“But hasn’t the Demon King already vanished into thin air?” Zanxing pondered. “And since the great war between humans and demons twenty years ago, with the Demon King’s death, the demonic energies were greatly depleted. The remaining demonic cultivators are leaderless and have been inconsequential these years. While traces of the demon clan can still be seen in the Three Realms, actual appearances of demons are rare. If they seek the inheritance… could they be plotting a comeback?”
It wasn’t an exaggeration on her part, considering the archives of the Taiyan Sect, the book “Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Victory of the Human and Demon War” was quite explicit. Considering the current strength of the demon clan, any attempt at resurgence would indeed be futile.
Fairy Qinghua’s expression turned grave at the mention, and after a moment, she spoke, “After Caiyu and Gui Diaotang perished together, it’s true the demon clan suffered a great blow. However, as you know, the Xiao Yuan Pearl went missing.”
Zanxing asked, taken aback, “The Xiao Yuan Pearl?”
Fairy Qinghua was somewhat surprised, “Haven’t you heard of the Xiao Yuan Pearl?”
Zanxing restrained her racing heart and feigned confusion, “What is the Xiao Yuan Pearl?”
“It’s the Demon King’s spiritual artifact,” Gu Baiying said. “Legend has it that Gui Diaotang used it to gain the power to destroy the Three Realms.”
Zanxing paused, unsure. This setup wasn’t part of the original story, right? From start to finish, in At the Summit of the Nine Heavens, it was just Mu Cengxiao’s designated prop, without all these complexities. Zanxing felt uneasy, about to speak up, when Fairy Qinghua continued, “It’s an evil pearl.”
“Legend has it that the Xiao Yuan Pearl originated from an ancient demonic stone, filled with fierceness and slaughter, later forged into a pearl by an evil immortal and lost in the mortal realm. Gui Diaotang by chance obtained this pearl, greatly enhancing his cultivation, and his temperament changed drastically, leading to the subsequent atrocities.” Fairy Qinghua’s voice turned cold. “After the Demon King’s death, the cultivation world searched everywhere for the Xiao Yuan Pearl’s whereabouts, but it disappeared without a trace. Even now…”
“Even now, its whereabouts remain unknown,” Gu Baiying finished.
“Perhaps,” Fairy Qinghua pondered for a moment, “the Xiao Yuan Pearl has been hidden away by the demon clan.”
No, that’s not it, Zanxing’s body stiffened. That ancient evil demonic stone turned into a pearl was currently nestled safely near her heart.
“Then… could someone have found it?” Zanxing ventured cautiously.
“It’s impossible,” Fairy Qinghua shook her head. “The Xiao Yuan Pearl was held by the Demon King for a long time, steeped in bloodshed, and it originated from an ancient demonic stone. Ordinary people would be consumed upon approaching it, and even cultivators would not leave unscathed. Only those of the demon clan can control it, but once possessed, it breeds inner demons and brings calamity to the world.”
Zanxing thought to herself, not just those of the demon clan, but those with a protagonist’s halo could control it too. And this pearl mistakenly ended up inside her, which was quite an unflattering misunderstanding.
“It’s believed that even now, the cultivation world hasn’t given up on searching for the Xiao Yuan Pearl’s whereabouts. If you encounter a demon holding this pearl, you must eradicate them completely to prevent future harm.”
Zanxing’s intention to reveal the truth vanished instantly.
“Are you suggesting,” Gu Baiying spoke coldly, “that someone from the demon clan hid the Xiao Yuan Pearl and has been attempting to enter the secret realm these years to find the inheritance and wreak havoc once more upon the world?”
“Perhaps it’s not to find the inheritance but to destroy it,” Fairy Qinghua suddenly remarked.
It seemed she understood something. “Years ago, when Senior Brother and I divined, we foresaw a great calamity coming to the mortal realm twenty years later. We have been waiting here for the destined person. If those demonic cultivators’ goal is to enter here and destroy the painting, preventing me from meeting that savior and passing on the heart technique to her, when the twenty years are up, the demon clan will once again bring calamity to the world, and no one will be able to stop it. The mortal realm will become a purgatory.”
Silence fell around them.
“I passed on the technique to you since you discovered this place,” Fairy Qinghua said to Zanxing, smiling faintly. “Zanxing, the safety of the human realm will depend on you in the future. Only you can unravel the plots of the demon clan.”
Zanxing replied hesitantly, “…Fairy, I still think you’ve got the wrong person.”
Fairy Qinghua’s reasoning about destined individuals and the demon clan’s schemes seemed logical on the surface but had no relevance to her at all. Never mind why the demons would come looking for the painting; the Xiao Yuan Pearl wasn’t hidden by the demons—it was inside her. Now, she wasn’t sure if she was taking the fall for the demons or if they were taking the fall for her.
Shaking her head, Fairy Qinghua continued, “If you can enter this painting, it means the Biyi Blossom has chosen you. When I left Taiyan Sect and came here years ago, my consciousness waited here all these years for this moment—to pass on this inheritance. Now that my wish is fulfilled, I must leave.”
Gu Baiying’s eyes widened. “You…”
“Farewell, Baiying.” Fairy Qinghua looked at him with affection and tenderness. “You were the one I couldn’t bear to leave behind back then. Fate had its way. I couldn’t watch you grow up, and I haven’t been a good mother. Fortunately… Senior Martial Brother has taken good care of you. I am truly glad.”
She continued, “I left years ago. Leaving my consciousness here in the painting was my final duty. Now that the inheritance has been passed, the restriction is broken, this painting will soon disappear, and this secret realm will collapse. You must leave this place quickly.”
The young man stared at her, his gaze momentarily panicked. He tightened his grip on the Xiu Gu Spear in his hand, the other reaching out as if to grab her sleeve. “No…”
However, the surroundings began to tremble violently.
The chaotic mist grew thicker as the woman’s figure gradually became transparent. She seemed to transform into an ink painting, slowly dissolving into the soft blue sky, the raindrops dripping from the eaves, and the stack of poems on the desk that scattered everywhere with a gust of wind. Finally, she turned into a radiant figure standing under a bright red flower tree, smiling faintly while holding a flower.
Zanxing felt herself being forcefully ejected by a powerful force. Dazed, she scrambled to her feet and found herself inside the thatched hut. Gu Baiying had also been thrown out, and the beautiful woman’s painting on the wall was slowly disappearing. The young man rushed over, frantically reaching out to try and stop it, shouting, “No, Mother, don’t go!”
But it was all in vain.
The painting vanished, leaving the wall empty. The ground beneath them seemed about to split open, and the grass and mud from the roof kept falling. The entire world was caught in this tremor. Zanxing looked out the window, seeing the distant stone mountain appearing ready to collapse with a thunderous rumble.
This was a place forgotten by time, but it would eventually fade away.
Mimi scurried around in panic, and Bai Qie Ji flapped its wings wildly on the desk. Zanxing grabbed Gu Baiying’s sleeve, urging, “Uncle, this place is about to collapse. We need to leave immediately!”
The young man abruptly turned, revealing reddened eyes.
Zanxing quickly fell silent.