The Non-Evil Heaven.
A long, deep abyss stretched like a wound embedded in the earth’s body, one side bathed in light, the other shrouded in darkness.
Fu Chaosheng knew it was named for these two extremes of light and dark.
Called the Shadow Abyss.
Light created shadow, brightness created darkness. Without shadow, light could not be highlighted; without darkness, brightness could not be contrasted.
Just like the good and evil of this world.
The abyss was vast. Standing at the cliff’s edge, the fierce winds seemed ready to cut one to ribbons. His dark blue robes, deep as night, pressed against his body, yet he remained unmoved.
Kong Lan stood behind him, but didn’t dare approach closely. She kept her distance, reporting her encounters in the Haotian Star Domain and the rumors from the Cangya Star Domain.
First was the massacre at Jiangnan shore.
She had been beneath that city wall at the time, but was fortunate to leave before the slaughter began, saving her life. When she returned to see the city wall, it was already covered in corpses. Only then did she feel some lingering fear.
Second was the counter-killing at Xuanji Star.
Li Xieyang had originally sealed the Haotian Star Domain, but eighteen immortal hunters led by Ying Xu had pursued to Xuanji Star in the Cangya Star Domain, where they all died. Though she hadn’t witnessed it personally, these were Li Xieyang’s immortal hunters! All nineteen perished without exception – a devastating loss! Such news spread throughout the Upper Void like wildfire, causing shocking uproar.
It could be said that when the Ten Death Decree was issued, the name “Jian Chou” was no different from other unlucky souls being hunted – merely someone for people to discuss over tea and pity. But after yesterday’s successive slaughters, this name was undoubtedly shrouded in bloody shadows and mysterious veils.
What kind of cultivator could slay Golden Immortals like cutting vegetables immediately after ascending?
What kind of cultivator could provoke a Sacred Immortal to issue a Ten Death Decree?
And what kind of cultivator possessed such cruel, merciless methods?
No matter how one looked at it, they didn’t seem like ordinary cultivators from the Great Luo Heaven, but more like someone from the Non-Evil Heaven. Yet true people of the Non-Evil Heaven knew nothing of this so-called “Jian Chou.”
“When this subordinate returned and passed by Xuanji Star, I confirmed that Li Xieyang’s people were investigating outside, carrying out nineteen corpses from within, all killed with single strikes, including the peak Golden Immortal Ying Xu.” Kong Lan carefully glanced toward the figure ahead, then continued, “News has now spread that Li Xieyang, the Kongfang Sect, and other forces, having lost members to Jian Chou’s vendetta, swear not to rest until they find her traces and make her pay blood for blood.”
“Ying Xu…”
Though he stood on the light side of the Shadow Abyss, his body seemed covered in heavy shadows. The darkness below the abyss surged like substance, occasionally forming demonic shapes, as if ready to crawl from the abyss’s depths and devour the light above.
Fu Chaosheng repeated the name, seeming to recall something.
He actually said to Kong Lan: “I remember this person originally came from the Non-Evil Heaven. His true form is a viper snake, and he has an external incarnation hidden in this realm. Summon people immediately and capture it.”
Kong Lan’s eyelid twitched, and she couldn’t help but quietly glance at that silhouette.
This person’s posture was identical to when she had received orders to go to Ang Su Star, as if he hadn’t moved at all in the past two days.
She truly didn’t understand what this was about.
Ying Xu had been somewhat famous in the Non-Evil Heaven years ago. When he later joined Li Xieyang, no one objected. After all, the Non-Evil Heaven wasn’t as strict as the Great Luo Heaven – all kinds of people were here, and apart from constant mortal danger, coming and going was quite free.
Moreover, Ying Xu was clever.
Viper snakes were considered fairly talented among the demon race, so most of this clan practiced incarnation techniques. When Ying Xu left the Non-Evil Heaven, he left his incarnation behind – this way, even if he met misfortune outside, he’d still have an incarnation as additional life insurance.
But now, this person wanted to capture Ying Xu’s incarnation?
Various thoughts flashed through Kong Lan’s mind. She felt this mysteriously-originated great demon had countless connections with that Jian Chou, yet she couldn’t fathom or didn’t dare fathom what these connections meant.
In any case, she was just a subordinate carrying out orders.
Kong Lan didn’t dare delay in the slightest, hurriedly accepting the command. Thinking this person was usually taciturn and antisocial, she bowed and withdrew.
On both sides of the Shadow Abyss, the division between light and dark was crystal clear.
After Kong Lan left, the darkness within the abyss seemed to undergo some mysterious, unfathomable changes.
They writhed like living things.
Like a valley of sand, or countless viscous, heavy black smoke.
Actually, a mass rose from the unknowably deep bottom, condensing into a somewhat evil figure wearing a dark blue robe very similar to Fu Chaosheng’s, only with thinner patterns and lighter colors.
If any cultivator who had participated in the second Yin-Yang Realm War in the Primordial Realm were present, they would recognize at a glance: this youth formed from the abyss darkness was none other than that ancient relic race member, the Divine Hui Shao Ji!
“Just now news came from the Ten Death Decree saying that Jian Chou has been killed. How is it that you seem completely unconcerned about this ‘old friend’ of yours?”
Hui seemed quite familiar with Fu Chaosheng.
While speaking, his form swayed gently, dark pupils flashing with interest, yet he never crossed the boundary line between light and darkness.
Not because he couldn’t, but because he found it disgusting.
The Divine Hui clan was born from the primordial darkness, while light was brought to this universe by Pangu – they were naturally incompatible.
Just like how most of the Divine Hui clan had no eyes.
Because in primordial darkness, these weren’t needed.
When Shao Ji took human form, he possessed a pair of eyes but they lacked spirit, yet he could clearly “see” Fu Chaosheng at this moment.
Though a Divine Hui, he stood on the abyss’s bright side.
The ancient robes of yesteryear’s Ai Qing had changed to oppressive, condensed dark blue, but his face remained as pale as in the Primordial Realm, even paler. What flowed in his pupils wasn’t just the emblematic pattern of the Divine Hui seal, but also a layer of faint light, as if he was gazing at something extremely distant from the depths of his soul.
Hearing Shao Ji’s words, Fu Chaosheng blinked slightly, the faint light in his eyes dispersing as he said: “She’s fine.”
Fine?
Shao Ji’s brow arched slightly, his pupils flashing with thoughtfulness, appearing somewhat mysterious.
He didn’t refute anything, only saying: “The Desolate Domain is about to open – it’s time for planning. Everyone is waiting for you below.”
After this sentence, his form dispersed.
Just as Fu Chaosheng had seen in the Primordial Realm, he transformed into a mass of heavy, sand-like shadow, merging into the Shadow Abyss and quickly vanishing.
The surroundings grew quiet, with only the mournful wind.
The Shadow Abyss was filled with fog that never dispersed year-round. For thousands upon thousands of years, no one could glimpse what was truly hidden below.
From the primordial era to the ancient era, to antiquity, then to the present – the existence that vanished in that long night would eventually return…
The Non-Evil Heaven, Orthodox-Heterodox Hall.
Responsible for issuing and coordinating Ten Death Decree matters was Executive Jin Wuji, at the lower Golden Immortal realm, belonging to the demon race with a golden pheasant as his true form.
He dressed very flashily daily, wearing a hat stuffed with feathers.
With such cultivation, he naturally didn’t amount to much in the Non-Evil Heaven.
But for handling his current executive position, he was sufficient.
After all, the Non-Evil Heaven had long established a complete set of arrays for managing Ten Death Decree affairs – executives only needed to learn operation.
Today seemed like the most ordinary day.
But at dawn, arrays on one side of the great hall actually lit up, with the black parchment shadow of the Ten Death Decree manifesting within.
Jin Wuji, who had been dozing in the corridor, jumped up with a start!
Everyone knew Ten Death Decrees generally included target cultivators’ soul imprints to help immortal hunters track them through various methods.
But the previous Ten Death Decree initially lacked this imprint.
Only after news of that female cultivator Jian Chou spread from Ang Su Star yesterday, dispersing this imprint, did the Non-Evil Heaven add it to the Ten Death Decree.
All cultivators had unique soul imprints. When a cultivator’s soul and spirit scattered, it was like a mountain collapse – dust would inevitably fly everywhere. The Ten Death Decrees created by the Non-Evil Heaven could sense this scattering “dust” to determine the cultivator’s life or death.
Once confirmed dead, the Ten Death Decree would automatically burn.
No matter where in the Upper Void the cultivator who completed the Ten Death Decree was, they could contact the Non-Evil Heaven when it ignited to claim their killing reward.
Today was the same.
Jin Wuji had handled this for nearly a thousand years and was quite experienced. As soon as the Ten Death Decree was completed, he coughed and directly inquired through the array what the other party wanted.
But the reply left him uncertain and suspicious.
Wanting to personally seek guidance from the Sacred Immortal for enlightenment?
Jin Wuji couldn’t decide, only repeatedly examining the killing reward column on the Ten Death Decree: the so-called “Sacred Immortal’s promise” meant granting a wish within the Sacred Immortal’s capabilities, which the other party would do everything possible to fulfill.
Logically, this Ten Death Decree completer’s request wasn’t excessive.
But the Non-Evil Heaven had its own conventions.
Over all these years, virtually no one could learn the identity of those who issued Ten Death Decrees from them, because the Non-Evil Heaven never revealed this.
Even Jin Wuji could only contact the other party through this great array, unable to know who they actually were.
But this time’s killing reward was rather special…
“What, is it not possible?”
Perhaps having waited too long without response, the cultivator on the other end of the array asked again. The voice, transmitted through cross-star-domain arrays, became somewhat hazy and blurred, though faintly seemed to be a female cultivator.
Jin Wuji hesitated, then replied: “Please wait a moment.”
He didn’t dare make independent decisions, fearing to offend the Sacred Immortal behind this, so he decided to contact the Sacred Immortal’s side first.
Thus he turned the massive array disc before him.
The light on the array immediately became perfectly radiant and intense.
In an instant, a voice carrying slight gloom emerged: “Is it done?”
“Reporting to the Sacred Immortal, the matter is complete. Jian Chou is dead.”
Though Jin Wuji didn’t know who was speaking through the array, he already sensed heavy oppression from the voice. Cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and his speech lost its previous arrogance toward the Ten Death Decree completer, revealing some trepidation.
“It’s just the wish the other party proposed…”
“What wish?”
The Sacred Immortal on the other end of the array asked.
Jin Wuji bowed and replied: “The other party said they have some unresolved confusion on the cultivation path and want to personally seek the Sacred Immortal’s guidance and enlightenment.”
Personal guidance?
In the distant Great Luo Heaven, Sacred Immortals’ cave-heavens were scattered obviously or hidden throughout various places. Shangren Buyu’s immortal residence was almost identical to the former Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm.
Only now there were no longer those many spiritual beasts.
The tall Buddha statue’s surroundings also lacked the hanging three thousand human heads, appearing benevolent and kind-faced under the golden light before the lake.
Shangren Buyu sat cross-legged on that giant Buddha’s shoulder.
Before him was a three-foot circular array connecting to the Non-Evil Heaven’s Orthodox-Heterodox Hall.
Upon hearing this from the array, his brow immediately furrowed, and his heart’s first reaction was strange wariness.
The slaughters at Ang Su Star and Xuanji Star were hardly secrets in the Upper Void. He naturally knew about them.
This Jian Chou from Yashan had truly mysterious strength.
Even compared to the former Ancestor Luye, she was no less formidable.
Yet suddenly overnight, someone could kill her?
But he was also familiar with the Non-Evil Heaven’s methods.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for error.
So this wariness only surfaced for an instant before being erased by reason. Shangren Buyu closed his eyes gravely, contemplated for a moment, then said: “This seat agrees, but no meeting is necessary. Let that cultivator enter the array to converse with this seat.”
He ultimately didn’t want to expose his identity.
Anyone who could accept Ten Death Decrees shouldn’t have cultivation above Sacred Immortal level. Even conversing through consciousness, they couldn’t determine his identity, especially with the Non-Evil Heaven’s great array in between.
Jin Wuji on the other end naturally didn’t dare object, only reversing the array to tell the Ten Death Decree completer “the Sacred Immortal agrees,” having them prepare before turning the array again, bringing both parties’ consciousness together within the same array.
In this instant, buzzing sounded between heaven and earth.
Two consciousnesses like two golden lightning bolts blazed instantly!
Shangren Buyu, seated high on the giant Buddha’s shoulder, had barely begun to think “what confusion do you have” when he suddenly sensed something wrong.
The other consciousness in the array had instantly transformed into blades and spears!
Piercing sharply forward!
“Rumble!”
Before the magnificent Orthodox-Heterodox Hall, the massive array couldn’t withstand this terrifying force. After a earth-shaking explosion, it detonated completely!
The chaotic radiance even affected the great hall!
The large expanse of black jade tiles covering the top was swept away clean as if by a violent storm!
How could Jin Wuji, standing before the array, react in time? His colorful feather hat was instantly shattered, and he was thrown directly against the hall wall. While reverting to his true form, he violently coughed up blood!
One consciousness within the array had bitten onto the other in this sudden change!
Shangren Buyu felt his consciousness was like a patch of deep darkness, yet a sharp blade light had cleaved into it!
The world before his eyes suddenly darkened.
Only that gaze remained bright – piercing through the array, through the void, forcefully stabbing in!
He saw a pair of eyes, a pair of indifferent, cold eyes.
Those features were identical to the Jian Chou portrait he’d obtained from the Divine Hui!
“Bang!”
Those two gazes actually materialized, crashing toward him from the array before him, from the depths of his consciousness!
Shangren Buyu felt his mind explode, blood immediately flowing from all seven orifices!
His entire person couldn’t remain stable on the giant Buddha’s shoulder, falling from the heights as if struck hard by someone’s palm!
The Non-Evil Heaven array above also seemed unable to bear the terrifying force of that gaze, crumbling with a rumble.
As if it had never existed.
At the same time, on the desolate star, the terrifying dark light in Jian Chou’s pupils quietly faded. The Ten Death Decree before her also burned completely, floating down from mid-air to fall on the ground, merging with the dust, no longer distinguishable.
“So it was him…”
This answer was quite beyond her expectations.
The Immortal Wuzhong’s words from the past echoed in her ears: “It’s just that if young friend truly reaches the Upper Void and encounters him, please spare him. Demons arise from the heart and are originally innocent. Let him be…”
Jian Chou looked down for a long time, ultimately wordless.
She turned toward that square pit and herself lying at the bottom, only walking over and burying her with the scattered earth and stones around.
On this desolate, cold star, a solitary grave arose.
Before the grave stood a stone tablet inscribed with four characters: “Tomb of Jian Chou.”
When drawing that final horizontal stroke to completion, Jian Chou’s finger trembled before slowly moving away.
As if somewhat tired, she casually sat on the ground.
Then she took out a small box from her sleeve.
Opening the box revealed three broken purple incense sticks.
Jian Chou looked for a long time, then blinked, slowly and peacefully leaning against her own tombstone, raising her head to gaze upward.
The sky was the universe.
On this desolate plain stretching endlessly cold, apart from her and her own grave, nothing else existed. Without dust and water vapor obstruction, the boundless star river was clear and brilliant, pouring into her pupils, reflecting her insignificance with its magnificence and grandeur.
But who says one cannot glimpse heaven from a well?