Great Demon - Chapter 109

In Shangxi City, the hidden devilish aura lurked in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It shunned any trace of light, its dark forms creeping slowly like worms.

As soon as the devilish aura appeared, Yueyin tensed her shoulders. Hearing the soft gasp of the maid beside her, she forced herself to relax a little.

The city had always been tainted with devil’s energy, but now the scent was murky and stale, clearly not from an ordinary devil.

He’s here, Yueyin thought.

***

Beyond the Demon Realm, in the radiant Nine Heavens, the Obsidian Dragon soared through the clouds. Its four claws tore through the mist, scattering the colorful hues like a shredded curtain, creating a fragmented yet dazzling spectacle.

The Obsidian Dragon transformed into human form before the celestial gates. Without waiting for the guards to speak, she strode inside, heading straight for the Reincarnation Bureau.

The young attendant at the Reincarnation Bureau, having been startled twice before, was no longer surprised by the sudden arrival of the Divine Venerable. He clasped his hands and greeted her, “Divine Venerable.”

The aloof woman had a pale complexion, her golden eyes cold and piercing, resembling a demon from the abyss. Yet, her divine power was immense, her cultivation reaching the pinnacle of perfection, making her even more fearsome than the steadfast Buddha.

If the rarely seen Buddha was an unsheathed sword, she was the sharpest blade in the Nine Heavens, the embodiment of extreme ferocity in the world. Yet, she neither embraced evil nor succumbed to devil’s influence, steadfastly adhering to her principles.

“I’m late,” Changying said indifferently.

The young attendant set down the unfinished fate lantern in his hands and stepped back, bowing his head as he stood to the side. “Thank you, Your Divinity, for returning the water of Reincarnation Pool.”

Changying suddenly transformed back into her dragon form, her powerful body coiling, her long tail nearly crushing the Reincarnation Bureau. She opened her massive jaws and spat the water back into the pool. The water splashed violently, not like a waterfall but more like blades, shattering upon impact.

In an instant, the dry Reincarnation Pool was filled again, clear and pristine, untouched by even a speck of dust. The young attendant smiled with joy.

The Obsidian Dragon landed back on the ground, reverting to human form. She spoke calmly, “A bit spilled out. It might take half a year to replenish.”

“No matter,” the attendant replied softly.

Changying turned and walked toward the main hall. Now that the mystery surrounding Xuanqing had been solved, it was time to meet him.

***

In the main hall, Xuanqing had been waiting for a long time. The Four Dharma Kings and several Divine Lords were also present, as if they had never left since that day. The hall was packed, with only Kunyi missing.

As Changying was about to enter the main hall, she noticed several layers of restrictions placed upon it.

The two gatekeepers, seeing the Divine Venerable approach, quickly bowed and said, “Your Divinity, please wait.”

Changying paused. The gatekeepers turned and knocked on the door, whispering, “Your Majesty, the Divine Venerable has arrived.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the restrictions on the hall vanished. The two gatekeepers hurriedly pushed the doors open and gestured, “Your Divinity, please.”

Changying stepped inside. As she entered the restricted area, dozens of eyes turned toward her. Xuanqing set down his teacup and said calmly, “The Divine Venerable has arrived.”

The Divine Lords all rose to greet her, only sitting back down after Changying took her seat.

Changying sat at the table, her golden eyes lifting slightly as she glanced at the gathered immortals. “Everyone’s here? How long have you been waiting?”

“Just a moment,” Xuanqing replied with a gentle smile.

Changying extended her hand toward Xuanqing. “Your hand.”

Xuanqing understood, flipping his palm upward and offering it to her.

Changying didn’t touch his wrist or palm. The more she looked, the heavier her heart grew. The lines on his palm were nearly gone, a sign that his divine power was on the verge of exhaustion.

“Your divine power is waning. There’s no way to reverse it,” she stated bluntly.

“I am beyond saving, but Your Divinity still has the power to change things,” Xuanqing said slowly, his smile as gentle as ever. He seemed always at ease, even when Changying first returned to the Nine Heavens, guiding her through the Heavenly Palace as if strolling through a garden, showing no urgency.

In the distance, the Immovable Buddha remained silent, still fingering his prayer beads and silently reciting scriptures.

Xuanqing’s expression remained unchanged. Though they had been waiting for Changying, he asked, “What brings Your Divinity here today?”

The gathered immortals watched in silence.

“Do you know why your divine power has declined so severely?” Changying asked.

Xuanqing smiled without answering.

“You know,” Changying said firmly. She then raised her eyes, scanning the immortals in the hall, and asked, “Do the rest of you know?”

No one answered. Many of the immortals looked hesitant and confused.

“Since you don’t know, that’s why I’m here,” Changying said, gesturing for Xuanqing to withdraw his hand. She then raised her right arm, pinching her fingers before her brow, and extracted a single, intact thread of spiritual energy. Just one thread contained boundless power.

She would never allow anyone to enter her mind. She had to reveal everything herself.

Changying lifted her pale arm, her sleeve falling to her elbow. The spiritual thread rose from her palm, floating to the top of the main hall and unfurling like a scroll.

What the thread revealed was what she had seen in Hua Lingjun’s mind.

The Turbid Mirror, the chaotic realm, Xuanqing, the chains, and the Devil Lord Guanshang—none were omitted, all revealed within her spiritual thread. Even the conversation between Hua Lingjun and her after he emerged from the mustard seed was laid bare before the eyes of the gathered immortals.

Among the Four Dharma Kings, only the Immovable Buddha remained unmoved, silently reciting scriptures as he fingered his prayer beads, as if he had anticipated all of this.

The rest of the immortals were struck with shock, staring dumbfounded at the scenes unfolding within the spiritual thread, as if their souls had been seized.

The scroll-like white light suddenly condensed, transforming back into a wisp of spiritual energy, gently returning to Changying’s fingertips.

Changying pinched the thread and pressed it back into her brow, saying indifferently, “Everything is as you have seen.”

All eyes turned to Xuanqing, and for a moment, no one knew what to say.

The Nine Heavens stood above demons, devils, and mortals, its majesty unchallenged. Even if some harbored discontent in their hearts, none dared to rebel. Yet, the hearts of demons and devils were more treacherous than mountains and rivers. If the Nine Heavens were to falter, they would be the first to act.

Now, it was revealed that the Heavenly Emperor of the Nine Heavens was bound by devilish chains, his divine power waning. How could the demons and devils, who had long harbored rebellious intentions, remain calm?

For the Nine Heavens, this was a catastrophe. But what did it mean for the Three Realms?

The Three Realms appeared calm for now, but who knew what turmoil lay beneath the surface?

Changying turned to Xuanqing and said calmly, “You waited so long for the ancient gods to return to the Nine Heavens, so they could take over this mess for you.”

“Correct,” Xuanqing replied, his smile fading.

“Do you know why your spiritual power has declined to this extent?” Changying asked sternly.

Xuanqing was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “My divine power is indeed nearing exhaustion. As you have seen, it is due to the devil’s influence, and also… Kunyi.” He spoke very slowly, and when he mentioned Kunyi’s name, there was no trace of warmth in his eyes, as if she were a stranger.

The immortals were in an uproar. They all knew that Xuanqing and Kunyi shared both fortune and misfortune, but they could not understand how Kunyi was connected to this.

One immortal asked, “How is this related to the Queen Mother of the West? Has the Nine Heavens become Guanshang’s prey?”

“There’s still room for maneuver,” Xuanqing said softly. “I also don’t know when she was harmed. Over two hundred years ago, I noticed signs of my divine power waning. After investigating, I could only suspect Kunyi, but she seemed unchanged to me. I searched for a long time but couldn’t figure out where my divine power had gone.”

Changying looked at his chest and stated bluntly, “Later, you realized you had developed devilish thoughts.”

“Exactly.” Xuanqing nodded. “Once the devilish thoughts arose, I realized Kunyi had indeed changed. I would never develop devilish thoughts without reason. Now that these thoughts torment me, Kunyi cannot remain unaffected. Yet, her immortal body remains, showing no signs of turning into a devil. How strange.”

“Then why did the Queen Mother of the West…” one immortal asked in surprise.

“She didn’t turn into a devil; she was possessed,” Xuanqing said calmly.

If such words had come from anyone else in the main hall, they would have been dismissed as absurd. But they came from Xuanqing!

Before the ancient gods returned to the Nine Heavens, Xuanqing, Kunyi, and the Immovable Buddha were the most powerful beings in the Nine Heavens. It was rumored that the Immovable Buddha had already reached the pinacle but chose to suppress his cultivation and remain in this realm rather than ascend beyond.

If that were the case, who in the world could possess Kunyi, let alone the Devil Lord Guanshang, whose three hun souls couldn’t even unite?

Now, the immortals were speechless, and the main hall fell into dead silence.

Was this why Xuanqing had kept silent for so long? The Heavenly Emperor’s divine power was waning, and the Queen Mother of the West had been possessed. What was left of the Nine Heavens?

The Immovable Buddha had retreated into seclusion long ago. He neither fought nor sought power, nor did he easily involve himself in the affairs of the Three Realms. As long as the human world didn’t collapse, his heart… might remain unmoved.

Xuanqing observed the expressions of the immortals and said slowly, “Two hundred years ago, because of that case, I took eleven immortals into the Turbid Mirror. The devils didn’t expect me to fall into the chaotic realm. When I was trapped there, everything was laid bare. However, the chaotic realm is influenced by the five aggregates, so even if the devils wanted to deceive others, they couldn’t.” He lowered his gaze to his palm and slowly clenched his fingers. “Hua Lingjun accidentally entered and saw the chains on me and Guanshang standing in the shadows. He would surely be killed by the devils, so I accused him of consorting with a mortal woman, fabricating a charge to banish him to the Mortal Realm, and thus protecting him under my divine power. I had no choice but to do this, waiting for the Divine Venerable to return to the Nine Heavens and personally investigate everything. Only the Divine Venerable could uncover the truth. I couldn’t risk it myself, as my every move was almost entirely under Kunyi’s watch.”

In the main hall, many remembered Hua Lingjun. No one believed he could have done such a thing when he was banished.

Xuanqing continued, “Later, when I learned that the case had been wrongly judged, I realized that the Nine Heavens might have been part of the scheme all along. But two hundred years ago, I didn’t expect that the one who turned to the devils was also… an ancient god. I investigated the Observatory Pavilion and realized that everything the Nine Heavens had done was likely exploited by the devils. Even the divinations of the Observation Pavilion had been foreseen by the devils.”

“But how could the devils foresee the divinations of the Observatory Pavilion? Could it be that they used the Queen Mother of the West’s body?” another immortal asked.

Xuanqing gave a bitter smile and said slowly, “When the divination of the Observatory Pavilion was revealed that day, the Fate Keeper recorded it carefully in the book. Kunyi never approached the Observatory Pavilion, so I guessed that they didn’t just want to possess Kunyi but had planted a devil gate within her body. Thus, wherever her consciousness reached, the devils could come and go freely.” He paused, then added, “It wasn’t Kunyi who peeked at the divination, but the devils hiding in the shadows.”

“Once the devil gate is planted, devil energy is bound to leak out. How could we have failed to notice it…” The speaking immortal’s voice suddenly choked, as if his throat had been squeezed. “No, could it be that the Heavenly Emperor’s divine power was drained to conceal the devil gate?”

“Exactly,” Xuanqing nodded slightly. “The devil gate is not elsewhere but within Kunyi’s body. Therefore, it could only be hidden using divine power, and the divine power used to conceal the devil gate was taken from me. Guanshang is truly formidable. Not only did he plant the devil gate, but he also dragged me into the abyss.”

Several immortals wiped sweat from their brows, their expressions shifting dramatically in shock. They realized that if this were true, then the Nine Heavens had already become a den of devils two hundred years ago.

“My divine power is nearly exhausted, and by then, Kunyi will inevitably be consumed by the devil gate,” Xuanqing said, lifting his gaze to Changying. “I hope the Divine Venerable can end my life. However, once I perish, this matter will no longer be concealable. I trust the Divine Venerable will take charge.”

“Heavenly Emperor!” several immortals exclaimed in unison, disregarding propriety as they rebuked him.

Changying lowered her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. Her long lashes trembled slightly, but her cold golden eyes remained unmoving, her expression devoid of any emotion.

While the immortals were focused on Xuanqing, Xuanqing was watching her.

After a moment, Xuanqing clenched his fist again, as if enduring pain, his entire body trembling..

The immortals quickly raised their hands, channeling their divine power toward him.

However, Xuanqing waved them off. “There’s no need to give me your divine power. Protecting me is tantamount to… protecting the devil gate.”

The immortals’ pupils trembled. Though reluctant, they had no choice but to withdraw their power.

Xuanqing lowered his head and chuckled softly, then raised his gaze to the black-haired, dark-robed dragon before him. He asked quietly, “Although restrictions have been placed in the main hall, we’ve lingered here too long. Kunyi will surely notice. I only ask Your Divinity to resolve one doubt for me.”

“Speak freely,” Changying said indifferently.

Xuanqing’s expression turned serious as he asked solemnly, “What exactly is in Shangxi City, and how did Guanshang manage to possess Kunyi?”

Changying looked at him. “Those are two questions.”

“Then I ask Your Divinity to resolve both,” Xuanqing said. At this point, he had already accepted his fate and viewed everything with detachment. He even smiled faintly and shook his head.

Changying had intended to speak all along. After a moment of silence, she picked up the wine cup before her and took a sip. She had never before drunk the tea or wine Xuanqing had poured for her, and this gesture was already a significant show of respect. After tasting it, she found the immortal brew surprisingly pleasant.

The immortals held their breath, fearing that the devils might suddenly use the devil gate to intrude. They added dozens more layers of restrictions to the main hall, one after another, enveloping it in a radiant glow like the light of dawn.

Changying set down her cup and spoke calmly, “Before the chaos was divided, the gods built a lofty pavilion in the clouds, calling it the Heavenly Palace. Above the palace was the undescended heavenly water. The palace was bright, but in the distance, there was a dark corner that seemed to devour divine power. Its depths were unfathomable, so the gods built another pavilion there… that was Shangxi City.”

“That dark corner…” Xuanqing frowned.

“Is the realm beyond,” Changying suddenly declared.

In the main hall, all the immortals heard her clearly, but none dared to believe it.

The boundary to the realm beyond… was within Shangxi City?

Xuanqing’s hand trembled, and he turned his palm over. The lines on his hand had shortened to less than half an inch. He asked, “What does the realm beyond have to do with Kunyi being possessed by the devils?”

“Guanshang harnessed the power of the realm beyond,” Changying said, her pale lips parting slowly. “That dark corner is less the realm beyond and more its edge. Zhuyou once entered it and described it as a vast, pitch-black emptiness, seemingly boundless, devoid of sound or color. Guanshang called it the ‘Endless Abyss.’ This place seems to have been forgotten by the gods beyond, making it easy for Guanshang to exploit.”

“The realm beyond is so close at hand,” one immortal exclaimed in astonishment. “If the Endless Abyss is merely its edge, what does the realm beyond truly look like?”

After a long period of silent recitation, the Immovable Buddha finally opened his eyes and said quietly, “Beyond lies the universe of three thousand great worlds. What we see is but a single Mount Sumeru, a single sun and moon.”

***

At that very moment, in Shangxi City, which connected to the realm beyond, several shadows tore through the void, crawling slowly across the stone ground and coalescing into a human figure.

Guanshang stood before Yueyin, grinning sinisterly. “The demon lord seeks to extend her life? By how long? Does she also wish to live as long as the heavens?”

Yueyin did not speak. Her breathing grew rapid as she realized this devil’s cultivation surpassed her own. There was no need to guess—this was undoubtedly Guanshang. She pushed away the maid supporting her. Perhaps the medicinal brew had taken effect, as she could now stand firmly on her own. Her gray-white eyes shifted, and she nodded. “I wonder if the Devil Lord would consider the Demon Realm worthy of his attention.”

Guanshang grinned widely.

Far away in the Mortal Realm, Zhuyou suddenly looked up and turned to the two demons behind him. “I’ll be back soon. Stay in the Mortal Realm for a couple more days and keep an eye on the dragon vein for me. If demons and devils start pouring out, don’t bother fighting—just run.”