Feng Hanye, who had vanished, suddenly appeared, walking through the drifting sand as several spirit beasts moved in to attack him.
"You really don't know when to die, do you?" He smoothed his hair, raised a hand, and flicked his fingers in the air.
The beasts instantly exploded into piles of gore.
Feng Hanye remained expressionless. His mind drifted back to the woman he had just crossed paths with. Touching his chest, he murmured, "A strange feeling."
He had clearly smelled the stench of rot on that girl's soul—a scent he was all too familiar with. In the past, he would have found it repulsive, yet the moment he saw her, his heart had begun to pound.
Was this the feeling of love? It was too bizarre.
"Gu Tiantian..." He spoke her name with the intimacy of a lover whispering to his beloved. Suddenly, he stopped. He sniffed the air.
"A scent both filthy and yet strangely pure," he remarked. He followed the trail.
Before him lay a body, unrecognizable as human, sinking into the churning yellow sand, already beginning to crawl with maggots. Feng Hanye closed his eyes, his seaweed-like hair dancing in the breeze as he established a connection with the corpse.
"Yan Hao."
Feng Hanye employed his signature skill, allowing him to view fragments of the deceased’s final memories. Scenes flickered before his eyes; he plummeted from the nothingness into the solid reality of the world, as if fully submerged in Yan Hao's life—he became Yan Hao, and Yan Hao became him. He was both an observer and a participant.
When the vibrant world faded into gray, he opened his eyes.
"A fool, wasting such an excellent natural aptitude." Feng Hanye looked Yan Hao up and down; his tone was tinged with longing and a hidden trace of jealousy. Ignoring the maggots squirming on the corpse, he reached out to touch it with care.
"Such a perfect foundation."
"Gu Tiantian." He spoke her name for the second time. In Yan Hao's memories, Gu Tiantian had been the focal point, occupying ninety percent of his thoughts.
But it was merely a cheap trick, exploiting another’s emotions. To him, Gu Tiantian’s methods were no more sophisticated than those of a toddler learning to walk. As the master of the Demon Sect, he had seen far worse. Schemes involving the slaughter of entire cities for the sake of love, killing one’s own spouse to reach enlightenment, or exterminating entire clans—such things were mundane in the Demon Sect.
Feng Hanye felt a flicker of doubt. What was that initial spark of attraction? He had grown up fighting through hordes of children, hacking to death the friends who protected him, orchestrating the murder of the master who valued him, and he had met countless beauties in his time. His capacity for affection had long been worn away by the passage of time. Why would he feel love for a little girl? Especially when this Gu Tiantian hardly ranked among the most beautiful female cultivators he had ever seen.
Strange.
Just then, a message arrived from his subordinates. Feng Hanye took out a Dharma Treasure and tore through the space of the secret realm, his figure vanishing instantly. Returning to his position as leader of the Demon Sect was the priority. He would not be getting close to this Gu Tiantian. It would be best to find someone else to take care of her.
[Plot Deviation Value is at 50%.]
[Female protagonist halo effect weakened to 30%.]
[Hero Aura effect weakened to 70%.]
On the other side, aboard the flying vessel, the once-besotted disciples stood on the deck, letting the wind blow through their hair as they silently watched their Eldest Senior Brother.
Fei Qingsu brought out a recliner, an Immortal-grade treasure stored away in his original body’s collection but never used. Once seated, it automatically massaged the user, channeled spiritual energy, and even provided a climate-controlled environment. Fei Qingsu lay back in contentment, a sunshade—also a spiritual artifact—hovering above him. The parasol could adjust the temperature to create a perfect micro-climate, while releasing aromatherapy to soothe the mind. On a small table to his left sat a dazzling array of spirit fruits. Any one of them could extend a mortal's life by years or become the star of any auction in the Cultivation World, yet here, they were piled up carelessly.
Fei Qingsu nibbled on an apple and sipped some celestial spirit water, feeling blissfully comfortable. The disciples, witnessing this, huddled together to whisper.
"Money really does make you act however you please."
"Eldest Senior Brother certainly knows how to enjoy life. I’m so envious."
"This is the true meaning of life. I’m envious too."
"I wish I could live like that, but I have no money."
One of them asked directly, "So, where did all our money go? I’m the heir to a wealthy clan!"
Silence hung over them for a few seconds. Then, in unison, they declared, "We gave it to Gu Tiantian."
They shared a wry smile, though mentioning her name drew expressions of intense disgust.
"How pathetic. How could I have been tainted by such a woman?"
Meanwhile, the object of their discussion, Gu Tiantian, stood where she was, feeling somewhat lost. The secret realm was on the verge of collapse; only an hour remained.
"Is anyone coming to save me? How do I get out?"
With Feng Hanye gone, the spirit beasts that had been stalking her began their assault. With the female protagonist halo severely weakened, Gu Tiantian was not yet dead, but she was severely wounded. A path suddenly appeared in her mind, accompanied by an urgent urge to flee the secret realm.
"I want to leave too, but I have no strength left! Who are you? You’ve been helping me all this time—can you show yourself?"
No one answered. Gu Tiantian repeated the question, but the silence remained absolute. The urge in her mind grew more frantic.
"Heh, heh, heh."
Suddenly, a spirit beast with blood-red eyes and a coat of black energy appeared, staring at Gu Tiantian with the greed of a predator eyeing its food. Her legs trembled with terror.
Fei Qingsu watched the scene through the light projection. In the original plot, the male protagonist would have fallen for the heroine at first sight and taken her out of the realm. Now, Gu Tiantian had been discarded by Feng Hanye.
The black beast was incredibly fast, toying with Gu Tiantian. Fei Qingsu could tell at a glance that the creature was at the Golden Core Stage. Its razor-sharp claws continuously carved deep wounds into her flesh. Then, the beast grew bored; the human was too weak, too uninteresting.
It struck with a claw. Gu Tiantian’s leg shattered.
Another strike followed, aiming straight for her heart.
Fei Qingsu watched closely. If the Heavenly Dao did not intervene, Gu Tiantian would truly die. With only 30% of her halo remaining, could it bridge the gap between the Golden Core Stage and the Qi Refining Stage?
Just as the beast’s claws were about to pierce her heart, an eye silently opened in the sky. This time, its silhouette faded entirely.
Was it to be salvation, or abandonment?