Chapter 486 - 464: Su Ling’er: I’ve Been Wronged!!

Chapter 486: Chapter 464: Su Ling’er: I’ve Been Wronged!!

You Gu’s shout made the scalps of everyone present crawl.

The surroundings fell deathly silent, with only the night wind sweeping across the mountain ridge.

The other newcomers stared, their eyes nearly popping from their sockets, at the decrepit old man prostrating on the ground.

’He’s crazy.’

’This old coot has definitely gone mad.’

He had a full head of white hair and one foot in the grave. Instead of spending his last few years in peace, doting on his grandchildren, he chose to prostrate himself before a blood-soaked ghoul in a den of demons?

How was this seeking the Dao? This was clearly a death wish, an eagerness to be reincarnated!

’No... That’s not right...’

In the crowd, the newcomers’ gazes shifted back and forth between Su Ling’er and You Gu.

’If the old man were truly mad, that would be one thing. But what if he wasn’t?’

What if this demoness had instantly broken him, turning him into this? Or what if he was already devoted to the demonic path?

’Regardless, he... was dangerous!’

Everyone’s terrified gazes focused on Su Ling’er.

Her title, [Rhythmic Executioner], was also faithfully doing its job, making her seem like a complete psychopath.

In their eyes, Su Ling’er was a peerless demon who toyed with people’s minds for sport!

’A complete psychopath!’

’And that old man was a cautionary tale!’

Someone gulped, and the sound was unnervingly clear in the quiet night.

Su Ling’er lifted her chin slightly, her gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Since you all have managed to find your way here, it must be fate."

Su Ling’er raised a hand, pointing toward the towering mountain gate.

"I know the outside world may have some... misunderstandings about our sect."

"In truth, the Guixi Sect is a respectable place of quiet cultivation. We place the utmost importance on ’shedding the false to reveal the true.’"

"All who enter our gates must first have their mortal bones shattered and their worldly sinews torn out. Only by being pushed to the brink of death can one... be reborn and remold their true self."

To avoid revealing her true intentions within the demonic sect, Su Ling’er made sure to display a thirst for power and gratitude for the sect’s teachings.

But to the onlookers, it looked as if a demon was savoring the thrill of having scared them half to death!

Coupled with her words and the effect of her title, her speech only served to fuel their wild, terrifying speculations.

’Shed the false to reveal the true? Shatter bones and tear out sinews? Remold one’s true self?’

’Isn’t this some dark art where they tear people apart and piece them back together as monsters?! No wonder this "Immortal Master" before us looks neither human nor ghost, and that old madman wears the expression of a slave. So this is what they call "respectable quiet cultivation"?’

"Of course, the path of the Great Dao is difficult. Not everyone is fit for such a blessing. You can’t force a horse to drink, as they say. Our sect has always won people over with virtue; we never force anyone to stay."

She stepped aside, clearing the path down the mountain. Then, on her blood-caked face, she forced the most malevolent smile she could manage.

"The gate is open. You are free to stay or go."

"If you feel this place is not your destiny, turn around and head down the mountain now. It’s not too late. I promise I won’t lay a single finger on any of you."

The wind suddenly grew colder.

The newcomers looked at each other, the terror in their eyes spilling over.

’This was the final ultimatum!’

’Could it be... this demonic sect actually cared about its reputation? Did they not want a public massacre at their own gate, and was that why they were offering a sliver of a chance to survive?’

"Th-Thank you for your immense kindness, Immortal Master!"

The youth reacted the fastest. He cupped his fists in gratitude, not daring to show an ounce of disrespect.

Even at this life-or-death moment, one of them had the presence of mind to start dragging a companion who had fainted from fright back down the mountain.

The others snapped out of their daze. They bowed meekly, one after another, muttering nonsensical pleasantries like "our fortunes are too meager" and "we wouldn’t dare to aim so high." All the while, they shuffled backward, terrified the demoness would suddenly change her mind and lash out.

As he passed the still-kneeling You Gu, the youth couldn’t help but say, "Old man! Have you really gone mad? If you don’t leave now, you never will! This is clearly a den of man-eating demons!"

Another person tugged on the youth’s sleeve and whispered, "What are you doing? Just leave him! He’s a madman! The important thing is to get down the mountain while the Immortal Master is in a good mood!"

However, You Gu remained perfectly still.

His withered body didn’t so much as twitch an eyelid.

’If I leave now, my doom will truly be sealed. Only someone who has glimpsed the scenery at the summit can understand the earth-shattering opportunity hidden behind this blood and cruelty!’

’This is a path to the heavens, a chance to defy fate itself!’

’So what if it’s a demon’s den? As long as I can attain immortality, I would dare to charge into the Nine Netherworld itself!’

You Gu remained motionless.

Seeing this, the youth said no more and simply shook his head.

’You can’t reason with a person who’s hell-bent on their own destruction... So be it...’

The youth dared not linger. He dragged his unconscious companion along and plunged into the night with the others, heading down the mountain.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained on the mountain path was the sound of frantic footsteps, growing fainter and fainter until the night wind swallowed them completely. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Silence returned to the mountain gate.

Su Ling’er stood her ground, watching the gate. Her shoulders finally relaxed a little.

’Phew...’

She let out a mental sigh of relief.

’They’re finally gone.’

’It looks like Senior Brother’s plan worked. This ghastly appearance of mine really did make those arrogant mortals face reality. Senior Brother is amazing!’

’Letting them go back to their comfortable, wealthy lives might be mediocre, but at least it’s safe. I guess this counts as a good deed on my part!’

But when Su Ling’er’s gaze fell on the old man who still refused to budge, her relief turned to resignation.

’Sigh. The one who stayed is the most troublesome of all.’

Su Ling’er looked down at the white-haired old man, her brow furrowed.

’This old man’s life force is clearly fading, his time nearly up. He’s obviously one of those poor souls driven mad by the approach of death, desperate to grasp at one last straw.’

’People like him often have the deepest obsessions. They’re the hardest to turn away.’

’An ordinary young person would have run after a good scare, but this old man no longer fears death. Why would he be afraid of my demonic appearance?’

’Now... this has become rather difficult.’

’Oh well. I’ll just run him through the standard procedure and see how it goes.’

Su Ling’er led You Gu along the path countless newcomers had walked before, carrying out her duty as their guide.

With an apathetic expression, she skimmed one Spirit Stone after another from his payment. No matter how much she exploited or berated him, the old man remained perfectly composed.

Far from being angry, he was moved to tears of gratitude, spouting nonsense like "the Great Dao lies in simplicity" and "one must shed worldly attachments to purify the heart."

’How did he read so much profound meaning into my actions when I didn’t intend any?’

Faced with such fanaticism, the last wisp of Su Ling’er’s desire to persuade him to leave dissolved into a silent sigh.

’So be it.’

’Mercy cannot save a soul determined to be lost. This man’s obsession is bone-deep; he sees this den of demons as his only salvation. Since his case is terminal, I’ll just let him be.’

At this thought, Su Ling’er paused. The torrential, baleful aura around her instantly froze.

’Since this Asura-ghoul Divine Technique is no longer intimidating him, what’s the point of maintaining it?’

"Dispel."

She directly dispelled her demonic transformation.

She followed it with another incantation.

A current of water materialized from thin air, swirling above her head before cascading down, washing over her blood-caked form.

The caked blood and foul stench vanished without a trace under the spell’s power.

As steam billowed, the bloodstains faded, washing her clean of all grime.

When the mist cleared, the figure standing before You Gu was no longer a ghoul crawled from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, but a young woman in a red dress.

Although it was just a simple cleansing spell, the way she had just dispelled the Sword Refining Skill startled You Gu.

’How can this be?!’

As the former patriarch of the Ghost Spirit Sect, he knew that the most difficult part of demonic cultivation was a single concept: control.

’Killing is easy; cleansing the heart is not. Gathering a murderous aura is easy; concealing it is not.’

An ordinary Demon Cultivator, even one at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realm, would inevitably be shrouded in a lingering aura of bloodlust and resentment.

’But this woman before him...’

’One moment, she was an asura, a bringer of slaughter. The next, she was a Banished Immortal, untouched by worldly dust?’

’She had compressed that entire aura of bloodlust and resentment and hidden it deep within her seemingly fragile body! What tyrannical control! What a terrifying level of mastery over demonic arts!’

’The truest demon has no form; the truest sound is silence!’

Just then, a gust of night wind swept by.

Su Ling’er turned her head slightly, her gaze falling upon him.

Though her expression was serene and held no killing intent, You Gu felt an inexplicable chill through his Divine Sense.

It was a feeling of profound, unsettling dissonance.

Her eyes were now crystal clear, yet under the influence of her [Rhythmic Executioner] title, You Gu was gripped by a strange illusion.

’Beneath that clarity lay a pure evil... a psychopathy etched into her very bones...’

(Su Ling’er: Waaaah, QAQ! I’m being framed!!!)

’He recalled how this woman had saved lives and healed the injured in Anhe City, fighting with all her might against demonic forces.’

’Looking at her now, could it be that she still held some shred of humanity for her hometown?’

’Or... was she plotting something in Anhe City? But what could a poor, remote place like Anhe City possibly offer?’

’Perhaps I should go take a look in the future, if the opportunity arises.’

...

「Meanwhile, on another mountain path.」

A dozen or so figures staggered out of a cave, leaning on one another. Their steps were unsteady as they finally emerged from the alien-hatching cavern.

"I can’t do it. I really can’t take it anymore," one of the undercover agents said weakly. "If I keep hatching that thing, I feel like my Dao Heart will be sucked dry."

Wang glanced at him. "Junior Brother, you are mistaken! You see only the suffering, but not the truth that lies behind it!"

"Indeed!" another immediately chimed in, afraid of being outdone. "In that moment the life-form broke through its shell, I felt as though I had touched upon the very laws of suffering and rebirth! We are incubating life, feeling its weight! This is the same principle by which Miss Su forges her body into a sword! This is the supreme Great Dao of the Guixi Sect—the cultivation of suffering!"

Hearing this, the others all nodded, their faces showing expressions of sudden enlightenment. Inwardly, however, they were all cursing him out.

’Damn it, these demonic bastards are each better at posturing than the last!’

’We’re just hatching an egg, and he’s already comprehending fundamental laws?’

’I can’t let him show me up!’

"Mr. Wang speaks the truth! The bit of hardship we’ve endured is nothing compared to Miss Su shattering and reforging her own bones! This is clearly a sign of the sect’s favor toward us!"

"Exactly! Only by understanding the weight of life can one sever all attachments when wielding a sword! This is the true essence of the demonic path!"

The group continued along the mountain path, all trying to one-up each other’s dramatic performances. The direction they were heading was straight toward the junction where Su Ling’er and the old man were approaching...

...

The next second, he materialized out of thin air directly behind his junior sister and the old man. To tease her, Lin Qingfeng even gave himself a "spooky" special effect.

A ghostly, cold light illuminated his face from below, making him look exceptionally creepy.

As Su Ling’er walked, a familiar chill suddenly shot up her spine.

’This feeling... Don’t tell me Senior Brother is watching me from behind again?’

She swallowed hard and hesitantly turned her head.

A deathly pale face, eerily lit from below, leaped into her vision!

Su Ling’er: !!!

’Hey! Senior Brother, I don’t think you scared the old man, but you sure scared the daylights out of me!’

Meanwhile, You Gu remained completely oblivious, merely wondering why the celestial maiden leading the way had suddenly turned around with such a strange expression.