Great Demon - Chapter 113 Part 1

After entering the devil gate, a pitch-black, narrow passageway appeared before them, shrouded in swirling devilish energy. Several claw-like hands formed within the mist and reached for her, but with a mere flick of her arm, they dissipated into smoke.

Yueyin followed in silence, her gaze flickering with uncertainty as this was her first time entering the devil gate. Only after seeing the phoenix fire in Zhuyou’s hand did she finally settle her nerves.

“Your Grace, please proceed forward,” Guanshang said indifferently from behind.

Zhuyou did not look sideways as she strode forward along the passage, her voice calm as she said, “Tell me about Kunyi.”

The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, starkly different from the devil gates she had encountered before. She had once taken Changying through one such gate, where entry alone was enough to send a person spinning in disorientation, quickly leading them to the other side.

She wondered if the Endless Abyss felt so unnervingly long because it connected to the Nine Heavens, which lay far beyond its reach—so far that it seemed to stretch endlessly.

“Kunyi? There’s not much left to say about her,” Guanshang said leisurely. “I had her body seized, turned her into a devil gate, and took Xuanqing’s divine power along the way. Now, Xuanqing’s power has withered, and he is on the brink of death. Kunyi’s body will soon perish with him.”

“So, the one who seized her—was it a skilled subordinate of yours?” Zhuyou asked thoughtfully.

Guanshang let out a soft laugh and loosened his jaw slightly before spitting out, “Naturally.”

Zhuyou smirked inwardly. Seeing that Guanshang refused to say more, she realized that the mysteries surrounding Kunyi ran far deeper than she had initially imagined. That so-called “skilled subordinate” might not have been just any ordinary one—it could very well be the ancient devil she had long suspected, one that had remained hidden for ages.

With this realization, she understood that Guanshang’s capabilities far exceeded her expectations.

Guanshang remained silent, wearing an inscrutable smile. After a moment, he ground his teeth together, the sound of gnashing faintly audible.

Zhuyou glanced back at him. She wondered if Changying had managed to break the shackles restraining Xuanqing. If they didn’t hurry, they would soon reach the end of the devil gate.

***

At that moment, the Nine Heavens—separated from the Endless Abyss by only a single devil gate—was far from peaceful.

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Palace, an eerie silence prevailed. Some immortals had already shut their eyes tightly, not daring to witness what was about to unfold.

Never had they imagined they would be forced to watch as the Heavenly Emperor perished before their very eyes.

Changying had already channeled her spiritual power into Xuanqing’s spirit platform, carefully enclosing his fragile spirit form. A single squeeze would shatter it, stripping Xuanqing of all his divine power and leaving him with nothing but a mortal body.

Yet, it wasn’t so easily done. Though Xuanqing’s spirit form was already riddled with cracks, barely holding together, breaking it completely would still take some effort.

The Obsidian Dragon lowered her cold golden eyes, gazing at Xuanqing’s ageless face. He remained as refined and handsome as ever. Were he in the Mortal Realm, he would look no older than a man in his early thirties.

Xuanqing remained silent, waiting for the chilling spiritual energy within his spirit platform to consume him.

“You’re truly unafraid?” Changying asked in an indifferent tone.

Xuanqing, eyes closed, replied, “My only concern has ever been the Three Realms. Now that the Divine Venerable oversees them, I have no lingering worries.” After speaking, he waited for a long moment. When Changying still did not make a move, he opened his eyes and asked, “May I ask what is causing Your Divinity’s hesitation?”

“I am not hesitating,” Changying replied coolly. “I merely wish to ask—does the Heavenly Emperor remember how I returned to the Nine Heavens?”

Xuanqing’s expression remained calm. “You left the Devil Realm together with the Evil-Punisher Divine Lord.”

“No,” Changying corrected. “I performed the ritual of reconstructing my physical body. Only after my spirit form was restored did I regain my past memories.” Her golden eyes gleamed with an icy sharpness as she continued, “I can perform this ritual again. If the Queen Mother of the West’s hun soul still exists, I can do it once more. I wonder—what does the Heavenly Emperor think of this proposal?”

Xuanqing was momentarily stunned. A flicker of brightness flashed in his eyes before quickly dimming again. He shook his head. “Kunyi’s hun soul has likely been completely erased. The devil that seized her was exceptionally cunning.”

Changying’s voice remained impassive. “I will shatter your spirit form, extract the flesh from your heart, and cast the ritual upon you. Though your body will perish, as long as the divine power of the Nine Heavens remains intact, you will soon be reborn.”

She was weary of speaking. Were it not for the pressing circumstances, she would not have wasted even a single word.

Xuanqing did not answer immediately. He seemed lost in thought.

“I have no intention of governing the Nine Heavens,” Changying continued. “Three thousand years ago, I ascended to divinity through slaughter, steeped in killing intent. I am not suited to manage the trivial matters of the Nine Heavens. If you truly wish for the Three Realms to prosper, you would do well to heed my advice.”

The gathered immortals in the main hall, who had initially been consumed by despair, now cast aside their despondency. When they raised their heads, their expressions were filled with astonishment.

If this method could both eliminate the devil gate and allow Xuanqing to return—wasn’t it the perfect solution?

One immortal spoke up, “This humble one believes Her Divinity’s method is truly brilliant.”

Xuanqing nodded. “Then, let it be as Your Divinity’s suggests.”

Changying’s golden eyes flickered, turning several shades colder. She suddenly turned toward the entrance of the hall, her brows slightly furrowed. “Stop Kunyi.”

The moment those words were spoken, the immortals in the hall scrambled to their feet, rushing past the restriction barriers toward the entrance.

Changying withdrew her gaze and poured her spiritual power into Xuanqing’s already fragile spirit form, encasing it even tighter.

The golden spirit form, originally brimming with divine power, was now being suffused with a soft blue light, as if a tiny clay figurine were being submerged in a flowing stream.

Outside the hall, several immortals were struck by a powerful surge of spiritual energy and sent crashing into the restriction barrier, coughing up blood.

Kunyi, once graceful and composed, now stood at the entrance, her fingers tightly clenched. With a mere twist of her hands, the necks of the two celestial guards at the door snapped.

There was no trace of devilish energy on Kunyi’s body, but her expression had changed drastically. Her eyes were filled with fierce determination—like a maddened devil. She summoned the divine power of the Nine Heavens, shaping it into cords that ensnared the approaching immortals.

The captured immortals struggled to break free and swiftly redirected the golden cords, reclaiming the divine power as their own.

Everyone present was a Nine Heavens’ immortal, and under the might of the divine light, divine power could easily change hands.

“Devil! Dare you take another step forward?!” an immortal bellowed.

Kunyi’s appearance remained unchanged, but her demeanor and actions seemed entirely different from before. Who could have imagined that for the past two hundred years, the Queen Mother of the West of the Nine Heavens had been nothing more than a devil in disguise? How utterly ironic!

Kunyi raised a hand to adjust her hairpin, feigning casual interest as she asked, “You’ve been discussing for so long in this hall—what have you managed to conclude?”

Her expression then shifted, once again taking on the dignified and composed air she had always maintained. She played the part so well—so flawlessly—that she had deceived them all for two whole centuries.

“Is that something you have the right to ask?” a celestial snapped, drawing a frosty sword with a sudden motion, its gleam slicing straight toward Kunyi’s neck.

Kunyi’s eyes were pitch black, devoid of even the slightest trace of white, as though entirely consumed by devilish energy. She let out a cold laugh. “Just days ago, you still called me the Queen Mother of the West. Why not address me the same now?”

The celestial trembled with rage, his eyes burning red.

Devils were most skilled at unsettling the minds of others. Another celestial, sensing the danger, called out, “Steady yourself!”

The sword-wielding celestial blinked rapidly and exhaled deeply, realizing he had let himself be provoked by the devil’s tricks.

This time, however, Kunyi could no longer hold back. She glanced into the main hall and immediately spotted Changying pressing a fingertip against Xuanqing’s brow. Then, shifting her gaze slightly, she saw the Immovable Buddha seated in utter stillness.

The Immovable Buddha cast a glance at her, devoid of compassion.

Kunyi’s eyes sharpened, and in an instant, she lunged toward the hall’s entrance, crashing into the restriction barrier. Her fingers spread wide, and a massive blade of divine power materialized in her grasp.

The gathered celestials narrowed their eyes, focusing on the weapon in her hand. The blade gleamed with golden light, emanating an overwhelming pressure—one even sharper and more formidable than her own aura.

This was not divine power from the Nine Heavens. It came from beyond this realm!

“Divine Venerable!” a celestial called out, pupils constricting in shock as Kunyi swung the blade toward the restriction.

The celestials leaped forward to intercept her, launching waves of spiritual energy at her, but their attacks were like eggs smashing against a rock.

With a single surge of sword energy, they were sent flying, coughing up blood. Their internal organs felt as if they had been shattered, and their spiritual platforms trembled violently, their divine souls thrown into disarray.

Kunyi swept her arm, scattering the celestials blocking her path before bringing her blade down once more. 

In that instant, countless layered restrictions cracked apart, shattering like glass with a crisp, ringing sound. The crystal-clear barrier crumbled suddenly, breaking into fragments that fell to the ground. Upon impact, the pieces dissolved into spiritual energy and dispersed in all directions.

Kunyi had broken through dozens of restrictions with almost no effort, and yet, the icy blade in her hand remained completely intact. She stepped past the fallen celestials and into the main hall, her wrist turning as the blade transformed into a long whip, lashing straight at Changying’s raised hand.

Changying swiftly withdrew her fingers, her expression cold as she grabbed Xuanqing’s shoulder and pulled him aside, barely avoiding the incoming whip.

Kunyi pressed forward relentlessly, each strike aimed at Changying rather than Xuanqing. She had no intention of taking Xuanqing’s life—she only wanted to seize him. If Xuanqing were to perish, the body she had possessed would inevitably collapse as well!

Though the whip never struck Changying, it shattered the jade tiles beneath her feet, sending fragments flying like snowflakes.

At this moment, Xuanqing’s divine power had waned significantly, and he had to exert himself just to summon a barrier to shield Changying. His gaze toward Kunyi was devoid of any warmth—there was no longer any need for pretense between them.

The hun soul that had once resided in Kunyi’s body was already gone. What feelings could he possibly have left?

Yet the barrier shattered instantly, as fragile as thin paper.

Changying’s voice was icy. “Who are you?”

Kunyi did not answer. Instead, she laughed—a twisted, eerie sound that contorted her once-dignified face into something almost devilish.

“Guanshang had a contingency plan,” Changying suddenly remarked. “There is no way he’s the only ancient devil still lingering in this world.”

In a flash, she clenched her fingers around the whip as it came down toward her. The moment she did, her palm split open, fresh blood running down the inside of her wrist, leaving a winding red trail along her forearm.

She continued coldly, “There is another devil. Could it be you?”

The divine power from beyond this realm was indeed formidable. But… it was not entirely unstoppable.

“The Divine Venerable is quite the guesser,” Kunyi scoffed. Perhaps out of habit from playing the role of the Queen Mother of the West, she instinctively smothered her sinister smile, her darkened eyes shrinking back into proper pupils. Once again, she donned an air of refined elegance, as if she were still the stately queen of the Nine Heavens.

Ignoring the searing pain in her palm, Changying tightened her grip, attempting to wrest the whip from Kunyi’s grasp.

But Kunyi moved with a mere thought, and in an instant, the whip transformed into a soft sword, slicing even deeper into Changying’s wounded hand.

Kunyi spoke leisurely, “To me, divine power from beyond this realm is inexhaustible. As long as this power remains at my disposal, none of you are my match.”

“You are a devil,” Xuanqing rasped. “How can you wield power from beyond this realm?”

“I cannot,” Kunyi admitted softly. “But this body is an immortal vessel, and its true essence remains intact. Naturally, it can channel divine power from beyond.”

Changying was forced to let go. Her palm was in ruins, but she remained silent—not because she didn’t feel the pain, but because Zhuyou was absent. Without her, who was there to hear her complaints?

She pressed a spell against her bleeding palm, stemming the flow of blood. Placing her hand over her chest, she could feel her heart pounding furiously beneath her ribs. She had no idea where Zhuyou was now.

Xuanqing had already resigned himself to death. Yet upon hearing Kunyi’s words about her true essence, his breath caught. Afraid he had misheard, he asked gravely, “Her true essence still exists?”

The true essence—one’s divine hun soul and lifespan itself.

The devil that had taken over Kunyi’s body merely smirked, withdrawing the soft sword with a quiet swish, making it clear she had no intention of revealing where Kunyi’s true essence had been hidden.

Changying’s cold golden eyes narrowed slightly. Why had the devils preserved Kunyi’s true essence? Could there be something that only an immortal’s essence could accomplish?

Suddenly, realization struck her. She let out a sharp breath and spoke with certainty, “Her true essence is still in the Endless Abyss.”

Devils could not touch the divine power from beyond this realm. In fact, even the divine power of the Nine Heavens was like a blade of frost to them.

But Kunyi’s true essence could.

“That’s right.” Kunyi was straightforward, unlike Guanshang, who was evasive.

Changying’s gaze darkened. “Could it be that Guanshang used her true essence to draw upon the power beyond this realm, and then siphoned spiritual energy from that essence for his own use?”

The devil who had taken over Kunyi’s body curved their lips into an inscrutable smile.