Right now, Qiao Xuan’s mood could only be described as seeing a ghost.

Not even the shock of discovering that Hualan was actually Xiao Lu had hit him this hard.

He really hadn’t expected to run into Bai Cang again.

He thought that guy had died eight hundred years ago…

Back when he was with Bai Cang, Bai Cang was just the leader of the Wu Ya Sect in the Western Desolate Region, a place overrun by demons and monsters. There were at least dozens of demonic sects similar to Wu Ya Sect, and Bai Cang was merely one of the many demonic lords ruling the region. Sure, he was a powerful demonic cultivator, but in the ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest world of the Western Desolate Region, demonic sects were constantly rising and falling, with big battles and deaths happening all the time.

Bai Cang neither had Hualan’s noble status nor Jiang Weiqing’s protagonist halo.

He always seemed like a minor boss, the type that would end up as cannon fodder.

Qiao Xuan really hadn’t seen anything particularly special about him and had assumed that after a few hundred years, Bai Cang would’ve long since been killed in the constant power struggles of the Western Desolate Region.

But now…

The demonic cultivator he thought was ordinary not only boldly invaded the Heavenly Realm, but with a single strike, shattered the Cloud Sea Heavenly Palace’s barrier and even had his blade pressed against Qiao Xuan’s throat!

That small-time boss he thought was cannon fodder hadn’t just survived—he’d leveled up into a major villain!

In just a few hundred years, the guy had really made something of himself!

Life was always full of unexpected coincidences and twists you could never predict.

Qiao Xuan stood there, his face pale, not daring to move an inch.

He knew Bai Cang too well. This guy was a cold-blooded, heartless demon with absolutely no moral compass. He embodied every single trait of a villain doomed to die in any story—if he wanted to kill someone, he wouldn’t hesitate for even a second!

Bai Cang was way more dangerous than Hualan!

The moment the Heavenly Palace’s barrier shattered, it immediately caught Hualan’s attention. He appeared above the palace in an instant and spotted Bai Cang… and the fact that Qiao Xuan was being held hostage. His pupils shrank, and in a cold voice, he ordered, “Let him go!”

Qiao Xuan caught sight of Hualan and blinked his eyes pitifully, his body stiff and unable to speak.

Bro, for the sake of old times, I’m counting on you to save my life!

Bai Cang’s stern, deep features showed a faint smile. His purple eyes glowed with a strange, cold light as he raised an eyebrow. With one arm holding his blade and the other wrapped around Qiao Xuan’s waist, he pulled Qiao Xuan tightly into his arms and whispered teasingly in his ear, “Hualan doesn’t dare make a move. You must be pretty important to him…”

Qiao Xuan: “…”

Hualan was furious, but fearing for Qiao Xuan’s safety, he suppressed his rage and asked in a low voice, “What are you doing here, Demon Lord?”

Bai Cang glanced at Hualan with a mocking smile. “Why else? I’ve heard that Emperor Hualan has quite the collection of rare treasures, some of which are unique in all three realms. I couldn’t resist coming for a visit.”

What a load of crap. Just say you’re robbing him. No need to dress it up so nicely!

And ‘Demon Lord’? Demon Lord, my foot! Do you even have any shame, still acting so arrogant!

Qiao Xuan’s mind was filled with complaints, but outwardly, he remained as quiet as a mouse.

Hualan stared icily at Bai Cang, not wasting any words. “What do you want?”

Bai Cang’s lips curled into a lazy grin as he slowly replied, “I’ve heard you possess a Tianxin Pearl, a spiritual artifact formed from the remnants of an ancient divine mountain’s heart. It’s the perfect item for nurturing souls. Would the emperor be willing to part with it?”

Qiao Xuan started to panic. This thing sounded incredibly valuable…

Hualan’s expression darkened.

Bai Cang leisurely tightened his grip on Qiao Xuan, slightly raising his blade so that Qiao Xuan had to tilt his head up. The cold touch of the blade against his skin made Qiao Xuan shiver slightly… He had no doubt that if Hualan refused, Bai Cang would kill him without hesitation.

Hualan’s face changed drastically, and he immediately said, “I can give it to you, but you have to promise to release him once you have it.”

Bai Cang smirked, raising an eyebrow as he chuckled. “Of course.”

When Bai Cang had broken into the Heavenly Palace and triggered the barrier, he hadn’t expected to run into Qiao Xuan. Seeing that this person could freely move around the Heavenly Palace and even operate Hualan’s Mountain and Sea Map, Bai Cang knew Qiao Xuan wasn’t just some nobody. So he’d taken the chance to grab Qiao Xuan as a hostage, hoping to test Hualan’s reaction.

He hadn’t really expected Hualan to hand over the Tianxin Pearl for Qiao Xuan’s sake. In Bai Cang’s mind, Qiao Xuan was just a pawn to confuse Hualan. If Hualan didn’t give in, Bai Cang had no qualms about killing Qiao Xuan on the spot and catching Hualan off guard. Then he could just take what he wanted by force.

But to his surprise… Hualan agreed.

For the sake of some seemingly insignificant little immortal, Hualan was willing to hand over a priceless treasure like the Tianxin Pearl. Bai Cang couldn’t help but give Qiao Xuan another look, suddenly realizing he might have underestimated the boy’s importance. Interesting… Could this little guy be Hualan’s illegitimate child?

If Qiao Xuan knew what Bai Cang was thinking, he would’ve cursed him out in every way possible.

Hualan raised his hand, and a white pearl appeared in his palm. It exuded a mysterious aura, glowing softly with a rainbow of colors.

Bai Cang squinted, his eyes sharp as a hawk.

Hualan spoke slowly, his voice cold. “Let him go first.”

Bai Cang chuckled, his demeanor lazy and teasing as he held Qiao Xuan close. “What if I release him and you go back on your word? Hand over the treasure first. Don’t worry… I’m only interested in the treasure, not your boy.”

Hualan didn’t trust Bai Cang, his expression tense as he glared at him.

But Bai Cang wasn’t in a hurry. With Qiao Xuan as his hostage, he knew Hualan had no choice but to comply. The ball was in his court.

Hualan understood this all too well, and his face darkened.

He didn’t mind handing over the Tianxin Pearl, but Bai Cang was a ruthless and cunning figure. If he took the treasure and didn’t release Qiao Xuan, there would be nothing Hualan could do to stop him…

Yet if Hualan didn’t hand it over, Qiao Xuan would be in immediate danger. Bai Cang was banking on the fact that Hualan wouldn’t risk Qiao Xuan’s life.

Hualan couldn’t gamble with Qiao Xuan’s life.

Gazing at Qiao Xuan’s pale face, Hualan’s heart clenched. He had known Qiao Xuan was planning to leave, but he hadn’t stopped him, thinking he could quietly follow and gradually get closer. He never expected things to go so wrong.

Bai Cang had only risen to power in a few hundred years, nearly uniting half of the Western Desolate Region and crowning himself the Demon Lord. He was formidable, but Hualan never imagined he’d be bold enough to storm the Heavenly Realm alone in a bid to steal its treasures.

But no matter what, Hualan couldn’t allow anything to happen to Qiao Xuan.

Tightening his lips, Hualan waved his hand, and the Tianxin Pearl floated toward Bai Cang. Bai Cang’s eyes gleamed as he swiftly grabbed the pearl.

Hualan’s voice was deep. “Release him now.”

Bai Cang stowed away the pearl and suddenly raised an eyebrow, his expression playful as he laughed. “I promised to release him, but I didn’t say it would be right now… I appreciate the emperor’s generosity, but to avoid any changes of heart, I think I’ll take this little guy with me for a while.”

With that, he swung his blade, tearing a rift in space, a dark black fissure opening before them. Bai Cang pulled Qiao Xuan into the void without hesitation!

Qiao Xuan was momentarily disoriented as the sense of weightlessness hit him. He could feel Bai Cang holding him tightly as they traveled through some kind of passageway… So this was what traveling through space felt like? Qiao Xuan’s face turned pale.

Hualan, furious beyond belief, chased after them almost instantly!

But the flickering light and distorted space of the passageway shattered into countless fragmented reflections, slicing the path into disjointed sections…

Qiao Xuan stared ahead, watching as Hualan grew further and further away.

Their eyes met, Hualan’s filled with anxiety and worry, but Qiao Xuan’s vision blurred as the distance between them grew, until finally, Hualan’s figure disappeared completely.

In the blink of an eye, Qiao Xuan and Bai Cang arrived in a dark, desolate space.

Before him stretched a barren wasteland.

The ground was black, with a range of rugged mountains in the distance. The air was thick with a deathly stillness, the sky oppressive and bleak.

This was… the Western Desolate Region.

The land of demons and monsters.

Qiao Xuan wanted to throw his head back and scream at the sky. Who would’ve thought he’d end up back in the mortal realm like this…

He had wanted to go to the mortal realm…

But he definitely hadn’t wanted to go to the Western Desolate Region!

Was the beautiful and lively Eastern Chongzhou not fun enough? Was the prosperous South Yue country not interesting? Or was the exotic Northern Tomb Sea not stunning enough?

Who would willingly come to this dangerous, barren place and hang out with a bunch of ruthless demons and monsters?!

This was literally the last place he ever wanted to be!

Qiao Xuan’s face was ashen with despair. Although he knew Bai Cang wasn’t trustworthy, he had still clung to a sliver of hope that the demon might honor his word for once. But it turned out Bai Cang was still the same shameless demonic cultivator as always! Taking the treasure without releasing him, breaking his promise—this guy clearly lacked any sense of justice!

Where was the light of righteousness? Where had it gone?

Why wasn’t Bai Cang dead yet?!

Bai Cang, still holding Qiao Xuan, flew for about fifteen minutes before landing in front of a towering mountain that pierced the sky like a giant pillar, slanting into the ground. The mountain stood alone, steep and imposing, and halfway up, a majestic palace had been built into the mountainside!

Bai Cang descended directly in front of the palace. A line of demonic cultivators dressed in black immediately knelt down, their voices echoing in unison, “Welcome back, Demon Lord.”

Qiao Xuan looked at the rows of demonic cultivators before him. He had to admit, they were pretty impressive. They definitely had the vibe of villains from a drama. But let me tell you, don’t get too smug—villains like you never meet a good end!

Of course, Bai Cang couldn’t hear Qiao Xuan’s inner monologue. Lazily, he tossed Qiao Xuan onto the steps without a second glance and said flatly, “Take him and lock him up.”

Qiao Xuan winced in pain from the hard landing but kept his head down and didn’t make a sound, obediently allowing himself to be taken away.

Two demonic cultivators escorted him to a stone cell and quickly left.

Once he was alone, Qiao Xuan let out a long breath.

He knew he wasn’t strong enough to face Bai Cang head-on, so it was better to bide his time and wait for a chance to escape…

As for the emotional tribulation with Bai Cang?

That had been a long, long time ago.

…

The mortal world was divided into four regions, each vast and boundless.

Eastern Chongzhou was rich in spiritual energy, full of blessed lands and resources for cultivation. There were no human kingdoms there, only cultivation sects. Everyone took pride in being able to join an immortal sect and cultivate the Dao, making it the ultimate sacred land for cultivation.

South Yue was a land of thriving human civilization, with emperors, ministers, civil exams, and officials. It was a bustling, prosperous nation, the perfect place for mortals to live and thrive.

Northern Tomb Sea, a region made up of countless islands of various sizes, was more scattered and relaxed. Though it wasn’t as rich in spiritual energy as Eastern Chongzhou or as prosperous and stable as South Yue, it wasn’t a bad place either.

And then there was the Western Desolate Region… a land overrun with demons and violence.

It was said that in the beginning, the mortal realm wasn’t so sharply divided. Cultivators and mortals lived together, and both demonic and immortal paths coexisted. But over time, the gap between cultivators and mortals grew wider, and conflicts between demonic and immortal cultivators escalated until a great war finally broke out.

After the war, the mortal realm was divided into the four regions. The immortal Dao triumphed over the demonic Dao, driving all the demons and monsters into the barren and desolate Western Desolate Region.

From then on, mortals lived in mortal kingdoms, Eastern Chongzhou became a sacred land for cultivation, and Northern Tomb Sea remained unclaimed. The demons were all pushed into the Western Desolate Region.

The Western Desolate Region bordered the boundary between life and death. Its skies were perpetually gray, the land too barren to grow crops, and the spiritual energy there was thin and impure, making it a place unfit for cultivation. It was a place immortal cultivators shunned, and humans found it nearly impossible to survive there. That’s why it became the exile ground for demons and monsters.

But the demonic path was built on the art of plunder.

The barren land and chaotic spiritual energy didn’t cause the demons to decline. Instead, they found a new, more ruthless path—a path of brutal predation.

The demons used the unique environment to cultivate dark and sinister techniques, seizing the essence of heaven, earth, and humanity to grow stronger.

Over tens of thousands of years, the demonic Dao in the Western Desolate Region flourished, far beyond what it had been before. If not for the ancient seal placed by the gods, the demons would’ve long since broken free.

In the Western Desolate Region, resources were scarce and hoarded by the powerful. Humans held the lowest status there. Those who couldn’t cultivate would never escape the region. They had to rely on demonic sects to survive.

Mortals born in the Western Desolate Region had only two choices: join a demonic sect and become a demonic cultivator, or become slaves or food for the demons. Their lives and deaths were at the mercy of the demons.

Survival was humanity’s basic instinct. So everyone in the Western Desolate Region sought to join a demonic sect by any means necessary. They all understood one thing: to survive, you had to kill others and seize their resources.

If you didn’t, someone else would kill you.

But even so, not everyone could become a demonic cultivator. Those without talent or luck were doomed to remain at the bottom of the Western Desolate Region.

Qiao Xuan’s second life, under the name Qing Xun, began in a small, poverty-stricken village in the Western Desolate Region.

That was 900 years ago.

Nine hundred years ago, in a little village called Heishui on the banks of the turbid river, a woman gave birth to a child. The woman didn’t know who the father was. In Heishui Village, where there were more men than women, it wasn’t uncommon for several men to share one woman. In order to survive and get food from the men in the village, the woman sold her body. She couldn’t remember how many men she had been with, but one day, she ended up pregnant.

She gave birth to the child by the turbid river, naming him Xun after the water, and since the family name Qing was common in the village, the child was called Qing Xun.

Little Qing Xun was thin and weak, growing up alongside the woman, living by collecting firewood, scavenging, and doing odd jobs. He was often starving and barely had clothes to cover himself… They lived in a dilapidated shack. Sometimes, when men came to the house, the woman would lock him outside until everything was over. If the men were in a good mood when they left, they would occasionally throw him a little food, so Qing Xun thought those men were kind.

In Qing Xun’s eyes, if he could get a hot meal and maybe a bite of meat once a month, that was as good as life got.

Time passed, and the child grew into a teenager.

But the woman aged and lost her looks, and fewer and fewer men came to their house. Qing Xun hadn’t had meat in a long time, and he was starving more and more often… From a young age, he understood that if he wanted to survive, he had to rely on himself. But he was too frail to join the village men on their hunts. Desperate for food, he began to steal.

But after only a few thefts, the villagers caught on. Furious, they stormed the woman’s house.

Qing Xun was terrified. He was just so hungry, and the small teenager looked like a gust of wind could blow him over.

But in this place, no one would pity him. Everything came at a price.

And life was the cheapest, most worthless thing here.

The villagers dragged him out.

Blinded by the glaring firelight, Qing Xun squinted, his vision filled with snarling faces, like a swarm of evil spirits swirling above him. He thought he was going to die. In this village, people died every day. Sometimes he wondered how he would meet his end, and now he knew—this was how.

This life didn’t seem to hold much meaning. But in that moment, he still feared death. He still wanted to live.

But there was nowhere for him to run.

Curled up on the ground, Qing Xun didn’t resist, didn’t argue. He had accepted his fate. Just as he had given up, the woman suddenly opened the door and stepped outside.

She walked up to him and looked down. Her eyes weren’t pretty, but in them, he saw emotions he didn’t understand. Maybe pity, sadness, or even some form of mockery…

Then the woman turned around, standing with her back to him and facing the angry crowd.

This woman, who never smiled at him, always cold and impatient, often hitting and scolding him, now stood there without flinching, protecting him with her body. She wasn’t strong, but in Qing Xun’s eyes, she seemed as immovable as a mountain.

The woman spoke flatly to the furious villagers, saying that she was the one who had stolen the food, and it had nothing to do with the boy.

That night, under the flickering light of the torches, Qing Xun was pinned to the ground, forced to watch as the woman was beaten to death by sticks. They stripped her body and threw her into the fire, all while laughing cruelly, spewing filthy insults, and jeering with contempt…

Some of the men who had once visited the woman’s shack were among the crowd, wearing sneering, cold smiles as they watched it all unfold like a show.

The village chief, an old man supported by others, rasped in Qing Xun’s ear, his voice cold and sharp as a blade. He said, “Those who make mistakes pay the price.”

The scorching heat of the flames licked at Qing Xun’s face, but he only felt a bone-deep cold.

He stared blankly at the scene, lost and dazed. Why had the woman protected him? She didn’t seem to love or care about him. She often cursed him as useless and sometimes threatened to abandon him altogether. Qing Xun had always believed that if the woman ever ran out of food or couldn’t survive, she would abandon him without hesitation or even sell him for food.

But none of the things he had imagined had happened…

The woman had simply stepped forward, stood in front of him, and taken on the punishment that should have been his.

Why? Qing Xun didn’t understand.

He was still alive, but death suddenly didn’t seem so terrifying anymore. What scared him more was the thought of being left all alone in this cold, cruel world that devoured everything.

He was all alone now.

Qing Xun didn’t return to the broken shack. He sat there without food or water, watching the woman’s body slowly rot. After three days, a group of villagers came and forcibly dragged him away.

They took him and a few other boys and girls and presented them to two men dressed in black.

The villagers were offering them to the Wu Ya Sect.

Qing Xun was eerily calm. Unlike the others, he didn’t cry. He had already tasted despair. Even if he went to the Wu Ya Sect now, it would just mean dying in a different way. It didn’t seem like a big deal.

If the woman knew that her death had only bought him three extra days of life, she probably would’ve regretted her decision and thought it wasn’t worth the price, right?

Qing Xun thought to himself…

Heishui Village was within the Wu Ya Sect’s territory. Many villages like Heishui existed in the areas controlled by Wu Ya Sect. The sect protected these villages from monster attacks and didn’t slaughter them indiscriminately, but in return, the villagers were forced into servitude. Every year, the villages had to send boys and girls to the sect for the demonic cultivators to enjoy.

Qing Xun had heard the rumors before. The demonic cultivators of Wu Ya Sect were terrifying monsters. Not only were they ugly, but they ate people. The boys and girls sent to the sect never survived more than a year, which was why they had to offer fresh recruits every year.

A day later, Qing Xun arrived at the Wu Ya Sect, along with the other boys and girls from the villages. They were all locked up in a spacious courtyard.

There, Qing Xun became the target of many jealous stares.

He had always been dirty and ragged before, looking like a beggar who rolled in the mud. But because the villagers were offering him to Wu Ya Sect, they had cleaned him up for the first time, dressing him in passable clothes. Only now did people realize just how good-looking he was.

Qing Xun overheard their whispers.

They said that those who looked good were more likely to be chosen by a powerful master and live a better life.

But they also said that for slaves like them, looks alone weren’t enough. They would also be tested for their potential. If their constitution wasn’t suitable, the powerful demonic cultivators wouldn’t even consider them, not even as a furnace. The others glared at Qing Xun with jealousy, hoping his potential would turn out to be terrible. They couldn’t wait to see him fail…

Because only slaves with good potential could be chosen by a powerful master, giving them a strong backer. Those with poor potential would remain at the bottom, becoming the lowest of the low, slaves that anyone in the sect could abuse.

There were few powerful demonic cultivators, and if someone else was chosen, it meant they wouldn’t be. Qing Xun’s appearance made them feel threatened.

This was the Western Desolate Region.

Even among those destined to be butchered, they fought to tear down the weaker prey…

Qing Xun listened to all of this in a daze. A more powerful master, huh?

Would that mean he could keep on living?

The next day, a demonic cultivator came, carrying a metal tray-like object and asking them to drip their blood onto it one by one.

Qing Xun had heard that this was how they tested potential. The purer and darker the blood, the more likely they would be chosen as a furnace by a powerful master.

In the Western Desolate Region, the best resources were always in the hands of the strong, and these boys and girls were seen as resources to these demonic cultivators—disposable goods that needed to be replenished constantly.

Even if the end result was death, as long as they could live a little longer, they all held onto that faint hope.

Qing Xun wasn’t any different. Like a puppet on strings, he stepped forward to the demonic cultivator with the tray… The cultivator’s eyes glinted with naked greed, staring at him like he was a piece of meat about to be served, or a lamb waiting for slaughter.

The demonic cultivator said, “Drip your blood.”

Qing Xun pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall. As soon as the blood hit the tray, it was instantly absorbed, leaving no trace. The others didn’t react this way. Qing Xun stared at the tray in confusion. “Do I need to drop another?”

He thought he’d done it wrong.

But as soon as he asked, he noticed the demonic cultivator’s gaze had changed. The naked greed in his eyes had turned into jealousy and resentment.

A perfect pure yin furnace.

Such a treasure would never go to a low-ranking demonic cultivator like him.

Qing Xun was taken away.

Two servants came to dress him up carefully, and then he was led into a room.

Kneeling on the ground, Qing Xun looked up and saw a man.

The man was dressed in a black robe with dark patterns, his cold, purple eyes gleaming. His sharp, handsome face looked like that of a god. He tilted Qing Xun’s chin up with one hand, his voice husky and low, tinged with amusement. “From now on, I am your master.”

Author’s Note:

Qiao Xuan: This guy has no sense of decency! I’m furious!

Bai Cang: Decency doesn’t matter when it’s for my wife.

Qiao Xuan: You’re such a rat! Where’s the light of justice? Who’s going to stop this villain?!

Author: You should go look in a mirror.

Qiao Xuan: …

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