Chapter 1967: Entering Demonic State

The once peaceful Beikuo County was no longer as Xiaowu remembered it. All she could see were broken walls and crumbling ruins, with scorched marks and bloodstains everywhere. Bodies were buried beneath the rubble. Under the dull grey sky, black ashes fluttered, and the wind whimpered like ghostly wails.

Even the 'ghosts' were gone from here. Xiaowu still remembered the City God of Beikuo County, Dr. Sun who became a deity after death, and the ghost officials and soldiers of the underworld.

She looked up, past the endless ruins, and saw scattered pedestrians on the main street, all looking distraught and numb. Suppressed sobs could be heard from the corners. A pervasive sadness enveloped the entire county town.

She saw the empty Sun Mansion, the restaurant where the City God had entertained them, now collapsed, and then the City God Temple. The City God Temple in the mortal realm had been razed to the ground. The Yin-Yang Pass had collapsed. The underworld was eerily silent. The fortunate survivors prostrated themselves incessantly before the City God Temple, completely unaware that the deities they revered had also fallen.

Her gaze continued past the city walls, over abandoned fertile fields and murky river waters, until she saw Xiwu Village. Like the county town, nine out of ten homes were empty, and ruins were everywhere. The village's Earth God Temple was also destroyed. On both sides of the village road, where lush willow trees once formed a verdant canopy, all had been burned to death, leaving behind only charred stumps.

She saw Yuquan Temple in the mountains. The little white fox carefully took down one fox corpse after another, cradling them in its arms and weeping loudly. In the places where the Willow God and the fox spirits had fallen, Xiaowu sensed the lingering aura of ghost officials and the fluctuations of cultivators' magical energy. The local deities and spirits had been attacked by cultivators! These fox spirits had once been malevolent and were punished, but it seemed they had mended their ways, assisting the local deities and spirits in protecting this land. Yet, they were ultimately slaughtered by the enemies and stripped of their pelts.

And then, what was before her... Through a crack in the broken tiles, a hand emerged. The hand was no longer fair and delicate; its skin was old, covered in calluses, and stained with dark red blood.

Yulang and Shajiayu approached. They were unaware of Xiaowu's previous experiences, but observing her reaction, they could infer some of what had happened. Shajiayu also noticed that the City God Temple in Beikuo County had been razed, immediately understanding what had transpired here. Having traveled across many lands, he had witnessed such scenes countless times. In wars between mortals, the divine path generally did not intervene. However, from the very beginning of this chaos, there had been the shadow of cultivators behind it. Mortals were merely their pawns, and some deities and spirits who tried to go against the tide and maintain peace in their domains ended up with their temples destroyed and themselves martyred. In the end, the common people still could not escape the ravages of war, and would even suffer intensified harm.

Those who killed the people of Beikuo County might have been soldiers from an enemy nation. Cultivators generally wouldn't act directly, but this blood debt could be attributed to them. However, at this moment, Shajiayu dared not make a sound, rendered mute by fear. He sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from Xiaowu, a terrifying presence that made his soul tremble!

"Alas!" Shajiayu sighed inwardly. If mortals were likened to dust, and cultivators to grains of sand, then in the face of such overwhelming forces, there was no difference. Mortals lost their homes, lost their lives. He lost his direction, Yulang's Dao heart was nearly shattered, and the little white fox, after painstakingly searching for its kin, found only corpses. Even someone as powerful as Xiaowu had lost her friends. They were merely beings struggling in a great deluge.

"Senior Sister..." Yulang, gathering his courage, opened his mouth, only to see Xiaowu squat down and gently place a rattle drum on the hand. After gazing for a long time, Xiaowu slowly floated up. The wind around her crushed the ashes flying in the air, transforming them into black mist that swirled rapidly around her. Yulang and Shajiayu's expressions changed. This black mist was definitely not ash or smoke; it was a terrifying demonic energy they had never seen before!

"No good, Xiaowu is about to succumb to demonic influence!" Shajiayu exclaimed in alarm. He had often teetered on the brink of demonic possession himself, so he immediately understood what Xiaowu's transformation implied.

"Quick, go fetch Daoist Qingfeng!" Shajiayu dared not approach Xiaowu and shouted at Yulang.

"It's too late!" Yulang, who had navigated countless important court affairs, was still somewhat at a loss. He had no way to contact his master. Given Shajiayu's escape speed, by the time they returned to Qingyang Temple, Xiaowu would have already succumbed to demonic influence.

'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!' The demonic energy stirred heaven and earth. In an instant, fierce winds howled over Beikuo County, dense black energy obscured the sky and sun, and a terrifying storm was brewing. The sky suddenly turned pitch black and impenetrable.

"Immortals have arrived!" "Immortals, save us!" The surviving common people knelt and cried out, a flame of hope igniting in their hearts. Even without touching the demonic energy, Yulang and Shajiayu felt a bone-chilling cold. Xiaowu's power was so terrifying; if she succumbed to demonic influence, the consequences would be unimaginable!

What to do! What to do! Yulang was burning with anxiety. His peripheral vision caught sight of the hand, and a flash of inspiration struck him. He blurted out, "How many bodies and living people are there in the city?"

Shajiayu understood immediately. He cautiously activated his divine sense and swept it across the entire county town. "Only a little over two thousand people in total," he said. "Many must have abandoned their homes and fled. Below us are only the bodies of an elderly couple; they must have been immobile and unwilling to leave their hometown. Perhaps their relatives are still alive!" As he spoke, Shajiayu glanced upwards, took a drop of blood from a corpse, and brought Yulang with him. "Go!"

Yulang was completely unable to approach Xiaowu to persuade her. Once she succumbed to demonic influence, Xiaowu would lose all recognition of her kin, and Yulang would be in danger. This worldly cultivation could end; Yulang no longer needed to suppress his cultivation. With the sealing of the ghost and deity gates, the City God's jade pendant had also lost its effectiveness. But Yulang's cultivation was too low; any casual ripple from Xiaowu's movements would be more than he could bear. The two hurriedly left Beikuo County, taking the little white fox with them. After flying a certain distance, Shajiayu finally dared to release his divine sense.

At the same time, he held the drop of blood in his palm and cast an incantation. Immediately after, the drop of blood glowed with a faint golden light, twisting erratically, before suddenly shooting towards the east. The two were overjoyed. "Good! Good! Good! They still have living relatives; hopefully, they are their direct descendants!" Shajiayu prayed silently, for the beings of this land, and also for himself. Judging solely by her escape speed, Xiaowu's power was at least comparable to a cultivator in the Soul Transformation stage. If Xiaowu succumbed to demonic influence and began a massacre, even if he started fleeing now, he couldn't guarantee his own survival! He only hoped this method could awaken Xiaowu's consciousness.

Shajiayu snatched the blood drop and flew eastward with all his might, soon spotting a long line of people on the ground below. Clearly, these were refugees. The enemy nation had invaded deep into their territory. They dared not travel south along the Fuchun River and instead trekked through mountain paths, surrounded by towering peaks and sheer cliffs, unsure of what awaited them ahead.

'Swish!' A speck of golden light shot towards the crowd, landing on the brow of an infant. The woman holding the infant screamed in fright, nearly dropping the baby. Immediately, her vision blurred, and two figures appeared before her. Their demeanor and attire immediately indicated they were high-ranking officials or nobles. However, in the refugee procession, the distinctions of status had already blurred.

"What do you two gentlemen want?" The woman held the infant tightly, her face full of vigilance. Relatives nearby gathered around, staring at Yulang and Shajiayu.

"Is he your son?" Shajiayu pointed at the infant and asked. The woman was about to speak but was stopped by an old man behind her.

"No! No! He's Chen Ya'er's grandson, nicknamed Wulang. Oh, this child is so pitiful. His grandfather had bad legs and couldn't escape, and his parents died of illness on the road. The Chen family has been single-line descendants, and he almost became the end of their line. Seeing how pitiful he was, and being neighbors, we couldn't bear it, so we took him in. Everything he eats and drinks, my whole family squeezes out from our own mouths for him, just like for my own grandson, we haven't mistreated him. Are you two perhaps relatives of the Chen family?"

Shajiayu gave a slight cough and handed something to the old man. "We are here to take this child back and care for him. Thank you all for looking after him for so long."

The old man felt his palm sink, instinctively clenched his fist, and vaguely saw a gleam of gold through his fingers, instantly breaking into a smile. "Of course! Of course! This child has suffered so much; following you two young masters, he'll surely be rich and noble..." The old man flattered them, his mind focused on the item in his hand. Before he knew it, he realized the two were gone. He asked those around him, but no one could explain how they had left.

Taking the infant, the two rushed back to Beikuo County without delay. The black clouds above the city had dissipated, and Xiaowu was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the common people in the city were still alive. Shajiayu flew to a high vantage point and looked around, vaguely seeing a mass of dark clouds in the western sky. "I wonder if we can still catch up." Shajiayu gave a wry smile, taking Yulang with him in close pursuit, but could only watch as the dark clouds drifted further and further away.

Within the black clouds, Xiaowu shed her disguise, transforming back into a five or six-year-old girl. Surrounded by demonic energy, her aura fluctuated erratically. Her eyes were tightly closed, but her eyelids were trembling violently, indicating a fierce internal struggle.

Suddenly, Xiaowu's eyelids stopped trembling. 'Swish!' Her eyes opened, revealing pitch black pupils. The pupils were without any impurity, like a pair of demonic eyes capable of devouring everything. 'Boom!' The demonic energy was completely unleashed!

In a certain mountain, a cultivator was meditating in his cave dwelling, before him floated a mass of pale aura. This aura squirmed like human brain matter, sickening to behold. There was no scent of blood; instead, it emitted a sweet fragrance. "Heh heh, I didn't expect to extract enough human bone marrow so quickly. With just a hundred days of refining, it will help my divine skill reach perfection. This chaotic world is good! This chaotic world is good!" The cultivator said excitedly, holding the essence of bone marrow in his hands, about to refine it, when he suddenly felt a chill run through his body. There was no reason for it. The cultivator's smile froze. Before he could understand why, a five-colored streak of light suddenly shot into the cave dwelling. In an instant, the cultivator vanished into thin air. Outside the cave dwelling, demonic clouds rolled, flying overhead. Xiaowu's demonic eyes slightly rotated. The five-colored streak of light returned, imprisoning a primordial spirit.

The cultivator was extremely terrified, begging desperately for mercy, but to no avail. His expression suddenly became blank. Xiaowu had learned soul-searching techniques from who-knows-where, perhaps she was self-taught. The cultivator's primordial spirit wailed, extinguishing in endless agony. This cultivator was the first person Xiaowu had killed since Qin Sang told her to restrain her murderous urges!

Betrayed by Meng Yusu, she did not seek revenge. When the Master died in battle, she did not intervene in mortal conflicts, to preserve the Master's integrity. The myriad forms of life, the warmth and coldness of the world, people were like those trapped in a quagmire, forever unable to escape. She didn't know how to handle it, making a different choice from Yulang: to enter the world but remain detached, opening a teahouse to coldly observe mortals. However, the tree desires stillness, but the wind does not cease. Once the killing began, Xiaowu's gaze became even more profound, her demonic eyes like an abyssal pool, bottomless! She had a premonition that she was about to lose control.

'Swish!' Xiaowu quickly arrived at a valley filled with halls and pavilions. Her demonic eyes slightly rotated, locking onto a black hall at the edge of the valley. Inside the grand hall, several cultivators were excitedly discussing their gains. "I didn't expect those gloomy ghosts to have so many good treasures!" Someone displayed several treasures, admiring them with great fondness. Someone grumbled, "Since ancient times, corpses and ghosts have been equally renowned. Brother, by belittling spirits and deities, you're cursing all of us." "This stack of fox pelts is really good. Although their cultivation was a bit low, they share the same bloodline, so refining them into one won't take any effort..."

Deeper in the valley, more powerful presences radiated their auras without restraint. Gazing at the valley, a faint crimson appeared in the depths of Xiaowu's demonic eyes.

Among the mountains, strange peaks stood tall. On a high mountain, there was a stone platform with a chessboard and two futons. On one side of the chessboard sat a white-haired man, ancient in appearance, with hands placed on his knees, translucent like jade. His chest showed no rise or fall. A streak of light flew from afar, landing on the stone platform, revealing a green-faced, fanged monster. With a flicker of spectral light, it transformed into an ordinary-looking man and bowed, calling out, "Martial Uncle Qi."

"Yin Shi, you've arrived." The white-haired man pointed at the chessboard. "Play a game with me."

"Yes, sir!" Yin Shi respectfully sat opposite him. Knowing his Martial Uncle's temperament, he showed no politeness, taking the white pieces and making the first move. As he placed a piece, he said, "As per your instructions, all disobedient spirits and deities have been dealt with. There will be no external interference in this mortal game."

The white-haired man nodded casually, not caring about such minor matters. Yin Shi chuckled, "Yun Doutian is indeed hypocritical. Unwilling to bear the bad reputation himself, he tacitly allowed us to act."

"The human realm is vast, with billions of people, and the divine path flourishes. Yet, let alone a Void Refinement stage, not even a single City God at the Soul Transformation stage has appeared. Why do you think that is? Is it insufficient talent, or do they not wish to break through?" Yin Shi naturally understood, and let out a few strange laughs.

'Snap!' The white-haired man placed a piece, looking beyond the mountains. "The cultivation world, the mortal world, and the Northern Fire Domain – three games played simultaneously. Senior Brother Guizang has excellent methods!"

Yin Shi showed reverence. "Lord Guizang's arrangements are very popular. We juniors can command others and avoid sacrificing our lives in vain. It's 'better a dead friend than a dead priest,' after all. It's also good that Martial Uncle is here to oversee the overall situation and avoid a direct confrontation with Yun Doutian. I heard the Nine Immortals of Yundu have descended from the mountains one after another."

"The final outcome will ultimately depend on the north. However, these two games here provide a buffer, allowing the final struggle to take place here, which is better than a direct fight to the death between both sides." The white-haired man paused in his speech, seemingly sensing something, and his brow gradually furrowed.

"Hm?" The white-haired man suddenly stood up, coldly shouting, "Which ignorant fool dares to break the rules!"