In the original text, Mo Xuanli’s eyes were blood-red, burning with fury. Because the people of Beast-Taming Manor had harmed his master, nearly destroyed his seal, and committed countless atrocities against the merfolk, he deemed them all deserving of death.
After seizing control of the merfolk’s power, Mo Xuanli erupted—sending all beasts into a frenzy, annihilating Beast-Taming Manor, and causing indiscriminate carnage across Longan Port.
At that time, there had been no spirit-gathering formation interfering, no demonic tribe’s appearance, no mutated old monster—only Mo Xuanli’s near-rampant rampage.
When he was later held accountable, the justification at first was “punishing evil,” but his loss of control had caused devastating, unforeseen consequences.
Opinions across the cultivation world were divided, but many were outraged that he alone commanded the merfolk’s allegiance. That resentment only deepened until, when Mo Xuanli’s identity was exposed in the Taixu Hall, his actions could no longer be excused—they became indisputable crimes.
Reading that part, Gu Baiqing had always believed Mo Xuanli had nearly fallen into demonic madness—his strikes driven purely by rage and resentment. With so much power channeled at once, backlash was inevitable, and when he finally tried to rein it in, it was already too late.
Later, once Mo Xuanli regained his calm, he had gone to confess his sins before his master—sincerely, proving that he had never wished to drag the innocent into his war.
But at that moment, Gu Baiqing began to doubt.
Because Mo Xuanli was controlling things too well. In theory, compared to a pure immortal cultivator, someone who practiced both immortal and demonic arts should be stronger.
Yet Mo Xuanli not only seized control of the beasts from the old monster, but after the barrier shattered, he even directed those beasts to swarm the monster’s massive body and attack—
—giving Gu Baiqing a precious chance to breathe.
If he could manage this, then why did the original account say he lost control?
As Gu Baiqing was puzzling over it, the system data suddenly shifted.
【Demonization Value +1】
Gu Baiqing’s nerves instantly tensed. The last time the demonization value had risen, it was because that idiot Yu Chun had scared him half to death.
Even though the spike had receded once Mo Xuanli calmed down, it had still gone up by several points. It had been at thirty-five—now it had increased again, and Gu Baiqing’s poor heart could barely take it.
But why now?
What trigger here could be causing Mo Xuanli’s demonization value to rise?
Taking advantage of the old monster’s distraction—locked in a struggle with the beasts tearing at him—Gu Baiqing glanced toward Mo Xuanli’s side. But what he saw made his heart jolt.
While maintaining his spells and keeping an eye on the battle, Mo Xuanli’s eyes were already tinged red, and dark miasma was gathering faintly around his body. He didn’t seem to realize it himself—only felt that the negative emotions he had long suppressed were now being released.
He didn’t want his master to take risks. He hated that he couldn’t help his master. He couldn’t bear to see these disgusting things continue to exist and harm his master.
With that thought burning in his mind, it was as if some strange power was drawn to him—something that seemed to help.
As the demonization value continued to climb, Mo Xuanli’s control grew even stronger—a kind of strength born from the edge of losing control. The beasts under his command grew wilder, fiercer. More and more beasts gathered, throwing themselves at the old monster even if it meant injury or death. They no longer needed Gu Baiqing’s interference—the old monster was already overwhelmed.
But this scale, this ferocity—just watching it was terrifying. If things spun out of control even slightly, the original tragedy would come true.
The only solution Gu Baiqing could think of was to end the current crisis as fast as possible. If Mo Xuanli no longer needed to fight, everything could stop before he lost control.
Meanwhile, the wounded old monster, in his desperation, had unconsciously made the spirit-gathering formation even more dangerous. He was sucking up all the spiritual energy within it, which caused the formation to begin voraciously draining the life force of every living thing nearby.
Those who had still been able to flee were now pinned in place. Even the merfolk couldn’t move. And the half-human merfolk hybrids—mindless creatures incapable of resistance—became the first to have their lives forcibly devoured.
Gu Baiqing raised Morning Snow before him, wondering if he could unleash something even stronger than Lightning Kill, so as not to waste time—when suddenly he saw real heavenly lightning flash across the sky.
That was lightning strong enough to knock even a tribulation-stage cultivator unconscious—unquestionably the most lethal kind. If he could just draw it down directly—
In his desperation, Gu Baiqing suddenly comprehended a new technique—Heaven’s Summoning Thunder.
He drained the last of his spiritual reserves, and a bolt of heavenly lightning was drawn straight onto Morning Snow. In an instant, blinding white light filled the sky, so intense that no one could open their eyes.
From afar, Mo Xuanli’s heart lurched. A wave of dread crashed over him. Forcing his eyes open against the glare, he saw in shock that the branching arcs of lightning were burning Gu Baiqing’s body.
Panic surged through Mo Xuanli. He wanted to rush over—but the force of that technique was too great. Apart from Ao Hang, no one—human or beast—could withstand the shockwaves.
Even though it was his first attempt, the power was staggering. The lightning struck the old monster head-on, and unlike Lightning Kill, this lightning didn’t end with a single strike—it spread, crawling over the monster’s body like living serpents. No matter how he tried to dispel it or suppress it with spiritual energy, it was useless. Each streak of lightning exploded at the end of its path.
The old monster’s body was torn apart under the relentless bombardment, nearly blown into quarters before finally shrinking back into his true form and hanging limp in midair.
But Gu Baiqing, too, was struck by the heavenly lightning’s backlash. The illusion on his body shattered, revealing his true form. Blood spilled uncontrollably from his lips, staining the white robes across his chest a deep crimson.
Ignoring his wounds, Gu Baiqing was about to deliver the final blow—
—but the half-restored old monster, in a final frenzy, tried again to absorb spiritual power. Yet the spirit-gathering formation had reached its limit. Just like the explosion that had happened in Linxun Town when Mo Xuanli absorbed too much energy, once it was drained dry, the formation collapsed on itself.
And in that instant, the old monster finally met the fate he was destined for.
Like Yu Zhong before him—having devoured more than one mermaid bead—he had to pay the price.
With a thunderous explosion, the old monster self-destructed, body and soul obliterated.
The old monster was dead. The spirit-gathering formation was destroyed.
Everything should have been over.
Gu Baiqing’s wounded body fell, only to be caught by Ao Hang’s dragon form.
Gu Baiqing blinked, feeling oddly unsettled—perhaps because every time danger had passed before, the one catching him, the one at his side, had always been Mo Xuanli.
Now that the crisis was over—where was his little disciple?
Suddenly, a sound echoed in his mind.
【Demonization Value +1】
“Something’s wrong with Mo Xuanli! Think of something, fast!” Ao Hang’s voice came through at the same time.
Gu Baiqing turned—and saw not far away, Mo Xuanli’s eyes were blood-red. He stood rigidly, staring straight at them, but his body seemed frozen, dark miasma spilling from him. His whole being was trembling, suppressing something monstrous—and below him, the beasts’ rampage had not stopped.
Gu Baiqing’s expression darkened.
At the same time, he felt the aftermath of his drained energy—dizziness closing in.
His injuries were too severe. He couldn’t even force himself to stay upright; his vision darkened at the edges.
Yet seeing Mo Xuanli approaching, Gu Baiqing still rolled off Ao Hang’s back.
In truth, Gu Baiqing could no longer move—he couldn’t even control his sword to slow his fall.
But in the next second, he landed in a familiar embrace.
Instantly, the tension in his chest loosened.
It seemed… he hadn’t completely lost control.
“Master… you’re hurt…” Mo Xuanli’s voice suddenly rang out, muffled and strained, as if in pain—and in disbelief.
Gu Baiqing forced his eyes open, but his vision was already blurred. He could only make out a pair of crimson eyes staring at him—red as though they might drip blood.
“You’re hurt… you’re hurt again… I didn’t protect you… I failed again…” Mo Xuanli’s body trembled as he murmured, struggling to suppress the emotion that was about to burst out.
Then, a hand lightly pinched his cheek.
Mo Xuanli froze, hearing Gu Baiqing’s voice—weak, almost drowsy—say, “Xuanli, calm down. Be good, don’t be afraid. It’s over now. Let’s go home.”
Mo Xuanli’s pupils contracted. He looked down to see Gu Baiqing asleep peacefully in his arms. It looked tranquil, almost beautiful—but the blood-soaked white robes kept stabbing at his nerves, making calm impossible. He felt as if he were swaying atop the heavens, some unseen power whispering for him to give in.
Three Bean, who had been by Mo Xuanli’s side the whole time, leapt out in alarm, rubbing anxiously against Gu Baiqing’s face before turning to Mo Xuanli and crying out, “Xuanli, don’t worry! Master just fainted again!”
“Mo Xuanli, you’re losing control—if this continues, you’ll fall into demonization!” Ao Hang descended beside him, reaching out a hand to press against Mo Xuanli’s back, helping disperse the demonic energy gathering there.
Junhua, sensing something wrong as well, tried to fight back against Mo Xuanli’s control. Even when she coughed up blood, it was useless—the binding pact between them made resistance impossible. She could only let him keep forcing the merfolk through his spiritual sense to suppress the rampaging beasts.
But Mo Xuanli seemed deaf to everything. The demonic energy kept surging, gathering thicker and darker around him. He only held Gu Baiqing tighter—so tight it was as if he wanted to merge him into his own body. His forehead pressed to Gu Baiqing’s, restless emotions urging him to grow stronger, to seize control of everything.
Below them, Yu Qi watched the old monster finally die. Though the Spirit-Gathering Formation was destroyed, he had caught the biggest fish. If things continued this way and Mo Xuanli truly fell into madness, the future would be very entertaining indeed.
He’d seen enough of the hypocrisy of the cultivation world—moral on the surface, rotten underneath. The demon clans, at least, did whatever they pleased. Yu Qi had long become one of them in truth—not for vengeance, not for sorrow, but simply to indulge the chaos his kind loved.
As he poured more spiritual power into the Silent Demon-Flute, its unseen influence deepened—
Suddenly, the splash of water broke the air. A familiar arc of light flashed before his eyes—
The most beautiful sight he’d ever seen: Fu Qinfan leaping from the sea.
A figure fell before the barrier trapping Yu Qi—without legs, unable to stand—but Yu Qi instinctively reached out to catch them.
In that instant, a pale hand snatched the flute from him—and crushed it to dust.
In a flash, the power that had been luring Mo Xuanli vanished, and the demonic energy began to dissipate under Ao Hang’s purification.
Mo Xuanli was still wracked with agony, but clarity slowly returned. Realizing what he’d done, he immediately tried to rein in the rampaging beasts. Though their frenzy was already difficult to stop, he had to—especially when he looked at Gu Baiqing lying so close, that calm, cold face seeming to warn him:
They were master and disciple. They must not cross that line. A master’s dignity could not be defiled.
He forced down his unstable emotions, repeating to himself again and again—
Master will be angry. Master will be upset. I can’t lose control. I mustn’t.
With a pained roar, Mo Xuanli finally collapsed, still clutching Gu Baiqing, and was caught by Ao Hang.
At last, Junhua no longer had to release her voice waves. The beasts all regained reason—some dazedly looking around, some wandering off, some licking their wounds, and others resuming their primal scuffles. The chaos seemed to fade, and calm returned.
Yet leaving the beasts here was still dangerous.
The merfolk on the battlefield were either gravely wounded or utterly exhausted; none could act. Even fewer of the human-mer hybrids survived, and without leadership, none could restrain the beasts.
Then, from across the sea, came a hauntingly beautiful song. The escaped merfolk, unable to rest easy, had surfaced again. Seeing the devastation before them, they sang to soothe the beasts that might lash out.
In Longan Port, the people had already been terrified—first by the old monster and the Spirit-Gathering Formation, then by the rampage of the beasts. The chaos had left casualties unavoidable. And now, even though it was over, the sight of those massive beasts lingering nearby filled them with renewed dread.
Their beast-taming arts were useless here.
When the song reached them, they didn’t recognize it at first. After all, the only merfolk they’d ever seen were either corpses—or those who had been silenced. They knew the merfolk’s voice could kill, that it was dangerous.
But now… they watched as the beasts obediently returned to the Ten-Thousand Beast Forest, merely passing through Longan Port without harming anyone.
When they finally realized what was happening, shame washed over every face. None dared to lift their heads.
Most of them had never personally harmed a merfolk—but they’d been raised to despise them. They hadn’t killed or enslaved them simply because they couldn’t afford to.
Now they understood—it was the merfolk who had saved them.
That shame was indescribable.
As the beasts slowly departed, Ao Hang brought everyone back down to the ground.
Mo Xuanli, still clutching Gu Baiqing, was placed beneath a nearby tree. Three Bean hovered beside them anxiously.
“Take them back to the Dragon Palace in a bit. Don’t worry,” Ao Hang said, before moving to capture the demon beasts. The Beast Demon was the one Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli had wanted to seize—it had to be taken with them.
But when he drew near, he found it gone.
Without Mo Xuanli’s power maintaining the barrier, it must have collapsed quickly.
And then, Junhua’s cry rang out—
So it turned out—not only was the beast demon gone, but Fu Qinfan, Fu Ye, Yu Yingwan, and Manor Lord Yu had all disappeared as well. Only the mangled corpses of the Beast-Taming Manor’s people remained. Judging from how torn apart they were, it looked as though something had ripped them to shreds.
“It wasn’t the Spirit-Gathering Formation that killed them—it was the beasts,” Ao Hang said.
“How could that be? The beasts from the Ten-Thousand Beast Forest were clearly—” Junhua suddenly froze, realizing—if the beasts had been corrupted by demonic energy, they wouldn’t have listened to anyone.
“It must be Yu Qi! They can’t have gone far—they must’ve slipped away with the beasts’ ranks, toward the Ten-Thousand Beast Forest!” Junhua immediately deduced and turned to give chase.
Three Bean quickly interjected, “You? You’re in no condition to go right now!”
“They’re my family. I have to.”
As soon as Junhua spoke, several merfolk arrived as well. Though bloodied and exhausted from battle, since the Second Princess had decided to go, they would, of course, follow.
Three Bean’s worry was useless now. With both Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing in critical condition, they couldn’t bring them along to chase the demons. They could only take them back to the Dragon Palace for treatment first.
Following the trail, Junhua and her group soon heard sounds of fighting deep within the Ten-Thousand Beast Forest.
When they arrived, the first thing they saw was Manor Lord Yu’s corpse.
His chest had been hollowed out, his eyes still wide open in death. The heavy demonic aura lingering on his body made it clear—it was Yu Qi who killed him.
They hurried onward, but to their surprise, under a tree ahead, they found Fu Ye.
“Yezi!” Junhua rushed forward in worry—only to find Fu Ye looked exactly the same as before her disappearance, his injuries not worsened at all, as if someone had merely dropped him there.
Fu Ye looked up weakly when he saw her. “Second Sister… Eldest Sister recovered… but she wouldn’t come with me. She said… if one day you find her body in the sea, just… bring her home for burial.”
Junhua’s face went pale. “And you? Why did Yu Qi let you go?”
Fu Ye’s gaze flickered. “It was… she saved me.”
Junhua immediately understood who he meant.
“Where is she?” Junhua demanded sharply.
“She—she saved me first, then said she had to go back to stop her second brother… to save their father…”
“That old wretch is already dead—we saw the body. Yu Qi must have killed him,” Junhua said.
Fu Ye’s face drained of color. “Then she…”
Junhua’s expression hardened. “She mustn’t die! I’m going to find her.” She had to see her elder sister with her own eyes.
Leaving one merfolk to tend to Fu Ye, Junhua led the others to continue the search.
After she left, Fu Ye remained restless. The merfolk beside him tried to comfort him, but Fu Ye suddenly said, “Right… by the cliff—the big tree. Sister said, if we get separated, we’d meet there.”
The merfolk immediately offered to carry Fu Ye there.
But when they arrived, there was nothing.
Fu Ye was helped to sit beside the tree to wait—but inexplicably, a tear slipped from the corner of his eye, turning into a glimmering pearl as it fell.
By the time he realized it, Fu Ye only stared blankly at the pearl, dazed.
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