Great Demon - Chapter 115 Part 2

From the cracked ravines, demon soldiers and devil spirits continued to emerge in an endless stream, though this time, the Vast-Nether Venerable’s ghost generals were absent.

Immortal Zhiying frowned and said, “Guanshang didn’t win over the Vast-Nether Venerable?”

“Perhaps there wasn’t enough time.” Immortal Piaomiao flicked her delicate fingers, sending out a stream of pure white mist that clashed with the surrounding devilish smoke, both forces devouring each other upon contact.

The blossoming petals on the ground suddenly closed together, attempting to swallow the pervasive black mist into their buds.

Immortal Zhiying thought if only they had the Devil-Suppressing Tower. But unfortunately, a hundred years ago, that very tower had shattered into pieces within the Devil Realm.

She lifted her head toward the Nine Heavens, her eyes stinging with sorrow. Now that the Heavenly Emperor was gone, what would become of them?

Just then, a dragon’s roar echoed from the heavens, drowning out the rumbling of the earth’s fractures.

Immortal Zhiying’s eyes brightened. She swiftly gathered the remains of her shredded silk shawl and transformed it into twin swords. Her voice trembled with anticipation. “The Divine Venerable is here.”

The Obsidian Dragon streaked down toward the Mortal Realm, its coiled body weaving through the black mist. Its eyes were icy and piercing, and between its fangs, it held something!

Immortal Zhiying gazed up and saw the Obsidian Dragon loosen its jaws. A tower plummeted toward her—it was no larger than a palm, yet it shone with golden light, its surface densely engraved with Buddhist scriptures. This was…

The Devil-Suppressing Tower!

The Obsidian Dragon spoke in human tongue, “Don’t be too hasty in using it—there is only one.”

Immortal Zhiying caught the Devil-Suppressing Tower, feeling its weight press into her palm. Before she could respond, the Obsidian Dragon had already dived into the ravine, its long tail vanishing beneath the earth in an instant.

***

The trench was filled with human corpses, the stench of decay rising into the sky, unbearably foul.

Changying reverted to her human form, her foot barely touching the ground. With a single hand raised, time in the Mortal Realm seemed to halt.

She tilted her head slightly, observing her surroundings. The excavation here was unusually precise—far in the distance, several sacrificial pits could be seen.

This was not a mere ravine. It was a tomb.

Beyond a stone gate, demon soldiers and devil generals continued to emerge. Upon seeing her, several devils abruptly retreated, turning away and disappearing into the shadows.

Changying pursued them swiftly, soon catching sight of a devil gate shrouded in thick devilish energy. It was as black as an abyss and spanned an entire wall. The hun souls and po souls of mortals were imprisoned within it—countless faces flickered in the swirling devilish mist, mouths wide open in endless, silent screams.

She turned her head slightly and noticed that the surface of the wall was engraved with a depiction of feudal lords paying homage. This was not just a tomb—it was an imperial mausoleum.

The mortal emperor had been deceived by devils, constructing this tomb at the cost of his people’s lives. No wonder the lands had deemed his dynasty’s fate near its end, his karma manifesting as disaster. The kingdom had been cursed, the royal line doomed to collapse, bringing forth floods that caused Tiger Roar Ridge to crumble.

The imperial mausoleum was built atop the dragon vein, and within it, a hidden devil gate siphoned away the emperor’s fortune.

Changying lifted her hand, slowly unfurling her fingers. Resting in her palm was the wisp of devilish energy given to her by the demon lord. She infused the devil energy into her spiritual power and, without hesitation, stepped into the devil gate.

***

Beyond the devil gate lay the Endless Abyss.

Her heart clenched as a passageway unfurled before her—dark and narrow, with devilish energy swirling around her in the shape of grasping hands. This devil gate was unlike the ones before. Those had resembled bottomless chasms, while this was a confined path.

She moved swiftly forward, pressing a hand against her chest to steady herself. Her heartbeat remained eerily undisturbed—Zhuyou must have suppressed it.

Yet the passage stretched endlessly. The darkness was absolute, the surroundings unchanged no matter how far she advanced.

Was this some kind of ghostly illusion?

Changying lowered her gaze, sweat trickling down her temples. Strands of her jet-black hair clung to her damp face. She formed a seal with her fingers but found no trace of spellwork. With no other choice, she continued forward.

Her heart pounded in her chest, faster than it had ever beaten before. It made her head spin, her breath come unevenly.

Still no end.

Still no end!

Frustration mounting, Changying pressed a hand against her jaw, her mind in turmoil. A rush of blood surged upward, her head throbbing as her body’s lethal energy threatened to break free.

She abruptly stopped and struck out with her palm—only to hit nothing but air.

Whipping her head to the side, she sensed a flicker of devil energy dart past her. The aura was familiar, though different from Guanshang’s. Even though the devil energy had deliberately tried to evade her, she had still detected it.

She surged forward in pursuit—only to see the devil energy suddenly transform into a taotie, its enormous maw gaping wide as it lunged at her!

Changying halted, summoning the Xuanjing Sword in her grip and slashing at the beast. The human-faced, sheep-bodied monster was shredded by her blade, dissipating instantly into devilish smoke.

An illusion!

Changying cut through the lingering smoke, but the devil energy had already vanished.

Her already anxious mind grew even more tense. The grip on her sword tightened, joints cracking from the pressure—she was on the verge of snapping the blade in half.

This sword was, in fact, a devil sword, but it had submitted to her out of its own reverence for strength.

Xuanjing abruptly took on human form, baring his teeth in a grin. “Master, this devil gate is hiding something.”

Changying turned to him, her gaze sharp enough to shatter stone. Her jaw clenched so tightly it seemed her teeth might crack. With an icy expression, she uttered a single word, “Speak.”

“You must channel the devil energy of this place to open the devil gate.”

Xuanjing’s long hair was in complete disarray, and after finding the swordmaster, he had become even more unkempt. His eyes brimmed with wickedness, as if he had fallen into madness.

He continued, “That devil just now used the devil energy here to create illusions, which led it to the exit.”

“Do it.” Changying raised her hand to brush aside the golden bead on her forehead. If she waited any longer, she feared her heart’s fire would consume her.

Xuanjing lifted both arms, suddenly absorbing the surrounding devil energy into his palms. The wall that had lost its devil energy revealed a visible gap.

Changying brushed past the devil energy that had transformed into sharp claws, sidestepping through the opening. The moment she raised her arm, Xuanjing transformed back into a sword and flew into her hand.

She looked out at a vast emptiness—so empty that not even a trace of light could be seen. It felt like a place without sky or earth, only endless darkness stretching above and below, with no boundaries in sight.

Was this… the Endless Abyss?

A sudden surge in her heart’s blood made Changying pause—she could sense Zhuyou’s presence. She clutched her chest, feeling a dull pain at her heart’s core. Perhaps the spell Zhuyou had cast upon her heart’s blood had suddenly vanished, and now the pain of being shattered and crushed came crashing over her like a tidal wave, drowning her in an instant.

Her fingers clenched tightly against her chest, her body involuntarily curling forward. The pain clogged her throat, making it difficult to breathe.

But she could not afford to stop. She wished for nothing more than to rush to Zhuyou’s side immediately. Following the pull of her heart’s blood, she pressed forward, moving so swiftly that even traveling a thousand miles in one step felt too slow.

If only she could be faster.

Ahead of her, the devil energy that had formed illusions earlier was also swiftly rushing forward.

Changying raised her arm and slashed down with Xuanjing. The force of her sword wind was overwhelming, shaking even the Endless Abyss.

The devil energy staggered from the strike, hurriedly shifting into a human form. His appearance was strikingly familiar—he looked exactly like Guanshang!

The resemblance was uncanny, but the aura was slightly different. The devil energy on this figure was thinner, less pure than Guanshang’s. Perhaps it was due to spending too much time within Kunyi’s vessel, but his movements carried an unfamiliar hesitation.

Changying swept her long sword, instantly forming a cage of ice shards around him.

The devil still held residual spiritual power drawn from the Endless Abyss. With a wave of his palm, he shattered the ice, yet he did not linger in battle. Instead, he turned and fled toward the depths, clearly seeking something hidden within the Endless Abyss.

Changying chased after him, sword in hand, noticing along the way that there was far too much blood staining the ground. Fortunately, it was all devil blood—not Zhuyou’s.

She still clung to a sliver of hope, praying that Zhuyou was unharmed.

Yet the figure lying ahead was all too familiar—silver hair, black robes.

Zhuyou.

At that moment, a sharp pain stabbed through Changying’s head. Dark thoughts coiled around her limbs like vines, tainting her entire being. The murderous aura surrounding her surged like a broken dam, drowning everything within a thousand-mile radius.

Zhuyou’s presence was too faint—so weak that Changying could barely sense it.

She seemed blind to all else. Only when the devil stepped past Zhuyou did she furrow her brows and swing her sword toward its back with deadly force.

The devil twisted to dodge, not sparing the fallen Vermillion Phoenix a glance. But the moment he saw Guanshang, he hesitated.

Guanshang lay on the ground, his eyes wide open. His shaven head was covered in blood, and a feather had pierced through his skull. The feather was charred black, its original color completely lost.

Changying knelt down, wanting to pick Zhuyou up, but she feared causing her more pain. Her pale fingers had just touched Zhuyou’s shoulder when she suddenly withdrew them.

Zhuyou was barely breathing. She had sensed someone approaching but could not tell who it was. Pain engulfed her entirely, numbing even her heart’s blood. When she finally saw Changying drawing near, a muddled thought crossed her mind—her heart’s blood was stirring wildly, crashing inside her chest like a caged beast.

She slowly opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. She barely had the strength to speak, and for a fleeting moment, she thought—perhaps she really had left Changying with one last breath.

Changying clearly wanted to touch her, yet she was so careful that she only grasped the edge of Zhuyou’s sleeve. The cold and indifferent face she always wore was now twisted with pain, looking pitifully aggrieved.

She could feel the devil energy in her spine beginning to stir again. Once it moved, Changying would be affected as well. But this time, she could not suppress it. Dark thoughts sprouted like seedlings, slowly breaking through the surface of her mind.

Zhuyou suddenly held her breath. Her gaze shifted slightly, catching sight of a hand reaching for the Crystal of Law that had rolled to the side. Ignoring the pain, she yanked Changying’s hand off her sleeve.

“Go get it!” she shouted. The moment she spoke, her throat felt as if it had been torn apart, and the taste of rust and blood filled her mouth.

Changying’s hand froze. Her eyes turned cold and terrifying, and in the next instant, her pupils became vertical slits.

For a moment, it seemed as if she wanted to tear the Vermillion Phoenix apart and devour her whole. Even her tongue felt the sharpness of her own teeth, now dangerously pointed.

Without a second thought, she slashed her sword, aiming to sever the devil’s reaching hand.

The devil jerked his hand back just in time, watching helplessly as the Crystal of Law was cleaved apart. Kunyi’s true essence slowly rose from within, teetering on the verge of shattering.

A sharp pain stabbed through Changying’s head. She clenched her jaw, shut her eyes, and twisted her neck to ease the tension. When she reopened them, her pupils had returned to normal. Without hesitation, she turned and seized Kunyi’s essence.

Her hands were already drenched in blood, and now, gripping this essence, the pain grew unbearable.

This essence contained divine power from beyond the realm—it could not be touched lightly.

Zhuyou could not move, but she saw the devil that looked identical to Guanshang raising a hand, about to strike Changying from behind.

Before she could shout a warning, Changying suddenly transformed into a dragon. 

The massive dragon’s head nearly pressed against the devil’s face. Then, with a deafening roar, her maw opened wide. The freezing dragon’s breath sent the devil flying hundreds of feet away. Before he could even be struck by her tail, he had already been expelled from the Endless Abyss.

Zhuyou could no longer maintain her human form. Slowly, she reverted to her true self.

The Vermillion Phoenix, its feathers charred black, lay motionless on the ground. Its flames had been completely extinguished, and even its four wings could not fold back.

The Obsidian Dragon abruptly turned, carefully picking up the Vermillion Phoenix in its mouth before soaring out of the Endless Abyss.

***

The Mortal Realm was shrouded in devil energy. Ordinary people stood frozen in place, unable to move under the weight of the Obsidian Dragon’s presence.

Hiding in the shadows, Hanzhu looked up and vaguely saw a great dragon carrying something straight toward the Nine Heavens.

In the distance, Immortal Zhiying gripped the Devil-Suppressing Tower but knew the time had not yet come to use it. The devils still had spiritual energy left. If they united, they could destroy the tower.

Wherever devils ran rampant, one could see a devil holding the demon seal in one hand and a white-clad ghost in the other. At some point, the devil general stepped forward in shock as he gazed at the great devil in the distance.

That devil looked exactly like Guanshang—but was not Guanshang.

The devil said coldly, “Guanshang is gone. He died under the Vermillion Phoenix’s feather.”

The devil general holding Wu Buzhi clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around Wu Buzhi’s throat.

Veins bulged across Wu Buzhi’s forehead—he was on the verge of suffocation.

“Take this ghost to the Vast-Nether Venerable,” the devil ordered. “Ask him if he wishes to divide the Mortal Realm with us.”