The air, thick with smoke and gloom, was suddenly swept clean by a powerful gust of wind. It descended with the force of collapsing mountains, yet it also felt like a veil being lifted, instantly dispelling all mist and haze.
A hundred or so white-robed cultivators from Wushang Mansion, their spiritual energy depleted, launched a ship and ascended into the sky together. They stared, stunned, at a particular spot.
In the clear sky above, a slender, ethereal figure stood gracefully. She wore a dark robe stained with blood, and her black hair, several inches longer than her frame, fluttered behind her in the wind. Her attire was not particularly neat or dry; its edges were tattered and scorched black. However, the quality of the leather and silk threads used for its embroidery hinted at its preciousness. This robe was no ordinary garment; it was a semi-immortal artifact. Yet, even such a magical item could not withstand the corrosive effects of demonic energy.
She slowly turned around, drawing gasps of shock from everyone present.
"This… this is Gu Junshi?!"
She had endured the baptism of eight layers of demonic essence and suffered heavy blows from Wushang Mansion. She hadn't died, but… her current appearance could hardly be described as living.
Only half of her face remained intact. Yet, this half was etched with streaks of demonic patterns, signifying her complete descent into demonhood. The other half of her face was a hollowed-out cavity of flesh and bone, stark white, resembling something whose sanity had been corroded by the abyss. She had also lost her eyes. In their place, the deep sockets held clusters of faint blue and red, devoid of pupils or whites. Billowing demonic energy surged around her, and behind her, a chaotic vortex of void formed.
"Demon…"
Everyone whispered, their voices trembling.
She had become a demon. Gu Junshi had not only survived the hunt by Wushang Mansion but had successfully transitioned from immortal to true demon. And judging by her manifestation, her rank was likely not low.
"Pfft—"
Seeing this, the people of Wushang Mansion felt as if their hearts were burning. They were so enraged that it injured their lungs and liver, causing them to spit out a large mouthful of blood.
"It's over. Who can possibly deal with her and the demon god behind her now?"
The faces of the onlookers were pale and despondent, filled with bewilderment. Had the saying "Dao is one foot high, demons are ten feet high" truly come to pass?
"Junzhu—"
From a distant mountain range, a faint golden light pierced through the city walls. The barrier that had been set up was broken. Gu Junshi's subordinates rushed over, stumbling, and behind them, the abbot of Mohe Chan Temple, leading a group of eminent monks, arrived. The spiritual artifacts they carried emanated pure, bright light, and a sacred aura enveloped them. Here, in this netherworld ghost city, their presence was undimmed. Instead, they pushed back the dark miasma, driving out the darkness and welcoming the light.
With their arrival, even the people of Wushang Mansion felt their spirits and energy improve considerably. They could, at least, manage to carve out a small space for themselves.
"Masters!"
They exclaimed in surprise. The old abbot of Mohe Chan Temple surveyed the scene of death and devastation, the land scarred and ravaged. He gazed intently for a moment, then offered a humble clasp of his hands.
"Amitabha, I have arrived late."
"Master, why have you come at this hour? Where are the demons? What is the situation at the Endless Sea?" they asked, a mixture of urgency and confusion in their voices.
The old abbot of Mohe Chan Temple raised his head. His eyes, clear and wise, fell upon Gu Junshi and the darkness that enveloped her.
"The demon race… has been defeated."
These four words resounded in their ears like thunder.
"What?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Everyone cried out in disbelief.
"This is indeed the truth," replied a group of cultivators in battle armor who had arrived later. These were high-ranking cultivators who had been fighting on the front lines at the Endless Sea. They had rushed here upon receiving the urgent news. The appearance of a demon god had been felt across all twenty-eight heavens, a suffocating discomfort that gripped the heart. The sky had no sun, and order and spiritual energy were in chaos, giving them the illusion that the end of days was nigh.
"What exactly happened?"
"We'll discuss this later. Is there not something more important than dealing with the demon invasion right now?"
The surprise in their eyes was extinguished as they were pulled back to the reality of their situation, leaving them speechless and disheartened. Yes, compared to the appearance of a demon god, the victory or defeat in the battle against the demon race seemed insignificant.
But…
"Even if you have come, we are willing to sacrifice our lives to hold back the demonized Gu Junshi. But the demon god behind her, even if all the great cultivators of the twenty-eight heavens were to resist together, it would be of no avail."
The despair that enveloped them was pushing them to the brink of collapse.
"In all things, Heaven always leaves a sliver of hope, depending on whether you can grasp it," the old abbot said.
"Hope? Where?"
At this moment, the old abbot of Mohe Chan Temple stepped forward. His monastic robe was solemn and ancient, fluttering in the wind. He addressed the dark-robed woman above, who, after her demonic transformation, seemed to even obscure the presence of the demon god: "Gu Tanyue, this old monk has a question for you. May I?"
The old abbot did not inquire about the demon god first, but rather wished to converse with Gu Junshi. Gu Junshi waved her hand, creating a circular mirror. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror for a moment before shifting her gaze to the old abbot. This elder, in both his demeanor and his gaze, possessed a steadiness, composure, and magnanimity that had been refined over eons of time, as well as a profundity accumulated over a long period.
"Please, speak."
The old abbot had initially assumed Gu Junshi to be an arrogant and rude individual. However, this was their first meeting, and he seemed to understand the Holy Son's obsession with her. He asked in a magnanimous and resounding voice, "If human life is not precious, then what is precious in this world?"
Gu Junshi had never seriously considered such a question before. But someone had asked her this in the past, and she had answered casually, according to her nature. She had said that if there was someone she valued among all living beings, then all living beings would be precious. At that time, he had sighed, seeing no respect for life in her eyes, and wondered how she could pity the suffering of all beings. At that moment, it was rare for Chenghong not to debate this selfish theory with her, but merely to sigh such a remark. Now, this old abbot posed the same question once more.
"Did he ask you to ask this?" she inquired, her gaze clear and serene, faintly.
Seeing her current state—neither human nor ghost, neither immortal nor demon, her very being seemingly fractured into pieces—the old abbot thought that someone who could not remain loyal to their own Dao could not be trusted.
"He always believed in you."
Gu Junshi understood the meaning of these words. Chenghong believed in her, but the old abbot was merely acting on behalf of another, delivering a message. He himself did not believe in her.
"But I have killed him."
Having cultivated Buddhism for nearly a thousand years, the old abbot could already see through life and death and observe the world with detachment. Even upon hearing such words, his hand, which had been moving his prayer beads, merely paused for a moment. He looked up, and a colossal halo spread out beneath his feet. Buddhist hymns chanted, and Sanskrit sounds were faint and distant. "He believed in you, so, are there any people you value now among all living beings?"
"You demoness!"
"Demon!"
"You demoness who murdered her husband and child, you are not fit to ascend! The Holy Son earnestly advised you to mend your ways, yet you brutally murdered him!"
Various curses erupted from all directions, drowning out the old abbot's question. However, Gu Junshi still heard them clearly.