In a secluded corner of Fuwang City, a huge noise was heard. A flaming red dragon rushed into the sky, and with a clear cry, it spewed hot flames toward the ground.
Nearby, more than a dozen children who had managed to escape from the clutches of the devil held their heads and hurriedly fled towards home in the smoke and fire of war.
A little girl was held by her equally young brother's wrist, running on the street after the rain.
"Brother," she looked back again and again worriedly, "Are those big brothers who came to rescue us okay?"
Her brother didn't say anything, nor did he look back. He just held her wrist tightly, and the puddles he stepped on while running splashed all over her face.
From her perspective, she could see her brother's tightly pursed lips and the tears that kept falling down his cheeks.
Her brother is the oldest boy in the family. Over the years, she has rarely seen him shed tears unless he was acting in front of others.
When their father left home, my brother did not cry with them. When their mother died, my brother did not shed a tear either.
It was not until this time that I received the warmth from strangers, and my brother, crying and pulling me, ran towards the hope of life.
Although there are many hateful people in this world, there are also good people like this. The girl prayed in the firelight.
I hope those three big brothers are okay.
Zhuo Yu and his two companions were outnumbered and were quickly captured by the evil cultivators using strange secret techniques. They had their hands and feet tied up and thrown on the altar.
"Where did these three bastards come from? They ruined the good thing I was waiting for."
"Humph, since you let those brats escape, I will cut out your heart today and sacrifice it to the demon!"
One of them showed a ferocious face, stepped on Xiao Changge, tore open his clothes, and put the sharp tip of the knife against his chest.
Zhuo Yu, who was pinned to the ground and unable to move, looked at Xiao Changge beside him and said, "Do you regret it? Is it worth it just for a few mortal children?"
It was unclear whether he was asking this question to his fellow disciple who was about to die, or to himself.
"Master once told me that we practitioners should act according to our conscience and not care about gains and losses." Xiao Changge also looked at him, his face was pale, his voice was trembling, but his tone was not hesitant.
"Good! Well said!" Cheng Yan shouted back, "You thief, if you have the guts, come after me first, don't go after my junior brother."
As expected, the demon cultivator left Xiao Changge aside and came to mention Cheng Yan. Cheng Yan laughed out loud, "Okay, you're just in time. Junior Brother Zhuo, Junior Brother Xiao, I'll leave first. The three of us will be companions on our journey to the underworld. In the next life, you can join my sect again and be just as happy!"
Just as the sharp knife was about to stab Zhuo Yu's chest, several women's cold voices rang out from the courtyard wall.
"Not bad, it's rare to find such a good man these days."
"It's a pity that he died, but luckily he made it in time."
Those slender figures, with their hair tied up and dressed in tight clothes, holding magical instruments, were squatting or standing on the wall, saying coldly,
"Fuwang City has ordered the prohibition of offering sacrifices to the Heavenly Demon. You scumbags actually dare to do it here so blatantly."
"You've made us run around all night. I think you're all tired of living."
After seeing the attire of those women, the demon cultivators in the yard turned pale.
"The Yan family, they are from the Yan family."
"Why did the Yan family appear here so quickly?"
Zhuo Yu and the other two, disheveled, were lying on the altar, watching the all-female army descend from the sky, quickly and mercilessly dealing with the evil cultivators in the yard and pushing away the runes and decorations on the altar.
Although they saved the lives of the three of them, these girls with extraordinary skills did not intend to untie their restraints immediately. A group of people looked them up and down without any hesitation.
"Whose little brothers are these? They look so innocent. I blushed just by looking at them. Hehe."
"And they are all so handsome."
"What are you still looking at? Go up and help her up. Be a hero and save the beauty. Ask her if she is willing to be your servant."
Just when the three of them were feeling awkward, Cen Qianshan, Mu Xue and others rushed into the yard.
Cheng Yan, who had just faced the enemy's sharp knife with all his might, almost shouted out "Junior sister, save me".
"These are my friends." Cen Qianshan's words made the girls of the Yan family immediately stop giggling, and they bowed solemnly and left quickly.
Xiao Changge, who was finally rescued, felt a little embarrassed: "It seems that I have to trouble my junior sister to save me every time. I am not doing a good job as a senior brother."
"She is indeed stronger than us. I have already admitted defeat in the ring." Zhuo Yu shook off the ropes on his body and stood up. "People who practice cultivation do not act based on gains and losses, and heroes should not be judged by gender."
As the sky gradually darkened, Fuwang City looked like a huge array spread out on the ground, with twinkling lights lighting up.
On this night, traces of magical battles were heard from different parts of the city.
Liu Luchun used her black-scaled whip to strangle a person who wanted to escape. The battle here ended simply and violently. She shook the whip and made a whip flower in the air, put away the long whip, and asked the elders of the tribe who came with her.
"Uncle, how did the Great Joy City disappear back then?"
"You must have heard a legend. The Great Joy City became famous because of the Joy Hall built in it." The elderly elder pushed down the altar angrily and said while stepping on the rubble of the altar, "But in fact, no one knows where the real Joy Hall is hidden. Until that day comes..."
Even though it happened three hundred years ago, the elder of the Liu family still remembers it vividly.
On that day, someone broke the taboo, and as the huge black door slowly rose in Huanxi City, the devil descended upon the earth, and countless demons were attracted, crossing the void and swarming in. Although all the demon cultivators in the city, including the Liu family, which was at its peak at the time, fought with all their might, they were ultimately unable to resist the overwhelming demons.
Eventually, the city walls were lost, and the people were devastated. The bustling, noisy, thousand-year-old town was destroyed in an instant. The blood and wailing of the people still echoed clearly in the old man's memory.
Mu Xue and his companions sat on their respective flying instruments, hovering in the sky and overlooking the entire city. They were once again impressed by the vastness of the city, the grandeur of the buildings, and the sheltering of countless lives.
Seeing this scene, Ding Lanlan and others couldn't help but sigh.
"There are actually people who practice such a cruel magic. Just for such a small amount of money."
"Fortunately, we found it in time. With so many big families working together, most of the children should be able to be rescued."
"We are leaving soon, and before we go, we finally did something good."
"Yes, we are about to return to our fairy world. I am happy to be able to do something like this before I leave."
They were suspended in the air and talking to each other, filled with joy and excitement about returning home.
Among them, only Mu Xue was there, with her brows furrowed, staring deeply at the brightly lit town below her feet.
"What's wrong, Xiaoxue?" Ding Lanlan pulled her sleeve.
Mu Xue took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and brought out her small colorful gatehouse.
"I have a sense of empathy and can sense the location of the Black Gate Altar." She turned on the light of the Sea Mirage Terrace, revealing a map of Fuwang City. "Time is running out, I'll mark the location, and everyone will go to one place. When we get there, light a signal flare to call for help."
When she assigned these tasks, her expression was calm, her tone was steady, and she had a convincing demeanor. Everyone did not think much and quickly flew to the direction assigned to them.
Mu Xue grabbed Cen Qianshan who was the last to leave.
"Do you remember what we talked about last night?"
last night
Cen Qianshan thought of the night that made him confused and lost, and his mind was confused for a moment. In such a rich night, the master said so many words that made him blush and his heart beat fast, and he didn't know which sentence the master was referring to.
Mu Xue stood on tiptoe and kissed him hard on the lips. She summoned the Sky-Shaping Cloud and rode away on it.
The warm yellow lights of the world beneath our feet create the homes on which countless people depend for their survival.
Others may not be able to see it, but in Mu Xue's eyes at this moment, a huge translucent black door is slowly rising in the center of the city.
The demon Xu Kun, wearing a robe filled with smoke, was sitting on the top of the archway, leaning on his pale arms, looking at everything in the world.
The half-real and half-virtual figure sometimes solidified and sometimes dispersed.
That is the real devil.
In the void invisible to everyone, the real devil is descending upon the world
Mu Xue was fully aware of Xu Kun's strength. In front of his true body, even if all of them joined forces to fight against him, they would not be the opponent of this person from a higher realm.
Senior sisters and brothers are just passers-by here. As long as they spend this night safely, they can return to the peaceful and comfortable fairy world. They have no obligation and should not be involved in such a dangerous world.
But for Mu Xue, even though this place is no longer the Fuwang City it once was, and even though there are only a few familiar faces left in the city, she does not want to see this city destroyed.
Mu Xue gritted her teeth, and in a deserted place, she summoned and enlarged her own colorful doorway and dived in.
In the endless void, images of the human world appeared and disappeared in front of the black gate.
Countless demons from outside the domain gathered behind the gate, looking at the wonderful scene before them. As long as the two worlds were connected and the black gate was opened, they could rush in through the gate and wreak havoc in the world full of blood and life.
At this moment, a colorful door suddenly appeared, and a tiny human emerged from it.
The colorful light was as dazzling as a golden crow. Many demons that were accustomed to living in the dark had to retreat back into the depths of darkness under the gaze of the spreading light.
Xu Kun raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Little nephew, what are you doing here?"
Mu Xue stood in the colorful light, protected by her own gatehouse, staring at Xu Kun without saying a word.
"You want to stop me from going to the human world?" Xu Kun laughed. "Are you, a little ant-like fellow, so arrogant as to overestimate your own abilities?"
"Even ants have the right to live. Ants also have joys and sorrows and pains, and they also strive to live with hope and dreams. You have no right to deprive others of their lives so casually." Mu Xue looked at Xu Kun and said slowly, "You think you are looking down on everything in the world, but don't you know that even at a higher level, there are people who regard you as an ant?"
She could clearly feel that ever since her Caimen appeared here and confronted Heimen, the connection between this world and Fuwang City had obviously slowed down.
As long as she delays a little longer, all the altars in Fuwang City will be cleared, and perhaps even the demons will not be able to descend directly into that world.
Xu Kun sat on the top of the gatehouse, crossed his hands, and spoke gently: "What foolish and ignorant humans are. The so-called emotions of individual humans are meaningless to me. As a demon, I am just fulfilling the mission given by the way of heaven. As for the pain and sadness of one or two ants under my feet, what does it have to do with me?"
"You were once a human named Xu Kun." Mu Xue took out a jade talisman from her bosom and held it in front of Xu Kun. The two characters "Xu Kun" on the jade talisman that had been exposed to the wind and sun for three hundred years were crossed out by interlaced lines.
"You have also wandered in pain, hesitated and struggled in a closed room. You have also experienced laughter and happiness with your fellow disciples. Those inseparable experiences that happened to you constitute the creature I see in front of me today. Even if you have forgotten it now, you should not deny the emotional value of being born as a human being."
Xu Kun closed his mouth, his eyes fell on the talisman jade, and stared at it for a long time.
"You are still young, and your vision is limited. You have such thoughts based on your ignorant vision." He then waved at Mu Xue, "You can retreat. I won't hurt you this time, and don't think about stopping me."
Mu Xue slowly drew out her Wangchuan Sword. Unlike in her dream, the sword was now as cold as autumn water. Facing a powerful enemy, she was still full of fighting spirit.
Xu Kun raised his hand, and thick black smoke rolled up from all directions and rushed towards Mu Xue.
For Xu Kun, this was a boring battle. He just moved his fingers slightly, and the weak heir of Caimen in front of him was already covered in blood.
If it weren't for the light from the colorful gate protecting her, she would have been crushed into ashes by herself.
But no matter how miserably she fell, she could always stand up tremblingly, holding on to that damn sword.
Although she was covered in blood and couldn't even stand up straight, she still held on to the colorful door that belonged to her and stood up slowly and stubbornly.
With her and this colorful jade gate tower blocking his way, he could not descend into the human world.
"Give up. Why ruin yourself for some insignificant people?"
"Why are you shaking? Are you really scared? No one is not afraid of death."
"Perhaps you think you can be fearless of life and death because of your little secret? Don't you think about the partner you just married? Do you have the heart to make him wait for another hundred years?"
Mu Xue stood up slowly, red blood flowing down her cheeks from her head. She hadn't been so miserable for a long time. It was as if she had returned to the moment a hundred years ago when she was struck to death by thunder. She was unwilling to give up and tried her best. In the end, she just gritted her teeth blindly and stood up again and again in great pain.
"I... am not doing this for anyone." Mu Xue supported her body with the sword, "I am doing this for my own Dao heart."
“I love that city and all the good and bad people in it.”
"Since I have taken on this responsibility, I cannot stand by and watch you destroy the city and kill people."
"He is so cute, of course I can't bear to part with him. But he and I have a deep connection, and he must understand what I am thinking. No matter what, he and I still have a long way to go together."
"We are never alone, not like you, in the darkness, with eternal life and the demons of desire as your companions."
Thick blood blurred her eyes, and the world in front of her was in chaos. Mu Xue could hardly see clearly. She didn't know whether the connection to Fuwang City was closed. She didn't know whether Xu Kun was angered by her.
Until a strong embrace caught her.
"How dare you hurt her like this! I swear I'll make you pay me back a hundredfold!"
She heard a familiar voice say through gritted teeth.
"This is our youngest junior sister. How dare you hurt Xiaoxue like this? No matter who you are, we will never let you go."
There were many noisy voices shouting this.
Mu Xue barely raised her arm and wiped away the blood in front of her eyes. In her sight, she only saw a circle of determined backs, surrounding her in a small space.
It was unknown when those senior brothers and sisters who were deliberately sent away by her came back.
Faced with an enemy too powerful to resist, they protected themselves with their backs.
Mu Xue was held in a familiar and warm embrace and felt pain all over her body.
The opponent was a powerful and invincible being, while she was just a fragile life like an ant. But her heart suddenly became more peaceful than ever before.
She looked through those shoulders that were injured but still firmly standing in front of her, and saw Xu Kun's face, sitting alone in the dark. It was as if she saw an emotion called envy on that face.
I don’t know why, perhaps because all the altars have been cleared and can no longer be connected to the real world, the black gatehouse finally disappeared from sight.
"Oh my god, this is the devil, it's too scary." Ding Lanlan, who was seriously injured, collapsed to the ground, "Why do we have to fight such a powerful devil?"
"I told you to stay away, why are you running back?" Mu Xue lay in Cen Qianshan's arms, looking at the night sky of Fuwang City with interlaced lights.
The little disciple is angry and turns his head away from me. I need to think about how to coax him back.
"As I was walking, I felt something was wrong." Lin Yin said, "I felt that your tone just now was very similar to when you were a kid, so I hurried back to check. Sure enough, I guessed right."
Mu Xue: "Senior sister, please stop making me laugh, my wound hurts so much"
"You are also a junior sister after all. As senior brothers and sisters, we cannot stand by and watch you being bullied. This is not the style of our Xiaoyao Sect."
In Uncle Nian's clinic, one seriously injured soldier after another was wrapped like dumplings by the angry Uncle Nian.
"You are a bunch of ignorant fellows. When you see the demon, instead of running away, you are challenging him." Uncle Nian cursed as he worked. "I should have dug a hole and buried you earlier. I wouldn't have to waste medicinal materials like this."
Mu Xue was wrapped in bandages, but she wasn't angry. She just smiled as she lay there, "Please say a few more words. I have to go back tomorrow, and it won't be easy to hear Uncle Nian nagging me again in the future."
Uncle Nian paused for a moment and snorted, "Go back to your master as soon as possible, so that I don't have to bear the responsibility and worry every day."
When Mu Xue slowly got up and walked out, suddenly a small storage bag containing pills was thrown on her bandaged arm.
Behind me, I heard the old man's awkward and humming voice saying thank you.
"Take it back and use it sparingly. Thanks to you, my old bones can still stay in Fuwang City peacefully. I don't have to move around being chased by monsters."