Chapter 85: Severing Demons – 6K Subscription Appeal, Second Update at 5 o

"Give, give the hairpin back to me."

After a while, Zi Yuan finally spoke, addressing Wang Wu.

"Fine." Wang Wu did not hesitate, directly took the hairpin from his head, and when he placed it back onto Zi Yuan's head.

A fleeting sorrow flashed in Zi Yuan's eyes, but immediately Wang Wu took the hairpin back again.

Then Wang Wu gently kissed her lips. After a long while, Wang Wu finally let go of her head.

Looking at Zi Yuan, Wang Wu whispered, "I don't want to be apart from you."

"B‑but I… I…"

Blood tears streamed from the corner of Zi Yuan's eyes, "I…"

The relationship between Zi Yuan and Wang Wu naturally developed slowly; at first, calling it a fleeting romance wasn't really a problem.

At that time, Wang Wu saw a female humanoid that had suddenly appeared before him; his mind, already infested by that worm, instantly assumed the other was a mother demon that had leapt out of nowhere, issuing a challenge to duel.

As for Zi Yuan, she was rather bewildered at the time.

She awoke in her own tomb, only to find the tomb gone, her corpse exhumed, and the starship her father had given her nowhere to be found.

After emerging, the once‑familiar Tong Tian City had become a demonic realm, with maddened monsters roaming everywhere.

She was originally meant to be resurrected, according to her father's design.

Her body, after being processed, would be placed in a cocoon coffin, then await the grand ceremony two hundred years later, at which point a massive ritual would be performed to petition the demon god to revive his daughter.

Unfortunately, her father could not sit on the throne by then, and the lifespan of Great Shang was no longer that long.

Moreover, as a demonic cultivator, once she died, the demonic nature within her would inevitably go completely out of control.

The fact that she can still retain a high degree of reason today is already the best outcome after employing the most advanced techniques of that era.

Thus she drifts through the mountains, unaware of what truly happened to her tomb and uncertain of her future.

Drifting along, Zi Yuan traveled from Si Hun Shan to Wang Gu Lin, where she met Wang Wu.

He was the first sentient being Zi Yuan saw after leaving the tomb; she had no particular thoughts about him at the time, yet the fellow proactively lunged at her.

When Wang Wu kissed her, Zi Yuan did not reject him.

Because she didn't know what to do then; she even wasn't sure if she was still alive in that state.

Until she felt the warmth of his lips, and…

In short, that's how it happened.

Whether in the Yin Shang or today's Great Zhou, people have no particular expectations regarding a woman's chastity.

Zi Yuan doesn't place much importance on this, and she doesn't dislike her feelings toward Wang Wu.

Beyond appearance, another reason is that she can sense a very pleasant aura emanating from Wang Wu.

She doesn't know what it is, but the feeling makes her comfortable and gives her an innate closeness to Wang Wu.

It was her first experience, a subtle sensation that briefly gave her the feeling of "being alive."

But that's all there was to it.

If it were only that once, Zi Yuan's feelings for Wang Wu would indeed be just the "fleeting romance" she mentioned.

She originally intended to do just that.

But in Si Hun Shan, the time spent in the tomb wasn't that pleasant.

When leaving the body, that void feeling tormented her.

Yet after returning to the body, the ever‑rising torrent of demonic nature would wildly devour her reason, trying to drag her fully into the boundless black sea.

Whenever this happened, she couldn't help but think of Wang Wu, recalling what occurred that day.

Thus the incident repeated a second, third, fourth time, and countless more thereafter.

She originally didn't have any special feelings for Wang Wu, after all they couldn't speak the same language.

But body language is still a form of language.

Each time she locked eyes with him, each time he gently brushed her cheek, each time she felt within…

A sweet emotion began to gradually sprout deep within her soul, accompanying every encounter and every gaze.

Every affectionate caress, every climax of soul, spirit, and flesh.

That feeling would continuously expand along with it.

Of course, if it were only that, it wouldn't be enough to give Zi Yuan such a complex and profound feeling for Wang Wu.

The first major warming of emotions between her and Wang Wu began when she started sharing some of her memory images with him.

Wang Wu would respond accordingly to the things she shared with him.

Sometimes it was a teasing "punishment" of affection after being teased, other times it was genuine pride and joy over his past achievements.

There was also the immense anger and sorrow when he was offered as a sacrificial victim.

At that moment, seeing Wang Wu's compassionate gaze and being tightly embraced by him.

Zi Yuan suddenly felt her non‑existent heart seem to beat at that instant.

Sweetness, joy, and an indescribable emotional flutter.

From that moment on, her feelings for Wang Wu rose to a new level, and each subsequent interaction deepened them further.

When Wang Wu began learning the language she used and started communicating verbally, her feelings grew even more intense and scorching.

She thought she could continue like this forever; such days might be quite nice.

Until one day, as winter grew deeper.

She broke free from that pitch‑black ocean and suddenly realized one thing:

She might soon be unable to hold on.

In the end, she is already a corpse. In the end, her body continues to deteriorate.

Even though the celestial instrument of the Heavenly Court sliced her soul from her flesh, allowing her to detach from the body and greatly slow the erosion of demonic corruption.

But the body and the soul cannot be completely separated; perhaps ordinary people, or cultivators of other systems, can.

But she is a demon, already merged with demonic transformation; her soul is deeply entangled with her body and can no longer be separated.

"I am a demon…"

Zi Yuan's blood‑tears slid down her cheek, then Wang Wu gently wiped them away.

"I am a demon cultivator who died long ago; my soul should have rotted and fallen into the boundless Sea of Demons. Only by relying on a spiritual artifact of the Heavenly Court to split soul from flesh have I barely clung to life until now."

"But I, but I…" Zi Yuan sobbed, "I am about to, about to can't hold on…"

A fingertip gently pressed on Zi Yuan's lips, silencing her.

"No." Wang Wu looked at her and said:

"You won't become like that."

As he spoke, Wang Wu's body also began to change.

His face began to twist and deform, then burst open, replaced by a newly formed exoskeleton.

His body swelled, expanded, and finally burst apart.

A massive torso emerged from the shattered skin, bearing a hard exoskeleton and dense bundles of thick muscle fibers.

It also had backward‑curving horns, dark‑red eyes, and a golden rhombic crystal at the center of its forehead.

Large bone segments on its back unfolded, spreading membranous wings that glowed like orange flames.

When the transformation ended, a torrent of demonic aura surged from Wang Wu's body.

Zi Yuan stared at Wang Wu, feeling the impact of that aura, her expression blank.

It was a demon, a true demon.

Just like those demon generals, just like those demon gods.

But…

It is also Wang Wu.

This is not Zi Yuan's first time seeing Wang Wu's transformed form, but it is the first time she feels such a massive demonic aura on his true self.

"You… you…" Zi Yuan stared blankly at Wang Wu, "You are…"

"Heavenly Demon." Wang Wu spat the two words from his mouth full of sharp fangs.

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Master, master save me! Master! Master, are you there?】

【You sent a window shake to Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le】

While speaking with Zi Yuan, Wang Wu was frantically messaging his master. As a fellow demon cultivator, Wang Wu had a certain understanding of Zi Yuan's current condition.

Obviously, after truly seeing a demon cultivator's body in this world, Wang Wu realized just how potent his cultivated Heavenly Demon Vajra Body truly was.

The so‑called "feeding the demon with one's body, transforming the body into a demon" among this world's demon cultivators is literally what it says.

Although they can indeed retain reason after demonic transformation—maintaining sanity by constantly devouring demonic nature—the root of the demon remains, and they have never truly achieved a demon body.

They merely coexist with the demon, not fully control it.

It's akin to having cancer and, after treatment, reaching a "balanced state"—not true cure, just a fragile equilibrium that can be easily shattered.

As for the demon technique in the Assassin Brother World, it is the true "Demon Transformation": "I am the demon, the demon is me."

The Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect, as an orthodox demon… and a major school with outstanding achievements in controlling inner demons, Wang Wu believes his master certainly has a way to handle this.

So, while learning about Zi Yuan's condition, Wang Wu's mind already began frantically calling his master.

One must say that Master Qin still values his disciple, because he didn't keep Wang Wu waiting long before replying.

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: What's up, disciple?】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Master, I have a situation here.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: I have a friend who practices a demon technique from an unknown sect, claiming to feed the demon with his body, transform his body into a demon, and once the demonic nature fully matures, swallow it to become a true demon.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: But in reality, this so‑called true demon transformation is merely symbiosis with the demon; if an accident occurs, the wildly amplified demonic nature will devour it.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Monster, my friend's body has developed issues, so now he faces this outcome. He should have fully demonicized long ago, but having used some technique to separate soul from flesh, he is now only half‑demonized.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Her body has already become partially malformed from demonic transformation, yet her mind remains very clear. I really want to save her, master, do you have any good method?】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: This is the question?】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Uh, yes.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Just let her continue the normal process, isn't that the cultivation path of the Heavenly Demon Body?】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: She can't even remember how she cultivated? Let her accept the transformation, become a demon, and when the demon body fully matures, completely swallow and digest the demonic nature—that solves it.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: But she can't do that, master; she can't, after being completely devoured by the Heavenly Demon, fight back.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Huh? Which worthless sect can't do this? What are internal cultivation methods for? Forget it, just give her some assistance.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Merge your sea of consciousness into hers, intertwining your souls; when she is being devoured, protect her. Once fully demonicized, help her completely devour the Heavenly Demon.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: However, if you two aren't that close, I suggest you wait; I'll send you an urgent heart‑protecting pill this afternoon, specifically for this.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Anyway, if the relationship isn't especially close, I don't recommend it. After all, the other party is a woman, which could get you into legal trouble; such intimacy is too much.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: But I guess you two are quite close, so you probably don't need to worry about that; just go ahead and do it.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: If you're not familiar with the procedure, consult the textbook, Heart Method chapter, page 73, entry five, on rescuing those who have entered demonic cultivation.】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Also, to reiterate, our sect does not practice demon techniques; we follow the righteous path of the Buddhist lineage.】

【Mountain Top Cave Monster: Uh, thank you, master.】

Interrupting his chat with his master, Wang Wu's gaze returned to reality. Though a flood of words ran through his mind, less than two seconds had actually passed in the real world.

At that moment, Zi Yuan had just snapped out of her daze.

"Don't be afraid," Wang Wu said softly, looking at Zi Yuan. "I can help you if you are willing to trust me. I will stay with you, I will always stay with you, until the very end."

"I…" Zi Yuan stared blankly at Wang Wu, then gave a faint smile.

"I am willing too."

"Then let's begin." Wang Wu's spinal bone tail behind him reached over Zi Yuan's head and immediately pierced her brow.

It may look a bit perverse, but that's exactly how the cultivation manual teaches it; Wang Wu is merely following the tutorial for the procedure.

When the brow is pierced, an endless darkness surges instantly, a darkness many times deeper than the black sea that envelops Zi Yuan's soul, causing Zi Yuan's spirit to tremble with instinctive revulsion.

"Do not resist." But immediately, Wang Wu's voice rang within Zi Yuan's sea of consciousness:

"Accept it, contain it, become one with it, become one with me."

The black liquid began rapidly corroding the only pure spot in Zi Yuan's spiritual realm, turning the last speck of pristine white completely black, adhering to her body and tightly enveloping her.

Zi Yuan's consciousness started to blur and melt, and a thought kept arising in her mind:

"Why not just fall asleep here? Never wake again?"

"Why not just sink here? Never rise again?"

"Is that so?" Zi Yuan's gaze was vacant, "Why not just fall asleep, forever—"

"Zi Yuan." But at that moment a voice sounded. The voice was like a surge of stimulant, making her abruptly open her eyes, yet endless darkness still filled her sight.

Zi Yuan could see nothing.

"Zi Yuan."

Another call sounded, the voice growing nearer as if right before her eyes. Yet Zi Yuan still saw nothing, could discern nothing.

Until a hand emerged from the darkness and firmly grasped her.

"So it's here." Wang Wu's voice rang, bringing Zi Yuan's mind—on the brink of slipping back into chaotic oblivion—back to clarity.

"Wu, Wu Lang?" Zi Yuan opened her mouth, looking at the darkness before her, calling out to Wang Wu.

"I'm here." Wang Wu's voice sounded beside her ears.

Immediately, Zi Yuan felt warmth on one cheek, and her whole body was drawn into a warm embrace.

"It's fine." Wang Wu's voice said, "I'm holding you; I'll keep holding you, it's fine."

"Very soon, it won't take long."

At that moment, when Wang Wu's voice sounded, despite still being in boundless darkness, Zi Yuan's mind was exceptionally clear.

She could feel Wang Wu's warm embrace, the slightly rough stubble on his chin, and his strong arm.

"Will we be together like this forever?"

In the darkness, Zi Yuan asked.

"No, you'll soon see the light again." Wang Wu answered with a smile.

"But this place is so boring." Zi Yuan shifted comfortably, her head gently rubbing against her lover's chest behind her.

"Then let me tell you a story."

Beyond the sea of consciousness, the real world.

Before the demonized Wang Wu stood a human‑shaped figure whose original form was completely unrecognizable. Its body was swallowed and covered by black liquid, which continuously writhed beneath it.

It was like the pulse of a newly born life. It seemed a new shell was continuously developing, quietly awaiting to break out.

Time passed second by second: one hour, ten hours, twenty‑four hours.

Forty‑eight hours.

Until the seventy‑second hour.

Within the sea of consciousness, darkness still reigned; panting heavily, Zi Yuan lay atop Wang Wu, her fingers continuously drawing circles on his chest.

She could see nothing, so she devoted herself entirely to feeling, to perceiving each merging. It was the blending of souls; though detached from the flesh, it remained exquisitely beautiful.

"It's time."

Wang Wu's voice suddenly sounded, startling Zi Yuan. Then, sudden daylight replaced the darkness that seemed endless, revealing everything.

Her spirit at that moment became exceptionally clear and unimpeded. An unspeakable joy surged from the deepest part of her soul, making her buoyant and elated.

She took light steps, began to run in this immaculate space, continuously calling out to Wang Wu:

"Wu Lang!"

"Wu Lang!!"

"Wu—...!"

But the next moment, the world slipped back into darkness; the daylight that had appeared vanished in an instant.

The body at that instant plummeted rapidly, becoming unbearably heavy.

"Wu Lang—!!"

Zi Yuan let out a startled cry.

"I'm here."

The voice sounded again, and her fall halted at the same time. She could clearly feel herself being gently supported by a pair of strong arms.

"Wu Lang!!" She felt immense joy again, leapt from Wang Wu's arm, turned, and tried to pull him into her embrace.

But this time, she missed again.

"Time to wake up, Yuan'er."

Wang Wu's voice sounded again, but this time it seemed somewhat distant. At the same time, Zi Yuan realized she seemed to have entered a new vessel.

It was unfamiliar, yet perfectly fitting, incredibly warm, and exceedingly familiar.

"Open your eyes, Zi Yuan."

Wang Wu's voice called.

"Open your eyes, welcome your rebirth."

Amid the repeated calls, Zi Yuan's body began to melt, dissolving into this warm darkness.

She opened her eyes.

"Wu Lang…?"

Looking at the now somewhat short man before him, at the instant he saw him, the imprint and trace that had previously been left upon his soul were instantly fully released within the new body.

It was boundless joy, and love that penetrated deep into the soul.

"You have truly become a demon now," Wang Wu said, looking at the brand‑new Zi Yuan, and gave a slight smile. Then he took a standing mirror from his spatial ring and placed it before Zi Yuan.

When Zi Yuan saw herself in the mirror, she was instantly startled.

Black skin covered with feathers and scales, a body with perfect curves and muscles, curved horns, and dark‑green eyes.

And a face that still bore the features of her original appearance.

"This is…" Zi Yuan said, looking at the mirror and gently stroking her cheek.

"Your demonic form," Wang Wu said, looking at the 2.2‑meter‑tall Zi Yuan with a smile. "You can also revert to a human body and condense your demonic aura. Just let your thoughts flow."

As his words finished, Zi Yuan's body began to change rapidly, shrinking. In the end, the original Zi Yuan appeared before Wang Wu.

Apparently Zi Yuan's transformation does not automatically restore clothing; her corpse actually had garments on, though the initial body was in pieces.

But now it was certainly gone.

"Wu Lang!!"

Zi Yuan lunged forward and grabbed Wang Wu in a tight embrace.

"I, I…"

Her words did not come out, because her mouth was blocked.

A moment later, the two separated, and Wang Wu, looking at the former Shang princess with flushed cheeks before him, asked softly:

"Zi Yuan, could you, could you…"

"Could you change back first?"

Hearing Wang Wu's words, Zi Yuan was first startled, then let out a light laugh.

"Alright."

In short, time jumps to when a line of demons and monsters left the Great Tomb.

There was hardly anything left in Zi Yuan's tomb; there had indeed been some items that could be taken, but Wang Wu wasn't very interested in those trinkets, so he gave up.

However, upon leaving, Zi Yuan also told Wang Wu the meaning of the patterns on the ceiling of her tomb.

The first point was that the people of the Shang Dynasty were not alien immigrants.

(End of chapter)