Chapter 84: Battle Intent and Lust Rage Like Fire; Have You Figured Out How You’ll Die?

Chapter 84: Battle Intent and Lust Rage Like Fire; Have You Figured Out How You'll Die?

The night was pitch black, dawn light long overdue. The breathing in the mountains grew increasingly ragged, occasionally punctuated by the faint sound of teeth chattering.

"What... is that?"

Even those young people who had never seen an Evil Spirit would instinctively know that the owner of that terrifying aura was no benevolent being—a dark, icy, sinister, inhuman existence.

Even though he had just annihilated the Divine Court, not a single person felt relieved or dared to cheer.

Their hearts constricted, their bodies trembled, and their knuckles turned white as they gripped their weapons tightly.

"Evil Spirit."

From within the crowd, Fu Yu spoke calmly, "He is an Evil Spirit. Everyone, fall back inside the Sect Protection Formation—retreat."

The crowd hastily withdrew.

From so far away, Fu Yu couldn't make out Jun Bu Du's face.

But she knew their gazes were locked onto each other, not parting for an instant.

She lifted her chin, a slight smirk curling the corner of her lips, brimming with provocation.

Time rewinds to the moment the Heavenly Scar opened.

The moment Nine Crossroads Dust moved, Jun Bu Du, as the Sword Master, sensed it immediately.

The Divine Dragon Clan (Evil Spirits) army was already standing ready.

The black sword fell, cleaving heaven and earth asunder.

On the plain before Imperial Shaman City, the earth, grass, soil, and wind seemed to transform into an impossibly thin scroll.

The scroll slowly tore, and within the void, a sound like massive stones grinding roared—the Portal was fully opened.

Squadrons of Divine Dragon Clan warriors marched uniformly through the portal.

Their feet landed heavily, and the scene before their eyes changed instantly.

They saw a gray-white earth, howling fierce winds, and a bluish-black air thick with resentment and baleful energy so dense it felt tangible. From deep within the mist came the constant shrieks of demonic creatures.

This was the Divine-Demon Great Burial.

A young Divine Dragon war captain couldn't help but wrinkle his nose: "Ew~ How can this compare to home?"

Disdain aside, the soldiers sprang into action, clearing the area, escorting iron carts laden with black-gold dragon bones to the eight wind directions, and rapidly constructing bone arrays that shimmered with black-gold light.

This was the first line of defense the Divine Dragon Clan warriors were building for another, never-before-seen, unfortunate world.

A defense against the descent of the Evil Demon God.

Turning to look back through the portal, the scene was truly grand and illusory—the portal was like a mirror, yet the worlds inside and outside were completely different, the sense of dislocation causing slight dizziness.

Within the Divine Dragon Realm, a low, muffled tremor could be felt.

With the portal open, the Evil Demon God was frantically counterattacking, trying to invade the other world.

The Great Shaman, holding his position in Imperial Shaman City, was forcing Him back into the abyss, again and again.

Until all the dragon bone arrays were completed.

"Clang!"

A metallic roar echoed through the heavens as the arrays linked end to end, anchoring themselves between the two worlds.

At the portal, a figure in deep black Imperial Shaman Robes slowly passed through.

The gazes of thousands of Divine Dragon war captains burned with fervor: "Emperor!"

They watched as that figure traversed the dragon bone arrays, his aura spreading faintly. With a backhanded grasp, Nine Crossroads Dust tore through the sky, returning to its master's side.

The scabbard had been lost in the long river of time.

The unsheathed black sword hovered beside him, less dangerous than the man himself.

"Swish—"

Two streaks of light flashed across the horizon, arriving before him in the blink of an eye.

The two guardian war captains who always followed Jun Bu Du stepped forward, one after the other.

The one with a round face slightly hunched his shoulders, deliberately lagging half a step behind.

The one with a pair of tiger-like fangs had to steel himself and step forward to report: "Great Shaman, we inquired politely, as you instructed. The situation we've learned is... not optimistic. The man Fate Master reincarnated into is called Ghost Lingjun. He, he, he..."

Even the usually very steady tiger-fanged war captain couldn't help but stammer a little, "He was married. His wife died."

Jun Bu Du showed no concern: "Continue."

The tiger-fanged captain tightly shut his eyes, steeling his resolve: "He's dead too! Ghost Lingjun, the masked one, he was killed by a Demi-god named He Yingkong! Great Shaman! Let us avenge Fate Master!"

His heart pounded wildly in his chest.

What kind of mess was this?!

The Great Shaman had been alone for millennia, finally on the verge of reuniting with Fate Master, and she—no, he—was dead! Dead!

How could Fate Master be dead?!

The husband and wife had finally met, only to miss each other like this. What a cruel twist of fate!

The Great Shaman must be heartbroken!

They should have just captured Fate Master and brought him to the Divine Dragon Realm, even if they had to tie him to the Imperial Throne and have their way with him through thunder and fire!

Anything would have been better than waiting thousands of years, only to have one fleeting meeting before being separated by life and death!

What a complete mess!

The tiger-fanged war captain's inner world was collapsing with a silent roar.

After waiting a moment with no reaction, he cautiously cracked open one eye.

A corner of the black Imperial Shaman robe passed unhurriedly by his side.

Jun Bu Du's voice was calm and detached: "You've all been deceived by her. She excels at feigning death, at slipping away like a cicada shedding its shell."

The two generals' expressions brightened. "So that's how it is! Excellent, excellent!"

Jun Bu Du's figure flickered and vanished into the wind.

He added, "She won't die."

After a long pause, the two guardian generals exchanged a glance, a chill running down their spines.

The Great Shaman had uttered those final words with a faint smile, his tone almost gentle.

It was downright frightening.

And rightly so—if he were to lose his beloved at such a time, who knows how many people this five-millennia-old widower would drag to their deaths.

Atop the Divine Mountain, the Thirteenth Heaven.

That realm perpetually suffused with divine light and celestial music suddenly erupted with an extremely piercing shockwave.

"BOOM—BONG—BONG—BONG!"

Within the jade-white palace complex, golden bells were struck one after another.

Auspicious clouds shattered, their rainbow hues bleached away, leaving only the blood-red wash of the setting sun.

The very air trembled with the Supreme God's rage.

The two figures in the Saintess's chambers simultaneously looked up toward the window.

The sage, who appeared as a youth, chuckled. "No way? Attacking the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance couldn't have actually injured our Supreme God, could it?"

The Saintess frowned slightly. "No telling what truly happened, or which one was injured."

Zhuo clicked the teacup lid rhythmically against the rim. "Who knows... If I had to guess, Yun Shan Luan, the 'Creator of Humans,' probably wouldn't have been injured in his true form. So, it must be Wu Lihen who got his fingers pinched."

He imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh.

The Saintess was displeased. "Zhuo, you are far too presumptuous and disrespectful."

The youth grinned cheekily and leaned in to wheedle. "Sister wouldn't betray me! You're my favorite!"

"The Heavenly Scar has vanished; the Portal is already open." The Saintess's face fell. "Do you think what injured the Supreme God could be that... being suspected of being the Evil Demon God?"

Zhuo waved his hand dismissively, laughing. "Sister, you're just being paranoid—even if He emerged, it would be at the Divine-Demon Great Burial. How could He possibly run all the way to the Southern Sky to do harm?"

The Saintess sighed softly. "I suppose."

Suddenly, a crane descended, bathed in the blood-red divine light.

Before the hall, it transformed into a page boy.

"Saintess, the Supreme God summons you to the Thirteenth Heaven for an audience."

The Saintess involuntarily exchanged a glance with Zhuo.

She rose, straightened her skirts, her expression solemn. "Yes."

"Well, well." Zhuo pretended to skim non-existent foam from his teacup, quirking an eyebrow with a smile. "So it really was that thing biting His hand! The Evil Demon God who cultivated a human form, tsk tsk tsk! Now *that's* something."

"But this was part of the plan from above anyway... right?"

Night receded.

As daylight returned, everyone within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance felt a strange, long-absent discomfort: the disorientation of staying up all night and the day-night reversal.

Many rubbed their eyes hard, pressing their temples to drive away the chill that had seeped into their very eyes.

That dark figure also dissolved along with the night.

"Wait... did that Evil Spirit just leave?"

"Whew!"

"It attacked the Divine Court and, by a twist of fate, actually helped us!"

"The Divine Court is no good, and Evil Spirits are utterly inhuman. Remember, we must never rely on them. Right?"

"Understood, understood!"

Fu Yu withdrew her gaze, looking toward the mountains.

At this moment, she was extremely calm. Her heartbeat was steady, her hands calm. She quietly surveyed her surroundings, checking off one familiar face after another.

The Grass Spirit: alive. The monkey: alive. Wu He, Li Xueke, Yu Xiao, Double Heaven—all alive. The Paper Effigy Boy was also intact.

"Good," Fu Yu said calmly.

Her gaze shifted further, finding more familiar faces in the crowd.

Master Sanyuan's team of Yellow-robed Cultivators had completely defected and were now running around, helping wherever they could.

Perfected Person Suwen had also arrived at the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, accompanied by Hua Lang and the others. Even the Sect Master, Jiang Yizhou, stood in the crowd, face stern, reprimanding several disciples who had tried to shrink back earlier.

"Good," Fu Yu observed.

Her vision extended even farther. Young faces, full of vitality, resolute and tenacious—all promising seedlings.

Fu Yu was satisfied. "Good. Good."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit and the monkey, in the middle of bandaging each other up, exchanged a look.

"Has she lost it again? All she can say is 'good.'"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Hmm." The monkey scratched its face. "That person, why did he leave again?"

"Good and evil cannot coexist. Our master is human; he is an Evil Spirit. Understand?" the Foxtail Grass Spirit explained. "For people like them, to break through worldly shackles, they must resort to forceful seizure, a sea of hatred and a sky of passion. Do you get it?"

The monkey was utterly confused. "What nonsense is that? Why so complicated? If they like each other, they should just mate!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit's pupils trembled violently. "Get lost!"

Fu Yu, hands clasped behind her back, made a round of inspection.

She calmly instructed the wounded to avoid exposure to wind and moisture, then quietly left the bustling crowd.

Passing through a small grove, her steps paused slightly. She flicked a wisp of spiritual energy from her fingertip toward the Cosmic Bag.

"Xie Fuyu" vanished from the spot.

Emerging from the grove was Fu Yu's own incarnation.

"I'm not planning to use my real body to do anything with him," she said calmly. "This body has innately formed meridians, making it better suited for combat."

The mountain wind was strong, stinging her face.

Grasses and leaves occasionally brushed against her ankles, a sharp, distinct sting with each brush.

Fu Yu felt a twinge of irritation.

This incarnation hadn't been tempered yet; its senses were overly acute, which was bound to hamper her.

She ambled along the mountain path.

The mountains were devoid of birds and beasts, silent of insect chirps.

Her heart was as calm as a still lake.

She had no agreement with that person; she was honoring an unspoken rendezvous.

She just knew he would come.

Here and now.

The instant her hair stood on end, Fu Yu took a swift, oblique step, evading a chilling, tangible gust of wind, and landed lightly on a nearby Green Bodhi Tree.

Whirling, she looked back.

A figure had silently appeared where she had just stood.

Ethereal yet ghostly.

His eyelashes lowered, and his slender, hard-knuckled fingers slowly curled back—the hand extended from beneath his imperial robe's wide sleeve had failed to grasp her.

Fu Yu's jaw went numb.

He hadn't touched her in the slightest; only the wind, passing through his hand, had gently brushed her face.

Fu Yu couldn't fathom why a gust of wind made her heart flutter.

Perhaps this body was just too unrefined.

She let out a cold laugh and quickly bestowed three blessings upon herself: "Swift Wind," "Mountain Mover," and "Clarity."

Her earlier aimless wandering had actually been a ruse to set up a formation in the vicinity.

This Evil Spirit had fallen into her trap.

"You vile fiend," Fu Yu called out with a laugh. "Have you thought about how you want to die?"

Jun Bu Du kept his eyes lowered, not looking at her. His voice was extremely soft, so light it seemed to dissolve into the wind, brushing imperceptibly past her ear: "...Come to kill."

Fu Yu wasn't about to be polite.

She raised her fingers to form a seal, activating the formation.

Back when she had intended to get close to him, this fellow had thought she wanted to kill him.

Infuriating.

Today, she would make him understand just how ferocious she could be when she stopped holding back.

"Heavenly Mandate Decree, All Spirits Fall Silent—Spell Breaker!"

With the Spell Breaker blessing cast, within this Five Elements Heavenly Formation, even a dragon would have to walk on short legs upon the earth.

Of course, she was also largely unable to cast spells herself.

Given the vast difference in cultivation between her and this evil spirit, fighting without using spiritual energy favored her.

Fu Yu chuckled lightly, using the formation's momentum to swoop down, fast as teleportation.

As she flashed past him, her toe kicked through the air and she swung a reverse hand chop, aiming straight for his neck.

She saw his crimson pupils slowly shift downward, and her heart instantly clenched.

This evil spirit's battle instinct was even sharper than before.

Before he could raise his hand to grab her, Fu Yu altered her technique in a flash. "Slap!"

Instead of having her wrist seized, she spun and launched a flying kick—a beautiful leg chop aimed directly at the joint of his wrist.

Jun Bu Du didn't dodge.

He simply brought his fingers together and cleanly flicked them outward.

Fu Yu landed lightly back on the branch of the Green Bodhi Tree.

A numbing pain belatedly surged through her.

This evil spirit—his skin and bones were as hard as refined iron. She didn't need to lift her skirt to know her calf was bruised.

Fu Yu was furious.

Last time, he had caught her off guard, sealed her spiritual power, and held her tight in his arms.

This time, it was her turn to seal his spiritual power, yet he remained a tough nut to crack.

She snapped off a straight branch behind her back, using it as a sword, and thrust fiercely.

"Swish—"

He sidestepped, passing by her.

Everything in Fu Yu's vision slowed down. His breath brushed her eyelashes; she blinked, and this handsome, transcendent, cold, and jade-like face instantly filled her entire world.

She narrowed her eyes, searching for an opening.

Nose, lips, jaw—all flawless. His Adam's apple was exquisite too.

Fu Yu's gaze fixed.

Abandoning the "sword," as he tilted his head to dodge, she launched a kick without any scruples, aiming straight for his lower abdomen.

This underhanded move, breaking all conventions, caught Jun Bu Du completely off guard.

Seeing the evil spirit had fallen for it, Fu Yu smiled triumphantly. Feinting east and striking west, she reached out sideways and "snapped" her hand around his wrist pulse.

"...Hmm?"

She knew demons were larger than humans, but she hadn't expected him to be this much larger.

She couldn't even get her hand all the way around his wrist.

Touching his firm, cold skin and the lean, hard bones of his wrist, a shiver of intense awareness traveled from her fingertips straight to her heart, stirring a faint tremor within her.

Jun Bu Du didn't try to pull away.

Instead of retreating, he countered—his other hand shot out, fingers clamping down to seize her pulse point in turn.

As he advanced and she retreated, Fu Yu's back collided with the Green Bodhi Tree.

His tall, straight frame loomed over her, his presence enveloping everything.

She held one of his hands; he held one of hers.

Each with a grip on the other's life line, their breaths mingled close.

To prevent another surprise attack from her, his solid form pressed in close, leaving her almost no room to draw a full breath.

Fu Yu tilted her head back to stare at him.

He happened to lower his face at that moment.

The instant their eyes met, Fu Yu's breath hitched, her pupils trembling—

She found herself staring into a pair of pupils that had instinctively narrowed into vertical slits.

The way he slowly fixed his gaze on her felt so inhuman it made her scalp tingle and her instincts scream.

She couldn't tell if it was murder in his gaze or desire.

He tilted his face closer, his expression seeming as if he might kiss her, yet also like a beast pinning down its prey, ready to bite through her throat.

His voice quivered with dark pleasure: "Your turn. Think about how you're going to survive this."