A wind swept through the hall. In but an instant, the bookshelves before Jian Zhen scattered, countless scrolls flying through the air. Jian Zhen stood on the staircase looking at them.
The elder, upon seeing him, also showed a moment of surprise.
Fu Changhuan stepped forward. “Jian Zhen?”
The scrolls slowly fell, crackling like rain. Amid this rain, the figure of the youth on the staircase was somewhat blurred.
The elder stood up. “How were you able to enter the forbidden ground of our immortal clan?”
Jian Zhen said, “Came up the stairs.”
The elder’s silence was deafening.
The immortal clan’s forbidden ground had a formation set by Grandmaster. Ordinary people could not approach it, nor even find the entrance. Yet this youth had not only entered unscathed, but had also overheard their secret discussion.
The elder asked, “Then, then did you hear…”
Jian Zhen said frankly, “I heard.”
The elder’s expression changed. His gaze turned toward Fu Changhuan.
Before Fu Changhuan could speak, Jian Zhen said, “Elder, I trust Immortal Venerable very much. Over these hundred years, I was able to safely take human form thanks to Immortal Venerable’s constant care. It is precisely because of this that I understand even more the preciousness of life, and would never harm the child in my womb.”
The elder sighed meaningfully. “The one in your womb is the Demon God’s child. If this life is born, he will be a natural-born demon seed. He will cause the deaths of even more lives, child.”
Jian Zhen said, “So what if he is a demon seed? Not all members of the demon clan are entirely bad. Who a person becomes, and what kind of person they become, depends on the guidance and teachings they receive. He is merely a child who has not yet come into this world. He understands nothing and has done nothing. Yet Elder already wishes to convict him, saying he will cause the deaths of more lives. Then I would like to ask…”
The youth’s voice was crisp yet firm.
Jian Zhen met his gaze directly and said, “Elder, are you not also indiscriminately killing the innocent?”
The elder was furious, pointing at Jian Zhen. “He has a father like Ye Jisheng, how could he possibly receive good guidance?!”
Jian Zhen retorted, “When has Ye Jisheng ever indiscriminately killed the innocent?”
The elder let out a contemptuous snort and stretched out his hand to point at the thick snowy mountains outside. “Millions of years ago, the disciples of Spirit Mountain were slaughtered to the last, blood flowing like rivers, is that not ironclad proof?!”
Jian Zhen said, “When Ye Jisheng was lured into the God-Sealing Formation at Wanmie Mountain millions of years ago, did he harm the disciples of Spirit Mountain?”
The elder choked, his voice sounding much older as he said, “You are young and know nothing. The Time Mirror foretold the Demon God’s descent. If not stopped, he would bring disaster upon the world. We merely sealed him to save all under heaven.”
Jian Zhen’s eyes were clean and clear as he asked, “Who are ‘the world’s people’? And who are ‘all living beings’?”
The elder looked up in astonishment.
“Am I one of the world’s people?” Jian Zhen touched his slightly protruding lower abdomen and looked up. “Is the child in my womb one of all living beings?”
The elder felt somewhat embarrassed and angry. “How can these be confused together?”
Jian Zhen said, “The ‘all living beings’ in Elder’s eyes do not include me, do not include my child, and do not include the demon clan. But in my view, all living beings in this world have the right to live. You cannot deprive them of that right. The Time Mirror cannot either.”
The elder shouted angrily, “You!”
Jian Zhen looked at him without the slightest fear.
An ordinary person facing the immortal clan’s Grand Elder, especially under the pressure of the Soul Transformation stage, would have long since been unable to move and fallen to their knees. But on the top floor of Wentian Pavilion was a formation set by Grandmaster. Any pressure exerted here could not surpass Grandmaster’s and would be automatically neutralized. Thus Jian Zhen not only felt no discomfort at all, but even found the old man opposite him inexplicable.
The elder was about to act.
Fu Changhuan had already stepped in front of Jian Zhen before him. His usually cool face was solemn as he said lightly, “Prophet Elder, what are you doing?”
The elder said coldly, “Wangyou, you understand what is at stake. Must the calamity of Spirit Mountain from back then be repeated once more?”
Fu Changhuan did not hesitate in the slightest. “It is precisely because I do not wish Spirit Mountain to repeat its past mistakes that I cannot allow you to harm him in the slightest.”
The elder shouted angrily, “Are you going to stand by and watch as two Demon Gods appear? Do you know what kind of disaster it would bring to the Three Realms if the demon clan truly possessed two Demon Gods?!”
Fu Changhuan stood in front of Jian Zhen without moving even half a step. His figure was so resolute as he said, “Setting aside whether this child is truly the Demon God’s son, even if he is, his biological father is my immortal grass. Then this child has a chance of being of the yao clan. If he is not of the demon clan, not only will our Spirit Mountain bear the demon clan’s retaliation, we would also truly be indiscriminately killing the innocent.”
The elder pointed toward the Time Mirror not far away: “How could this be wrong? The Time Mirror’s prophecies have never been wrong!”
Fu Changhuan said coldly, “Since the Time Mirror’s prophecies never err, then whatever is destined to happen will happen no matter how the elder tries to stop it. Even if you kill one demon god, another will appear. Does the elder intend to slaughter every last member of the demon race?”
The elder panted heavily, enraged: “Wangyou! Do you know what you’re saying? Have you forgotten what the demon god did to our Spirit Mountain back then, and how your junior brother died?”
Fu Changhuan said, “I have not forgotten.”
His voice was icy.
Jian Zhen glanced sideways at him and saw coldness and resolve on Fu Changhuan’s face. He said, “Precisely because I have not forgotten, I will not allow the events of that year to repeat.”
The elder laughed and said, “Very well. Since you insist so stubbornly, don’t blame this old man!”
As soon as the words fell, a gust of wind swept in.
Jian Zhen only felt a loud boom by his ear. Fu Changhuan’s sword blocked the spiritual energy, his gaze cold as he looked toward the prophet elder not far away.
The prophet elder also raised his sword and said, “No matter what, this little demon seed cannot be allowed to live!”
Two Soul Transformation–stage cultivators clashed, and the roof of Wentian Pavilion was nearly blown off. Outside the pavilion, the prophet elder’s disciples surrounded the entire structure, and the formation beneath lit up.
Fu Changhuan frowned slightly and looked at the prophet elder. “Does the elder truly intend to go this far?”
The Time Mirror of Spirit Mountain was the clan’s treasured artifact, normally guarded by the prophet elder of the immortal clan. The Time Mirror possessed immense power, activated by a hundred immortal disciples; its formation was extremely strong.
A burst of intense light flared.
A transparent protective barrier enveloped Jian Zhen.
Fu Changhuan said to Jian Zhen, “Don’t be afraid. I am here.”
Snow‑white spiritual energy rippled outward. The power of a Soul Transformation cultivator spread, blasting all the formation‑guarding disciples away. The formation’s light dimmed sharply, but as soon as one group of disciples fell, another arrived.
The elder laughed and said, “Immortal Lord, do not blame these disciples. They are all acting for the sake of the Three Realms, for the future of our Spirit Mountain.”
Fu Changhuan frowned, his gaze icy.
Countless beams of light rose as the grand formation activated. Cracks slowly appeared in the snow‑colored barrier. Bright light seeped through the fractures, dazzling and harsh.
Jian Zhen instinctively raised his arm to shield himself.
Just as the sting was about to hit,
“Boom!”
A violent roar came with a raging hurricane, followed by scorching heat.
Jian Zhen heard someone cry out in terror: “Ye, Ye Jisheng!!!”
A strange sensation came from his wrist. Jian Zhen slowly opened his eyes and saw the red soul ring on his wrist glowing. That red light shot skyward from the small pavilion, soul‑fire spilling everywhere.
A water‑mirror opened in the air.
Ye Jisheng’s figure appeared within it. The man sat in the grand hall of the Demon Palace, his dark robes flowing across the floor. His posture was lazy and unrestrained, his gaze indifferent as he looked at everyone.
The elder stammered in panic, “Ye Jisheng! What are you trying to do? This is the immortal clan!”
But Ye Jisheng ignored him. His gaze fell on Fu Changhuan, and his tone was mild: “You truly are useless.”
Fu Changhuan’s brows tightened slightly. He gripped his sword but said nothing.
The elder shouted furiously, “Ye Jisheng, this is the sacred land of our immortal clan, how dare you act recklessly!”
Ye Jisheng finally seemed annoyed by the noise. He cast an impatient glance at the elder. His red eyes were like blood‑soaked rubies, cold and merciless. Facing the hatred of countless immortal disciples and elders, he curled his lips and said lightly, “What would I not dare?”
Jian Zhen felt the world surge like storm clouds rising.
It was as if ten thousand years of Spirit Mountain’s frozen snow were swirling through the air.
Countless immortal disciples rushed over and saw the scene: atop the frost‑covered peak, crimson soul‑fire surged skyward. A crushing pressure and demonic power erupted from the distant heavens. The illusion shattered bit by bit, and someone stepped out, one step, then another.
How powerful must one be to teleport thousands of miles from within a mere illusion?
When Ye Jisheng’s figure stepped out of the broken illusion and descended, everyone felt the overwhelming divine pressure. Disciples with weaker cultivation even spat blood on the spot!
Every step Ye Jisheng took spread soul‑fire across the sky.
The prophet elder charged forward, drawing his sword: “Demon god! If you dare act so wantonly, are you not afraid of failing your tribulation and dooming your demon clan?”
Ye Jisheng waved his hand, and invisible soul‑fire blasted the elder away.
Countless disciples tried to approach but were forced back by the soul‑fire. The prophet elder crashed to the ground and coughed blood. Ye Jisheng’s dark robes billowed as he tilted his head, watching with a half‑smile. He said lightly, “Why would I be afraid?”
The prophet elder gasped for breath. Ye Jisheng looked down at him from above, smiling faintly, though a killing aura clung to him like a shadow. He said, “Before my tribulation, if I simply kill all of you, wouldn’t that remove all future worries?”
The prophet elder shouted sharply, “Ye Jisheng!! You dare!”
Before he finished,
Ye Jisheng stepped on him, pinning him beneath his foot. The demon god’s crimson eyes were like blood itself. He said, “What would I not dare?”
The entire Wentian Pavilion was engulfed in blazing fire.
Red soul‑flames dyed the sky crimson. The man in dark robes stood amid the flames, as though he were one with the fire.
Any immortal disciple who approached was burned to ash.
Fu Changhuan’s snow‑white spiritual energy descended, suppressing the raging soul‑fire and shielding all the disciples. His sword fell horizontally before Ye Jisheng, and he said coldly, “Enough. Stay your hand.”
Ye Jisheng slowly lifted his head to look at him. His blood‑red eyes carried mockery, wild and arrogant: “And what are you supposed to be?”
Fu Changhuan said coldly: “Ye Jisheng, you indeed have the ability to slaughter Spirit Mountain once more, but your heavenly tribulation is approaching. To exhaust your own strength like this, is it that you are truly so confident in yourself?”
Ye Jisheng let out a scoff and was just about to speak.
Suddenly a pair of hands pulled at the Demon God, who was filled with killing intent and going mad everywhere with no one daring to stop him.
Ye Jisheng turned his head, and saw a pale, tender little face. Jian Zhen’s warm, soft hands were holding him; his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he said softly, “Let’s go back.”
Ye Jisheng’s eyes suddenly turned cold. He withdrew the foot that had been pressing on the Prophet Elder, instantly supporting Jian Zhen’s body, and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Jian Zhen’s whole body was going weak. The pain in his lower abdomen made him unable to speak. His eye rims were completely red as he nestled in Ye Jisheng’s arms. Grasping his clothes, he said in a very soft voice, “I don’t want to stay here. Take me away.”
No one could stop the Demon God when he was on a killing spree, eyes red with slaughter.
Ye Jisheng was invincible. Within the Three Realms, aside from the God-Sealing Grand Formation, no one could harm him in the slightest. He had no soft spot, nor any weakness. He was powerful and cruel, terrifying to behold.
Yet amid the sky-filling sea of flames, he held the fragile youth in his arms.
Jian Zhen’s voice was as fine as silk threads. Tears slid from the corners of his eyes. The small hand clutching Ye Jisheng’s clothes trembled lightly. “It hurts. Take me back…”
Using his robe, he covered the youth’s body from top to bottom.
Ye Jisheng turned to leave. Fu Changhuan stepped forward and reached out, somewhat concerned, wanting to check on the situation. But before he could get close, he was forced back by fierce soul-fire. Ye Jisheng’s sharp eyes swept toward him as he said coldly, “Get lost! Don’t touch him!”
At that moment, Fu Changhuan felt an extremely strong killing intent.
He did not doubt in the slightest that if he took one more step forward, Ye Jisheng would kill him, at any cost.
Fu Changhuan halted his steps.
Ye Jisheng was like a dangerous, vicious beast that struck fear into people’s hearts. For a brief instant, it was as though he had returned to the sect of tens of millions of years ago. That year, someone had also held a corpse already gone cold and looked at him with such eyes.
“Boom!”
That day, countless people heard the sound of Spirit Mountain collapsing.
And at dusk, in the great hall of the Demon Clan, they saw the Demon God wrapped in cold air all over. Ye Jisheng threw down an order to the guards: “Have the High Priest come to the central hall to see me immediately!”
The light of the setting sun spilled down.
Jian Zhen was placed onto the soft couch. His whole body was already drenched in sweat, yet his hand still tightly clutched Ye Jisheng.
Ye Jisheng’s eyes were heavy and solemn. The man’s slender hand fell upon Jian Zhen’s brow, his divine soul entering Jian Zhen’s sea of consciousness. Normally it would take effect very quickly, yet this time it did not. The person in a faint still had his brows tightly furrowed, cold sweat pouring out.
The High Priest tumbled in hurriedly. “This subordinate greets Your Excellency.”
Ye Jisheng said coldly, “Come and take a look at him.”
When the High Priest had been summoned, he already knew things might not be good. After quickly taking Jian Zhen’s pulse, he too grew flustered. He said, “Your Excellency was first frightened, and then startled by the formation of the Time Mirror. In addition, his body had not been properly regulated to begin with. Being struck by the clash of demonic and spiritual energy led to unstable qi and blood, anger surging to the heart…”
Ye Jisheng frowned impatiently. “Speak plainly!”
The High Priest hurriedly said, “Your Excellency has disturbed the fetal qi.”
Ye Jisheng’s face darkened as he said, “Is there a solution?”
Seeing Jian Zhen’s current state, the High Priest was also somewhat anxious. “The most important thing now is to stabilize Your Excellency’s fetal qi. This old one needs to use an array to assist with medicinal pills…”
Ye Jisheng interrupted him. “How long will it take to prepare these things?”
The High Priest hesitated before saying, “At the fastest, one hour.”
Looking at Jian Zhen trembling in pain on the bed and having fallen unconscious, Ye Jisheng said impatiently, “Is there anything faster?”
The High Priest could only brace himself and say, “Your Excellency’s divine soul and divine aura are the fastest.”
Ye Jisheng said, “I just tried. It was useless.”
The High Priest quickly said, “Perhaps, perhaps because if the divine soul is infused from the forehead, Your Excellency’s physical condition is more severe than before, and it is the child in the womb that was frightened, so I’m afraid it is not enough…”
Just as Ye Jisheng was about to speak, a small hand lightly tugged at him.
Jian Zhen opened his dark, moist eyes. His pale little face had lost all color from his lips. He said softly, “Don’t make things difficult for the Priest. This isn’t his fault…”
Ye Jisheng said, “You really know how to think for others. Pleading for that bunch of useless immortals, pleading for the Priest. Not thinking for yourself even a little?”
Jian Zhen was in too much pain to have strength. Leaning against Ye Jisheng, he said softly, “I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for you. The Immortal Venerable said you are about to undergo heavenly tribulation. You cannot afford another mishap. I know you did it for me, wanting to vent anger for me, but I don’t want you to vent anger for me. I just want you to be well. I don’t want you to be hurt. I don’t want you to die…”
Tears fell silently onto the brocade quilt.
His grip on Ye Jisheng’s hand was so tight that his knuckles turned white.
The room fell into deathly silence.
Ye Jisheng’s voice sounded: “This Venerable knows what method is most effective to pass divine soul to you.”
Jian Zhen lifted his head in surprise.
Yet in the next second, his face was lifted by a pair of hands. Someone lowered his head in a forceful posture. Cool lips fell upon his slightly parted mouth. The familiar aura instantly enveloped him completely. Ink-black hair cascaded down, the two of their strands intertwining, like a bond that could not be severed. Their lips and teeth were stained with each other’s breath, incomparably fitting and natural, as though no one could ever separate them.
Not time, not the Heavenly Dao, not even the passage of tens of millions of years.
