Great Demon - Chapter 82 Part 2

Having reviewed every strand of spiritual memory, she now recalled everything. She had always known that this dragon had obtained a devil sword thousands of years ago—but she had not expected it to be Xuanjing.

Xuanjing was notoriously temperamental, drawn only to strength. No one else could touch him—only Changying.

Zhuyou suddenly understood. No wonder Xuanjing had often been seen wandering outside the devil’s domain before, as if searching for someone. Later, when he caught sight of Changying in her youthful form, he had stolen glances at her multiple times. Back then, Zhuyou had teased that Xuanjing was like an old sword seeking a master—that he would have to be sharpened properly to be worthy of Changying. She had spoken in jest, yet her words had come true. This sword truly belonged to Changying.

Changying nodded. “I subdued him three thousand years ago.” She suddenly swung her sword downward, and a silver-white arc of chilling sword light slashed toward the city, as if severing Shangxi City from the Nine Heavens was not enough—it had to be split into pieces.

Zhuyou’s pupils contracted. Her voice was cold. “What are you doing?” She raised her slender hand and instantly released a surge of crimson spiritual power, attempting to catch the sword energy and pull it back.

A streak of white and a streak of red chased each other through the dense structures of the city, darting like swift fish, faster than shooting stars.

The white lightning-like energy struck the ground, carving a fine, narrow crack. It was not yet deep enough to be called a trench, but as it sank further, a muffled explosion erupted from within, forcing the crack to widen.

The red light followed, diving deeper, but unexpectedly, an unseen force pressed down upon it, causing both streaks of energy to dissipate instantly.

The moment the crimson light vanished, Zhuyou’s chest trembled slightly. Her spiritual power—where had it been drawn to?

She had always known Shangxi City was strange, especially the place Guanshang had called the Endless Abyss—it was an enigma beyond reason. But she had not expected there to be so many other hidden anomalies in the city she had yet to uncover.

She stared blankly at the chasm below. The jagged edges of the fissure snaked outward. A row of buildings teetered on the brink of collapse. The demons and devils nearby had all fallen unconscious, but none were harmed, as if the unseen force had deliberately spared their lives.

She had already reached the pinnacle of cultivation, her realm equal to Changying’s. She had thought no one in the Three Realms could match her—yet now, a single surge of this unknown pressure had left a dull ache in her chest.

Zhuyou pressed a hand over her heart, which pounded wildly. No matter how much she searched her spiritual memories, even if she combed through every thread from thousands of years ago, she could not determine the source of this pressure. She immediately turned to look at Changying, only to see her frowning in contemplation—clearly, she had no answers either.

“What is this?” Changying asked, gripping Xuanjing tightly before slashing down with another strike of sword energy.

This time, Zhuyou did not use her power to pursue it.

The silver-white energy raced down the chasm, but before it reached the depths, it vanished without a sound—caught, as if by an invisible hand.

Then, a fierce wind burst up from the abyss, returning with even greater speed than the sword strike.

Changying barely dodged in time—her hair was sliced cleanly, and a single black strand drifted down, light as a crow’s feather.

Zhuyou’s heart jolted, as if the loose strand had brushed against her own heart. She saw Changying remain indifferent, yet for some reason, she reached out and sent a thread of spiritual power, curling the strand toward her.

Her fingers closed around it, tucking it into her sleeve.

Changying didn’t notice. She stared darkly at the chasm below, about to move forward—until a fiery feather swept past her cheek, halting her in place.

She turned back to Zhuyou. “You must be just as curious—what exactly lies beneath?”

“Don’t go.” Zhuyou’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, sensing that nothing good could come from whatever lay within.

Changying turned back in confusion. “Why?”

Zhuyou pinched her fingers together, lightly rubbing the strand of hair she had just caught. “Even if you go, you won’t find anything. It just swallowed your spiritual power—what’s stopping it from swallowing a dragon as well?”

Changying frowned.

“Do you know that a thousand years ago, the Heavenly Realm intended to destroy Shangxi City?” Zhuyou asked.

“Of course.” Changying had already inquired about it with Xuanqing and was well aware of the matter. It was said that this place was incredibly mysterious, impervious even to heavenly lightning.

Zhuyou lifted her gaze. “Think carefully. When the gods split the clouds to form the sky and built the Heavenly Palace, what did they bury beneath it?”

Changying pressed her lips together in realization.

“Perhaps the mystery of the Endless Abyss lies here,” Zhuyou said leisurely.

Changying hesitated for a moment before her voice grew sharp. “The Endless Abyss… could it be the place where you evaded the heavenly tribulation?”

Zhuyou neither confirmed nor denied it, her tone slow and deliberate. “I still don’t fully understand what the Endless Abyss is. And even if I did… I wouldn’t tell you so easily.” Gripping Guanshang’s devil hun soul, she continued, “Telling the Nine Heavens gains me nothing. Shangxi City has already been severed from the heavens—there’s no putting it back together now.”

Changying remained silent.

“This place is formidable, yet you recklessly unleashed your spiritual power underground. There will surely be backlash.” Zhuyou spoke casually. “I managed to sever it, perhaps only because I haven’t yet reached the boundary of the restriction.”

“You’ve told me so much, aren’t you afraid I’ll take this city back?” Changying frowned. She slowly raised Xuanjing in her hand. Initially, she suspected there was something wrong with the sword, but after carrying it for so long, she would have noticed if something was amiss. If the problem wasn’t the sword, then this place was truly strange.

A land as enigmatic as this—if it fell into the hands of the Devil Clan, wouldn’t they achieve victory without battle?

“You’re welcome to try,” Zhuyou said calmly. “If I hadn’t reached the Ultimate stage, you might have had a chance. But now, it’s too late. If we fight, we’ll only destroy each other.”

Zhuyou reclined in midair, the hem of her dark silk robe fluttering in the wind.

Changying knew full well that their strengths were now equal, and she had no intention of harming Zhuyou. Besides, Zhuyou clearly had a plan in mind. With a cold voice, she asked, “Where do you intend to take Shangxi City?”

“Let it drift as it pleases,” Zhuyou replied offhandedly.

Changying couldn’t get more out of her, so she transformed into her dragon form. Yet instead of immediately soaring away, she lowered her head and exhaled a breath of dragon’s breath. The frigid air drifted down onto the chasm.

Before it could sink deeper, it suddenly crystallized into a glacier.

The buildings on the chasm’s edge were caught in the frost, instantly frozen solid like a cluster of squat ice peaks.

That section of Shangxi City became a frozen wasteland. The sudden frost locked the bridges and houses within, and the biting cold spread outward, rousing the unconscious demons and devils. Jolted awake, they scrambled to their feet, only to recoil when they touched the freezing ice—the chill nearly robbing them of sensation in their hands.

Zhuyou wasn’t surprised by Changying’s caution—it was entirely within expectations. “Now that the chasm is sealed, you can leave.”

The Obsidian Dragon reverted to human form. Where once its body had been vast enough to fill the sky, it was now lean and slender.

Changying’s eyes darkened, shadows clouding her gaze. The tidy robes she had worn before stepping out of the mustard seed space were now in disarray, and even the biting chill around her had dulled somewhat. She murmured, “No wonder Guanshang said he had a way to save you. So this city… was his answer.” After a pause, she added, “If you restore Guanshang’s three hun souls into one, you will suffer tribulation. Guanshang perished because of me and never endured the heavenly lightning from beyond this realm. Now that you are reviving him, the tribulation is bound to fall on you. Do you realize that he planned all of this from the start?”

Zhuyou didn’t answer immediately. She twirled the strand of black hair between her fingers. Her lips moved slightly, sending a heart-voice only to Changying. Even though Guanshang’s hun soul was so close, he could not hear a single syllable.

I have long been part of the plan. Now that things have come to this, The Nine Heavens is hardly innocent. And as for this Devil Lord Guanshang… he can forget about using me as a means to free himself, the voice murmured softly, as if whispering directly in her ear. 

Changying froze.

Zhuyou lifted her head slightly, her gaze curving faintly. Her devil bone had not been completely cleansed, making her more prone to obsession than anyone else. Yet she wielded that sliver of sentiment with expert control, as though walking upon a thread of spider silk—perfectly balanced, neither leaning left nor right.

For a fleeting moment, Changying felt as though there was still devil intent in Zhuyou’s heart.

Zhuyou withdrew her heart-voice and spoke with a mocking tone. “Isn’t it just heavenly lightning from beyond this realm? The Nine Heavens has grown too comfortable. Guanshang’s return will be a harsh wake-up call. Don’t ask me why—I may have regained my original form, but I no longer walk the same path as the heavens.”

Changying knew she was saying this on purpose, yet it still left a bitter taste in her heart.

“The Nine Heavens could use some cleaning up,” Zhuyou remarked lazily.

“As for the Endless Abyss, I will uncover the truth,” Zhuyou said without backing down. “Since this city has been severed, I will take it under my wing. The Nine Heavens can forget about sending people to infiltrate—it doesn’t matter who comes, I will drive them out.”

Changying gazed at her deeply. “I will deal with the Nine Heavens’ matters as soon as possible.”

Zhuyou nodded indifferently, appearing utterly nonchalant, yet the strand of black hair in her fingers twisted faster and faster. She said, “I’ve left you something to remember me by—keep it well.”

“Of course,” Changying murmured. No matter what, I will never lose it.

Zhuyou didn’t look at her, still toying with the strand of hair. “It took great effort to carve out this keepsake. If one day your heart suddenly burns with no cause, step inside and cool off.”

Changying was silent for a long while before responding, “It won’t burn without reason.” It only blazes unbearably when I think of you.