He finally remembered his ultimate goal: to break through the void and, upon ascending to the upper realm, bridge the gap between the 28th heaven's cultivation world and the 29th heaven's immortal realm, and then eliminate the Heavenly Demons who had been lurking and surviving in the crevices between the two realms.
Seeing Liu Jiangfusheng’s dazed expression, the Heavenly Dao continued, “Now, the Heavenly Demons’ plot is about to succeed. Look at this bright sky, these green trees, these vibrant flowers – all of it will vanish. If all spiritual energy is devoured by the Heavenly Demons, this small world will become their nourishment, helping them completely break free from the primordial shackles and traverse the myriad worlds at will.”
Liu Jiangfusheng looked at Him. “Why? Why me?”
The Heavenly Dao still did not reveal everything. He said meaningfully, “You will know in the future, Liu Jiangfusheng. Your responsibility is to all living beings and to this entire world, to the countless souls of the 28 heavens!”
“I know,” Liu Jiangfusheng lowered his eyes.
The Heavenly Dao was not willing to let it go. “I had intended to indulge you, to let you do as you pleased. But now there is no time for you to waste on naivety. You must re-cultivate the Great Dao of Ruthless Practice, kill Gu Junshi, sever your worldly ties, and ascend in one step!”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jiangfusheng’s eyes turned chillingly cold, but in an instant, they corrected to a clear and indifferent state.
“Even if I sever my worldly ties, with the Heavenly Demons present and this world’s spiritual energy depleted, I cannot ascend smoothly.”
The Heavenly Dao already had a plan. “As long as the entrance to the Netherworld is found again, I will have a way to resolve this catastrophe. The Heavenly Demons will inevitably reveal themselves when their plot fails. If you do not reach the realm of ascension during this time, even if your mortal cultivation reaches the tribulation stage, you will not be able to deal with it.”
Liu Jiangfusheng was not as optimistic as Him. “The Netherworld has been gone for a thousand years. If you knew where the Netherworld went, the ghosts in this world would not have caused such trouble now.”
“But recently, I have sensed the power of the Netherworld. I know you are unwilling to kill the soul from another world. If that’s the case, I will give you another choice…”
Liu Jiangfusheng looked at Him. His eyes, deep as twilight, held only calculation of gain and loss, devoid of human emotion.
“Marry Fu Wanyan. She is the destined maiden of the Yiming Clan. If your divine bloodline in your body can dual cultivate with her, and I impart to you a cultivation technique to remove impurities from your bloodline, you will be able to reach… at the fastest speed.”
Liu Jiangfusheng finally could not tolerate it any longer. Before He could finish, his face instantly turned malevolently cold. A red hue crept from the corners of his eyes to his forehead, forming a drop of blood. His thin, red eyelids elongated his eye shape, and his entire demeanor changed drastically.
In the cultivation world, the aura of demons and monsters was generally seductive, evil, and阴 (yin), while cultivators or spirits and monsters were clear, ethereal, and elegant. But the current Liu Jiangfusheng had lost all his pure celestial aura, instead exuding a turbid, demonic red aura of corruption.
Fu Wanyan’s body suddenly flew up and crashed to the ground with a thud. She had no self-awareness, but instinctively let out a pained groan.
Liu Jiangfusheng’s hair tie fluttered behind his head, and demonic intent clung to his cascading dark hair. His lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were filled with killing intent.
“Don’t force me to kill her.”
The Heavenly Dao stared at him in stunned silence for a long while, his throat feeling dry, as if he had used all his strength to squeeze out a few words.
“You… you have fallen into demonic cultivation?!”
The Son of the Heavenly Dao has fallen into demonic cultivation. This was probably the most absurd joke in the world. The Heavenly Dao could hardly believe his own eyes.
Seeing his disbelief, Liu Jiangfusheng said with a malicious smile, “Isn’t all of this your doing? When I lost my memory, you made me rewind time again and again. Then, you used the Great Dao of Ruthless Practice as bait, letting Gu Junshi approach me, cherish me, and adore me in the name of love. After I completely fell in love with her, you made me regain my memory and understand who I am. It was you who made me unable to love, unable to hate, unable to let go, and unable to kill—”
His voice gradually became morbidly sharp, and he finally burst into laughter.
“My inner demons were born because of her, a longing unfulfilled. If I kill her, in this lifetime, no, for all of my six lives and beyond, I will be completely lost to the demonic path. Is this what you wanted?”
“Inner demons? You actually developed inner demons because of her?!” The Heavenly Dao was utterly enraged.
He raised his head, his voice piercing through layers of clouds, reaching directly to the Pure Clarity Heaven of the highest celestial realm.
“Zhìhéng, you ruined everything! You actually caused the destiny I chose to fall into demonic cultivation. Is this your idea of an otherworldly soul having the power to save the world?”
Immediately after, as if hearing a response, a golden ripple floated up from Him. Brilliant golden light poured down onto the high platform, eclipsing the heavens and earth.
“Zhìhéng, our agreement is hereby void. You can no longer restrain me!”
With a decree that shook all living beings, the golden light vanished in an instant, and the “Fu Wanyan” also collapsed limply on the ground, unconscious.
Liu Jiangfusheng’s vision blurred, and he found himself back in his room. Before the Heavenly Dao left, it erased all traces.
“Knock knock—”
Liu Jiangfusheng heard a knock on the door. He turned his head, and his appearance had returned to normal.
“Come in.”
Xiao Chenmu pushed open the door and was somewhat stunned when he saw Liu Jiangfusheng.
Just a moment ago, he thought he saw a surge of distorted, destructive darkness in Liu Jiangfusheng, but that suffocating feeling existed only subtly, and upon closer inspection, it was gone.
Xiao Chenmu bowed to him. “Holy Lord, there is something that has been on my mind for a long time, and I still wish to ask for your opinion.”
Xiao Chenmu had stayed by Liu Jiangfusheng’s side for nearly seven years, speaking little. It was rare for him to voice any thoughts, so Liu Jiangfusheng knew this matter was extraordinary for him.
“What is it?”
Xiao Chenmu lowered his head, as if finding it difficult to speak, yet unable to hold back. “Back then, I was saved by the Holy Lord, escaping the pursuit of the mastermind. The Holy Lord also discovered that my assailant was a ghost cultivator and ultimately cleared my name. I am grateful for the Holy Lord’s benevolence and chivalry, and I have sworn my loyalty to you since then. However, over the years, there is one thing the Holy Lord has never mentioned.”
He looked up, his sharp eyebrows meeting Liu Jiangfusheng’s gaze directly, without evasion.
“Ah Xue, what exactly is her identity?”
Liu Jiangfusheng’s expression was calm. “You have never asked this before, why are you suddenly asking now?”
“I met Mu Nanxue. She was once soul-seized, and now the soul-seizer is likely gone. Her spiritual consciousness has also been damaged, and her behavior is half-mad… When the members of the Immortal Alliance interrogated her, she mentioned events from seven years ago. Back then, when she participated in the Newcomer Ranking, her demon identity was almost exposed due to Lu Ziyin’s provocation and teasing. At that time, someone helped her.”
Xiao Chenmu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, he took a breath to calm himself, and continued, “Mu Nanxue claimed that the woman who saved her was her elder sister, named Gu Junshi. But all these years, the eldest daughter of the Mu family has been a fake, pretending to be Gu Junshi to deceive her.”
“Seven years ago, a woman named Mu Nanxue, and one named Ah Xue, who possessed Mu Nanxue’s demon-concealing pearl, are connected. She is most likely Mu Nanxue’s sister.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jiangfusheng let out a laugh, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
“So?”
“So, is the Ah Xue from back then related to your mortal wife, also named Gu Junshi?”