Within her self-awareness, she distinctly felt as though everything was normal, without any missing memories or forgotten events. Yet, with Gu Junshi’s pointed remark, she gradually began to “realize” certain things.
Her sharp fingernails clawed at her scalp, as if trying to quell the unbearable throbbing pain beneath.
“What, you’ve forgotten?”
“The Mu Manor… Gu Yi, Gu Junshi, so… the sister Mu Nanxue recognized, is also you?”
She had believed she had used her ocular techniques to mesmerize everyone, to deceive them all. She had molded herself into their idealized image, and while she reveled in her triumph, it turned out everything had been orchestrated and observed by someone else from behind the scenes.
“What exactly do you want?! Did I replace your identity? Clearly, you orchestrated all of this. Gu, Jun, Shi, Gu, Yi, which one is the real you… When did you start planning all of this?” she shrieked in desperation.
No one could comprehend her current state of mind. The blow she suffered was not merely the injury of her severed arm, but a devastating strike against her pride and dignity.
However, Gu Junshi gazed at her intently, her eyes deeper than the dark river, imbued with profound meaning. “Ziying, you were originally human, yet now your nature has been corrupted by demons. You’ve always wanted to break the seal of the Abyss Demon Race and release the demons, but is this truly your will?”
My will?
Ziying’s violet eyes flickered with confusion.
She was human, yet she consorted with demons. Was there something wrong with that?
She twisted her neck, as if suddenly spasming. The sharp, aching throb in her head gradually subsided, but it was replaced not by calm, but by a tumultuous wave of darkness that churned her world upside down.
She lowered her hands, her black hair wild, her robes dancing violently. Her purple eyes had turned red, and her entire demeanor and presence had transformed completely.
The cacophony of buzzing and whirring sounds coalesced into a sinister voice. It emanated from Ziying’s mouth, yet it sounded like someone else speaking.
“Human? I am the Seven Flames Demon Lord. A mere late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dares to be arrogant before me? You think that because you can look down upon others in this cultivation world, you can be presumptuous in my presence?”
The arrogant gust of energy swept towards Gu Junshi. Among the three, the ghost infant, positioned at the lowest level, felt the pressure of the demonic aura most acutely, struggling to even breathe. Yet, he still managed to stand in front of Gu Junshi.
But with a summon from Gu Junshi, he was pulled back behind her. Unlike before, Gu Junshi did not intend for the ghost infant to intervene. With a sweep of her robes, she single-handedly suppressed the pervasive, twisted, and materialized damage from the surrounding forces.
She swung her arms down forcefully from above, severing the ghost energy rising from the dark river.
However, the advent of a Demon Lord, even a projection of divine consciousness onto the twenty-eight heavens, was a momentous occasion. A colossal shadow spread across the sky.
“Hand over the Underworld King’s Token—”
The Demon Lord had broken an arm and grown a new one. This new arm, however, was vastly different from Ziying’s previous one. It was crimson and thick, its muscles bulging, veins protruding across the skin’s surface, forming undulating lines like mountain ranges.
The giant black shadow covering the sky also roared at her like a beast opening its maw.
—
Meanwhile, on another side, the Four Great Ghost Kings and thousands of ghost cultivators were engaged in combat with a thousand disciples from the Immortal Alliance above Fengdu.
In such large-scale battles, no one would particularly employ flashy techniques. Most would draw their innate weapons and fight with all their might, conserving spiritual energy to last until the end.
But as they fought, they realized the situation was worsening. They had assumed that the breaking of the city’s protective barrier would dissipate the accumulated ghost energy and spiritual essence within Fengdu over the years. Unexpectedly, a peculiar phenomenon appeared beneath the ground.
Aurora-like white curtains shot up from the fractured earth towards the sky. Seen from the side, they resembled ramparts, but viewed from a higher vantage point, they formed a complex array of lines in a highly organized manner, rather than a chaotic mess.
The sky was divided by several barriers, forcing them to be trapped within each diamond-shaped space, unable to escape or break through.
The cultivators dared not touch these “white curtains.” Those who accidentally brushed against them suffered severe injuries.
Mo Tu swung his eight-foot-long greatsword, sweeping across a crowd of ghost cultivators. Ghost cultivators were generally adept at talismans and summoning ghost banners, but Mo Tu did not play these games. His attacks were aimed at life and soul, and wherever his long blade fell, blood would flow.
Mo Tu’s name was well-known among rogue cultivators. Knowing they were no match for him, they scattered, leaving the Southern Ghost King to deal with him. The other three Ghost Kings faced Immortal Venerables of similar caliber from the Immortal Alliance.
The battle, which had been relatively evenly matched, was thrown into imbalance by the activation of the “white curtains.” The opposing ghost cultivators could move freely between the spaces, while the immortal sect disciples were confined and trapped in one area, unable to receive support or reinforcement.
Fortunately, the envoys from Wushang Mansion were present, possessing methods to deal with such unholy phenomena. Gu Mingye and Beitang Lin, among others, combined their efforts to unleash the spiritual treasure, the Qilin Longfu.
The spiritual patterns on the talisman instantly illuminated in the air. They ascended inch by inch, sharp and imposing. A magnificent and majestic Qilin burst forth from the talisman patterns. It stretched its neck and let out a long roar, a brilliant beam of light cutting across the sky.
It was unafraid of the spatial divisions within the array, moving freely. The holy spiritual light it carried was sufficient to negate the array’s side effects, swiftly rescuing many Immortal Alliance disciples trapped within.
Upon seeing the “Qilin,” Shufang Ghost King sneered, “A mere trick.”
He immediately spread his arms, unleashing a Gui Mian Mo Tie (Ghost Face Demon Talisman) of Earth rank through his Blood Demon Art. From within the talisman, a fanged tiger-like creature emerged. Its size was almost equal to the Qilin. The two beasts met, resulting in a fierce battle.
“Old ghost, is that a Mo Tie?” Zhiyang Daoren called out from below, half-suspicious and half-astonished.
Jiu Tun Shan Zhu understood nothing of this. However, Dan Ya, holding the Yunlei Sword, glanced over indifferently, squinted, and said with a solemn expression, “Something is not right with this Shufang Ghost King.”
“If he can wield a Mo Tie, he must be connected to the demon race. It seems the demon race’s infiltration runs deeper than we imagined.”
“Fallen demon?” Dan Ya pondered for a moment but dismissed her initial guess. “No, he is not a demon. Perhaps he has learned demonic arts?”
Wushang Mansion also noticed the anomaly with Shufang Ghost King. A ghost cultivator emanating demonic energy, using a Mo Tie instead of ghost cultivation techniques—this could not be explained simply by him possessing demonic artifacts.
“Cultivating demonic arts, willingly degenerating!” the envoys from Wushang Mansion cursed.
Beitang Lin said coldly, “Let me go face him!”
“Heavens, what is that? Look over there quickly!” someone exclaimed in shock at this moment.