Arc 4: Cultivation
The crowd was in shock for a moment, “Lord Demon Venerable ¹, what did you say?”
“Did I hear wrong?” “How is that possible? We've always been loyal to the Lord Demon Venerable, how could we... for such a thing…”
These people couldn't believe what Sī Wúyuè had said. After all, although they were demon cultivators, their way of thinking was quite normal, and they couldn't understand Sī Wúyuè's insane thoughts.
However, Sī Wúyuè acted directly.
The people closest to him suddenly froze, and in the next instant, their bodies burst open, turning into countless blood mists.
After witnessing the gruesome death of their comrades, the others suddenly realized that the Lord of Demons, despite his immense strength, was completely unsuitable for this position... because he was clearly a madman!
Although they admired the powerful, their own lives were the most important.
Realizing this, the crowd began to flee. After witnessing Sī Wúyuè's strength, no one was foolish enough to confront him. It was suicidal, and the only way out was to escape.
But Sī Wúyuè had already anticipated this. Suddenly, the surrounding formation changed, revealing its true power.
Gathering spirits was just the superficial effect of this formation. In reality, it separated this place from the outside world, and after absorbing the power of those Nascent Soul cultivators, the formation had become extremely powerful, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to escape.
What followed was one-sided slaughter.
Countless blood-red hands reached out from the ground, and the captured cultivators were instantly annihilated. They didn't even have a chance to scream before meeting their demise, and all their power was absorbed into the formation on the platform.
During all of this, Sī Wúyuè remained seated as if nothing unusual was happening.
Even Shào Cí couldn't bear to watch and said, "Have you become soft-hearted?"
Shào Cí replied, "No, I just feel quite nauseous."
Sī Wúyuè reassured, "It's okay. Once the ritual is complete, you'll forget about these unpleasant things."
Shào Cí asked, "Are you going to erase my memories?"
Indeed, they were like brothers, always so fond of making people lose their memories.
"Roughly the same,²" Sī Wúyuè sighed, "I didn't want this either, after all, it's not just these memories... even the things that happened between us would be forgotten."
Shào Cí: "..." Forgetting everything that happened between him and Sī Wúyuè would be a good thing!
"But when the time comes, I'll tell you everything, so don't worry," Sī Wúyuè smiled.
Shào Cí: "!" Is there really no one to stop Sī Wúyuè? If he tries to play the memory loss card again, he can't take it.
As most of the cultivators died, a red formation pattern appeared on the platform, growing brighter as it absorbed the surrounding blood.
Shào Cí also didn't know if it was a world-building convention or the author couldn't come up with another setup, but this scene reminded him of the time Líng Wàngchén woke up.
Living in the world of cultivation as a supporting character was truly pitiful...
Soon, there were no living people in this area, and the ground was entirely stained with blood, but there were no corpses, only various dismembered body parts.
Among the deceased, a significant portion had been extremely loyal subordinates to Sī Wúyuè.
Shào Cí suddenly felt that Sī Wúyuè's attitude toward him was already quite favorable.
All of these loyal and dedicated subordinates were casually killed by Sī Wúyuè, making Shào Cí wonder if there was anything Sī Wúyuè couldn't do...
However, there was no expression on Sī Wúyuè's face, as if this scene meant nothing to him. To him, anyone's death was of no consequence, as if he were watching a group of ants perish.
In the next moment, Sī Wúyuè turned around, and Shào Cí shivered, feeling even more fearful.
Sī Wúyuè leaned over to look at Shào Cí and said, "The first step of the spell has finally been completed."
Shào Cí: "Wait a minute, so, the previous sacrifice of those people was to complete the HE spell that the ghost cultivator forced upon me (Shào Cí gave this spell a name after summarizing its functions)?"
This was just too much; they did all this for a spell...
Shào Cí suddenly felt that the romantic interests he had encountered before were truly unjust. If anyone had a real romantic interest, it was definitely Sī Wúyuè! And he was a perverted romantic interest... It was terrifying.
Shao Ci suddenly felt that he had been unfair to the targets of his previous conquests. If we talk about a true love maniac, it must be Si Wuyue! And he's a perverted love maniac... It's terrifying.
"But... is it really necessary to kill so many people to complete this spell?" Shao Ci couldn't help but ask.
If someone didn't know, they would think that Si Wuyue was opening some kind of underworld gate... but it turns out he's just fooling around. From a certain perspective, this spell is really not cost-effective.
"Of course not," Si Wuyue smiled, "If it's just a normal spell, two people are enough."
Shao Ci: "......!" Are you kidding me?!
So you killed so many people just for your own amusement!
"It's just that if I want to completely bind you, I have to go to this extent," Si Wuyue slowly spoke, "After all, the stronger the soul, the more difficult it is to bind... Fortunately, there are many people here, so I can barely complete the ritual."
Shao Ci felt a sense of unease as he listened. Moreover, this spell has just completed its first step, what else does it require in the future... Whatever it is, it's definitely not something an ordinary person can endure!
If he had known that something like this would happen, he might as well have chosen to die together with Si Wuyue when he first arrived.
Then Si Wuyue hugged Shao Ci and raised an eyebrow, saying, "It seems like a little bug has come."
Shao Ci leaned against Si Wuyue's chest and looked up.
In the midst of the blood pool, a young man slowly walked in, surrounded by black mist, with a somewhat urgent expression.
This scene was so familiar that Shao Ci suddenly remembered the day he first crossed over to this world.
At that time, Si Wuxing also appeared like this, and at that time... his expression was extremely indifferent, and he only committed the massacre because he was bored.
Who would have thought that the current Si Wuxing would have such an urgent expression on his face.
And then, Shao Ci felt that Si Wuxing had come to die.
Actually, Shao Ci didn't have a good impression of Si Wuxing at first. After all, Si Wuxing tortured him to death the first time they met... and even caused him to lose his memory. Losing his memory was a secondary issue, the main problem was that it messed up his sexual orientation.
Although Si Wuxing later treated him well, Shao Ci's opinion of him was just average. He's not a masochist, and he hasn't reached the level of being attracted to someone who would kill him.
Now that he has encountered Si Wuyue, Shao Ci suddenly feels that Si Wuxing is actually a normal person. At least compared to his brother, Si Wuyue's behavior can still be understood...
So, it's impossible for a normal person to beat a lunatic! Especially since Si Wuyue's combat power is even stronger than Si Wuxing's. Is he here this time to offer his head or for some other reason?
...
...
Si Wuxing originally came here to have a decisive battle with Si Wuyue, but after seeing the previous scene, he understood very well the gap between him and Si Wuyue. Such a gap cannot be bridged even after hundreds of years.
Why is it that he, just a bastard child, can achieve such a level?
Si Wuxing once again felt his own powerlessness, but he wouldn't leave. Even if it meant death, he would die by Shao Ci's side.
Finally, facing Shao Ci once again, Si Wuxing looked at him with a complex expression and said, "Xiao Ci, I'm here for you."
"Oh?" Si Wuyue, hugging Shao Ci, spoke up, "Are you saying you want to take him away? But he's living happily with me now. What's the point of him going back to you...?"
Si Wuyue had naturally investigated Shao Ci's situation and had some understanding of the grievances between him and Si Wuxing.
"Or should I say, you are the one who killed him. Do you really want him back by your side?" Si Wuyue sneered, "Are you sure he doesn't hate you?"
Although Si Wuyue himself had been killed by Shao Ci once, that was a sweet memory for him.
"You...!" Si Wuxing's body stiffened. This was the thing he least wanted Shao Ci to know. He quickly looked up at Shao Ci's position.
He had originally thought that he still had his magic to bind Shao Ci, but now even his magic had been undone. How would Shao Ci think of him... If Shao Ci looked at him with hatred in his eyes, he might wish to die right now.
"Ah... I knew it a long time ago..." Si Wuyue suddenly smiled, "I just didn't expect that you wouldn't want to continue deceiving me anymore."
Shao Ci: "That's because being by your side only makes me feel disgusted."
After saying these words, Shao Ci felt a bit ashamed.
He had tried so hard! Si Wuyue would definitely just kill him after hearing these words, right?
However, Si Wuyue smiled as if nothing had happened and said, "It's okay, no matter what you say... as long as you're still by my side, nothing else matters."
Is it really okay like this... Shao Ci wanted to say something, but found that he couldn't make a sound.
Si Wuyue gently pressed his hand against Shao Ci's throat and said, "Your voice is so pleasant to listen to, but why do you always say such hurtful things... Isn't it better to be quiet like this?"
Shao Ci had already said so much, how could he give up now? He stared fiercely at Si Wuyue with all his strength.
"You're really disobedient." Si Wuyue spoke softly.
The next moment, Shao Ci felt that everything in front of him turned pitch black, no matter where he looked, it was all darkness, he couldn't see anything...
Although he had known that Si Wuyue would do such a thing, he didn't expect him to do it so quickly... If only he could also be swiftly killed.
"You must be scared when you can't see anything." Si Wuyue said, "But don't worry, I will take good care of you."
Shao Ci: "..." It's because of your care that things are not going well.
"And that person... well, he should be my younger brother, right? I won't kill him, after all, he's someone you know, right? Now, I will let him watch us closely."
Shao Ci: "!" Wait, what?
"Let him see how affectionate we are." Si Wuyue said as he reached out and unbuttoned Shao Ci's clothes.
Shao Ci felt a chill on his chest and realized that Si Wuyue was about to do something terrible... Damn it, it would be better to just kill Si Wuxing directly!!
And then Si Wuyue held Shao Ci's face and gently kissed his forehead. "Your body is so cold and stiff... Is it because the temperature here is too low?"
Shao Ci: "..." Although the temperature is part of the reason, it's mostly because you scared me.
Then Si Wuyue took out a pill and put it in his mouth, then leaned in to kiss Shao Ci.
Shao Ci couldn't see clearly and didn't know what Si Wuyue did. It wasn't until a pill was handed to him that he tried to resist, but the tip of Si Wuyue's tongue touching him started to numb, and he instinctively swallowed the pill.
Then, a ball of fire exploded inside his body, causing a scorching heat to spread throughout his body. His skin became incredibly sensitive, and even the slightest touch felt unbearable.
Shao Ci: "!" Damn it, it's true that if you don't court death, you won't die.
Shao Ci couldn't help but take a breath and then bit his lower lip.
The next moment, Si Wuyue lowered his head and started kissing down from his neck.
Shao Ci, unable to see, became extremely sensitive, trembling at even the slightest touch.
Si Wuyue knew this, but still lightly bit the skin at his waist.
Waves of electrifying pleasure mixed with a hint of pain flooded his mind, and Shao Ci couldn't help but whimper a few times, his consciousness gradually becoming hazy.
"You said that being by my side makes you feel disgusted," Si Wuyue suddenly spoke, "but now, the me that you find repulsive is going to enter into your body."
Shao Ci instantly became alert, feeling completely uneasy. He instinctively tried to push Si Wuyue away, but was held down by him.
Si Wuyue's voice came through, "It hurts, doesn't it? Just endure a little longer."
Shao Ci felt terrible, struggling continuously, but his strength was no match for Si Wuyue's. All his resistance was in vain.
Then, Si Wuyue leaned close to Shao Ci's ear and whispered, "...Now, we are finally becoming one."
"Little brother saw it too, he must be happy for us, right?"
Shao Ci felt so embarrassed that he could faint. He didn't want to know about this kind of thing at all!
In the next moment, a few cold kisses landed on his cheek, and Shao Ci's vision suddenly brightened.
The pale face of Si Wuyue had a faint blush, incredibly beautiful. He smiled and handed a dagger to Shao Ci.
Shao Ci was instantly half awake, looking at him in astonishment, and suddenly realized that he could speak, "This is..."
"Stab it into my chest," Si Wuyue whispered in his ear, "Don't you hate me so much? This way, you can be free, right?"
In theory, cultivators would not die just from being stabbed in the chest, but for a ghost cultivator like Si Wuyue, it was a vulnerable spot.
If Shao Ci's foot didn't have that fine chain, he would have used his spiritual sense to die together with Si Wuyue.
And the material of this dagger was extremely special. Shao Ci vaguely felt its powerful effect on the soul... If he used this dagger, there would probably be no problem killing a ghost cultivator.
At this point, even though he knew there might be a trick, Shao Ci couldn't not do it.
He grabbed the dagger and aimed it at Si Wuyue's chest. His hands regained strength, but they were still trembling. Slowly, he stabbed it in.
But this wasn't the kind of sensation a ghost cultivator's body should have, and fresh blood kept flowing out, which shouldn't be there.
Shao Ci froze for a moment.
Si Wuyue's face also turned paler, but he smiled slightly, then held the small knife and pulled it directly out of his chest.
"Indeed, you really hate me to the point of wanting to kill me," Si Wuyue murmured, "...But it's your thoughts that made this step so easy to complete."
Shao Ci: "Huh??"
"In fact, the senior who developed this technique only had unrequited love for his lover," Si Wuyue smiled and said, "After all, although the appearance of the human race and ghost cultivators is similar, the difference is too great. How could a human cultivator fall in love with a ghost cultivator?"
Shao Ci: "..." Maybe it's just that your senior didn't look handsome enough.
Wait, why is he unable to control his urge to make sarcastic comments at a time like this?
"And then the senior wanted to become a human cultivator, but was stabbed in the chest by the other party." Sī Wúyuè tapped her own chest. "It took some effort for me to reach this point... Otherwise, how could I have killed so many people?"
Shāo Cí: "?!?" So killing so many people wasn't to make him a ghost cultivator, but to make Sī Wúyuè a human cultivator...
And it feels like that story is filled with intense one-sided feelings.
"It was because the forbidden technique was already halfway completed at that time that the senior didn't die. And at that moment, he suddenly realized this technique," Sī Wúyuè said, pressing the small knife against Shāo Cí's chest.
The conditions for completing this method are extremely strict, so almost everyone knows about this technique but very few can actually accomplish it.
"After stabbing the weapon into the opponent's body, you use steps that are completely opposite to the previous forbidden technique, and then the two individuals are completely bound together," Sīwúyuè explained, pressing the knife against Shāo Cí's chest.
Shāo Cí: "..." This is no longer a technique to forcefully make someone a ghost cultivator, it's a technique where the ghost cultivator is willing to risk their life to force someone into a relationship!
Sī Wúyuè softly said, "Once this final step is completed, everything will be over."
Watching everything in front of him, Sī Wúxīng couldn't help but wish for it to be over quickly, but he was completely immobilized and could only watch as it all unfolded. He continuously urged the demonic energy within his body, causing his meridians to almost burst open, and eventually coughing up blood.
Meanwhile, the dagger in Sī Wúyuè's hand directly pierced Shāo Cí's chest.
Although such a dagger is useless against cultivators, Shāo Cí felt an extremely intense pain in his chest, even though most of it was masked by the system.
No, this pain wasn't coming from his body, but from his soul.
His soul was separating from his body, which was slowly crumbling.
Shāo Cí felt everything in astonishment, feeling as if his values were being reshaped.
His body gradually grew colder, and his soul desperately tried to detach itself but was bound by the chains on his ankles.
So, these chains were the key.
Sī Wúyuè gently gazed at Shāo Cí, waiting for the human body to completely shatter. Then, a powerful light burst out from the array.
Within it, a new body slowly appeared.
This was the new body formed by the power of the soul.
It was the prototype of a ghost cultivator.
Not all souls can become ghost cultivators. Most of them are souls of extremely powerful individuals who had strong obsessions before their death, allowing them to become ghost cultivators.
And as the number of ghost cultivators increased, they could use special methods to marry and have children, leading to an increasing population.
But it's not easy for ordinary cultivators to become ghost cultivators. Chains like these are necessary.
And when the remnant soul of Ling Wangchen, the head of the Dianxing Sect, condensed a body, it also came at a great cost.
The body quickly took shape, and Shāo Cí slowly opened his eyes.
Sī Wúyuè smiled at him, "Welcome back."
Shāo Cí looked at him in confusion, feeling a blankness in his mind, unable to remember anything.
Did he lose his memory again? But why use 'again'...
Shāo Cí couldn't recall anything. Whenever he tried to remember, he felt a faint pain deep in his mind and didn't want to continue thinking.
This newly-formed body was extremely sensitive and fragile. Just being kissed made his whole body blush.
Then Sī awúyuè took out clothes from the space and helped Shāo Cí put them on. After Shāo Cí tentatively stepped on the ground, he felt a sharp pain in his feet and couldn't stand steady at all.
After all, this newly-formed body was still too fragile and needed a long time of cultivation to reach the level of an ordinary person.
But Shāo Cí's soul was extremely powerful, so his cultivation speed could be faster than that of an ordinary ghost cultivator.
Siyue embraced Shaoci affectionately and kissed his cheek.
"That person is..." Shao Ci looked at Si Yuxing, who was still bound, with confusion.
"Just an insignificant person," Si Wuyue glanced at his defeated brother one last time, no longer interested in killing him.
Besides, he had already said he wouldn't lay a hand on him.
"Okay," Shao Cii nodded and turned his head.
Siyuxing watched the backs of the two in front of him, feeling despair in his heart.
Perhaps... this was his retribution.
...
...
Si Wuyue carried Shao clCi into the palace.
By now, there was no one here, empty as Si Wuyue desired.
Their world, just the two of them, didn't need anyone else to disturb.
The sky was already dark, and Si Wuyue lay on the bed with Shao Ci in his arms. Even though ghost cultivators didn't need to sleep, he enjoyed being with Shaoci like this.
And because the ritual was completed, Shao Ci had become extremely dependent on him.
Tomorrow, they will return to the underworld. Siyue thought so. After they arrived there, they would live a good life together.
Unknowingly, he fell into a dream.
Siyue rarely dreamed, but this time he did.
He dreamt of standing on a grassy field filled with flowers, with Shaoci standing before him.
When he reached out to grab Shao Ci's hand, he found that the other's hand suddenly became transparent.
Si Wuyue was startled and immediately embraced him, but he couldn't feel any sensation.
Shao Ci disappeared from his embrace just like that.
Si Wuyue woke up from his dream, expecting Shaoci to be sleeping beside him, but he was nowhere to be found.
...
...
【System temporarily closed due to the host's death.】
【System restart complete. Detected that the host is in a soul state, initiating transfer.】
【Transferred to the nearest location to the target.】
Within an ancient battlefield.
This was an extremely dangerous secret realm with many entrances.
Moreover, besides the outer battlefield, there were many ancient structures inside, said to be well-preserved.
Although many people knew that there were countless ancient treasures inside, very few could bring them out, and most people perished here. Even so, countless individuals continued to venture in.
And at this moment, within this secret realm, numerous resentful spirits wandered about. In addition to the resentful spirits of ancient cultivators, there were also the souls of countless cultivators who had died here in the past century.
This secret realm could bind souls, so the souls of those who died here would forever remain.
These resentful spirits were one of the most dangerous things in this secret realm, as ordinary cultivators didn't know how to counter them. They only knew to use spiritual power or treasures to shield themselves, preventing the resentful spirits from touching their bodies.
At one of the entrances, many cultivators nervously ventured inside.
Among them was a young man with white hair, unnoticed by anyone.
After entering the secret realm, the figure of this white-haired young man completely disappeared.
In the dangerous heart of the ancient battlefield, where there were the most resentful spirits, these resentful spirits unconsciously avoided a certain person.
If someone were to witness this scene, they would surely be surprised. If they were like this person, they wouldn't have to worry about not obtaining treasures and dying here.
He was a young man with a remarkably handsome appearance, with white hair and light blue eyes. He was holding a corpse in his arms.
Although it was such a conspicuous combination, it didn't attract anyone's attention in the outside world.
After Shao Ci's death, Ling Wangchen took his body and left that secret realm.
Ling Wangchen didn't know where to go, so he wandered around, using spiritual power to maintain Shao Ci's body, keeping him in the same state as before.
And faintly, Ling Wangchen also understood that his true self was an extremely powerful existence.
Even when he was still asleep at the Star Point Gate, he had felt the attraction of his true self several times. But Ling Wangchen instinctively avoided it and didn't think much about it.
However, now he had to consider it. Since he possessed such great power, perhaps he could bring Shaoci back to life.
After searching for a while, Ling Wangchen finally arrived here.
The attraction from the depths of his soul made Ling Wangchen realize that his true self was just ahead, probably only a few days' journey away.
If he merged with his true self, he wouldn't be himself anymore. But as long as he could resurrect Shaoci, he didn't mind losing his own consciousness.
He just wanted to see Shao Ci's smiling face one last time before he died.
With mixed emotions, Ling Wangchen lowered his head and kissed the lips of the corpse in his arms, which had already turned cold.
In the next moment, the person slowly opened their eyes.
Footnote.
1. English translation is either Lord Demon Lord and Lord of Demons. To make more sense and further research, I changed it to ’Lord Demon Venerable’. Comment if you hate it.
2. “差不多吧。” Almost/ Roughly the same. I am using four translation apps, both are the same translation.