Chapter 64

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Chapter 64

Under the watchful eyes of many, the bottle fell into the furnace, swallowing the amorphous mass of light whole.

Tu Xuisheng’s face twisted in fury as he roared, “You dare use the bottle I gave you to ruin my plans?!”

Ji Yang thrust his sword forward, skillfully sending the spirit bottle flying back into his grasp.

Tu Xuisheng had believed everything was under his control, but the arrival of two true immortals shattered his confidence. Refusing to concede defeat, he cursed and vowed to fight them to the bitter end.

Qin Cuohua stepped forward, her swordsmanship precise and graceful, leaving no room for error.

Meanwhile, the floating Sword Immortal, ignoring all else, summoned his sword to whisk Ji Yang away, his voice echoing across the Three Realms: “This place is perilous!! Leave at once!!”

“Do not concern yourselves with your belongings—go, now!!!”

At the same time, the Nine-Tailed Fox summoned a ferocious gale, using her magic to forcibly evacuate those with weaker cultivation.

“Master! Master, what’s happening?!” Qin Cujiu struggled against the violent wind, barely shielding himself with his wide sleeves. “Wasn’t the elixir sealed in the bottle?!”

The fox’s golden-red eyes burned with urgency. “Her Original Demon has been unleashed. If you stay, come with me to subdue it into the Southern Abyss!”

“Original Demon?!” Tu Xuixin was blown back several steps, straining against the hurricane. “Is Little Wu still alive? Has she become a vengeful demon?!”

The Sword Immortal, knowing their concern for the girl’s fate, chose to speak the truth. “This cauldron is fueled by hellfire from the Abyss. It can consume not only mortal flesh but even immortal bones and heavenly artifacts.”

“Whether she lives or dies, or where her soul now resides, is uncertain.”

“But look closely—the light within the cauldron has been absorbed by the bottle, while the shadowy mist grows larger. That is her innate Original Demon!”

From the moment of her birth, Gong Wu had been surrounded by kindness, nurtured and guided, her heart pure and devoted to the Dao. Even after countless brushes with death, she had never awakened to evil thoughts or a demonic heart.

Her human side had flourished, while her demonic nature lay dormant, only to be roused by the searing pain of the hellfire.

But this vengeful demon was a terrifying entity, neither alive nor dead. If it were to die and be reborn, endlessly expanding and evolving beyond even the power of immortals, the entire Three Realms would be doomed!!

Tu Xuixin turned to see where Ji Yang had been taken, but the gale was too fierce, sweeping away hundreds, thousands of people to safety.

Amid the chaos of scattered figures and a cacophony of screams and wails, he realized he could protect no one.

In the next moment, Ji Yang returned against the wind, refusing to be controlled or directed.

“Where is she?” His eyes burned with killing intent. “Why did you send me away? Did you not want me to witness you destroy this vengeful demon?”

The Sword Immortal sighed.

“The vengeful demon is reborn, growing stronger with each death, like hatred itself. It cannot simply be killed.”

“I only wished to protect you.”

“Why?”

“Because…” The Sword Immortal paused, momentarily at a loss for words.

Hu Fengyu could no longer contain himself and shouted, “Because he might be your father!!”

Tu Xuixin cast a complex glance at Ji Yang.

“Perhaps… it’s a good thing, if it means a father and son can reunite.”

“There’s no time to discuss this,” the Sword Immortal summoned a ten-layer sword formation, flicking his wrist to cast four talismans that sealed the Soul-Melting Furnace along with the shadow within. “Head to the Southern Abyss and suppress it in the deepest part!”

“You dare!!” Tu Xuisheng, his right shoulder torn open and bleeding profusely from Qin Cuohua’s fierce strike, roared, “I will destroy this world and unleash the vengeful demon to kill all of you!!”

“The first to die will be you, Tu Xuixin!!!”

Before the words could fully leave his lips, Tu Xuisheng abruptly reversed his sword, aiming it at his own vital point.

Qin Cuohua swiftly withdrew her sword’s force, exclaiming in alarm, “What are you doing?!”

Tu Xuisheng flashed a chilling smile. “If I cannot ascend to immortality as an immortal or a demon, then I will at least accomplish one thing.”

Before his words faded, he plunged the sword into his chest, his body exploding in a burst of blood and flesh!

Tu Xuixin let out a guttural scream, “You—you—you!!!”

“This is bad—he’s going to detonate the Eight-fold Magical Formation!” The Sword Immortal, clutching the Soul-Melting Furnace, plummeted downward. “To the Abyss, to the Abyss!! Use all your spiritual energy to help me stabilize this barrier!!”

At that moment, all cultivators with sufficient cultivation gathered around the Sword Immortal, descending deeper underground with him.

Though still reeling from shock, Ji Yang immediately joined the formation, pouring all his spiritual energy into it without hesitation.

“Boom!!”

As Tu Xuisheng’s body and soul erupted, one of the eight ceremonial treasures, the Ghost, was obliterated. The dark mist within the cauldron scattered violently, as if torn into fragments!

It re-formed at an alarming speed, visibly swelling and transforming. Initially no larger than a fist, it now nearly filled the entire cauldron!

“Master, with Tu Xuisheng’s death, the Magical Formation will explode in a chain reaction. Won’t it transform eight times?!” Qin Cuohua, trembling with fear, cried out, “Is there any way to sever the connection or prevent the formation from detonating?!”

Before Hu Fengyu could respond, the remaining seven rings of the formation exploded in rapid succession, like a meticulously timed barrage of arrows aimed at the mist!!

“Hurry, descend to the depths of the Abyss!!” Everyone strained to plunge deeper, terrified of what might come next.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!”

The mist expanded beyond the cauldron, dissolving and reforming in a grotesque dance, cycling through life and death in mere moments.

“It’s no use—the cauldron can no longer contain it!” The Sword Immortal bellowed, shattering the Soul-Melting Furnace into dust and summoning the immortal sword to seal the mist high within the barrier.

“This sword shall not falter, this formation shall not break! Even if it costs me my life, I will not let it escape!!”

The mist surged to the edges of the barrier, visibly constrained by the magic but straining against its limits. A swirling mass of blood and resentment churned within, its malevolent aura radiating outward.

Those closest to it immediately felt the oppressive presence, struggling to steady their minds against the overwhelming discomfort. “Immortal Lord, what is that?!” they cried.

“The barrier cannot fully suppress its aura,” the Sword Immortal replied, beads of sweat forming on his brow. “Its hatred and vengeful energy will corrupt anyone it touches. We must find a way to suppress it further.”

As he spoke, the Eight-fold Magical Formation collapsed entirely, and they descended into the central chasm of the Northern and Southern Abysses.

The abyss seemed bottomless, but about eight hundred feet down, they found a cavern. The Sword Immortal hastily contained the mist within it, rallying everyone to form a hundred-layer formation.

The mist writhed like a wounded beast, unable to expand but seething with unrestrained fury.

Even standing a few steps away, one could feel the intoxicating, blood-soaked malevolence emanating from it.

Tu Xuixin completed his own sequence of spell seals and retreated to the back of the crowd, where he noticed Ji Yang standing alone.

The young man’s silhouette was profoundly desolate, as though a night of snow had blanketed the mountains, sealing off all his paths.

Cloaked in an immortal aura, his cultivation now surpassed that of his master and most others in Moonfire Valley, leaving him just a step away from ascending to immortality.

Having severed all seven feelings, he stood alone, seemingly complete.

Yet, Tu Xuixin could clearly see that Ji Yang was shrouded in a darkness deeper than ever before.

At that moment, Tu Xuixin hesitated to speak to him.

After a pause filled with melancholy, he gently patted Ji Yang’s shoulder.

“Subei.”

The young man gazed through the crowd at the vengeful demon, its form swirling with blood and malice.

“Do you think that’s Gong Wu?”

“I don’t know,” Tu Xuixin replied, his throat tight with bitterness. He thought of Gong Wu and of Ding Qingyi, his first apprentice, who had met a tragic end. He closed his eyes, staggering to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Ji Yang, however, could no longer shed tears.

His heart had been tempered into the Path of Emotionless, now hollow and devoid of attachment.

He stood there, a figure as graceful as green bamboo, yet as if hollowed out by the fierce winds of the abyss, leaving nothing behind.

The Leopard sat silently beside him, its tail curled against the ground, no longer looking around.

From a distance, Qin Cuohua observed the scene and nudged Hu Fengyu, who had resumed human form while reinforcing the Magical Formation.

“What should we do next?”

Though she was a sect master, she had rarely faced such a harrowing situation.

“Is Gong Wu still here?”

Hu Fengyu lowered his long lashes, lost in thought for a long moment.

“At least, she’s not within this formation.”

Inside, there was only an endless roar of pain and malice, with no trace of her original soul.

He secured another heavy lock, and when he released his hand, his back was drenched in sweat. He sighed wearily.

Then, Hu Fengyu turned to Ji Yang and said calmly, “Show me the bottle with the pill.”

Ji Yang remained motionless.

Hu Fengyu suppressed his impatience and explained, “I don’t intend to touch it—or her.”

“I can sense her presence.”

The young man stared at him for several seconds before handing over the Qiongjin bottle.

Hu Fengyu sniffed the bottle, and after Ji Yang opened it, he poured out the dull silver pill and inhaled its scent, his head bowed.

“She is here.”

“What do you mean?” Tu Xuixin asked urgently. “Can she return?”

“Hu Fengyu, Gong Wu nearly melted away in the poisonous water and fierce fire to save you, leaving not even bones or blood behind. This time, she must be able to return, right? Right?!”

Hu Fengyu handed back the spirit bottle and murmured, “Cuohua, let’s go.”

He offered no further answers and departed with Qin Cuohua on the wind.

Tu Xuixin was nearly driven to madness, lunging forward to chase after him, but the Old Celestial Ancestor extended a hand to halt him.

“Fate has brought us to this point,” the old man sighed, “it cannot be forced.”

Amidst the long wind, Qin Cuohua couldn’t resist pressing further.

“Master, did you truly catch the scent of our benefactor, or were you merely giving that child a glimmer of hope to keep him alive?”

“Can the benefactor truly return?”

Hu Fengyu’s eyes were as dark as ink, and he shook his head once more.

He had nothing left to say.

Inside the Demon Sealing Cave, the light was as bright as day, with layers upon layers of barriers formed by different techniques trapping the fog, preventing its destruction and its reckless revival.

The leader of the Guanshan Ridge still wore a troubled expression and spoke plainly to the Sword Immortal, “Though it is contained for now, I fear that unforeseen changes may arise, and it will eventually break free to wreak havoc upon the Three Realms.”

“Are these formations truly enough?”

Before others could voice their agreement, a calm and resolute voice carried from the distance.

“I will remain here to stand guard.”

Ji Yang said serenely.

“In this lifetime, I will not leave.”