GD Ch. 64

Chapter 64: Will You Hinder Me?

In an instant, a dark curtain seemed to fall before her eyes, and at first glance, it appeared as though night had descended.

Zhuyou stood still, suddenly feeling as if she were on a boat, her feet swaying unsteadily. Looking down, she realized that a raging storm had erupted beneath her, the surging waves like a gaping maw ready to devour everything in the sea.

Before her, devil soldiers reappeared, countless in number, riding the waves as they slowly emerged from the churning waters. Like an army of shadows, they exuded a menacing aura, their heads turning left and right as they shouted hoarsely, seemingly searching for something.

Zhuyou tilted her head, listening intently, but the roar of the waves was deafening, like the heavens and earth splitting apart. She couldn’t make out what they were saying. Following the direction of the devil soldiers, she still couldn’t discern what they were searching for.

Suddenly, Changying grabbed her arm, lifting her dozens of feet into the air, where she abruptly halted, suspended mid-air.

From this height, the scene below became clearer. The devil soldiers clad in black armor seemed to merge with the ink-like sea. They appeared leaderless, not following any formation, but rather scattered and isolated.

At this moment, the sun was obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a faint golden rim visible.

A biting cold wind rose, its howl resembling the cry of a beast.

The turbulent waves, already unpredictable, grew even more ferocious as the gale intensified, rising and crashing in endless layers.

The devil soldiers were submerged in the water, only to rise again moments later. Beneath them, horses shrouded in dark devil energy galloped across the waves, unfazed even as the sea reached their nostrils. These devil horses, already lifeless, had no need for breath.

Zhuyou hovered in the air, surrounded by intertwining spells. As the winds clashed, another colossal wave surged beneath her.

What year, what day was it? What were these devils doing?

She hadn’t expected Changying’s heart to be so pure and untainted. The Turbid Mirror couldn’t affect her in the slightest, failing to drag her into the chaotic realm of illusions. Perhaps this was why Changying could travel back in time at will.

Such a dragon truly deserved to be called a Divine Venerable of the Nine Heavens. Any other immortal would have been trapped in the mirror, unable to break free.

Zhuyou frowned, unwilling to believe that anyone in the world could be truly free of impurities. This dragon must have suppressed all her dark thoughts deep within.

Since fortune and misfortune are intertwined, how could Changying remain untouched while Zhuyou herself was tainted by devilish thoughts?

Zhuyou’s gaze darkened as she looked toward the advancing devil army in the sea, searching for the figure of the Devil Lord.

After a moment, a great devil clad in black armor leaped out from the depths of the sea. He bore a pair of curved horns on his head, his eyebrows severed, and his face was one Zhuyou recognized immediately.

The Devil Lord, it was him.

The devil was enveloped in swirling devil energy, his face covered in devilish markings, making it hard to discern his features. His skin was pitch black, his lips pale, and when he grinned, his teeth gleamed white.

“Come out!” he bellowed.

A chilling devil energy rolled in, blotting out the sky, as if seeking to consume the entire corrupted world.

Zhuyou’s eyes suddenly gleamed. Though she had never been one for violence, having been immersed in devilish energy for so long, few things could stir her emotions. Yet, sensing this devil energy that could alter the very heavens, she felt as though she had returned to the day she first embraced the devil. Greed, anger, obsession, and resentment surged within her, and a faint ache spread across her back.

Yet she felt no anger, only a strange sense of relief, as if her entire being had been cleansed by the pervasive devil energy.

She had already embraced the devil, so it was this devil energy, not divine light, that invigorated her.

Changying stood nearby, her expression calm, as if she were merely an observer, neither pleased nor angered. She glanced at Zhuyou, her gaze indifferent, before slowly looking back down.

When Zhuyou saw the Devil Lord, the stubborn thought in her heart tightened its grip. Until she achieved her goal, she would never find peace. She no longer cared about the Divine Venerable standing beside her. Since Changying had brought her here, she had no one to blame but herself.

Devils were never ones for sentimentality. From the beginning, Zhuyou had exchanged her heart’s blood to use this dragon, but…

Over time, a faint sense of reluctance had grown within her.

The great devil in the waves suddenly swung his long sword, a weapon Zhuyou recognized. It was the same sword that the fool, who had been reduced to a mere soul by the Devil-Suppressing Tower, had used in his dream to pierce his comrade’s chest.

The sword was pitch black, wreathed in devilish energy.

Yet no matter how the Devil Lord shouted, there was no one else on the sea besides the devil soldiers and himself.

Enraged, the Devil Lord pointed his sword, causing water to explode in all directions. If this had been on land, it would have created hundreds of unfillable craters.

As the seawater surged and then cascaded down, the Devil Lord, already drenched, paid it no mind.

Zhuyou dared not act rashly, but her entire body felt as if it were boiling, her breath growing hotter. She couldn’t wait any longer. To hesitate would mean missing this chance, and who knew when such an opportunity would come again?

Just as she was about to descend, the dark clouds in the sky parted, and divine light from the sun spilled across the sea.

The once pitch-black sea now shimmered like countless fish scales covering its surface.

As the divine light fell, Zhuyou had to squint, her heart filling with irritation.

From within the thick clouds, the divine light suddenly transformed into countless ropes, winding their way toward the devils.

Zhuyou was momentarily caught by a strand of light, her brows furrowing as her earlier elation cooled. This divine light was clearly drawn to devil energy, and since she was in this realm, she couldn’t escape it.

Changying paused for a moment, then coldly brushed the divine light off Zhuyou. Seeing Zhuyou poised to leap down, she quickly pressed her slender fingers onto Zhuyou’s thin shoulder, her voice icy. “After traveling back, any injuries sustained in this realm are real. Even the slightest wound will feel like your soul is being torn apart. Don’t act recklessly!”

“I’m not being reckless,” Zhuyou replied, turning her head, appearing calm on the surface, but her heart still raced with restless energy.

Changying frowned. How could she not know what Zhuyou wanted? She simply hadn’t expected Zhuyou’s devilish thoughts to be so deeply entrenched. She knew that Zhuyou wasn’t meant to be like this, but due to the interference of others, she had fallen into the devil’s domain.

Since entering the Turbid Mirror, Changying hadn’t intervened much, believing that Zhuyou, as the reincarnation of an ancient god, should not disregard the Three Realms for personal grievances, no matter how much she resented the heavens.

But it seemed she was wrong. Zhuyou truly wanted to awaken the Devil Lord. Once this devil awoke, the human world would become a living hell, overrun by evil spirits and the Devil Clan, just as it had been a thousand years ago, turning into a place where mortals would suffer soul-crushing torment.

In that case, Zhuyou would also be unable to escape this suffering, bound by sin and karma.

Changying realized she needed to find a way to wake Zhuyou early, to sever any connection with the Devil Lord. However, the awakening of an ancient god would inevitably bring the tribulation of fragmented souls, and she… she didn’t want to see Zhuyou endure such pain again.

Zhuyou tilted her head, speaking unhurriedly, “You brought me here. Do you really not know what I want?”

“I know,” Changying no longer feigned ignorance.

“Then why stop me?” Zhuyou smirked, raising a finger to press against Changying’s arm, trying to slowly push the dragon’s hand away.

Her finger had already turned pale, but Changying remained unmoved.

Changying’s expression was cold. “If you rush down now, you’ll be dragged into the battle.”

Zhuyou turned her head, glancing at the warring armies below, and said mockingly, “Then… won’t you help me?” Her voice was soft, distant, yet somehow alluring.

As a devil, it was natural to bewitch hearts. But she had always disdained such tactics, especially after meeting Changying. Yet, this dragon had stubbornly clung to her.

It wasn’t her fault—the dragon refused to leave.

Zhuyou no longer cared about the consequences, not even her own life. She only wanted to seize a fragment of the Devil Lord’s soul. She had to obtain it.

Changying’s grip on her shoulder tightened slightly. Her golden eyes narrowed into slits. “You want me to help you?”

Zhuyou didn’t expect the dragon to agree. Given the vast difference in their power, it was a miracle the dragon hadn’t dragged her back to the Heavenly Realm. She remained silent, just as she had on the Execution Platform, unmoved no matter how the executioner questioned her.

She neither nodded nor spoke, as if locked in a stalemate.

Changying frowned, slowly releasing her grip on Zhuyou’s shoulder. “I won’t help you,” she said coolly. She wouldn’t push Zhuyou into a path of sin, nor allow the human world to become a hell where souls were crushed.

Zhuyou felt no regret. The dragon’s refusal was only natural. She lowered her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I expected as much.”

“But I won’t stop you either,” Changying suddenly added.

Zhuyou’s brows furrowed, and she looked up sharply, as if trying to gauge the truth in Changying’s words. “Really?” she asked, each word deliberate, as if grinding her teeth.

Changying’s expression was impassive, cold as the erupting spiritual flames around them, utterly detached from the chaos below. She didn’t deny it.

Zhuyou immediately turned her gaze back to the devil army. Even though things were going as she wished, she felt uneasy.

On the dark, cold sea, the Devil Lord had already shattered the divine light binding him. He swung his sword, releasing several gusts of blade wind that severed the ropes restraining his devil soldiers.

The devil army resumed their frantic search, churning the sea as if trying to overturn it.

The Devil Lord raised his sword, and instantly, white lightning crisscrossed the sky like a spider’s web.

With a deafening crack, thunder roared.

The bolts of lightning converged into his sword, illuminating it brightly. The devilish energy surrounding the blade became clearly visible.

As the devilish smoke rose, it seemed to form countless faces, each struggling to break free from their prison.

Those faces were clearly the souls of mortals. He had trapped their souls within the devilish energy, condemning them to eternal suffering, unable to reincarnate, destined to endure the agony of soul dispersion.

Zhuyou glanced back at Changying, hesitating to act, fearing the dragon might go back on her word.

Suddenly, something small and golden rose from the churning black waters, resembling a golden pearl.

The pearl wasn’t perfectly round but shaped like a droplet. As it rose, it radiated golden light, surrounded by divine energy, dazzling and blinding.

What was this?

Zhuyou only knew that the Devil Lord had perished a thousand years ago due to the Immortal Realm, and from Changying, she had learned it was the work of the Slayer God. But who the Slayer God was, she didn’t know.

The golden pearl felt familiar, its immortal aura faintly recognizable, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

Yet Zhuyou knew this wasn’t hers. She couldn’t have left anything behind from a thousand years ago.

As the golden pearl emerged from the water, the Devil Lord’s face twisted into a maniacal grin, as if he had finally found a worthy opponent. He released his devilish energy completely, holding nothing back.

The surging devilish energy erupted from him, even knocking over the devil soldiers beside him.

The already turbulent sea was churned into chaos. The underwater Dragon Palace must have been reduced to rubble.

Just as the Devil Lord was about to seize the golden pearl, several water pillars shot into the sky, piercing through the devilish clouds and energy, creating gaping holes!

The countless water pillars rose like dragons sucking water from the sea, their massive forms impossible to sever with ordinary weapons.

The golden pearl hovered in mid-air, illuminating half the sea. Around it, the towering water pillars made the Devil Lord hesitate, not daring to rush in recklessly.

With a wave of his hand, the devilish energy in the sky surged toward the water pillars, instantly resembling several beasts locked in combat.

Suddenly, a deafening dragon’s roar erupted from the golden pearl, its terrifying spiritual energy spreading rapidly in all directions.

Zhuyou raised a hand to cover one ear. Upon hearing the dragon’s roar, her eyes and nose grew hot, and she nearly bled.

This scene felt eerily familiar—she had definitely seen it before. A hundred years ago in Songling City, she had twice encountered strange artifacts, both times accompanied by this deafening dragon’s roar that left her ears ringing.

She suddenly turned her head, glancing at Changying, who stood beside her with an unchanged expression, her gaze falling on the ornament between Changying’s brows.

The golden pearl was unmistakably the same as the one adorning Changying’s forehead, though the one on Changying’s brow seemed duller, as if it had lost its luster.

Zhuyou was stunned for a long time. She knew Changying had returned after reforging her body and that she was now a Divine Venerable of the Heavenly Realm, but she had never imagined…

This Divine Venerable was the one who had annihilated the Devil Lord.

Was it really her?

Below, the devil army trembled in fear. Those closest to the golden pearl instantly turned to bones, swallowed by the churning sea without a trace.

A devil shouted, “That is the po soul fragment of the Slayer God!”

“One of the seven po soul fragments left behind by the Slayer God before her demise!”

“If the Devil Lord crushes that golden pearl, no god in the world will be able to oppose him!”

The clamor below reached Zhuyou’s ears clearly.

Slayer God. Changying was the Slayer God.

Yet Changying remained unmoved, as if the devils’ words had nothing to do with her. She turned her head slightly and said, “I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

Zhuyou nodded slightly, surprisingly calm. “Yes, you could have crushed me like an ant in your palm.”

“I never thought of doing that. I left the Heavenly Palace just to see you,” Changying said coolly.

Zhuyou scoffed. “Then why didn’t you come looking for me in the past hundred years?”

Changying frowned. Though her heart felt heavy, not a trace of distress showed on her face. She had always been cold, even when defending herself, she didn’t know how to feign sorrow.

“I’ve been in seclusion for the past hundred years. Our fates are intertwined. Only by breaking through my limits as quickly as possible could you…”

Changying paused. Could what?

Could you awaken sooner and return to the pinnacle of the Great Dao?

She wanted Zhuyou to stand beside her sooner, but she didn’t want the other immortals to follow her.

Zhuyou gave Changying a complicated look. She had never thought this dragon’s heart was warm, yet Changying had not only opened the Cold Eye, allowing her to obtain the sacred herb, but also brought her back a thousand years in time.

Was it truly for her sake?

Having been immersed in devilish energy for so long, Zhuyou no longer believed in the goodness of people’s hearts. Even when Immortal Zhiying had spared her life on Shenhua Mountain, she had only thought the immortal was foolish.

The golden pearl floating above the sea suddenly brightened, and the surrounding water pillars vanished.

The devilish energy that had been battling the water pillars immediately surged toward the pearl, like a thousand ghostly claws.

The Devil Lord also flew toward it, his sword spinning as a dark wave of devilish energy slashed toward the golden pearl.

Yet the pearl remained unharmed. A soul fragment emerged from it, transforming into the Obsidian Dragon.

This dragon looked exactly like Changying’s true form, a form Zhuyou had once held in her hands. How could she not recognize it?

The Obsidian Dragon exhaled a breath of dragon energy. Though it was only a po soul fragment of the Slayer God, the dragon energy instantly transformed into a rain of swords, hurtling toward the Devil Lord’s face.

The dense array of swords gleamed with a crystalline sheen, each one encased in ice, exuding a bone-chilling cold.

The Devil Lord spun his sword, and the thousands of icy blades were deflected back toward the Obsidian Dragon.

The Obsidian Dragon opened its massive maw, swallowing the icy swords formed from its own breath. With another roar, it froze the Devil Lord’s feet in place with frost, rendering him immobile.

The battle between the dragon and the devil raged on, darkening the heavens and earth, with no end in sight.

Zhuyou had never imagined that the one who annihilated the Devil Lord was merely a soul fragment of the Slayer God. In the chaos of the primordial era, what kind of power had the ancient Devil Lord possessed to force the Slayer God to perish and scatter her soul into seven fragments?

She knew the Divine Venerables of the Nine Heavens were powerful, but only now did she realize she had underestimated them.

Changying truly did not intervene further, standing by with an expression of neither joy nor sorrow. She looked nothing like the decisive Slayer God, more like a serene Buddha.

After the water pillars pierced the dark clouds, the light of the sun finally spilled through, and day and night became distinct.

As the sun rose in the east and set in the west, the sea below alternated between light and darkness.

Suddenly, the Devil Lord staggered, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Zhuyou had waited for this moment. She pulled away Changying’s hand from her shoulder and flew down, her fingers flicking as crimson spiritual energy erupted, striking the Devil Lord’s skull.

Her fingers clenched, and she wrenched a fragment of the Devil Lord’s soul from his body, tearing it free.

The Obsidian Dragon, its massive jaws open, was about to devour the Devil Lord when it suddenly froze upon seeing the figure hovering beside him.

The Devil Lord’s eyes widened. Though he had lost a soul fragment, he was not yet dead. With a roar, he thrust his devil sword through the Obsidian Dragon’s skull, finally collapsing as a spray of devil blood splattered across the dragon’s head.

The devil blood seeped into the dragon’s scales. It howled, lifting its massive claws to tear the devil to shreds.

Zhuyou soared into the air, the soul fragment clutched in her hand, yet her heart and throat felt as cold as ice.

Changying, who had been hovering expressionlessly in the air, suddenly paled. Though it was her soul fragment from a thousand years ago that had been injured, it felt as if the wound had struck her own body. She trembled, biting down hard to suppress any cry of pain.