Chapter 2053: Traitor

Zu An's expression immediately turned solemn. "Seniors, it's truly admirable that you were willing to sacrifice yourselves for a vague prophecy, enduring thousands of years with your souls trapped in this icy wilderness."

The general's spirit waved his hand, appearing somewhat embarrassed. "It was merely our duty."

Zu An couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Which master was capable of foretelling such a distant future?"

"It was Gate Master Yu, so no one doubted him," the general said in a deep voice.

Zu An's heart stirred. There was only one Gate Master Yu in the history of the demon race: Yu Bei-qing. He was the most powerful Yin-Yang master in their history, and it was even said that he could communicate with spirits and gods. Many legends about him still circulated among the demon race, and demon youths grew up listening to stories about him.

"May I ask your esteemed name, General?" Zu An bowed to him. While Gate Master Yu Bei-qing's prophecy and arrangements were formidable, the sacrifice made by these soldiers was even more worthy of respect.

The general, however, looked up at the sky. "What was my name... It's been too long, I can't remember anymore..."

All the soldiers' spirits also appeared hollow and confused.

Zu An remained silent, realizing that the passage of time had indeed caused irreversible damage to these souls.

After a moment, he asked, "By the way, what divine artifact was left behind back then?"

At this, the general gestured, and a seemingly dull and damaged sword appeared in his hand from beside him. "This is the Heavenly Cloud Sword."

Zu An was startled. The sword did look somewhat unique, but it paled in comparison to divine artifacts like the Tai'a Sword, the Sun-Shooting Bow, or the Human Emperor's Seal. It utterly lacked the terrifying aura characteristic of true divine artifacts.

"This sword alone can fight those demons?" Zu An was filled with doubt.

"This sword alone, naturally, is not enough," the general said, gently stroking the blade as if reminiscing about the past. "Three divine artifacts must be combined to seal those demons again. Besides this Heavenly Cloud Sword, the Soul-Sucking Jade and the Nine-Foot Mirror are also needed. Gate Master Yu, to be safe, placed these three artifacts in three different locations. Only the descendants of the demon race, by following the clues left behind, can gather all three."

Zu An's heart quickened. Three divine artifacts, placed in three locations. The high-ranking members of the various demon clans had previously combined their respective legends and records and had indeed identified three locations. It seemed these were the hiding places of the three divine artifacts.

"May I ask, senior, how can those demons be sealed? The seal has been significantly damaged, and many powerful demons have already escaped," Zu An asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

The general's expression grew solemn. "That is why we old fellows have remained here until now. We will deal with those demons. As for the damaged seal, once you gather the three divine artifacts, you will naturally know how to re-seal them."

"If I take this sword, will it affect you?" Zu An asked, concerned. He could sense a deep connection between these spirits and the sword.

A formation, after all, doesn't spontaneously generate; it typically requires a formation core or similar component.

To keep the souls of so many powerful warriors here for eternity, a powerful object must provide energy, and it currently seemed to be this Heavenly Cloud Sword.

"It's alright, this place is already our home," the general said. "Take this sword with you. When needed, use it to call upon us, and we will be summoned to help you fight those demons."

After speaking, the general's fingers gently stroked the Heavenly Cloud Sword's blade once more, as if reluctant to part with it.

Finally, he tossed it towards Zu An. "Catch!"

Zu An was startled and instinctively caught the sword. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly let out a muffled groan of pain, clutching his head and moaning in agony.

"Hahaha, he believed it! He actually believed it?"

The previously hollow-faced soldier spirits around them suddenly burst into eerie cackles, their faces grotesquely twisted.

The general, who had previously worn a compassionate and righteous expression, now revealed a sinister smile. Spreading his arms, he floated in the air, closing his eyes in rapture as if embracing freedom. "So many years... Finally, a chance to leave."

As he spoke, countless dark shadows emanated from the Heavenly Cloud Sword. Each shadow appeared to be the soul of a demon soldier, but their expressions were now grotesquely contorted. They surged towards Zu An, as if intending to drag the living being into an endless hell.

Just then, Zu An's sighing voice echoed, "Is this the plan you've been devising for thousands of years?"

The general froze, then an expression of disbelief spread across his face. "How is this possible! Though you are strong, you couldn't possibly have withstood the simultaneous assault of thousands of souls in that instant."

"Oh, you mean this sword? I didn't touch it," Zu An said, raising his hand. Only then did the general notice a wisp of dark energy hovering in Zu An's palm, holding the Heavenly Cloud Sword several inches away. Without close inspection, it would have been impossible to tell that he wasn't physically touching the blade.

At that moment, the black vengeful spirits had already lunged at him. Zu An scoffed, and a white light suddenly flashed around him. The vengeful spirits instantly vanished like melting snow under the scorching sun, emitting white smoke and screaming as they dissipated completely.

"How did you know I was going to ambush you?" The general's face turned exceedingly grim.

The other party had clearly been deeply moved by his story, and their responses indicated clear belief. So, he had planned to unleash thousands of vengeful spirits to invade Zu An's sea of consciousness the moment he touched the Heavenly Cloud Sword.

No matter how strong Zu An was, he wouldn't have been able to react in that instant, and his mind would have been destroyed by the countless vengeful spirits.

Zu An looked at him, his tone filled with a hint of lament. "I already had my suspicions the moment I learned you had been trapped here for thousands of years."

"Why? Did we show any flaws?" The general frowned deeply.

"No, you acted perfectly," Zu An shook his head. "Unfortunately, you were *too* perfect."

"What do you mean?" The general and the soldiers looked puzzled.

"Since you still retained your former consciousness, you should also have retained your emotions from when you were alive," Zu An's gaze swept over them. "I asked myself, if it were me, even if I had willingly stayed here in ancient times, after countless ages trapped in this place, surrounded only by endless wind and snow, without any sacrifices from future demon descendants, I would most likely harbor resentment, or even be driven mad by the ceaseless passage of time. It would be impossible to remain so steadfast to your original intent."

"Just because of that?" The general didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Since we were willing to make sacrifices for the demon race, our will was naturally firm and our dedication absolute. How could it be as you say?"

Zu An smiled, rarely bothering to argue. "Of course, it wasn't just that. There's also the matter of your name. When I asked for it earlier, you claimed to have forgotten."

"It's been too long; it's normal to forget," the general said expressionlessly.

"Yet you distinctly remember Gate Master Yu Bei-qing's name," Zu An said, looking into his eyes. "If someone forgets their own name but remembers another's, either that person is an unforgettable enemy, or you are deliberately concealing your name, fearing that I would recognize who you are and become wary. Either way, there's clearly a problem."

The general's expression gradually twisted. "You suspected me based on such baseless conjecture?"

"Of course not," Zu An's gaze fell upon the countless snow graves below. "You probably don't know that I am also very skilled in formations. I can see that this is an extremely malevolent soul-binding formation. If you were truly heroes who sacrificed yourselves for the demon race, how could Gate Master Yu Bei-qing have used such a sinister formation to restrain your souls?"

"So you suspected us from the very beginning? Yet you were just conversing so happily with us, looking as if you were deeply moved?" The general gritted his teeth. He had just been laughing at how he had completely fooled this fellow, only to discover that he himself was the clown.

Rage value from Shibing Xiu: 999999999...

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. So it was him.

Shibing Xiu was a notorious traitor in the history of the demon race. During the ancient war against the demons, he was consumed by fear and led his subordinates to abandon their commander and flee, creating a fatal weakness on the flank that nearly annihilated their army. Fortunately, the peerless genius Gate Master Yu Bei-qing emerged, turning the tide and propping up the falling empire, thus averting the tragedy of the demon race's demise.

Afterward, Shibing Xiu and his subordinates were apprehended and executed according to military law.

He was the most infamous traitor in the history of the demon race, his story known even to young children. No wonder he had been unwilling to mention his name earlier.

"I merely wanted to gather as much information as possible from you. If I hadn't let you believe me, why would you have told me any truthful information?" Zu An chuckled. Since the other party intended to deceive, they would surely mix truth with falsehood. As long as he could discern the false parts, the rest would be true.

Upon hearing this, Shibing Xiu finally broke his composure. "In that case, let's stop playing games and use force! Although your cultivation technique restrains us, how can one man stand against an army of thousands?"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless weapons rose into the air again.

Shibing Xiu gritted his teeth. "Kill him!"

Rage value from Shibing Xiu: 999999999...