In fact, when the formation was still relatively complete, Jiang Duxu could only momentarily hold his own against Zhao’en, while Yuan Muyu was already dominating the Yanmo.

These past days, the heartbreak of knowing Lu Xingzhou was to marry, the agonizing pain of arranging his marriage like a zombie, the torment of watching Lu Xingzhou flirt with other women while she crouched in Qingyao Yuan listening to the sun, and the humiliation and frustration of being constantly assailed by Shen Tang and others—each incident had fueled a volcanic rage within Yuan Muyu.

Unable to vent on anyone, she could only internalize it, spitting out blood countless times. Coupled with her desire to compensate and prove herself, this moment saw a monumental, overwhelming eruption.

Yuan Muyu had only one thought: Xingzhou and her “family” were besieging Huo Liancheng. What about her? She had to deal with this creature quickly and go help Xingzhou!

The Yanmo, with its limited human emotions, was startled by this woman’s ferocity. For a moment, it couldn’t tell who the real demonic creature was. “What did I do to offend you to make you hit me like this?”

Even more troublesome, this woman was its natural nemesis. In this world, there was no Netherworld. If it existed, it could only be in the Immortal Realm or the Ancient Realm, not here. Its Netherworld Ghost Fire was an ancient relic, highly unique. Logically, there should be no corresponding cultivation in this world, let alone a way to counter it. Perhaps only Jiang Duxu knew a little about how to fight it.

But unfortunately, it met Yuan Muyu, a prodigious talent who could twist the Tianyao Xuan Yue into the essence of the Netherworld Wangchuan. The Yama King’s judgment, the cycle of life and death—the Yama Hall and the name Yama King were not for show; they were fundamental validations of her cultivation.

Yuan Muyu’s research into life and death transformation was unrivaled in this world. Her ability to vivisect a demonic core and refine it by hand into a fruit full of life force was a classic application of her cultivation’s ebb and flow. Not to mention Lu Xingzhou, who was only at the seventh-grade cultivation at the time, even Shen Tang, a fourth-grade cultivator then, couldn’t have grasped the intricacies of her methods—that was the highest level of Dao cultivation in this world.

Since there was no Yama King in this world, Yuan Muyu was the Yama King.

The Netherworld Ghost Fire, which no one could counter, was in Yuan Muyu’s hands. Each of her moves transformed its ghost fire attributes into Yang fire, each strike effectively bleeding it like a normal person.

Conversely, the Yanmo’s attacks on Yuan Muyu were almost ineffective. It didn’t burn physical objects; it burned souls. Any ordinary person who came into contact with it would have their soul sea incinerated.

But no matter how it tried to burn her, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, yielding no reaction. Instead, a Yama ghostly face with cold eyes, like the sun and moon suspended in the sky, always appeared in its consciousness. This was her Dao principle: her body was the Six Paths, her heart was the Cycle. No ghost fire could burn her; all such things were merely under her dominion.

The Yanmo had never imagined such a person existed. After being imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Domain for so many years, what changes had the world undergone? Where did this Yama King come from?

Seeing Gu Zhanting’s situation turning dire, and with no loyalty from demonic allies, it suddenly transmitted a message: “I merely cooperate with Emperor Qian. It borrows Demonic Qi from Qianyuan, and the world’s demonic flames naturally rise, expanding my power. That’s all. I don’t necessarily have to help him. I see you also belong to the Demonic Dao. Why not cooperate with me?”

Yuan Muyu initially had no desire to chat with it, only wanting to finish the fight quickly. Yet she also knew it wouldn’t be easy to subdue it immediately, and it could easily escape. Her heart stirred slightly, and she sneered, “What can you offer this venerable one?”

“Yama Hall must be in great need of top-tier combat power like me, and the nature of my Netherworld Ghost Fire is also very compatible with the attributes of your Yama Hall. I can become a Deputy Hall Master and build a Yang-world Netherworld for you, living up to the name Yama. It’s even possible for the Yama King’s Qianyuan Dao path to be proven this way. What do you think, Yama King?”

This truly could be Yuan Muyu’s path to enlightenment, and the Yanmo believed that no cultivator with a Qianyuan heart could resist the allure of a Dao path.

Yuan Muyu indeed looked very tempted, slowing her attacks. “Then how should our pact be established?”

Between humans and demons, contracts are often formed, much like how Lu Xingzhou raised the Wutian Black Flame into the main soul of his soul banner—a type of subordinate spiritual contract.

The Yanmo chuckled, “You and I connect our spiritual consciousness. If you leave your imprint within me, I can be controlled to a certain extent. How’s that for sincerity?”

Yuan Muyu nodded. “Acceptable.”

As she spoke, a wisp of her spiritual念 (divine sense) entered the Yanmo’s sea of consciousness.

The Yanmo’s smile turned sinister. “Fool.”

Her overall sea of consciousness was formidable, but separating a wisp of divine sense would naturally lead to it being devoured, which would also cause her injury. Greedy hearts are easily deceived.

Indeed, a wisp of divine sense was swallowed by the Yanmo. Yuan Muyu grunted, blood spilling from her nose and mouth. But her eyes were fiercely sharp. While the Yanmo was digesting, she pushed both palms forward, striking hard at what seemed to be its ethereal heart.

—After fighting for so long, she had been searching for the Yanmo’s life core, but it was hard to find. Now, she could confirm that wherever her divine sense was being digested, that was its life source.

The Yanmo was horrified. “You did that on purpose… You’re insane! Do you know how much spiritual damage will hinder your Dao path?”

But with their divine senses intertwined, how could it possibly escape?

With a “bang,” Yuan Muyu’s palms struck heavily on the Yanmo’s chest, turning the ethereal into something tangible, like hitting a solid object. The Yanmo let out an earth-shattering scream. Its ethereal body, the size of a human, was refined by this strike, twisting and struggling, compressing, slowly turning into a palm-sized crystal core.

Its unwilling roar still lingered in the air: “Yuan Muyu, you’re a lunatic!”

“Still daring to tempt me with the Dao path, I’d be truly insane to fall for it again!” Yuan Muyu’s seven orifices bled, her expression growing more ferocious. “You’re a kind of fire seed, at least. Xingzhou will find you useful.”

“You motherf…” The Yanmo completely lost its breath, leaving only a small black crystal core emitting a faint glow.

Jiang Duxu, who had been about to intervene, watched in stunned silence. Damn lunatic, strong and crazy. He had to warn his granddaughter not to get involved with Lu Xingzhou; she couldn’t handle his women, it would be fatal.

The next moment, Yuan Muyu darted like lightning towards where Lu Xingzhou and Huo Liancheng were fiercely battling. Jiang Duxu’s long sword turned, going to help Feng Ziliu fight Gu Shaoli.

Huo Liancheng was already surrounded, his white hair disheveled, long having lost the demeanor of a Grand Tutor of the exceptional grade. Lu Xingzhou’s words had made him question his so-called exceptional grade and plunged him into confusion about what he had done his entire life. His family was all dead, his Dao path was wrong, and the emperor he had been loyal to his entire life had not even been willing to support his Dao path, instead leading him down a crooked road.

Now, with white hair and looking like rotting wood, his opponents were young, vibrant, and full of spirit. What had he been doing his whole life? This confused state of mind was the biggest taboo in battle.

Originally, with his exceptional grade strength, even if not as strong as a normal exceptional grade, escaping should not have been an issue. After all, Lu Xingzhou’s side truly lacked an exceptional grade capable of stopping him. But Huo Liancheng fought in a daze, even forgetting to flee.

Until Gu Zhanting and Ye Tinglan both ascended to the outer heavens, Huo Liancheng’s subconscious had already concluded that “the tide has turned.” Perhaps he would indeed die here today.

Lu Xingzhou cast spells from the periphery, lotus-like flames blooming at his feet. As they burned, many past events seemed to flash through his mind.

In fact, he had killed more than just Huo Xingtian’s family. Even Huo Xingtian’s father, Lu Xingzhou’s grandfather, and Huo Liancheng’s own brother, could be considered to have died by his hand. It was an assassination during their youth when they competed for the position of Huo family patriarch. From then on, his brother lingered on his sickbed, unable to compete for patriarch, while Huo Liancheng succeeded as the head and exiled his brother to a smaller branch family.

His brother later married and had several children, living in the mountains. Due to the lingering illness from those years and the harsh mountain life, he fell ill again more than ten years later and passed away. The children grew up, becoming hunters in Danxia Mountain, marrying and having children. A large family of over ten people lived together without splitting up, and though poor, they were joyful.

Huo Liancheng knew of their living situation and never thought of annihilating them; there was no need. The new generation of children, such as Huo Qing, didn’t even know they were close relatives of the Grand Tutor. Anyway, the commoners would live and die on their own; sooner or later, a natural disaster or man-made calamity would strike, and perhaps they would all perish.

Those years, he took the blame for Gu Zhanting, was impeached by Pei Qingyan and others, and moved his entire family back to the old residence. It was also during this time of idleness that he began to decipher the secrets of Danxia, passed down from previous generations.

Huo Liancheng had actually deciphered some secrets, such as observing the place of sunrise, and thus assigned Liu Qingcang to station there and observe. After several years, there were no discoveries… and Huo Shang was killed by Huo Qi, who stole his credit.

Coincidentally, Gu Zhanting and Long Qinghuang finished their great battle, and the Northern Border lacked people. So, using the sweet potato proposal as an excuse, Huo Liancheng was reinstated and prepared to go to the capital.

It was at this time that Liu Qingcang sent a secret report: the valley where the sun rose had immortal qi dissipating, as if Huo Xingtian’s family had accidentally found a treasure. What more was there to say? A natural massacre.

The alchemy furnace was in hand, and the secrets of Danxia seemed no longer necessary to decipher. Weren’t the secrets of Danxia Mountain just this item? Although he didn’t know how it jumped out and was found by Huo Xingtian’s family, it was now Huo Liancheng’s.

Huo Liancheng, full of ambition, led his entire clan to the capital. He never even considered what further repercussions such an incident could have. He never imagined that a vengeful spirit had been left behind, who, ten years later, would slowly torture his entire family to death.

A fleeting thought flashed by, and a sharp pain shot through his shoulder blade. Huo Liancheng roared, brandishing his sword to fend off the attack. Purple qi erupted, but he couldn’t dislodge the sword as he wished. Such familiar purple qi, such powerful Emperor’s Extreme World-Shaking power. It felt as if His Majesty himself had come to kill him. Was it Princess Chaohuang? If she ascended the throne, his entire family would probably be executed sooner or later.

Just by failing to parry Shen Tang’s sword, his weakness became even more exposed. An ice sword, an umbrella tip, and a willow-leaf knife almost simultaneously slashed wounds across his back and chest. Dugu Qingli, Pei Chuyun, Sheng Yuanyao… Then a strange mechanical artifact seized his ankle. Jiang Yuan? She was supposed to marry into the Huo family… Right, could it still count now?

Despite his injuries like being slowly carved, Huo Liancheng suddenly burst into laughter. Lu Xingzhou’s solemn and stern face appeared before him. Having always cast spells and harassed from the outside, he now seized the opportunity to close in, unleashing a powerful punch, water and fire erupting.

“Even if this old man dies here, I won’t let you, you little brat, off easy!” Huo Liancheng, who had been somewhat disoriented, cleared his mind upon seeing Lu Xingzhou’s face. He didn’t dodge or evade, thrusting his sword directly at Lu Xingzhou’s throat! In the end, the hatred of his family’s destruction was enough to awaken all his obsessions.

Lu Xingzhou blinked, then suddenly dodged back. “I’ve personally avenged enough. Why would I insist on killing you with my own hands? Are you old and taking too many brain-damaged pills?”

Huo Liancheng’s sword met empty air. The next moment, a sharp pain in his ribs indicated he had been punched there by a child. A wildly powerful force sent his entire body flying backward and sideways, blood spraying into the sky.

Indeed, he was a pseudo-exceptional grade. A dignified martial cultivator couldn’t even withstand a child’s punch. Huo Liancheng, suspended in mid-air, suddenly cleared his mind a bit. Was this the best time to escape? He gathered his remaining strength, swung his long sword in a wide arc, and a crescent-shaped sword qi flashed past, blocking Chu Zhaohuai, Qi Zizhiu, and Sheng Qingfeng, preparing to flee.

A pale face with blood flowing from all seven orifices suddenly appeared before him, like an impermanent spirit from the underworld come to claim a soul. Not an impermanent spirit, but the Yama King.

“Bang!” A pair of delicate hands struck heavily on his chest. Huo Liancheng’s breastbone shattered, and he tumbled backward through the air. At this moment, Lu Xingzhou’s fist struck his back, and with a “crackle” a sound, his spine shattered piece by piece.

Countless high-ranking officials, princes, and generals watched from a distance, none offering help, not even a single word. They silently witnessed the final strike of a hunter’s son’s revenge, the annihilation of the Grand Tutor’s and Marquis’s families.

Huo Liancheng fell to the ground, looking up at Lu Xingzhou’s face, and suddenly felt it was so similar… It was like a collective face of all the relatives he had harmed and killed years ago. It turned out that Huo family members could also be this handsome.