Chapter 80

Chapter 80

In the depths of the Sealed Demon Realm, silence reigned supreme.

There was no trace of life's vitality here, nor a glimmer of hope to be seen.

In this place, demonic and deathly auras occupied the entire space, divided by a distinct boundary. On one side lay black, thick demonic energy, while on the other resided gray, cold deathly aura.

From high above the secret realm, one could clearly discern that at its core, a circle of gray deathly aura enveloped everything, coiling tightly in the very center. Beyond this circle, the dense demonic energy spread boundlessly.

Within that ring of deathly aura, a demonic tyrant's corpse had once been sealed.

A figure clothed in red strolled gracefully through the demonic energy, stirring it into waves as it followed her steps, lingering around her feet as if under her command or in reluctant farewell. Eventually, they converged into a path beneath her soles.

The captivating red-clad beauty reached the border between the demonic and deathly auras, standing at the edge of the demonic side and gazing upon the world shrouded in death.

"I reckon this is it," she muttered to herself.

Extending an impeccable, fair hand, her fingers seemed poised to pierce through the boundary where the two auras met, reaching out to touch the domain of death.

Yet, the moment her fair fingertips grazed the grayish deathly aura, they swiftly turned black. The woman in red winced and pulled her hand back.

Fixing her gaze on the frigid gray deathly aura, her black eyes, imbued with magic, gradually revealed a hint of purple radiance. The purple light pierced through the deathly energy, transcending the void, and peered into the deepest recesses of the mystic realm.

Just as her vision was about to uncover the secret hidden at the heart of the mystic realm, the woman in red suddenly groaned, a trail of crimson seeping from the corner of her mouth. She endured the turmoil within her body, striving to concentrate the purple glow in her eyes, gathering all her strength there to penetrate the dense deathly aura.

Finally, the woman's "eyes" beheld the secret buried deep within the deathly energy.

A corpse, emanating an unceasing stream of deathly aura, floated serenely in mid-air. The omnipresent deathly energy upheld the corpse, its owner's eyes shut tightly, as if in eternal slumber.

As the probing gaze sought a clearer view, the deathly aura surrounding the corpse suddenly swirled frenziedly, as if reacting to some stimulus, lashing out at the "eyes".

The woman in red could no longer withstand the assault, spewing blood, tears of blood streaming down her eyes, as she stumbled backward.

Upon sensing that the intrusive gaze had vanished, the surging deathly aura gradually subsided, returning to its former calm and stillness, concentrated in the depths of the mystic realm.

Clutching her eyes, now blinded by the deathly energy, bloody streaks marred her fair complexion, standing out starkly.

Retreating into the magic-infused air, where she was shielded from the deathly aura, the woman in red breathed a sigh of relief.

"So that's how it is," she muttered to herself. "The exhaustion of demonic energy gave rise to deathly aura. Where the two energies intertwined, countless fiends were born... How ironic. You were once so formidable, yet you ended up perishing on the human continent. Even in death, you couldn't find peace, turning into such a monstrous creature. How utterly laughable."

"Yan Yi, Yan Yi... Was it all worth it...?"

In the quiet space, only the woman in red's mutterings echoed. No one answered her questions.

She stood motionless, her hands covering her eyes, as her crimson dress seemed to be soaked in blood, gradually turning a deeper hue of red—just like her current mood.

After an unknown period, a nearly inaudible voice sounded, drawing closer to the woman in red.

A striking man in black robes approached her cautiously. He gazed at the woman standing amidst the demonic energy and spoke with an enchantingly demonic voice, "Who are you? How did you come to this place?"

The woman in red continued to cover her eyes, her head slightly lowered, revealing a slender and fair neck.

This was the depths of a mystical realm, where demonic energy roamed freely—a place even cultivators dared not tread lightly.

Only fiends could move about freely here.

The robed man naturally took the sudden appearance of the red-clothed woman as one of his own kind, albeit with a hint of displeasure.

He was the mightiest fiend in the Sealed Magic Realm, the king to which all other fiends bowed down.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the Fiend King had evolved into humanoid form, becoming the first high-level fiend in the realm to attain sentience. Though he was newly awakened, naive about the world, he instinctively knew how to absorb the demonic aura to cultivate and grow stronger.

Until the second, third, fourth...

Countless humanoid fiends emerged, no longer making him the sole sentient being among them. However, as he was the first to gain sentience and became the strongest fiend, all others were forced to submit to him.

In the Sealed Magic Realm, there were no natural predators for fiends. Their numbers multiplied until the demonic aura was almost depleted.

He led countless fiends, instinctively yearning to tear through the space confining them and venture into the richer world beyond.

Yet, before he could become powerful enough to rip through space, a group of cultivators entered the realm. They hunted down the high-level fiends mercilessly, nearly wiping them out. Had he not sensed something amiss and promptly retreated to the depths of the realm, risking the backlash of death energy, he too would have fallen to those cultivators.

From those cultivators, he finally understood what this place was and that they, these beings, were known as "fiends."

When the cultivators eventually left, all the high-level fiends in the Sealed Magic Realm were gone, leaving only him.

Regrettably, due to his retreat into the deathly aura, he suffered its backlash, causing his power to plummet to that of a low-level devil. He could barely maintain his human form, ultimately forcing him to reluctantly lie low in resentment.

After tens of thousands of years, his strength finally regained its peak. The mystic realm had once more nurtured numerous high-ranking devils. It was then that he set his plan in motion. Five hundred years ago, he dispatched a high-ranking devil to infiltrate the group of cultivators participating in the trial. The cultivators were so foolish that they didn't sense anything amiss, leading to their near-total annihilation.

Unfortunately, they were eventually discovered.

Fortunately, he had been prepared. He ensured that the cultivators did not uncover the secret hidden deep within the mystic realm, attributing the high-ranking devil's emergence to a random evolutionary occurrence, thus dismissing it as insignificant.

Having narrowly escaped extermination by cultivators once, he was extra cautious this time. He controlled the other high-ranking devils, preventing them from appearing before the cultivators without cause.

Now, with his strength fully restored, he resolved to make another attempt at escape, determined to break free from the sealed space that held them captive.

Coincidentally, it was once again time for the decennial mystic realm trial.

The Devil King saw this as an opportunity to exploit the trial and seize a chance to flee the mystic realm.

No longer hiding his intentions, he unleashed all the high-ranking devils within the mystic realm, instructing them to subdue the group of cultivators.

However, amidst the execution of his plan, he never expected a woman to dare venture into this domain.

The Demon Overlord gazed at the red-clad woman who stood with her back to him. She didn't radiate the essence energy of a cultivator; instead, she emitted an aura similar to his own, yet distinctively purer and more potent.

This brought him a hint of delight.

There was no doubt that she was of the same ilk as he, an evolved demon that had emerged in a place unknown to him.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through the Demon Overlord's mind in a fleeting moment. Fixing his gaze on the silent woman, he, accustomed to the submission of all demons, grew increasingly irritated. In a cold voice, he declared, "If you refuse to speak, I have no choice but to expel you from this place."

With those words, the Demon Overlord struck out at the woman with a palm.

To his astonishment, the red-clad woman did not evade. Just as his palm was about to make contact, it was blocked by a surge of demonic energy.

A look of disbelief crossed the Demon Overlord's face. Having regained his peak powers, he was actually unable to deal with an intruding demon? This stirred an ominous premonition within him. His initial contempt subsided, replaced by a somber expression as he studied her intently.

Finally, the red-clad woman turned around.

Her eyes were closed, two bloody tears streaking down her fair cheeks, adding an intensity to her excessively enchanting beauty that surpassed even the natural allure of these demonic creatures around her. None of them could compare to her.

The Demon King regarded her with wary eyes, not falling under her spell.

Demons, by nature, were creatures of seduction and were immune to their own kind's charm.

Despite her blindness, the woman in red maintained her awareness. She turned her gaze towards the Demon King, her face contorted with disgust as she whispered disdainfully, "Filthy creature."

Anger flashed across the Demon King's face.

Since he had gained sentience, no one had dared to speak to him in such a manner, not even the cultivators who had once hunted him down. He was being humiliated by his own kind.

Enraged, his black robes billowed without wind, and his demonic energy transformed into countless razor-sharp blades that descended upon the woman in red.

She stood still, effortlessly dissipating the demonic blades with a sweep of her sleeve. Then, without mercy, she struck out with a palm, piercing through the Demon King's dantian and extracting a bright red pearl.

Clutching at his now empty dantian, the Demon King wore a pained and astonished expression.

Feeling his demonic essence draining rapidly, he struggled to extend his hand, "Give... it... back..."

The red-clad woman held the Devil Spirit Pearl extracted from the Evil Demon King's body, sensing its aura of death, her expression grew even more disdainful as she coldly stated, "Though you are demons, you are not true members of the Demon Clan but abominations that thrive on death and demonic energy. The humans call you Evil Demons, and it fits you perfectly."

The Evil Demon King looked at her in shock, "You are... a member of the Demon Clan..."

"That's right," she confirmed.

With a delicate movement of her fingers, the red-clad woman crushed the Devil Spirit Pearl into dust, scattering it around her.

The Devil Spirit Pearl was the lifeline of an Evil Demon. Without it, they truly perished.

As the Evil Demon King's consciousness descended into darkness, his body fell heavily to the ground. Confusion lingered on his once-vibrant face, unable to comprehend why, despite being of the same kind, this Demon Clan member would kill him. What was the difference between the Demon Clan and Evil Demons?

But these questions were now beyond his reach. Soon, his body transformed into a pool of flesh and blood, with demonic and death energies seeping out and blending with the ambient demonic aura, erasing all distinctions.

The moment the Evil Demon King died, a group of high-ranking Evil Demons, sensing something amiss, hurried to the scene. Upon seeing what appeared to be the remains of their king and the red-clad woman standing nearby, their eyes flared with anger as they chillingly accused, "You killed our king?"

The red-clad woman remained silent. As the demons charged at her, her red robes billowed, and without hesitation, she dug out the Devil Spirit Pearls within them, destroying each one in turn.

These creatures, which were never meant to exist in this world, born from Yan Yi's corrupted remains, would be eradicated by her.

After the red-robed woman slaughtered all the high-ranking fiends in the depths of the mystic realm, she gazed coldly at the death-infused area and said, "Yan Yi, you were wrong back then. I never thought you would actually fall here. If only you... Forget it."

Recalling the corpse shrouded in death energy, the woman's eyes darkened slightly.

All the variables originated from Yan Yi's death.

When a devil dies with unresolved grievances, they can use a soul-reversing technique, preventing their corpse from decaying or the death energy from subsiding. Eventually, they would resurrect as a monstrous entity.

For devils, this was the most disgraceful and unacceptable way to die.

Very few devils would willingly choose such a path.

The death energy was too thick; even if she had wished to take Yan Yi's corpse away, it was impossible. She could only leave it temporarily, knowing it would eventually become a calamity for this land.

The red-robed woman sighed and finally tore through space, leaving the human continent.

***

"Husband?"

As Wen Qiao listened to Ning Yuzhou's analysis of her previous battle, she watched him fall silent and gaze into the void, feeling puzzled and looking up at him.

Ning Yuzhou's gaze slowly returned, settling on the young girl before him.

He paused slightly, then nonchalantly said, "Ah Chu, next time you go out, try using those explosive pearls again."

Wen Qiao looked at him in surprise. "How many did you make?"

"About twenty, I'd say. Feel free to use them, it's no problem."

Wen Qiao acknowledged his words and took the box of explosive pearls.

Sheng Yunshen, with sharp eyes, noticed the exchange between the couple. Ignoring the possibility of being struck by lightning for interrupting their private moment, he hastily asked, "Junior Brother Ning, Little Junior Sister, what are you two sharing? Can I have some too?"

Wen Qiao, being generous, pushed the box towards him. "These are the explosive pearls that my husband made. If you want them, take them."

Sheng Yunshen was pleasantly surprised. "Are these the same ones that killed those evil creatures last time? You're really giving them to me?" He glanced at Ning Yuzhou, who showed no reaction, and then happily took a few pearls.

Wen Qiao put away the remaining items and said, "Senior Brother Sheng, let's go. Let's test the power of the Bursting Beads again."

Sheng Yunshen happily agreed, and the pair ventured out to hunt demons together while also testing the strength of the Bursting Beads.

Yi Xuan approached and glanced at Ning Yuzhou, saying, "Little Junior Brother, about those Bursting Beads..."

"There aren't any left," Ning Yuzhou replied with a faint smile. "I gave them all to Ah Chu."

Yi Xuan nodded, not saying anything further.

Ning Yuzhou watched his retreating figure and thought to himself that his second senior brother might seem quiet, but he had keen eyesight, even noticing something like this...

Wen Qiao and Sheng Yunshen joined the other cultivators in leaving the purified area.

With the Bursting Beads in hand, they threw them from a distance using flying talismans, aiming for the areas where there were the most demons.

The rumbling explosions continued nonstop, and after the blasts, only a bloody mess remained, with the scent of blood permeating the surroundings.

After witnessing the power of the Bursting Beads once more, all the cultivators present wore cold expressions. They were speechless, as who could blame the Crimson Heaven Sect for having a genius who was skilled in alchemy, artifact refinement, and formations?

A Bursting Pearl exploded, obliterating everything without the need for physical intervention, leaving behind a ground littered with Devil Spirit Pearls.

It was obvious that this trial would be dominated by Scarlet Heaven Sect without a doubt.

After the explosion, minced flesh was scattered everywhere, mixed among the Devil Spirit Pearls.

As Wen Qiao was about to gather those Devil Spirit Pearls, she suddenly felt an icy chill run down her spine, an intense sense of danger enveloping her. She whipped out her long whip to ensnare the unsuspecting Sheng Yunshen beside her and hurled a few Bursting Pearls behind them.

Another thunderous explosion echoed.

They were too close to the epicenter, and both Wen Qiao and Sheng Yunshen were caught in the blast, tumbling away from the force of the explosion.

Their sudden predicament drew the attention of other cultivators. Sharp-eyed ones could discern the high-ranking devil at the heart of the blast.

"It's a high-ranking devil!"

Feng Rujian, on the battlefield, leaped into action, scooping up the rolling Wen Qiao and Sheng Yunshen before depositing them safely back in the purified area.

Blood trickling from his mouth, Sheng Yunshen's face ashen, he was only revived after swallowing a few spirit pills.

As for Wen Qiao...

She stumbled to her feet, spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood. She waved away her second senior brother's attempt to stuff a spirit pill into her mouth, assuring him, "Second Senior Brother, I'm fine."

Yi Xuan glanced at Sheng Yunshen, who was sprawled motionless nearby, then at Wen Qiao, whose face was smeared with blood. Though she appeared disheveled, it seemed that she was unharmed.

In fact, the blood on her face belonged to the demonic creature.

It seemed there was indeed a significant disparity between Body Cultivators and ordinary cultivators. The physical resilience of regular cultivators just couldn't compare.