"Hoooo—"
The Poison Thorn Forest sensed an uncontrollable situation about to unfold within its exclusive territory. It mobilized all its strength to attack, no longer passively waiting.
The long vines snaked over the broken parts of the翟绿圆盘, covering the already submerged thorny green walls. The faint green light from the sky was instantly swallowed by endless darkness.
The air was immediately filled with a damp, earthy smell mixed with the fetid odor of rust. The thorny pillars, coiled and entwined, erupted like water dragons from a lake, lunging towards the demons.
How could the "food" on their plates be allowed to escape!
But under the protection of the ancient, mysterious formations occupying this land, a circle of light emerged on the withered, skinny bodies of these demons. The light, like a solar eclipse in color, appeared thin and fragile, yet it remained unshakable despite the whipping and furious collisions of the Poison Thorn Forest.
Within the light shields, the demon beasts, driven by an invisible force, continuously swelled, evolved, and mutated…
The half-human, half-beast demon beast voluntarily shed its human bloodline. It burst open the bulging flesh that belonged to the human part, splattering blood like licking flames. The pain intensified, yet it reveled in the agony.
Its beastly form began to grow, and the fur of the beast encroached upon the human part until it was completely transformed into a majestic Earth-rank demon beast, treading flames with its head held high.
There was also a humanoid figure covered in green centipede scales, possessing cold, snake-like beastly eyes. It too abandoned the human part of its body, beginning to demonize from its lower half. Its legs became a tail, its arms vanished, and its entire body transformed into an coiled green dragon.
They had never experienced such a feeling before.
This feeling of soaring spirits, this freedom of will.
It was as if they had shed their shackles, and infinite possibilities unfolded within them.
Years ago, Gu Junshi had made a pact with them: as long as they could survive under her command for several years at all costs, without questioning the reasons, she would grant them a future that satisfied them, a future that was powerful and brand new.
The emphasis was on surviving, on not dying.
At that time, not a single one of them believed her words.
Within this invisible cage, escaping was impossible without paying a price, but they had once felt that the "price" they paid to Gu Junshi was hardly worth it.
Living a life worse than death, they had almost believed they were being punished in the eighteenth level of hell.
But the more they had hated and cursed, the more stubbornly and arduously they had survived, the sweeter the eventual reward tasted.
Feeling the joyful and exhilarating expansion of their bodies, sensing their dry and weak meridians filled with long-lost strength.
It continuously scoured the narrow pathways within their bodies, expanding and filling them, until finally, they were completely replaced by another powerful force.
It was the true, powerful bloodline power awakened from within.
It arrogantly and wantonly devoured other weaker bloodlines, growing stronger, tougher, and accumulating power until today, stimulated by the formation, it unleashed its full power to completely annihilate the mixed, low-grade bloodlines.
They were finally no longer the pathetic wretches they once were!
Ecstasy, excitement, elation…
Time seemed to crawl forward amidst this commotion. The squeezed forces collided and exploded, creating an extremely suppressed, heavy, and dangerous current that formed a vast "domain."
And the poisonous thorns attacking from all directions were torn to shreds and ground into ashes within the "domain."
They were no longer the masters of this land, but preyed-upon weaklings. In the great darkness shrouded by the current, countless colossal figures slowly rose, forming continuous, breathtaking mountain-like shadows.
This evil, powerful, concentrated force would undoubtedly stir up the world outside in the future.
Gu Junshi stood within the light formation, enveloped by ethereal floating lights. Compared to the fierce and monstrous evolved figures behind her, each of whose breaths could stir up wind and sand, she appeared so tiny.
Yet, not a single dark shadow dared to unleash even a trace of malice towards her.
Even though the thorn forest, demarcated by the light formation, was completely annihilated by violent power, the environment and currents around her remained calm and clean, like a forgotten vacuum zone.
These evolved beings were undoubtedly all ruthless villains and desperadoes in their past lives. They had no human morality. Forget benefactors, they wouldn't hesitate to kill even their own parents if they stood in their way.
The only reason they didn't act now was one thing: fear!
Even though they had undergone earth-shattering changes, in front of her, they still felt a sense of hesitation, an unwillingness to act rashly.
To make a move meant either winning, or… facing consequences far more terrifying than death.
Therefore, they hesitated, they measured, they agonized, and they waited.
But the opportunity for them to choose had already slipped away.
*Swish—* A torrent gushed out from the ground. Countless black chains flew out from Gu Junshi's body. The torrent opened like a sea turned upside down, and a more terrifying aura than theirs suddenly struck their chests.
They looked down in shock to see a black iron chain piercing their hearts. Corresponding contract formations appeared beneath the feet of each demon, devil, and demonic beast.
The script of the formation was unlike any language they recognized, yet it contained a strange and astonishing energy.
A low, calm, yet surging voice that could stir up towering waves echoed through the sky.
"Your sins will not be absolved in a day. You shall become my slaves through this contract, in exchange for your freedom. Should you harbor disobedience, unruliness, or disloyalty—you shall be punished!"
"Holy cow!"
These demons, who could be great powers if released into the world, were now unable to control their bodies.
First, their heads.
Then, their cervical spines.
Then, their spinal columns.
Finally, their lower limbs.
Little by little, they lowered their once-proud heads, lowered their arrogant bodies, and bowed down on bended knees to their lord.
"We bow to our Lord—we swear to cleave thorns for our Lord with this body, and pledge obedience, loyalty, and willing submission!"
The words of the sworn oath came out without thought.
They were utterly incapable of resisting.
Their mouths seemed to have a will of their own, completely disregarding their current psychological collapse.
At this moment, these demons, devils, and beasts who had just gained power and freedom felt as if they had been struck on the head, nearly shedding tears of regret, exclaiming—they had been utterly deceived!
It turned out she had made them all powerful and formidable only to better enslave them.
They bore the sins, they endured the suffering, but they gained not a single bit of the final beautiful outcome, all of it offered to her!
Knowing the truth, the group of evil beings, filled with excitement (and sorrow flowing like a river), beat their heads against the ground.
But the black chain, whatever it was made of, bound their very souls. Even if their bodies were destroyed and their paths ended, they could not escape the contract it had established.
This was truly despairing.
However, she hadn't left them with absolutely no path forward.
"Your sins…" these four words were worth pondering.
Did it mean that as long as they were judged to have redeemed their past sins, they could break free from this enslavement contract and regain their freedom?
For a moment, those who had committed slightly fewer evil deeds, or whose crimes were less severe, felt a glimmer of hope for their future.
As for those who had committed more wicked deeds and committed serious crimes, they counted on their fingers, trying to calculate how long they would have to redeem themselves before they could escape the exploitation of this "great villain" named Gu Junshi.
In the end, their eyes went blank.
Who knew how much longer it would take.
Gu Junshi said, "I know you all feel resentful now, thinking I am obstructing your pursuit of freedom. However, let us hypothesize here. If you were to leave here, what would you plan to do?"
"Revenge? Many of you should have enemies outside. But there are also many who would seek revenge against you. Ultimately, these grudges will become like a tangled ball of thread, becoming deeper and more numerous, entanglement of debts. Your final outcome will either be death at the hands of your enemies, or being killed by your avengers."
"Claiming territory and ruling? Given your preferences, you might lean towards the Yin-infused Fengdu or the demon tribes. But are you certain that with the strength you've gained, you can defeat the Four Ghost Kings of Fengdu or the Demon Kings of the demon tribes? If you can't win, and you go to provoke them, it's undoubtedly a path to death."
"Or perhaps, you simply won't act like humans, and will run off to harm the common people, to retaliate against past injustices? Then, in the end, you will either be annihilated by the righteous sects of cultivation, or die under the heavenly lightning of the Dao of Heaven."
The demons and devils: "..." So, in essence, they were not meant to live well, were they?
Seeing them suppressing their anger and daring not to speak in retort, she knew the time was right.
"Ultimately, your greatest desire is to escape the humiliation and resentment of the past. You want to prove yourselves, and you want to become powerful and revered beings. If that is the case, why not stand with me at the pinnacle of these twenty-eight heavens, looked up to by all, making your enemies or the righteous cultivation sects breathe at your whim?"
"A single tree cannot support a house, and while I can make you powerful, I can also forge your future. Being driven by me is nothing more than being second only to me. But if you abandon this opportunity, do you truly believe that with your own strength, you can obtain more advantages than me in this world that is constantly making things difficult for you?" wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Gu Junshi, like a successful and charismatic salesperson, vividly painted a picture of their future for them, downplaying the present conflict and stalemate.
… Don't think we don't know you're giving us a beating and then a sweet.
Although, yes, they understood the logic. But as things stood, hearing her still willing to weave some "lies" to coax them made them feel a bit better.
Truthfully, it would be difficult for them to quickly achieve their ambitions and desires on their own. Villains who don't want to climb are not good villains. But if they could borrow wind, or follow the right person, their chances of success would be greater, especially if they followed her.
A woman who could revitalize their ancestral bloodline possessed too many unbelievable miracles.
Perhaps she could truly lead them to achieve a different future.
Most importantly, since they couldn't resist, they could only grit their teeth and accept.
With a change in mindset, and a second thought, the "pie" she painted seemed truly delicious!
—
Behind the green-skinned tree hollow, the Human Emperor, who had followed out of curiosity about what Gu Junshi intended to do: "…"
It had to be said, she was truly a born master at managing subordinates and controlling beasts!
With the intelligence of these demons and ferocious beasts, how could they be her match?
Were they not already tamed and obedient?
Gu Sijun, who had stealthily followed, also took everything in.
From beginning to end.
He was still young and hadn't seen many grand occasions, so until the very last moment, he was in a state of shocked suffocation.
Little Sijun blinked his eyes, his small hands cupped over his heart.
His, his mother, was like… like a very powerful cult leader!
He felt a bit worried.
Was his mother not the mastermind behind the evil forces described in the opera? Then why did she find his father, no, that person, as her husband? Was it to pursue the thrill of righteousness and evil clashing, or simply because she found his face handsome?
But, his mother was really amazing.
He was simultaneously proud and excited.
Those demonic beasts and ferocious beasts, whose little toe was bigger than his mother, were like tigers with their claws pulled and teeth removed in front of his mother, incredibly well-behaved!
The Human Emperor, meanwhile, thought that if he could retrieve the last sealed item on his person and restore his peak cultivation, he wondered if he could subdue her…
…If not, then he would try the gentle approach.
He began to ponder how to make her agree to marry him.
According to her previous intentions, she wanted Fengdu.
And the key to obtaining Fengdu was still in Compassion City. It seemed he had to make a trip to Compassion City.
He thought, if he offered Fengdu as a betrothal gift, would she willingly accept?
—
Compassion City
It should be said that Compassion City, in its current state, was not originally called "Compassion City" but was known as 雼鸣城 (Taiming City).
However, later, due to Fengdu, Taiming City attracted more people from Taoism and Buddhism to settle there. Voices promoting morality, laws, and universal salvation were everywhere. Later, as people passed the name around, it was uniformly called by a more familiar name—Compassion City.
But at that time, it was mostly a rumored name, and it hadn't been officially changed until a few hundred years ago, when a highly cultivated old nun—Ci Xin—changed "Taiming City" to "Compassion City." She then opened a monastery in the city to accept disciples, continuing the cause of "compassion" to this day.
Upon entering Compassion City, the entire city was filled with an atmosphere of enlightenment, sincerity, and kindness. The city gates were never closed, embodying the saying "widely open to welcome all beings."
Walking on the bluestone-paved streets, one could occasionally hear faint Buddhist music carried by the wind. The stone tablets bore numerous inscriptions and couplets, with traces of Buddhist holy sites and Taoist culture everywhere, carrying this profound history.
"Whose little doll is this, so beautifully grown."
A beautiful child dressed in white with a golden crown walked on the road, trying hard to remain calm. He pursed his lips and looked around blankly: "Father—"