Xi Yu’s words struck Lu Zhixing like a bolt of thunder. His ears began to ring, and it felt as though all the blood in his body were flowing backward.
He finally understood where that soft, murmured “Mother” had come from when Xi Yu had been in his arms.
So this was it…
How could this be?
Ever since entering the Star-Gathering Hall, he had known that his master despised the demon race with every fiber of his being. Whenever his master encountered demons, he would immediately slaughter them.
Lu Zhixing had always assumed that demons were inherently evil and posed a threat to the peace of the divine realm.
Demons were indeed wicked to the core, but he had never imagined the truth could be so bloody and cruel.
“You are… the First Demon Venerable.” Lu Zhixing’s voice trembled violently.
Xi Yu took two steps back and looked at him. “Yes,” he answered softly.
When the First Demon Venerable had emerged all those years ago, he had slaughtered more than half of the demon race. Everyone had believed he was absorbing the power of his own kind to strengthen himself, intending to unite the Three Realms under his rule.
No one knew the First Demon Venerable’s name, and no one had ever seen his face.
But the First Demon Venerable had come to represent overwhelming power and endless slaughter.
Even the Heavenly Emperor of that era had regarded him with fear and suspicion.
Later, no one knew why the First Demon Venerable had created the Execution Array to strip demons of their demonic bloodline. Some speculated that he had become so arrogant that he intended to remove his demonic bloodline and unite the Three Realms in the form of a god. He had never expected to perish within the very formation he created.
Yet when the First Demon Venerable fell, both the demons and the Heavenly Realm breathed a sigh of relief.
No one could have imagined that the First Demon Venerable had not died. He had successfully shed his demonic bloodline, been reborn from a snow lotus in the Jade Pool, reclaimed his divine status, and become Venerable God Lanxing, the protector of the Heavenly Realm.
No one would ever have guessed that Lanxing, the Venerable God of the divine realm, was the very same First Demon Venerable who had once struck terror into the hearts of all three realms.
Lu Zhixing had never imagined it either. Even with the truth laid bare before him, he still could not bring himself to connect the face before him with the word demon.
If this was the truth, he could hardly bear to imagine how much pain his own identity had caused Xi Yu.
No wonder that night, Xi Yu had said they could not sleep together and told him not to force him.
Of course. His very presence, his identity—every moment he spent with Xi Yu reminded his master of his mother’s death.
No one could accept a death so unbearably cruel.
And yet he had blamed Xi Yu. How could he have blamed Xi Yu?
No one could simply detach themselves from pain after enduring such suffering. And he had still tried to force his master to face it.
“Master…” Lu Zhixing choked on his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know…”
What had he done? What on earth had he done?!
He had made his master suffer all over again every time he looked at him.
The blood flowing from Xi Yu’s palm was completely absorbed by the Prophetic Feather. At last, the demonic sword recognized its true master. It let out a piercing, ecstatic cry and tore itself free of Lu Zhixing’s grasp, falling into Xi Yu’s hand, the very hand its blade had cut.
Xi Yu shook his head. “I don’t blame you. But today, everything must come to an end.”
Lu Zhixing knelt at Xi Yu’s feet, as devastated as a child who had lost his candy. He looked up at Xi Yu.
“Master… activate the Execution Array. I’ll enter it. Let this all come to an end.”
Lu Zhixing did not know whether he should feel relieved that Xi Yu was the First Demon Venerable. Xi Yu could activate the Execution Array, giving him a glimmer of hope.
And yet, he could hardly bear the truth.
Lu Zhixing thought Xi Yu had come to help him activate the Execution Array.
If he could not emerge alive, then at least the last demon in the world would have died at Xi Yu’s hands.
He hoped his death might ease Xi Yu’s suffering, even if only a little.
The Prophetic Feather in Xi Yu’s hand was wreathed in billowing black mist, while the Zhuhua on his arm trembled faintly.
These two magical artifacts, coveted by countless people, were both actually the property of one person.
And both artifacts belonging to Xi Yu had recognized Lu Zhixing as their master.
Xi Yu turned the name over and over in his mind.
Zhiyue had changed his name to Lu Zhixing. And the one he remained devoted to was Xi Yu, Lanxing.
Xi Yu’s gaze settled on Lu Zhixing’s face, and there was something almost greedy in his eyes. Suddenly, he remembered the glance Lu Zhixing had given him in Wutong Village, when Zhuhua had shot toward Lu Zhixing.
When death is about to separate two people, love cannot be concealed. No matter how desperately one tries to hide it, to keep it under wraps, a single exchange of glances will convey it through the depths of despair.
It is something that cannot be controlled—a subconscious revelation.
The unwillingness to let go, the pain, the reluctance to part—none of those tangled emotions could suppress the love surging through him. It broke free from his heart, took root, and grew into a towering tree, until his eyes finally spoke what his lips could not.
Fortunately, Lu Zhixing’s eyes had been obscured by tears. He had not seen it in time.
As a tear slipped from the corner of Lu Zhixing’s eye, Xi Yu closed his own.
When he opened them again, they were empty.
He used the Prophetic Feather to lift Lu Zhixing’s chin, his voice gentle. “Zhiyue, someone must enter the Execution Array. But it won’t be you—it will be me.”
For a moment, confusion clouded Lu Zhixing’s eyes. Then a sharp pain erupted in his chest. He instinctively looked down and saw a green lotus piercing straight through his body.
Xi Yu crouched down and knelt before him, pressing his palm against the green lotus embedded in Lu Zhixing’s chest.
“Zhiyue, remember the suffering you’ve endured during this time. Remember my disgust for you and the hurt I’ve caused you.”
…………………….
Strands of black demonic aura flowed through the green lotus and into Xi Yu’s still-bleeding palm.
Lu Zhixing was enveloped by the warmth in Xi Yu’s eyes, yet his heart grew colder and colder.
Xi Yu had personally nurtured him, and among the precious, extraordinary spirit flowers and herbs his master had given him, there was not a single one he failed to recognize. Naturally, he knew what the Bihua Green Lotus could do.
There were countless divine couples in the Heavenly Realm. Some gods, wishing to demonstrate their love, used the Bihua Green Lotus as a medium to exchange spiritual energy with their beloved.
Now, this lotus—once used by divine couples to express their devotion and love—had become a death warrant. It seemed intent on draining every last trace of life from Lu Zhixing.
“Master!” Lu Zhixing cried out in panic, his voice filled with grief and terror.
His demonic aura flowed through the Bihua Green Lotus and into Xi Yu’s body. Divine and demonic powers repelled each other. With the sheer magnitude of Lu Zhixing’s demonic aura, an ordinary god would have been torn apart by the two opposing forces long ago.
But Xi Yu was no ordinary god. He had always possessed both divine and demonic blood. Even now, after shedding his own demonic aura, he could still withstand the power of a Demon Venerable.
Lu Zhixing finally understood what Xi Yu intended to do. He finally understood why Xi Yu had come today, and what he had meant when he said, “It will be me.”
Xi Yu intended to enter the Execution Array in his place.
No. No!!!
Terror threatened to tear Lu Zhixing apart. He reached out to destroy the Bihua Green Lotus, but a surge of pure divine power pinned his entire body in place.
Luo Cheng’an emerged from the shadows and stood behind Xi Yu. He unleashed all his divine power to suppress Lu Zhixing, allowing Xi Yu to be engulfed by the demonic aura.
Luo Cheng’an’s gaze rested on Xi Yu, filled with anguish. Even the hand channeling his spiritual power trembled, yet he never once faltered.
“Huaixi! Have you lost your mind? Look at what he’s doing!” Trapped beneath the suppression, Lu Zhixing watched his demonic aura being drawn into Xi Yu’s body. He had already lost his divine bones and could not resist Luo Cheng’an. During the transfer of power, both the one relinquishing it and the one receiving it became vulnerable.
He could shatter the Bihua Green Lotus, but at that moment, he had no way to break through Luo Cheng’an’s suppression. He gritted his teeth in hatred, unable to believe Luo Cheng’an would actually help Xi Yu.
“Don’t you love him?! What the hell are you doing right now?”
“He’s trying to get himself killed! He’s trying to get himself killed!” Lu Zhixing roared, his eyes bloodshot. The loss of demonic aura from his body and the black lotus slowly blossoming behind Xi Yu filled him with terror.
“Huaixi! Are you going to stand by and watch him die? Look at him! Do you even realize who he is? He’s Lanxing! Can you really bear to let him enter the Execution Array and die?!”
At this point, Lu Zhixing no longer had the slightest thought of jealousy. He was practically begging Luo Cheng’an to remember his love for Xi Yu, hoping that it would bring him to his senses and make him stop.
Luo Cheng’an’s lips trembled. His anguish was no less than Lu Zhixing’s, but he could not stop. This was what he had promised Lanxing.
Lu Zhixing cursed at him, then even began trying to tempt him with words.
“Let me go, and I’ll die today. Then Master will belong to you alone. If you treat him sincerely, he’ll see it! Let me go! Let me go!!!”
Lu Zhixing’s mind was unraveling, and a bone-deep chill consumed him from head to toe.
“Shut up!” Lu Zhixing’s vicious outburst forced Luo Cheng’an to stagger backward half a meter. He struggled to suppress him, then forced the words through clenched teeth. “You manipulative, despicable bastard!”
At last, he had managed to hurl the words he had held back for so long directly at the person they were meant for. Yet Luo Cheng’an felt no satisfaction.
He could finally say what he had wanted to say, while someone else could not even bring himself to utter a single word of love.
Luo Cheng’an was nearly mad with jealousy. He envied Zhiyue for being so fortunate that Lanxing was willing to reveal his true identity and enter the Execution Array in his place.
Even now, at such a critical moment, Lanxing still could not bear to let Zhiyue know how he felt. He was afraid that if Zhiyue learned that the thing he had spent his entire life longing for was actually within his reach, it would only make his suffering worse.
Xi Yu’s long hair whipped about under the force of the clashing demonic aura and spiritual power. When his jade hair crown fell away, his dark locks spilled loose, revealing a breathtaking, almost devastating beauty.
Behind him, a gigantic black lotus slowly unfurled as he absorbed every last trace of Lu Zhixing’s demonic aura.
At last, Luo Cheng’an could no longer hold his ground. Lu Zhixing’s surging spiritual power struck him and sent him flying. He crashed into a tree, fell to the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The instant Lu Zhixing could move again, he grabbed Xi Yu by the collar in a frenzy and roared, “Have you gone mad?! This is my body! Who gave you the right to decide for me? Who gave you the right to die in my place?! Lanxing, I hate you! I hate you so much…”
“And what about you?” Xi Yu asked, the corner of his mouth curling into a faint smile. “What gave you the right to use your divine bones to recreate me?”
“I treated you terribly before. You were heartbroken, weren’t you?”
“And seeing me like this now hurts you too, doesn’t it?”
“Then remember it, Zhiyue. I want you to remember every moment of unbearable pain you’ve experienced before and every moment you’re experiencing now.” Xi Yu took Lu Zhixing’s hand and slowly pried his fingers loose, his gaze gentle. “Zhiyue, I want you to remember this: every time you make yourself suffer, it is me you torment.”
Xi Yu spoke evenly, his tone calm yet merciless.
“Every time you go to your death, it is me you kill.”