Prologue
It is said that there are three terrifying places in the world: the God-Slaying Platform in the Divine Realm, the Avici Hell in the Ghost Realm, and the Melting Abyss in the Demon Realm. Since the Fallen God was sealed in the Bottomless Abyss in ancient times, the Bottomless Abyss has been shrouded by a blood moon, transforming into a demonic swamp and forming its realm, known as the Demon Realm.
The blood moon is the only light source in the Demon Realm. The rise of the crimson, bewitching full moon marks the day, while its setting marks the night. The daytime in the Demon Realm feels like being burned alive, while the night is bone-chillingly cold. It’s a dual torment for both flesh and Yuan Spirit. Neither humans nor beast clans can survive in such extreme conditions; only demon clans thrive here. However, the Melting Abyss is a place of terror that even demon clans avoid at all costs.
This is where the Fallen God perished, known as the God-Forsaken Land.
At the center of the Melting Abyss stands a black bronze pillar, ten zhang tall, called the Punishment Pillar. It’s deeply embedded in the blood swamp, said to connect to the burial ground of the Fallen God. The ancient god’s wrath erupts every hour, causing the entire pillar to glow red-hot. Even high-ranking demons would instantly vanish if they touched it. Countless demons, beasts, and humans have been bound here for punishment, but none have survived more than three days.
At this moment, a man is bound here. He has already endured seven days of torture. His arms are spread and tied to the punishment rack, his white undergarments stained dark red, covered in whip marks. The wounds have a purple-blue hue, bursting from the inside out, caused by his Yuan Spirit being lashed by the ancient god’s roars. The young cultivator’s clothes are in tatters, his exposed body covered in horrific wounds. His head hangs low, black hair half-covering his face, revealing only his sharp chin and bloodless thin lips.
Yet even in such a wretched state, it doesn’t diminish the proud bearing of the number one Immortal Cultivator.
“So this is the world-renowned Xie Xuechen…” A coquettish voice suddenly rang out in the thick blood mist, accompanied by clear, pleasant bell chimes, approaching the tortured young man step by step.
Slender, fair fingers gripped the young man’s chin, forcing him to raise his head. In the eerie firelight, the young man’s proud and cold features were revealed. His eyebrows were sharp, his nose high-bridged, and thick long lashes covered his unfocused phoenix eyes. To enhance his pain sensitivity, the Demon Lord had sealed his eyes. Such beautiful eyes, yet they could see nothing.
The young woman tilted her head, observing him for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “You are quite handsome indeed.”
The young woman’s voice was soft and coquettish, making everything she said sound like flirting.
“I heard you’ve been tortured for seven days, yet you still refuse to reveal the heart method of the Jade Palace Divine Technique. Your resolve is quite impressive.” The young woman’s eyes sparkled with undisguised admiration. Her right hand gripped Xie Xuechen’s chin, her warm fingertips caressing the skin on his face. Suddenly, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed his thin lips.
Xie Xuechen’s breath caught, not expecting such a bold move. He instinctively tried to turn his head away, but the young woman held his jaw firmly. With his divine apertures sealed and strength gone, he could only endure the young woman’s somewhat clumsy yet domineering kiss… (censored portion)
The executioner standing nearby was stunned, watching the sensual scene before him with wide eyes and a dry mouth. He lowered his head, blushing, but couldn’t help wanting to look up again. When he finally gathered the courage to raise his head, the young woman had already released her hold on Xie Xuechen.
She chuckled softly, “Your bones may be hard, but your lips are quite soft.”
She smiled at Xie Xuechen, her peach blossom eyes reflecting the dim firelight. Her small face, with its curved eyebrows and eyes, looked indescribably innocent and adorable as if someone else had just molested and humiliated him.
Sighs accompanied by bell chimes faded into the distance.
“Such a handsome man, what a pity it would be if he died…”
Qian Duo Tao Hua Yi Shi Kai – Chapter One
It is said that there are three terrifying places in the world: the God-Slaying Platform in the Divine Realm, the Endless Hell in the Ghost Realm, and the Melting Abyss in the Demon Realm. These three places are feared by gods and dreaded by ghosts, places of extreme punishment where no god or demon has ever survived for more than seven days.
But more terrifying than these three places is a person called Xie Xuechen.
He is merely a mortal, yet he endured seven days of extreme torture in the Melting Abyss and didn’t die.
Not only did he not die, but he also escaped.
No, to be precise, Xie Xuechen didn’t escape. He fought his way out, sword in hand, in a grand and earth-shaking manner!
The blood moon in the Demon Realm seemed to grow even redder. Under the blood moon, the demon city was in chaos. Demons and monsters fled in panic, their faces filled with fear, surging towards the God-Slaying Palace.
However, behind the horde of demons was just a single human sword cultivator, bathed in blood and dressed in tattered clothes. He wielded the Jun Tian Sword, its blade emitting a faint golden sword light. The sword energy formed a rainbow, creating a demon-slaying sword formation that reaped countless demon lives. Any demon touched by the Jun Tian Sword turned into black demonic energy, returning to chaos.
“Demon Lord, save us—”
“Xie Xuechen has gone berserk—”
Countless demons crowded in front of the God-Slaying Palace, wailing loudly. Suddenly, the grand doors opened from within, and a graceful purple figure slowly walked out. She yawned leisurely, squinting her eyes and saying lazily, “The Demon Lord is in seclusion. Aren’t you afraid of death, making such a ruckus?”
The appearance of the young woman instantly silenced the scene, as a different kind of fear swept over them.
She was just a young woman of unparalleled beauty, dressed in a dark purple gossamer robe. Her waist was so slender it could be encircled by one hand, her figure graceful and charming. The long skirt fell to her ankles, and with a gentle breeze, it revealed a pair of snow-white jade feet. Although she wore no silk stockings, her bare feet were untainted by even a speck of dust, as smooth and tender as a child’s. On her exposed ankles was a white bone bell shaped like a flower bud. As she walked, it made clear yet ethereal bell sounds, unconsciously mesmerizing people and making them forget to look at her breathtakingly beautiful face.
It was a rare beauty in the world, like a midnight orchid, pure yet bewitching. Her peach blossom eyes seemed to be filled with laughter at all times, her gaze flowing, intentionally or unintentionally stirring others’ hearts. Just one glance from her could give the illusion of being deeply loved. But if one remembered her title and deeds, those infatuated gazes would instantly turn to fear.
She was Mu Xuanling, the personal disciple of the Great Priest, the Holy Maiden of the Demon Race. She presided over the criminal law of the Demon Realm, and the number of demons she had killed might not be fewer than Xie Xuechen’s!
“Ho-Holy Maiden, Xie Xuechen is coming to kill us!” A demon plucked up the courage to speak.
These words came a bit late, as Xie Xuechen had already reached the gates of the God-Slaying Palace.
The crowded demon army was cut open, leaving a gap. The white-robed sword cultivator wielded the Jun Tian Sword, and wherever he went, all evil retreated, leaving countless dead and wounded. He slightly raised his head, revealing a face as handsome as a god yet as cold as frost and snow.
His body was covered in wounds, his white robe stained with blood, torn open with many injuries. His jade-like chest was crisscrossed with whip marks, where purple-black energy still lingered. Although he was severely injured, he exuded the peak aura of a Fashen cultivator, intimidating the horde of demons into retreating in fear and trembling.
Xie Xuechen raised his sword eyebrows, the vermilion mark between his brows becoming even more striking due to the surging spiritual power. In his clear black and white pupils, the crimson gates of the God-Slaying Palace were reflected, along with the petite purple figure standing before them.
Raising his sword tip to point at the young woman, Xie Xuechen’s cold and hoarse voice slowly asked, “Where is the Demon Lord?”
The young woman gazed at Xie Xuechen, showing no fear on her face. Seeing Xie Xuechen’s question, she smiled charmingly and said, “As expected of Xie Xuechen. Even after being injured by the Demon Lord and the Great Priest, and enduring torture for seven days, you still possess such ability.”
Hearing her voice, Xie Xuechen’s pupils constricted, and his grip on the sword tightened. His gaze lowered, falling on the young woman’s delicate feet, where he saw a bell-shaped flower bud tied to her slender, fair ankle.
“It’s you…” Xie Xuechen’s gaze grew even colder.
The young woman noticed Xie Xuechen’s gaze. She smiled and took a few steps forward, the bell on her ankle making clear, pleasant chimes.
“Oh? Has Sect Leader Xie recognized me?” the young woman said with a smile. “Although I have seen you before, this is your first time seeing me. I am Mu Xuanling, the Holy Maiden of the Demon Race. Please, Sect Leader Xie, I hope we can learn from each other.”
As soon as Mu Xuanling finished speaking, Xie Xuechen’s sword qi swept across. The faint golden sword energy carved out a half-moon shape, slashing directly towards Mu Xuanling’s waist. Mu Xuanling’s expression turned solemn as her hands swiftly formed seals, creating ten layers of barriers in an instant to block the sword qi’s attack. The ten barriers were shattered one by one by the sharp sword qi, but Mu Xuanling’s figure had already transformed into blue smoke, disappearing from her original spot.
A delicate white hand rested on Xie Xuechen’s shoulder from behind, and a soft voice said, “A human is saying: ‘One night as husband and wife, a hundred days of affection.’ I kissed Sect Leader Xie once, so that should count for at least ten or fifteen days of affection. Yet Sect Leader Xie attacks without any consideration for that.”
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Xuechen had already grabbed her hand and thrust his sword backward.
However, he only pierced through an illusion.
Mu Xuanling’s true form floated in mid-air, smiling as she looked down at Xie Xuechen. “Sect Leader Xie, how can you repay kindness with enmity?”
Xie Xuechen paid no attention to her words. His spiritual power surged forth, his cloud-like sleeves billowing. The Jun Tian Sword, sensing its master’s will, trembled and transformed into countless sword images.
This was the sword formation of the world’s number one sword cultivator—Jade Palace Sky Breaking. Both the Demon Lord and the Great Priest had been severely injured under this sword formation.
Mu Xuanling’s expression turned serious as she said in a deep voice, “All of you, stay back!”
The high-ranking demons, who had no intention of helping anyway, were all shocked to their core upon seeing the Jade Palace Sky Breaking formation. Those with weaker cultivation immediately fell to their knees, while those who could escape were considered to have higher cultivation.
Mu Xuanling watched those demons fleeing faster than she could speak and cursed under her breath, “Heartless creatures!”
Mu Xuanling took off the black cloak from her back and tossed it upward. The cloak gradually expanded, covering Mu Xuanling like a sky-obscuring canopy.
The demon artifact—Yan Tian—was rumored to be able to withstand a strike from a Celestial Immortal. It had previously saved the Great Priest’s life during the encirclement of Xie Xuechen, blocking a full-force strike from the Jade Palace Sky Breaking formation.
Now, whether this half-damaged artifact could still block Xie Xuechen’s sword, no one knew.
All the demons watched the battle between god and demon from afar.
Yan Tian blocked the figures of the two combatants. The Jun Tian Sword emitted a dazzling light, like the blazing sun, making the demons unable to look directly at it.
Only the clashing sounds of blades and swords could be heard from within the formation. The merciless battle between the two made witnesses’ hearts race.
“Why haven’t the Demon Lord and the Great Priest come out of seclusion yet?”
“I heard that seven days ago when they encircled Xie Xuechen, they were severely injured and had to seclude themselves for ten days!”
“What about the Three Demon Gods?”
“They’re in the same situation.”
“Xie Xuechen alone could withstand the attacks of the Demon Lord, the Great Priest, and the Three Demon Gods?”
“He’s the Son of Heaven’s Way, the strongest sword cultivator among humans. Even the Melting Abyss couldn’t refine him. Who else could deal with him?”
“Then… isn’t the Holy Maiden in danger?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the Yan Tian barrier was torn apart by countless sword lights. The blood moon’s radiance once again shone down, illuminating countless despairing faces.
The white-robed sword cultivator stood proudly in mid-air like a celestial god, holding the Demon Race’s Holy Maiden captive in his arms.
Mu Xuanling’s hands were twisted behind her back, her meridians sealed, unable to use any demonic techniques. Xie Xuechen controlled Mu Xuanling with one hand, while the other held his sword across her neck, the sharp sword intent on threatening her life.
Xie Xuechen said coldly, “Lead me out of the Demon Realm.”
The Demon Realm had three hundred grand formations at its entrance. Without the guidance of a high-ranking demon who knew the formations, it was impossible to leave.
Mu Xuanling’s small face turned pale as she snorted coldly, “Sect Leader Xie, with your great abilities, why don’t you find your way out yourself!”
In response, the sword edge drew closer to her delicate neck.
A trace of red immediately appeared on her slender, delicate neck.
Mu Xuanling’s body stiffened, and her clear black and white peach blossom eyes welled up with tears. She said, seemingly on the verge of crying, “Sword cultivators indeed have no regard for tender beauty.”
Among the thousands of paths for human cultivation, the path of the sword cultivator is straightforward.
Direct in action, without emotion or desire, one sword breaking through all techniques.
Xie Xuechen tightened his grip on her arm and repeated, “Lead the way.”
Mu Xuanling cast a resentful glance at him and said, “Fine, I’ll lead the way.”
Countless demons could only watch helplessly as Xie Xuechen took Mu Xuanling hostage and left.
In the Demon Realm, the Demon Lord held the highest status, followed by the Great Priest, while the Three Demon Gods and the Holy Maiden were of similar rank. Now, with the senior figures severely injured and the Holy Maiden captured, the Demon Realm was left leaderless, instantly falling into chaos.
“This is terrible, terrible! The Holy Maiden has been captured!”
“The Holy Maiden has been captured… but that might not be such a bad thing.”
“And Xie Xuechen has left too.”
“Does that mean we won’t have to die?”
“Yeah, let’s celebrate quickly!”
“Let’s have a feast tonight, eat a human!”
As is well known, demons are undying, unintelligent dead things born from the Void Sea—
Xie Xuechen held Mu Xuanling captive as they navigated through the countless deadly formations of the Demon Realm, not daring to be careless for a moment. After an unknown amount of time, they finally left the Demon Realm’s formations. What appeared before their eyes was no longer the blood moon, but a bright sun and a patch of blue sky belonging to the human realm.
Xie Xuechen let out a sigh of relief and released his hold on Mu Xuanling. His body, which had been pushing its limits for so long, swayed slightly, and he barely managed to stand steady by leaning on the Jun Tian Sword.
Mu Xuanling couldn’t move, only her eyes rolling around. She called out to Xie Xuechen, “Sect Leader Xie, now that we’ve left the Demon Realm, shouldn’t you release me?”
Xie Xuechen slightly raised his eyelids to look at Mu Xuanling but showed no intention of removing the seal.
“Release you?” He frowned as if hearing a ridiculous and unreasonable request. His gaze suddenly turned several degrees colder. “You are the Holy Maiden of the Demon Race, guilty of numerous evil deeds. How could I release you?”
Mu Xuanling’s eyes widened as she said angrily, “Sect Leader Xie, abandoning me after using me is most ungentlemanly. Not only do we have a fleeting romantic connection, but I also saved your life! Even if you don’t repay a life-saving debt with marriage, there’s no reason to repay kindness with enmity!”
Hearing Mu Xuanling’s words, Xie Xuechen’s face grew even darker instead of showing gratitude. He approached Mu Xuanling with his sword, killing intent surging in his eyes.
He vaguely felt his spiritual power depleting. If he lost consciousness, he might fall into the demon woman’s hands, all his efforts wasted. He had to kill her first…
Mu Xuanling sensed the cold killing intent in Xie Xuechen’s eyes and cried out in panic, “Xie Xuechen, you can’t kill me! I—”
Before Mu Xuanling could finish, Xie Xuechen’s sword had already thrust towards her. The faint golden sword light of the Jun Tian Sword reflected in Mu Xuanling’s pupils. However, just as it was about to pierce her, the golden sword light suddenly disappeared. The intimidating aura around Xie Xuechen also vanished. His tall figure suddenly stiffened as if all strength had been drained from him in an instant. The color drained from his face as excruciating pain surged through him, causing him to let out a muffled groan. No longer able to support his body, the sword slipped from his hand, and he fell forward, collapsing onto Mu Xuanling.
Mu Xuanling, with her meridians sealed, couldn’t move. Xie Xuechen’s fall knocked her down, and they both fell to the ground together. Xie Xuechen’s powerless body pressed against her, his head resting in the crook of her neck, his breath and life force steadily weakening.
Mu Xuanling was startled. Ignoring the pain from being knocked down, she quickly called out, “Hey, hey, Sect Leader Xie, Xie Xuechen, at least release me before you faint! What if bad people come along?”
She had the nerve to call others bad people—Xie Xuechen thought hazily.
He used all his strength but couldn’t open his eyes no matter how hard he tried. He only felt that he was lying on something soft, his entire body in excruciating pain as if being ground by a millstone. A mouthful of fresh blood spilled from the corner of his lips as his thoughts sank into darkness.
In the boundless darkness, Mu Xuanling’s distant calls could be heard: “Xie Xuechen— Xie Xuechen—”