Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 42 – Reencounter on the battlefield

Wenren È absolutely could not accept an exchange, not in this life or the next. All he needed to do was confirm that the Pavilion Master possessed the third volume of God of Annihilation. Where it was, whether or not it was fake, and whether or not the Pavilion Master was willing to hand it over didn’t matter. After all, he would hand it over eventually.

Wenren È spread his hands casually. “In that case, why don’t you let me have a look at the third volume?”

“What? Hahahaha, ridiculous!” The Pavilion Master shook his head. “Zhongli Kuang, your name suits you![1] Do you know exactly who you’re facing?”

He raised his hands, ringing a pair of golden bells tied to his wrists. Their crisp sound brought forth a wave of spiritual energy and pressure, making the surrounding array resonate with it. The four spiritual stones that acted as the focuses of the array sat in the corners of the room, carved with patterns unique to the Violet Spirit Pavilion, and the bells caused the engravings to activate. Countless golden threads formed in the air, surrounding Wenren È.

With a turn of the Pavilion Master’s wrists, the golden threads wrapped tight and bound Wenren È in their midst. This array affected both the body and soul. The Pavilion Master had set it up long before “Zhongli Kuang” entered. Even if Zhongli Kuang had used the first volume to obtain the locations of heavenly treasures and risen to the peak of Mahayana over these past years, he was still within the cultivation world. This array from the third volume was a divine array. Even if the Pavilion Master wasn’t strong enough to use it at its full power, as long as he made the preparations, he could restrain an immortal of the upper realms.

Seeing that Zhongli Kuang was trapped, the Pavilion Master lowered his arms, letting his sleeves fall over the bells. “Zhongli Kuang, we don’t have any conflict of interests. All I want is to take a look at the first volume, so why are you being so stubborn?”

“This Venerable isn’t being stubborn,” Wenren È said from within the array. “This Venerable is trying to figure something out.”

“This Venerable?” The Pavilion Master frowned. That title brought back unpleasant memories for him, but it was of no matter. Even if he did meet that person today, he had no more need to fear him. “Even you can call yourself Venerable?”

Wenren È put away his book and sighed. “Ever since you acted, this Venerable has been considering how to take you prisoner without alerting anyone else. As this Venerable’s powers are immense, it is quite a hard task.”

“Such arrogance!” the Pavilion Master said, but he raised his golden bells again, watching Zhongli Kuang vigilantly. Zhongli Kuang might’ve learned some secret technique from within the pages of volume one.

“This Venerable truly doesn’t wish to expose his identity… ah, but now that I already know why you’re a man, I suppose it doesn’t really matter.”

Wenren È stood up, an unseen wind stirring his robes. They changed from scholarly clothes to his own black robes embroidered with gold threads, as a halberd of the same colors appeared in his hand.

“You’re not Zhongli Kuang! You’re Wenren È!” the Pavilion Master cried. His pupils shrank, and he seemed to be remembering something painful.

“Forty-two years ago, this Venerable made an agreement with you, hoping that within a hundred years you would be worth fighting,” Wenren È said with a cold smile. “From what I see, it would be useless to give you a thousand years. This Venerable has grown tired of waiting.”

Blinding light radiated from the Seven-Killing Halberd as it channeled the power of its star. The entire mountain began to shake.

The Shangqing Sect disciples who were currently discussing amongst themselves in Baili Qingmiao’s room felt a tremor under their feet. “What’s going on?”

“Is the volcano going to erupt?” said Yao Wendan doubtfully.

Qiu Congxue’s body reacted before her mind caught up. She picked up Su Huai in one hand and Baili Qingmiao in the other, yelling, “Run! Get as far away from True Yin Mountain as possible!”

She didn’t say that for the sake of the Shangqing Sect disciples, but for Zhongli Qian.

When the ground started shaking, Zhongli Qian pretty much guessed what had happened. Hearing Qiu Congxue, he didn’t hesitate and followed directly after her.

Not more than a second had passed from when the ground began shaking to when Qiu Congxue and Zhongli Qian ran out of the room, when the Misty Dawn Bell shattered. The array surrounding the Violet Spirit Pavilion broke with it, and without its restriction, the group could fly. Qiu Congxue and Zhongli Qian flew up without pause, stopping nearly a kilometer above the volcano.

“Elder, what happened?” Su Huai said frantically. He had never met Wenren È.

Qiu Congxue set Baili Qingmiao and Su Huai down and said coldly, “Just look at the sky. I’ve only seen these celestial signs once, thirty-one years ago.”

Su Huai looked up and found the night sky dark, with only two stars shining brighter than the moon. They were Polis and Alkaid.

Thirty-one years ago, at the conclusion of Wenren È’s clash with twenty-one experts of the righteous sects, Polis had shown such radiance above.

With a rumble, the entirety of the Violet Spirit Pavilion atop the mountain peak crumbled. Lava spewed from the volcano’s mouth, at a hellish temperature that would destroy any Deity Transformation or below cultivator who touched it, body and soul. Hè Wenzhao led several Deity Transformation and above cultivators to rescue everyone else, and managed to arrive at Qiu Congxue’s group, covered with ash, before the lava could reach them.

In less than five minutes, the snowy mountain peak was covered with lava, the heat causing the air to ripple above it. The Violet Spirit Pavilion had been transformed into hell on earth.

“What happened?” Hè Wenzhao said, still panicked, holding a crying Liu Xinye in one arm. “Why did the volcano suddenly erupt? Where are Zhongli Wenzun and Zhongli Yinjiang?”

Qiu Congxue gave him a cold look. She lifted a finger slightly and pointed to the center of the field of magma.

Hè Wenzhao only saw a man in a black and gold robe with a halberd in hand, hovering above the flames. Behind him was a streak of frosty sword light.

When the eruption happened, everyone had fled for the sky. Only Yin Hanjiang faced the spurting magma to search for Wenren È, joining the battle against the Pavilion Master.

“It’s— it’s you people! You people again! Of course it’s you!” The Pavilion Master pointed a finger at them, having flashbacks to being beaten black and blue forty-two years ago.

It was like the scene from forty-two years ago had returned. Once again, frost and snow were replaced by raging flames, as the two stood before him, wielding a halberd and a sword, utterly crushing him.

“Your guess was correct,” Wenren È said. “This book did belong to Zhongli Kuang. This Venerable killed him, so obviously, this Venerable has taken possession of his book. The same will happen to you.”

Wenren È grabbed the Pavilion Master’s arm in one hand. Before the Pavilion Master could resist, he felt an unspeakable agony in his arm, not the pain of his body being damaged but of his soul being shredded and dissolved. He quickly severed his own arm with spiritual energy, but was unable to stop the corrosion of his soul. He had to grit his teeth and tear off part of his soul as well. Breathing hard, he watched his arm and soul dissolve into blood, gathering in Wenren È’s palm.

The sweet scent of blood hit Wenren È’s nose. He stared at the orb of blood floating in his palm. All he needed to do was absorb it, and all the spiritual essence he’d used up in this battle, as well as his arm, would be restored. This was the soul of a wandering immortal, after all.

After quite some time, he smiled slightly and opened his hand. The blood fell and vanished into the lava below.

The lava took in the Pavilion Master’s soul, letting out puffs of smoke as the Pavilion Master watched. His body shouldn’t hurt anymore, but deep inside, he felt the pain of being burned. It was as if someone was roasting his arm over a flame. He could nearly hear the sizzle of his flesh.

“You’re a blood cultivator!” the Pavilion Master cried. “How?”

He wanted to ask more questions, but Yin Hanjiang didn’t give him the chance. A thrust of the Army Crushing Sword pierced through the Pavilion Master’s throat.

“The Venerable wants your book. Your only choices are to give it or refuse,” Yin Hanjiang said coldly.

Meeting the heartless gazes of the two demonic cultivators, the Pavilion Master realized that he had no qualifications to negotiate with them. If he handed over the book, he might survive. If he didn’t, he would certainly die.

“The two of you are powerful. Probably, no one in the cultivation world is stronger than you, Wenren È. I acknowledge this.” The Pavilion Master smiled bitterly. He couldn’t speak, so he transmitted his words to Wenren È alone. “But you’ll die someday, Lord of Demons. Everyone will die. Only one person can survive in the end. I’ll say it again—trade your volume for mine!”

“Do you think that if you refuse to give it up, this Venerable will be afraid to act against you for fear of losing it?” Wenren È said. “You don’t know how we in the demonic sects do business. We can take apart your soul, turn you into a puppet, or put parasites in you. We’re not lacking in options. Sect Leader Yin, take him back to the Xuanyuan Sect!”

Yin Hanjiang picked up the limp body of the Pavilion Master and was about to leave when Hè Wenzhao came charging up. “Who are you people? What do you want with the Pavilion Master? I, Hè Wenzhao of Shangqing Sect, will not allow you to take action against the Violet Spirit Pavilion while I’m still standing!”

No matter how much Wenren È and the readers of Abusive Romance despised Hè Wenzhao, he was the protagonist of two novels and his appearance was without faults. He didn’t have Wenren È’s domineering aura that could not be overlooked, and he wasn’t as polite and perceptive as Zhongli Qian, or silently devoted as Yin Hanjiang. He wasn’t even as youthful and lively as Su Huai. But he was handsome, and his appearance overflowed with righteousness.

The author had given him a perfect face that showed at a glance that he was a hero of the righteous sects, the future pillar of the cultivation world. He had sharp brows and bright eyes, which now eloquently expressed his anguish for the Violet Spirit Pavilion, his determination to stake his life in defense of the Pavilion Master, even if Wenren È was impossible for him to beat.

Wenren È knew that Hè Wenzhao truly was this kind of person. Both novels acknowledged that he was a righteous man, capable of sacrificing his life for his sect members. He would even sacrifice the one he loved to save his fellow disciples and sect elders. Even when he did something wrong in the books, it wasn’t his fault, and he turned out to have been tricked by someone else.

Several reviews in God of Annihilation had said it followed in the footsteps of traditional literature. The male lead was overflowing with righteousness and had close bonds with his friends. Just that he didn’t have proper relations with women, and his worldview was a bit lowly.

At this moment, Hè Wenzhao genuinely wanted to protect the Violet Spirit Pavilion. This was also the first time he’d seen Wenren È’s face and the first time he faced down the unleashed power of the Lord of Demons. His mental master warned him incessantly to run, saying that he had no hope of beating Wenren È at this time, but Hè Wenzhao didn’t back down a single step. Even if he died today, he was determined to save the Pavilion Master.

Baili Qingmiao and her group had followed behind him. She stared, frozen, at her shixiong facing down a hostile Wenren È, and opened her mouth to beg for mercy.

“Baili Qingmiao,” Wenren È said, “if you say one word, this Venerable will kill one of your Shangqing Sect’s people. This Venerable doesn’t like to hear people prattle on. Let’s see how many people in your sect you’re willing to beg for.”

Baili Qingmiao covered her mouth, too afraid to say a single word.

A daring disciple of Shangqing Sect shouted, “Shimei, don’t be scared! Let’s attack him together! Who cares if he’s strong? We can’t let him take away the—”

He turned to the strongest person on his side, Immortal Qingxue, for reassurance, but before he could finish speaking, a skeletal hand pierced through his chest. He turned his head with difficulty and saw that his attacker was that very Immortal Qingxue he had looked up to.

“The Xuanyuan Sect will not betray its own.” Qiu Congxue withdrew her hand, yanking out that disciple’s soul. “Boast according to your own ability. Instead of praying to the heavens or the earth, better to rely on yourself.”

Hot winds stirred her black robe, revealing her body which was half flesh and half bone.

Over these last thirty years, Qiu Congxue could’ve regrown her flesh, but she was quite satisfied with how she looked right now. She had been investigating how to use the powers of a wandering immortal with half her body and a ghost cultivator with the other, determined to continue cultivating the Asura Path. Su Huai had given her the inspiration. He was a unique existence, his soul being a ghost cultivator while the methods of the Shangqing Sect existed in his body. If he hadn’t died in the book, who knew what cultivation path he could’ve created?

Qiu Congxue dropped the body of the disciple into the flames. Hè Wenzhao dove for it and managed to grab it at the last second, burning his arm.

“Why are you doing this, Elder Qingxue?” he cried.

“I am the Left Protector of Xuanyuan Sect, Qiu Congxue.” Half of Qiu Congxue’s face slowly turned into a skull. She gave Baili Qingmiao a half warm, half horrifying smile. “This Protector has to thank Baili Qingmiao’s assistance thirty-one years ago, or she already would’ve been sent on.”

“Master Qingxue, you…” Tears flowed down Baili Qingmiao’s face. She was unable to believe that her master was a demonic cultivator, and such a heartless person.

“Have this back.” Qiu Congxue tossed the disciple’s soul at Baili Qingmiao. “I owe you for saving my life. In the future, if you need help, just come find me.”

Baili Qingmiao caught her fellow disciple’s soul, with an expression as if she’d been struck by lightning. The person she had risked her life to save back then was actually a demonic cultivator who had killed countless members of her sect. The master she had looked up to had backstabbed one of her shixiongs without mercy.

Zhongli Qian, feeling her anguish, sighed lightly. He had matured over the years and understood many things, but he still couldn’t figure out what Wenren È was thinking, or what he planned.

He approached the Pavilion Master and said, “Pavilion Master, whatever it is that Sir Wenren wants, I urge you to just give it to him. From what I know of Sir Wenren, if he agrees to not harm you, he will never go back on his word.”

“What do you understand?” The hole through the Pavilion Master’s throat buzzed as he spoke. “I don’t want to live like that. I’d rather die than live like that.”

He grabbed the Army Crushing Sword and yanked it out. Glaring at Wenren È, he reversed the circulation of his qi and prepared to destroy his Nascent Soul.

Wenren È lifted a hand and a wisp of blood qi entered his body, instantly taking control of it. The Pavilion Master couldn’t die if he tried.

“Now this Venerable is curious,” Wenren È transmitted to him. “What exactly is written in the last volume, that you’d rather die than hand it over?”