The woman stood in the black wilderness, the long wind lifting her robes and dark hair. The demonic energy surged from her body like countless strands of mist, vast and unceasing, causing hearts to tremble.
“What powerful celestial demon energy,” Rong Shuang’s face tightened.
Since the death of Demon King Gui Diaotang, the Demon Clan had weakened, and it had been a long time since such pure celestial demon energy had been seen. Everyone’s impression of Zanxing remained from the time on Gufeng Mountain, when she was forced into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation, barely hanging on to life. Yet in just two short years, now with her Golden Core formed and circulating, she had become an absolute powerhouse in a different way.
Gui Yansheng slumped against the gray cliffside, trying to stand, but the recent Ten Thousand Heart-Eating Ghosts had drained all his strength. A snow-white oil-paper umbrella had fallen not far from him. The countless human figures that had once adorned its surface were gone, and the umbrella was stained with large patches of blood, like blooming flowers.
There wasn’t an intact piece of skin on his face, but his golden eyes remained as brilliantly bright as ever. Gui Yansheng stared at Zanxing and slowly, with great effort, asked, “How are you able to control the Xiao Yuan Pearl?”
Merging with the Xiao Yuan Pearl didn’t mean being able to control it. Two years ago, after snatching the pearl from Zanxing, he had tried many ways, but the demonic pearl was extremely cunning. In the end, he had offered himself to the Xiao Yuan Pearl, merging with it.
Zanxing said, “I never intended to control it.”
Before being cast into the Abyss of Extreme Ice, she had luckily obtained this pearl, becoming a variable in the ‘Heavenly Dao’. Ever since then, she had been repeatedly targeted for elimination by the ‘Heavenly Dao’ and bound by the shackles of ‘fate’.
When Gui Yansheng had snatched the Xiao Yuan Pearl from her and cast her into the Abyss of Extreme Ice, at the moment the pearl left her hand, the red marks in her palm had vanished.
At that moment, Zanxing had an epiphany: for her, the Xiao Yuan Pearl wasn’t a spiritual treasure, but a trap laid by the Heavenly Dao.
“It’s indeed not easy to control, so I gave up trying to control it. As you said, it’s formed from an ancient demonic stone and has its own intelligence. The so-called power to control the Three Realms is just a trap. If you seek to use it to grow stronger, the moment you satisfy its bloodthirsty desires, you will never be able to stop.”
“Since I obtained this pearl, I have never killed a single person. It cannot control me, and naturally, I cannot completely control it, so I discarded it.”
The Peerless Heart Sutra says that to cultivate this heart sutra, one must abandon all their cultivation and start anew. Ultimately, it was all about the word ‘abandon’.
As cultivators, the further they went, the more they wanted—higher-level techniques, rarer spiritual tools, more precious elixirs, a higher version of themselves. Desires were endless. Cultivators were supposed to constantly explore the Dao, but sometimes, cutting off and letting go was the true path to glimpsing the Dao.
Hearing this, Gui Yansheng slowly began to laugh. He said, “Are you saying that when you just defeated me, you didn’t use the power of the Xiao Yuan Pearl, but relied solely on your own celestial demon energy?”
“That’s right.”
His smile suddenly froze, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes, his voice growing cold. “In the end, your celestial demon blood is just nobler than my half-demon body.”
Zanxing said nothing as she walked to Gui Yansheng’s side and extended her hand toward him. A dark shadow gradually emerged from within Gui Yansheng’s body.
The shadow was thick, like a writhing serpent, slowly slithering out from Gui Yansheng’s chest, carrying with it an icy, howling aura.
“The other half of the Xiao Yuan Pearl,” Mu Cengxiao’s gaze sharpened.
Zanxing frowned slightly.
This half of the Xiao Yuan Pearl, within Gui Yansheng, was markedly different from the one in her own body. Perhaps due to consuming too many living souls, this half radiated an intense murderous aura. The moment her fingertips touched it, a searing, piercing pain shot through her.
Just as Zanxing was about to put away this half of the pearl, a sudden wave of longing surged from within her body. The wisp of black mist seemed to come alive and, with a sharp whistle, shot directly into Zanxing’s chest.
“Zanxing!” Gu Baiying’s eyes flashed with alarm.
In that instant, Zanxing felt a strange sensation.
The half of the pearl she had previously carried had been completely purified after emerging from the Demon Energy Pool, leaving no trace. Yet she could always sense the pearl’s presence. Now, with the black mist entering her body, that faint aura scattered throughout her limbs and bones began to grow. It felt as though a warm current was wrapping her entire body, and at the same time, it was as if she herself had become a Xiao Yuan Pearl, transforming into a cold, weighty black stone.
But there was no trace of killing intent.
“Zanxing!” Bu Jiang looked at her with concern. The people of the cultivation world grew tense, each gripping their magical weapons tightly. The Xiao Yuan Pearl was a precious treasure of the demonic world, yet it also had the power to corrupt minds. It was this very reason that led the former Demon King to lose control and fall into madness. Now, with the two halves of the pearl merging inside Zanxing, who could say whether she would become the next Gui Diaotang?
Gui Yansheng slowly began to laugh again. “It’s useless. I’ve fed this pearl the blood of many. Now that it’s inside you, it’s only a matter of time before you become just like me.”
Zanxing remained silent. She only felt a sudden surge of boundless vitality within her, and in a daze, it was as if she could see great rivers and torrents rushing before her eyes. The heavens and earth were a chaotic haze, with a massive chessboard laid out on a distant mountaintop. Black and white pieces crisscrossed the board, while indistinct figures stood before it, slowly bowing toward the vast sky—
The scene within her spiritual mind was abruptly interrupted, and Zanxing suddenly lifted her gaze.
“Junior sister?” Tian Fangfang asked.
Just then, in the pitch-black wilderness, an unfamiliar male voice suddenly echoed. The voice sounded as though it had been asleep for a long time, still carrying a lazy drowsiness, yet also tinged with a hint of cheerful amusement, making it incredibly approachable.
“Why is it so lively here? In this desolate place where even birds don’t lay eggs, could someone else have arrived?”
Zanxing froze. This voice sounded so familiar.
Near the large pit ahead, a light purple flute, slanted into the soil, was gradually surrounded by a layer of white mist. From within the mist, a figure slowly emerged.
“Gu…” Zanxing exclaimed in surprise, “Grandmaster Gu?”
It was a young man dressed in a long robe of spring green, with his long hair tied back with a ribbon, making him appear even more striking and distinguished. His face was exceptionally handsome, with clear, bright eyes. The smile on his lips was bold and carefree. Standing there, calm and unflustered, his elegant demeanor gave the impression of an otherworldly immortal.
Zanxing had briefly encountered Gu Caiyu once in the paiting of Li’er Country, though she hadn’t clearly seen his face. Even so, she had known he must have been a man of exceptional charm, otherwise, he wouldn’t have captured the heart of the notoriously discerning Fairy Qinghua.
Now seeing him in person, it was exactly as she had imagined—handsome and dignified, though his smile carried a hint of mischief and innocence.
Gu Caiyu glanced at Zanxing, the corners of his mouth lifting. “This beautiful fairy, do you know me?”
Zanxing coughed lightly and looked toward Gu Baiying.
His son was standing right there, and yet Gu Caiyu spoke so recklessly… That seemed a bit inappropriate, didn’t it?