novelzi Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Her body was already dead, incapable of healing itself.
Within her inner realm, a wisp of emerald demonic energy continued to grow, splitting into countless threads that pieced together her shattered inner realm like glue holding together a broken porcelain bowl. Though it couldn’t restore it to its original state, it was barely functional.
Her meridians, shredded by sword energy, were also slowly mending. Under the nourishment of the demonic energy, her cultivation had recovered to the Foundation Establishment stage.
The "Revival" demonic energy devoured corpses, turning the dead and dying into puppets under its control. During the great war between righteousness and evil, these puppets were particularly troublesome because the "Revival" energy would push their cultivation to the peak of their former strength.
This was why this emerald demonic energy was called "Revival."
Logically, the "Revival" energy should have eroded her consciousness as well, but Xiao Ling had retained her awareness until now. She used to resent the heavens for being unfair, making her life unbearably harsh. But looking back, it seemed that in every desperate moment, fate had always left her a sliver of hope.
When she had fought Nie Yinzhi for the spiritual platform, she had nearly died at Nie Yinzhi’s hands. At the last moment, a mysterious force had pulled her away. That should have been the most obvious sign, but back then, she had been too panicked, wishing only to muddle through that painful period without giving much thought to the details.
Even the cave on the Reflection Cliff couldn’t truly hold her. The judgment of "never leaving until death" and the sealing array at the cave entrance had already deemed her a dead person.
【Damn! This is the protagonist’s halo, isn’t it? Right? Right?!】
【When she was possessed, I thought it was Sang Wumian’s last act of consciousness that pulled her out of Nie Yinzhi’s spiritual platform.】
【As soon as it’s about the female lead, the inner monologues get so heavy...】
【So is she really staying on the Reflection Cliff enduring the punishment of ice and fire to atone for her sins?】
Xiao Ling had actually been sentenced to the Reflection Cliff, which Nie Yinzhi found somewhat strange. It felt as if their situations had subtly reversed.
Nie Yinzhi wrapped her arms around Gu Jiang’s shoulders as he carried her, flying toward the Ten Thousand Demons Cave. Outside the cave, the landscape was a vast expanse of yellow earth and ravines, with wind-eroded rock layers pockmarked with holes, each housing a seated Buddha statue.
She curiously observed the statues, occasionally glancing at the comments that popped up.
Gu Jiang moved as if strolling through a garden, gliding effortlessly above the Ten Thousand Demons Cave without alerting anyone or any array. Nie Yinzhi saw the righteous cultivators guarding the cave, and even as patrols passed by, none of them noticed their presence.
From above, the situation beneath the Demon Sealing Mark was unclear. All she could see was the black tower spire pointing toward the center of the array, surrounded by a misty blood-red shadow that clashed with the Demon Sealing Mark, bearing most of its pressure.
Nie Yinzhi frowned immediately. "Is this how your disciple squanders your demonic energy?"
"As the Demon Lord, he naturally bears the corresponding responsibilities," Gu Jiang replied indifferently. He had allowed Feng Hanying to absorb and refine his demonic energy, so there was no reason to hold back. How much demonic energy Feng Hanying could take from him depended entirely on his own abilities.
"No wonder he initially thought you woke up to clean house," Nie Yinzhi said, raising her hand to gently caress his cheek. "Luckily, you only took in this one rebellious disciple."
Gu Jiang smiled, leaning his head into her palm. Nie Yinzhi’s heart skipped a beat, struck by his gesture that seemed to ask for affection.
Suddenly, the Demon Sealing Mark beneath them shook violently, its runes glowing brightly. Layer upon layer of sealing inscriptions appeared in the air, alerting the surrounding guards.
The Ten Thousand Demons Cave was guarded by high-ranking cultivators at several key points. Feng Hanying often tested the Demon Sealing Mark, so they were used to it. However, given the sensitive timing, none of them dared to be careless.
Beneath the Demon Sealing Mark, the blood-red shadow continuously assaulted the inscriptions. Nie Yinzhi focused her gaze on the specific inscription Feng Hanying was targeting, threading her spiritual energy like a fine silk into the tiny rune.
She couldn’t rely on Gu Jiang, as he would only brute-force his way through the seal, much like what had happened at Pill-Forming Peak. That would cause too much commotion.
While she was still in the Sword Forest, Nie Yinzhi had been studying the Demon Sealing inscriptions. Though she couldn’t completely dismantle the seal, she could pry open a small gap. With her and Feng Hanying working together, a tiny misalignment appeared in the inscription.
Nie Yinzhi’s face lit up with joy. "It’s done."
Gu Jiang wrapped his robe around her, and their figures turned into a wisp of smoke, seeping through the gap.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. The misalignment in the Demon Sealing Mark quickly corrected itself. One of the high-ranking cultivators seemed to sense something, but upon closer inspection, everything appeared normal.
Nie Yinzhi felt her vision darken as Gu Jiang’s breath brushed against her ear. He kissed her earlobe and whispered, "When did you find the time to learn so much?"
Her ear tingled, and she chuckled softly. "Of course, while you were asleep."
Moments later, Nie Yinzhi was released. When she opened her eyes, her vision was still pitch black. The space was entirely constructed of black stone, and Feng Hanying, draped in a black robe, blended perfectly into the background.
Only his pale, bloodless face floated in the air, his features exquisitely delicate, almost feminine. His eyes were as dark as the stone beneath his feet, devoid of light, with a vermilion mark between his brows. He looked like a meticulously crafted jade statue, eerie and unsettling.
Despite this, the atmosphere he created gave off the unmistakable aura of a demon lord, exactly as she had imagined he would be.
This implied that he didn’t have one yet. Nie Yinzhi mimicked his usual tone, dragging out her words lazily, "As long as it’s you, anything’s fine."
Gu Jiang burst into laughter at her teasing.
[Feng, what’s wrong with you, Feng? You’re not like this in front of others! The domineering Demon Lord??]
[Adaptable and flexible, a true leader who doesn’t sweat the small stuff—that’s our Feng, alright.]
[Such a humble Feng reminds me of myself when the big boss comes to inspect. The life of a corporate drone is hard.]
[So being stuffed into a rabbit and tagging along wasn’t without its benefits. He’s got the boss’s preferences figured out now!]
[From a tag-along rabbit to a tag-along snake, I get it now. Feng Hanying is the mascot of this show!]
[This thing reminds me of the spirit beasts of scouts and guides. Imagine the possibilities during, you know... *wink wink*]
[Driving again? The kids are going to be malnourished.]
[So far, all the steamy scenes I’ve seen are in the comments. Not sure if I should be relieved or sad.]
The streets weren’t crowded. Most of the demonic cultivators gathered indoors. Even though the Demon Sealing Mark’s power was halved by the central tower and further weakened by the city’s protective array, it still posed a threat to them.
The faint, rippling energy Nie Yinzhi had seen rising from the tower was the demonic energy being drawn away by the Demon Sealing Mark.
Everyone here wore robes of various styles when venturing outside—some ornate and flamboyant, others dull and plain. What they all had in common was that these robes provided some protection against the Demon Sealing Mark.
Only when they stepped under the eaves would they remove them.
To blend in, Nie Yinzhi and Gu Jiang followed Feng Hanying’s lead and went to pick out some robes.
The place Feng Hanying took them to was naturally top-notch. The little black snake with a cinnabar mark on its forehead leapt onto the counter, and the shopkeeper nearly dropped to his knees in fear.
The first city Nie Yinzhi and Gu Jiang casually entered was Molten Gold City. Its ruler had recently been publicly executed by Feng Hanying, and along with him, the unruly demonic cultivators had been purged. It was now the most orderly, yet also the most tense city.
Feng Hanying bore the brunt of the Demon Sealing Mark’s threat, and as such, he demanded absolute authority. No one dared to defy him.
However, Feng Hanying didn’t intervene in the conflicts between cities or the infighting among the demonic cultivators. As long as they obeyed him and stayed out of his way, everything was fine.
Choosing robes naturally fell to Nie Yinzhi, but this time she only picked two modest, grayish-brown robes and didn’t linger too long.
Gu Jiang reached out from under his robe and took Nie Yinzhi’s hand.
Nie Yinzhi’s fingers twitched slightly. She glanced at him and obediently walked by his side.
The shopkeeper nervously saw them off, not daring to ask for payment. Nie Yinzhi thought the little black snake was being too ostentatious.
Feng Hanying had no choice but to conceal his presence and follow them discreetly.
"Most of the people in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave are at least at the Golden Core level. Those with lower cultivation levels are usually quite young," Gu Jiang said, glancing at the little black snake. In just that short time, his consciousness had already swept through the entire Ten Thousand Demons Cave.
The little snake hissed, and Feng Hanying’s voice came through. "Here, if your cultivation is too weak, you’ll either be devoured by others or dissolved by the Demon Sealing Mark. Without protection, you can’t survive."
Golden Core cultivation was the minimum requirement for survival in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave.
As soon as those words were spoken, the two passed by an alley. Nie Yinzhi caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye and instinctively paused to look. She saw a pile of withered corpses stacked in the alley, their bulging eyes almost falling out.
Once their cultivation was drained, their bodies were nothing but waste. The passersby were used to such sights.
Fortunately, the climate here was dry, so the bodies had turned into mummies. The stench of decay was masked by the other odors on the street, blending into an indescribable mixture.
Unlike righteous cultivators who practiced self-restraint and abstained from worldly desires, demonic cultivators indulged in all kinds of earthly pleasures. Even trapped in this hellish place, they didn’t stop killing for survival or indulging in hedonistic excess. In fact, they were even more unrestrained, living with a reckless abandon as if there were no tomorrow.
Suddenly, Gu Jiang pulled Nie Yinzhi closer, his gaze turning toward a building. The roughly carved window was slightly ajar, and the room inside was pitch black.
Nie Yinzhi bumped into his shoulder and asked, "Are you tired? Let’s rest first."
She turned to look for Feng Hanying, but the little black snake was gone.