Oh no! Chao Tianjiao’s heart sank. Warmth pervaded her entire back, as if her silver armour no longer remained and her skin pressed against his chest. She said furiously, “You bastard! You underhanded wretch!”
In a direct confrontation, Li Qingshan would never be her opponent. It would be useless even if he unleashed the Divine Fire of World Destruction. The harsh and bleak intent behind the path of zhenwu was extremely effective against demons too.
However, when they were caught in the ambush in Cold Blood pass, he had assisted her in refining her xuanwu Origin Soul through dual cultivation and sacrificing his Yin Soul. That resulted in an opening, a “back door” that only opened up to him.
Originally, with Li Qingshan’s insufficient strength, even if he infiltrated her through there, only a beating would be waiting for him.
Now that he had undergone the sixth heavenly tribulation, at least they stood at the same realm of cultivation, so the situation changed.
“Hah, and you’re still shameless enough to mention it!” Li Qingshan smiled wickedly. “Bitch, do you remember how you treated me all these years?”
Chao Tianjiao said angrily, “If you call me bitch again, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Li Qingshan’s hand entered her armour and arrived on her chest.
“Let go!” Chao Tianjiao was both embarrassed and furious. “Not here!”
“Alright, then let’s change the location!” Li Qingshan grinned and threw himself on her.
Chao Tianjiao’s vision blurred. The Xuanwu arena had vanished. The scene around her was extremely familiar, the small river gurgling and the poplar and willow trees swaying gently. A familiar voice rang out by her ear. “Do you still remember? This is ‘our’ place!”
This was the illusion where they first cultivated together, but this time, she was clearly aware he had dragged her into the dream, which instead brought her some relief.
She then sensed that she had no weapon in hand, nor any armour. There was only a thin veil over her body, vaguely outlining her perfect figure, embraced firmly in his arms.
She slapped at him furiously, but she was feeble. He caught her easily and smiled. “Let’s go again for another round of dual cultivation!”
The direct disciples recovered from the chaos. In the air, the indescribable monster had already vanished. All that remained in the sky was Chao Tianjiao, without any expression and her eyes shut like she was asleep.
They were all shocked. They were aware that Li Qingshan’s attack earlier had not targeted them, and they had only suffered from the side effects. Otherwise, they would have suffered from cultivation deviation already, or even dying from madness.
“The strength of Human Immortals truly is terrifying! Or perhaps we should say he really is the first senior brother! Regardless of how disadvantageous the situation is, he’s always able to turn the situation around!”
They all looked towards Li Qingshan on the cliff, but they saw no complacency at all. Instead, he was solemn, like he was facing a powerful opponent.
That was because he had also been affected, and he had sensed the deep malice from his other self.
Due to the bloodline of the spirit turtle, it naturally suppressed all demonic thoughts, so the impact on him was not particularly great. However, he clearly saw another himself appear behind Chao Tianjiao in human form when the monster vanished, saying, “Don’t forget, I am your inner demon!”, except he was looking at him when he said that.
Gazing at the blue sky, his heart that was as peaceful as an abyss finally rippled. The situation was crushingly disadvantageous to him. That was no regular opponent, but “himself” with complete memories. He understood everything about the Nine Transformations of the Demonic and Divine, not only extremely skilled in battle, but also possessing terrifying determination and willpower as well.
Now, his best plan was to retreat back to the Xuanming dwelling. He had already established the Xuanming formation again. It was enough to stop regular Human Immortals.
However, he just sat there unbudging. A stubbornness that did not belong to a spirit turtle made him remain where he was.
His eyes shone, and he swung his hand resolutely. Pieces of the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell flew over, overlapping and constructing an impervious fortress.
He was not counting on how effective this line of defence would be. He just did so to avoid any sneak attacks, which would give him enough time to respond. He gripped the three mountains firmly and said sternly, “Time for a battle to the death, Li Qingshan!”
After today, only one person could continue to use this name!
At his moment, Chao Tianjiao’s aura rapidly declined as if it had been sucked into an invisible black hole.
In the nightmare, Li Qingshan conquered and seized as he pleased. She did not offer much resistance as if she was completely submerged in the pleasure. She only looked at him strangely every now and then.
No matter how many threats she unleashed, this duel was not a struggle to the death at the end of the day. They were not some unforgivable mortal enemies either. They were “cultivation partners” anyway, so who knew how many times they had done it already. This time, he had just turned the situation around, or in simpler terms, changed the position.
Otherwise, even if he used the opening, he would have never succeeded so easily. Even if he succeeded, he would have never acted so freely. With Chao Tianjiao’s personality, she would rather have them perish together than be humiliated for nothing.
Chao Tianjiao suddenly asked, “Are you really going to kill yourself?”
Li Qingshan said in exasperation, “That’s not for you to worry about. This is my own business!”
“Heh, then which of you am I supposed to recognise?”
“Regardless of who it is, it’s not up for you to recognise me.”
“How strange. Just what did you go through? You seem to have suffered quite a lot!”
Chao Tianjiao suddenly extended her hand, caressing Li Qingshan’s cheek gently as if she sympathised with him.
They had gone through all these years of fighting and arguing—of course, primarily her beating him. If she truly felt nothing towards him, why would this opening still remain?
Now that they were connected, she even felt some sorrow. Only extremely great pain could make a person so powerful.
“Don’t sympathise with me!”
Li Qingshan furrowed his brows and grabbed her wrist, pressing her against the ground again. He tried his best to absorb energy through dual cultivation to temporarily make up for the lack of a body. Despite that, he still possessed deep fear and caution.
“Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of losing?” Chao Tianjiao found it very puzzling.
“I will never underestimate myself.”
Li Qingshan possessed a very clear feeling that “he himself” must have been in possession of a great weapon that could end his life. It was very likely from Ruin’s End, from another Great Sage.
“If that’s the case, why not spare yourself? Go separate ways…” Chao Tianjiao licked her lips, purposefully using a joke to hide her worry. “… I can even change things up. There’s nothing fun about perishing together!”
“Don’t worry! No matter what, Li Qingshan will always keep living. Otherwise, who’s supposed to continue down the path to the Nine Heavens? That person might not necessarily be me either!”
If it really came down to a point where they needed to perish together, he would not hesitate. If he had to sacrifice himself so he himself could achieve his goals, then he would sacrifice himself!
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Even if he was killed by his own hands, none of it would have been a waste as long as he passed on the precious information from Avīci.
Keep going! Keep going at all costs!
Chao Tianjiao was taken aback. “You sure are mad!”
Li Qingshan smiled and waved his hand. “Farewell, bitch!”
Li Qingshan on the cliff shivered inside, He’s coming!
The sky suddenly dimmed. A vicious demon god with blue skin, three heads, and six arms stood in the air.
With the form of a māra and a wrathful expression, black aura rose up like fire around him, filled with an unprecedented will of great destruction and great annihilation.
To destroy the enemy, to destroy the world, to destroy himself!
A vertical eye suddenly opened up on his forehead. In the next moment, the Divine Fire of World Destruction swallowed the entire cliff, destroying the fortress constructed from the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell.
Surrounded by the divine flames that destroyed everything, the other Li Qingshan raised the Mountain-moving tablet high into the air!
The arcane treasure personally bestowed to him by the Mountain-moving Great Sage could contend against Demon Gods. It easily parted the Divine Fire of World Destruction. The three mountains were ready to go.
In the sky, the Li Qingshan who had transformed into the form of the māra narrowed his eyes. He immediately felt life-threatening danger. That’s the treasure that “I” obtained from Ruin’s End! Sure enough, it’s powerful!
Even though he would be the first one to die to it if he did not handle the situation properly, since this was his choice, he no longer cared about the taunting of fate.
“Come!”
But in the next moment, Li Qingshan lowered the Mountain-moving tablet again, spreading his arms at the sky.
Li Qingshan was stunned at first before flying into a rage. Never did he think that “he himself” would actually give up on resistance and place his fate in the hands of another! Even if that person was himself.
This coward was unworthy of the name “Li Qingshan”, but he would never let this heaven-sent opportunity slip by. He threw himself into that body of the demonic and divine and began possessing it.
In the beginning, he still guarded against any scheme from “himself” warily, but “he” did not resist at all. “He” did not even plan to perish together, silently allowing him to take charge of everything.
Li Qingshan questioned furiously, “Why!?”
Had “he” really turned out so horribly from just a visit to Ruin’s End? Was “his” will really this feeble?
“He” shut his eyes and everything that happened in the past flashed through his eyes. Apart from the darkness of Ruin’s End, there was only her. From a certain perspective, he was like a newly-born infant. Apart from the residual “memories of his past life”, there were only the nights that he had spent with her, those tears and laughter.
“If I kill you, she will lose Li Qingshan forever.”
