Chapter Thirty-Five: The Demonic Flute Accompanies the God of Slaughter

At this moment, the true energy within him had long since been exhausted, and the tail of the sword was gradually being pulled back by the force at the edge of the barrier. The scant two inches that remained became an insurmountable chasm, a gulf he would never cross in this lifetime.

Huff...

Just as he struggled desperately to charge forward, a sudden, biting wind swept across the side of the barrier. The force it carried, heavy as a mountain, directly knocked the crimson giant sword aside, sending it tumbling into the peach grove with a clang. Sand and stones were flung into the air.

When the dust settled and he looked again, the giant sword had already reverted to its original form, once more becoming Xuan Yuan’s flesh and blood.

Yet now he appeared even more wretched. His pallid face, already drained of color, was now ashen, almost golden, and his eyes glowed with a hint of blood-red. Fresh blood streamed ceaselessly from his mouth, like a trickling brook, staining the roots of the peach trees a vivid crimson.

The red robes he wore were torn to shreds by the fierce energy from the fan, exposing his bronze skin, which, against the pink of the peach grove, radiated a strange allure.

Jia Bai Mu closed his fan and strode over to Xuan Yuan, clicking his tongue in admiration. “I never expected you, Xuan Yuan, to possess such a remarkable technique. Truly an eye-opener. It’s a pity—a sword immortal reduced to this sorry, threadbare state. It’s enough to make anyone lament!”

No words were needed...

Xuan Yuan tried to rise from the ground, but as his hand moved slightly, a sharp pain pierced his abdomen, reaching deep into his core. Even a man of iron and steel could not help but cry out in anguish.

“I suggest you keep still,” Jia Bai Mu remarked, casting a disdainful glance his way and feigning concern. “My treasured fan has infused your body with chilling energy. If you move carelessly, you’ll soon be crippled. But if you submit, I can help you mend your bones and restore your vitality.”

With Xuan Yuan’s proud nature and the bearing of a sword immortal, he would surely have continued to resist. But with his cultivation destroyed, he realized that struggling further would leave him no chance for revenge.

That innate sense of superiority surged within him again, urging him to survive, to wait for another opportunity to avenge today’s humiliation.

If he were to die here, not only would his vengeance go unfulfilled, but the real Bai Mu would be wronged and perish in disgrace. He would become a sinner through the ages!

Weighing the pros and cons in his heart, Xuan Yuan clenched his teeth and used the last of his strength to reply, “Defeat is defeat. I, Xuan Yuan, lacked the power and will accept my punishment. But we made a pact before—regardless of victory or defeat, you must reveal your true face to me. Do you intend to keep hiding behind Bai Mu’s name?”

“Have you truly decided to honor your promise and submit to me?” Jia Bai Mu still harbored a shred of doubt. In his view, those from the righteous sects were born with innate superiority and would never so easily bow their heads.

“It’s true!” Xuan Yuan shook his head in resignation. “Do I have another choice?”

“From the moment you appeared, I anticipated this outcome. So, you needn’t question my resolve. Hurry and show me your true face!”

“Very well.” Jia Bai Mu clapped his hands in satisfaction, then flashed Xuan Yuan a carefree smile. His handsome face rippled with an indistinct change. Under Xuan Yuan’s concentrated gaze, in just a few seconds, Jia Bai Mu transformed into a middle-aged man clad in black robes.

He was strikingly handsome, his fair face unmarred by time, his features both rugged and refined. Two goat-like beards hung from his chin, lending him an air of Daoist elegance.

Yet, despite this, the man exuded a palpable aura of evil. Without careful scrutiny, one could sense his unusual, alluring presence—distinct from demonic or monstrous energy, something altogether strange.

“You... Are you of the Evil Clan?” Xuan Yuan asked in disbelief, suspicion clouding his face.

In his understanding, the Evil Clan had vanished from the Wild Realm during the divine wars ten thousand years ago.

After the God of War defeated the Demon Emperor Ni Qin, and the Heavenly Emperor subdued the Monster Saint Han Bi, only the Human and Divine clans flourished in the world. As for the Demon, Monster, and Evil clans, three races born alongside heaven and earth, they had disappeared entirely.

Yet now, in the hundred-mile peach grove of Dayong Gathering, the Evil Clan reappeared, and their power was astonishing. It was terrifying.

“What is it?”

“Do you have questions?” The middle-aged man looked at Xuan Yuan, unconcerned.

“Of course!” Xuan Yuan gathered his thoughts and asked weakly, “The Evil Clan vanished even earlier than the Monster Emperor was sealed. How is it that someone as powerful as you now exists?”

The handsome middle-aged man burst into wild laughter. “In the past, the Evil Clan was mighty indeed. If not for the God of War Fan Xian’s wretched brother stealing our sacred artifact, the Ten Thousand Commandments Evil Flute, how could the Divine Clan have so easily conquered us?”

“Now, after ten thousand years in hiding, we are ready to return and divide the world anew with the Divine Clan!”

“What is your position in the Evil Clan? How do you know so much about events from ten thousand years ago?” Xuan Yuan asked in fear, a shadow of a God of Slaughter flickering through his mind.

He recalled a legend his master once told him.

It was said that in ancient times, ten thousand years ago, the world was divided among five clans: Divine, Human, Demon, Monster, and Evil.

At that time, the Divine Clan was extraordinarily powerful, backed by many ancient gods and protected by the God of War Fan Xian and his brother Fan Sheng, making them unstoppable.

Yet, in the Wild Realm, the Evil Clan was also formidable, especially the Nether Evil King Zigu, who wielded the Ten Thousand Commandments Evil Flute. With it, he could control all things in the world, even the minds of ancient gods.

Indeed, Zigu used the Evil Flute to command many fierce beasts and monsters, while his sorcery absorbed the essence of countless humans to enhance the flute’s power, committing countless crimes in the Wild Realm.

When the Heavenly Emperor learned of this, he was furious and summoned the God of War Fan Xian and his brother Fan Sheng to the Jade Vault Palace, commanding them to destroy Zigu within three months and seal the entire Evil Clan within the Xuan Dan Mountain.