Chapter 185
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Chapter 185: Return to the Battlefield
Mo Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly, stepping forward to gaze down at the elegant scholar who had leapt from the treetops and knelt before her without hesitation.
With a subtle curl of her right fingertip, she conjured a vivid blood-red seal, sending it through the void’s dust to embed itself into the man’s back.
In that instant, Zhou Yi felt his breath hitch. His meridians and spiritual ocean surged uncontrollably, a stark reminder of life being handed over to another in a single, irreversible moment.
The Asura Blood Mark was complete.
From this moment on, like Mu Xuan Ye, he would cast aside dignity and pride, serving the young leader, awaiting orders without defiance.
This was Zhou Yi’s choice, the consequence of his failed gamble.
Submitting to Mo Xiao, who had inherited the Asura legacy, he felt less resistance but a lingering sense of loss and confusion.
Then, the Demon Lord above, radiating authority and indifference, spoke calmly: “Zhou, Right Envoy, do you wish to know how to make your puppets immortal and indestructible?”
Even when destroyed, the green-eyed skeletal puppets would reform, a semblance of endlessness, yet not true immortality.
Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up. As a practitioner of puppet techniques and the Right Envoy of the demon race, though not as obsessed as his Master, he deeply cared.
Unlike Mu Xuan Ye, driven solely by power, he bore a Daoist’s obsession.
Mo Xiao smiled, her eyes brimming with confidence and arrogance: “Even if your cultivation is inferior, must your puppet army falter?”
She glanced at Zhou Yi, then at the kneeling puppet army, clenching her fist around the black round stone, her words clear: “Within the Asura inheritance lies the ‘True Understanding of Puppets.’ If you, Right Envoy Zhou, earn—”
Mo Xiao paused, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. “If you please the future Demon Queen, I shall grant it to you.”
The future Demon Queen?
Nineteen froze, her emotions crystallizing, her expression unreadable. Yet, her hand gripping the array flag betrayed unease.
Seeing her reaction, Mo Xiao leaned closer to Zhou Yi: “Right Envoy, do you wish to see how the undefeated puppet army fares against the unfeeling alien army? Who is stronger?”
It was as if thunder had cleared the fog in his heart. Zhou Yi met Mo Xiao’s hopeful gaze, a burning urgency to prove himself igniting within.
His puppet army was undefeated, nearly invincible. Ji Wu Xu, the cunning young leader of the demon race, had been powerless against them. Without the Xuanyuan Sword, Ming He might not have survived.
Defeated by Qin Chu Yi and Mo Xiao, not due to lack of skill but their sheer brilliance, his puppet army remained undefeated.
Facing the alien army…
Zhou Yi recalled the green-eyed skeleton against the black fog, a Daoist’s obsession flaring in his eyes. What would that battle be like?
The alien army, unfeeling, a machine of slaughter, devoid of emotion.
Perfect. His puppet army was similar.
Moreover, the Demon Lord possessed the ‘True Understanding of Puppets,’ a treasure from the Asura inheritance, the essence of the demon race.
The Scholar in Blue, once gloomy, bowed his head, battle intent igniting like a sword ready to be drawn.
“I am at your command, Demon Lord.”
The Asura Blood Mark, life and death, paled in comparison to the ‘True Understanding of Puppets’ and the alien army.
Had he known the alien army was ideal for his studies, he would have rushed to the battlefield of the heavens long ago.
Coercing with life and death, manipulating will, tempting with secret techniques, catering to desires—what a way to break pride and ignite spirit!
Ming He, watching from the treetops, sighed inwardly. She glanced at the stoic Nineteen, whose indifference exuded charm, grateful that the human race had her, sparing them from facing such a formidable enemy alongside the alien race.
This wave of turning foes into allies was nothing short of masterful.
As she pondered this, Ming He noticed Mo Xiao lifting her gaze, her right hand clutching the black round stone, a mysterious dark light flickering in her eyes.
The black round stone, the heart of Asura.
Ming He didn’t miss Zhou Yi’s momentary shock, his whisper barely audible. What exactly was the heart of Asura?
Holding Qin Chu Yi’s hand with her right and embracing the woman’s soft waist with her left, Ming He stood almost face-to-face with Qin Chu Yi. Under Qin Chu Yi’s gentle, smiling gaze, she winked. With a light touch of her toes, their intertwined figures gracefully descended from the treetops to stand before Mo Xiao.
The woman in white glanced at them, a flicker of envy in her eyes. She spoke softly, “Ming He, I mentioned before that I would thank you for your assistance. Now you understand the nature of that assistance, don’t you?”
Ming He was momentarily stunned, then realized she was referring to the words spoken in the Left Envoy’s palace. She smiled lightly and looked at the black round stone, narrowing her eyes in thought, her tone probing: “According to Right Envoy Zhou, this item is called the heart of Asura?”
The heart of Asura.
Ming He felt a wave of confusion, vaguely recalling that long ago, she had seen the characters "Asura Heart" on a warm jade slip, back when those words were said to be a remedy to awaken Senior Sister.
As time passed, the Asura Heart became a witness to her trials against the world.
She had thought these words corresponded to the scene in the demon race’s Shura Hall and the way demonic energy forged the Clear Heart of the Sword, never imagining that something called the heart of Asura truly existed.
“The heart of Asura is the heart of the Asura,” Mo Xiao stated succinctly.
“Among the Myriad Races, the Asura clan is an ancient race born of heaven, much like the Ancient Fiends. The demon race was born from the word Asura; its significance is akin to your human race’s ancient emperors who sacrificed their lives to the heavens.”
“The heart of Asura is the supreme holy artifact of the demon race, symbolizing power and prestige. All beings born of demons will be laid bare, groveling and submissive before the heart of Asura.”
“Of course, only those with the bloodline of the Demon Lord, who carry the Asura inheritance, can awaken it.”
This was her explanation for why the black round stone showed no reaction in Ming He’s hand.
“To be more precise, its current significance is likely equivalent to the Azure Dragon Imperial Seal of the young leader.”
Ming He nodded slightly; she understood the importance of the Azure Dragon Imperial Seal to the human race and needed no further explanation.
It was the imperial artifact forged by the human Sword Master Li Xuantian using his blood and energy, named Azure Dragon because it integrated the essence and true blood of the Divine Beast Azure Dragon, naturally capable of overturning mountains and suppressing evil.
Though its spiritual essence had waned due to bloodshed, the current Azure Dragon Imperial Seal was merely a powerless seal, yet it symbolized the dignity of the Emperor and the continuation of the human bloodline, carrying immense significance.
Ming He nodded, “Then I congratulate the Demon Lord on recovering this treasure.”
Having subdued Mu Xuan Ye and Zhou Yi and retrieved the heart of Asura, her position as Demon Lord was as stable as Mount Tai, unshakable by anything.
But Mo Xiao shook her head, releasing her grip, and the black round stone floated beside Ming He, its smooth surface reflecting a pure white light under the morning sun, clear and radiant, like jade from the mortal world.
Ming He frowned in confusion.
Mo Xiao smiled meaningfully, “The alliance between the demon race and the human race is now officially established. This black round stone is the token of the demon race and my personal guarantee.”
“Since you are the young leader of the human race, it is only fitting that you safeguard it.”
She glanced at Qin Chu Yi, adding, “Of course, if the young leader wishes to entrust it to Young Master Qin, that is also acceptable.”
Ming He was about to speak, but Mo Xiao straightened, her expression proud and resolute: “Before obtaining the Asura inheritance, I had already ascended to the position of Demon Lord. Now that the troubles have settled, I no longer need it.”
She looked at Nineteen beside her and repeated, as if making a vow, “I do not need the heart of Asura.”
She would rely on her own true strength to protect those dear to her, no longer depending on any external forces.
The woman in white, untainted by dust, stood tall under the dappled light, her grace radiating through the air, embodying the proud young Demon Lord Ming He had first heard of in Senior Sister’s tales.
Ming He paused, then reached out and grasped the black round stone, speaking solemnly: “After the alien races retreat, this round stone will be returned to you by those you wish to see.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Qin Chu Yi, her lips curving into a faint smile, then turned to Nineteen and said softly, “We should head back now.”
They needed to return to the battlefield of the heavens.
Mo Xiao’s gaze lingered on Nineteen, warm and tender, eventually turning into a long sigh: “Sister Nineteen, I will soon break through to the Human King stage.”
So, I will quickly come to find you.
Nineteen watched her steadily, easily discerning the unspoken words in her heart. She nodded and softly replied, “Alright.”
Mo Xiao was immediately filled with joy, taking Nineteen’s hand as they returned to the Shura Hall. She began to chatter endlessly, advising Nineteen on how to protect herself on the battlefield, to properly refine the half of her cultivation she had given her, and to flee first if faced with uncertainty, always waiting for her to find her.
Ming He, holding Qin Chu Yi’s hand, smiled gently as they followed behind, taking Mu Xuan Ye and Zhou Yi along with his puppet army and a wave of demon race cultivators breaking through to the Human King stage.
Their group surged through the void like a mighty tide, plunging into the battlefield of the heavens, ready to face the final decisive battle.
The glorious scene long awaited on the Tianwu Continent, after thousands of years—the bright days and clear mountains, the ray of daylight piercing through the darkness—seemed truly within reach.
For the first time, the human race caught a close glimpse of hope.
