Chapter 349: When the Mirror

Brother Qian Chen seized a fragment of the badger demon's primordial spiritual essence, gripped its nape, and shoved its face against the Demon-Reflecting Mirror.

The flowing runes upon the water-mirror's surface forcibly drew in its true form.

The badger demon shrieked in agony, its head swaying as it conjured countless afterimages—its skull shifting between the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's visage, other wolf demons, and its own original form, each shadow reflected clearly in the mirror.

Countless piercing howls erupted from the badger demon's mouth.

It sounded as if hundreds of thousands of voices screamed their most shrill, agonized cries at once.

Yet Brother Qian Chen remained unmoved; he pressed the badger demon's face against the mirror, and within its glowing spiritual light, the demon's entire face adhered to the water-mirror's surface.

Then, as if melting, its face slowly squeezed itself into the mirror.

This divine art, crafted by human transcendents specifically to target demons, inflicted excruciating pain upon the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's fragment, causing its true body, locked in battle with Seeing Yan Shu, to stagger and nearly collapse.

The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang wailed: "What do you intend to do?!"

"Kill me—what benefit is that to you? We could easily join forces and destroy the Kong Que Great Ming King!"

"Your people have clung to life this long thanks to my mercy—without me, your race will perish sooner! Stop! I'm willing to cooperate with you!"

Brother Qian Chen tilted his head.

He gazed at the half-human, half-wolf shadow of the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang reflected in the mirror, and at the countless blood-stained human faces swirling in the crimson glow behind it.

Brother Qian Chen said calmly: "Saving your race is not our mission. Eradicating you all is."

Brother Qian Chen cast his spell, and the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's shadow within the mirror shattered into countless specks of light. As the mirror slowly rotated, these specks expanded, gradually transforming into distinct figures…

A lone wolf sprinting across the plains, howling at the moon.

A stray dog wandering through ancient ruins, growling at mass graves, its eyes blood-red and radiating malice.

A pack of roaming wolves… the mirror's surface filled with more and more wolf shadows: wolf-demons with human bodies drinking with other demons; diligent little wolf-demons patrolling, their green eyes glowing like lanterns in the dark.

Packs of wolves, wolf-demons resting in great tents, wolves slaughtering villages and selecting humans to feast upon—over half the mirror's light points were wolves.

Others were other demonic beasts.

A bull-demon swinging a massive hammer to forge weapons; a fox-spirit dressed in human robes, fluttering on a red pavilion to lure patrons; a rat-demon carrying a small bundle, burrowing underground to steal; a pig-demon selling meat, with several human heads laid upon his cutting board; a weasel-demon running a shop, trading goods…

The demon realm was not merely a wasteland of savagery—it teemed with diverse occupations and all manner of demons.

Even humans appeared in the mirror: emaciated elders curled in underground caves, shivering from cold; Mengdong children, seven years old yet unable to speak, their eyes clouded with bestial ignorance.

There were also resolute human cultivators, wearing demonic hides and blending into demon cities.

A cultivator from Guzhu Kingdom, meditating in seclusion, laboriously drawing in a thin trickle of spiritual energy to nurture a faint vital spark—his cultivation base was weaker than that of some Qi-refining mortals in the Earth Immortal Realm.

There were also human cultivators clad in ritual robes, of high status, standing in a pavilion illuminated by bright pearls, the chamber adorned with lavish furnishings. He turned as someone called: "Master Hua! Spies report unusual activity in the demon realm!"

…………

Brother Qian Chen waved his hand—the Demon-Reflecting Mirror's spiritual light suddenly illuminated the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's myriad fragmentary spiritual essences, and then, a flickering blade of light surged forth, brimming with boundless slaughter and annihilation.

The sword qi was razor-sharp, unstoppable, locking onto every single one of the myriad reflections within the mirror.

The blade of light slashed out as a single thread.

Only then did the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's true body feel a strange dread; its myriad fragmentary spiritual essences simultaneously screamed warnings, as if facing the ultimate terror of death—countless waves of fear surged through every spiritual fragment, instantly overwhelming it.

"No!"

The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang screamed in terror.

Ignoring the searing pain of spiritual depletion, it forged its vast spiritual essence into the most venomous spiritual spear and lunged toward Brother Qian Chen—but Seeing Yan Shu had already raised his right hand, index and middle fingers held together like a sword.

At his fingertips, a sword qi hovered, unsheathed, like a divine blade sealed for ten thousand years, now thirsting once more for enemy blood, its rust stripped away—yet a trace of blood-rust still clung to the blade, preventing its full icy radiance from shining forth.

A warning pierced the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's mind: if it struck with this spear, it would die too.

It hastily reversed the Spirit-Shattering Spear and thrust it toward Seeing Yan Shu.

Seeing Yan Shu felt a red-hot iron rod rammed into his skull—unending agony surged through him, making even his iron bones tremble, and his sword qi teetered on the brink of shattering.

Seeing Yan Shu gritted his teeth; the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang sensed a sliver of hope and charged at him without regard for its own life.

If it seized this man, it still had a chance.

Perhaps it could even kill him.

Yet at this moment, Seeing Yan Shu's spiritual sense, grievously wounded and beginning to dissolve in agony, burst into wild laughter—when his spirit was about to collapse, his unyielding, razor-sharp sword heart blazed with absolute clarity.

He trembled as he raised his hand, fingers forming a sword point…

The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang felt hope within reach—once it controlled this man, its cunning and schemes could still unfold. These three clearly shared deep bonds; threatening this giant's life, as it had done before…

Threatening the lives of worthless mortals in the city to break the resolve of the Golden Body monk, forcing even a cultivator of staggering power to surrender helplessly.

Threatening the young son of the Tongming Sect's patriarch to disrupt his focus mid-battle, seizing the opening.

But at that instant, a glimmer of cold light bloomed between Seeing Yan Shu's fingers.

Seeing Yan Shu roared: "Remnant demon spawn—kill!"

He thrust his fingers like a sword into the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's third eye—"Zheng!"—the sword embryo within his qi sea, honed through relentless trials, suddenly shed all rust, revealing its icy brilliance.

A staggering sword intent slashed forth; a crimson line stretched from the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's long snout to its brow, then cleanly split its spine, extending all the way to its tail.

As the sword light cut, Seeing Yan Shu felt his blade slow, bound by countless restraints, entangled by invisible threads.

The primordial qi of heaven and earth, all manner of tribulations, countless demonic illusions and yin demons.

At this moment, as the sword intent vanished, it turned and recoiled against him.

His qi sea was hollow, stripped of its sword embryo's anchoring power, devoid of any magic force—Seeing Yan Shu was as fragile as a mortal child, as if a single finger could topple him. This emptiness, this loss of the cultivator's very foundation, made Seeing Yan Shu instinctively wish to retract his sword qi.

But in this instant, his unwavering resolve, fearless determination, absolute finality, piercing sharpness, and profound enlightenment…

All poured into this single sword strike, cleaving through every obstacle before him—whether the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang, or his own fear and hesitation.

A blinding sword light surged skyward; the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's body split cleanly from head to tail, collapsing left and right. A Dou -sized demonic core, faintly shimmering with lunar radiance, leapt from the severed carcass and shot straight into the heavens.

But Brother Qian Chen, long prepared for this moment, had already cast his sword light into the mirror, slicing through every speck of light, every fragment, every shadow.

The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's reflection within the Demon-Reflecting Mirror was severed by this sword.

Its countless fragments scattered across the world instantly shattered, all cut down.

In a village of Guzhu Kingdom, a fanged wolf-demon grinned as it approached a household; a trembling father clutched his daughter, covering her eyes, weeping silently in despair.

The wolf-demon's face twisted into a human-like smile, as if ready to snatch the girl from the father's arms and savor his anguish.

But at that moment, a blade of light appeared in the wolf-demon's eyes.

It extinguished all its vitality; its green eyes dimmed instantly, and the wolf-demon collapsed before them.

Throughout the entire village, every wolf-demon suddenly fell, like puppets with severed strings. The remaining wolf-demons, bewildered and terrified, fled with tails tucked, whimpering.

The father slowly lowered his hand from his daughter's innocent eyes, staring in stunned silence.

The bull-demon hammering weapons in the forge.

The fox-spirit on the red pavilion.

The pig-demon butcher, the rat-demon thief.

The lone wolf on the wasteland, the stray dog among the graves…

At this moment, each of them saw a blade of light reflected in their eyes—their souls were severed by that same sword. Everywhere in the demon capital, demons collapsed mid-step, one after another, dying simultaneously.

The entire demon capital fell silent.

In a gilded palace, a handsome man seated upon the throne paused, setting down the golden cup he had been playing with. A faint, thoughtful smile appeared on his flawless, inhuman face.

Below, the demon ministers exchanged glances, uncertain what had happened.

Yet at that instant, several great demons collapsed onto their wine tables; even several dancing demon women in the courtyard fell without a sound. The great demons grew unnerved.

The boar-demon Nu'erchi slammed his cup down, voice trembling: "Poison! It's poison!"

Huang Ji kicked him, and an ancient tortoise-demon rose shakily, bowing toward the man on the throne: "Great Ming King, what is this?"

The Kong Que Great Ming King burst into laughter—a clear, resonant sound like shattering jade, echoing through the hall. He swept his sleeve and rose to his feet: "Nothing… these are all puppets inhabited by the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's fragments."

The tortoise-demon trembled further, his black cap shaking: "Great Ming King, the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang controls so many demons? Is he planning rebellion?"

"He dares not!" The Kong Que Great Ming King twirled his cup between fingers like carved jade, then flung the dregs with a laugh: "And the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang is already dead—hence his puppets all collapsed at once!"

At that moment, the entire hall erupted; the demon ministers stared around in shock: "The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang is dead?"

"Impossible! Who could kill the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang?"

"Quiet… the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang harbored treason—his death is only natural!" a demon whispered, glancing fearfully at the Kong Que King.

"Relax… I didn't kill him."

The Kong Que King turned, offering the demons a back that made them feel ashamed, and said: "He was slain by a single sword strike. That sword light… it's been three hundred years since I last saw it!"

"A human sword cultivator?"

The Kong Que Great Ming King stepped straight out of the hall, gazing at the waning moon, surrounded by wild grass and flowers.

Inside, the Great Ming Palace still retained traces of past splendor—but stepping outside, the demons, lacking human ingenuity—or perhaps simply indifferent to nature's wildness—saw nothing amiss in the overgrown garden. The seasonal blooms had long withered; the garden was a ruin.

The Kong Que King stood in this ruined garden, gazing at the serene moonlight above.

A faint smile touched his lips; he extended a finger toward the moonlight, lost in self-pity, glancing back—his shadow cast upon the ground formed the shape of a peacock with a feathered crown.

"How many years since I last saw that sword light? Don't let me… grow too lonely."

…………

In Guzhu Kingdom's council hall, an elder said solemnly: "The Kong Que Great Ming King intends to strike at the Spirit King. Had it not been for the Spirit King's protection, our people would have perished long ago! Whether we wish it or not, we must fight this war!"

"If we lose this battle, we shall follow our ancestors into death."

"Little Liu…" a slow, calm voice echoed from the rear hall: "Without me, your people would not perish. Qiongming Realm is but one realm—in other places, countless human transcendents still live. As long as they endure, your people's hope remains."

A bear with a gentle face, black-rimmed eyes, pure white body, and black limbs stepped slowly from the rear hall.

Its broad face was kind, free of any anxiety over impending calamity, calm and benevolent.

The bamboo bear sat down on the floor.

All human cultivators in the hall bowed their heads: "Spirit King!"

"Take my descendants away," it said slowly, turning back: "I will wait here for the Kong Que. To kill me, it will need at least sixty years to recover its primordial energy—use this chance to flee far away."

"Spirit King!" the elder said gravely.

At that moment, the Bamboo Bear suddenly turned back in surprise: a middle-aged man atop the hall collapsed, then a second, then a third—in an instant, six figures in the hall died without a sound.

The cultivators in the hall were seized by panic, instantly tensing as they raised various magic treasures.

"True Person Hua!"

"Has the Kong Que Great Ming King arrived?"

"What trickery is the demon race plotting now?"

The Bamboo Bear spoke slowly: "Don't panic—these are all the split spirits of that old wolf…"

"The Split Spirit of the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang?"

"No wonder no matter where we hid, the wolves always tracked us down!"

"If the Spirit King knows this, then why?"

"Because that old wolf doesn't want to exterminate the human race! Without using it to restrain the Kong Que Great Ming King, how could the Guzhu Kingdom still exist?" the lead elder said solemnly.

"But!" someone cried in grief and fury: "It killed so many of our people…"

The elder's face twisted into a bitter smile: "Wasn't my only daughter also killed by this demon? For the survival of our race, we must endure this!"

The Bamboo Bear counted the humans and nodded: "So there are six after all!"

"I only found four…"

At that moment, someone outside the hall reported: "True Persons, many of our brethren have suddenly died outside!"

"Good riddance!" someone snarled: "Get out!"

"That old wolf was the hardest to kill among us, next to the Kong Que—yet it's dead too!" the Zhi Tie Spirit King sighed. Black-and-white energy rose from its body, swirling like a Primordial Taiji, then quickly dissipated.

The Spirit King spoke slowly: "The calamity has finally reached a turning point."

"The moment you've been waiting for has come!"

But no one heard these words anymore.

The news that the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang was dead struck like thunder, plunging the hall into silence. Even though all were Golden Core elders, those few simple words sent waves of shock through them, leaving them speechless.

………

Brother Qian Chen dismissed the Demon-Reflecting Mirror and retracted his life-bound flying sword, then turned and bowed to Seeing Yan Shu before him: "Congratulations, Yan Yan Shixiong. Your Golden Core is of the highest grade—your Dao path now lies open, and your sword path remains unbroken!"

Ning Ning Qingchen and Si Princess Qingcheng also bowed respectfully, sincerely: "Congratulations, Yan Yan Shixiong Yan, on forming a Grade-One Golden Core and stepping onto the Dao!"

"Don't say the Dao is hard to attain—it's merely that your effort hasn't reached its peak."

"Drink a hundred cups without restraint, drifting east and west, finding your own way."

"The sun's essence unites with the moon's radiance, and a pearl of light rises forth."

"I never betray the Three Lights, nor any man; I never deceive the spirits, nor the poor."

"Ha!" Seeing Yan Shu sang aloud. When the song ended, he let out a long laugh, retracted his sword pearl, and gave a simple bow: "I've taken the first step—may my junior brothers and sisters catch up soon!"

Ning Ning Qingchen said: "We won't let you monopolize the glory!"

Brother Qian Chen plucked the Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang's demonic core, gathered the massive wolf bones, and turned: "The Wise Zhi Zhi Lang Wang had countless split spirits—its death will alarm many demons. Let's leave here and prepare a feast to celebrate Yan Yan Shixiong Yan's Golden Core formation."

"Shall we drink a few cups?"

Seeing Yan Shu, having slain the wolf demon and finally vented his rage, smiled as well.