind her. She stopped and said calmly, without changing her expression, "Come out."
The wind stirred, and Wei Li, adorned in a resplendent crimson robe, transformed into human form amidst a streak of red light.
Gu Junshi showed little surprise upon seeing him. She merely said, "Aren't you afraid of being recognized? Change your face."
Wei Li quietly met her gaze for a moment, then obediently changed his face.
"Are you a demon?" he asked her.
This was the first time he had displayed such a serious and solemn expression. He looked quite unlike the usual Wei Li, whose temperament could break at any moment.
He had actually never truly understood her identity.
He could accept her being any identity, but being a demon was the only thing he couldn't tolerate.
Gu Junshi had no mood to discuss these matters with him now. She lowered her brows and said coldly, "Stop following me."
"Are you or are you not a demon?" Wei Li's voice rose.
His fox eyes, which usually held playful teasing and scolding, were now filled with seriousness and urgency.
Gu Junshi stared into his eyes for a moment and said, "No."
"Then how do you explain—"
"I don't need to explain." Gu Junshi directly interrupted him in a low, indifferent tone.
Wei Li blinked in surprise.
"Why should I explain myself to you?" she countered, her tone slow, relaxed, and almost amused.
Wei Li felt the heat raging within him instantly turn into a chilling cold.
He gave a self-mocking smile. "You are so familiar with the Nine-Tailed tribe. You should know that I absolutely cannot tolerate demons."
He detested demons, and if she were a demon, it would make him hate her even more.
Gu Junshi said, "Wei Li, although others see you as willful and brutal, you are like a mirror. Light reflected by you is light, and shadow reflected by you is darkness. Your heart is very pure."
Wei Li didn't understand the meaning of her words.
"Therefore, you and I have always been on different paths. Even though you are a demon cultivator, you yearn to cultivate a human-like state of mind. You established a sect and built a foundation in the cultivation world because that is where your heart leads. You think that by witnessing more of the world's filth, you can remain at peace, but in reality, you are very pure. You cannot be tainted by any impurity."
Despite all his rebellious and unconventional actions, they could not hide the fact that at his core, he was a carefree little fox playing in the mountains.
It drank mountain spring water, consumed celestial dew, practiced immortal arts, and also adhered to human customs.
It possessed bestial nature, and it was learning human nature. It had also slowly developed some values.