Chapter 1227: I've Been Waiting for You

When the last trace of demonic energy was swallowed and annihilated by the vortex, the gray vortex also slowly dissipated. Han Wuxian hovered in midair, his stature trembling on the verge of collapse, his face as pale as paper, his breath weakened to the extreme. Yet he ultimately managed to block this fatal strike!

The demonic cave altar lost its energy core and instantly collapsed; within the valley, the demonic aura bolstering all Netherworld Sect cultivators vanished abruptly, and their breath plummeted!

"Alliance Lord, mighty! Kill!" morale of the Demonic-Extermination Alliance surged, and they seized the moment to launch a counterattack!

Deprived of their power source and awed by Han Wuxian's astonishing means, the Netherworld Sect cultivators immediately collapsed and were soon completely wiped out.

The battle ended, the valley lay in disarray, corpses littered the wilderness, and most of the bodies were those of the Demonic-Extermination Alliance cultivators.

Qing Lin and Xiao Ran swiftly flew to Han Wuxian's side, supporting his nearly exhausted body.

"Master!"

"Fellow Daoist Han!"

Han Wuxian waved his hand, swallowed several pills hastily brought by Wang Tie, barely stabilized his injuries, and gazed past the Weeping Demon Valley toward the nearby heart of the Netherworld Sect where demonic aura was thickest.

Though victorious at great cost in the Battle of the Weeping Demon Valley, the Demonic-Extermination Alliance also paid a heavy price: many wounded, morale briefly high then inevitably tinged with solemnity and heaviness due to the proximity of the demonic abyss. Han Wuxian forcibly devoured and annihilated the energy of the demonic cave's self-destruction; his viscera and soul were shaken, and even after taking the pills meticulously refined by Wang Tie, he could not quickly recover to peak condition.

The army temporarily rested on a relatively open patch of gravel at the valley's exit. Ahead, the majestic and ferocious mountain gate of the Netherworld Sect could be clearly seen—an archway built from countless huge skeletons, towering a thousand zhang high, its doors seemingly forged from congealed black blood, surface flowing with a dark red luster, exuding a suffocating pressure and foul aura. Beyond the gate, demonic clouds gathered most densely, like a suspended black ocean, roiling and surging, within which countless distorted faces and sharp soul-spikes could be faintly seen.

The radiance of the Ice Heart Pure Spirit Formation here had been compressed to cover only the core team, its light dim, like a candle in the wind. The pervasive "I Desire" will had nearly solidified, constantly trying to pierce everyone's sea of consciousness, stirring their deepest greed, fear, and delusion. Even with the formation's protection, everyone must constantly circulate their heart method, tightly guard their mind, to barely resist.

"Alliance Lord, the demonic aura ahead far exceeds expectations. Yan Buji must already be fully prepared." Wang Tie took Han Wuxian's pulse again, brows furrowed, "Your condition…… would it not be better for us to set up a formation here and hold fast, to discuss a long-term plan?"

Han Wuxian slowly shook his head, his gaze piercing the bone mountain gate to stare deep into the demonic clouds. "There is no time left. Yan Buji's aura is constantly rising and condensing; he is preparing something. If we wait for him to finish, we will have no chance." He rose to his feet; though his face remained pale, his spine was ramrod straight, a resolute will spreading: "This battle has no retreat, only forward."

He looked at the troops behind him, who had rested briefly, their eyes weary yet more resolute, and declared loudly: "Friends, ahead lies the heart of the demonic abyss, where Yan Buji awaits. This journey is nine deaths to one life. If anyone feels fear, you may leave now; I bear no grudge, and I am grateful for your companionship all the way."

The field fell silent. After a moment, Xiao Ran stepped forward, sword pointed at the mountain gate, his voice hoarse yet ringing: "The way of the sword cultivator is to break rather than bend! Xiao Ran wishes to follow the Alliance Lord, to slay demons and eradicate evil, even if death brings no regret!"

"Qing Lin vows to follow the Master unto death!" the girl gripped her spear tightly, eyes clear and resolute.

"The Hundred Herbs Valley endures, saving the world and healing the people, we must also exterminate demons and uphold the Dao! This old bone of mine will follow the Alliance Lord into this dragon's pool and tiger's den!" Wang Tie's beard and hair bristled.

"The Flowing Cloud Alliance concurs!"

"The Xun Wind Valley is willing to go!"

"The Heavenly Craft Sect will share life and death with you all!"

Resolute voices rose one after another, none retreating. After baptism by blood and fire, the will of this Demonic-Extermination Alliance had become as immovable as a boulder.

"Good!" Han Wuxian's eyes flashed with a hint of relief and resolve, "Then——level the demonic abyss!"

He said no more, transforming first into a streak of gray light that shot toward the enormous bone mountain gate. Xiao Ran and Qing Lin followed closely, Wang Tie and Elder Li etc. providing central support; the entire Demonic-Extermination Alliance resembled moths rushing into flames, bearing an unstoppable, tragic momentum as they charged toward the final battlefield.

Just as the army approached within a thousand zhang of the mountain gate, the doors forged from congealed black blood suddenly surged violently! The dark red luster on the gates flared, writhing like a living thing, and a cold, majestic voice filled with endless desire and authority, as if billions of beings screamed simultaneously in one's ears, boomed across heaven and earth:

"Welcome……to……my……'Desire Demon Realm'!"

As the voice faded, the bone mountain gate boomed open! Not a physical opening, but as if a curtain of the world had been lifted! Beyond the gate was no longer a simple mountain vista, but a bizarre, law-twisted, fantastical space!

The sky was ever-shifting hues of desire, the ground paved with countless struggling, wailing souls; mountains, rivers, and streams were all condensed from negative emotions such as greed, anger, and lust! Here, Yan Buji, wielding supreme demonic arts and the "I Desire" Grand Dao, had forcibly twisted reality's laws to forge his own domain—the Desire Demon Realm!

The moment one set foot here, everyone, including Han Wuxian, felt their very existence about to be assimilated and devoured by this omnipresent desire law! The Ice Heart Pure Spirit Formation emitted a groan of being overburdened, its light shield flickered violently, and its range shrank sharply once more!

"Hold steady!" Han Wuxian shouted low, his Return to the Void force field expanding to the utmost, forcibly carving out a patch of gray "pure land" within this twisted demon realm, though the protected area was limited.

Deep within the demon realm, amidst the churning demonic clouds, a huge throne formed of white bones and desire slowly rose. Upon the throne sat a figure.

He was not the imagined blue-faced, fanged demon lord, but rather resembled an ordinary person, clad in dark gold dragon-patterned black robes, his visage handsome to the point of eeriness, a pair of deep eyes seemingly containing whirlpools of all worldly desires; merely meeting his gaze made one's mind sway, unable to hold steady. Simply by sitting there, he seemed the heart and sovereign of this demon realm, endless desire power worshipping and converging upon him.

This was Yan Buji's true self!

His gaze crossed the void and fell directly upon Han Wuxian, carrying a hint of playfulness, a hint of appreciation, and moreover a hint of aloof indifference from above.

"Han Wuxian……you have finally come. I, have waited for you a long time." His voice rang directly in Han Wuxian's mind, laden with bewitching magic, "The Return to the Void Dao is indeed profound; to have reached this point, you are not bad. Alas, you ultimately do not understand that 'I Desire' is the most primordial, most powerful force in this world. All beings suffer, all because of desire. And I, grasp desire."