Chapter 51: A Sword Through the Heart

After ascending to the Nascent Soul stage, Su Zhuozhi could freely control his spiritual sense. It was as if he were floating in the air, able to see the entire demon palace, every blade of grass, and even farther.

The gray mist he had only vaguely perceived at the Golden Core stage now became much clearer.

Curious, he tried to see what it was. But before he could get close, he felt a nauseating, hair-raising sinister aura.

His face turned pale, and a foreboding suddenly struck him.

He told Xie Jue about it, and they went to investigate together.

The reality was worse than expected. Those gray mist clusters were all magic arrays attempting to shake the demon lord’s seal. More importantly, Su Zhuozhi also vaguely sensed them in the direction of the cultivation world.

The demon lord was likely about to break out.

Xie Jue frowned deeply, his expression grim but not overly shocked. After all, destroying the arrays one by one was merely a delaying tactic, addressing the symptoms, not the root. The most effective method was still to kill the demon lord.

In such a situation, the best course would be for the righteous sects and the demon realm to cooperate against the demon lord. But that was easier said than done—it sounded as absurd as a fairy tale.

Su Zhuozhi thought it over and decided to go to the Wan Jian Sect first to explain the entire situation, trying to see if he could convince the sect leader. Xie Jue, as the demon sovereign, was temporarily unfit to appear, lest he provoke unnecessary conflict.

As soon as he said this, Xie Jue naturally objected. He wanted to go with Su Zhuozhi. In the coming battle, even experienced high-level cultivators might fall—let alone Su Zhuozhi, a young disciple who had only been cultivating for a few years and had never killed anyone.

He dared not let Su Zhuozhi leave his sight, not even for a moment, to endure any risk.

“I will talk to them calmly.” Xie Jue’s face was tense as he tried to soften his tone.

Su Zhuozhi didn’t agree. “They might not even let you through the gate. You have too many rumors, and now there’s another one: that you kidnapped me. Many of the other rumors are exaggerated or false, but the kidnapping one couldn’t be more true.”

They argued back and forth. Xie Jue said that if he insisted on going alone, they should dual cultivate two more times to raise his cultivation further for safety.

Su Zhuozhi was speechless. He simply told him to “buzz off,” turned around, and headed for the Wan Jian Sect, telling him to wait for good news.

As soon as he returned to the sect, he went straight to find the sect leader. As it happened, all the peak elders were gathered, solemnly discussing the fact that a disciple of the sect was a demon cultivator and had set up arrays in an attempt to release the demon lord.

The disciple at the gate didn’t let him in. Fortunately, he ran into Senior Brother Qin Zhao.

“Little junior brother!” Qin Zhao’s expression had been grave, but when he saw Su Zhuozhi, he froze, a hint of brightness appearing on his face. “You’re back safe and sound!”

Su Zhuozhi smiled and thanked him for finding Yan Ruishi to save him. However, now was not the time for reminiscing. He said he had something important to tell the sect leader.

Qin Zhao hesitated. “The sect leader is busy, I’m afraid…”

“It’s about the demon lord breaking the seal.”

Qin Zhao’s head snapped up, his expression changing. “How do you know?!”

In the end, he still brought Su Zhuozhi in.

Facing the crowd of esteemed, deeply powerful elders, Su Zhuozhi was not intimidated. He laid out the matter very logically.

But before he could finish, a hot-tempered elder interrupted him, fuming. “The demon sovereign wants to cooperate with us to attack the demon lord? Absurd! Ridiculous! You’re a spy sent by them, aren’t you!”

With that, the elder leaped down, his palm striking straight for Su Zhuozhi’s crown, with a fierce killing intent.

“Elder Red, don’t be rash.” The sect leader waved a hand, blocking his move.

“At a time like this, Weng Hongguang, you’re still stopping me? Don’t tell me you actually believe this spy’s lies?” Elder Red glared, eyebrows raised.

“He is Tianqing’s disciple.”

“So what? Tianqing is in seclusion. His disciple has been mind-controlled by the demon sovereign and is trying to harm the sect. I’m getting rid of his wicked disciple for him—why isn’t that a good thing?”

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but speak up in defense. “Little junior brother is not that kind of person. He was kidnapped by the demon sovereign. And I know his character well—he hasn’t lost his mind at all. He would never collude with the demonic path!”

“You say he hasn’t? Then where did this cultivation level come from? Nascent Soul—he’s even more powerful than you, his senior brother!” Elder Red sneered, his sarcasm merciless.

On this point, Su Zhuozhi really had no good explanation. He couldn’t very well say it was from dual cultivating with the demon sovereign. He hesitated, unable to defend himself.

To Elder Red, who was already biased against him, this looked like an admission of guilt. The elder said coldly, “No matter how you all try to stop me, I am going to perform a soul search on him today.”

The soul search technique was usually used to interrogate cultivators guilty of serious crimes. It could reveal the memories of the person being searched, but at the same time, it inflicted severe damage, potentially leading to brain damage, madness, or even death.

Elder Red’s five fingers curled like an eagle’s talons, shooting straight for Su Zhuozhi’s face.

Su Zhuozhi reacted quickly, summoning his life-bound sword to block. The two clashed with a loud crash.

Elder Red stared dead at the sword in his hand, his tone icy, the cold seeping into the bones. “Where did you get that sword?!”

As soon as he said that, every cultivator present tightened their grip on their own swords.

The sect leader, being the closest, had just blocked Elder Red’s attack. He glanced over and saw that the sword looked somewhat familiar.

Su Zhuozhi snorted coldly. “You ask me, so I have to answer?”

He had rushed over from the demon realm for such an important matter, speaking politely, only to be repeatedly doubted and insulted by Elder Red. At first, he had tolerated it for the greater good, but now they were trying to forcibly use a soul search on him. With his young master’s temper, he could no longer hold back. At this moment, all he wanted was to give Elder Red a beating.

The sect leader gently tried to mediate. Su Zhuozhi reluctantly gave him some face, turning to Elder Red with a smirk. “Apologize to me, and I might consider telling you.”

Elder Red stared at him without a word.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to attack again, Su Zhuozhi couldn’t be bothered to pay him any more attention. He still wanted to beat him up, but they would need fighting strength against the demon lord. If Elder Red survived, he could find an opportunity for revenge later. At the same time, Su Zhuozhi couldn’t help thinking how fortunate it was that he hadn’t brought Xie Jue along. Speaking nicely had already made him suspected of being a spy and nearly subjected to a soul search. If the demon sovereign came, they would probably start fighting without a word. They couldn’t have a civil war before even dealing with the demon lord.

The sect leader was clearly easier to talk to, so Su Zhuozhi turned his attention to him.

But Elder Red suddenly threw out a question. “Su Yanqing, the revered one—what relation is he to you?”

Without thinking, Su Zhuozhi replied, “He’s my ancestor.”

The air suddenly solidified, falling into an eerie silence.

Su Zhuozhi was bewildered. “…???”

What’s going on?

Why did everyone look so strange?

Elder Red was even more dramatic. His attitude did a complete one-eighty, his expression softening, and he actually apologized.

“I’m sorry. I was rash and impulsive earlier, and I misjudged you. I believe what you say now.”

Su Zhuozhi felt a chill. Had the man been possessed?

The sect leader and another elder also looked nostalgic and sighed. “No wonder. The aura of that sword is so familiar. Su Yanqing’s descendant—of course, you would have extraordinary talent.”

Seeing Su Zhuozhi’s confusion, Elder Red explained. “Back then, it was Su Yanqing who used all his cultivation to severely wound the demon lord and seal him in the abyss. In doing so, his hair turned white, and he was left with a frail, sickly body.”

He was a true savior, worthy of the respect of all in the cultivation world.

Even someone with as bad a temper as Elder Red could not hide his admiration. Now that he knew Su Yanqing’s life-bound sword had found an inheritor, and that this descendant had joined the Wan Jian Sect, his heart was filled with joy and comfort.

After that battle, Su Yanqing had vanished without a trace. Many speculated that he had passed away, feeling deep regret. But now it seemed Su Yanqing had chosen to go into seclusion, living as an ordinary mortal, leading a peaceful life. That was fine too.

Su Zhuozhi had never known that his ancestor was so formidable.

Regardless, after this revelation, the situation was finally stabilized.

The sect leader and the others were willing to trust Su Yanqing’s descendant. But trusting the demon sovereign without reservation was still unlikely. However, because of Su Zhuozhi, both righteous and demonic sides were able to sit down and have a calm discussion.

Xie Jue came to the Wan Jian Sect once again. Only this time, he was not an inconspicuous young disciple but the feared and guarded lord of the demon realm—the demon sovereign.

All the sects gathered and reached an agreement.

Storm clouds gathered, pressing down on the city.

Everyone looked solemn. An immense barrier slowly enveloped the entire sect. The Wan Jian Sect activated its mountain-protecting formation.

The great war was about to break out.

The demon lord did not give them much time to prepare. Soon, he attacked with his demon horde.

In an instant, the world changed color, unstoppable.

Su Zhuozhi had been doted on since childhood, his life smooth and carefree, without any major setbacks. This was the first time he had experienced such a terrifying war.

But a newborn calf does not fear a tiger. A young man is at his most spirited, most full of vigor.

Because he lacked practical combat experience, he was not suited for the front lines. He was arranged to stay in the rear, where he could make full use of his abilities.

He could clearly see every wisp of demonic aura, accurately find the weaknesses of demon cultivators, alert his teammates, and help deal with despicable sneak attacks, sweeping away any that slipped through.

When he killed his first demon cultivator, Su Zhuozhi’s face turned deathly pale. He felt like vomiting and was nearly ambushed by a nearby enemy.

A dark figure flashed by. Xie Jue dealt with the enemy cleanly and swiftly, pulling Su Zhuozhi into his arms and holding him gently.

He said nothing. But just the familiar scent of Xie Jue magically calmed him down.

Xie Jue lowered his head. “Stay by my side.”

That way, he could protect him well.

But Su Zhuozhi refused. He looked around at all the cultivators fighting desperately. If others could do it, why couldn’t he?

He smiled, proud and defiant. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

The sect leader and elders couldn’t help but look at him with admiration. But the demon lord’s minions were not pleased.

The battle reached a white-hot stage, but the righteous side was clearly gaining the upper hand.

Then, a pitch-black pillar of light shot straight into the sky, breaking through the clouds, exuding an immense pressure.

The righteous cultivators’ expressions changed.

From within the black pillar emerged a huge, mountain-like figure, extremely burly. But that wasn’t the point. What mattered was that this being’s body was split into many pieces, crudely stitched together like a broken corpse. It was eerie, chilling, and especially terrifying.

This was the demon lord.

Though his body was a wreck, it did not hinder his agility and speed in the slightest. With one strike, he crushed two Golden Core cultivators as easily as eating and drinking.

Xie Jue’s eyes sharpened. He lunged forward to meet him. He thought of Su Zhuozhi. If the one killed had been his young master… he absolutely could not bear it.

In the air, black light flashed continuously.

Those around could barely make out their movements, only feeling their hearts pounding in awe.

Su Zhuozhi watched nervously.

After an unknown amount of time, the two figures separated. The demon lord was covered in blood, and Xie Jue was also wounded.

The demon lord twisted his head stiffly. His hollow, sinister eyes fixed on his minions. Then he raised his hands. Gray-black mist shot out like the tail of a giant python, coiling around the minions and pulling them in, absorbing and devouring them.

One. Two. Three. One after another.

These demon cultivators had followed the demon lord, seeking power, territory, and secret treasures. For their own selfish desires, they had harmed the innocent. But in the end, they never expected to die at the demon lord’s hands, becoming his nourishment.

Behind the demon lord, a massive gray mist coalesced, filled with countless skulls. These skulls were steeped in hatred, jealousy, fear, and other negative emotions. They let out piercing screams that stabbed into the ears, causing headaches and ringing. Those with lower cultivation could not withstand the pressure and had already begun to bleed from their seven orifices.

The sect leaders immediately ordered a retreat.

Su Zhuozhi did not retreat. Instead, he flew on his sword toward Xie Jue.

The demon lord, in the middle of his frenzied devouring, stopped. He seemed to sense something. Abruptly turning his head, he stared at Su Zhuozhi.

His gaze locked on instantly.

Su Zhuozhi felt as if he had fallen into an ice cavern, his heart stopping.

In the blink of an eye, the gray mist surged toward Su Zhuozhi with reckless abandon. Nothing else seemed to matter. The only thought in the demon lord’s mind was—kill this person!

Everything went black. Before losing consciousness, Su Zhuozhi only saw Xie Jue lunging toward him, shielding him in his arms.

In that brief moment, no one could react in time. They could only watch helplessly as the two were swallowed by the gray mist and vanished.

…

When Su Zhuozhi opened his eyes, his head was spinning, his temples throbbing. The stench of decay lingered in his nostrils, making him extremely uncomfortable.

He couldn’t help coughing twice, nearly retching.

Soon, his memories came back. He remembered being swallowed by the gray mist. Cautiously, he quickly surveyed his surroundings. Everywhere he looked, there were pale, grim skulls.

A dark figure approached him. A handsome face showed concern as the figure asked gently, “How are you? Feeling very unwell?”

A hand was placed on his back, patting awkwardly.

Su Zhuozhi paused, then shook his head. “…I’m fine. How do we get out?”

“Not sure.” Xie Jue stood up and pointed to a spot. “But don’t worry. I’ve already killed the demon lord.”

Su Zhuozhi followed his gaze. There lay the stitched-together body, fallen on its side. A pitch-black demon sword was stuck in its chest, leaving a huge bloody hole.

“Is that so? That’s great.” Su Zhuozhi smiled. But his hand at his side quietly gripped his life-bound sword. He stood up nonchalantly. “Let’s hurry and find a way out.”

Xie Jue stared at him intently. “Mm.”

They explored the surroundings. Every step crunched against the brittle sound of skulls breaking.

Su Zhuozhi’s scalp tingled. He hated the sound but had to keep moving.

Xie Jue asked, “Are you scared?”

Su Zhuozhi denied it. “No.”

But in truth, his hands were trembling, and his legs felt weak.

When they weren’t talking, the silence was eerie.

Su Zhuozhi looked around, using his peripheral vision to keep track of Xie Jue, his mind racing.

“You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”

A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him. His scalp exploded.

Su Zhuozhi spun around, trying to counterattack, but the figure was faster. A large hand clamped around his throat, pinning him against the wall, cutting off his breath and immobilizing him.

Xie Jue—or more accurately, the demon lord who had possessed Xie Jue.

His eyes were bloodshot, his expression sinister and terrifying. He glared at Su Zhuozhi, gnashing his teeth as if he wanted to devour him alive.

“Su Yanqing, do you think I’ll give you the chance to kill me a second time?” The demon lord’s voice was venomous, steeped in hatred.

“I… am not… Su Yanqing.” Su Zhuozhi’s face was flushed red from being choked, his words broken.

But to the demon lord, that didn’t matter at all. So what if he looked like that man? He deserved to die. And that white sword—the demon lord remembered clearly how it had pierced his chest. Anyone who could wield that spirit sword must be connected to Su Yanqing.

“Damn it! Useless broken sword!” The demon lord turned and strode toward his corpse to retrieve the demon sword.

Then he turned back, ready to kill…

His pupils contracted.

There sat a man with loose white hair, clad in moon-white robes. His features were exquisite, his temperament cold and aloof, like the bright moon in the sky. He was holding his neck, coughing softly, his thin back arched, his face pale, exuding a fragile, almost broken beauty.

The demon lord stopped, disbelief in his eyes. “Su Yanqing, aren’t you dead?”

Su Zhuozhi supported himself against the wall and slowly stood up. His snow-white hair poured down like silk. He looked back, giving a faint smile. His gaze was gentle, but the demon lord felt a disdainful condescension, as if the other was looking down on him. “You can come back to life—why can’t I?”

“I killed you once. Naturally, I can kill you a second time.”

The demon lord’s heart trembled. He seemed greatly shaken. His face twisted in madness as he roared, “What right do you have to kill me? You saved me! I treated you as a friend! You traitor! I will kill you! Kill you!”

But Su Zhuozhi remained unmoved. His expression was cold as he said unhurriedly, “Mistaking you for an ordinary mortal and saving your life was the greatest regret of my life. To make up for that mistake, I must end you myself. I will not allow you to bring calamity upon the world.”

He raised his hand, the tip of his sword pointing at the demon lord.

Veins bulged on the demon lord’s forehead. His breathing was heavy, like a provoked beast. Murderous intent blazed in his eyes.

Black and white—the two figures charged at each other without hesitation.

“South side.”

“That’s an illusion. No need to dodge.”

“Watch your back.”

A calm voice kept sounding in Su Zhuozhi’s ears, guiding him.

But even so, asking a Nascent Soul cultivator to fight a world-ending demon lord was still too much. However, that had never been their true goal.

Su Zhuozhi raised his left hand and called out, “Yuyuan.”

The demon sword instantly broke free from the demon lord’s grasp and flew straight into Su Zhuozhi’s hand, docile and obedient, as if it were his true master.

The demon lord was stunned. “Impossible?!”

How could a demon sword obey a righteous cultivator?

Only then did the demon lord realize he had been tricked.

“You’re not Su Yanqing at all!”

The previous fight had focused on defense rather than offense, with the sole purpose of stalling for time. The demon lord’s soul was now completely sealed within Xie Jue’s body, unable to escape.

Panic flickered in the demon lord’s eyes, but he quickly steadied himself. He even had the mood to sneer. “You’re this body’s Dao partner, aren’t you? Do you dare kill me? It wouldn’t be so bad to take someone down with me before I die.”

He folded his arms, ready to enjoy the righteous cultivator’s pain and hesitation.

But unfortunately, he didn’t get to see it.

Su Zhuozhi took a deep breath, focusing all his attention on the demon lord.

Behind him, a tall, slender figure appeared. Hazy and illusory, as if it could dissipate like smoke at any moment.

Su Yanqing held the hand that gripped the sword. His voice was gentle and calm. “Don’t be afraid. Remember the spot I told you about. Don’t hesitate.”

Su Zhuozhi nodded silently.

And then.

One sword thrust straight through Xie Jue’s heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

He could clearly hear his own heartbeat—rapid and heavy, as if it would leap out of his chest.

As the sensation of piercing flesh reached him, he couldn’t help but close his eyes, not daring to look.

A pair of arms wrapped around him, pulling him into an embrace.

A low voice sounded by his ear.

“Young master, you did excellently. The demon lord is dead. You saved me.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Su Zhuozhi immediately relaxed. He let his consciousness sink into darkness and fell into an exhausted slumber.

In reality, all of this had been a plan they had devised long ago.

When they learned that Su Yanqing was Su Zhuozhi’s ancestor, the revered one who had originally sealed the demon lord, Xie Jue recalled the scene when Su Zhuozhi had been attacked near the arrays.

With Su Yanqing’s understanding of the demon lord, Xie Jue had deliberately held back during his fight with the demon lord, pretending to let his guard down, allowing himself to be swallowed by the gray mist and possessed, all the while secretly setting up a soul-locking formation.

Xie Jue was born with a demonic body—a perfect vessel. The demon lord would never pass it up. Thus, Xie Jue was the most suitable person to trap the demon lord. However, while he was focused on setting up the formation, he couldn’t deliver the killing blow. He needed someone to cooperate.

That someone had to deceive the demon lord, capture all his attention, and prevent him from discovering the soul-locking formation and escaping early.

Su Zhuozhi, who resembled Su Yanqing, was the best choice. He and Xie Jue also had perfect tacit understanding, and he could adapt flexibly and naturally.

But Xie Jue firmly opposed. He didn’t want Su Zhuozhi to face any danger. If possible, he didn’t even want Su Zhuozhi to participate in this war at all.

The other sect leaders also disagreed, but for a different reason. They thought Su Zhuozhi was too young, his Nascent Soul cultivation freshly ascended. Entrusting him with such an important task was too risky and prone to failure.

At that point, Su Zhuozhi tugged at Xie Jue’s sleeve. When Xie Jue turned his head, Su Zhuozhi leaned in and whispered, “I want to go.”

Xie Jue frowned. “No. It’s too dangerous.”

“Who was it that said they’d listen to me about everything?”

“…This is different.”

They murmured to each other, their voices low. But what kind of cultivation levels did everyone present have? It was impossible not to overhear.

One was a violent, domineering demon sovereign. The other was a righteous sword cultivator with unparalleled talent.

They were the most unlikely pair to end up together, yet…

The elders’ faces remained calm, but their hearts were in turmoil.

In truth, the two hadn’t done anything too outrageous. But their intimate attitude, the way their bodies unconsciously leaned toward each other—everything pointed to a relationship beyond the ordinary.

Dao partners.

It was clearly the atmosphere that only Dao partners shared.

And among the two, the sword-cultivating disciple held the higher status, with the demon sovereign having to listen to him. It was too surreal, too unbelievable.

In the end, the outcome was obvious.

Xie Jue could do nothing against his young master and had to agree. However, throughout the entire process, he was extremely careful, subtly protecting his young master.

The great war ended.

Su Zhuozhi woke up on a soft bed. The first thing that entered his eyes were thin, gauze-like bed curtains.

He was dazed for a moment. His instinct was to sit up and call out, “Xie Jue!”

Almost simultaneously, Xie Jue sensed the change in his breathing. He came to the bedside, knelt on one knee, bent down, and pulled him into his arms, soothing him in a low voice. “I’m here.”

Su Zhuozhi pressed against his shoulders, asking urgently, “How are your injuries?”

Without giving Xie Jue a chance to answer, he tore off his clothes and stared at his chest. Where the heart was, there was no sword wound—only a faint scar.

They had used a forbidden technique, one that led to death and then revival. It caused a momentary death but was not life-threatening.

According to the technique, Xie Jue would be fine. But being the one to thrust the sword through his heart—how could Su Zhuozhi not be afraid? What if something went wrong…

Su Zhuozhi stared for a long time. His fingertips gently traced the scar, feeling the strong heartbeat beneath. Only then did he finally relax.

The corners of his eyes were red. He had been scared to the point of tears.

Xie Jue lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, not wanting to see him upset. He deliberately tried to divert his attention, smiling as he said in a low voice, “Speaking of which, now that you’ve reached Nascent Soul, we haven’t tried spiritual communion yet.”

“Spiritual communion?” Su Zhuozhi was puzzled.

Xie Jue guided him, releasing a wisp of his spiritual sense.

These were formless, but if materialized, Su Zhuozhi’s spiritual sense was like a thin, silver-white thread—slowly and tentatively probing outward. In an instant, Xie Jue’s spiritual sense, like a black serpent, coiled around it, possessive and aggressive.

Gradually, the delicate silver-white was completely enveloped in darkness, as if trapped in a tight, impenetrable net. There was nowhere to hide. It could only curl into a ball, trembling pitifully.

Su Zhuozhi had never known that spiritual communion could feel so indescribable—even more so than dual cultivation…

When both happened simultaneously, Su Zhuozhi couldn’t bear it. He melted into a pool of water, crying uncontrollably, his entire body soft and limp, every inch of his skin flushed pink. All he could do was whimper softly.

They indulged in each other, unaware of the passage of day and night.

But that was fine. They had a long future ahead.

Pledging as Dao partners, sending betrothal gifts, getting married—one thing at a time.

No matter what, they would be together.

From within the bed curtains came a low, chuckle-laced call.

“Young master… my young master.”

The person in his arms stirred, revealing half a flushed face with wet lashes. He muttered discontentedly in a small voice.

“…What is it, my little dog?”

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