Chapter 175: Rancor in the World of Wuxia—When Will the Delusions End?

The night was quiet, the stars bright, but the wind was cold…
A cup of coffee, bitter yet rich, and a cigarette filling the air around.
Everything in the world seemed so clear yet veiled by a thin layer; all processes were similar, as straightforward as a cigarette falling in love with a match…
…
This was Fengdu, the City of Ghosts. Ever since the Nine Nether Demons awoke last time, it had become a dead city—frightening and uninhabited. But now it was different. For some reason, the entire city was brightly lit, yet eerily silent.
A gentle breeze swept through the streets, lifting the withered yellow leaves high into the air. In the wind, several upright sticks fell to the ground with clanging sounds, further emphasizing the strangeness of the city.
Indeed, Fengdu had now been occupied by the ten major sects of both the righteous path and the dark magic path. There was only one reason: to seize the “Heavenly Chapter” and become true rulers. But because the city was so vast, the ten sects were scattered—perhaps on purpose. Everyone knew the “Heavenly Chapter” could appear anywhere, so who would be foolish enough to gather with other sects to fight over it?
It was a dilapidated house, with no doors or windows left. This ruined building was located in the far northeast corner of the city. That corner was dark, but ten disciples of the dark sect stood at the entrance. Inside, the lights were bright, and by the table sat the leader of the dark sect—Aotian.
Aotian’s sword lay beside him, and behind him stood the four guardians of the dark sect. At that moment, Aotian’s eyes were slightly closed, as if lost in thought. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and asked doubtfully, “I keep feeling something’s wrong with this…”
Wei Feng, one of the guardians, asked, “What does the sect leader think is wrong?”
Aotian replied, “From the current information, only the Buddhist sect and the Qingyin Elegant Pavilion have not joined this struggle. All the other sects have arrived. The ‘Heavenly Chapter’ is a supreme martial art created by the gods—there’s no reason they wouldn’t come.”
Wei Feng added, “The Qingyin Elegant Pavilion never interferes in worldly affairs, so they surely won’t come to fight over the ‘Heavenly Chapter.’ As for those fools from the Buddhist sect, it’s possible they won’t come either.”
Aotian slowly stood up, looked through the window at the dark streets outside, and shook his head. “I’m not referring to these two sects from the righteous path. I’m talking about the Tianji Xinggong of the netherworld. During the last battle at Fuhua Shangzhuang, the emperor of Tianji Xinggong shattered Tianlong’s twin swords with his bare hands. Just imagine how dangerous that man is.”
Wei Feng thought for a moment before saying, “If it’s true that Tianji Xinggong is that powerful, why wouldn’t they come to seize the ‘Heavenly Chapter’?”
Aotian nodded and said, “That’s exactly what worries me.”
Wei Feng pondered for a while before suddenly asking, “Could the ‘Heavenly Chapter’ be fake? Or is it some trick played by those from Tianji Xinggong?”

Aotian still shook his head and said, “We’ve seen this ‘Chapter of Heaven’ before. I’m sure it’s definitely not fake. But as for that Tianji Star Palace, I still haven’t figured out a plan. It feels… things aren’t that simple.”
Weifeng nodded, also lost in thought, and the room fell back into silence.
Under the moonlight, the entire Fengdu Ghost City was filled with an indescribable eeriness. At that moment, three figures silently descended from the silver-white light and stopped in a dark corner. Judging by the direction, this was exactly where the Devil Gate had landed. The three of them landed quietly and quickly observed their surroundings.
Liu Yi used telepathy to ask the Wolf King, “Teacher, it seems… this place is quite peaceful. It hasn’t turned into a bloody land like you said.”
The Wolf King nodded and replied via telepathy, “Mm, something’s off. Perhaps a struggle has already ended. From what we see now, that ‘Chapter of Heaven’ must have fallen somewhere else again, and these leaders are probably waiting.”
Liu Yi continued, “Mm, if that’s really the case, what should we do? Keep waiting or start taking action against them now?”
The Wolf King shook his head and replied, “We can’t be hasty. I think we should keep waiting. Although the four factions of the demon race aren’t together right now, if we disturb them, I’m afraid… they’ll attack us all at once, and we’ll suffer greatly.”
Liu Yi nodded. But just as he did, a sound carrying the wind reached his ears. Looking in that direction, on the roof about sixty zhang away, there was a man in dark blue robes, holding a long sword at an angle, walking swiftly across the roof before disappearing into the night.
Liu Yi blurted out, “It’s him.”
The Wolf King turned to look but saw nothing. He asked via telepathy, “Who is it?”
Liu Yi replied, “It’s Blue Shadow from the Netherworld. If I’m not mistaken, the Nine Nether Demons must also be using him, and his target is likely the righteous forces of the human world.”
Upon hearing this, the Wolf King’s expression changed. He replied, “If our guess is indeed correct, there must be a huge conspiracy at play. By then, the factions of the three realms will have disappeared, leaving only the demon world and the netherworld. With the divine realm and those mysterious ghost clans outside the picture, we need to be extremely cautious.”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “Blue Shadow came alone. I think he must be confident in his ability to reclaim the righteous forces of the human world.”
The Wolf King thought for a moment before replying, “Actually… the Demon Lord may not know this, but the netherworld is a world beyond the three realms. Those who cultivate there have transcended the three realms, reaching a completely different level. I think Blue Shadow’s cultivation level makes him a master both in the netherworld and the human world. Moreover, there, cooperation between humans and beasts is emphasized, rather than focusing solely on cultivation like in the three realms.”

Liu Yi seemed somewhat surprised upon hearing the Wolf King’s words. If the people of the Netherworld were truly that powerful, then what was the Divine Realm like? His greatest concern had finally become a weight pressing on his heart. But Liu Yi had no idea that the Netherworld emerged alongside the Divine Realm, and its cultivation level was only slightly slower than that of the Divine Realm. Thus, his worries were unfounded.

The Wolf King continued, “Although Pangu created the three realms, there is a huge secret behind him—a secret beyond even the heavens. Only the Divine Realm and our six guardian beasts know of this secret.”

Liu Yi repeated those words, “Beyond the heavens? A secret beyond the heavens? What is it?”

Just as Liu Yi wanted to ask more questions, a purple-black light shot up from somewhere in Fengdu Ghost City, casting a glow before flying in Liu Yi’s direction.

As soon as that purple-black sphere appeared, the entire Fengdu Ghost City instantly changed from calm to chaotic. Everyone inside rushed out at top speed, ignoring any alliances. They quickly drew their swords and chased after the purple-black sphere. In an instant, a sea of dark figures flew through the air under the silver moonlight, colliding with each other…

The Wolf King looked up and exclaimed, “Bad! It must be the ‘Chapter of Heaven’ that sensed the Demon Lord’s presence and came here. Demon Lord, seal your veins quickly!”

Liu Yi nodded and swiftly sealed his internal energy. As soon as he did, the purple-black sphere seemed to lose its momentum and plummeted straight down. The moment it fell, everyone rushed at it like bees, followed by screams and the clashing of weapons.

Liu Yi could clearly see who was inside. Of course, Aotian would definitely be there, fighting to seize something…

Just as Liu Yi was about to charge in, the Wolf King grabbed his hand and said, “Demon Lord, wait. The time hasn’t come yet.”

Liu Yi calmed himself down again and began to observe quietly.

The forces of good and evil continued to fight. Suddenly, at that moment, a black figure rode a sword into the air and flew outside. Meanwhile, the fighting behind continued, and it seemed impossible to notice the person’s departure amid the chaos. This was likely thanks to the others’ fierce cooperation, which made it possible for the person to leave unnoticed.

Under the silver moonlight, Liu Yi could clearly see that the person who left was Aotian, the leader of the Demon Sect. Liu Yi said, “Teacher, stay here and watch. I’ll go deal with Aotian.”

The Wolf King suddenly grabbed Liu Yi’s hand and said, “Demon Lord… Qiyue is Aotian’s daughter. I think…”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Teacher, I understand.” With that, as ‘Sorrowful Dream’ was activated, a black light carrying a figure soared into the air. As his white hair fluttered, Liu Yi already chased after that figure who had left the battlefield.

Under that moonlight, did he truly understand? Did he know what to do? Aotian was his enemy—his enemy from past and present lives—yet her daughter was so kind. What should he do now? His understanding was merely superficial; he just didn’t want the Wolf King to be wary. But reality was undeniable—what was meant to happen would happen. Did he really understand?

The figure who had left the battlefield was none other than Aotian. He had already planned everything inside the house. He knew that with his Level 12 “Lanerfina Qing” “Chapter of Heaven,” it would surely be his. So, after obtaining the “Chapter of Heaven,” he had the four guardians use all their strength to create chaos, covering his escape.

Everything was part of his plan, which he thought was flawless. But Liu Yi saw it all. At that moment, Aotian had no idea he had already caught the attention of the master of the Demon Realm. Once convinced no one was following, he turned a few corners and stopped beneath a dense forest.

Aotian looked around and, after confirming once more that no one was there, began searching in his arms. When the purple-black bead appeared in his hand, he suddenly burst into wild laughter. His laughter echoed throughout the forest. Finally, he had obtained this “Chapter of Heaven” created by the gods. With this, along with “Lanerfina Qing,” who else in the world could compete with him?

Everything seemed to be as he had anticipated. Yet, as he laughed, the purple-black sphere suddenly flashed and flew away, disappearing into the dense woods.

Aotian was shocked and immediately reached for his sword to chase after it. Just then, a voice came from behind, coldly saying, “There’s no need to chase. The cultivation method you practice, ‘Lanerfina Qing,’ repels that ‘Chapter of Heaven.’ You’ll never be able to get it.”

Aotian spun around abruptly. What surprised him even more was that he hadn’t noticed the person behind him at all. He hadn’t seen where they were, so he simply said in the direction of the voice, “Who is it? Come out.”

Under the moonlight, a man in black clothes with white hair stepped out from behind the trees, red light flashing briefly in his eyes…

“It’s you?” Aotian instinctively stepped back. Although the light here wasn’t very strong, he could be sure of the person’s attire, figure, and gaze—it was the master of the Demon Realm, whose memories and martial skills he had stolen.

Liu Yi continued, “Yes. Surprised?”

Aotian regained his composure and said, “State your purpose.” After all, he was a leader of his generation. Years of fighting in the martial world had helped him calm down quickly, allowing him to cut to the point.

Liu Yi replied, “Revenge.” Those two simple words revealed his purpose.

Aotian suddenly burst into laughter. “Haha! With you? You must know that I’ve already integrated your Level 12 ‘Lanerfina Qing’ into my body, right?”

Liu Yi didn’t find it funny and simply said, “What was the first thing I said to you? Have you forgotten?”

Ao Tian, reminded by Liu Yi, suddenly recalled Liu Yi’s explanation earlier about why he couldn’t possess the ‘Chapter of Heaven’. That meant he was well aware of his current level of cultivation. And now, this guy had appeared silently before him—clearly, he had the strength to avenge himself.

Ao Tian seemed somewhat disturbed and shook his head, saying, “It’s impossible. I don’t believe it…”

Liu Yi finally sneered, “There are countless things in this world you’ve never seen. Nothing is impossible. Draw your sword.”

Fear finally seized Ao Tian’s heart. His plan had been so perfect, yet it couldn’t keep up with the rapid changes before him. This man, whose martial arts had been destroyed and whose memories erased, had miraculously appeared before him—and now, he seemed even stronger.

Liu Yi looked at Ao Tian and said, “Besides, I can tell you that the four major sects of the demon race have been reduced to ashes. In these three realms, those four sects no longer exist. You have no way out now.”

Ao Tian listened to Liu Yi’s words, carefully observing him to determine if what he said was true or false. Suddenly, Ao Tian laughed, saying, “Haha, it’s impossible! The demon sect is guarded by the Eternal Withered Dragon. Nothing can happen to them.”

Liu Yi replied calmly, “Are you referring to that skeleton dragon? Its head has already been smashed off by my Dragon Emperor!”

As soon as Liu Yi spoke, Ao Tian quickly stepped back several steps. He only knew that the demon sect had a pact with the ghost race, but he had never seen what the monsters in that pact looked like. Yet now, this man had described those monsters—based on that, it was highly likely true.

At this moment, Liu Yi gently drew out his sword, ‘Sorrowful Dream’, and said to Ao Tian, “You have no chance left.” As Liu Yi pointed his sword at Ao Tian, the entire blade began to emit four-colored light. Then, driven by his vital energy, those four-colored lights gradually transformed into four dragon shadows…

Ao Tian was undoubtedly a master of his generation. The moment his opponent took action, he knew he was no ordinary person—and that sword… seemed extraordinary. Now, Ao Tian truly had no other choice. If he wanted to leave here, he had to kill the man before him.

Ao Tian didn’t show any surprise. His reason told him to draw his sword… As the 12th level of ‘Lanelfina Qing’ activated, powerful vital energy surged throughout his body. His body emitted green light, and as the vital energy filled him rapidly, hurricanes began to swirl around him.

At this moment, Liu Yi slowly swept his sword before suddenly bursting into a wild laugh—filled with killing intent, arrogance, and an incongruous sadness. With that laughter, ‘Lanelfina Qing’ rose to its highest level, the World-Destroying level. A killing heart radiated from Liu Yi’s body in red light, instantly covering the entire sky with its powerful demonic aura, causing the hurricanes around him to intensify once more.

Under the blood-red light, his white hair fluttered, his black robes billowed, and his blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Ao Tian, motionless. A fierce killing intent instantly filled the entire space. Birds and beasts in the forest fled rapidly—everything testified to the terror of the demon, the power of a true demon.

Suddenly, Aotian felt he had no ability to kill the person before him at all; he seemed so insignificant in front of him. Thethe twelfth-level mental technique of “Lanelfina Qing” quickly dissipated in this space filled with murderous intent. Aotian seemed somewhat insane as he concentrated his true energy once more, drawing a sword slash that sent a blade of sword energy straight toward Liu Yi.

Though it appeared to be an ordinary blade of sword energy, it was extremely sharp and fierce under the activation of “Lanelfina Qing” level twelve, aiming straight at Liu Yi’s head. As the blade of sword energy approached, Liu Yi grasped his sword with both hands and blocked it in front of him. With a clang, there was the sound of collision, followed by Liu Yi’s counterattack.

His body spun rapidly, using the force of the block to swing a blade of light 360 degrees. As that blade of light shot toward Aotian, Liu Yi didn’t stop—his sword slashed downward swiftly from above, followed by another clang, the sound of the sword returning to its sheath.

Aotian gripped his sword with both hands, channeling his strongest true energy into it to resist the white blade of light. With a clashing sound of weapons, “clang…”, under the immense force, Aotian’s body slid backward rapidly, moving three zhang before finally stopping, leaving deep marks on the ground. He didn’t understand why the opponent had suddenly retracted his sword, but he knew it was a good opportunity. Without hesitation, he used the highest mental technique of “Lanelfina Qing” to unleash the ultimate sword art of the demonic sect, “God-Devouring Style,” determined to deliver a final blow. Just then, there was a plop—seemed like something had fallen.

At this critical moment of life and death, Aotian shouldn’t have been distracted by that sound. But with its appearance, his right side suddenly lost balance, followed by pain—intense pain spreading from his right side to his brain. It was a pain he had never experienced before in his life. As he lost his balance, he fell…