The once-young Xuanli struggled to survive and encountered Half-Step Immortal.
Half-Step Immortal gave him hope to live. From then on, he no longer fled aimlessly, he knew what he needed to do.
When he fell in love with Master, this layer of hope became even more important, because he knew that only in this way could he be with Gu Baiqing.
But when he finally worked his way up to the Tribulation stage and obtained the God-Slaying Sword… what awaited him was the most resolute killing intent between heaven and earth. And the driving force behind that killing intent was his own spiritual power.
Mo Xuanli was like handing a knife to the murderer, allowing the murderer to turn around and kill him instead. And he no longer had the strength to fight back.
Mo Xuanli’s mind went blank for a brief moment. At this critical instant of life and death, his line of sight shifted toward Master, who was rushing over.
At that moment, he desperately did not want to die.
But the demon-dispelling nails that the God-Slaying Sword had transformed into gradually occupied his entire field of vision.
Gu Baiqing watched from afar, as if watching in slow motion. He had no time at all to think about how things had turned out like this, he only knew that he could not let Mo Xuanli be harmed.
Yet those sharp nails seemed to have already pierced Mo Xuanli’s skin.
Forehead, brow center, throat, heart…
This was to completely nail Mo Xuanli to death.
“No!” Gu Baiqing shouted.
But at this very instant, the eighteen nails seemed to pause for a moment.
Looking closely, at the tail end of each nail there seemed to be a trace of an extremely thin red cord remaining. It was pulling the nails with all its might in the opposite direction, desperately fighting for this crucial moment.
A dragon’s roar rang out. Ao Heng barely managed to let his dragon breath howl out, blowing the God-Slaying Sword’s attack off course.
But it only caused the God-Slaying Sword to falter for a moment; its attacks still continued.
Yet this instant gave Mo Xuanli enough time to react. Suddenly, black-and-red flames surged up from his body, and in that moment blocked all the attacks.
The collision between Tribulation stage combat power and a divine artifact was far too terrifying. The people around were all thrown into chaos by this sudden change.
However, the God-Slaying Sword’s attack power originally came from Mo Xuanli himself, so at most it could strike once. If it failed, it could only retreat.
The eighteen demon-dispelling nails gathered together into a sharp sword and instantly returned to Li Xiuran’s hand.
Li Xiuran stared at the God-Slaying Sword in his hand in astonishment, shocked beyond belief.
“How could this be?” Li Xiuran turned to look at Half-Step Mad.
Half-Step Mad shook his head and said, “I don’t know either!”
Half-Step Mad immediately looked at Gu Baiqing. Seeing Gu Baiqing gazing at him with a deep look, Half-Step Mad both nodded and shook his head, frantically trying to express something.
And Gu Baiqing also understood Half-Step Mad’s meaning.
The matter of the God-Slaying Sword, Half-Step Mad did not know about it. But Half-Step Mad really had received the final task, and the task was… to kill Mo Xuanli.
Half-Step Mad had already thought it through. If the God-Slaying Sword could save Mo Xuanli, then regardless of whether this task counted as a success, he would accept it. After all, harming innocent people for the sake of his own task was something Half-Step Mad could not do. He would rather watch the son in his book fight his way toward a beautiful future. But he had never imagined that the information his cheap senior brother left behind would actually be false.
When the flames disappeared, Gu Baiqing had already rushed to Mo Xuanli’s side and supported him, watching helplessly as Mo Xuanli’s eyes turned dark red. The madness and despair in the depths of his gaze were heart-wrenching. With demonic qi swirling all over his body, even without the system’s reminder, Gu Baiqing knew that Mo Xuanli was about to demonize.
After suffering such a blow, it would be strange if he did not demonize.
“Xuanli…” Gu Baiqing’s voice trembled softly.
“Fake… fake…” Mo Xuanli murmured, lifting his head. Like a child about to fall off a cliff, he revealed a look pleading for help. But that sliver of pleading was covered by a certain kind of madness.
Gu Baiqing was stunned by that gaze.
Then he heard Xuanyue’s voice come from below.
“Hahahaha, of course it’s fake. Mo Xuanli, you’re really naive. How could you think the God-Slaying Sword could change your bloodline and turn you into a normal person? If it really could, why wouldn’t father and mother have tried it back then? You were deceived. You see it now, don’t you? Indeed, everyone wants you dead, using every possible way to make you die. From the very beginning, you never had any hope of living. Tell me, what’s the point of you still living?”
Mo Xuanli’s expression gradually turned ferocious. Everything had already become clear. From beginning to end, Half-Step Immortal had been deceiving him. His so-called hope had never existed in the first place. Half-Step Immortal, like Immortal Baili Jin, could not kill him directly, but Half-Step Immortal knew how to take the life of the Primordial Demon’s successor.
Teaching him, giving him hope, every step was a step guiding him toward his own death.
What Tribulation stage, what God-Slaying Sword, these were all necessary conditions to eliminate him. From the moment he happily and innocently agreed to Half-Step Immortal to seal his own bloodline, the plan to kill him had begun.
And he had become the firm executor of this plan.
“Shut up!” Gu Baiqing shouted angrily and directly made a move, trying to silence Xuanyue. But in the next moment, Mo Xuanli suddenly let out a hoarse roar, explosively releasing powerful force in his agony. Because Gu Baiqing was right beside him, although he was not flung away, he still suffered internal injuries.
Gu Baiqing could only grip Mo Xuanli’s arms and swallow the blood back down into his stomach.
Mo Xuanli would never hurt him, unless he lost control.
Gu Baiqing’s heart tightened in panic. He hurriedly grabbed Mo Xuanli and comforted him. “Xuanli, it’s okay if we failed. Back then we were mentally prepared for this, weren’t we?” As he spoke, he continuously poured powerful spiritual power into Mo Xuanli’s body, hoping to contend with the demonic qi inside him.
That’s right. They had once discussed that even if they failed, it wouldn’t matter, they would be together forever.
But failure, and the realization that it had been a lie from the very beginning, were two completely different concepts.
The demonic qi on Mo Xuanli’s body grew heavier and heavier. Even as Gu Baiqing spoke, he did not react at all, his entire being like a volcano erupting.
At this moment, people began to shout. To them, they had not wanted Mo Xuanli to touch the God-Slaying Sword from the very start. Now even the God-Slaying Sword wanted to kill him, and Mo Xuanli had turned into such a powerful demon race existence, how could anyone not be afraid? Very quickly, everyone gradually realized that something was wrong, and all the spearheads began to point at Mo Xuanli.
Sensing the killing intent and wariness, Mo Xuanli was like a trapped beast that had been provoked, viciously and miserably scanning his surroundings.
They all want him dead. Everyone wants him dead. Why? Why? He was so tired, really so tired.
Is wanting to live a sin? Do I have to choose to die in order to live for all the people in this world who have nothing to do with me?
Why? Destroy it. Just destroy everything.
No, he still has friends. He still has Master.
No, don’t go mad. Control yourself. Control yourself…
Suddenly, a voice sounded from not far away, “Li Xiuran, Gu Baiqing, you two act quickly! Half-Step Immortal’s plan, we, the descendants, must carry it through. For this day, you have already waited far too long.”
That was Sect Master Baili’s voice. Gu Baiqing instantly understood Sect Master Baili’s intention, this was sowing discord. He really wanted to shout “idiot” at the top of his lungs.
Gu Baiqing abruptly looked at Mo Xuanli and said, “Calm down, trust us, don’t let it affect you.”
But Mo Xuanli, who was in a state of madness, still had his mind affected; the demonic aura on his body grew even heavier. After being deceived over and over again, Mo Xuanli no longer knew what he should believe.
“Master, I… I’m about to lose control, I…” Mo Xuanli used the very last trace of reason to slowly speak. He was still stubbornly resisting something; he didn’t want to fall into demonic possession, once he did, he wouldn’t be far from the Primordial Demon.
But just at this moment, Xuanyue appeared once again. Earlier, after being blasted by the demonic aura, Xuanyue had escaped; everyone was too busy to take care of themselves, and no one was paying attention to the severely injured Xuanyue anymore.
Even though she was gravely wounded, Xuanyue resolutely refused to give up this last sliver of opportunity. One sentence shattered all of Mo Xuanli’s reason.
“Mo Xuanli, are you sure what you’re experiencing now is reality?”
“All the kindness your Master shows you is fake; everything is nothing but your delusion. In truth, he also wants you dead, you understand that, right? After all, you’ve already experienced it so many times.”
Mo Xuanli’s pupils contracted; those red eyes almost turned into vertical slits, dangerous and crazed.
Gu Baiqing reacted and struck out with all his strength, but for a moment he still didn’t understand what those words meant.
And Xuanyue didn’t dodge at all, taking that fatal palm strike head-on. She was tired in her heart as well. She wasn’t afraid of death; she was only afraid that after she died, this world wouldn’t be buried with her, how could she accept that?
She smiled brightly at Gu Baiqing and softly said, “The first and second times you don’t believe it; the third and fourth times you’re furious; the hundredth time you’re numb; the five-hundredth time you collapse; the nine-hundred-and-ninety-ninth time you go mad. Do you think the disciple standing by your side is still normal? He’s only one step away from being a madman. Once mad, he can become a demon. And now is the moment for him to become a demon!”
Gu Baiqing completely didn’t understand what Xuanyue was talking about, but he was already terrified by what he heard, a chill running down his spine. When the surroundings were enveloped by overwhelming demonic aura, Gu Baiqing’s heart began to tremble slowly.
Gu Baiqing suddenly turned to look at Mo Xuanli, wanting to reach out and hold him.
But Gu Baiqing’s hand was forcefully grabbed by Mo Xuanli; that strength was not gentle at all, not the kind of strength little Mo-dog should have.
His eyes were blood-red, his face full of viciousness and madness. “Trying to kill me again? The one-thousandth time!”
The reincarnation array was marked with a thousand times, but Mo Xuanli had only experienced nine hundred and ninety-nine times, so now… this was also fake.
Gu Baiqing’s heart jolted. Seeing that his hand was caught near Mo Xuanli’s heart, Gu Baiqing suddenly understood. His pupils shook violently; he couldn’t believe what Mo Xuanli had gone through, his heart aching as if it were being twisted by knives.
He watched helplessly as the people approaching from all around, whether they came to help or to kill Mo Xuanli, were all repelled by Mo Xuanli’s flames.
It was completely indiscriminate attacking. This Mo Xuanli was so unfamiliar, it was frightening. Coupled with the power of the tribulation stage, almost no one could truly get close to them.
“Xuanli?” Gu Baiqing’s voice trembled slightly.
“Master.” Mo Xuanli tilted his head and called out once, but because of the headache he frowned slightly, then immediately laughed again. His emotions were so unstable that he looked like a genuine madman.
Gu Baiqing’s gaze sharpened, and he directly reached out with his other hand to strike Mo Xuanli’s dantian, wanting to help him stabilize.
But Mo Xuanli lowered his head, took a look, and said, “That won’t do, this can’t kill me.”
“Xuanli, I’m saving you,” Gu Baiqing said.
Mo Xuanli suddenly seemed to recall something and became unbearably grief-stricken and furious. He directly reached out and clutched Gu Baiqing’s throat.
And Gu Baiqing was unable to resist, after all, one of his hands was being held, and the other was regulating the chaotic spiritual energy within Mo Xuanli’s body.
“You’re all lying to me, you’re lying to me too. You just want to trick me into dying willingly. Stop pretending to be Master. I’d rather you stab me with a knife. I clearly only believed in Master, why are you all so cruel!”
Gu Baiqing was choked to the point of slight suffocation, but he knew Mo Xuanli wasn’t using all his strength. Yet hearing those words felt like ten thousand arrows piercing his heart.
In those countless reincarnations, in those brief fragments, what had he done to Mo Xuanli, to turn him this mad?
“Xuanli, listen to me. This isn’t an illusion. I’m by your side. I will never hurt you. I…”
Mo Xuanli froze when he heard this; his hand loosened immediately. But the next second, his hand was raised high, as if about to strike down on Gu Baiqing’s head, because Gu Baiqing sending him spiritual power, to his current body, was an attack and an injury. So it was all fake, all liars.
Mo Xuanli’s gaze grew even more abnormal; he cried and laughed at the same time, then viciously said, “I hate you, I hate you. Gu Baiqing, you want me to die, you want me to die alone and desolate, no way. I want you to accompany me, I want you to go to h*ll with me! I will never let go of you, never will!”
With such chaotic attacks, even if the people on the periphery couldn’t come in to protect him, Gu Baiqing’s own defenses could block it. What’s more, Morning Snow was also there. Gu Baiqing closed his eyes and endured it, but the hand didn’t swing down. He opened his eyes to look.
Mo Xuanli was crying, crying with great grievance, like an injured rabbit. He wrapped his arms tightly around Gu Baiqing.
Gu Baiqing thought he had finally regained consciousness. But the next moment, Mo Xuanli said in a hurt voice, “Master, why… are you so cruel to me… please, can you let someone else do it? When you do it, it really hurts, really hurts. I’m begging you… as long as you agree, I’ll die willingly, no matter how many times.”
Mo Xuanli couldn’t find a way out of the illusion. Every time it was incomparably real. He had been worn down in repetition after repetition, his edges smoothed away, able only to beg humbly, killing him was fine, just don’t let it be Master who did it.
But having said that, Mo Xuanli regretted it again.
“No… please let me out. What do I have to do for you to let me out? There’s the real Master waiting for me outside. I want to go out and find him. I want to go out…”
Watching Mo Xuanli beg almost with sobs and tears, Gu Baiqing had no choice but to cruelly face one fact, Mo Xuanli had been tortured into abnormality.
Gu Baiqing felt his heart wrench with every breath. He held back the heartbroken tears, cupped Mo Xuanli’s face, and said, “It was Xuanyue who lied to you. Look carefully, how many chances have I had to kill you? Did I ever make a move? So this time is real. The real Master will never kill Mo Xuanli. Look clearly…”
But Gu Baiqing’s words were soon disrupted by waves of shouting. Having witnessed Mo Xuanli’s proactive attacks, everyone in the cultivation world was no longer calm; people clamored to kill Mo Xuanli.
Gu Baiqing anxiously held Mo Xuanli’s face, which was gradually becoming desolate and empty, and kissed him, wanting to make Mo Xuanli regain consciousness.
But just at the instant Gu Baiqing’s lips were about to touch, Mo Xuanli suddenly spoke in bleak despair, “Maybe, if I die, I’ll be able to get out.”
Gu Baiqing’s pupils contracted. Before he could stop it, in an instant, demonic energy completely different from that released by the demon race and the demon realm surged out like a raging tidal wave. Gu Baiqing almost couldn’t hold onto Mo Xuanli, whose entire body was scorching hot.
“Xuanli!” Gu Baiqing felt that he hadn’t held on, his little Mo-dog vanished at that moment.
In an instant, screams rose one after another.
Everyone was blasted away by the impact; even Gu Baiqing was blown back. Because he was the closest, the damage he took was the greatest. Fortunately, Li Xiuran and Half-Step Mad joined forces to stop the airborne Gu Baiqing.
After the impact, Gu Baiqing lifted his eyes and saw only a black beam of light from the heavens descend like lightning onto Mo Xuanli’s body. Mo Xuanli hovered in midair, as if sensing the power between heaven and earth. His entire body burned with black flames; black patterns crawled over his originally fair face, eerie to the extreme.
He slowly opened his eyes. Those red eyes were different from ordinary demons, they were vertical pupils. That gaze lightly swept over everything within sight, as if judging something, and there was also a strange curve at the corner of his mouth.
At that moment, Gu Baiqing felt that he was Mo Xuanli, yet not Mo Xuanli, like the satiation after obtaining absolute power, yet also like a weariness born of desires left unsatisfied, indifferent to everything, interested in nothing. He was Mo Xuanli, and also… the Primordial Demon!
The Primordial Demon was, by nature, the embodiment of power. It didn’t mean consciousness was stripped away, but it also wasn’t entirely the same consciousness anymore, like someone who had lived a thousand years; they wouldn’t recall themselves at fifteen. He didn’t remember, and he didn’t care.
Something within his field of vision moved, and Mo Xuanli lightly tilted his head.
Before anyone could even rise, everyone around, including Gu Baiqing, felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon them in an instant, forcing all their backs to bend, leaving them unable to move.
A soundless coercive force filled the space between heaven and earth. The clouds in the sky gradually turned dark red, giving people a suffocating feeling. The sensation of facing an indescribably powerful force swept through everyone’s hearts, bringing with it profound fear.
Only the God-Slaying Sword hummed, and Li Xiuran, who had been chosen by the God-Slaying Sword, could barely still move.
They all knew the thing they feared most had happened. Faced with such absolute power, they truly had no ability to resist.
But very quickly, a holy light shone upon everyone, instantly easing the pressure on them.
“Everyone attack together, he hasn’t completely evolved yet. This is our only chance!” someone suddenly shouted. It was a member of the Hidden Gods Clan.
They could tell that Mo Xuanli was currently in a half-evolved state. The Hidden Gods Clan used secret techniques of their clan to form an array, opening a path for everyone to fight.
Facing despair under absolute domination, everyone rose up to counterattack at this moment.
Some among the demon race, acting like lackeys, tried to go help the already demonized Mo Xuanli, but the instant they got too close, they turned to ashes.
At this moment, the demon race finally understood one thing: the Primordial Demon had never stood on their side.
It could be said that there was nothing left between heaven and earth that the Primordial Demon would deign to place in his eyes.
Xuanyue was already on her last breath. The demon race didn’t know what to do, and at this time Yu Xin had no choice but to step forward, cursing loudly, “Wake up, can’t you see it? The Primordial Demon is going to destroy the world! Everyone, attack!”
As she spoke, Yu Xin charged out first, and the people of the cultivation world also rushed forward one after another.
But the Mo Xuanli who had previously been besieged and targeted to the point of near mental collapse now wore only a look of contempt on his face.
He didn’t even care whether anyone attacked him. He merely surveyed his surroundings, searching to see whether there was anything in this world worth leaving behind. Otherwise, he might as well destroy it all.
His mind no longer held that many emotions; he was even too lazy to call upon his original memories. Before his power, these people were nothing but ants. He couldn’t possibly view mosquitoes and flies around him with an attitude of equality. He was too lazy to give them an extra glance. A very simple line of thought: the interesting ones could stay; the uninteresting ones weren’t needed.
Over there was a true dragon, fairly decent. Over here was the aura of the divine race. The God-Slaying Sword? An annoying thing.
Suddenly, the Primordial Demon, drawing in all the surrounding auras, caught a whiff of an extremely fragrant scent.
He had never smelled such a fragrance before. It made his delighted pupils dilate slightly.
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