Chapter 128: Demon Realm Soul Seizure (Part 21)

Lingsu Daojun Red lips curled into a smile, a murderous aura spreading across his face: “Since the Dao of Heaven has loopholes that others can exploit, why can’t I do the same?”
Shen Suwei pondered for a moment. Elder Yi and the others had used a grand formation to avoid the heavenly thunder, indeed exploiting a loophole: “How did you use the Dao of Heaven?”

“You have two very useful divine abilities. What I did is exactly what you were thinking of. I don’t believe you’ve never thought about it,” Lingsu Daojun lowered his eyes. “You shouldn’t dwell on this kind of sin.”

With a flick of his sleeve, the water mirror shattered with a loud crash.
The shards flew around the space, and in an instant, the surroundings shifted to a different scene.

After the white light faded, Shen Suwei found himself in the Shifang Street of Nanling. He remembered this place because there was a huge zodiac lantern in the center of the street, and Xu Qianyu had once hung a wooden plaque on it.

But when he looked towards the lantern, it wasn’t the tiger they had seen before, but a sheep.
The street was empty, and from time to time, thunderbolts with twisted branches appeared in the sky. The rain fell in silvery strands, slanting in the glowing light.

The houses were dilapidated, trees swayed, and the silence around him was eerie.

The thunder was the Extermination Thunder of the Immortals, about the width of a bowl. The phrase “Five thunders of heaven” referred to this kind of thunder. The heavens were angry and seemed ready to mete out punishment.

Shen Suwei looked up at the roaring sky and saw the frost on the ground dissipating, the frost on the leaves melting away. He faintly guessed what his past self had done.

But what about the people in this world? Had they been killed by him with the Ice and Snow Realm?

If so, then he was truly a person doomed by Heaven’s wrath.

Lingsu Daojun muttered an incantation, golden light strands condensing, rising from the ground. Buildings, archways, and countless wine banners appeared, and one by one, pedestrians materialized.

The street that had been empty suddenly came alive with people. Before long, the surroundings were filled with noise.

The pedestrians gathered around the lantern, expressing amazement. They seemed to be talking about how the zodiac lantern, which had just been set up for the Tianzhu Festival, had changed its shape. They also mentioned the little tree by the street, wondering when it had grown so tall, with a trunk thick enough for two people to embrace.

But as the heavy rain began to fall, the crowd quickly fled, holding their heads.
An elderly man with an umbrella walked toward them. His clothing was luxurious, and he appeared vigorous, but his expression was confused as he looked around, seemingly unable to remember why he was there.

The crowd quickly scattered under the eaves of the buildings. The elderly man saw Lingsu Daojun blocking his path, clearly coming for him, and he nervously took a step back.

In his eyes, Lingsu Daojun wore a purple jade crown, a brocaded robe, and was bathed in white light. His black, round eyes resembled some kind of animal’s, and his murderous aura was overwhelming, making him clearly no ordinary person.

The old man, a man of experience, immediately dropped his umbrella and bowed.
“Could it be the King of Hell come to claim my life?” the old man asked, braving it. “An immortal shows the way, and I dare not refuse. But I still have a daughter who is mentally ill and a granddaughter who just turned a month old. She is still in swaddling clothes and needs someone to take care of her. If you must take me, please allow me to go home and make arrangements.”
Lingsu Daojun said, “Are you Shui Rushan from Nanling?”
“Yes, that is me.”

“I’m not here to take your life,” Lingsu Daojun snapped a tree branch, looked ahead, and drew a sword from his body. Without needing to look, he swiftly cut the branch into a sword shape. “I’m sending your granddaughter a gift for her first month.”

“This…” Shui Rushan stared in surprise at the sword-wielding figure.

The rain first avoided his body but soon began to touch his hair, eventually passing straight through his body. The white light on him grew stronger, almost as if he were about to vanish.

“Your granddaughter was born during frequent thunderstorms because she carries a thunderous spiritual root.”
Shui Rushan was stunned. “She has a spiritual root? Doesn’t that mean she will be taken by the immortal sects in the future? Not that I have anything against the immortals, but I can’t bear to see my dear ones leave me.” He immediately knelt down and begged, “Please, immortal, think of a way to prevent my granddaughter from being taken away.”

As he spoke, Lingsu Daojun had finished carving the wooden sword. Though it was made of wood, it gleamed with cold light and was incredibly sharp.

He raised the sword in front of him, gave it a glance, and then stabbed it into his own chest.
Shui Rushan couldn’t stop him in time, filled with horror.

“It’s fine,” Lingsu Daojun said, as if he didn’t feel any pain. “I was just testing the sword.”

Blood and a wisp of grey mist spread out, flowing over his pale hand. Lingsu Daojun withdrew the sword, cleaned it, and seemed to explain to Shui Rushan as much as to himself: “I am somewhat slow in my actions. Only when it hurts a little will I remember it.”

Shui Rushan watched as the grey mist was slowly pulled from his chest, drifting in the air, carried away to an unknown place. His lips moved, as if to speak, but then he paused. His gaze shifted back, not daring to ask what it was.
Lightning struck the wooden sword in Lingsu Daojun’s hand, the purple electric light flowing along the sword’s length, looping back and forth a few times.

Lingsu Daojun handed the sword over: “This sword resonates with your granddaughter’s attributes and can obscure the Immortal Sect’s sensing of her spiritual roots. Take it with you, hang it in the hall. For the next ten or more years, no one from the Immortal Sect will be able to find her.”

Shui Rushan took the sword with both hands. In Lingsu Daojun’s hand, the wooden sword seemed light as a toy, but once it was in Shui Rushan’s grasp, it felt heavier, causing his arms to press down. He thought of something further ahead: “Immortal Lord, may I ask, what happens after ten years? If, after those ten years, someone from the Immortal Sect still comes to take her?”

“If you wish to keep your loved ones, you must find every way possible,” Lingsu Daojun replied indifferently. “Carved beams and painted rafters, poetry, calligraphy, all can form a formation; without physical formations, there are still human formations; and without human formations, there are also thought formations after one becomes a ghost.”

His face showed no expression, but an aura like a sword unsheathed emanated from his body: “If you do not wish it and resist with your life, no one else will succeed.”
Shui Rushan’s expression shifted slightly as he bowed again: “Thank you for your guidance, Immortal Lord.”

Lingsu Daojun: “I must leave.”

“May I ask your title, Immortal Lord?” Shui Rushan clutched the sword and, struggling against the rain, said, “Your kindness in pointing the way—I will repay you and my family will repay you in the future.”

Lingsu Daojun fell silent for a moment, then said, “I have no title. If others ask where this sword comes from, you can tell them that you met a wandering Taoist and bought it for a thousand gold.”

“Step back.” He seemed to smile slightly at Shui Rushan.

Suddenly, five thunders struck down in front of Shui Rushan, like the Milky Way pouring down, with a roar of a dragon, illuminating the world as bright as day!

When Shui Rushan opened his eyes again, the rain was slanting down in front of him, splashing whirlpools in the stone slabs and puddles. All he could hear was the sound of the rain, and the Immortal Lord’s figure had disappeared from the world.

---

The memories of his past life rushed back. Shen Suiwei gently closed his eyes; the pleasure of destruction, hatred, sorrow, silence, killing intent, and the intense pain in his chest surged like branches growing leaves, transforming into a gray mist that rushed wildly through his veins, impossible to suppress!

Two ice spoons fell into his palm, their glow slowly extinguishing.

The mask of You Yin had shattered into pieces, revealing his admiring expression: “I got two ice spoons in one go; we’ll be famous with this battle!”

Shen Suiwei gripped the ice spoons tightly, his heartbeat pounding, his efforts to control his emotions almost overwhelming, as the surrounding sounds turned into a vague buzzing.

Beside him, Chu Linfeng, driven to the brink of death, activated his most powerful divine ability. Sword light swept out, and from the brilliance, a black dragon shadow emerged. The giant dragon roared and bit off the monster’s spine.

Chu Linfeng shouted, “I will avenge my relatives!” The black dragon then grew three heads, strangling Fu Shao.

At this moment, a large vortex formation appeared under everyone’s feet. A soft female voice came from below the formation: “Fu Shao.”

The monster, caught in the middle of the battle, froze and turned its half-destroyed head in disbelief.

“Xiao Shao,” Hua Liangyu said, “It’s time to return.”

The ground shook violently, and the environment around them rapidly changed.

Light suddenly burst forth in all directions. The three of them were dragged into the sandy realm of the demon domain. The mirage made of water vapor and spiritual energy could not pass through the teleportation array, transforming into a crystal-like rain that poured down from the sky.

“I was in the middle of a battle, what’s this?” Chu Linfeng was very displeased. His killing intent was still strong, and a beam of sword light kicked up sand. You Yin was too weak to brush the sand off and clutched his chest, slowly lying flat on the ground.

Shen Suiwei’s sword tip drooped, the blue flame on the blade slowly extinguishing.
Raindrops fell on his shoulders as he gazed at the blurry figures standing opposite him. Among the crowd, Xu Qianyu’s eyes were fixed on him.

He could clearly feel his heart beating wildly, half of it red, half shrouded in gray demonic mist.

He had originally been a dual-element spirit root, but that day, Xu Binglai had sealed away his fire element. Today, in order to survive, he broke the taboo, which led to disastrous consequences, leaving him struggling on the edge of the nightmare.

Or perhaps this was his destiny from his past life.
Lingsu Daojun’s mentioned divine abilities should refer to the “infinite realm” and “resurrection” abilities.

He had once used the Infinite Realm to expand his icy domain throughout the world, killing everyone in existence.
As a result, the world was left in dead silence, empty and devoid of life.

He then used the Resurrection ability to bring everyone back to life—this divine ability could only restore things destroyed recently, but for some unknown reason, the world he revived was from over a hundred years ago, along with all the people from that time.

The houses and neighborhoods from the year Xu Qianyu was born appeared on Shifang Street a hundred years later. Shui Rushan arrived with an umbrella, while Xu Qianyu was still in swaddling clothes.

How he had accomplished this in his past life, and why he did it—was it just for his junior sister? This he did not understand.

But one thing was certain: as a Daoist Lord, committing such world-destroying sins enraged the Heavenly Dao.

Heavenly punishment descended in the form of the divine thunder of extermination, and it would surely take his life.

However, Lingsu Daojun had long entered the nightmare, leaving only gray mist beneath his skin. He pierced his own heart with the wooden sword, causing his heart demon and soul to escape, reincarnating as the second life, while his true body died under the divine thunder. Without this, he would never have had the chance to be reborn.
Lingsu Daojun had a hint of selfishness.
Without rebirth, there would be no chance to meet again.
What could he say in this life?
He had originally been a fusion of Daoist souls and heart demons.

---

Shen Suiwei’s expression changed slightly when he saw Xu Qianyu running toward him from the crowd.

Wuzhen stretched out his arm to stop her, but Xu Qianyu slipped under his arm and continued running toward him.

In no time, Xu Qianyu threw herself into his arms, her body damp with mist: “Shixiong.”
Xu Qianyu felt her Shixiong’s hand gently touch her hair, his fingers trailing over her forehead, sliding down her eyelashes and the warm skin of her face. After a while, he looked at her and said, “I’m sorry.”

Xu Qianyu didn’t understand why he was apologizing. The suppressed tone made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. No matter how she thought about it, Senior Brother had risked his life, and she had gained from it. Her eyes flickered as she looked at him hesitantly and said, “Sorry.”

Shen Suwei repeated, “Sorry.”

“Ahh.” The wandering bard, lying on the ground, covered his face in distress. “What are you two doing? Saying ‘sorry’—why is no one saying sorry to me?”

*
In front of everyone, Chu Linfeng’s sword spirit, transformed into three black dragons, was still tearing at a large piece of shapeless creature that had lost its human form.
Hua Qingyu said, “You used my and Wuzhen’s spiritual energy just to summon him here for the formation?”

Hua Liangyu replied, “Xiao San, this is between me and Fu Shao. Please allow me to handle it.”
“Alright, you do it. You saved my life, so you can do whatever you want. I’m curious to see what you’ll say to him.” The bell on the umbrella rang, shifting her anger to another man. “Wuzhen, get out of here; don’t touch me.”

“….” Wuzhen pulled the hood of his cloak up to cover his face, handed the umbrella to Hua Liangyu, stepped out from under it, and quietly moved to the side.

With a flick of Hua Liangyu’s sleeve, Chu Linfeng’s sword spirit dissipated, returning to the scabbard.

The creature, neither fully human nor fully monster, stared at the dragon woman beneath the umbrella, her robes swaying. It began to tremble, as if sobbing.

“We once swore a deep oath with our souls.” Hua Liangyu picked up a paper man, her expression gentle yet serious. “You broke your oath. Now, I come to take your life.”

The fine rain, infused with spiritual energy, fell in all directions. The barren Demon Realm regained vitality: green sprouts blossomed, quickly turning into a lush, shaded area. Mountains and buildings faintly appeared in the mist.

The dragon woman, holding the emerald umbrella, her skirts fluttering, walked forward, with lotus flowers blooming at every step. Behind her was the scene of the old Wanfu Sect.
Except now, she was a ghost, but everything else was the same as before.
Fu Shao showed no resistance, was unusually obedient, and said, “Alright.”

He paused, as if becoming momentarily clearheaded, and suddenly asked, “How is Ling Sha? How is Long’er?”

“They’re fine,” Hua Liangyu replied. “I’ve called the people from Penglai Immortal Sect to take them aside.”

“And you?”

“I’m fine too,” Hua Liangyu said.

“Oh, that’s good.”

“Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt.” Hua Liangyu smiled at him, drawing a symbol with her finger. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed into her hand, and her tone remained soft. “Senior Sister said, No matter how far you go, I will bring you back. You’ve gone too far; come back to Senior Sister.”

“I know.” Fu Shao smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

After he spoke, golden runes leaped out, emitting brilliant light. Like the rising sun, they shone and dissipated the shapeless creature before them.

Hua Liangyu held a pale paper man in her hand, looked at it, and then put it, along with the other paper men of wandering ghosts, into her sleeve, shedding two silent tears.

“You’re being too lenient with him. You just turned him into a paper man? I think you should have torn his body into pieces,” Hua Qingyu said after a long silence. “How did he treat you? He made you a wandering ghost and turned you into a vengeful spirit with nowhere to go! He even killed your child. How much suffering did you endure in his hands?”

“I used the killing move, the gaze-sealing technique. He is already dead.” Hua Liangyu said, “As for the rest, I can’t blame him. Because this isn’t what he wanted to do.”

Hua Qingyu understood her sorrow: “Some people can be saved, and some cannot. Senior Sister, you’re feeding the demon with your own body. It won’t bring any good. If you had known this would happen, why bother in the first place? You’re not me. You could have reached Nascent Soul back then, but now you’ve become a ghost.

The dragon woman looked at the Demon Realm landscape and smiled faintly. “No, Xiao San, you’re wrong.”

“I didn’t come to the Demon Realm to bind him. This is also something I truly wanted to do.” Hua Liangyu said, “I don’t really like social obligations, but I did it to make Wanfu Sect better.

Everything I’ve done in my life has been for the sect. But marrying Fu Shao was something I genuinely wanted to do.”

“I know he’s not a good person. I hate him for killing my master and betraying his vows, but deep down, I really do have feelings for him. I liked him even when we were in the sect. Our demon race is straightforward with love. Think of me, Hua Liangyu, in my life—there has to be one thing that perhaps brings no benefit to others or myself, but it’s something I truly want to do. So I did it. I am willing to bear the consequences of this.”

That’s why, when her consciousness left her body, she fled in the night. When Fu Shao saw her, his one eye fixed on her, stunned.

In a place where no one knew, the two of them had once shared a very good time.
Fu Shao sewed her wedding dress that very night and made a bridal sedan chair. Four wandering ghosts carried it and brought her inside. They swore with their souls, promising eternal vows beneath the flowers and the moon. But they also knew that their happiness was limited. Perhaps one day, they would meet in battle, separated by life and death. But so what?

When she lifted the veil, Fu Shao’s hands trembled. She smiled as she looked up.
Hua Qingyu was silent and said no more.
When Xu Qianyu dragged her senior brother over, she overheard these words.
“Think of me, Hua Liangyu, in my life—there has to be one thing that perhaps brings no benefit to others or myself, but it’s something I truly want to do. So I did it.”

She thought for a moment and deeply agreed.
If there were such a thing, Xu Qianyu would definitely do it.

[Demon Realm Soul Seizure Volume 4: End]