AUOF - 131

The disciples of Tiange rested for another two days at the suburban mountain villa. Once Ji Hengyu had recovered, they set off to return to the Divine Realm.

Since the Three Realms had been at peace, this was the first time in five hundred years that so many immortal disciples had been lost. The Divine Realm took this very seriously. Besides the immortal officials serving in the Divine Palace, even the immortal lords from the Four Seas and Seven Mountains gathered in the Mingxiao Palace of the Divine Realm, standing in a vast array. Above the immortal light stood the current overseer of the Divine Realm—the Supreme Daoist Master.

The hall was utterly silent, the atmosphere quiet and oppressive.

Ji Hengyu stood among them, with Huanmingzi and Senior Immortal Rong Min on his left and right. Si Tu, with the rest of the disciples, was behind him, all with their heads bowed and eyes lowered, exceptionally obedient.

Ji Hengyu indifferently lowered his eyelids.

A circle of immortal light shimmered within his golden immortal robe, glowing brilliantly, his immortal demeanor unassailable, his expression serene and unapproachable. Even among these immortals, he was the coldest and most austere.

Everyone looked in one direction.

The Suwan Mirror, suspended in mid-air, reconstructed the events that unfolded in Chuiyun Ridge based on the memories of the survivors.

Screams were incessant, and in the blink of an eye, several people vanished into dust, leaving not even a trace of their shattered souls. When the appearance of the demon became clear, a faint gasp echoed through the silent hall.

Si Tu dared not look a second time.

But she didn’t flinch, instead forcing herself to look up and remember it all. Her stomach churned, and she desperately bit her lip to control herself. A timid disciple beside her, however, started to weep sadly.

Si Tu was already distressed, and such silent sobbing undoubtedly intensified this negative emotion. Finally, she couldn’t help but turn her head and reprimand, “Why are you crying? Instead of crying with your head down, open your eyes wide and see how they all died!”

Upon hearing this, her junior disciple stopped crying, wiped away their tears, and indeed looked up.

The playback soon ended, and the Supreme Daoist Master waved his sleeve, retracting the Suwan Mirror.

He sat on the divine platform, a hundred steps high. More than divine compassion, his silence conveyed an unapproachable majesty.

“What insights do you all have?”

The first to step forward was Senior Immortal Rong Min, “As expected, this demon is indeed Yen Jiuying.”

An immortal elder beside him questioned, “Yen Jiuying was jointly annihilated by the gods five thousand five hundred years ago. Its remains were suppressed in the Tianshan Prison by the Nine Heavens All-Sealing Seal. How could it still exist?”

The questioning was not without reason.

Yen Jiuying was a great demon formed from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth.

Before it had fully formed, it was just an intangible, formless evil qi existing among all things, then known as Yanmosha.

Wherever Yanmosha existed, no grass grew, people became spirits, souls turned into phantoms, and ghosts arose, turning the Three Realms into a kind of hell.

A century later, Yanmosha materialized. It resembled a snake with nine heads, wreaking havoc everywhere, gaining power by devouring living souls. People then called it—Yen Jiuying.

Ten thousand years ago was the most chaotic period in heaven and earth. All evils flourished, and the Divine Realm was no match for the demons. Even the combined efforts of all immortals could not harm it in the slightest. At that time, the Divine Realm was still governed by three gods. To protect the peace of all beings, the sun and moon gods, who controlled day and night, sacrificed themselves to forge a divine sword called Quexie Chihan.

The surviving Heavenly God wielded the Quexie Chihan Sword and fought Yen Jiuying for a full century, severing eight of its heads. Finally, exhausted, he perished with Yen Jiuying in the Bujing Sea.

Another five thousand years passed, and Yen Jiuying reappeared. By then, the Divine Realm had grown stronger, and all immortals collectively struck it down in Tianshan, restoring peace to the world.

It wasn’t until seven hundred years ago that the Soul Jade Lamp in the Divine Realm lit up once more.

A young man named Ji Hengyu, carrying the sword bone of Quexie Chihan, was born in a certain mountain village.

After he became an immortal, he did mention Yen Jiuying to the Divine Realm.

However, at that time, the Divine Realm only thought it was lingering memories from the previous life of the divine sword and did not take the young man’s words too seriously. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, so the Divine Realm still sent people to conduct a thorough search in the lower realm, yet found no residual malevolent energy from Yen Jiuying.

Until today...

The Supreme Daoist Master on the divine throne couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the dragon head armrest, a solemn expression on his brow.

“The immortal elders who personally witnessed Yen Jiuying’s true form have long since passed away. The scripture repository contains no records about Yen Jiuying. How can we determine it is Yen Jiuying based solely on these junior disciples? If this spreads outside the Divine Realm, it will only cause further panic in the Three Realms!”

Yen Jiuying had left an indelible scar on all living beings.

It thrived on evil thoughts and fear. Therefore, after its demise, the Divine Realm at that time burned all records of Yen Jiuying’s existence, fearing that even a slight mention could awaken it again.

These words angered Si Tu. Annoyed, she abruptly stood up, “Do all the immortal elders mean to let this matter pass? Then what about my deceased fellow disciples?!”

Faced with the question, the entire hall fell silent.

Si Tu looked around. The immortals, stepping on auspicious clouds and bathed in immortal light, stood above suffering. They were supposed to rescue and deliver beings from suffering, yet they were all so righteous and self-important that it made her sick to look at them.

Si Tu calmed her unstable emotions, took two steps forward, placed her palms together, and bowed to the Supreme Daoist Master: “Whether it is Yen Jiuying or not, it will be a demon that brings disaster to all beings in the future and must be eradicated quickly! This matter cannot be delayed, I ask the Heavenly Venerate to investigate!” Her clear female voice resounded forcefully, making even the previously indifferent immortals assume a solemn expression.

Si Tu was right.

At this moment, whether it was Yen Jiuying or not was irrelevant. What mattered was that it would cause disaster. As long as it remained in the human world for a day, innocent people would die by its hand.

The Supreme Daoist Master closed his eyes, asking wearily, “You fought it. What do you think its identity is?”

Si Tu lowered her head and said, “This disciple initially thought it was a demon god, but after fighting it, I found that its evil power is profound; it is by no means an ordinary demon!”

The Supreme Daoist Master nodded, indicating understanding, and then looked at Ji Hengyu, who had been silent. “Before you entered the sect, you once said that Yen Jiuying had massacred your entire family. At that time, I only thought you were the reincarnation of the sword bone, remembering your past life, so I did not investigate further. Now, do you think it is the same appearance as in your memory?”

Ji Hengyu remained silent.

He certainly wouldn’t forget.

That demon, moving in the mist, had caused him to lose his home and everything, and finally told him its name.

—Yen Jiuying.

However, thinking of Sang Sang and these numerous doubts, Ji Hengyu’s hands, resting at his sides, couldn’t help but clench into fists.

He did not answer, and the entire hall waited quietly for him to speak.

Ji Hengyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he shook his head: “It’s been many years, this disciple has long since let it go, and naturally can’t remember clearly anymore.”

Whether he remembered clearly or not, only he knew.

The Supreme Daoist Master looked down at him, seemingly wanting to see something in his eyes, but Ji Hengyu remained perfectly calm, showing no flaws, not even a faint flicker of evasion.

The Supreme Daoist Master sighed, “Now that it has gained benefits in Qingyang City, it will not leave easily. Rong Min—”

“Here.”

“Gao Min.”

“Here.”

“Great Sage Feihong.”

“Here.”

“You three will lead the disciples to Qingyang Mountain—” He suddenly stood up, and a shadow fell, stopping precisely at Ji Hengyu’s feet.

Immediately, the Supreme Daoist Master’s voice echoed through every corner of the Divine Palace: “Capture it and bring it back to the Divine Realm.”

“Yes!!!”

The immortal officials dispersed. Ji Hengyu bowed and was about to leave when the Supreme Daoist Master walked down and called out to him.

“Zi Heng.”

Ji Hengyu’s back paused, and he slowly turned back: “Venerable.”

He was respectful and proper, yet there was a hint of imperceptible aloofness in his demeanor, which made the Supreme Daoist Master ponder a little more.

After everyone had left, the Supreme Daoist Master revealed a benevolent and amiable smile: “I heard you got married in the lower realm?”

Ji Hengyu neither nodded nor shook his head directly.

The Supreme Daoist Master continued, “Your nature has always been aloof. If there’s truly someone to keep you company, that would certainly be a good thing.”

Ji Hengyu lowered his eyelashes: “With the demons now appearing, I have no mind for such matters.”

The Supreme Daoist Master chuckled: “You will eventually take my place.” His tone was like both an instruction and a warning. “Zi Heng, don’t disappoint me.”

[Don’t disappoint me.]

This was the phrase the Supreme Daoist Master said to him most often.

In the beginning, he was proud, and this phrase mostly evoked an endless sense of responsibility; but now, hearing it only made him feel annoyed.

Ji Hengyu’s impatience was barely perceptible. He nodded as usual, then turned and left.

His lean silhouette was quickly swallowed by the heavenly light pouring down from outside the palace gate. The smile on the Supreme Daoist Master’s lips also faded, “Huanmingzi...”

Huanmingzi came when called, “Daoist Master.”

The Supreme Daoist Master gestured in the direction Ji Hengyu had left, “He’s hiding something. Go follow him, but be careful not to tip him off.”

“Yes.”

________________________________________

Ji Hengyu knew perfectly well that the Supreme Daoist Master had sent an informant. After leaving the Divine Palace, he didn’t rush to shake them off. Instead, he feigned ignorance and first went to the Tianshan Prison.

Tianshan was originally an immortal mountain, soaring into the clouds and rich in spiritual energy.

Until the great war leveled the surrounding mountains, and Yen Jiuying’s corpse blood transformed into a sea of ghosts that mortals could not cross. Its remaining bones remained undecomposed for ten thousand years, enveloped by the Nine Heavens All-Sealing Array, forming the current Tianshan Prison.

Because Yen Jiuying was as massive as a mountain, looking down, its white bones undulated like continuous mountain ranges.

He circled above the skeleton once, vaguely feeling something was amiss, as if... something was missing?

But what was missing?

Ji Hengyu bowed his head in thought.

The bones were still there, even the sharp teeth were perfectly preserved. Only the center was lacking something.

Yen Jiuying was originally an evil creature born from the malevolent energy of heaven and earth. It didn’t need internal organs, only...

Ji Hengyu’s pupils constricted.

—Its heart.

Yes!! Its heart!

Its chest was empty, lacking only the heart-stone that allowed it to take form!!

Realizing this, Ji Hengyu’s breathing hitched slightly. He turned and flew towards the lower realm.

Huanmingzi was still following him at this point. Ji Hengyu glanced back, annoyed. He used the golden cicada shedding its shell trick, employing an illusion to shake off Huanmingzi, and headed straight for Qingyang City, intending to question Sang Ning.

________________________________________

At this moment, Sang Ning was completely unaware of Ji Hengyu coming to find him, focusing instead on accompanying Sang Sang in the Luoyu Palace.

This Luoyu Palace was not small. All the former demon lord’s relatives and attendants used to live here, bustling with daily disputes. Until Sang Sang and Sang Ning returned, those relatives either died or fled, leaving only the two siblings in the vast demon palace, with even servants being incredibly scarce.

With fewer people, it naturally became desolate.

So, Sang Sang disliked it here and would often wander outside looking for fun. Now, with no mind for amusement, she simply lay alone resting in the Liuxia Pool.

To be precise, Liuxia Pool was a mausoleum where her mother, Lady Die, was interred.

Faint purple flowing flowers bloomed across the entire pool, fireflies glimmered, and there was no daylight.

The ground was a naturally formed glistening pool of water, the water only reaching her ankles. It didn’t cling to her clothes or soak into her skin; lying in it felt like lying on a cool, soft jade. It was comfortable and calming. Ever since Sang Sang became the demon lord, she had visited here more frequently.

She was leaning against a tree, lying down, when she heard someone approaching.

She lazily opened one eyelid. What met her gaze was the hem of a dark robe, with a black ring pendant at the waist. Sure enough, it was her brother.

Sang Sang didn’t want to hear him nag, so she closed her eyes again, pretending not to see him.

After a while, someone sat down beside her. Immediately, her head felt heavy as his palm cupped the back of her head, forcing her to lean on his shoulder.

Sang Ning hadn’t said a single word, yet it caused her long-maintained composure to instantly crumble. In that moment, Sang Sang desperately wanted to cry aloud.

However, she constantly remembered her identity and forcibly swallowed her grievances.

Sang Ning looked down. When he saw Sang Sang’s nose reddened from holding back tears, he helplessly bent a finger and tapped her forehead, “Do you remember what I used to tell you every time you cried when you were little?”

“I remember.” Sang Sang nodded. “You said... crying only attracts enemies and changes nothing.”

Sang Sang used to cry a lot when she was little and was timid. She was always protected by Lady Die. Later, after her mother left, they were forced to flee, which made Sang Sang feel insecure. She would cry from time to time, and naturally, her brother would scold her every time she cried.

“Mm.” Sang Ning’s voice was gentle, and his fingertips stroked her hair. “But Sang Sang, we don’t have enemies anymore.”

Sang Sang was startled.

He lifted an arm and gently pulled her into his embrace, “Here, besides Mother, there’s only me. So... you don’t have to keep enduring.”

Tears gradually filled her eyes. The next instant, teardrops fell one after another.

Sang Sang clutched Sang Ning’s clothes at his chest, burying her face in them and sobbing softly.

Her brother’s comfort gave her the desire to confide:

“Actually, I... I’m not sad about who he is. I’m just sad... that we can never be together again.”

They had bowed to heaven and earth, promised each other this lifetime.

In all those days and nights spent together, she had imagined him growing old, falling ill, dying. Only separation had never crossed her mind.

She had even thought that after he died, she would bring his remains back to Liuxia Pool, so that even if she lived for millions of years, with him accompanying her in the underworld, she would no longer be lonely.

Ji Hengyu held a high position, and Sang Sang naturally understood that he wouldn’t abandon the immortal bone he had painstakingly cultivated to be trapped with her in this dark, sunless Tianze River. The reason she asked that day was to give herself an impossible hope; and also to hear a definite refusal, to cut off this extravagant wish she shouldn’t have.

Now, the extravagance was severed, and hope was gone.

It felt so awful.

It had been a very long time since she knew what sorrow tasted like. Now, bitterness swallowed her, making it hard to breathe, and even the saliva secreted between her lips tasted bitter.

Her chest ached with recurring spasms, her vision swam, and the world seemed like an inverted sea, drowning her, unable to breathe.

“Brother, I, I feel awful...” Sang Sang clutched the front of her clothes, weeping and saying, “I hurt... I hurt so much...”

“Sang Sang...” Sang Ning pursed his lips, “I know.”

They were born of the same lineage. Even if she said nothing, Sang Ning would personally feel her emotions. He knew better than anyone how vulnerable she was now.

His heart ached. Sang Ning tightly embraced Sang Sang, just as he had when she was a child, gently stroking her hair with his warm palm, comforting her continuously. Beyond tenderness, his gaze grew increasingly cold.

Exhausted from crying, and aching from the pain, Sang Sang cried herself to sleep in his arms.

Sang Ning carefully picked up his sister and placed her on the bed in the sleeping quarters. Her face was streaked with tears, and a few stray hairs stuck to her temples from sweat. Sang Ning gently brushed the hair away with his fingertips and tenderly held her hand.

Her hand was also cold, and an excessive lack of security made her body curl tightly.

“Brother, don’t leave me...”

Sang Sang murmured in her sleep, and another clear tear slid from the corner of her eye.

Sang Ning wiped away her tears, “I will never leave you.”

She heard him, and seemed to be reassured, her breathing gradually becoming steady.

Sang Ning’s heart felt heavy.

From childhood, Sang Ning couldn’t bear for her to suffer even a little. Even during their years of fleeing in childhood, he always meticulously protected her. If anyone harbored evil intentions towards her or made her feel wronged, Sang Ning would dig out their hearts and livers.

Of course, Sang Ning wouldn’t literally dig out Ji Hengyu’s heart and liver.

But he had also promised that if Ji Hengyu was unwilling, he would tie him up and bring him, whether he wanted to or not!

Sang Ning made up his mind.

He gently withdrew his hand, tucked the blanket around Sang Sang thoughtfully, stood up, and strode out.

“Someone—!”

A subordinate appeared in a flash: “Your Highness.”

Sang Ning commanded: “Take good care of the Venerable One. I’ll be back shortly.”

Sang Ning blew his whistle to summon the Red Flame Steed, put on his mask, and galloped straight for Qingyang City.

Today, Qingyang City was covered in dark clouds, with continuous drizzle, giving it the air of an impending storm.

Finding Ji Hengyu wasn’t difficult.

His subordinates had been keeping track of the Tiange disciples’ movements. If he just seized a minor immortal, given Ji Hengyu’s strict and upright nature, he wouldn’t believe he wouldn’t come to rescue them!

The horse galloped, and Sang Ning saw the silhouette of the villa in an instant.

“Giddy up!”

Sang Ning tightened his grip on the horse’s flanks. As the Red Flame Steed was about to swoop down, a fierce sword energy slashed from behind, narrowly missing his ear.

Sang Ning’s gaze sharpened, and he pulled on the reins, changing direction.

Behind him, Ji Hengyu stood on auspicious clouds, holding the Quexie Chihan Sword, looking down with an indifferent gaze.

The two looked at each other silently, then a cold chuckle—

This truly... saved him the trouble of searching.