Chapter 339: Past Events

A woman in white robes, with long black hair fluttering in the wind, stood in a world entirely covered in snow. On the ground, dozens of crystal-clear ice sculptures of human figures appeared utterly lifelike, indistinguishable from real people.
The woman seemed to look down on all beings, casting a disdainful glance at the ice sculptures below before drifting away.
Long after she left, the ice gradually melted, and all but one person died. Only one man managed to crawl out of the melted ice, trembling violently.
In the dead of night, still shivering as he warmed himself by the fire, the man’s mind was filled with images of that woman.
Her name was Blood Demon—a top-tier warrior from the demon realm. Countless people had died at her hands. She was the goddess in his heart. Even back in his clan, he had heard of her fame and admired her deeds greatly. On his travels, he had longed to see her, even if just from afar.
The reason he got involved that day was his desire to see his goddess up close, but he ended up being caught in the crossfire.
He didn’t blame the woman; he blamed those troublemakers. Those fools didn’t even recognize Blood Demon and coveted her beauty, harassing her. In her anger, she used a deadly move—instantly freezing everyone nearby, killing many innocents. Aside from him, no one survived. From that moment on, he, who had once been indifferent and uninvolved, resolved to become stronger.
The scene shifted to a pitch-black night. The surroundings were so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.
A gloomy gate ahead bore the words “Forbidden Zone.” Suddenly, he condensed his form into a small insect, climbed up the wall, and silently entered the gate.
The interior of the building was completely different from what he saw outside. It was a vast space filled with tombs, stretching as far as the eye could see.
He reverted to his human form and headed straight toward the deepest part in the north. He stopped in front of a tomb. On the tombstone, a blood-red character reading “Forbidden” stood out sharply, along with numerous other red inscriptions, clearly describing the tomb.
He took a deep breath, then crouched down and began digging frantically at the tomb. Soon, a corner of a red coffin appeared. He kept digging, and eventually, the entire coffin came into view.

Nine thick, scarlet ropes tightly bound the coffin, with eighteen bells hanging like pendants from the ropes, positioned at the gaps between the coffin body and its lid. His fingers trembled slightly. After calming himself down a bit, he slowly began to form various hand seals, growing faster and faster, with the seals becoming increasingly complex, even to the point where sweat appeared on his forehead. It was unclear how much time passed before a golden light flashed from above the coffin. All nine ropes broke, but the bells made no sound at all. He let out a long sigh—after such long efforts, it had finally paid off. He pushed open the coffin lid. Inside, neatly laid out was just a set of clothes; aside from that, there was only a palm-sized black box of unknown material. His hands trembling, he picked up the box. “I’ve waited for this day for so long…” When he opened the box, inside was a ugly black beetle, somewhat similar to a cockroach on Earth, but even more grotesque and terrifying. Suddenly, the beetle seemed to awaken from its slumber, moving its wings slightly. “As expected, even after a million years of sealing, the Corpse Worm King still won’t die…” The young man was excited as he slowly grabbed the beetle and put it in his mouth… The scene shifted again to an old man, his clothes soaked in blood, with a horrifying wound on his abdomen from which blood kept flowing. Inside the wound, broken ribs and slightly purple intestines could be faintly seen. His dantian was completely destroyed, clearly shattered into pieces and gone. The old man’s breath was faint, but the dark red drool from his mouth was even more striking than the tears streaming down his aged face. “In my… whole… life, the happiest… thing… was… taking you… as my disciple…” The old man’s lips trembled as he spoke in broken, slurred words. A young and handsome man stared blankly at his blood-stained hands, standing motionless. “In my… whole… life, the thing I regret the most… is… also… taking you… as my disciple…” The old man used all his strength to lift a finger, pointing at the young man, his eyes filled with utter hatred and disgust…

Soon after, the glow in his eyes faded, and that look of hatred and disgust remained frozen forever.
It took the young man some time to regain his senses. He slowly closed his eyes, tears streaming down from them.
After a while, he slowly opened his eyes again. With one hand, he grabbed the old man’s head and squeezed hard—his skull instantly exploded. A pale white crystal floated in the air. He picked it up between two fingers, and greed instantly replaced the guilt in his eyes.
“I said I wanted to become stronger. For that, I’m willing to pay any price…” The man left behind those words before slowly walking away…
The scene then shifted. A woman in white knelt on the ground, her hair disheveled, murmuring repeatedly, “How is that possible? How can anyone in this world break through my domain?”
A hint of pity flashed in a young man’s eyes, but it was quickly masked as his expression turned cold again. “It’s simple. Your domain can summon the spirits of the dead, but I’ve never killed anyone. So your domain has no effect on me.”
“How is that possible? In a place like the Demon Realm, reaching the level of Demon Emperor—how can one not have killed anyone?” The woman in white raised her head, filled with confusion.
“But I’ve done it.” A strange light shone in the young man’s eyes. The woman in white stared straight into those eyes, her pupils growing unfocused.
“Your heart is filled with killing, but I know you’ve always longed for the day when you could stop killing…” A strange smile appeared on the man’s face, his eyes glowing with an eerie light. The woman in white seemed unaware, merely nodding foolishly.
“Go. Change your name, travel around, and let everyone forget you. Then return to me…” The man’s voice drifted faintly into her ears.
The woman in white nodded and turned to leave…
Only when her figure disappeared from his sight did a smile appear on his lips. He murmured softly, “Be my woman…”