21 – Leave No Survivors. It Seems Immune.
It seemed… he was immune.
The moment the memories connected, a torrent of images flooded his consciousness sea. Liu Wuzhi clearly saw everything the former Demon Lord Baili Ming had done—
It was roughly five hundred years ago. Baili Ming brought a child with a blind right eye back to his territory from some ruins, adopting him as a foster son and bestowing upon him the clan surname.
The boy lay prostrate in a pool of blood, struggling to kowtow. Baili Ming played the role of a loving father in public, but in truth, he showed no mercy whatsoever.
At first, the boy was locked in an iron cage filled with sharp spikes, forced to test poisons on his own body every day. Whenever he lost consciousness, he would be doused with ice water to wake him up, only to continue enduring the agony of his insides being torn apart.
“The Heavenly Demon Body requires tempering through a thousand poisons,” Baili Ming said, standing outside the cage. “If you vomit, you’ll be forced to drink three more bowls.”
And when the boy finally learned to drink poison without flinching, what awaited him was a test of killing—the first lesson was the only maid in the entire Demon Palace who had ever shown him kindness.
“Either she dies, or both of you die,” Baili Ming said, shoving a dagger into the boy’s trembling hand.
When he numbly completed everything Baili Ming demanded, he heard his foster father’s rare praise: “Clean technique. I’ll reward you with a hot meal.”
Similar events repeated for decades. Bones broken and reshaped, body soaked in venom, fighting magical beasts… Each time he teetered on the brink of collapse, Baili Ming would grant him a brief respite, letting him taste a sliver of sweetness amidst the despair. It was like taming a wild beast—alternating between the whip and fresh meat.
The boy always treated him with the reverence due to a father, until that snowy night.
The demon race only reaches adulthood at a hundred years of age. After Baili Ming became the new ruler of the demon realm, he claimed he would hold a coronation ceremony for this foster son. Just as the ritual, which used living humans as sacrifices, was about to be completed, Baili Ming suddenly felt the demon energy within his body stagnate.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You wretched beast! After all I’ve done to protect you, how dare you—”
“Protect me?” The boy’s cold laugh was more chilling than the night snow. “You were merely using me as a living Alchemy Furnace.”
The so-called ancient method of nurturing a Demon required extreme suffering to stimulate it, continuously transferring magical power to the nurturer. Once the demon body matured, all its cultivation could be absorbed. From the moment this secret was exposed, the boy had been quietly accumulating strength.
Baili Ming’s body was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall. His life force drained rapidly—the “vessel” he had so meticulously cultivated was now devouring him in reverse.
“Zhe Que, wait!” Baili Ming struggled to speak. “We can rule the demonic realm together! I can appoint you as the Young Lord, give you everything!”
“Foster Father,” the boy’s voice was light and gentle as he bent slightly at the waist, “you taught me that showing mercy to an enemy is cruelty to oneself.”
After years of inhuman torment, the backlash of killing his master was no longer painful to him. The boy placed his hand on Baili Ming’s head, and in an instant, demon energy surged violently from the seven orifices, all absorbed into the other’s body. Baili Ming let out a piercing scream as his body rapidly withered.
First, he drained his cultivation, then his blood. The boy who had killed his kin showed no expression as he reversed the Forbidden Art Baili Ming had intended to use on him, leaving not a trace of life behind.
The former Demon Palace collapsed in a thunderous explosion, snow falling like dust. When the smoke cleared, the boy stood atop the former Demon Lord’s chest, tearing out his still-beating heart and crushing it to powder.
“Xuan Ye, kill…” Baili Ming murmured as he looked toward another figure rushing from the distance, then died.
After witnessing that memory, Liu Wuzhi’s chest surged with the hatred and resentment that belonged to Baili Ming, yet the corners of her eyes couldn’t help but sting.
That youth, tortured in every way by Baili Ming, was none other than the current Demon Lord, Baili Zheque. His cruelty and tyranny stemmed from a world that had been cruel to him first—without resistance, there would have been no path to survival.
“The previous Demon Lord was a bad person. Don’t think about him anymore.”
She still remembered the Demon Lord’s tears, yet she didn’t realize that the only one weeping uncontrollably now was herself.
As for that bloody past, even Baili Zheque himself had somewhat forgotten it. Sensing the turbulent emotions swirling within the person before him like wind and clouds, he felt only discomfort.
It was the first time the Demon Lord had ever experienced sympathy.
To be more precise, the first person to evoke in him feelings of dislike, admiration, gratitude, and sympathy… was her.
Such a sentimental spy was far too unprofessional.
The grip around her neck tightened once more. “This Sovereign Lord has no need for your pity.”
He was the Supreme Lord of Ten Thousand Demons, bearing a sea of blood and vengeance. Apart from submission and fear, no other emotions should exist.
Daring to disturb him—she deserved death.
“But, but…” Liu Wuzhi neither dodged nor flinched, sobbing as she spoke, “How could he make you eat Poisonous Herbs?”
Demon Lord: ?
Her target of sympathy seemed a bit off.
Filled with indignation, Little Immortal Grass passionately protested on behalf of her kind: “When that bad father forced you to fight magical beasts, the roots of the plants nearby were all trampled to mush!”
“You bled so much—it would have been much better to leave it for fertilizing the demon fields. Even the remains of what you killed could have been recycled.”
“…”
After a long pause, Baili Zheque loosened his grip and let out a scornful laugh.
Detecting the threat of death, she had begun to play the fool, hadn’t she?
It was hard to tell whether it was stupidity or cleverness.
With the immediate crisis of death averted, the end of the passage still showed no sign of an exit. The Demon Lord’s patience had run out. He simply lifted Liu Wuzhi and soared into the air, unfurling behind him a pair of wings that blotted out the sky.
Amidst the purple feathers, reminiscent of twilight mist, were scattered snow-white plumes, captivating the young girl’s heart. “You can fly!”
Dragon wings were nothing rare, but Liu Wuzhi had never seen them before. Even though the Demon Lord paid her no mind, it didn’t stop her from blinking curiously and examining them mid-air.
After a moment, she even grew bold enough to reach out and touch them, only to be immediately flung away by the Demon Lord.
—This is it!
Fortunately, her body merely hovered in mid-air, like a kite suspended by invisible strings, moving along with the Demon Lord’s flight without falling.
Liu Wuzhi breathed a sigh of relief, tumbling and spinning through the air in a swimming-like motion, until she finally drifted back to the Demon Lord’s side. “Um, Sovereign Lord.”
The Demon Lord’s expression was exceptionally dark. Thinking of her senior brother outside the ruins, Liu Wuzhi’s little schemes began to stir once more. Summoning her courage, with a mix of testing and hope, she cautiously spoke up: “If I don’t go back to the Demon Palace with you… would you mind?”
Even if her senior brother intended to take her back to the Azure Mist Sect for punishment, she would obediently follow.
Baili Zheque had no desire to respond at first, but hearing her ask repeatedly, he finally cast a cold glance her way. “Enough with your petty tantrums.”
At this moment, the undercover beauty was still draped in the Supreme Lord of Ten Thousand Demons’ outer robe, her face stained with unwashed demon blood. Yet her eyes were limpid and pitiful, their purple irises shimmering with a high-level seduction art she herself was unaware of.
“This Sovereign Lord has no interest in acting out a tragic romance drama with you,” Baili Zheque pulled her closer once more. “Don’t even think of tempting this Sovereign Lord with this foolish act.”
Three sentences, and Liu Wuzhi didn’t understand a single one. Before she could ask, the Demon Lord’s wings flapped, and he shot straight toward the top of the ruins.
Without using any Magical Artifact for assistance, without seeking flaws in the array’s core, and without even forming hand seals or casting spells—for Baili Zheque, power never required flashy embellishments.
If it couldn’t be opened, then it would be destroyed.
The ancient tomb trembled violently, its ancient Restrictive Seals shattering like thin paper upon impact, dimming and extinguishing in an instant. His ascent grew faster and faster, dark purple Demon Flame coiling around him.
“Boom—!!”
The rock layer was violently torn open. The moment he burst out of the ancient tomb, the worldly spiritual energy within a hundred-mile radius surged wildly, churning into a swirling cloud of intertwined purple and gold.
Below, the ruins completely collapsed.
The opportunity the antagonist had waited for so long was obliterated by the Demon Lord with a mere snap of his fingers. Little Immortal Grass silently pitied the antagonist for a second in her heart.
Baili Zheque paused briefly high in the air and clicked his tongue lightly. “A few little rats escaped.”
Following his gaze, Liu Wuzhi saw from afar her fellow Immortal Sect members using their jade tokens to activate a transportation array. Leading them was none other than Liu Shao.
It was already too late to stop them. Watching the array dim and the figures vanish, Liu Wuzhi felt a wave of confusion.
She had already bid farewell to the Demon Lord, yet she couldn’t leave. Could it be that her senior brother still hadn’t recognized her?
Recalling the situation, many disciples like Fang Xuan had their Spiritual Power drained by the Defiled Realm Lord and urgently needed treatment. If her senior brother didn’t wait for her, it was either because he hadn’t recognized her, or because he had but chose to prioritize the greater good and leave.
Or perhaps, he no longer wanted her now that she cultivated demonic arts.
Whichever possibility it was, it was deeply disappointing. Liu Wuzhi didn’t dare dwell on it and tried to shift her focus.
The way they had emerged was far too violent, and those still at the scene had also taken notice of the Demon Lord and her.
The ruins hadn’t opened, and the sacrificial offering was still alive. Yuan Lan, who had been faithfully guarding outside, was utterly shocked: No way? Sovereign Lord, don’t tell me you really couldn’t bear to sacrifice her?!
The Demon Lord clearly had no intention of explaining. From a distance, he manipulated the Moon-Burying Sword embedded in Mu Yingyou’s vital point. The silver blade spun abruptly, tearing through bone and conducting a soul search.
The agony of having her Divine Soul ripped apart made Mu Yingyou scream, but the blade only sank a few inches deeper.
After extracting all her memories, Baili Zheque sheathed the sword back into his qin and conjured a bone-white throne out of thin air, proceeding to interrogate the sinner on the spot.
He lightly tapped the side of the throne with his fingers, his legs crossed casually. “This Sovereign was also curious about what benefits Baili Xuanye promised you to make it worth conspiring and scheming with him.”
Beneath the vast sky, his purple wings blotted out the heavens, the wings behind him only amplifying the crushing pressure like a collapsing mountain. “Turns out it was all for an old flame from the Immortal Sect.”
“What, did you think killing this Sovereign would avenge that ant named Cang Yu?”
Despite her severe injuries, Mu Yingyou’s tone remained resolute. “Yes! If you hadn’t torn the seal apart to return to the demon realm, why would Cang Yu have been sent to repair the barrier and ultimately die there? As long as I draw breath, I will make you pay in blood!”
Liu Wuzhi had long been tossed aside by the Demon Lord to continue bonding with the two-headed demon lizard. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but look up.
The person Mu Yingyou cared about was the second immortal she knew of who had sacrificed their life to repair the seal.
Baili Zheque suddenly laughed. “Hearsay and rumors, yet you can’t even identify the true culprit. What revenge are you even talking about?”
“Villain! Stop deceiving yourself!” After losing her beloved, Mu Yingyou had long since succumbed to demonic obsession, her eyes filled with venomous hatred. “You, Baili Zheque, are nothing but a one-eyed defective, not even knowing your own origins. What makes you think you can stand against me… Ah!”
Before she could finish, she was sent flying by the shockwave from a sweep of wings, adding injury to injury, leaving her utterly disheveled. Liu Wuzhiducked behind the sharp claws of the two-headed demon lizard to avoid being sent tumbling along with her.
Where had Baili Zheque been before the previous Demon Lord brought him back to the clan?
The Demon Lord disliked being questioned about it, so naturally, no one dared to ask.
Mu Yingyou was even more battered than before, yet she still struggled to lift her head, glaring fixedly at the figure on the throne with a mad, twisted smile. “Heh… hehe… Baili Zheque, do you think you’ve already won? I’ve used memory retention pearls to record every thrilling moment of you murdering your adoptive father, Baili Ming.”
“Kill me, and this recording will immediately spread throughout the Seven Territories and Eight Wildlands! Guess how those old subordinates who still remember Baili Ming’s ‘benevolence’ will react?”
During his lifetime, Baili Ming was skilled at deception and enjoyed considerable prestige in the demon realm and even parts of the immortal domains. If this recording were exposed, it would likely incite more than just rebellion in three territories.
Threatened by her, Baili Zheque still wore a faint, blade-like smile on his thin lips. “This Sovereign Lord cares not for origins, nor for threats.”
He dragged her broken body high into the air. “Let them come whenever they wish, and fight whenever they dare.”
With that, he released his grip, and Mu Yingyou plummeted straight down, her demonic form shattering upon impact in the ruins.
The killing was so swift there was no time to intervene. The images within the memory retention pearls scattered in all directions as their owner’s life force dissipated. Yuan Lan knelt below, nearly fainting on the spot.
Demon Lord, your decisiveness in killing may be satisfying, but what about the mess left behind? A regime maintained solely by force is precarious at best. The Calamity-Darkness Guardian could already envision countless rebel armies swarming forth under the banner of “avenging the former master.”
The Sovereign Lord may be undefeated in battle, but those of us serving as mere pawns still wish to stay alive!
Along the way, Liu Wuzhi had witnessed the chaotic governance of the Defiled Realm. Mu Yingyou had not only traded immortal herbs at will but had also harmed countless cultivators—her death was not unjust. Yet, just as her remnant soul was about to be scattered by the fierce winds, a soul-stabilizing seal suddenly appeared mid-air, firmly protecting her Three Hun and Seven Po.
Sword intent guarding a soul—this was clearly a righteous technique.
Who would have thought that, before her demise, her beloved had left her a life-saving talisman?
“Cang Yu!!!” Though now a soul, Mu Yingyou still lunged forward with all her might, only to grasp a wisp of dissipating smoke. All her madness was drowned in this moment by grief and regret.
The Demon Lord had no interest in this tragic tale of separated lovers. He plucked the strings of his zither, reigniting his killing intent.
Once soul scattered and spirit vanished, there would be no chance of reincarnation.
Having seen that belated gesture of affection, Mu Yingyou no longer had any desire to fight or survive. Instead, she hurled herself directly toward the dual realm seal.
Whether intentional or not, her trajectory aimed straight for Liu Wuzhi. The Demon Lord’s fatal zither notes struck again, too fast for anyone to intervene. The sound waves pierced the young girl’s chest like lightning, achieving a double kill—almost simultaneously striking Mu Yingyou’s soul and propelling her against the dual realm seal.
As demon energy approached, the chaotic spiritual flow on the barrier’s surface rippled. The zither notes and the remnant soul were silently swallowed, as if falling into a black hole.
This restored dual realm seal was clearly far stronger than it had been a century ago.
A swift wind swept through the edge of the Empty Desolation, and even the magical beasts fell silent. Yuan Lan covered her face with her fan, unable to bear watching Liu Wuzhi, who had been innocently caught in the crossfire.
Under the Sky-Burning Zither, no one survived. The Sovereign Lord clearly couldn’t bear to sacrifice her—sharing lodgings late at night along the journey, spending fortunes just to see her smile—so how could he disregard the beauty’s life once he was consumed by bloodlust?
Would they have to select a new Ember Ruins Guardian after this trip?
“Hey, why aren’t you watching where you’re playing the zither?” A clear voice broke the silence. “You scared me half to death.”
Yuan Lan abruptly looked up and saw the soft, coquettish girl before her. Her eyes, which had widened countless times in shock, nearly popped out of their sockets.
Wait, how… how is she still alive?!
By the Sovereign Lord above, were your heart-piercing killing moves just meant to scare her? Is this your version of “sparring is affection, scolding is love”?
Baili Zheque’s expression was equally grim.
Mu Yingyou wanted to sacrifice her soul to the dual realm seal, and he naturally wouldn’t let her have her way. At that critical moment, the Demon Lord paid no heed to the spy, nor did he restrain his demon arts.
So how could she remain completely unscathed?
Liu Wuzhi was also shaken by the near-death experience of having a blade pierce through her chest moments earlier. With a slight comparison, she understood.
Considering the pests that might arise during the growth of plants, farmers often mix medicine into the water as a preventive measure.
Inside the ruins, she had been drenched—no, she had drunk far too much of the Demon Lord’s blood.
It seemed she had become immune.
Author’s Note: ———————-
Zhizhi’s beginner-level dungeon is over, and she’s ready to go back to farming! [Throws confetti]