Chapter 177: The Long Blade and Demon Sword, Secrets Beyond the Ninth Heaven

True love cannot be explained, yet within that vastness, there exists a kind of love that can be buried but not forgotten—love born of helplessness. Perhaps many have experienced it. Yet that buried love is like a dormant volcano; what will happen when it erupts?
The sky turned blood-red. As the full moon disappeared, the earth was once again dyed red with blood. A harsh cold wind spoke of the killings in the world. Blades flashed in the darkness. There was no pure land in the world—human desires and ambitions destroyed themselves, turning the world into hell.
By now, Liu Yi was blinded by rage. His sword and body were covered in blood. He had no target, but he had a purpose: to kill. The hatred buried deep in his heart and his suppressed emotions could only be vented through his sword. The sight of blood filled him with pleasure, and the end of lives brought him satisfaction in revenge.
As the sword flashed rapidly, one person after another fell. Blood flowed like rivers at his feet, and corpses piled up. That night was a calamity for the three realms and a new chapter for the martial world.
Those who followed the righteous path or the dark demonic path could never imagine that while they fought over the “Heavenly Chapter,” they had already become targets of hunters. Only as they died one by one did they realize they had embarked on a path with no return. The price of realization was—death.
As more and more people fell, Liu Yi saw a figure in blue clothes, also covered in blood, appear before him. The young man’s face seemed so familiar—just like his own twenty-five years ago. Yes, Liu Yi knew who he was. He was Lan Ying from theNether Realm’s Tianji Star Palace, the one who had taken Jiliel away. He could not forget that day—his sorrow, his cruelty, his coldness. It was all his doing. He knew that Jiliel would one day regain her memories as a celestial maiden and return to his side. But… he couldn’t estimate when that would be. Perhaps it would be thousands or tens of thousands of years later. And him? His love was born of helplessness. What could he do? He had tried hard to think and act, but he knew it was useless. All he could do was wait…
Looking at Lan Ying before him, Liu Yi blurted out, “It’s you…”
Lan Ying simply smiled wickedly and said, “It’s me. But I’m not here to help you.”
Liu Yi could easily guess that Lan Ying wouldn’t help him—at least he could sense that.
As Lan Ying swung his long blade swiftly, several more people fell to the ground. While killing, Lan Ying said, “You will never gain Jiliel’s recognition, because you have already embraced the demonic path. Look at yourself now—you’re no longer the Liu Yi of old. You’re a murderous demon. Ask your sword—how many people has it killed? How much blood has it stained?”
Liu Yi’s long sword swung, his white hair flying. Blood-red sword energy pierced through one after another’s bodies. Broken limbs scattered everywhere, and blood kept flowing. Liu Yi roared, “Shut up! Jiliel will definitely return to my side.”

Blue Shadow continued to charge at the leader of the Righteous Path, laughing maniacally as he said, “Never hope again. You’ve become someone else—a murderous demon king, not the scholar of ten years ago. Your only path is to leave Gillier and walk away quietly.”

Liu Yi could no longer hold back. His sword spun rapidly, changing angles swiftly as it moved forward, backward, and sideways. Thirteen sword flashes instantly struck at Blue Shadow… His eyes were blood-red; the desire to kill and seek revenge was ignited by jealousy. There was no one else in his eyes but Blue Shadow before him.

Blue Shadow was no ordinary person either. As those thirteen sword flashes came at him from different angles, he held his long knife horizontally while his right hand made vertical slashes at an almost unrecognizable speed. In an instant, a cross of blade light appeared beside him. With that, the dozen or so sword flashes were reflected in all directions, causing many more people to fall to the ground.

Blue Shadow stood there with his long knife upright, staring at Liu Yi without saying a word…

By now, the main leaders of both the Righteous and Demon Paths, along with some guardians, elders, and other figures, were either dead or fled. After this battle, the three realms no longer had an alliance between the Righteous Path and the Dark Demon Path. Seeing Blue Shadow and Liu Yi fighting, the remaining people lost all desire to seize the “Heavenly Chapter.” The blood and corpses on the ground showed them the great price they had paid for it.

As Liu Yi challenged Blue Shadow, the rest quickly left the battlefield. No one looked back. They knew that staying in Fengdu Ghost City meant only death—too much blood, too many corpses serving as warnings. In the blink of an eye, the streets of Fengdu Ghost City fell silent…

The Wolf King and the White Tiger also left the battlefield, standing six zhang behind Liu Yi. The sky remained blood-red, and the cold wind still blew through their bodies. But the streets were no longer lonely, for countless corpses accompanied them, and the rivers of blood told of human ignorance and sorrow.

A red glow flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes as he said, “Good. Today I’ll kill you and bring Gillier back to my side.”

Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Blue Shadow pressed his hands on the hilt of his knife and laughed wildly, his laughter arrogant and strange. Then, looking at Liu Yi, he continued, “You must be joking. Are you stupid? Use your brain! Will Gillier fall in love with you just because you kill me?”

One sentence pulled Liu Yi out of the flames of jealousy. Yes, he was right. If he killed Blue Shadow, Gillier would only hate him even more, because in her heart, the man before her was the true scholar.

Liu Yi was speechless for a long time. He didn’t know what to say. He felt everything he said was weak and meaningless, once again realizing the sorrow of truth in the face of lies.

At this moment, the White Tiger behind Liu Yi seemed to understand the story as well. Filled with rage, it said, “You damned cunning scoundrel! Stop talking nonsense! Secrets can’t be hidden forever. One day, your fake identity will be exposed.”

Lan Ying only laughed even more wildly, his voice louder, saying, “Is that so? One day? Which day? How can you expose me? Look at this man before you—which part of him still resembles a scholar, or the person he was ten years ago? His body is covered in blood, and countless souls have died under his sword. He’s no longer human—he’s a demon! Who would believe that? Haha, haha! Are you joking? It’s ridiculous. No one will believe it.”

Listening to Lan Ying’s words, Liu Yi didn’t know what to think. In an instant, he felt an emptiness in his heart. He was right—now he had completely become another person. If he wanted Jili to leave Lan Ying and return to his side, it would be harder than climbing to the heavens.

Just then, Lan Ying smiled and said, “Gentlemen, Lan takes his leave. If you need to find me, come to the Tianji Star Palace. I’ll be there anytime.” With that, he raised his long sword, rushed into the night clouds, and flew straight toward the Tianji Star Palace in Lotus Town.

Lan Ying had his own plans. He wouldn’t fight Liu Yi. With the “Chapter of Heaven” in his hands, he wouldn’t take any risks. He wanted to leave that place of chaos quickly. Everything else could be dealt with later. With the “Chapter of Heaven” and the elimination of the righteous sects, what would Lan Ying’s next move be? As Lan Ying disappeared, his arrogant laughter echoed across the blood-red night sky.

Liu Yi gently sheathed his long sword. He was calm now, looking at the corpses and blood on the ground. Suddenly, he laughed—a laugh filled with sorrow and helplessness…

He had succeeded. He had defeated the leader of the demon race, destroyed the four major sects, and turned their remaining forces into piles of bones. Yet, he felt no joy, no sense of achievement, not even satisfaction from revenge. In his life, nothing could compare to his love. Facing the starry sky as the red clouds dispersed, Liu Yi shouted loudly, “Who’s blocking me…?”

His voice resounded through heaven and earth, filled with sorrow and anger. The demon realm finally took shape, unifying the demon race in the human world. But he still felt no happiness. Kingdoms, beauties? For him, there was only the affection in his heart.

Liu Yi, along with the Wolf King and the White Tiger, raised their flying swords again and rushed toward the peak of Tian Shan, the Eternal City. There was still one thing Liu Yi needed to find out—whether July had been released by the Nine Nether Demon God. Under the starry sky, Liu Yi said to the Wolf King, “Teacher, please take care of integrating the remaining forces of the four major sects into the Eternal City.”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Yes…”

As the three of them disappeared, their voices fading into the night sky, a young man sat on the roof of Fengdu Ghost City. It was Su Shao. Su Shao asked the Nine Nether Demon God, “Does unifying the world really require killing so many people?”

The Nine Nether Demon God replied, “If those who resist aren’t killed, how can unification be achieved?”

Su Shao shook his head violently and said, “If I have to kill so many people, I’d rather not be the greatest in the world or unify it.”
The Nine Nether Demon God replied, “It wasn’t you who killed them—it was the Demon Realm and the Netherworld.”
Su Shao continued, “Stop beating around the bush! Even though I didn’t kill them, wasn’t it you who came up with this plan? They all have families, wives, and children. Do you really think you have the right to take their lives just to unify the world?”
The Nine Nether Demon God said, “Those who achieve great things don’t care about trivial matters. You’re so upset over a few deaths—how can you talk about unifying the world in the future?”
Su Shao slammed his fist on the roof tiles and snapped, “Damn you! You think you can teach me a lesson? I just can’t stand it anymore. I’m quitting. Stop using my body to assert your power!”
Hearing this, the Nine Nether Demon God said, “Quit? Half of the task is already done. Will all your efforts go to waste? Think about it—before long, you’ll become the true ruler of this world. Then you can have whatever you want. Don’t you like that girl? Do you want to be looked down upon for life?”
It seemed the Nine Nether Demon God had touched on Su Shao’s pain point. He didn’t care about anything else, but he couldn’t ignore that lovely smile—always a mix of petulance and cuteness. He didn’t know when he had started to like her, nor what exactly he liked about her, or how deep his feelings were. But… that smile would always appear in his mind, bringing him an indescribable sense of happiness.
Su Shao fell silent for a while before saying, “Do you think Jillie will listen to you?”
The Nine Nether Demon God replied in his hoarse, mysterious voice, “She will. Definitely. I know very well human weaknesses. Even the True Demon was almost persuaded by me—let alone Jillie.”
Su Shao asked, “What kind of potion did you give her? Why not just kill the ruler of the Demon Realm?”
The Nine Nether Demon God answered, “If I killed Liu Yi directly, there would be no fun left in this plan. At least Liu Yi is still useful to us, so he can’t die yet.”
At that moment, the pool of blood on the street slowly turned into a vortex. From within the vortex, a black disc appeared, with black light flowing within it. As the light kept moving, a black object rose upward—semi-transparent. Under the bright moonlight, it became clear that it was the leader of the Ghost Clan, the Death God.
At that moment, the voice of the Nine Nether Demon God came from within Su Shao’s body, asking, “How is things going?”
The Death God raised his scythe high, but his body knelt down as he replied, “To the Demon God, everything is going according to your plan. While releasing July, we also locked Jillie in July’s room. July will surely tell Liu Yi about Jillie’s capture.”
The Nine Nether Demon God nodded and said, “Good. Very good.”

After a pause, the Nine Nether Demon God continued, “Go back now. Release Blue Blade after twelve hours. Hmm… wait, Gillier doesn’t need to appear before Blue Blade. Yes, that’s it. Also, when Liu Yi comes to rescue Gillier, you can turn a blind eye—there’s no need to interfere. It’s crucial that Liu Yi successfully rescues her.”
The Death God nodded and said, “Understood.”
The Nine Nether Demon God waved his hand and said, “Go.”
The Death God nodded again and retreated, disappearing once more into the black light…
Su Shao asked, “Is that enough?”
The Nine Nether Demon God nodded and said, “Don’t worry. Everything is part of my plan. Liu Yi’s path to becoming a demon has just begun. One day, he will be my trump card against the divine realm. Haha.” Then, the Nine Nether Demon God’s wild laughter echoed in Su Shao’s ears.
Conspiracies are always terrifying, and the most terrifying are those who plot them. Perhaps such people can be called those who control fate…
…
On the summit of Tian Shan—the Demon Realm, the Eternal City.
He changed into clean clothes; the color of blood was no longer visible, and his sword was polished again, with no trace of bloodstain in the air. Yet, those memories could not be erased.
Liu Yi sat on a stone chair. The grand hall was quiet. He had successfully unified the demon race and redefined the Demon Realm. Everyone was outside the Eternal City, drinking and celebrating, while Liu Yi sat alone inside. His mind was in turmoil. Every word Blue Shadow had said to him was as clear as if carved in stone. Could it be that Gillier could never regain her memories as a celestial maiden?
At that moment, the Wolf King came in through a side door of the hall and asked, “Lord Demon, are you preoccupied?”
Hearing the Wolf King ask what he was thinking about, Liu Yi didn’t know what to say. In a hurry, he made up an excuse, “I’m waiting for July. The Nine Nether Demon God promised to release July once he agrees to the demon race.”
The Wolf King looked at Liu Yi and shook his head. “Lord Demon, stop deceiving yourself. Your eyes show unease and despair—not concern. I think you’re thinking about Gillier.”
“Shut up.” Caught off guard, Liu Yi didn’t understand why he was so irritable. He apologized again, “I’m sorry, teacher. I was rude.”
The Wolf King shook his head helplessly and continued, “Lord Demon, I have to say something you probably don’t want to hear. We’re both men, with heaven above and earth below. There’s nothing we can’t face as men in this world. Ten years ago, you were just a first-level scholar, but you had a passionate heart, willing to care for the people of the world. What I’m saying is, there’s nothing we can’t overcome. No matter how much suffering or pain, it’s just an experience that will pass…”
Liu Yi listened to the Wolf King’s words, lost in thought but unable to draw any conclusions. He just shook his head and said, “It’s frustrating. There’s so much helplessness in these experiences. Why can’t those who love each other be together?”
The Wolf King shook his head and said, “No. Lovers will surely be together, though the process may break one’s heart.”
Liu Yi shook his head and said, “Teacher, stop saying that lovers will eventually be together.”

The Wolf King did not answer Liu Yi’s question but continued, “Demon Lord, do you still remember what I said in Fengdu Ghost City?”
Liu Yi thought for a moment before replying, “Please go on, Master.”
The Wolf King continued, “The secret of the heavens beyond the heavens.”
Hearing this, Liu Yi realized that indeed the Wolf King had refused to reveal it back then, interrupted by the appearance of the ‘Chapter of Heaven.’ This piqued Liu Yi’s curiosity—what secret could there be in the heavens beyond the heavens? Now that the Wolf King had mentioned it, it must be related to what he was thinking. He stood up quickly and asked, “Please explain, Master.”
The Wolf King continued, “There has long been a saying: There are nine heavens, and beyond them are more heavens. Without wind, how can waves arise? Since such a saying exists, there must be a true meaning to it. Yet… this secret has been kept with extreme caution. Thus, what is said about the heavens beyond the heavens becomes another layer of expression, while the true meaning remains buried.”
Liu Yi asked, “Could it be… that there truly are heavens beyond, another world?”
The Wolf King nodded and said, “It’s true…” He raised his head, seemingly recalling something.
“This story dates back a long time. When Pangu first awoke and had no inner demons, the Great Sage defined the division of the world into the Divine Realm, the Human Realm, and the Asura-Ghost Realm. When Pangu awoke, another being appeared—today’s King of the Netherworld. After the King created the Netherworld, the Great Sage reclassified it as part of the four realms, while the true worlds remained the Divine Realm, the Human Realm, the Asura-Ghost Realm, and the Netherworld.”
Liu Yi seemed confused and asked, “But why are our three realms… Demons, Immortals, and Humans?”
The Wolf King replied, “That is the secret of this world, a secret that Pangu has always guarded. The Divine Realm has always had the right to directly govern the Human Realm. After creating us, Pangu also created the so-called three realms within the Human Realm. In other words, these three realms should belong to the human world.”