There’s a saying: too much of a good thing. Even for the Demon Clan, absorbing and converting that much baleful energy in a short time would be grueling.
But Rong Ye’s condition showed his mind hadn’t been eroded yet. Gu Changhuai saw the scorched marks surfacing on Rong Ye’s body slowly fading, being suppressed.
Gu Changhuai straightened and overlooked the surroundings.
The heroic souls drifting in the air grew agitated, their indistinct features more ferocious. A small group drifted toward another direction.
“Buzz—” The Qiankun Sword hummed.
Gu Changhuai sharply turned his head. A sword qi flew silently from the side, severing a lock of his hair, only to be countered by the sword intent from the Qiankun Sword.
His eyes chilled.
The sword qi had come soundlessly. Without that instant sense of danger, what it severed wouldn’t have been hair—but his neck.
Rong Ye’s spiritual qi only repelled the baleful energy, not people.
Gu Changhuai turned back.
At the other end of the Gobi appeared Pei Tianyi, his eyes unfocused.
The once carefree youth now released sword intent twisted into clawing demonic qi.
The demonic pattern at his brow had fully emerged, solidified in blood-like color, glaring and rampant, proving it could no longer be sealed back into dormancy.
Gu Changhuai glanced at Pei Tianyi, summoned his long blade without a word, and charged.
What a pain.
Nothing to say.
The Heart Pill had destroyed Pei Tianyi’s seal, merging into his body. The Painting Nightmares had brought him into the Soul-Locking Array, where he’d absorbed enough baleful energy. With the Heart Pill’s power, it converted to demonic qi, skyrocketing his strength while stripping his sanity.
He could only be beaten awake.
Or beaten unconscious.
Killing him would be excessive; his crimes didn’t warrant death. Pei Tianyi now recognized no kin, his overflowing yin qi like a drowning flood…
As Gu Changhuai fought Pei Tianyi, he spared a glance back at Rong Ye, worried the yin qi might affect him.
But he saw nothing amiss, only vaguely sensing Rong Ye’s aura growing heavier.
The demon-possessed Pei Tianyi fought like an invincible master from some forbidden manual—no longer easy to bind, tireless, every sword strike full force, far from his earlier trembling grip.
He could probably match the Left Protector.
Gu Changhuai laughed in exasperation.
No wonder this kid was the villain in Breaking Heaven. Once possessed, his power soared, far surpassing honest sword cultivation.
But the current Pei Tianyi, mindless, acted on instinct alone, forgetting to guard against cunning demons. Mid-clash, two Immortal-Binding Ropes Gu Changhuai had set ambushed successfully, binding him like a dumpling and tossing him aside.
Even bound, he didn’t settle. His demonic qi surged, trying to break free, so Gu Changhuai added seven or eight more Immortal-Binding Ropes.
Which demon didn’t carry tools for mischief?
Gu Changhuai had plenty.
“Wake up, hey, wake up!” He called to Pei Tianyi a few times.
Pei Tianyi’s eyelids drooped, eyes vacant.
Gu Changhuai thought for a moment and sighed. He really didn’t want to resort to this… Then he swung his palm roundly, steadying his breath as he slapped left and right: “Wake! Wake! Wake up! Heart Demon, begone! Wake!!”
“…”
No effect.
Demonic possession stripping sanity was far harder to snap than spider silk poison.
Gu Changhuai stopped after tiring his arms, resting. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened—he saw a flicker of struggle in Pei Tianyi’s eyes.
It was working!
Energized, Gu Changhuai felt his palms brimming with vigor.
He was about to repeat his previous action, but before the slap could land, a faint, thread-like voice came from the side: “Insolent… Young Master… you… how bold!”
It was filled with resentment, worry, and anger, but utterly powerless.
Where did this fly come from?
Gu Changhuai glanced idly over. At the edge of the Gobi cliff, Painting Nightmares struggled to climb up. With its cultivation, it couldn’t withstand the impact of the Yin Sha at all—surviving without being torn apart by the Yin Sha was already fortunate.
But it wasn’t much better off. Covered in blood, it finally crawled up but didn’t hurry to regulate its breathing. Instead, it stared dazedly at Pei Tianyi, as if finally witnessing the scene it desired, murmuring, “Success… success… I’ve finally fulfilled Madam’s last wish…”
In its state, on the verge of death, Gu Changhuai couldn’t even be bothered to deliver a finishing blow—and there was no need. Its last breath was already dissipating.
Gu Changhuai asked it, “Was it worth it?”
All that effort, even at the cost of its true body’s annihilation, just to complete the wish of its deceased former master.
“Worth it.” Painting Nightmares revealed a eerie smile. “I was merely one link in the plan.” With that, it closed its eyes, its final breath scattering.
Its body vanished from the spot, leaving behind a tiny seed.
Gu Changhuai: “…”
A chill ran through him.
He had a bad premonition.
Though in an instant, the seed cracked open. Amid the dense yin qi, it grew wildly. The yin qi carried by Pei Tianyi served as the perfect nourishment, spurring instantaneous blooming.
Gu Changhuai: “？!”
His premonition came true!
Thorny vines burst from the seed, voraciously absorbing the surrounding yin qi. They twisted into a lush, thorny rose tree, blooming with countless Dream-Making Flowers. The pollen scattered like fireflies.
“Careful.” A hand suddenly emerged from behind Gu Changhuai, hooking his waist and pulling him back.
Whoosh—a sword light swept past. The Qiankun Sword flew in, slicing out a barrier that blocked the pollen about to reach them.
Rong Ye had awakened at some point, though the black baleful aura on his body hadn’t fully subsided. Gu Changhuai, standing behind him, slightly raised his eyes and saw the scorch mark behind Rong Ye’s ear that hadn’t faded.
It seemed he had forcibly awakened. After doing this, Gu Changhuai clearly felt Rong Ye’s breathing grow heavier. His condition was truly dire.
Gu Changhuai said to Rong Ye, “How’s your body holding up? Do you need my help?”
“Leave.” The low, deep voice fell into Gu Changhuai’s ear.
He was stunned. “What?”
In the next instant, Gu Changhuai felt his wrist tighten as Rong Ye gripped it.
He looked up, meeting Rong Ye’s emotionless eyes. In a cold, heavy tone, he repeated, “Get out. Don’t approach this place.”
Before the words finished, Gu Changhuai’s vision blurred. Rong Ye’s figure turned into a hazy shadow again. Suddenly, he was lifted into the air, carried by a surge of spiritual energy toward the edge of the Soul-Locking Array.
Gu Changhuai: “…”
Tch.
Only kids obey obediently.
He shattered the surrounding spiritual energy with a shake. This energy wasn’t just carrying him away from the Soul-Locking Array; it was also blocking the surrounding Evil Sha and heroic souls.
As the spiritual energy dispersed, the Evil Sha surged toward him.
“Are you tired of living?!” Xue Lao Er burst in abruptly, joining Gu Changhuai to fend off the oncoming Evil Sha. “The Left Protector is coming soon. Hurry and leave the array with me.”
Gu Changhuai calmly said, “We’ve come this far. Be honest with me—what exactly are you trying to do?”
“I only know the Left Protector will come to trigger the Path of Slaughter in the Soul-Locking Array. Once triggered, no living thing survives,” Xue Lao Er explained.
Gu Changhuai frowned. “The baleful qi can’t harm him.”
Why go to the trouble of opening the Path of Slaughter… No!
He suddenly thought of the Dream-Making Flowers grown from Painting Nightmares’ seed.
Rong Ye already had scorch marks on his body, and his situation wasn’t optimistic. If he were ensnared by the Dream-Making Flowers, trapped in his Heart Demon, and midway through the Path of Slaughter’s activation, unwittingly invaded by the baleful qi…
In that case.
Demonic fall would be the lightest outcome.
Just then, Xue Lao Er whispered, “The Demon Venerable said this trip would surely make Qing Lian fall to demonism and die in the array… The Left Protector believes you’ve betrayed the realm and won’t wait for you to leave before activating the Path of Slaughter. Hurry and come with me!”
Such elaborate machinations.
To make Rong Ye fall to demonism and also kill him.
What was the goal?
Even without understanding, it didn’t stop Gu Changhuai from sneering. “With the Demon Venerable not showing up, he wants it all. Truly fond of pipe dreams.”
Xue Lao Er thought about it and surprisingly couldn’t refute. “…You seem to have a point.”
Gu Changhuai: “You go. Don’t worry about me.”
Xue Lao Er was shocked. “…Huh? You don’t want to live? Did you leave me any inheritance?!”
Gu Changhuai: “…”
Not a single pleasant word.
Before Xue Lao Er could react, Gu Changhuai caught him off guard with a kick. “Less talk, get out.” He booted him out of the Soul-Locking Array.
Xue Lao Er, caught unprepared, tumbled outside the array. He got up to rush back in, but the entire formation suddenly emitted a crimson light.
His pupils shrank. He whipped his head around. The Left Protector stood on a pillar at the array’s edge, its mask revealing eyes cold as dead things. It glanced indifferently over him, more focused on the situation inside the Soul-Locking Array.
The Path of Slaughter.
Activated.
The entire array was nearly engulfed in ink-black baleful aura, surging endlessly. Unlike the previous hazy visibility, now it was pitch black inside, impossible to see even one’s hand.
The red light of the Path of Slaughter added an eerie and sinister atmosphere to the evil sha qi. Even from outside, an unbearable killing intent pressed down.
Xue Lao Er slumped in despair.
It’s over.
…
At that moment.
An irresistible pressure emanated from the array, like vast divine sense spreading overhead, forming invisible sword intent that tightly suppressed everyone.
No one could have anticipated this, nor predicted how terrifying Rong Ye’s divine sense could be—like it could crush him at any moment.
Xue Lao Er instantly felt his hair stand on end, not daring to move.
Of course.
It always felt better with company.
![Hundreds of Assassination Attempts on the Immortal Venerable [Transmigration Book]](https://i1.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/tr.jpg?resize=151,215 "Hundreds of Assassination Attempts on the Immortal Venerable [Transmigration Book]")
