Great Demon - Chapter 49 Part 2

Zhuyou had indeed underestimated this dragon, but she had no time for explanations. She gripped Changying’s shoulder and rushed toward the Grand Hall.

But along the way, the battlefield was everywhere—heavenly soldiers clashing with devils, heavenly fire burning dangerously close to her feet.

Uneasy, she reached out with her mind to call for Hanzhu, but received no response. She had no choice but to weave her way through the warring immortals and devils, dodging the heavenly fire licking at her sleeves, until she finally arrived at… the collapsed hall doors.

The Grand Hall had indeed been burned to the ground by heavenly fire. Only a few golden pillars remained, slanted and fallen, their broken surfaces charred black. The soft canopies, screens, and sheer draperies were nowhere to be seen.

Hanzhu was cowering under a slanted beam, holding her breath and trembling.

Zhuyou placed a hand on her shoulder. Hanzhu jolted violently, covering her mouth in fright.

When she turned and saw that it was her mistress, she finally let out a breath of relief and blurted out in a panic, “Mistress, why have you returned?” She had sent word, but not to bring her mistress back!

She wasn’t afraid to die, but she feared that her mistress would be dragged into disaster.

Zhuyou lowered her gaze, her expression dark and grim. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Back when I was in the heavens, you were my peafowl immortal. When I was imprisoned at the Execution Platform, you refused to accept it and insisted on seeking justice for me. In the end, you were cast down to the human world to suffer the pains of reincarnation. I searched for a long time before finally rescuing you from the claws of a demon beast. And now, you so carelessly disregard the life I saved?”

Never before had she spoken in such a cold voice, each word forced through clenched teeth, laced with…

Resentment and boundless hatred.

When Hanzhu first saw Zhuyou, her eyes had been filled with joy. But hearing these words, her pupils trembled violently.

She knew that Zhuyou hadn’t saved her out of mere kindness. Zhuyou had once told her that she resembled someone from the past, but she had thought it was just a comforting lie. Now she understood—it wasn’t just a resemblance. She truly was… an old acquaintance.

A peafowl immortal… She had once been her mistress’s peafowl immortal?

Hanzhu stood frozen for a long time, muddled thoughts swirling in her mind. How could she be worthy of her mistress’ care?

Outside the hall, the sounds of battle drew closer—the mindless fools had fought their way over.

Zhuyou glanced back sharply, the ink-black jade ornament in her silver hair clinking softly.

Through the gray veil of her robes, devil markings suddenly surfaced on her skin. The intricate patterns coiled around her arms, creeping up to her shoulders.

Her return to the Devil Realm would not go unnoticed by the Three Lords. She wasn’t worried about Luo Qing and Xuanjing taking action—her only concern was Jing Kexin causing trouble.

Behind her, Changying had been listening. Her brows furrowed slightly, but her small face remained cold, without a trace of grievance. She lifted her hand and quietly grasped Zhuyou’s sleeve, following her without a word.

Zhuyou was about to pull Hanzhu up when she suddenly caught the scent of approaching devil energy.

How terribly inconvenient—it was Jing Kexin.

Jing Kexin had brought a group of heavenly soldiers in tow, even the two Divine Lords who had come to reinforce them.

Zhuyou recognized these two faces. Both were formidable warriors and key figures in the Heavenly Realm’s councils—men who could speak directly before the Heavenly Emperor.

She had never expected Jing Kexin to lure the Divine Lords here. It was obvious—she intended to use her as a scapegoat.

With a deafening crash, the golden pillar at the center of the hall was blasted into dust, the explosion sending yellow sand flying. Tiny flecks of gold glimmered in the firelight.

Zhuyou frowned and stepped back, shielding Changying behind her. The two Divine Lords who had followed Jing Kexin had already spotted her, their faces filled with shock.

Her expression remained unchanged. She raised a hand and pressed it firmly against the top of Changying’s head, pushing down with slight force.

Changying’s legs bent instinctively, forcing her to lower herself.

Hanzhu immediately understood and, mustering her courage, grabbed Changying’s dragon claw, pulling her behind the broken wall.

Changying pursed her lips. Even as she was pulled into hiding, she kept her gaze locked on the silver-haired, black-robed devil.

Zhuyou lowered her voice so much that it was nearly drowned out by the surrounding battle. “Be good—stay quiet. And don’t follow me.”

Changying parted her lips, as if wanting to say something.

Zhuyou immediately added, “I only like those who are obedient and sensible.”

Only then did Changying shut her mouth tightly without making a sound.

“I’ll lure the Divine Lords away. You take Changying and leave immediately.” Zhuyou cast a sidelong glance at Hanzhu.

Hanzhu quickly nodded, though her heart was filled with reluctance. She didn’t want her mistress to stay here alone, and she certainly didn’t want… didn’t want to bring this dragon along. A creature like this would only bring endless trouble.

Zhuyou didn’t look back. Her sleeves, as thin as gray mist, billowed in the wind, and her silver hair shimmered like moonlight amid the swirling yellow sand. With steady steps, she walked out of the ruins, her gaze unwavering as she met the eyes of the two Divine Lords.

Though they were once acquaintances, now they felt like strangers. No words were exchanged, for they all understood—on that day at the Execution Platform, when devilish energy surged violently into the heavens, painting the skies in an unnatural hue while a hundred birds cried in sorrow—it was not just a dream. But the past could never be reclaimed.

Jing Kexin, covered in wounds and at death’s door, still sought to drag someone down with her. She had lured the two Divine Lords here, expecting them to reprimand Zhuyou upon sight. Yet, to her surprise, they didn’t say a word. Instead, they attacked immediately.

A sandstorm swept across the sky, coalescing into a sword the color of golden dust. Its sharp tip pointed directly at the divine offspring who had fallen into darkness!

One of the Divine Lords wielded the wind, while the other commanded fire.

The raging heavenly flames surged forth like a towering wave, roaring toward Zhuyou with an unstoppable force.

Zhuyou remained unhurried, strolling forward as if she were merely taking a walk in a courtyard. When she looked up, the blazing fire reflected in her eyes, as though flames burned within them.

The inferno crashed down upon her, engulfing her completely. Her entire figure vanished beneath the raging tongues of fire.

Jing Kexin, having seized the chance to hide away, had indeed longed for the body of the fallen divine offspring and truly believed that a devil like her should not be allowed to exist. But at the sight of such a powerful figure being consumed by flames, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Uneasy, she peeked out, eyes widened in shock. A deep sense of loss washed over her, mixed with an overwhelming sense of… frustration.

It was as if she had never truly understood her own feelings. She hadn’t merely been captivated by the fallen divine offspring’s beauty, nor had she truly wished for her death.

Jing Kexin panicked, but she was gravely injured. Even if she rushed out now, she wouldn’t be able to save the devil within the flames. Anxiety gnawed at her, leaving her utterly torn.

But in the end… she was still more afraid of death. She had yet to witness the Devil Lord’s return with her own eyes—she could not afford to die now!

From within the inferno, a figure slowly emerged, bare-footed and clad in flowing silk. The blazing flames licked at her ankles but retreated the moment they touched the devilish markings on her legs.

The two Divine Lords were utterly dumbfounded. They had never imagined that even the heavenly fire would fail to harm her.

Zhuyou flicked her fingers, and the embers clinging to her silver hair scattered with the wind, making her hair shimmer red like burning silk. She curved her lips into a smirk and asked, “May I ask how many Divine Lords the Heavenly Realm has dispatched for this campaign?” Her tone was arrogant, as if she didn’t take the Divine Lords seriously at all.

The two Divine Lords exchanged glances and were just about to attack again when a golden light suddenly flared in the distance, illuminating the Heart-Questioning Rock.

Seeing them turn away, Zhuyou unexpectedly took control of the very flames that were never meant to be hers. The once-furious heavenly fire now danced in her hands like a docile child, surging toward the two Divine Lords instead.

She let out a soft chuckle. “Back when I played with fire, the two of you probably hadn’t even assumed your divine titles yet.”

A brilliant golden light descended from the Heart-Questioning Rock, akin to divine radiance falling from the Nine Heavens.

With a deafening boom, the entire devil’s domain trembled, mountains and sands shifting as dunes collapsed one after another.

Zhuyou didn’t know whether Xuanjing and Luo Qing had managed to take the Devil Lord’s coffin away. If they hadn’t, then they would simply have to let it go. After all, even without a physical body, the Devil Lord could still seize another. But if his soul was shattered beyond salvation, then he would be truly lost forever.

She furrowed her brows, racking her brain for ways to stall the two Divine Lords. She poured all her spiritual energy into binding them within the golden sands.

The devil’s domain blazed with fire, yet no sunlight reached it. The sky remained dark, void of stars—there was no moon, neither full nor crescent.

The heavenly fire burned for over three days, and Zhuyou battled the Divine Lords for just as long.

Exhaustion consumed her, and the poisonous mist that had been suppressed by her heart’s blood seized the opportunity to take control.

Her vision blurred, her eyes growing dull and vacant. She could only rely on sound to fend off the Divine Lords’ attacks.

Suddenly, the cry of a blackbird pierced the air. A dark-feathered raven, before even touching the ground, transformed into a human figure. The woman stared at Zhuyou in shock, her gaze trembling. After a long pause, she spoke, “Divine Lord, the Heart-Questioning Rock has been opened. The Devil Lord’s two souls and physical body… were not inside.”

“How did the Heavenly Emperor respond?” asked one of the Divine Lords.

The dark-feathered woman lowered her head abruptly, no longer daring to look at the great demon in the distance. Her breath came in uneven gasps as she replied, “The Heavenly Emperor ordered me to bring the Devil-Suppressing Tower. I have… I have already handed it over to the Evil-Punisher Divine Lord.”

“Excellent!” The Divine Lord glared at Zhuyou, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve.

The dark-feathered woman dared not glance at Zhuyou again. It had been so long since she last saw her—since that day at the Execution Platform, when she had watched the divine offspring of the Phoenix Clan fall into darkness. She had been there, witnessing it all, trembling with unease, her heart twisted with pain.

Zhuyou, though unable to see, could hear everything clearly. She hadn’t expected that in such a short time, the Devil-Suppressing Tower had already been completed. Truly, the Heavenly Realm’s determination to eradicate all devilkind knew no bounds.

So it seemed…

So it seemed they truly intended to wipe out every last devil, never allowing them to see the light again.

The Evil-Punisher Divine Lord arrived, carrying the tower in his hands. It radiated with a brilliant golden glow, exuding a divine power that sent shivers down one’s spine.

Once this tower was unleashed, it wouldn’t just suppress the great and small devils alike—it would bury the entire desert beneath it.

The Devil-Suppressing Tower spun from the hands of the Evil-Punisher Divine Lord, growing to a towering hundred zhang in an instant, so massive it blotted out the sky. If it were to descend, it would undoubtedly leave a gaping hole in the devil’s domain.

Zhuyou could not see it, but the overwhelming divine force pressing down upon her made her entire body uncomfortable. She tilted her head back, her expression grim.

At the moment the Devil-Suppressing Tower unleashed its divine power, countless devils wailed in agony across the devil’s domain. The yellow sand and the shattered ruins were all swept into the air.

The raging wind lashed against her. Zhuyou raised an arm to shield most of her face, struggling to remain standing.

Amid the deafening roar, she seemed to hear Jing Kexin’s shriek. That devil must have already been sucked into the tower. But what about Hanzhu? And… what about her dragon?

The less she could see, the more frantic her heart pounded, an unbearable anxiety consuming her.

She wanted to summon the Devil Mist Realm, but under the suppression of divine power, it was impossible.

The Divine Lord who had battled her for three days spoke in a low voice, “You should never have fallen to devilhood. If you truly repent, you may return to the Heavenly Realm and face your unfulfilled punishment.”

Did they still dream of making her return for endless torment?

Zhuyou’s eyes remained calm, but she scoffed inwardly. Everyone deemed her drenched in sin, but she had never committed any wrongdoing—why should she repent?

The Devil-Suppressing Tower, suspended in the sky, was on the verge of enclosing the entire devil’s domain. Unable to hold her ground, Zhuyou was sucked into the golden radiance, her figure swallowed entirely.

The black-feathered crow spirit watched in stunned silence, a single tear slipping down her face.

All birds had once admired and revered her—so how had she fallen into devilhood? How had she ended up in such a state?

The Evil-Punisher Divine Lord intended to retract the tower, but unexpectedly, its power seemed to be shaken. A surge of immense energy rippled outward in waves.

Faintly, a long feather drifted down from the golden light.

The feather was jet black, its tip edged with flames, as if lined with a border of vermilion fire.

As the phoenix’s cry rang out, the ears of all divine and devil beings below bled profusely. Terrified, they raised their heads—only to see a shadowy phoenix, its true form, soaring from within the tower. Its entire body burned in hues of red so dark they bordered on black, a wild devilish aura swirling around it.

The moment its wings unfurled, the once-fierce heavenly fire seemed to shudder and abruptly shrink in size, no longer leaping and raging as before.

With a loud crack, fractures spread across the Devil-Suppressing Tower. The once towering structure of a hundred zhang suddenly shrank in midair, crashing heavily into the yellow sands with a resounding thud. The divine energy within erupted outward like a tidal wave, knocking the Evil-Punisher Divine Lord unconscious.

The other two Divine Lords and the celestial soldiers were also thrown to the ground, unable to rise.

The phoenix’s true form plummeted abruptly. At last, after hiding for so long, Hanzhu rushed out.

Blood streamed from Hanzhu’s eyes, ears, and mouth—she was soaked in crimson, as if drenched in molten fire. She clenched her teeth, summoning every last ounce of strength left in her body, and staggered toward the fallen phoenix.

With every step, her bones groaned and cracked as if they were being ground into powder.

To reach the place where the phoenix had fallen, she had already burned through the last of her cultivation, even damaging her own divine soul.

She forced herself to lift the now-human Zhuyou onto her back. With tears brimming in her eyes, she cast a glance at the broken ruins behind her, clenched her jaw, and walked away without looking back.

She did not want to take that dragon girl along. Even though it was her mistress’ command, she did not want to… She had only ever wished for her mistress to be safe and untroubled.

That’s right—even if they had exchanged heart’s blood, so what? It wasn’t as if it couldn’t be gouged out again!

Behind the ruins, Changying suddenly rose to her feet, staring in disbelief as the peafowl demon carried Zhuyou away.

How could this be…? How could she go back on her word and just leave like that? Was this Zhuyou’s decision?

Her gaze turned cold, panic gnawing at her heart. In desperation, she transformed into her dragon form, her tail smashing the ruins to dust. The five-clawed black dragon coiled and soared skyward, its roar splitting the air.

Those celestial beings still conscious below witnessed it all clearly, and their hearts trembled in shock.

Changying chased after them in urgency, thinking—she had obeyed so well, hadn’t she? She hadn’t protested when told not to follow, hadn’t spoken a word when told to be silent. And now, she was being abandoned?

Once in the Mortal Realm, she had been left behind. And now, was she to be discarded again?

No, this was wrong. Terribly wrong. She never should have—

She never should have been obedient.

The drop of heart’s blood within her chest burned like fire. But in the end, her unfinished dragon form could not sustain its flight for long. The massive dragon plummeted from the sky, sending sand exploding into the air.

The black dragon let out a furious, agonized roar. Moments later, several celestial beings, enduring their own pain, stepped forward cautiously. They dared not meet those golden eyes directly, but instead bowed their heads and spoke in unison, “Congratulations to the Divine Venerable for successfully reconstructing your body! The Heavenly Emperor has awaited Your Divinity’s return for a long time. We humbly welcome Your Divinity back to the Heavenly Realm!”