Translator: CinderTL
Chi Yu's longsword pierced through the heart of a woman without resistance.
Only then did the woman open her eyes, as if waking from a dream. She stared blankly at the blade protruding from her chest, a trace of blood trickling from her lips. She hadn't yet understood what had happened.
Chi Yu shook his sword, twisting his wrist to cleave her in two. Foul-smelling entrails spilled out, a tangled mass of gore that spread across the ground like garbage.
The woman hadn't quite died yet. Her eyes, filled with despair, locked onto Gong Niang's gaze as her breath faded.
"No!"
Gong Niang's eyes burned with fury. Even the tearing pain in her divine soul couldn't mask the icy despair that gripped her heart.
It wasn't the woman's life she mourned, but the imminent destruction of the magic formation she had painstakingly set up. All her meticulous preparations were about to be ruined.
The formation appeared simple, but in reality, it was incredibly complex. The three male corpses on the altar served as "vessels," while the four women below acted as "bridges." Through chanting a sacrificial text, she aimed to communicate with the lingering "souls" within the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain ruins, creating a "Three-Bodied Demon."
This was her trump card. If successful, her chances in the Holy Son Competition would have greatly improved. Yet, just one step from victory, Xu Sanyan had ruined everything. How could she not hate him!
Gong Niang glared at the discipline ruler charging toward her. She ripped off the veil covering her face, revealing a scarred visage. One side of her red lips had been sliced away, exposing raw gums and terrifying teeth.
"Xu Sanyan, you're courting death!"
Gong Niang looked like a madwoman, her expression wild and deranged. Her ten pale fingers clenched with force, crushing the skull in her hand.
In an instant, a deep blue flame descended, enveloping an area of a hundred yards in a spectral Deep Blue Realm. There was no escape. Everyone present was caught, even those hiding in corners to watch the battle.
Just then, Xu Sanyan's discipline ruler slammed into Gong Niang's forehead. The ruler didn't harm the physical body, only the divine soul. Struck by the blow, Gong Niang's bloodcurdling scream became even more terrifying. Clutching her head in agony, she writhed on the ground, wailing.
The yin fire, like snowflakes falling from the sky, drifted down and melted into the crowd. Xu Sanyan channeled his Spiritual Power to block it, but it was useless. The yin fire wasn't physical; it seemed to be a manifestation of the mind.
For a moment, everyone froze in place except Stone General.
When Xu Sanyan opened his eyes again, Gong Niang and the others were gone. The surroundings were no longer the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range. He found himself in a desolate wasteland.
"This... is the Qi Kingdom's Northwest Desert?"
Xu Sanyan stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar landscape, his mind reeling. How had he returned?
Suddenly, his legs buckled. Xu Sanyan's body went limp, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Only then did he realize how weak his body had become.
All his Spiritual Power was gone, his cultivation level dissipated, and even the enhanced physique he had gained from the Blood-Red Dagger had reverted to that of a mortal.
It was as if... he had just arrived in this world.
"After a thousand trials and tribulations, have I returned to my youth?"
Xu Sanyan looked at his delicate palm, listening to the howling wind around him. He remembered.
Gong Niang...
Those blue yin fires. Chi Yu had said they were flames of desire.
What were flames of desire?
Xu Sanyan could only guess based on the words themselves. The word "desire" here certainly didn't refer to lust. It must mean "yearning"—the desire that stirs the deepest longings within one's heart?
But if that were true, why had he returned here?
Xu Sanyan's mind was in turmoil.
His current desires were to become an immortal ancestor, to roam freely through the heavens and earth, to live as he pleased, unbound by rules.
That was his true desire.
Xu Sanyan calmed his mind and delved deep into the memories buried in the recesses of his mind.
In truth, when he first arrived in this world, his initial desires had been simple: to have enough to eat, to avoid being bullied, and to become the Third Leader of the village. Ideally, he'd also have a beautiful woman like Madam Wu by his side.
But as his strength grew, so did his desires. After he obtained the Supreme Truth and Absolute Stillness Sutra, the position of Third Leader could no longer satisfy him.
Human nature is such that desires change with time. A child might only want a toy, a young man might want more pocket money, and a youth might desire a beautiful wife and concubines...
As one grows older, accumulates wealth, and gains power, desires also evolve.
Yet, it's undeniable that his initial desire was simply to take the place of his sworn father, Wu Jue.
"So... the lustful fire is connected to this original desire?"
But how could he escape this predicament?
"Panel!" Xu Sanyan called out.
But nothing appeared before his eyes.
This was the first time he couldn't summon the panel. Xu Sanyan's heart sank. Even in the Soul Realm, the panel had always appeared, but not here.
Perhaps it was because this wasn't the real world, but a reflection of his inner self.
"Giddy up!"
"Oooohhh..."
A strange cry mixed with the sound of horses' hooves pulled him back to reality. Xu Sanyan felt a familiar sense of déjà vu—it was just like when he first arrived in this world.
"Whoa there..."
"Well, well, what do we have here? A lost little lamb! Hahaha..." Big Yellow Tooth laughed uncontrollably, though it was unclear why he found it so amusing.
"She's quite pretty. That dog Old Fourth Wu would have loved her, but unfortunately, he didn't come this time."
The woman in the lead wore a veil to shield herself from the wind and sand, a gourd of wine hanging at her waist. She circled him on horseback several times, her gaze fixed on him as if he were a mere plaything.
Xu Sanyan met her gaze calmly, his eyes fixed on her. He could see a long, thin scar running across her slender neck.
He knew her intimately, down to every inch of her body.
This woman was none other than the Third Leader, Tang Huanhuan.
She would later share a Cultivation Method with Xu Sanyan in Dafeng Town.
"Take him back and bring him to my room," she said, her voice clear and crisp. With a flick of her reins, she rode off.
"Alright!" Big Yellow Tooth grabbed Xu Sanyan and hoisted him onto the horse, carrying him toward the bandit stronghold.
They had just finished their business and were heading home.
"You lucky bastard, you are," Big Yellow Tooth grinned, revealing his mouth full of yellowed teeth.
Xu Sanyan smiled, glancing around at familiar faces.
Meanwhile, at the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain ruins...
Xiang Tan hid outside the Deep Blue Realm, watching Xu Sanyan and the others inside. A flicker of worry crossed her mind. If they failed to escape, the Crimson Heart Faction would suffer complete defeat in the Holy Son Competition, and she herself would likely perish.
Junior Sister Chu licked her lips and said to Xiang Tan, "Senior Sister, our chance to earn merit has arrived."
Xiang Tan was taken aback, then realization dawned, her face lighting up with surprise. "Junior Sister, do you have a way to rescue Senior Brother Xu and the others?"
Junior Sister Chu nodded slowly. "Living beings can't easily enter this place, but we can use a treasure to bring Senior Brother Xu out."
"What treasure?"
Junior Sister Chu unfastened the belt from her waist. "This!"
With a wave of her hand, the belt transformed into a nimble, serpent-like form, slithering into the Deep Blue Realm and heading straight for Xu Sanyan.
(End of the Chapter)
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