Archfiend

Chapter 345: The Godseal Spark (55)

In the realm of spiritual sense, Xu Yangyi and the butterfly’s battle had already come to the final juncture. 

All that was left of Xu Yangyi was a hand, his head, and a little bit less than half his body. As for the butterfly, it was likewise in no good state. It was missing a wing, and all that remained was its lower-half. It was even missing an eye.

Nonetheless… neither side backed down. As before, both of them trained their eyes on each other like wolves. They didn’t retreat by one step. But all of a sudden, Xu Yangyi’s mind violently pulsed. At the same time, Zhuang Zhou also snapped its head up and glared daggers at Xu Yangyi.

Between man and demon, speech was pointless. At this moment, though, they actually made out each other’s intent.

Something… Something very important to them had been born… 

It was outside… beyond spiritual sense! This object was screaming at them. Whoever triumphed would completely receive it!

“Come at me…” Xu Yangyi spat out a mouthful of nonexistent spit to his side. That feeling of summons was hard to describe. Each cry stirred his heartstrings. He simply couldn’t reject it.

His barely remaining hand beckoned at Zhuang Zhou. “Sage Zhuang, I wonder, are you already burning with anxiety?”

“Come, and kill me. Then you can go outside. Otherwise…” He licked his lips. “This is my damn body, and I got the last say!”

“HIIISSS!!!” Zhuang Zhou’s remaining wing suddenly shook. In the next moment, it darted towards Xu Yangyi like a sharp arrow!

Swoosh! The surrounding mists in the entire cloud sea were all blown away to two sides by Zhuang Zhou. Only the pointed edge of a silver sword remained! It was unable to make sense of the smirk that suddenly perked up at the crook of Xu Yangyi’s mouth.

“Still a fifth left.” He studied Zhuang Zhou who was in front of him, the butterfly was like a cold star. He said icily, “And there’s only a fifth of my spiritual sense as well.”

Boom! Zhuang Zhou’s entire spiritual sense was no less than ten meters away from. Yet the butterfly’s power this time was far greater than in the past! Even wisps of Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense had been blown away like fog.

Soon, Zhuang Zhou saw Xu Yangyi’s hand begin to weave seals at a dizzying pace within his compound eye.

Swoosh… Time seemed to freeze. Zhuang Zhou’s compound eye matched Xu Yangyi’s eyes. It saw the other’s mouth gently move. It couldn’t speak, but it understood these words.

“You seem to have forgotten one thing.”

“This is spiritual sense.”

“From the start, I’ve been waiting. Waiting for a chance to crush you in one stroke.”

A hazy premonition bubbled up in the butterfly’s heart. Almost without consideration, it yanked back and ran!

However… it was too late.

“Pill Cauldron Builds Spirit.” Xu Yangyi made a long and deep sigh in the wake of his final seal. In an instant, the remains of his misty head, less than half of his body, and his hand exploded with ten thousand rays of golden light!

Swoosh swoosh swoosh! White clouds were all dyed the golden-red of twilight. Meanwhile, in the place he had already disappeared, a body was strangely spreading out again from the mist!

Yes, everything related to the use of spiritual force couldn’t be used here. But… Pill Cauldron Builds Spirit was never classified as any spiritual force!

It was spiritual sense! It could be used, but the Spiritcleaver Pulse, which mobilized spiritual force, couldn’t. Xu Yangyi had already tested it out secretly a few times, so he was waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to crush the opponent in one strike! 

The surrounding fog was so great. He couldn’t gamble whether the enemy would be able to hide away. And thus, since the beginning, he’d forcibly resisted the pain of his spiritual sense, like a thousand blades raking his body, all to win this move!

“Hiiisss!” Behind, Xu Yangyi’s spiritual sense was nearly intact. Zhuang Zhou let loose a heart-splitting cry of alarm, and its lone wing desperately flew back! At the same time, its entire body started to turn illusory!

Shockingly, the butterfly also had a move that targeted spiritual sense, but it only seemed to be for hiding and evasion. The other… was also prepared like Xu Yangyi. One move to ultimately defeat the enemy!

Swoosh! Before its body completely became illusory, Xu Yangyi’s hand was already in front of its eyes!

“YOU STILL WANT TO RUN?!?!?!” Xu Yangyi erupted with a furious roar, and killing intent loudly exploded in his heart. In the instant he was about to seize Zhuang Zhou’s wing, a hand, without sound or aura, grabbed onto Zhuang Zhou’s wing instead. 

Thump… At this moment, he almost heard the ice-cold beating of his heart.

Someone else was here… 

How was this possible?!

This was his spiritual sense! How could there be other people?!

“Do you still remember me?” A familiar voice echoed. Xu Yangyi spun his head around and saw another familiar face.

“Xiaoqing?” Xu Yangyi inhaled deeply and stared at her vigilantly. “Senior.”

Why would she be here?

“No need to fret. You still do not have interest to force my hand.” Xiaoqing glanced at him apathetically. Suddenly, she turned to a completely different line of questioning. “Do you know about hunting grounds?”

Xu Yangyi nodded. A hunting ground. In other words, a demon’s territory.

But, Xiaoqing’s next words caused him to exhale sharply.

“Underneath the Eight Great Deadlands, eight supremacies of ancient times are being sealed. This Palace is among them.”

“This is my hunting ground.” She gazed icily at the butterfly. Never having once retreated, the butterfly now screeched out with extreme dread. “So it was you…” Xiaoqing appeared as if she wasn’t related at all to the matter she was discussing. “Zhuang Zhou… Sage Zhuang. But it is nothing more than a thread of a remnant soul.”

Her voice quickly turned ice-cold, “Did you ask me to cause a disturbance in my hunting grounds?”

“Although you are a Second Sage, you are so far removed away from humanity’s sovereigns that it is a mystery,” she laughed coldly. “To wish to devour another with your spiritual sense is truly wanting to scale the heavens in one step. Even if it were the time when my body itself remained, you wouldn’t have such great of an appetite.” [1]

The butterfly began to shiver. In an instant, it screeched piercingly, and its wing trembled!

Xiaoqing still wore an easy smile. Afterwards, her hand casually twisted. As her palm opened, a sparkling and lustrous orb of light appeared. On its surface, there was a symbol of a golden eye floating adrift.

“Why do you look at me like so?” Xiaoqing played with the light orb and murmured, “You know, were this centuries ago, this mere thing should’ve sent you to the eighteenth layer of hell.”

Xu Yangyi locked his eyes on Xiaoqing and said nothing. However, there was no thanks in his eyes. Instead, it was hatred, hatred of fathomless depth!

This was his enemy.

He wanted to take his own revenge!

Maybe this butterfly was only a beginning, but as long as he won he could find clues from within! Clues related to this strange eye! Even if Xiaoqing might give this light orb to him, this battle was one-sided. He absolutely didn’t want something like this!

“You are too weak.” Xiaoqing turned her head and looked at him calmly. “The weak are not equal. This cultivation world has never changed. Cultivation Civilization is nothing more than an added layer of varnish.”

“To come out this time, I have consumed a century of longevity. You do not have the qualifications to refuse to listen. You must listen to me.” Afterwards, a smile bloomed on her face. “I have a incense stick’s worth of time. I have come to tell you everything.”

Xu Yangyi gritted his teeth and looked at Xiaoqing, wordlessly.

“Do you want to slap me?” Xiaoqing sneered as she looked at him. “Say that I meddle in others’ business? Use your senseless dignity as a man?”

“In front of strength, so-called dignity is less than dogshit. If there is a day your cultivation surpasses my own, even if you take me to your bed and sing music and song with you every night, I would have no choice but to agree.” Xiaoqing indifferently said these words, not unlike she was talking about herself. “Therefore, you only have the qualifications to listen now. If you want me to listen to you, very well. You must be stronger than me.”

She looked straight into Xu Yangyi’s eyes. Unexpectedly, Xu Yangyi didn’t get angry but instead nodded. “That’s right.”

“Very good, rotten wood can be carved.” Xiaoqing smiled and beckoned. The surrounding clouds bubbled forth, and she sat down on them in satisfaction. She said in a low voice, “Do you know what the object in your hands is called?”

Xu Yangyi did not answer. He only gazed icily at Xiaoqing.

Even if what Xiaoqing had said was not wrong, it was too much blood drawn on the first prick. It caused the hot blood he was restraining in his heart to boil again.

Stronger than you?

Fine… 

Give me 3,000 years, and I’ll make you kneel at my bed!

To say such ruthless words was useless, only his to accomplish. Not to get Xiaoqing into his bed though, but rather truly for himself.

To become strong, otherwise he wouldn’t have the qualifications to take revenge!

Xiaoqing gazed into his eyes calmly. After ages, she suddenly laughed and freely continued, “It is called the Godseal Spark.”

Her expression turned a rare shade of seriousness, She muttered to herself for a brief moment and looked at Xu Yangyi deeply. “It… originates from King Wu of Zhou. Each Godseal Spark seals a nearly eternal Greater Demon. Any one of them was a supreme hegemon back than. Their history ever surpasses the era of dynasties, to the ever earlier era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.” [2]

“Throughout its life, it awakens twice. The first time within ten years. The seconds time is a complete awakening. As it awakens the second time, it will completely absorb its host. Listen clearly…” Her body slightest stretched forward, and she nearly enunciated each of her words. “A Godseal Spark only seals demon kings. The power needed to awaken a demon king is too tremendous. If this host is human, there is simply no way to supply the spiritual force required for awakening. So when it awakens, it will force the demon form in the host’s bloodline to awaken at the same time. The moment it recovers the apex of its glory. Only this can provide for a demon-god’s almost black hole-like absorption.”

“Since times of old to now, there has not been the slightest exception!”

Xu Yangyi’s lips trembled. His heart seemed to be in the death grip of a claw. His fists were clenched tight. After a long time, he slowly relaxed them.

“I…”

“You are a demon,” Xiaoqing said resolutely, her voice chopping iron and slicing nail. “Your demon body is hidden too deeply. It… is also too strong. When you were forced to come last time, not even I discovered it. Originally, it shouldn’t have awakened. Were you not implanted with a Godseal Spark, it might have never awakened your entire life. Remember your other name: Wolfbane.”

Xu Yangyi closed his eyes. He want to refute it, but there wasn’t the least bit sense in denying.

Even if he was in a space of spiritual sense, he could feel that thing outside, akin to a second beating heart, in his spiritual sense battle with Zhuang Zhou. Even here, he could sense the other like the blood coursing through his veins. Each of Xiaoqing’s words emerged in his mind. Suddenly, his mind brightened!

No… that was wrong!

There was another meaning in Xiaoqing’s words!

When a Godseal Spark awakened, it forcibly awakened the host’s demon form… That was to say… 

“There’s not just one!” He eyes snapped open, and he looked at Xiaoqing and said, “There’s not just one demon body outside!”

“One is my demon form. The other… is the Godseal Spark’s demon form!”

“Outside… from the start, a demon form with two entities growing together has shown up!”

1. Second Sage is an ancient Chinese title. Second in terms of “Second only in importance to Confucius”.

2. King Wu of Zhou, mentioned looooong ago. He is the founder of the Zhou dynasty that overthrew the Shang dynasty.His father is King Wen of Zhou, whom has also been previously mentioned. Time period: 1046 BCE.