Luo Jinxiao was nearly overcome by the stench of blood that made her feel dizzy. She held her breath and formed a solid barrier while eliminating the last few wisps of demonic energy. Then she boldly stepped through the door.
Inside, the original layout was unrecognizable; it was a complete mess. Countless pages smoldered with sparks, floating in the air and falling to the ground amidst swirling white smoke.
The so-called formation diagram of the Underworld stood at the center of the hall, emitting a faint dark light and resembling a twisted painting. The images displayed upon it were warped and terrifying.
As it slowly rotated, it spewed forth a viscous mix of blood and flesh, the very source of the putrid scent they had encountered earlier.
The red figure was struck by the energy wave and stumbled backward. Luo Jinxiao reacted swiftly, stepping forward to embrace her waist and steady her.
Qu Weiyin turned to look at her, raising her hand once more, and the Remnant Moon Star Sword hummed as it rose from the ground, gradually returning to her palm.
“This thing has been nourished by blood for so long; it’s genuinely unnatural. Everything else has disappeared, but I still can’t destroy the core of the formation diagram,†Qu Weiyin said, her fists clenched tightly.
Luo Jinxiao turned her attention to the formation diagram, and it appeared to squirm as if it were alive.
Their entrance had certainly caused a commotion, and it would likely attract the attention of the entire demon palace, perhaps even the entire demon realm. They didn’t have much time.
Luo Jinxiao lifted her hand to conjure a shard of ice and aimed it at the diagram. However, it felt like striking against cotton, as her divine power was absorbed and vanished without a trace.
This thing was truly bizarre.
The number of demons gathering outside the door grew rapidly, and the barrier was on the verge of collapse. The light from the formation diagram suddenly brightened, causing Luo Jinxiao to squint involuntarily. At that moment, someone flew in from outside, and a sword swiftly followed, appearing right in front of her.
With quick reflexes, Luo Jinxiao maneuvered Wujie to block the sword, sending its wielder crashing to the ground from the shock of her divine power. However, when she turned back, she was shocked to find that Qu Weiyin had vanished.
Could she have entered the formation diagram?
As the formation diagram began to return to its original state, the barrier was further breached by increasing waves of demons. Luo Jinxiao reluctantly suppressed her worries, turning back to strike, cleaving through the demons and shattering them into pieces.
As the demonic energy dissipated, a tall and slender figure appeared beneath the archway.
“It’s you.†Yougui’s anger radiated through the air, his thin lips tightly pressed together, and his gaze toward Luo Jinxiao was filled with bone-deep hatred.
“Luo Jinxiao, you dare invade my demon realm!†He was brimming with rage, his ashen, dry hand raised to form a long black blade. “I’ve searched everywhere for you, and today you’ve delivered yourself right into my hands!â€
Luo Jinxiao felt a surge of fury wash over her as she looked at his defeated face, fueling her killing intent as she tightened her grip on Wujie. “You can’t destroy the formation diagram, so stop dreaming! She has become a demon lord, and only I, Yougui, am her true confidant,†he uttered, each word dripping with venom.
Luo Jinxiao spat with disdain, suddenly grinning broadly. Her visage changed momentarily before returning to its original form.
“Can you see it clearly now?†she raised an eyebrow.
Shock and disbelief flickered in Yougui’s eyes as he took a few steps forward, then suddenly halted, his fury reddening the skin around his eyes.
“It’s you?â€
“It is me. What’s it to you?†Luo Jinxiao raised her chin defiantly.
“No, that woman is clearly a demon! You’re trying to deceive me!â€
“Who cares about deceiving you?†Luo Jinxiao replied lazily, rolling her eyes as she held Wujie in her right hand while a surge of black smoke poured from her left.
Unlike the celestial beings and demons who needed to cultivate their powers, the divine lineage possessed innate abilities that were beyond the imagination of others.
Yougui stared at the swirling demonic energy she conjured, his pale eyes tinged with blood, and he clenched his palm until it bled.
“She already knew? No wonder you were able to win her favor so easily.â€
“Are you two conspiring together to deceive me?â€
As he spoke, the magical energy in the room intensified, enveloping everything in thick smoke, seemingly trying to devour all.
“I can’t believe I trusted her,†Yougui gritted his teeth, muttering the same phrase over and over, as if he were going mad.
“Are you still going to destroy my formation diagram? You’re delusional!†he suddenly shouted hoarsely, conjuring his demonic energy into a monstrous dragon-like silhouette that twisted in the air, then lunged directly at Luo Jinxiao.
Although she possessed magical powers, Luo Jinxiao did not underestimate him. Wujie shimmered with strands of white light, coiling into a long shaft that crashed into the demonic energy. A tremendous shockwave erupted, shattering the roof above them and sending red bricks flying.
It was as if Yougui had lost his mind, disregarding everything in his frantic attempt to kill Luo Jinxiao. Meanwhile, Luo Jinxiao remained resolute, her back to the formation diagram, refusing to let him get within arm’s reach.
The two clashed ferociously for several exchanges, the surrounding walls crumbling under the force of their powers, and Yougui’s rage escalated.
“It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t shown up out of nowhere, the demon lord wouldn’t have betrayed us!â€
“Spare me,†Luo Jinxiao said, her obsidian eyes reflecting the flames as she retorted, “Qu Weiyin was never a demon; how could she betray? Instead, it is you who has repeatedly schemed to pull her into the abyss. How utterly disgusting! If I’m guessing correctly, you instigated the Gate of Life and Death to wreak havoc in the demon realm, provoking Qu Weiyin into demonizing and burdening her with the sin of slaughter. You heartless wretch, and yet you dare claim betrayal?â€
“Right, it was me.†The pale lips of Yougui slowly curled into a sinister smile. “So what? This is the fate the demon lord cannot escape!â€
“Go to hell with your cursed fate.†Luo Jinxiao felt irritated by his irrational madness. Just then, a beam of sword light shot towards her from behind. With a swift motion, she turned and circumvented the sword’s tip, plunging Wujie into Qingyi’s heart.
She had long forgotten the sensation of killing, and the malevolence within her surged back to life, transforming her into a creature borne from hell itself.
Qingyi didn’t even make a sound; she simply died, dissipating into black smoke.
At that moment, within the formation diagram of the Underworld…
Qu Weiyin found herself in an expansive space, standing on ice that stretched for miles, a scene mirroring the boundless sky, calm and cloudless.
She called out Luo Jinxiao’s name but quickly fell silent, fully aware of her location. Suppressing a flicker of anxiety in her heart, she scanned her surroundings.
Suddenly, a fireball crashed down from the sky, and on instinct, she stepped back. The fireball struck the ground, scattering sparks everywhere; it was then that she sensed something was amiss.
This demonic energy and the celestial techniques felt eerily reminiscent of her past life.
Looking up, she found her former self appearing in the sky—just as she was now, draped in red, wielding the Remnant Moon Star Sword that emitted a shimmering glow. She faced a vast group composed of countless cultivators from various sects, besieged and slaughtered.
Qu Weiyin was taken aback, and instinctively looked behind her, spotting a figure in blue robes that had appeared without her noticing. The figure stared in terror at the sky before turning to flee.
“Jinxiao!†Qu Weiyin couldn’t help but call out. She reached out her hand to try and grasp her, only for her hand to pass right through her waist.
No, this wasn’t Luo Jinxiao. The person bore a youthful face and slender form, resembling a girl, and it was then she realized—
At that moment, the battle in the sky shifted. The red-clad woman was surrounded by foes, one by one being slain until she was pushed to her limits. In a fit of rage, she howled, her tears turning to blood, chaotic and sorrowful.
She resembled a stray dog, hunted by all, with nowhere to hide.
Desiring death, she unleashed all her power in a final explosion, scattering countless fireballs across the battlefield. The flames were accompanied by thunder and lightning, annihilating everything in their path, including those unfortunate souls who had trespassed into the fray.
Qu Weiyin watched in horror as the youthful figure of Luo Jinxiao was struck by the largest fireball, a scene that felt surreal. The slender, tall silhouette disappeared within the smoke, silent, as she gradually collapsed to the ground.
Qu Weiyin couldn’t believe her eyes. It felt as if something was lodged in her throat, rendering her utterly voiceless. She wanted to rush forward and help, but her hand passed through nothing but air.
Luo Jinxiao’s dark, glistening eyes were fixed on the sky, reflecting the flames, the figures of fleeing cultivators, and the crimson form descending from above.
She appeared serene, eerily calm, as if death was nothing more than a fleeting encounter.
“Jinxiao…†Qu Weiyin murmured, bewildered that Luo Jinxiao’s past self had met her end at her own hands.
Her heart felt like it was crushed beneath a massive stone, silently throbbing with pain, while tears swirled in her eyes, refusing to fall.
She truly was a harbinger of misfortune, and Luo Jinxiao had been suffering because of her all along.
Before she realized it, the surrounding scene dissolved entirely, leaving only the bloodied figure of Luo Jinxiao, who was slowly rising and turning to lock eyes with Qu Weiyin.
Qu Weiyin’s hand tightly gripped the hem of her clothing, staring in a daze.
“Luo Jinxiao†suddenly spoke, her voice apathetic: “Qu Weiyin, do you know what your greatest weakness is?â€
“In this world, the easiest thing to destroy is the heart, and the hardest thing to destroy is the heart.â€
“You are too weak.â€
“There’s no escape for you; everyone will be dragged down by you. Have you realized that all the sources of sorrow stem from you?â€
Qu Weiyin felt her heart plummet to the depths of despair, with sorrow and guilt crashing over her like relentless waves, threatening to drown her.
She abruptly shut her eyes, gritting her teeth, telling herself this was merely an illusion.
Luo Jinxiao would never say such things.
“Do you know what my final fate was?†‘Luo Jinxiao’ continued.
“I will still die in front of you. This is all your fault.â€
“No.†Qu Weiyin suddenly opened her eyes wide. Just that one sentence nearly shattered all her defenses.
Unknowingly, her eyes brimmed with tears, and she shook her head repeatedly, her mind clouded and consumed by sorrow, growing heavy and dim.
Those words echoed incessantly in her mind; perhaps, it was indeed true.
If it weren’t for her, Luo Jinxiao would never have died.
Looking further back, if she hadn’t fallen into darkness and amplified the power of the demons, there wouldn’t be such enmity between the celestial and demonic realms.
If she didn’t exist, would the world have remained peaceful and harmonious, filled with the songs of phoenixes and dragons?
“But I didn’t want this either,†she suddenly exclaimed, her voice trembling. “It’s not my fault!â€
“I never deceived anyone; instead, I’ve been deceived by everyone.â€
Why must she shoulder all the blame? Qu Weiyin let out a roar of anger, and as a tear fell from her phoenix-like eyes, golden light exploded like thunder throughout the realm.
The pure spiritual energy, free from demonic power, obliterated the frozen space. The howls of tormented spirits and the stench of blood surged forth as the formation diagram was utterly torn apart, fragments of paper cascading down—each one oozing bright red blood.
It was like the final throes of a dying entity.
Qu Weiyin’s figure re-materialized, her legs giving out as she fell backward. Just then, Luo Jinxiao struck Yougui with great force, leaving him nearly incapacitated, freeing her hand to catch Qu Weiyin.
She wrapped an arm around the unsteady figure, still reeling from the shock. “Little Master Uncle!â€
As Qu Weiyin saw Luo Jinxiao’s face, tears filled her eyes. She dropped the sword in her hand, moving to tightly embrace Luo Jinxiao’s waist, burying her face against her shoulder.
With a choked voice, she said, “I’m sorry, Jinxiao.â€
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