Chapter 254: The Power to Destroy the World, the True Demon’s Will

The atmosphere inside the cave began to take shape—black space filled with stripes that twisted and writhed. Liu Yi’s body emitted a golden glow, while red light flashed constantly in his eyes. As the Dark King’s consciousness entered, his vital energy surged even stronger. Liu Yi’s mind was somewhat blurred, but a voice within guided him, telling him not to stop. He had no choice—only by pursuing this path could he be reborn.

The forces outside his body continued to condense rapidly. Meanwhile, his vital energy seemed to cease its outward push the moment the Dark King’s consciousness entered, instead focusing entirely on condensation. His vital energy grew stronger, expanding within his body, while his desire for slaughter consumed him. Suddenly, Liu Yi understood the Dark King’s intention: to fully condense his vital energy and then break through at once.

Finally, with his last remnants of consciousness, Liu Yi pressed down on his vital energy, using the power of the two stones to boost it further. The black space became increasingly twisted, and Liu Yi’s body seemed to lose its form. As his vital energy continued to expand and compress, his body trembled, and the pain from the expansion caused sweat to appear on his face.

Time passed slowly. Inside the cave, there was only Liu Yi, suffering in pain, and the motionless Dark King. Eventually, Liu Yi could no longer suppress his powerful vital energy. With a loud cry and blazing red eyes, he unleashed all his strength to drive his vital energy forward. Guided by the Dark King’s consciousness, he began to break through. With a loud “boom,” Liu Yi’s mind cleared instantly…

With that sensation, Liu Yi’s consciousness became clearer than ever. He realized that, with the help of the Dark King and the divine stone, he had finally overcome his desire for slaughter. This meant he had now reached the thirteenth level of “Lanerfina Qing.” The Dark Heart? Liu Yi felt joy, as he no longer sensed the irritation caused by slaughter or the blur in his mind. Everything seemed so clear and natural. At this moment, his eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything, and his thoughts were never more lucid.

Just then, a voice came from within Liu Yi’s mind: “Don’t be too happy yet. It’s not over. Your physical body simply can’t withstand the power of the Dark Force. This is the critical moment—you must endure all the pain to advance your body.” It was the Dark King’s voice. Liu Yi could clearly sense him inside his own body. Yes, the Dark King’s words pulled him back from his joy to reality.

Indeed, after breaking through his desire for slaughter, his vital energy surged with unprecedented ferocity. Every vein in his body instantly expanded. With the Dark Heart within him, the powerful vital energy had penetrated every cell of his skin. At this point, that energy kept doubling in strength. Liu Yi suddenly felt an unimaginable pain—a pain beyond description. Every pore in his body seemed to be tearing and bleeding, as if thousands of insects were corroding his flesh.

Liu Yi stretched his arms out, desperate to release the immense pain, but at the same time, his entire body was completely immobile. The blood in his body seemed to be boiling, burning, and every pore seemed to be expanding and tearing apart. The pain was unbearable; his body had no strength left from the agony. Suddenly, Liu Yi felt an impulse—to end his own life. The pain drove him to despair, making it impossible for him to go on.

At that moment, a voice inside his body continued to speak: “I’m already guiding you. You must persevere and not give up halfway. Think about your past, look at your present—there are still many things you need to do in the future. You can’t give up like this.” It seemed the King of the Underworld knew how distressed Liu Yi was. In such a situation where life was worse than death, even those with strong wills might choose death to end the suffering.

Liu Yi didn’t know if this body still belonged to him. His entire body was immobile, his skin splitting from the pain, his veins swelling continuously, and his vital energy growing stronger by the second, doubling with every instant. If this continued, he would die. Hearing the King of the Underworld’s words, Liu Yi thought of the past, of the celestial maiden from seven thousand years ago. At that time, the two had willingly descended to the mortal world, leaving behind the realms of gods and demons to become ordinary people.

Thinking of death, suddenly, the image of July appeared in Liu Yi’s mind. It was… July, that devoted woman. Ten years of sorrow hadn’t made her forget; instead, it had made her more determined. What should he do? Liu Yi couldn’t find an answer or see a way out. In the darkness, Pangu was laughing, and seeing Lan Ying’s ugly face, Liu Yi seemed to forget the pain.

But that memory only briefly covered the pain. Soon, even greater agony prevented Liu Yi from thinking. His entire body seemed to be expanding rapidly under the force of his vital energy. He didn’t know what would happen next, only that he would explode if this continued. Suddenly, a black light shot out from his body. Then, his skin began to crack slowly, and countless black rays emerged from the cracks. Those black rays were darker than the surrounding darkness. In an instant, thousands of black rays shot out from every part of Liu Yi’s body, from every angle, and at the same time, he felt a sense of relief.

Then, those black rays slowly spread outward, widening. With each widening, a part of Liu Yi’s body disappeared. The moment his body vanished, a golden light flashed, shooting straight out of Liu Yi’s body and into the King of the Underworld’s body. Then, the King of the Underworld moved, regained consciousness, and began to observe Liu Yi before him.

Finally, as the last ray of light spread, Liu Yi’s entire body disappeared into the darkness. This sudden strange occurrence panicked Liu Yi. He couldn’t see his own body, but he could still sense his existence. What was happening? The pain from before had vanished instantly, and his body now felt light, as if it were air—or perhaps it really was air, since he couldn’t see it at all.

Liu Yi’s voice echoed in the darkness as he asked, “What’s going on? Why can’t I see myself?”

The King of Darkness’s eyes moved slightly as he said, “It’s nothing serious. Your body has already turned to ashes. Your physical form couldn’t possibly withstand such powerful darkness—it’s already melted away. You’ve successfully ascended now.”

Liu Yi asked again, “How is that possible? Am I just going to dissipate like this, formless and substanceless?” Though he had doubts, he already felt vastly different from before. The vital energy within his body seemed compressed together, a hundred times, a thousand times stronger than before, and this vital energy appeared to swirl in a vortex-like pattern, constantly exchanging with the energy in his body while absorbing power from the darkness.

The King of Darkness continued, “You are now a true demon. There’s no need to worry about your physical body. The power you possess is enough to create a new one. You’ll soon get used to the power of a true demon, and you’ll also realize that so-called cultivation is merely a precursor to another form of evolution.” With that, the King of Darkness stopped looking at where Liu Yi had disappeared and slowly sat back down.

Listening to the King of Darkness’s words and feeling the formless energy flowing within his body, Liu Yi seemed to understand something. At the same time, he thought of the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword lying on the ground. If possible, why assign the power of the divine dragon to the sword? That would not only affect the sword’s own techniques but also cover up the sorrow left by the Dragon Emperor within it.

With his current power, Liu Yi could completely reshape his own body. It seemed unnecessary to assign that power to the sword, including the Dragon Emperor. Perhaps their power should be focused on his own body instead. Finally, Liu Yi began to condense darkness invisibly. As space twisted, black auras gathered one after another. As these black auras concentrated, Liu Yi’s body gradually appeared, becoming clearer before floating in the air.

Then, Liu Yi formed his right hand into a claw and shouted, “Come out!” With his cry, the five-colored divine dragons transformed into five beams of light of different colors. With sounds of “whoosh… whoosh…”, the five beams quickly entered Liu Yi’s body. He transformed the power of the five-colored divine dragons into five different auras, hiding them around his vital energy. At the same time, five dragon shadows flickered around Liu Yi’s body, appearing and disappearing.

Liu Yi gently landed on the ground and slowly retracted all his vital energy. The shadows of the five-colored divine dragons also gradually disappeared from above him. Then, Liu Yi slowly picked up the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword that had fallen to the ground. Instantly, that sense of sorrow returned to his heart. After all this time, now that Liu Yi had ascended to the Heart of Darkness and absorbed the power of the five-colored divine dragons, the sorrowful curse left by the Dragon Emperor in the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword returned to his body. That sorrow carried infinite power, and the Heart of Darkness continued to absorb power from the darkness at an immeasurable speed—far more powerful than the power of chaos.

Liu Yi looked at his new body—it was so light, so full of strength. Everything around him seemed tiny in his eyes. Even the once inscrutable King of Darkness now appeared ordinary to him. He now possessed new power and had merged with the Five-Color Divine Dragon, allowing him to use the “Four Sorrowful Techniques” once again. This was a beginning, a beginning of a path with no return. Now, he could pursue his goals without any obstacles.

His white hair was a bit messy. Liu Yi suddenly noticed a water-blue stone on the ground beside him—it was the divine stone, the Tear of the Moon. There was also a white stone nearby, but as soon as Liu Yi picked it up, it instantly turned to powder. At that moment, the King of Darkness’s voice came through, saying, “These two stones have exhausted all their power. The Tear of Clouds has disappeared, and although the Tear of the Moon still possesses special powers, it’s of no use to me anymore. If you like it, take it.” With that, the King of Darkness slowly closed his eyes.

Liu Yi glanced at the beautiful blue stone, but it held no meaning for him anymore. His vital energy had reached its limit; no further improvement was possible. The only thing he could do was gradually accumulate and stabilize his power by absorbing dark energy. Though the stone was beautiful, since the King of Darkness no longer needed it, he decided to keep it.

Looking at the King of Darkness’s half-closed eyes, Liu Yi casually said, “You’ve used too much energy. Rest here while I go and kill that Purple Dragon.”

The King of Darkness didn’t open his eyes and simply said, “Mm, go ahead. Remember our deal. I only wish for Chen Xing to be happy. Once the Purple Dragon is killed, its seal will be ineffective, and the mirror in this cave will allow us to leave.” His voice was clear, as if he thought it was only natural for Liu Yi to do this now.

Liu Yi nodded, smiled slightly, said nothing, and headed outside. Having regained his strength, he finally understood what true power meant. If his cultivation before was as vast as a lake, his current power was like an endless ocean. If he tried to fight against Pangu, Lan Ying, Su Shao, and the others using his previous skills, he would likely die quickly.

As soon as he stepped out of the cave, he saw four elders accompanying Yu Chenxing, seemingly explaining something to him. Upon seeing Liu Yi come out, Yu Chenxing rushed over. Noticing Liu Yi’s good complexion, he asked, “How are you, fool? Is anything still uncomfortable?”

Liu Yi smiled slightly and shook his head. “Everything’s fine. Why? Are you so concerned about me?”

Yu Chenxing hadn’t expected Liu Yi to ask such a question. Frowning, he replied, “Yes, I am concerned. What’s wrong? Can’t I care? If you have objections, you have to interfere in everything others do.” He pouted slightly in annoyance.

Liu Yi shook his head. “No, I need to find that Purple Dragon. There’s nothing left in this world of mirrors that deserves us to stay. It’s time to leave.”

Yu Chenxing hurriedly patted Liu Yi’s head and said, “Idiot, you’re not dreaming or having a fever, are you? Look at yourself—still trying to find that Purple Dragon. That dragon will blow you away in one breath. Stay here obediently and let my father figure out a way.” Still somewhat unconvinced, she looked at Liu Yi.

Liu Yi smiled faintly and shook his head. “The Liu Yi of now is not the same as before. That Purple Dragon is doomed to die at my hands. I’m confident I can take it down.” With that, he slowly started walking down the mountain. He could have transformed and searched in the air, but thinking about the path ahead, he began to appreciate the scenery here. Where else could he see such beauty after leaving? With that thought, he walked down slowly.

Yu Chenxing hurriedly followed behind, saying, “No, it’s too dangerous. I have to go with you. I won’t be at ease if I can’t see you.”

Liu Yi stopped and turned to look at Yu Chenxing’s ridiculous expression. Taking her with him might be troublesome, but with his own strength, he should be able to protect her. Thinking of protection, Liu Yi remembered the vow he had made before the King of the Underworld—yes, to protect her and stay with her forever. Then, he smiled and said, “If you’re not afraid of getting tired, just follow me.” With that, he continued on his way.

Yu Chenxing seemed to understand this idiot very well. If she tried to follow, he would surely find a hundred reasons to refuse. To her surprise, today, against all expectations, he said nothing. Curious, she followed Liu Yi down the mountain.

Before they knew it, by the time the sun was high in the sky, the two of them had left the mountains. The old trees and falling flowers around them were still as beautiful as ever, with the breeze carrying the scent of flowers. As he walked, Liu Yi said, “I don’t know when I’ll be able to see such beautiful scenery again after leaving this place.” His tone carried a hint of sadness, as he thought about the battles he would face once he left this world. This advancement seemed to have made him see many things clearly—the Dark Heart was the wings of the Demon King, and also the end point of fate.

Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Yu Chenxing said, “What, don’t you want to leave here? But… it’s very quiet here. Hey, idiot, if—just if, if you can’t save your wife, I mean, if you fail, then let’s go back to this world. How about living here? This world is only ours, a beautiful world.”

Hearing Yu Chenxing’s words, Liu Yi couldn’t help but feel like laughing for some reason. Suddenly stopping, he said to her, “Girl, look at me. What do you like about me? Don’t you think living with me forever would be boring? Aren’t you afraid of getting tired? You can find someone better—among the gods and humans in the three realms, you can choose anyone. Why always target me?”

Instead of getting angry, Yu Chenxing smiled and said, “No way. How could it be boring? Even when you don’t talk, just watching you makes me happy. How could I get tired? Seeing you every day makes me feel so happy and content, I don’t even think about anything else.” With that, she really smiled, looking very happy.

Liu Yi shook his head. He would definitely save his wife, but that would also be the end of their story. While in that cave, Liu Yi had already decided that leaving was the best choice—surrendering represented the deepest love. He couldn’t hurt the Heavenly Maiden any longer. Looking at Yu Chenxing before him, Liu Yi shook his head helplessly and said, “Then just go ahead and daydream. When you grow up a bit, maybe in a few years, you’ll come to see reason.”

Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “I’ve already come to see reason. When you turned into that terrifying being, I was willing to die under your sword. You’re the first person I’m willing to sacrifice my life for. So… no matter how much time passes, this feeling will always remain in my heart. You too, keep fighting. I know what you’re thinking—you will definitely reunite with your wife.” Though her expression seemed happy, Liu Yi could tell she was still somewhat unwilling.

Liu Yi smiled slightly. Who could know what he was thinking? Reuniting with his wife? Maybe. Or perhaps… it was just sadness. Liu Yi continued, “Who can predict the future? Let’s search slowly.”

With that, Liu Yi flipped his right hand and stretched his palm out. A black arc instantly formed in front of him. Under the sunlight, countless white dots flickered within the black arc. As the dots grew larger, they turned into hundreds of tiny white light dragons. Liu Yi said, “Go find the Purple Dragon and tell me.” As soon as he finished speaking, the hundreds of white light dragons spiraled out in all directions and disappeared quickly.

Seeing this, Yu Chenxing blurted out, “The Power of Creation?” Watching Liu Yi’s action, she remembered the classification of powers she had seen as a child.

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “I’m a demon. This power belongs to the Heart of Darkness—the Power of Destruction.” Then he smiled.

Hearing this, Yu Chenxing’s mouth widened in shock. “You… you really… changed.” By the end, she changed what she wanted to say and suddenly laughed, saying, “Well, you’ve changed a lot. You’re also more gentle now—more likable than before.” She laughed exaggeratedly.