I Swear I’m Not a Demonic Cultivator - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Who Exactly Is Smearing My Reputation?

Fang Zheng’s words echoed across the deathly silent battlefield, each syllable drilling clearly into the ears of everyone present.

He stood ramrod straight, holding the Black Banner in one hand and supporting the Square Seal with the other.

In his own perception, an overwhelming surge of Great Righteous Qi erupted from within him, coalescing into a visible golden aura that bathed his figure in a divine glow, making him appear like a deity.

This declaration was a true reflection of his Dao Heart.

Yet—

On the Giant Bone Ship, beneath the Demonic Saintess Yun Shuishui’s mask, her crimson lips silently curved upward into a breathtaking arc.

The fervent flames in her peach blossom eyes seemed ready to burst forth.

She understood.

Holy Son, you are issuing your Divine Decree to the entire world!

I am of the Righteous Dao?

The subtext: This so-called “Righteous Dao” is merely a plaything in my palm!

And not of the Demonic Path?

The subtext: I have long transcended the realm of “Demon”; you cannot define me!

As for the phrase “to secure the well-being of all beings”…

This was the most domineering declaration since the dawn of creation! He sought not merely the revival of the Demonic Path, but the complete subjugation of the entire Profound Heaven Continent—the “beings” of the Three Realms and Six Paths—under the rule of his “well-being”!

Such immense power, such boundless ambition!

Truly worthy of being the reincarnation of the Primordial Demon Sovereign! Truly the man I, Yun Shuishui, am willing to devote myself to serving!

“Welcome… the return of the Primordial Demon Sovereign!”

Behind her, countless Demonic Cultivators could no longer contain their fervor. They dropped to one knee in unison, their bodies trembling with fanaticism. The gazes they fixed on Fang Zheng had transformed into the most devout faith.

He was their god!

Meanwhile, trapped within the formation, the Righteous Dao Allied Army felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them from head to toe, the chill seeping into their very bones.

Azure Cloud Sect Leader Yun Lan shuddered violently.

He understood.

And so did every Righteous Path cultivator behind him!

This wasn’t an explanation at all!

It was Heart-Slaying! The ultimate mockery of the victor toward a group of dying men!

Yun Lan glanced around.

Outside, the Demoness-led Giant Bone Ship loomed, its ghostly green Ghostly Fire flickering as if mocking their hubris.

Inside, Fang Zheng, the “Demonic Son” clad in Azure Cloud Sect Dao Robes, was impossibly powerful. With a casual gesture, he had crippled Wang Po, a Nascent Soul Perfection cultivator.

Advance meant death; retreat meant death.

Now, before the entire Righteous Dao world, before the Demonic Path Holy Land, this “Holy Son” had declared with his own lips: “I am the Righteous Dao!”

This was nothing less than trampling the very words “Righteous Dao” underfoot, grinding them into dust!

He was using this method to tell everyone, in a blood-soaked manner: the so-called division between righteousness and evil was, in his eyes, nothing more than a colossal joke!

“Aaaaah—! Aaaaaah—!”

An Elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, whose Dao Heart shattered first under such humiliation, completely collapsed.

His hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, he looked like a madman.

“Mutual destruction!”

He roared, his voice cracking with despair.

“Sect Leader Yunlan! Fellow Daoists! No more hesitation! Activate the Great Formation’s final form! We’ll drag Fang Zheng, that Demon Lord… to mutual destruction!”

If they couldn’t defeat him, they would all perish together!

If the Righteous Dao had become a joke, then they would use their lives to offer the most tragic funeral to this twisted world!

His desperate cry was like a match thrown into a barrel of gunpowder.

“Mutual destruction!”

“Exactly! Better to shatter like jade than survive as worthless clay!”

“Kill one and break even, kill two and we’re in profit! Let’s gamble our lives!”

The last shred of fear on the faces of the hundreds of surviving Righteous Path cultivators was replaced by a resolute madness.

They no longer hesitated, their minds now focused solely on mutual destruction.

Pfft—!

As if by unspoken agreement, everyone spat out a mouthful of vital heart’s blood, scattering it across the Formation Flags at their feet.

Buzz—buzzbuzz—!

The entire Nine Heavens Ten Earths Divine Extermination Formation emitted a piercing, shattering sound. The colossal Star Chart in the sky no longer rained down spears of destructive light; instead, it began to collapse inward with frenzied speed!

All the spiritual light, all the laws, all the life force, transformed into an uncontrolled torrent, relentlessly compressing toward the singularity at the Formation’s heart!

An ultimate terror, the fear of being utterly erased, seized every heart.

They felt themselves vanishing from the world, even the traces of their existence being completely wiped away.

At the Formation’s epicenter, Fang Zheng clearly sensed the annihilating aura, so potent it made his skin sting.

He froze, stunned.

Why has it come to this?

He and the Righteous Dao Alliance, united, were fully capable of facing the Demonic Sect cultivators outside.

Why is this happening?

No, I absolutely can’t let them die like this!

They are the strength of the Righteous Dao, the backbone of the future defense against the Beast Tide and the guardians of mortal lives.

They had only been momentarily confused, manipulated by the Demonic Sect’s schemes. It was his responsibility, his duty, to pull them back from the brink of annihilation!

I must protect them!

The thought erupted within him like a volcanic eruption.

Guardian!

The grand ambition of “Guardian” that had been brewing in Fang Zheng’s heart instantly erupted into a blazing inferno!

He immediately recalled the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation he had learned long ago.

This is it!

Without a second to spare, Fang Zheng sprang into action!

His hands flew through a series of intricate and sacred hand seals as he chanted incantations, his Haoran Demonic Essence surging violently within him.

“In my name, I shall uphold the duty of guardianship!”

“Great Formation, arise!”

Before his eyes, a divinely sacred scene unfolded.

Centered on him, the earth beneath his feet blazed with golden light that stretched for ten thousand zhang. Countless mystical golden Sanskrit characters surged forth like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire area of the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Divine Extermination Formation!

Then, massive golden pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes shot skyward from the ground!

These pillars converged in mid-air, forming a majestic golden dome!

Above the dome, a colossal phantom of the Buddha, radiating solemn dignity, slowly materialized. The Buddha’s voice echoed through the heavens and earth, resonating with supreme compassion and a vow of protection!

Yet in the real world…

Rumble—!!!

Centered on Fang Zheng, the scorched earth beneath his feet violently exploded!

Countless runes, crimson as congealed blood, slithered outward like a swarm of venomous snakes brought to life, their movement frenzied and relentless!

Immediately afterward, massive pillars formed from countless pale bones twisted into grotesque coils shot skyward from the ground!

The pillars of bone converged in mid-air, forming a colossal, impenetrable Crimson Dome!

Above the Dome, a colossal character “屠” (Slaughter) slowly materialized, composed of billions of twisted Resentful Souls. It emanated a terrifying aura, threatening to drag heaven and earth into Avici Hell!

A forbidden power, older, more domineering, and more ruthless than the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Divine Extermination Formation, descended with thunderous force!

The Righteous Path cultivators, who were in the midst of self-detonating, froze in unison.

What… what is this?!

Another killing formation?!

What does he want? Is he afraid we’ll die too quickly? Does he want to torture us with even more cruel methods?!

Boundless despair gripped every heart.

In the distance, on the Giant Bone Ship, Yun Shuishui saw the crimson formation and her peach-blossom eyes, hidden beneath her mask, instantly narrowed to pinpricks.

The Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation!

This… isn’t this the legendary forbidden formation used by the Ancient Ancestor Demon Venerable to sacrifice an entire plane for supreme power?!

Once this formation activates, every living being within becomes a Sacrificial Offering!

Holy Son… what are you planning?

Are you going to refine these hundreds of Righteous Dao elites—their Divine Souls, Magic Treasures, and Dao Fruits—into a grand tribute for your coronation?!

So ruthless! So domineering!

I… I love it so much!

Yun Shuishui’s heart pounded wildly, a thrill of terror coursing through her entire being.

Now!

The self-detonation of the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Divine Extermination Formation reached its critical point!

BOOM—!!!

An indescribable, earth-shattering roar erupted in the depths of everyone’s Divine Souls!

The Star Chart across the sky collapsed completely, forming a black hole that devoured all light and perception!

A cataclysmic energy storm swept inward with frenzied force, capable of leveling mountains and shattering realms!

Yet this destructive force crashed headlong into the Crimson Dome of skeletal remains!

嗡—!

The Crimson Dome trembled violently, and the colossal character “屠” (Slaughter) emblazoned upon it erupted in a crimson glow that soared tens of thousands of zhang into the sky!

Countless phantom blood-red chains descended from the Dome, like parasitic leeches, piercing with chilling precision into the bodies of every Righteous Path cultivator below!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Yun Lan, Wang Po, the Elders of the Myriad Methods Sect… all felt a brutal force invade their bodies, as the blood-red chains began to relentlessly drain their Spiritual Energy, vital essence, and even their Divine Souls!

The power that had been drained from them was now reinforcing the Crimson Dome overhead.

Simultaneously, the shockwave from their Great Formation’s self-destruction slammed into them, dislocating their internal organs!

Their Protective Magic Treasures shattered, and cracks spiderwebbed across their Dao Foundations!

Blood erupted in violent sprays from their mouths and nostrils.

Yet they survived.

The core of the destruction—the annihilating energy capable of instantly vaporizing even a Divine Transformation cultivator—had been stubbornly blocked by the Crimson Dome!

Fang Zheng let out a long sigh of relief.

Success!

Though everyone was severely injured, at least their lives had been spared!

He had successfully prevented them from taking the extreme measure of annihilating themselves along with the Demonic Sect.

As he gazed at the Righteous Dao cultivators staggering about within the formation, their eyes filled with a haunted disbelief as they looked at him, his heart swelled with contentment.

No need to thank me too much.

Now, he needed to deal with the even greater threat looming outside.

Fang Zheng’s gaze shifted to Lu Chuxue and the Corpse Servant Zhao Xun standing beside him.

With unwavering authority and deep trust, he commanded:

“The two of you, maintain this formation for me!”

“Protect all Fellow Daoists within the formation at all costs! Before I return, not even a fly shall pass through!”

Lu Chuxue and Corpse Servant Zhao Xun knelt on one knee, their faces contorted with fanatical fervor as they sensed the overwhelming blood qi and Resentful Soul energy surging from within the Great Formation.

Protect them?

When the Master says “protect,” he must mean we must protect these Supreme-Grade Sacrificial Offerings! Not a single drop of soul or flesh must escape before the perfect Blood Sacrifice ritual is completed!

“As you command, my Great Master!” they roared, unhesitatingly pouring their Demonic Energy into the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation.

The Crimson Dome’s radiance intensified threefold.

Fang Zheng nodded in satisfaction.

He turned, took a step forward, and passed unscathed through the barrier of the Crimson Dome.

Before the Giant Bone Ship.

Before all the Demonic Cultivators.

The man calmly emerged from the prison of blood and bone, leaving behind the silent wails of billions of Resentful Souls.

Bathed in crimson light, he strode toward the ghostly fire-lit behemoth, toward the butterfly-masked Demonic Saintess.

“Let’s talk.”