In reality, the ink snake had nowhere to go with Liu Shuang. The Demon Suppression Tower had thirty-five floors in total, each layered with countless formations. Prohibitions against demon-kind were everywhere. Moreover, the immortal guards stationed here had been alerted, making it difficult to go anywhere.

The demons gathered together, chattering excitedly.

These were all great demons who had lived for tens of thousands of years. Someone remarked, “This ink snake’s original form looks somewhat familiar.”

Yet they couldn’t recall who it resembled.

“Regardless of who it resembles, disturbing Lord Night Demon means certain death.”

The Night Demon Lord suddenly said, “Truly wasted by imprisonment if you can’t even recognize him. They don’t recognize him—Dream Concubine, what about you? Don’t you recognize him either?”

The female demon stammered, her eyes widening. After a long moment, she began to tremble, unable to utter a single word.

The Night Demon Lord sneered: “He was nurtured in your womb for a hundred years—you should be quite familiar with him.”

With these words, the demons exclaimed incredulously: “Is that His Highness?”

This news caused the Dead Sea to boil. None of the demons had imagined they would live to see a descendant of the ancient demon emperor.

“This is bad. His Highness’s spiritual form isn’t fully developed. He shouldn’t appear in the Demon Suppression Tower. Now that he’s been discovered by the immortal guards, we must lend him our assistance.”

The great demons unanimously agreed. They had been trapped here, but Yan Chaosheng shouldn’t be. At once, they prepared to use all their powers to impede the immortal soldiers.

The Night Demon Lord said, “Don’t act rashly. What you want is a king, not a waste whose bloodline will never awaken.”

“Night Demon Lord, you dare disrespect His Highness!”

The Night Demon Lord smiled: “Disrespect? No. In all Eight Wildernesses, no one respects the descendants of Xiang Yao more than I do. However, his bloodline hasn’t awakened, so he can’t truly be considered His Highness yet. Regardless of whether his spiritual form has matured, if he fears the immortal soldiers in the Demon Suppression Tower, he won’t survive until the day of his transformation. He won’t be able to shoulder the responsibility of Xiang Yao’s lineage and the demon tribe. What harm is there if he dies today?”

The Night Demon Lord licked his lips: “Don’t rush. When he becomes cold-blooded, cruel, and bellicose, that’s when he’ll truly be one of the demon tribe. That will be the true dawn for our kind.”

Dream Concubine murmured, “Will we live to see that day?”

The Night Demon Lord closed his eyes briefly and said calmly, “Isn’t it already coming soon?”

His Highness’s original form was now filled with hatred and rage.

Seeing the immortal soldiers about to catch up, Yan Chaosheng felt a surge of murderous intent rising within him.

The original form possessed all the baser instincts of demon creatures, including bloodlust, arrogance, and fondness for battle. Yan Chaosheng had been outside the tower for almost a month.

He had already begun to vaguely sense something was wrong. Liu Shuang’s attitude didn’t seem to indicate she was deeply in love with him.

Yan Chaosheng’s heart continued to sink, but before he could go find Liu Shuang, Kung Sang had already arranged an immortal gate mission. Chi Shui Chong personally issued the order—

To eliminate demons in a mortal town.

When he received the command token, Yan Chaosheng’s expression remained calm.

The immortal messenger who handed him the token gave him a mocking glance. Assigning a demon to slaughter his kind seemed ironic, no matter how one looked at it.

“Are you unwilling?”

Yan Chaosheng replied: “This disciple will certainly complete the mission.”

There was nothing to be unwilling about. On the great path, from the moment he agreed with the wolf cub’s words and stepped onto the immortal path, he had already abandoned many things.

He understood that demons in the Eight Wildernesses had no dignity. He didn’t need it either. Throughout his journey, companions had died tragically one after another. He had long understood that only by abandoning his identity and becoming an immortal would he truly have a place to stand.

If integrating with them and becoming a qualified immortal elder required eliminating demons, he would do it. He would even be more decisive than anyone else.

Seeing the calm in his eyes, the immortal messenger looked at him a few more times, then said indifferently: “Depart the day after tomorrow.”

Before his departure, Immortal Maiden Mi Chu came to visit: “For this journey outside the immortal realm, is there anything I can help with? Liu Shuang asked me to take good care of you. You’ve been here for several days, and I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t done anything for you. Please accept this soft armor—it might offer some protection.”

Her eyes were gentle, filled with concern. Yan Chaosheng raised his eyes to look at her.

Logically, someone who had lacked care and love since childhood would be sensitive to kindness from others. Most would feel immensely grateful for even the smallest favor.

Yan Chaosheng had once been no exception.

He had craved love and attention more desperately than most unfortunate souls.

However, life had forced him to see through many things.

He remembered the first time someone had shown him care—a female demon in his childhood. She claimed to have lost her child and, seeing Yan Chaosheng beautiful and adorable, offered to be his mother.

The little snake demon had no mother. Everything he yearned for came from the female demon’s lips, and he had almost easily extended his small hand to her.

On the way to the female demon’s home, the little snake demon fantasized countless times about a life without exposure to the elements, and also imagined how he would protect his mother when he grew up.

Later, the female demon died in the very pot she had intended to cook him in. The little snake demon’s face turned ashen and cold. The first time someone had shown him kindness was because they saw him as weak and defenseless, yet with some cultivation, and wanted to devour him.

There was another occasion when Yan Chaosheng was coming of age—the female demons in the forest.

Unfortunately, such kindness lasted barely three days, ending before the seeds of love and goodness could sprout in the young man’s heart. They were attracted to his beautiful appearance, seeking only a brief affair.

As he gradually grew older, Yan Chaosheng encountered a wandering immortal who taught him many things.

This wandering immortal helped Yan Chaosheng escape trouble, evade Taoist priests’ pursuit, and brought him back to his cave to treat his wounds. Yan Chaosheng once regarded him as his master, only to later discover that the wandering immortal had a son whose eyes had been blinded by a plot. He needed a pair of eyes that could suppress poison. Fearing the consequences of killing an immortal, he had chosen a demon instead.

The wandering immortal had some skills and discerned that Yan Chaosheng’s demon eyes differed slightly from those of other demons, so he set his sights on Yan Chaosheng.

He had indeed succeeded initially—a dagger pierced Yan Chaosheng’s eyes.

Unfortunately for him, despite using all his abilities, the wandering immortal couldn’t gouge out that pair of eyes. Yan Chaosheng’s black pupils transformed into silver, and his bleeding eyes stared at the wandering immortal without shedding a single tear.

After so many years, Yan Chaosheng seemed to still remember the pain of the dagger piercing his eyes.

Now, Mi Chu was offering soft armor, which was also a form of kindness. Yan Chaosheng paused, then smiled and accepted it: “Thank you, Immortal Maiden.”

He lowered his eyes, which were cold as he pondered Mi Chu’s intentions. What did this immortal maiden want from him?

Yan Chaosheng couldn’t help but think of another person—the little immortal maiden who had pushed him to Mi Chu’s palace with her own hands, making him hate her enough to nearly grind his teeth to dust these past few days.

Mi Chu’s gift only increased his resentment.

Was this what Chi Shui Liu Shuang wanted? Did she truly not care at all if he developed feelings for Mi Chu?

Yan Chaosheng desperately wanted to go to the Demon Suppression Tower to get a clear answer, but the command token reminded him that this was his first immortal gate mission. He needed to complete it excellently before he could seek her out.

He accompanied three immortal gate elders to a small town in the mortal realm.

After patrolling once around, Yan Chaosheng found no demonic energy. The town also had very few residents.

He reported his findings to everyone. One elder impatiently said, “We already told you it’s a malevolent great demon. If it were so easily discovered by you, we wouldn’t need to come personally. Mere youngster, just do what you’re supposed to do.”

Yan Chaosheng respectfully replied: “Yes.”

The elders instructed him to set up formations outside the town. Yan Chaosheng did exactly as told. By the time the formations were complete, it was a full moon night in the mortal realm.

“Tonight is when we close the net.”

Yan Chaosheng remained silent, sensing something amiss as his fists slowly clenched.

One elder pointed his sword at him: “We came here to capture you, you abomination. We don’t know why you came to our Kung Sang, but Kung Sang absolutely will not tolerate someone harboring sinister plots.”

Yan Chaosheng said hoarsely: “This disciple only wanted to find a master and seek the immortal path. I never had any intention to harm Kung Sang.”

“Those not of our kind must have different hearts. If you were truly as straightforward as you claim, why would you seal and hide your bloodline? Even the realm lord couldn’t discern what kind of demon you are. Yet you dare say you harbor no ill intentions!”

But since birth, he hadn’t known what bloodline he possessed, nor could he manifest his original form. This wasn’t his fault.

“Why waste words on him? Just kill him and be done with it.”

That night was filled with flashing blades and swords. Although Yan Chaosheng had recovered his cultivation and greatly increased his power, he was no match for the three elders. The demon-extermination formation beneath his feet lit up layer by layer.

Trapped in the formation, he raised his eyes to look at these sanctimonious immortals, realizing for the first time how ridiculous his aspirations had been all these years.

Were these the kind of people he had been earnestly seeking, for whom he had endured humiliation and knelt to beg?

Yan Chaosheng’s eyes grew colder, hatred flourishing in his heart.

Just before he was about to die under their formation, his bones shifted strangely. Then, Yan Chaosheng saw his appearance reflected in their eyes.

He—no, perhaps it would be better to say “it”—its form suddenly grew taller.

A snake dozens of zhang long rose from the ground, looking down at them from a great height.

At this critical moment, for the sake of survival, he had forcibly manifested his original form for the first time. The elders looked at him with shock and uncertainty: “What kind of demon is this? Why have we never seen it before?”

His demon body was formidable, actually breaking through the formation. He opened his mouth, filled with overwhelming hatred, his eyes cold with a single thought: kill them!

The elders were terrified by his reckless fighting style. Yet just before Yan Chaosheng could bite off one elder’s neck, he seemed to think of something. His eyes showed suppression and a measure of hatred as he suddenly released his grip and fled toward the mortal town.

The demon form moved with extreme speed, leaving the three elders staring at each other in bewilderment.

Yan Chaosheng didn’t know why he had come to the Demon Suppression Tower.

His entire body was covered in blood that seeped from his forcibly manifested original form, including his eyes, which were filled with bloodshot veins.

He knew he couldn’t kill people. Once he killed, he would be rejected by the Eight Wildernesses, just like when he had killed several Taoist priests as a child.

Even if they had tried to kill him first.

He raised his head to look at the Demon Suppression Tower. The overwhelming demonic energy inside was detectable from far away. Yan Chaosheng’s heart was filled with bitter hatred, not only for Kung Sang, who had rejected him, but also for her.

He wasn’t a fool. Having witnessed countless dramas in the mortal world, though he hadn’t experienced them himself, he had seen many deeply in love couples and the coldness of the world.

When Liu Shuang pushed him toward Mi Chu, he understood many things.

Chi Shui Chong’s attempt to kill him became the final catalyst. He desperately wanted to ask if Kung Sang’s desire to kill him had also been her intention.

If they were never going to accept him, why did she do so much for him in the beginning?

Was she like everyone else he had encountered on his journey, harboring ulterior motives? But with his lowly status, what could she possibly gain from him? Was she acting on Chi Shui Chong’s orders to test his background and bloodline?

He transformed into a human youth, sitting coldly at a distance, allowing anger to surge through his body.

He was unwilling to admit that beneath the overwhelming hatred, there was still a shallow sense of unwillingness and grievance from a youth not yet fully grown.

Outside the Demon Suppression Tower, it occasionally rained.

He knew it was a place where great demons were imprisoned. They couldn’t come out, and he dared not go in.

Day after day passed. He knew she couldn’t see all he had suffered these days, nor could she hear his feelings.

That day at Nine Thoughts Pond, taking her hand and letting her extract his core—it all seemed like a joke now.

If she didn’t like him, why treat him this way? Wouldn’t an attitude like Bai Yuxiao’s have been better from the start?

His wounds hadn’t healed, yet he hadn’t left either.

Yan Chaosheng couldn’t explain what he was waiting for. Perhaps he was waiting for the day she emerged, so he could transform into his original form and strangle her.

He had been deceived many times, but the most painful deception, the one he was most unwilling to acknowledge, was this one. The female demon who wanted to eat him was pushed into the furnace by him. The wandering immortal who wanted to gouge out his eyes was also killed by him.

Only she…

She hadn’t even said what she wanted, yet he had already taken her hand and guided it to touch a demon’s most precious core.

Yan Chaosheng recalled Bi Xun. He had once mocked Bi Xun, considering him a disgrace to demonkind. Now he realized he was no different from Bi Xun.

If he didn’t sever this inexplicable sentiment, he would ultimately meet the same fate as Bi Xun. He would die.

He had been vigilantly waiting for nearly a month. Finally, one morning, he saw her walk to the base of the tower. However, the young woman didn’t leave the tower. She formed hand seals and gathered the most beautiful bouquet that bloomed at the Chen hour.

Yan Chaosheng raised his eyes toward the top of the Demon Suppression Tower, sensing danger.

Silver eyes flickered in and out of view.

His chest felt oppressed. A cold voice inside said: Her father wants to kill you. Since you don’t need to act, she’s in danger—why bother interfering?

Yan Chaosheng lowered his gaze, fingers tightening.

His silver eyes looked toward the thirty-second floor, where a thin layer of red mist enveloped the area. The sense of foreboding grew stronger in his heart.

When he could bear it no longer and transformed into his original form to break into the Demon Suppression Tower, Yan Chaosheng told himself he was going to demand an answer.

He couldn’t let her deceive him and then die so easily.

Now, Yan Chaosheng had successfully seized Liu Shuang. His snake eyes were like huge lanterns as he looked back at the young woman coiled in his tail, which continually tightened around her waist.

She had only an undergarment left on her body. Worse still, she had been poisoned by the passion flower and knew neither fear nor disgust. She couldn’t see the cold gaze of the ink snake, only knowing that his snake body was refreshingly cool, making her want to embrace his tail.

Her body was delicate. Under such an enormous being, a slight movement of his tail could strangle her.

Revenge.

As he had said before, all demons were like this. Her father wanted to kill him, and she had deceived him, too. He should retaliate.

The young woman was oblivious to the coldness in his eyes, relying on him unconsciously.

The blood beneath his scales stained her clothes red.

Seeing the immortal soldiers approaching, Yan Chaosheng’s eyes grew increasingly cold. Irritated, he dropped her.

She fell to the ground, looking at him with misty eyes. The already precarious undergarment slipped halfway off with this jostling.

An endless spring scene.

The ink snake’s pupils contracted. He almost wanted to devour her.

The pursuers arrived. A flash of light surrounded the ink snake. The colorful feather that had originally contained Qing Luan instantly enveloped them.

Within the feather’s domain were only a half-alive egg and the suddenly appearing enormous ink snake with the half-naked young woman.

Yan Chaosheng looked at her coldly. Affected by the passion flower poison, she only felt hot.

Whenever she tried to approach him, he swatted her away with his tail. He didn’t realize that despite appearing harsh, his touch was gentle when it landed on her, not even leaving a mark.

Finally, the disoriented young woman could only pitifully press against an egg to cool down.

That demon bird egg had grown considerably, almost as large as she was.

Yan Chaosheng grew even more irritated at the sight.

He coiled his tail around her, pinning her down firmly.

“Hot…” she murmured.

Malice surged within him. He deliberately reduced his size, his demonic nature’s malevolence and willfulness making him unwilling to transform into human form as he approached her.

His tail slipped under her undergarment. With gleaming silver eyes, he coiled around her inch by inch.

She dared to deceive him, deceived him until he was willing to dig out his core!

Even now, he still fixated on one answer: “Explain yourself, and I might transform into human form.”

She could no longer hear what he was saying. Her misty eyes were clear with moisture as she panted softly. Never had she looked more like a bewitching beauty than at this moment.

He only needed one glance to be unable to tell whether she had gone mad or he had.

He laughed coldly: “Close your eyes. Otherwise, do you want to be the first immortal maiden to die from coupling with a demon creature, Chi Shui Liu Shuang?”

The undergarment fell beside the demon egg. His voice approached her grimly, no longer concealing his demonic nature. He said maliciously, “We’ll see if I’m in the mood to spare your life afterward.”