Tian Wu cupped his chest, retrieved a pearl the size of a finger from within his ribcage, and slowly walked over to me, placing it in my hand.
He said, "This pearl was formed from the essence of the mermaid tribe. I am giving it to you now, hoping it will be of assistance."
With that, he turned back to Huan Zhi, gazing at her with affection, and said, "Alright, it's time for us to leave."
She smiled faintly in response, "Let's go."
Then, a white light suddenly appeared before them, and they stepped into it hand in hand. The light then vanished.
Watching them depart, I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion, lamenting how fate played tricks on people, leading two devoted lovers to such an end.
"Alas!"
After a long sigh, I lowered my head to look at the white jade pearl in my hand. At that moment, the pearl trembled slightly and then split into two halves.
Instantly, waves of white smoke emerged from the pearl, swirling erratically before drilling into my body.
A chill washed over me, and the Dragon Roar Sword also sensed it, trembling incessantly.
Liu Shi Nian, witnessing this bizarre scene, quickly asked, "Mu Ye, what's wrong?"
I replied, "I don't know. It should be fine. Don't worry."
At this point, the surrounding ice walls suddenly transformed into cold air and flew into the Dragon Roar Sword, which then shot forward, absorbing all the cold air into its blade.
The white smoke that had flown onto me, like specters, then reappeared, crawling onto my back and gnawing at my flesh.
"Ah!" I cried out in pain, falling to my knees.
Liu Shi Nian, watching from the side, exclaimed in surprise, "Mu Ye, Mu Ye, what's wrong?"
"My back, my back hurts so much."
"Your back." As he spoke, he looked behind me and saw a pair of small, translucent wings breaking free from my clothes and emerging.
Liu Shi Nian was astonished, "Mu Ye, your back, you've grown wings on your back!"
"What!"
Hearing his words, I also turned around in surprise. I saw countless phosphorescent light spots flying out from the skeletons of the merfolk, landing on the wings behind me.
At this moment, the specter-like spirits also attached themselves to the wings, moving upwards, eventually forming a pair of enormous wings.
Then, as if it had absorbed enough cold air, the Dragon Roar Sword fell from mid-air.
However, the wings on my back suddenly flapped, drawing in the remaining cold ice.
The cold air attacked from all directions, landing on the wings. The ice beneath my feet also began to melt.
The icy coldness seeped into the soles of my feet, then traveled up my body, and finally into my wings.
This cold air, with at least thousands of years of accumulation, had become extremely chilling. As a mortal with flesh and blood, how could I withstand this thousand-year-old ice?
My face turned purple, my lips black. I then let out a roar, "Ah!" and fainted.
"Mu Ye! Mu Ye!" Liu Shi Nian cried out, dragging his injured body slowly towards me. At that moment, the Myriad Ghost King suddenly appeared and pushed him back.
And warned him,
"Mu Ye, by defeating Tian Wu, saved countless lives, and also saved the lingering spirits trapped here.
They have found liberation. Knowing that Mu Ye, as the Demon King, will inevitably face a fierce battle in the future, they bestowed upon her these frost-winged to repay her kindness."
Liu Shi Nian still seemed worried, "This cold ice cave has at least five thousand years of accumulation. Mu Ye is frail; I don't know if she can withstand it."
"Don't worry, she will be fine."
Then, he stood quietly by, waiting for the cold ice to be absorbed.
After I fainted, I found myself in a pitch-black confinement. In that darkness, I suddenly heard a faint, resentful voice ask, "What is your name?"
Without hesitation, I replied, "My name is Liu Mu Ye."
The voice seemed slightly shocked and asked again, "Your name is Liu Mu Ye?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing the affirmative reply, he burst into laughter, shouting with great excitement,
"Liu Mu Ye! Liu Mu Ye! I have waited for you for tens of thousands of years, and finally, I have found you, hahaha."
Listening to his chilling laughter, goosebumps erupted all over me. I immediately sensed something was wrong and asked, "Who are you? Why have you been waiting for me?"
He just kept laughing without explaining, only telling me,
"I glimpsed a trace of worry and confusion in your heart. Are you afraid of loss?"
"What if I am?"
He continued,
"This path is not one that everyone can tread. The unknown future is filled with dangers and hardships, even countless tears and corpses.
Those you love and those who love you will forever leave you."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
This man, speaking to himself in the darkness, I had no idea what he wanted.
He didn't answer my question but continued to express his thoughts, "With your current strength, you are no match for the obstacles ahead. How can a human body compare to a deity? You are still too weak."
Hearing his words, a sense of unease arose in my heart. He was right; if Liu Xiang were to join this battle, how could I possibly defeat him with my current strength?
However, for the sake of the duty on my shoulders and for the Ghost Clan, I had to press on. I said resolutely,
"I know my abilities are limited, but I have a reason to press forward. I will not falter even if it means my complete destruction."
He saw the persistence and resilience in my heart and sighed,
"The world is unpredictable. The more you try to protect, the more easily you lose. If you truly wish to win, let me lend you a hand."
I shook my head and refused,
"No need. I want to resolve this with my own strength."
He laughed heartily, resigned,
"So tenacious. But you will soon realize the formidable power you are facing."
"Even if that day comes, I will never surrender."
Slightly impressed by my arrogance, he blessed me, "Then I wish you success and all the best."
"You still haven't told me who you are."
"I am merely a passerby in the darkness and time, a guide for the lost and the weak."
"I haven't heard of you."
"It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of me. However, we will meet again soon."
With that, he quietly departed. At that moment, a beam of light shone in, and as I slowly opened my eyes, I saw Liu Shi Nian and the Myriad Ghost King surrounding me.
Liu Shi Nian anxiously asked, "Mu Ye, how are you?"
I slowly stood up and replied, "I'm fine."
Then I noticed that the giant wings on my back had vanished, and the wound on my left arm had also healed.
"My arm doesn't hurt anymore."
Liu Shi Nian exclaimed happily, "It seems they healed your injuries along with everything else. That's wonderful."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Shi Nian suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
I quickly caught him. It seemed he had been holding on for too long, and it must have been difficult for him.
At that moment, the ground began to shake violently, and the surroundings started to collapse. The Myriad Ghost King said,
"It seems the merfolk are returning home. We should leave quickly too."
As he spoke, he transformed into a large black cloud and shouted, "Get on quickly!"
I dragged Liu Shi Nian onto him, and he carried us out through the opening.
Finding the cave entrance too small, I struck out with a palm, shattering the opening, and flew out.
It was then that I remembered my Dragon Roar Sword and Crimson Blood Sword, and I exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, my swords are still in the cave!"
The Myriad Ghost King said leisurely,
"I brought your swords."
As he spoke, he squeezed hard, and a brocade box emerged from his body. I put down Liu Shi Nian and walked forward to open the brocade box. Inside, I found the Dragon Roar Sword and the Crimson Blood Sword.
"It seems I can't do without you. Thank you, Myriad Ghost King."
Hearing my thanks, he blushed and said haughtily, "Of course."
I then pointed at his backside and laughed, "Hahaha, your backside is so white!"
He became somewhat shy, conjuring a long arm to fetch some black clouds from elsewhere to cover the white patch, and said shyly,
"I shouldn't have told you. Now I have no secrets."
"You'll see them eventually."
At that moment, a rumbling sound came from afar. I looked back and saw that the entire island of the Black Whirlwind Land had begun to sink. In a short while, it had all submerged into the sea.
Then, a cool, strong wind blew from behind. The wind carried with it joyful laughter; it seemed they had come to see us off.
As we neared the sky above Penglai Island, the Myriad Ghost King suddenly flew into the clouds and absorbed some white clouds to camouflage his blackness.
Then, he brought me and Liu Shi Nian down to the waterside of Penglai Island and quickly flew back into my body.
At that moment, we saw a group of people rushing towards us from a distance. They were cheering and joyfully running towards Liu Shi Nian and me. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Yue Yao ran the fastest, reaching us first.
However, when she saw Liu Shi Nian unconscious and the large amount of blood flowing from his shoulder, she couldn't help but become sad.
"Brother Liu, he, he couldn't escape Tian Wu's clutches after all?" she said, unable to hold back her tears.
I quickly explained to her, "No, no, he's still alive, just injured."
Hearing my words, Yue Yao's sorrow immediately turned to joy, and she exclaimed,
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful! Brother Liu is still alive, he's still alive!"
At this moment, the others also arrived. The Patriarch praised me excitedly,
"As expected of the Demon King. Thank you for removing a great menace for our mermaid tribe."
"It took quite some effort this time, but thankfully, everything has been resolved."
Tian Long looked at the unconscious Liu Shi Nian and asked, "Liu Shi Nian, he, he..."
Before Tian Long could finish, Bi Yao explained to him, "Brother Liu is still alive, just injured."
"Oh, then let's quickly take him back."
With that, he and Qing Yu stepped forward to take Liu Shi Nian and carry him back. Yue Yao also hurried to follow.
I walked behind with the Patriarch, the two guardians, and the others. Along the way, the Patriarch chatted,
"Since the Demon King has removed the menace for us, if you are not in a hurry, why not stay with us for a few more days?"
"I have been on Penglai Island for several days now. I had promised the elders that I would return in three to five days.
It seems that three to five days have already passed. If Liu Shi Nian is not in serious condition, then I must rush back to Xizi Kingdom to take charge."
Hearing me say this, he nodded slightly and then asked about my plans.
"Now that the Demon King has conquered Nanhai City, Dongyue Town, and Xizi Kingdom, only Beishen Capital remains.
However, the Demon King must have heard that Beishen Capital is an ancient city, originally the stronghold of the ancient divine race. Even after the demise of the divine race, it still harbors many masters."
I could see that he was very worried about the upcoming battle. I said to him,
"The arrow is on the string and must be shot. battles rely not only on martial prowess but also on strategy. This time, no matter what, we must capture Beishen Capital."
Hearing me say this, the Patriarch saw my determination and believed that the Ghost Clan and the twenty-four mountain lords shared the same idea.
Moreover, the merfolk and the four cities could not avoid this battle. It would be better to capture Beishen Capital together with the Myriad Demon King before making a decision.
"Since the Demon King has made a decision, we will follow the Demon King."
"I will not fail the Patriarch's expectations."
As we chatted, we arrived at the Penglai Immortal Palace. I had some matters I wished to discuss with the Patriarch privately, so I invited him,
"Patriarch, would it be convenient for you to chat with me alone?"
"Since the Demon King has spoken, I shall accompany the Demon King for a walk."
With that, he turned to dismiss everyone and then led me through the peach forest.
"This peach forest was originally planted by my father. I have since nurtured them."
"It's wonderful, but it's a pity I couldn't see the beauty of the peach blossoms filling the courtyard."
"It's my fault for not choosing the right time. If I had told you earlier, the Demon King could have witnessed the sight of ten miles of continuous peach blossoms upon arrival."
"After this battle is over, I must visit Penglai Island again to see the peach blossoms here."
"Good, it will be a beautiful sight then."
As we chatted, I remembered the events in the Cold Ice Cave and the strange person. Although the Mermaid Patriarch had lived on Penglai Island for a long time,
He must also know some ancient matters. So I asked,
"Patriarch, have you ever heard of a great demon that can pry into people's hearts?"
He suddenly looked confused, "Why does the Demon King ask this?"
"Liu Shi Nian and I fought fiercely with Tian Wu in the Cold Ice Cave. After I killed him, I entered a strange dream. In the dream, a voice accurately spoke of my worries and current situation, so I became suspicious."
"I see. I have heard of such a powerful figure in ancient legends.
Legend has it that before the great war ten thousand years ago, there was an evil god known as the Blood Emperor.
It is said that he possessed the ability to pry into hearts and travel through time, but after the great war ten thousand years ago, he vanished without a trace.
Rumor has it that he was ambushed and killed by several immortal families, but there has never been a definitive account, so it is merely considered a legend."
Hearing this, I couldn't help but wonder if this Blood Emperor was more powerful than Liu Xiang. Could that voice have been him?
However, these were just speculations. But now, what I needed to consider was not these, but the next plan.
"Patriarch, I think we should go back. I'm quite tired today."
"Alright, then I shall escort the Demon King back."
"Then I shall trouble the Patriarch."
With that, I returned to the Penglai Immortal Palace with him.
Upon returning to my lodging, I felt overwhelmingly sleepy. I supposed it was due to the day's exhaustion. As soon as I lay on the bed, I was about to fall asleep.
The Myriad Ghost King asked me, "Aren't you going to see Liu Shi Nian?"
I waved my hand.
"Bi Yao and those girls are surrounding him right now, and Tian Long and the others are probably there too.
Liu Shi Nian is surely being well taken care of. Going there would only be a bother. It's better to sleep."
With that, I fell into a deep sleep.
He was very helpless and went to sleep as well.