The old tree, a spirit formed from the Heart of Huiling, had roots spreading throughout the land, gradually coming to know many things.

Many of his thoughts later influenced Liu Shuang.

They said Yan Chaosheng was a treacherous rebel, that he slaughtered immortals and became lord of two realms, that he was an uncompromisingly cold-blooded villain. Yet the first time she met him, he raised his halberd just like this, standing before her, doing what she could not do.

Many years later, until now, she had forgotten his features from that time, but she remembered his arrogance and his angry manner when telling people to get lost.

It completely matched this moment.

Everyone feared the current Feng Fuming. He held the demon bone pearl that controlled the Eight Wildernesses’ lifeline. Even if he couldn’t fully absorb it yet, his spiritual power was beyond anyone’s ability to resist. He gripped the Xuanyuan Sword with countless celestial soldiers behind him.

Yan Chaosheng’s pair of demon birds transformed into a pair of wings on the horizon. He smiled faintly and said, “Get lost with it.”

It was an ice-cold command. Qing Luan couldn’t disobey him. A tear flowed from her eyes as she followed Chi Yuan, flying farther and farther away.

Su Lun and the others, however, couldn’t leave. The ancient demon birds could survive to this day because they had their own rules for survival. But they were different. If Yan Chaosheng lost today and the Demon God descended, every person in the Eight Wildernesses would become an insect in Feng Fuming’s hands.

Feng Fuming tilted his head back and swallowed the demon bone pearl.

Without enough of the Heart of Huiling, he couldn’t fully absorb the demon bone pearl. However, the Demon God’s power was already earth-shattering with just a small portion—why would he need to fully absorb it? Could a little vile creature who hadn’t cultivated for even ten thousand years hope to stand against him?

Yan Chaosheng swung his halberd and said coldly, “Xiangchou royal clan, Yan Chaosheng, today I shall vindicate my clan’s name.”

In the past, the Feng clan had overthrown the Xiangchou royal clan with their own hands, accusing them of being world-plaguing, cruel demons.

Now, as Yan Chaosheng’s icy voice rang out, the immortals watched the silver and white figures in the sky with shame and tension. They despised the demon race and had even hunted them for tens of thousands of years, never imagining that one day they would be protected by someone from the demon race they looked down upon.

They hoped he would win, though everyone knew it was impossible.

How could anyone defeat the Demon God? The ancient gods and buddhas had fallen, immortals had become mere sacrificial animals, and the Demon God bore all the world’s misfortunes yet possessed supreme power.

The sky changed color. Two beams of light intertwined as the Xuanyuan Sword and the Heaven-Burying Halberd clashed, making the earth tremble.

The demon markings on Feng Fuming’s forehead spread, making him appear increasingly demonic. The ice-cold scales at the corners of Yan Chaosheng’s eyes completely transformed into the silver pupils of the Xiangchou clan.

All beasts in the mortal world howled. A crack opened in the ground.

Kung Sang’s protective barrier shattered completely. The immortals dared not look directly at the battle and fled in all directions.

The battle continued from midday until the sky darkened. Yan Chaosheng fell, kneeling on one knee, supporting himself with the Heaven-Burying Halberd.

His right arm had been severed, and he gripped the Heaven-Burying Halberd in his left hand. His long hair was disheveled, and he coughed up mouthfuls of blood. His body was covered in wounds, his battle armor shattered.

Wo Jiang’s heart felt heavy. He said to Liu Shuang, “Let’s go. He has already lost. If we don’t leave now, it will be too late once Feng Fuming realizes you’re here.”

If earlier the two had fought to a standstill, now Yan Chaosheng could no longer hold back Feng Fuming, who had swallowed the demon bone pearl. If Liu Shuang and Shao You left immediately, they could still use the Shennong Cauldron to refine the power of the Heart of Huiling, preventing Feng Fuming from truly becoming the Demon God.

The immortal clan had endured hardship for tens of thousands of years. Perhaps there would still be a way out for future generations.

Even Shao You knew they had reached a dead end with no other choices. He nodded, signaling Liu Shuang to leave.

Liu Shuang followed them for several steps. She saw scorched earth beneath her feet—traces of destruction from this great battle were everywhere.

If the immortal realm was like this, how much worse was the mortal world?

The tender buds of spring turned to dust amid the clashing spiritual powers. Soon, Yan Chaosheng would be like them, instantly disappearing from the world.

It didn’t have to be this way. He could have seized the spiritual veins for himself. When he didn’t know the truth, he could have carved out his own heart and become the Demon God, transcending the laws of the Eight Wildernesses.

Yet in both his past and present lives, he never did this…

Her steps grew slower and slower. Finally, she stopped and turned back.

Yan Chaosheng seemed to sense something and raised his gaze. He no longer had the spiritual power to regrow his severed arm. The Heaven-Burying Halberd he gripped continued to tremble.

He had reached the end of his path.

Meeting Liu Shuang’s gaze, Yan Chaosheng’s eyes remained cold, devoid of any emotion, just like that day when he said he was leaving for battle, that he hadn’t returned for her.

He lived, opening his arms and wielding his halberd for his clansmen, for their Eight Wildernesses.

He looked at her only once, then refused to look again.

Yet under her gaze, he stood up, supporting himself with the Heaven-Burying Halberd in one arm. The Heaven-Burying Halberd, like the Qingwu of old, made a ringing sound before turning to dust in his hand.

Yan Chaosheng no longer had even a magical weapon.

He swayed, his back to her, staggering forward. With one hand, he formed a seal, tearing apart the seal on his body.

Wo Jiang, who had originally wanted to pull Liu Shuang away quickly, saw this and was completely confused: “What is he trying to do?”

Yan Chaosheng had died once before. Without even his demon body, he naturally had no inner core. The innate advantages of the Xiangchou royal clan were completely gone. His soul essence was nearly dispersed—what seal could there be?

But Liu Shuang suddenly understood, her lips trembling.

In the sky, the thick clouds seemed to be parted by a hand. The nine heavenly thunder bolts agitated wildly, pointing directly at Yan Chaosheng.

Not tribulation thunder, but rather the profound thunder of heaven’s rejection!

It could shatter bodies, shatter souls, dissolve all merits and blessings—everything could be destroyed.

Divine thunder enveloped him, one bolt after another, instantly shattering the soul essence in his body. In extreme agony, such a strong person finally could not bear it and let out a howl.

Under his feet, the dispersing soul essence formed black lotuses with each step. Wrapped in divine thunder, he used his last strength to hurl himself toward Feng Fuming.

To perish together.

Feng Fuming never imagined Yan Chaosheng could summon the profound thunder. Furious, he tried to escape, but it was too late.

His gaze locked onto Liu Shuang. In his final moment, he thought: Yes, I knew it since the day she jumped into the Weak Waters. The Heart of Huiling is within her. If I take out her heart, I can absorb the Demon God’s power and become the true Demon God. Then even divine thunder couldn’t harm me in the slightest.

Forced to desperation by Yan Chaosheng, Feng Fuming made a last desperate move, ignoring the divine thunder behind him. His hand transformed into a claw, reaching for Liu Shuang’s heart.

Shao You had long sensed trouble. Perhaps from the moment Feng Fuming swallowed the demon bone pearl, he had detected their presence. Without hesitation, together with Wo Jiang, he used his spirit spring spiritual power as a conductor to summon the Shennong Cauldron.

Before the fate of all living beings, everyone was merely a manipulated insect.

“Liu Shuang!” Shao You called.

Should she gamble on the chance of survival, or die for every living being in the Eight Wildernesses? Liu Shuang didn’t hesitate at all, leaping into the Shennong Cauldron.

In her eyes was reflected Feng Fuming’s ferocious face. The moment Feng Fuming’s hand touched her, purple divine thunder, the wrath of heaven, reduced him to ashes.

As the divine thunder slowly dissipated, from that residual light, a bloodstained hand seemed to stubbornly reach out, struggling to pull Liu Shuang from the Shennong Cauldron.

Yan Chaosheng had truly succeeded, but he had already dissipated and could no longer save her.

He chose not to look at her, not to embrace her, not to linger, not to love her. Yet in the end, he sacrificed himself to the divine thunder, and his final remnant of consciousness was to reach for her, to pull her out of the Shennong Cauldron.

Liu Shuang remembered that Lantern Festival day when they were on a rooftop in the mortal world. The mortal realm was resplendent, decorated everywhere with lanterns and festive colors. Yan Chaosheng had said, “Chi Shui Liu Shuang, be well, you must be well.”

She had once thought Yan Chaosheng had failed her for a lifetime, believed that the tragic death of the little immortal grass was a disaster he brought.

The burden of his birth mission had bent Yan Chaosheng’s spine. Night Demon Luo sacrificed himself with the demon clan before her eyes, yet in the end, he still chose to be a qualified king of two realms.

Every drop of his blood was spent, every trace of his soul essence lost. And all he could do for the gentle and lovely wife in his memory was to stubbornly and desperately reach out his hand from the divine thunder’s light, trying to save her.

They said the ancient Xiangchou clan was heartless, the most difficult to move emotionally in this life. They were harsh, cruel, and cold. Guarding a vast spiritual vein, they never showed tenderness even to their wives and children.

Before the Shennong Cauldron had completely refined Liu Shuang’s divine soul, Liu Shuang, in the divine fire, watched with clear eyes as Yan Chaosheng and Feng Fuming dissipated together.

In her ears, she heard the voices of Shao You, Wo Jiang, and Ji Xianghan, who had run over, all frantically trying to stop the Shennong Cauldron from refining her.

They were chattering noisily.

“It hurts…” Liu Shuang murmured unconsciously. The Shennong Cauldron was an irreversible divine artifact. That she didn’t cry out loudly already showed tremendous strength.

Ji Xianghan, watching this heart-stopping divine thunder, had originally planned to steadfastly protect herself, but now she also helped save Liu Shuang, filled with admiration. If Ji Xianghan had been asked to jump into the Shennong Cauldron, she would probably have hesitated for a moment.

“How is it? Can the Shennong Cauldron be stopped?”

Everyone broke into a sweat from anxiety, barely managing to stop the rotating Shennong Cauldron with their combined efforts.

“Chi Shui Liu Shuang,” Ji Xianghan peered in. “Still alive?”

Yan Chaosheng had gone mad, bringing divine thunder to kill Feng Fuming. If they couldn’t even protect Liu Shuang, it would be too cruel.

As the Shennong Cauldron quieted, Ji Xianghan was the first to gather around. She saw Liu Shuang lying inside, curled up, her immortal robes already refined away by the Shennong Cauldron. Ji Xianghan quickly took off her outer robe to cover herself.

Learning that Liu Shuang was still alive, Shao You and Wo Jiang both sighed in relief.

“The demon bone pearl…” Liu Shuang’s eyes weren’t looking at them, but at the sky, at the place where Feng Fuming had died.

Feng Fuming’s body and divine soul had been scattered by the divine thunder along with Yan Chaosheng’s. Only then did everyone realize that although Feng Fuming was dead, the demon bone pearl had not completely shattered. Covered in countless cracks, it stubbornly remained like a fruit emitting a sweet fragrance, tempting all beings to pick it.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

To become the Demon God was to be the master of heaven and earth. While the demon bone pearl still existed, Shao You and the others immediately sensed countless auras trying to approach.

Those immortals and demons watching from afar, those who hadn’t gone far, all wanted to obtain it. Perhaps the only ones who could guard it in lonely solitude without being tempted were the cold-blooded ancient Xiangchou royal clan.

Liu Shuang sat up, covering her heart, forcibly extracting the half-refined power of the Heart of Huiling from the Shennong Cauldron. In her palm, they gathered into vibrant, emerald-green feather fragments full of vitality.

“Liu Shuang!” Shao You frowned. The damage from the Shennong Cauldron was already irreversible. If she kept the power of the Heart of Huiling, she could still be an immortal and would gradually recover. Now that she had extracted the power of the Heart of Huiling, it was irreversible.

Liu Shuang wore Ji Xianghan’s robe. The ice-blue immortal mark between her brows faded.

Seeing more and more auras attracted by the broken demon bone pearl gathering around, Liu Shuang extracted the soul that had nurtured the power of the Heart of Huiling. It had accompanied the Heart of Huiling for hundreds of years and was the only thing that could control its power.

“Chi Shui Liu Shuang?” Ji Xianghan was the first to understand what Liu Shuang intended to do, besides Shao You. She asked, “Are you certain?”

Liu Shuang nodded, looking toward Kung Sang, and smiled gently.

She thought she would help Yan Chaosheng finish what he couldn’t. It was her mission, and also her heart’s desire.

That wisp of soul, like a goddess wielding a sharp blade, charged into the demon bone pearl with the power of the Heart of Huiling.

The demon bone pearl suddenly shattered, transforming into countless intricate spiritual energies that poured into the world like falling stars, melting into the soil.

The world would no longer have the Heart of Huiling, nor the power of the Demon God.

What remained was a brand new Eight Wildernesses. Ji Xianghan took a breath and laughed from the bottom of her heart.

Shao You had long known the price of doing this. He couldn’t laugh as freely as Ji Xianghan. He turned back with sorrow—in the Shennong Cauldron, the little immortal girl was no longer there.

He walked over and saw only a small, tender green seed inside.

Seven hundred years later, in the seventh month of the mortal realm, lotus flowers bloomed across the ponds.

In the painted pleasure boats among the misty willows, someone was storytelling.

The battle between Emperor Yan Chaosheng of the Xiangchou royal clan and Feng Fuming had been adapted into a popular, stirring tale.

The storyteller struck his wooden block: “And so, after the sacrifice of the last emperor of the Xiangchou clan, the four great immortal realms ceased to exist. Thereafter, all surviving immortals, with their spiritual power largely dispersed after the spiritual veins disappeared, chose to establish sects and create various immortal schools. Even now, they still open their doors every few years to recruit mortal disciples.”

Someone added, “I know! The Golden Zen Sect is opening its mountain gate this year, seeking children with spiritual roots in the mortal world. Those of you with children of suitable age, remember to send them for testing!”

This prompted laughter: “My child won’t go to the Golden Zen Sect. He insists on going to the Azure Feather Sect, saying the immortal lord there is the most powerful in the world and was once a friend of Immortal Lady Chi Shui.”

The sound of string and bamboo instruments filled the ears.

In the crowd, a slender porcelain-white hand parted the people, picking up a little girl who had mingled with the crowd.

She blinked, her hair bun disheveled from being jostled, but neither angry nor upset, exceptionally obedient, her little face dirty.

The man sighed, gently scolding, “Didn’t I tell you not to run off? Why did you come to listen to stories again? The crowd is chaotic—what if someone steps on you?”

Although she wouldn’t break, it would still hurt. The little girl was innocent and lively, curious about everything. Teaching her required great effort.

“Master,” she said, “the storyteller said the emperor was so mighty, he did this and that, and quickly defeated Feng Fuming.”

Though the man wore a veiled hat, his bearing was as striking as a celestial being. Hearing this, he stroked her head.

The lotus flowers bloomed luxuriantly. He tidied her disheveled hair: “Alright, let’s go back to the Azure Feather Sect. Have your senior sister give you a good wash. If this happens again, your master will surely punish you.”

Shao You’s large hand held her small one as they walked along the bustling riverbank.

Constantly, women were calling their children home for dinner, washing clubs still in hand. She heard mothers calling out names: Zhao Chengtong, Li Zhi, Wang Weiming, even Goudan and Zhuzi.

“Master, why don’t I have a name?” she blinked her eyes. “Today I asked my senior sisters, and they said ‘little immortal grass’ isn’t a name, it’s my original form.”

“Whatever you want to be called, that’s what you’ll be called.”

The sunset stretched her tiny shadow long. Someone on the riverbank was reciting poetry.

The magnificent sunset saw this master and disciple walking into the distance. In the wind, one could still faintly hear her soft voice.

“Then can I be called Liu Shuang…”

To accompany the royal clan’s young emperor, Chaosheng, from the story.

Shao You laughed. Yes, now that the Eight Wildernesses was peaceful and she had returned, he should return too.

【END】