GD Ch. 35 Part 2

Chapter 35: Why Are You So Unrepentant?

In his haste, he stumbled over a jagged rock at the cave’s entrance and fell heavily to the ground. Hearing the demon beast’s labored breathing behind him, he scrambled back to his feet and dashed deeper into the cave without a second thought.

There was no snow inside, but the cave walls were still covered in ice. Within the translucent layers, he could vaguely make out several frozen corpses.

Shivering, he ran until he reached the cave’s end. With nowhere left to go, he bent down and groped along the ground, finally picking up a tree branch and swinging it wildly in front of him.

The demon beast drew closer, utterly unafraid of the branch in his hand. Drool dripped from its mouth, its fangs bared. With a powerful leap, it pounced.

The fool had no idea when something had attached itself to his back, but suddenly, it tore away—like a wisp of smoke—lunging toward the demon beast.

The demon beast, mid-pounce, exploded into a spray of blood and flesh, leaving behind only a skeleton that clattered to the ground, falling apart into unrecognizable fragments.

The fool was stunned. He let the tree branch slip from his trembling hands and crouched down, clutching his head. As he slowly raised his eyes, he saw that the cave entrance was now flooded with piercing light, inching its way inside.

His ears buzzed. It sounded as if someone was murmuring incessantly beside him, though he couldn’t understand the words. Yet, the sound was infuriating, as if a fire was burning in his chest.

That wisp of smoke! His eyes suddenly lit up, as though he had grasped his last hope. He turned to the floating gray smoke in midair.

But the smoke silently dissipated, and when he reached out, he caught nothing.

“Help me! Help me!” he rasped, but the smoke didn’t linger for him.

The light crawling into the cave crept closer and closer, while the chanting by his ears became clearer. He still couldn’t understand the words. He let go of his head and clamped his hands over his ears instead. Hunched in the cave, he curled into a ball—completely unlike the former ruler of the Devil Realm.

Suddenly, the mountain quaked violently. The ice on the cave ceiling cracked with a sharp sound, forming several jagged, pale fractures. Large chunks of ice tumbled down, landing at his feet.

As the mountain trembled, he could no longer keep his balance. The sound of the peak splitting apart was like the wails of countless demon beasts, echoing in a deafening roar.

Terrified, he clung to his head again. A massive slab of ice was about to crash down from above—he scrambled to his feet, hands shaking as he tore off his outer robe and draped it over his head.

Then, he bolted out of the cave.

The moment he stepped outside, the light burned through the thin fabric, scorching his scalp. He opened his mouth and screamed, the malice in his eyes intensifying, his expression growing more and more twisted.

At that moment, a towering pagoda descended from the heavens.

There was no escape. The searing pain engulfed his entire body. A deep, resonant chime echoed beside his ears—dong—

He saw nothing but blinding light. Even when he shut his eyes, his eyelids felt as if they, too, were aflame. The heavy toll of the bell reverberated in his mind, shaking his very soul. His organs felt as though they were being incinerated in a blazing inferno, his flesh as if it were being torn apart, his body sliced into pieces—unbearable agony.

Dazed and bewildered, he thought, Is this it? Is this my fated opportunity? Is this the destined fortune in Shenhua Mountain meant for me alone? After surviving this ordeal… can I finally have my revenge?

The Devil-Suppressing Tower, shining brilliantly, crashed into the mountain. The divine power radiating outward bent every tree on the peak and reduced most of the rocks to dust, causing half of the snowy mountain to collapse.

The tower abruptly shrank, dissolving the fool’s body into liquid, leaving behind only his soul.

Just then, a surge of devilish energy descended, slamming fiercely into the Devil-Suppressing Tower.

The already fragile Devil-Suppressing Tower immediately cracked, and even its divine radiance dimmed somewhat.

A silver-haired demon in black robes lightly touched the steep cliff with the tip of her shoe. With a simple turn of her pale hand, she summoned a surge of devilish energy, completely encircling the Devil-Suppressing Tower.

Changying, daring as ever, wrapped her arms around Zhuyou’s neck. Though she had stood at the edge of the cloud-cliff without a flicker of fear, she now clung as if terrified of falling to her death. Her ice-cold hands pressed tightly against Zhuyou’s neck, and even her face leaned in close. Perhaps it wasn’t fear of falling that gripped her—it was the fear that the devil she was holding onto might die.

The Devil-Suppressing Tower truly was an incomplete artifact. Though it could suppress devilish souls, if struck with a heavy blow, it was bound to reveal its flaws.

Zhuyou sneered—such a thing, and they dared to bring it out for show?

Her vision blurred, unable to even make out the tower’s shape. The interference of divine power left her body utterly exhausted. Having already expended some of her spiritual energy earlier, all she wanted now was to seize that soul and leave.

The celestial who controlled the Devil-Suppressing Tower remained hidden, yet to reveal themselves.

Changying clung tightly to her waist, trembling slightly. Though bathed in divine power, her face remained as pale as death.

Zhuyou had never expected this. Just as she was plotting to destroy the tower, the dragon wrapped around her waist took a deep breath and swallowed the divine power of the tower into her belly.

At this point, it was unclear who was the real devil.

The more divine power Changying swallowed, the more violently she trembled. Just as she was about to take another gulp, Zhuyou’s voice cut in, “Don’t make me split my focus to look after you.”

Her pale lips pursed, and she refrained from absorbing any more divine power.

The devilish energy around Zhuyou surged like a dark gray mist rolling over mountain peaks. When the storm raged through, it was like countless boneless devil claws, reaching out and clawing at the Devil-Suppressing Tower.

The once-radiant tower was now engulfed in darkness, not a single trace of light escaping from its cracks.

Zhuyou’s eyes, devoid of gloom, were eerily calm. Her once-lively gaze had lost its focus, making her appear even more lost and vacant.

Just then, a surge of spiritual power, wrapped in multicolored light, shot toward her.

She swept her sleeve, deflecting the attack without shifting her focus from the crumbling Devil-Suppressing Tower. Slowly, she let her devilish energy infiltrate the tower from within, causing it to collapse from the inside out.

“Zhuyou—!” A furious voice rang out.

Zhuyou didn’t turn around. The moment she saw the glow, she already knew who it was.

An immortal in colorful robes lashed out with a sheer veil. Though it looked as light as drifting snowflakes, when it struck Zhuyou’s raised hand, it landed with the weight of a thousand pounds.

A vivid red mark instantly bloomed on her pale wrist.

Changying’s eyes turned crimson at the corners, her expression cold as frost.

The devilish energy wrapped around the Devil-Suppressing Tower only grew denser. Zhuyou turned midair, her gaze dazed and unfocused, unable to see anything at all.

Changying followed her gaze and saw the immortal in rainbow-hued robes, flitting like a butterfly. She had delicate features, but compared to Zhuyou, she still fell far short.

“Immortal Zhiying,” Zhuyou enunciated each syllable slowly.

Immortal Zhiying’s voice trembled as she asked, “What happened to your eyes?!”

Zhuyou did not answer. She simply said, “I’m taking this soul back to the devil’s domain.”

“You mustn’t!” 

Zhiying had intended to lash out with her veil again, but in her panic, she instead clenched her teeth and unleashed a burst of spiritual energy, trying to dispel the devilish aura surrounding the tower. Twisting her wrist, she desperately attempted to shrink the Devil-Suppressing Tower and reclaim it into her palm.

“A divine offspring falling into the devil’s domain—what kind of sight would that be? If you return to the Heavenly Realm to face your unfinished punishment, at most, you’ll suffer three cycles of reincarnation. When you return, you’ll still be the celestial phoenix maiden of the heavens!” Zhiying’s voice was hoarse.

Unable to see, Zhuyou could only “glance” at her through the sound of her voice. “Unfinished punishment?”

“Zhuyou, if you turn back now, I—” Zhiying hastily began, but then hesitated, unsure how to continue.

“When I stood on the Immortal Execution Platform, did you ever say a single word for me?” Zhuyou asked, voice steady. “Now you say so much—are you trying to make amends? Do you also think I was in the wrong? Do you think I wanted to harm the reincarnated ancient god? But tell me this—was Jingyi truly an unslain, sleeping ancient god?”

Zhuyou slowly clenched her fist. Devilish energy seeped into the Devil-Suppressing Tower, consuming the divine power within.

Her face grew paler. “You, too, think it was only right that my cultivation was destroyed, my immortal bones extracted, and my celestial tendons severed?”

Immortal Zhiying’s eyes were bloodshot. She had already shrunk the Devil-Suppressing Tower to the size of her palm, yet she still couldn’t reclaim it.

The tower… was already completely ensnared by devilish energy.

She hurriedly said, “If you take away the Devil Lord’s soul, the Heavenly Realm will never forgive you! Why must you push yourself to this point?”

Zhuyou’s gaze lowered slightly. “You’re afraid of the Devil Lord’s return? Then that is precisely what I want.”

Zhiying’s pupils constricted. “Why are you so stubborn and unrepentant?!”

As soon as she spoke, her breath hitched in horror—

The Devil-Suppressing Tower collapsed with a thunderous crash. Its divine radiance was extinguished. A wisp of soul drifted out, falling into Zhuyou’s palm.

Cradling Changying, Zhuyou soared into the air and sent a violent blast of energy toward Immortal Zhiying.

Zhiying had no time to evade. She was hurled against the mountainside, blood surging up her throat. Her eyes reddened at the edges, as if on the verge of tears.

Zhuyou sealed the Devil Lord’s soul within a mustard seed-sized vessel. But before she could shatter the sky and leave Shenhua Mountain, her energy was utterly depleted. She plunged into the snow below.

Snowflakes scattered like drifting white pear blossoms.

Changying froze for a moment, then hurriedly caught her in her arms.

She had never seen Zhuyou so weak before. Where was the terrifying great demon who once made all devils tremble? She was so soft—so utterly devoid of strength.

Could it be… she was dying?

Her voice was cool and soft, without visible sorrow or joy. “Why are you so soft?”

Zhuyou let out a breathless laugh, utterly exasperated. “You fool. What, would you rather I be stiff? If I were dead, this body really would be stiff.”