Xiao Man had been following the voice that called her, expecting to see something astounding, but found only a nameless monument!
Standing before the nameless monument, Xiao Man was filled with confusion. Was this nameless monument the one calling her? Did it hold a secret?
"Are you the one calling me?" Xiao Man reached out towards the nameless monument, intending to touch it. The moment her hand made contact, a different scene appeared before her eyes.
A young man sought knowledge everywhere, hoping to rise above others, to avenge his family and parents. However, no one was willing to take him in, nor would any sect accept him. He was like a beggar on the streets, receiving only malice and contempt from others.
Xiao Man frowned. Was this the young Chen An? He had narrowly escaped death, wishing to learn martial arts and avenge his family, only to discover that the outside world simply would not accommodate him. He struggled and suffered amidst the malice of others, eventually embarking on the path of demonic cultivation.
After cultivating demonic arts, Chen An finally became a master whom even cultivators dared not underestimate. Yet, the cultivators still refused to let him go, calling him an evil heretic and intending to hunt him down. Xiao Man suddenly felt that her own experiences paled in comparison to Chen An's.
"How could someone be so unlucky? From childhood to adulthood, not a single day went smoothly. Either tormented or pursued, and in the end, branded as an evil heretic." Xiao Man's smile was filled with mockery. "This world is truly insane. After forcing an innocent person to become a heretic, they then try to eradicate him, calling themselves righteous. Is it because the world is too peaceful, and these righteous cultivators are too bored and need an opponent, so they create an enemy that everyone despises?"
"So, I am an enemy that everyone despises?" The young man looked at Xiao Man, his long, disheveled hair fluttering without wind. His seductive peach blossom eyes were filled with malice, as if cursing everyone in this world.
"But I don't hate you," Xiao Man walked towards the young man and sat down beside him. "You are merely a victim."
"But I am also a perpetrator," the young man said with a smile. "Those who bullied me before have all been killed by me. Those righteous martial artists who persecuted me have also been annihilated."
"I live by one principle: If others do not offend me, I do not offend them. If they offend me, I will certainly retaliate." Xiao Man looked at the young man. "In a way, we are the same kind of people."
"In that case, you would also kill them?"
Xiao Man did not answer. She had principles and boundaries. In her daily conduct, she would not cross her principles or boundaries. However, if someone repeatedly crossed her bottom line, she would not let them know how terrifying she could be!
"Chen An, do you remember who you are now?"
The young man looked at Xiao Man and fell into a long silence. "I like the name Chen An."
"Don't you want to find yourself?" Xiao Man inquired. "Don't you want to regain your freedom?"
"Does freedom matter to me?"
"Chen An, are you truly free of worries?" Xiao Man asked seriously. "Are you going to abandon those who loyally followed you? Will you also forsake those who were saved because of you?"
The young man did not answer immediately. He looked into the distance, lost in thought. He remained silent until Xiao Man thought he would never speak again, and then he spoke.
"You must have already guessed my identity," the young man said in a declarative tone.
"I suppose so," Xiao Man said slowly. "You are Yu Ju."
When the young man heard these words, a faint bewilderment flickered in his eyes, as if he hadn't heard this name in so long that he was almost forgetting he was the Demon Lord Yu Ju.
"Can this name still scare children at night?"
"More than that!" Xiao Man said slowly. "Even adults would tremble in fear upon hearing your name. The people of the Four Great Sects turned pale and their legs went weak upon hearing that someone was going to rescue you."
The young man heard this and laughed, his laughter clear and crisp. "I never imagined I could make the Four Great Sects so afraid. This means I haven't failed."
"Yes, very successful," Xiao Man said calmly. "With my current abilities, I cannot break the formation in the Land of Utterance."
"But that doesn't mean you won't be able to break it in the future."
Xiao Man smiled and nodded. "Do you want to come out?"
The young man looked up at the sky. "I want to see the azure sky, the pure white clouds, and the brilliant starry river."
Xiao Man smiled. "Then, let's make a pact."
"You speak."
"I will keep my promise and rescue you, granting you freedom." Xiao Man's tone changed. "However, I hope you will promise me that once you are out, you will not kill innocents indiscriminately."
"Alright, I promise."
"So straightforward."
"Once I am out, I only want to enjoy my freedom. What I can promise you is not to kill innocents. However, if those people cross me, I will not let them off."
"I understand."
"Before the seal is broken, you must find my three souls and seven spirits that were sealed. Otherwise, what you release will only be a shell," Chen An said slowly. "My three souls are sealed in the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Heavenly Profound Sect, and the Heavenly Spirit Sect respectively. My seven spirits were originally sealed in the Seven Great Sects. You have already found one spirit, there is one spirit here, and two spirits are on the Yellow Springs Road."
"Three spirits are still missing. Where are the other three?" Xiao Man inquired.
"The other three spirits cannot be moved for now," the young man said softly, looking at Xiao Man. "When you have gathered the three souls and four spirits, return to Ghost King City to retrieve the remaining three spirits."
"The other three spirits are in Ghost King City?" Xiao Man was a little surprised. If they were in Ghost King City, she should have found them, so why hadn't she sensed them?
"The other three spirits are very safe, but retrieving the three souls is very dangerous," Chen An said with concern. "Infiltrating the three great sects, one misstep could lead to eternal damnation. When the Four Great Sects couldn't kill me, they could only seal my body in the Land of Utterance and seal my three souls and seven spirits in the Four Great Sects and Seven Great Sects respectively."
"Were the seven spirits retrieved?"
"The seven spirits were released by the old man of the Heavenly Shield Sect. After returning to the Ghost Domain, the seven spirits formed a barrier with themselves, sealing themselves and also protecting themselves. Now, only the three souls sealed in the three great sects remain, and there has been no movement from them."
"The three great sects, that's good. I was planning to visit the three great sects anyway." A smile appeared on Xiao Man's lips. Then, she thought of something. "The disciples of the Heavenly Shield Sect have contracted a strange illness, and I have researched it for a long time but don't know how to restore them to humanity. Since you escaped when the Heavenly Shield Sect was destroyed, do you know what's going on?"
"A curse, a bloodline curse."