Chapter 63: The World’s Momentum, an Unstoppable Tide. Obsession.

Chapter 63: The World's Momentum, an Unstoppable Tide. Obsession.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit bristled.

Instinct told it this was its memory—a memory from its past life.

Why had it suddenly sensed a memory from its past life?!

The Foxtail Grass Spirit scanned its surroundings in terror.

A terrifying sense of oppression drew closer and closer. The ground beneath its feet rumbled with a dull, intermittent thud, as if a giant the size of a mountain was approaching.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit shivered and ducked behind Fu Yu, cautiously peeking out with one eye.

"M-m-master, I think... the one coming... might be (the past life's) me."

Fu Yu replied calmly: "Correct. This demonic creature is indeed coming for you."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit felt half its soul leave its body. "For me?! It's looking for me?"

Fu Yu said, "Why else?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was shocked. "Master, you didn't say it would come looking for me!"

Fu Yu waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing serious. It's just a demonic creature formed from resentment and baleful energy. It wants to devour you to reclaim the complete karma."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was horrified, its gaze accusatory—How is that 'fine'?! That's about as far from 'fine' as you can get!

Fu Yu smiled. "Of course, you could eat it instead and take its power."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit: "..."

It raised a finger in utter despair, pointing at itself.

"Eat it? Me?"

Did its master mistake it for something it wasn't?

At that moment, a terrifying shadow had already enveloped them.

"Boom... Whooom..."

It was a terrifying sound akin to a planet shifting—a heavy, slow roar, a pressure that crushed the air.

The enormous shadow swallowed up all nearby light, inch by inch.

Gradually, all three thousand-plus people were enveloped in an ominous shadow.

Several High-level Cultivators from the Divine Court frowned deeply.

"With Nine Crossroads Dust stationed here, how could such a powerful demonic creature be permitted to manifest!"

Hearing this, Li Xueke couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly: 'So you *do* actually know this sword suppresses evil and eliminates wickedness?'

"Crack!"

A cracking sound.

In the next instant, Lord Mei came flying back. He held his sword horizontally before him, its blade erupting in a long, dense shower of sparks.

Lord Mei barked, "Be careful! The demonic creature is powerful!"

Looking up, he saw the enormous demonic shadow was already right above them. He couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

"The civilians must be protected! You few, follow me to attack it, quickly force it back!"

Lord Mei barked the order.

Several High-level Cultivators reluctantly stepped forward, stepped into the air and flashed to Lord Mei's side.

Lord Mei shot a look at Fu Yu. "Why aren't you moving?"

Fu Yu stated matter-of-factly. "I can't fly."

Lord Mei: "..."

Lord Chiming couldn't hold back a snort. "Pfft!"

The others twitched at the corners of their mouths, coughing into their sleeves.

Seeing the powerful enemy approaching again, Lord Mei bit back his anger. "You protect the commoners on the ground!"

Then he gestured for the others to advance and meet the enemy.

"Swoosh—Thrum!"

Visibility was extremely low within the Divine Demon Burial Mound. Amidst the chaotic gray darkness, a long "tentacle" suddenly swept out.

It resembled both an octopus's arm and an old tree root, tearing through the air with a supersonic crack as it swept towards them.

The several High-level Cultivators each unleashed their divine abilities. Light flashed in mid-air, and with a thunderous boom, they repelled the heavy, sweeping blow.

"Boom!"

The earth shook and the mountains trembled!

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was on the verge of tears, its finger trembling as it pointed at the enormous being which it couldn't even see fully. "Me? Eat it?"

It wasn't being modest. The other party could flick a single tendril-tip and turn this Grass Spirit into fluff.

Fu Yu: "Well, it's here now. It's you or it."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit felt like crying but had no tears: "..."

As the giant demon approached, a series of low, terrifying roars drilled into their eardrums.

The obsession from this demonic creature's past life had long been assimilated by the resentment and baleful energy within the Divine Demon Burial Mound. It was like a foul, pungent, bluish-black mold, or like sharp, bone-chilling needles, deeply piercing the Foxtail Grass Spirit's mind.

Its vision swam with stars, its ears ringing.

'Ugh... Master, I... I can't...'

It had no idea how to fight this giant demon. It was just an ordinary, unremarkable Grass Spirit.

But the words "I can't" were on the tip of its tongue, yet it found it impossible to utter them.

It remembered the rule well—it must not speak ill of itself, must not say it can't.

'I can, I can, I definitely can!'

A sudden confusion erupted in his mind.

But, but it really is so unlikable... In the end, it couldn't accomplish anything...

...Accomplish what?

"Boom!"

The colossal demon drew closer, the impact of its landing like a planetary collision.

A gentle, compassionate voice came from the jade-colored lotus platform: "Come, take this artifact. Protect everyone, and ensure not a single person is harmed."

"As the Holy Maiden commands." A muscular man with golden powder on his bare arms raised his hands respectfully, receiving the item passed from within the curtain.

The man channeled spiritual energy, activating the artifact in his hand. A lustrous, pearl-like radiance swiftly spread from the artifact, resembling a layer of clam membrane, enveloping the area above the crowd.

The three thousand commoners wept with gratitude: "Thank you, Holy Maiden!"

Their devout prayers made the light of the World Wish Candle burn even more intensely.

Mortal City.

"I failed."

"I failed over there too. The moment I told them not to pray, people started throwing stones and rotten eggs at me."

"No matter how I tried to persuade them, the commoners simply wouldn't listen. They only believe in the Divine Court. It's infuriating!"

"They even cursed me as a scourge, blaming me for trying to stop them from having the good fortune of selling their lifespan for twenty taels of silver... What nonsense is this!"

"Ugh!"

"Not good—quick, run! We're surrounded by the Divine Court!"

"I'll cover you, retreat immediately! That's an order! Go!"

Similar situations occurred across various continents and regions.

"Can't stop it, alas, can't stop it!"

Lesser Shangqing shook his head and sighed, "Is this truly the fate of the world? Alas!"

But even if the sky were truly about to fall, he still had to keep his promise to someone.

He had vaguely sensed it earlier—an ethereal yet powerful aura had arrived in the Southern Domain. The other seemed unwilling to reveal their true identity and had deliberately disguised themselves.

"You seem a bit angry, Fellow Daoist. What did that woman do to upset you? How ruthless, truly ruthless, alas!"

Lesser Shangqing's figure flickered as he left the immortal mountain where the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was located, also disguising himself.

The other passed by the Qingyun Sect, hesitated slightly, and actually stopped.

Lesser Shangqing was so angry he slapped his thigh: "What is this! Why must you pick on a minor sect, alas!"

He had just promised that fearsome woman to keep an eye on the Qingyun Sect, and now trouble arrived!

As soon as his divine sense stirred, he saw the mysterious figure wave a hand, unleashing a great supernatural power.

Lesser Shangqing: "..."

This was indiscriminately wiping out an entire sect on a whim.

Lesser Shangqing had no choice but to steel himself. With a turn of his sleeve, he released a stream of utterly ordinary spiritual energy, blocking the other.

"Hum—"

In an instant, strange phenomena erupted.

Mountains and rivers froze; the sun and moon lost their color.

Everyone within the Qingyun Sect looked up at the sky in unison, struck speechless with shock.

"This is..."

Immediately, a vast divine sense spread through the air.

"What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist? Why annihilate an entire sect?"

The Qingyun Sect hastily activated its Mountain Protection Array. The faces of everyone in the sect changed drastically, their hearts filled with dread.

Such power was truly unheard of!

After a long pause, the mysterious high-level cultivator, unwilling to reveal his identity, spoke in a deep voice: "This place harbors followers of the Evil Path. It deserves extermination. The Divine Court is handling official business; it has nothing to do with your Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance."

The eyes of the Qingyun Sect members trembled.

The Divine Court really had it out for their sect!

Lesser Shangqing resisted the urge to sigh: "Fellow Daoist, firstly, you do not show your true form; secondly, you bypass official procedures... This Qingyun Sect is, after all, a sect under our Alliance's jurisdiction. Fellow Daoist, acting like this makes it very difficult for this old man to handle!"

The other remained silent.

Both were demi-gods; fighting would bring no benefit to either.

Destroying this minor sect was originally just a casual act—the incarnation Qin Qianzhu had obtained the names of several evil cultists. Passing by today, he decided to wipe them all out in one go.

He didn't have the time, nor the need, to distinguish which of these ants were innocent and which were not.

Since someone was blocking him, he would let it be.

He gave a cold laugh: "Fine. I will pay a visit another day."

With a flicker in the wind, this concealed Divine Court demi-god lightly soared away, vanishing a thousand miles distant.

Lesser Shangqing waved his hand: "The Rising Sun Way awaits your esteemed presence—"

The mysterious demi-god arrived at Fish-Dragon City.

Seeing that Ghost Lingjun's residence was empty, his figure flickered again, heading towards Monkey Ridge.

Logically, Ghost Lingjun would never dare linger at the scene of the crime.

He stepped casually into the mountains and saw an unfamiliar Deity Transformation cultivator hurrying past.

This incarnation had spent all its time mingling with Zhao Xiufeng; the memories of who exactly was under its command were actually quite fuzzy.

Frowning, he called out to the cultivator: "A major incident happened here. What are you up to?"

The cultivator stiffened slightly, bowed, and stepped forward to reply: "Reporting to the Divine Lord, this subordinate does not know—we subordinates were out handling affairs. Upon returning, we saw the devastation in the mountains. We have already sent someone to report to the Divine Mountain. We have been dealing with the corpses scattered all over the mountains these past few days."

The mysterious figure in a cloak, his face obscured, gave off a gloomy vibe. "Where is Ghost Lingjun?"

The cultivator shook his head. "No idea."

Seeing the other party remain silent, the yellow-robed cultivator posing as Qin Qianzhu's subordinate was getting more and more nervous. In his tension, he blurted out something extra, "Lord sent our team on a mission to the Western Continent. We just returned."

The mysterious man suddenly narrowed his eyes.

From beneath the shadow of the cloak, two icy gazes pierced through. "You're lying!"

How could he not know whether Qin Qianzhu had sent a team to the Western Continent?

His cloak fluttered as he was suddenly in front of the cultivator, raising his hand to grab the other's head, intending to perform a Soul Search right then and there.

The cultivator was shocked, unsure where he had slipped up.

The opponent's oppressive aura was terrifying. In an instant, his body felt heavy as mud, his spiritual energy stagnated, leaving him utterly unable to resist. Knowing he was no match, the cultivator steeled his heart and decisively ignited his own primordial spirit!

"Well done!" The mysterious man laughed in anger. "You truly have rebelled against the heavens!"

With things having come to this, the cultivator had nothing left to hide. Using the force of his detonating spirit, he roared furiously, "Qin Qianzhu has committed countless atrocities! Our Lord enforces Heaven's will! My death doesn't matter!"

"Doesn't matter—"

"Matter—"

His shouts echoed through the mountains, warning his comrades to flee.

"Damn it!"

At the severed spiritual vein, the Yellow-robed Cultivators had just reinforced the seal once more, stopping the blood and qi from leaking out of the entity suppressed beneath the Stone Monkey Mountain. Hearing the shouts, they were alarmed. This was bad.

"Old Thirteen didn't call for our help; he directly detonated his primordial spirit!" One cultivator gasped. "The one who came is very strong!"

The leader, Master Sanyuan, gritted his teeth and made a snap decision. "While the other party hasn't found us yet, follow the ground fissure, go!"

He waved his hand, ordering the others to go first while he stayed behind to cover their retreat.

They had only dashed a few steps when the cultivator at the front suddenly froze in place.

A black-cloaked figure had materialized there.

Ethereal. Powerful.

An oppressive aura descended. Everyone simultaneously spat blood, their knees and spines giving way under the pressure, forcing them to kneel.

Master Sanyuan gnashed his teeth. "Fight... fight him..."

A smile slowly curled from within the cloak's shadow.

"I won't give you another chance to blow yourself up."

The mysterious man stepped forward, raising his hand to grab the head of the nearest cultivator.

He wasn't in a hurry to perform the Soul Search. Instead, he applied pressure inch by inch, intending to slowly crush the other's skull.

The others struggled desperately, their eyes wide with fury. "Stop!"

The suffering cultivator clenched his jaw, blood slowly seeping from his eyes and nose.

Just as he was about to die a gruesome death, the earth suddenly shook violently!

"Boom—Clang!"

Rocks shattered as chains densely inscribed with golden talismanic seals erupted from deep within the mountain, lashing out at the mysterious man!

The mysterious man's body trembled slightly. He threw aside the cultivator in his grasp and waved a hand, conjuring a defensive seal before him.

"Boom! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

First, choking clouds of dust and flying debris filled the air, then a shaft of heavenly light pierced through.

That sky-piercing, earth-standing monkey mountain... it slowly split in two before their very eyes, collapsing to the left and right.

Though described as slow, it was a cataclysmic event, like the end of the world.

The roar reached an extreme, becoming a great sound that seemed silent. The magnificent scene before them played out like a silent film.

Amidst this extreme roar and silence, from beneath the colossal, split mountain... a monkey slowly stood up!

Covered in gray dust, its fur matted, it didn't appear wretched. Instead, its aura was arrogant.

It arrogantly shook its shoulders, rising from the earth, blotting out the sky and sun!

"Hiss—"

The others supported their injured companion, retreating step by step, utterly dumbfounded.

Divine Demon Grand Burial.

Fu Yu placed a hand on the Foxtail Grass Spirit's shoulder, leaning forward lazily to tell it, "Just like you used to play with foxtail grass, do that. Play with it."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit's pupils trembled. It nodded vigorously. "Mm... mm!"

Holding its breath, clenching its fists, it stared intently at the colossal entity in the sky, its full form unclear.

The giant demon's swinging limbs were like the foxtail grass it used to swish back and forth... It would try to control this "foxtail"...

The moment its consciousness touched the other, a sharp ringing exploded in its mind.

Pain! Pain! So much pain!

The resentment-born demon simultaneously locked onto it in reverse!

A torrent of baleful resentment qi almost instantly engulfed it. Its head felt like it was being sliced by ten thousand rusty knives; its ears rang, deafening it.

The obsession from its death in a past life had lingered over this burial ground for millennia, thoroughly saturated with resentment and baleful energy.

"Wu..."

Every scene that flooded its mind brought profound agony.

Every fragment of its shattered divine soul screamed shrilly within its head.

"Die die die die die—"

"Hateful thing, die die die!"

"Useless thing! Thing that deserves death! The one who most deserves death is you!"

Before its very eyes, blinding white light flickered and danced—it saw!

A long, long, long time ago, it was a death omen bird on the verge of cultivating into a spirit.

It flapped its wings with all its might, flying back and forth, telling people everywhere that disaster was coming, urging them to get away fast.

It traveled thousands of miles, refusing to stop no matter how exhausted it became.

Seeing people successfully avoid calamity after its warnings, it would always caw with joy.

It knew it would soon become a spirit.

Once a spirit, it would have more power to help even more people!

Just as it was foolishly rejoicing, it was suddenly attacked.

It was shocked, stunned, bewildered—it had clearly warned that village that a mudslide was coming soon.

Yet, when those people saw the river turning yellow, they rushed to pan for gold and even called their families to join.

The mudslide truly came, killing many.

They didn't blame their own greed but instead resented this death omen bird, calling it a jinx, saying it had summoned the disaster and caused the deaths.

It tried desperately to explain, but those red-eyed people wouldn't listen.

They caught it with a bird-catching net, trapped it, and beat it to death.

It died on the very last day before becoming a spirit, just one day away from cultivating a human form. It had wanted to be human for so, so, so long... It died with eyes wide open, transforming into an evil spirit.

It hated so much!

It hated humans!

It would take revenge on them at their happiest moments!

So it went to towns, targeting newlywed couples, wreaking havoc at their wedding feasts!

Later on...

While disrupting a wedding, it was caught. That sword immortal, neither fully immortal nor fully demon, didn't kill it but instead granted it a boon.

He taught it cultivation, helping it grow stronger and stronger.

Back then, there was also a monkey with it. The sword immortal said that if he were ever gone one day, it and the monkey must protect his wife for him.

Both it and the monkey made that vow, but it failed to keep it.

During the Divine-Demon Great Burial, while killing Evil Spirits, it had the misfortune of encountering the will of the Evil Demon God.

It should have fled, but seeing someone in danger, it inexplicably turned back to save them.

As it was torn to shreds, it hated itself to death.

It had messed up again! Why could it never do anything right? It had failed to keep its promise once more!

'I'm so useless! I remained useless even unto death!'

'Wah—No one would ever like something like me!'

'I'm just a detestable thing!'

The obsession screamed in its mind like a bone-scraping gale. It hurt so much, it felt so awful!

It was about to forget who it was, about to be dragged by resentment and malice into an eternal dark abyss. It was about to die, it...

Suddenly, a lazy, indifferent voice reached its ears.

"I wondered who it was. So it's you. Hey, if not for the person you saved promptly reporting to me, I wouldn't have turned the tide, locked onto the Evil Demon God from a thousand miles away, and sealed him away for this world."

"You saved everyone."

"Great achievement, little evil spirit!"