Chapter 139: End of the Main Story

"Is... is it over?"

A cultivator reacted sluggishly, wiping his face.

The evil spirits had dissipated, as if their souls had completely vanished from the world. A clear, cold sword intent lingered faintly in mid-air. Sometimes, things don't need to be over-analyzed—for example, the fact that the Demon Lord was a cultivator, not a demonic practitioner.

Spiritual energy, no longer concealed, rippled outward in every direction.

This... this... Although there had been no definitive news proving that Zora, who had left the sect, practiced demonic arts, everyone had assumed it. This sudden lack of concealment left everyone dazed for a moment.

Where in the world does a cultivator become the head of the demonic practitioners...?

Some cultivators nervously peeked at the surrounding demonic practitioners—only to find them retracting their demonic Qi and raising their arms in cheers as if nothing had happened.

"The Demon Lord is invincible!"

"Long live the Demon Lord! The undisputed head of cultivation!"

"The Demon Lord is amazing!"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"

"Ahhhhhhhh wuaaaaaa!"

The lack of a unified slogan resulted in a chaotic mess of cheers from various levels of literacy.

Cultivators: "..."

Wait... if they didn't hear wrong, did someone just smoothly compare the Demon Lord to other cultivators?!

While cleaning up the remnants of the arrays and helping the injured, Yiling Ke said solemnly, "Because she is too powerful, can anything be accepted?"

Indeed, this outbreak of evil spirits was a battle that truly made a name for itself. This was the perfect moment to shed the disguise.

the array master beside her scratched his head: "Uh... I really didn't expect the Demon Lord didn't practice demonic arts."

Another injured man lying down muttered, "It's because they're afraid of death. After all, she's a Demon Lord who fought her way up through sheer slaughter."

Certain elders of the December Sect were even more incredulous: "How is this possible?"

Why does the path of the Dao and immortality have so-called moral shackles? It's not out of hypocrisy or a good heart, but because those murderous intents and slaughters truly affect one's Dao heart.

Contending for spiritual tools or plants is a normal martial struggle, regardless of life or death. Even the harm caused by base-minded cultivators cannot compare to the rivers of blood shed by a Demon Lord. No matter how selfish or fond of slandering others a cultivator is, it is much better than slaughter.

Cold-hearted individuals do not love blood and do not typically kill their own kind. Killing to the point of numbness is a precursor to a cracked Dao heart.

How many cultivators fall to heart demons? How many face stagnant or even regressing cultivation due to a damaged Dao heart? How many know something shouldn't be done, yet do it anyway under a delusion, only to find it's too late when they look back?

But looking at the Demon Lord's spiritual power in the distance, it was clearly devoid of any haze.

"..." An elder's beard trembled.

Zora gave Wang Yili an order to handle the battlefield and settle the injured. She glanced around; because the battle ended so quickly, there weren't many seriously injured people. She flew back to the rift once more. It was already a ruin. The sword Qi in this area had not yet dissipated, and no one but her could approach.

She very cautiously circled the ruins once.

Then she circled them again in the opposite direction.

Confirming that the purple bead had merged with the dust and vanished completely, Zora finished her circles and stepped into the ruins. Standing on top, she used her sword to move aside debris and rubble, poking the blackened earth, which vibrated slightly.

The sword was used to its master's casual usage, being used for everything. How could this not be considered a form of heavy reliance? Thus, after she finished poking, the sword glowed slightly, performing a rough self-cleaning.

"Mhm, no remains," Zora confirmed.

Powerful cultivators always liked to use their divine sense to investigate, but Zora didn't have that habit.

[...]

The System spoke in a daze,

[...Knowing you are still practicing immortality, won't those demonic practitioners harbor double-mindedness?]

The more it spoke, the more worried it became, saying bluntly:

[How about killing a few people to warn the others!]

Zora sheathed her sword: "No need. If they harbor double-mindedness, I'll just kill them."

Only then did the System recall that the current Host was no longer the one who had just seized control of the Demon Realm.

Suddenly, the System's emotional voice vanished, replaced by a rigid mechanical broadcast:

[Congratulations to the Host for successfully passing the plot node. Resurrection successful.]

[The Host may choose whether to return to the original world. If returning to the low-magic world, as a reward for completing the task, the Host's cultivation will be retained. The original world is a low-magic world, so only the Host will possess cultivation, which will remain static and cannot progress further. Eternal strongest.]

[If staying in this high-magic world, after the System detaches from the Host, the Host will completely belong to the high-magic world.]

For a low-magic character to break through the world barrier to a high-magic world, survive, and adapt is an impossibility; this was the reward belonging to the high-magic world.

The System said no more, quietly waiting for the Host to make a choice.

Only Zora could see a vortex appearing before her, the center of which showed the scenery of her original world. Zora was stunned; she had almost forgotten those scenes, but once she saw them, memories surged back as if they had only been hidden.

Her amber eyes reflected the blood-stained gladiator arena, the cheering crowds, and the dignified nobles. Her former world was actually so small.

In the next moment, the vortex displayed scenery she had never seen before. The gladiator arena was just a tiny, tiny area on the edge of a city. She felt like a bird, following the vortex to see ordinary people coming and going.

It was an extremely chaotic world. Unchanged barbarism, yet with nobles and slaves. Each city was controlled by a noble, with no so-called Emperor above them. Cities warred with each other, yet maintained a tacit understanding of certain bottom lines.

But the chaotic environment could easily crush anyone.

A few gold coins were tossed casually into the arena, clinking. A noble lay drunkenly on a bed amidst music and dance, only to be cut down in the next instant, blood staining the light veils. A skeletal child was gathering food in the woods. Within the slightly prosperous city, vendors shouted their wares; only silver bits were seen, no gold. Slaves laughed and joked with their companions while working. In the mass graves, heaps of slaves whipped to death bred disease. A noble wept while distributing porridge, exhausting their family fortune. By candlelight, a family laughed together. A faint rainbow in the sky.

A rare, secluded forest of deep green, refreshing and crisp. A great fish in the blue sea, letting out a long cry. A bottomless cliff shrouded in mist. A hermit drawing water, appearing only as a tiny dot in the vast greenery.

As if a barrier had suddenly been broken, Zora only now realized what kind of world she had previously existed in.

Drip.

A drop of water fell on her head. The evil spirits had dissipated, and this rain would completely wash away their remaining aura. Zora blinked only when a raindrop landed on her eyelashes. She did not block the rain, letting the water draw close without obstruction.

She looked up; dark clouds gathered over the endless barren hills, which bore the marks of battle. If her cultivation could not progress a single step further, wouldn't her Master have taught her for nothing?

Zora was very seriously considering other people's efforts.

Suddenly hearing a shout, she looked toward the sound. Someone was directing the cleanup of the battlefield. Both the demonic and cultivation sides had people arranged to recover useful tools. Zora saw several familiar faces.

A few demonic practitioners, a few cultivators, a few sword cultivators, a few array masters, and a few monks. She simply watched, looking at one familiar face, then another, and finally turning back to look at one she had already seen.

A moment later, a raindrop on her head was about to flow into her eyes, so she raised her hand to touch her forehead.

Vane returned at that moment, landing in the distance. As soon as he landed, he caught the collar of a demonic practitioner who had exhausted his demonic Qi and was dizzily about to fall.

"Uh...!" The practitioner was choked at the neck and instantly became sober. Luckily, it was just a tug, and he hurriedly offered his thanks. Another demonic practitioner handling the battlefield rushed over, bowed to Vane, and led the exhausted man away.

Vane turned his gaze and met Zora's eyes. He was slightly stunned.

The two looked at each other across the crowd of cultivators and demonic practitioners. Zora finished touching her forehead, and Vane was already in front of her. She looked up at him, reached out, and pressed the raindrop-stained fingertip she had just used on her forehead against his face.

Vane didn't blink, staring down at her. Like Zora, he didn't block the rain; the mist was heavy.

The pitter-patter of rain soon stopped. The unsettling aura of the Demon Realm was swept away.

[The Host has chosen to stay in this world,]

the System captured the answer she told it in her heart, its mechanical voice sounding,

[Thank you for the effort the Host has made for this world. A pleasure doing business.]

Then the System's lively voice returned:

[The vortex will vanish in a moment. Goodbye, Host.]

It knew she wouldn't be sad about parting, nor would it be. A parting after success should be happy; at least, it was very happy right now.

As usual, she said to the System in her heart, "Mhm."

She replied politely, "Goodbye, System."

Zora looked past Vane's shoulder. Vane moved to the side accordingly.

The acquaintances who had finished the cleanup happened to arrive. Turi Qi paused and was the first to speak: "Thus, we should take our leave as well."

Song Zhihuai nodded: "I should also continue my training."

"Aren't we going to have a victory banquet or something?" Yiling Ke met the gazes of Qingding and the others and immediately felt guilty. "...Uh, okay, okay, it's indeed inappropriate with our sects here. Forget it, forget it."

Zora stared at her, very sincere: "Too many people, not enough food."

For those who practice immortality or demonic arts, food is no longer a necessity. The Immortal-Slaying Pavilion rarely stored grain.

"..." Yiling Ke broke into a sweat.

The familiar Zora flavor.

"...It's fine," Turi Qi said. "There should be a chance for just us few in the future."

Vane smiled. "Indeed. After all, the passage into the Demon Realm is controlled by the cultivation world; there are no obstacles."

Zora also recalled this and nodded in agreement. "It is quite convenient."

The cultivators: "......"

The familiar duo flavor.

They just had an ill-omened premonition about the future.

However, if Zora was always the one in control of the Demon Realm, there was nothing to worry about.

"Then... this is too rushed, so—until we meet again."

Zora's etiquette was perfectly complete. She said seriously, "Until we meet again."

The cultivators retreated, while the demonic practitioners headed toward the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion. Zora turned her head: "Let's go back."

Vane's dark eyes curved slightly. "Yes."

He used his spiritual power to dry Zora's body, leaving only her hands wet. Vane took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped them clean. It was a gentle, dense contact.

When he wiped her palm, Zora's hand instinctively curled slightly because it was too light, making her palm itch.

A moment later, the two turned into two streaks of light and headed for the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion. The vortex shattered abruptly after they left, the vivid scenes becoming fragments that turned into mist and scattered between heaven and earth.

[End of Main Story]