Slaying Demons, Love Held in the Heart but Hard to Express.

For some reason, upon hearing the other party's response, the girl felt no joy whatsoever, but rather a sense of emptiness. [Chaoxian] had clearly rejected such enormous benefits and had not twisted in the direction she despised, and Rongyue remained as gentle as ever.

But the eerie, echoing sensation stung her heart, leaving Li Shishi with complex emotions.

She gazed at the man's handsome face, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to ask... why.

The girl lowered her eyes, put down the teacup in her hand, nodded slightly, and replied:

"Let's go."

Jiang Rongyue sipped the slightly bitter hot tea, her Mind Lake rippling with subtle emotions.

She responded softly:

"Good."

Then the teahouse was hit by a storm that shook the tables and chairs. The invisible Heaven and Earth Qi seemed to wrap around the two slender waists like ropes, turning into the landing point under their feet.

Amidst the clamor and uproar of the crowd, Jiang Rongyue, along with those around her, soared into the heavens, riding the wind.

But to outsiders, the one who possesses such abilities is a red-clad girl with a cold expression, gently stroking her sword.

Therefore, the words the girl left behind with her eyes lowered also matched this:

"[Chao Xian] Li Shishi now wishes to assume the duties of an immortal and travel to Wanhe City to slay demons and monsters."

The Heaven and Earth Qi resonated in the air, spreading throughout the entire town.

These few words silenced the entire marching crowd...

At the same time, the Udu-dust that should have been completely severed from Li Shishi's Sea of consciousness stirred. It shone brightly for a moment, then slowly dimmed again, before sinking deeper into the depths, becoming undetectable.

Udu-dust, who should have been unconscious, seems to have undergone some unknown change.

During the time the two traveled to the Lostbelt, the initial Karma of cause and effect were quietly sown.

At this moment, the girl could only feel the touch of the man's Heaven and Earth Qi wrapping around her waist and the breath he was exhaling because of the close proximity. Her expression was lowered and her eyes shimmered.

In order to continue to conceal Jiang Rongyue's martial arts prowess, Li Shishi had to use one arm to embrace his slender waist, pretending that she was in control.

Her fingertips naturally rested on the smooth edge of the waistline, but as she realized that a touch of warmth was emanating from her heart, her fingertips nervously hovered in the air, trying not to touch the delicate fabric.

Jiang Rongyue pursed her lips, ignoring the details that caught her eye. She suppressed the confusion in her heart and let her sword heart drive the Heaven and Earth Qi, leaving a very faint white trail in mid-air, carrying herself and others, and speeding towards the predetermined goal.

Two years later, the girl entered the Clear Mirror Realm. With her already ridiculously powerful Qi cultivation talent, she could now ride the wind and soar freely through the sky.

An hour later, Jiang Rongyue glanced at the Yangtze River system, which surged like a torrent, and silently used the Heaven and Earth Qi to place the girl in red on the riverbank. She took a sword from the girl's arms, flew to the sky above the distant area ahead, and lowered her gaze.

The demon named Zhujiu Yin stood like a mountain range in the middle of a river that resembled the Cloud Cliff Sea. It had no specific form or the shell of a living creature. It was like a collection of mist or a creation of black mercury, but it did not have that ethereal quality or the corresponding texture. It could only be described as a deep darkness.

Even from the highest heavens, Jiang Rongyue could hear Zhujiu Yin Jiuyin's long, Dragon's Roar- like breath, howling and pressing down on the surging river.

Without making a sound, she placed her hand on the hilt of the sword, her five fingers slowly closing together.

This is a mass-produced Divine Key that has been transformed into its own unique nature after its meaning has been fully understood. Overall, it is quite similar to the bronze swords that were common during the reign of King Wu of Zhou. The ancient bronze exudes a sense of mottledness and coldness.

The small seal script characters engraved between the blood grooves were like gold leaf, exceptionally bright.

Its name is Demon Slayer.

In order to maintain her persona, the Demon-Slaying Sword was mostly used by Li Shishi, while she herself used the Hundred-Forged Sword that she used most often when it was known as the Yue Maiden Sword.

But when facing a serious adversary, one must use the most familiar and sharpest weapon.

Unlike usual, Jiang Rongyue did not make a move immediately. She was like a seasoned and cunning hunter, observing and assessing her opponent.

The Zhujiu Yin may not have a complete physical form, as can be seen from the waterways that flow through it and the distant waterways, which do not match its actual size and weight.

That eerie, boundless black body seemed to be merely an outer shell; the arcs of the water's parting revealed a tangible entity within, allowing one to vaguely deduce the true outline of this demon's interior.

Snake-like, or... dragon-like?

If you want a quick and fatal strike, simply aim at that area and deliver the slash.

However, this Great Demon was on a completely different level from the enemies they had faced before.

Even though they are all at the Emperor-class, the gap between this era and the later era, and between the later era and the previous era, is so vast that they are almost like two different species.

Jiang Rongyue could kill the Great Demon this era with ease, as easily as brushing dust off a sword blade with her finger.

However, those in later eras will likely need to be a little more serious, while those from the previous era will face even more troublesome and difficult battles.

However, Zhujiu Yin, who currently ignores the immense water power of the Yangtze River and allows himself to be empowered by the Heaven and Earth Qi, can probably be considered to have taken a half-step into another threshold in the previous era, a bizarre level.

Is this really Great Demon?

Jiang Rongyue could even sense the sense of crisis that Chi You had given her as he was dying, emanating from him.

Or perhaps, after devouring the entire city's inhabitants and continuing to consume countless more along its perimeter, it underwent some kind of mutation?

Yes, based on her long experience fighting demons and monsters, as well as some information taught by her master, we can draw this conclusion.

Demons only have the urge to destroy everything; their act of devouring is either a manifestation of their killing intent or related to their own abilities.

However, the darkness of Zhujiu Yin swallowed up the battlefield where the two armies first clashed, leaving not even a single corpse behind. It would be too far-fetched to explain this away with the extremely high density of Heaven and Earth Qi.

"A special ability...?"

"No wonder all those warriors never returned."

This is a demon that shouldn't theoretically exist in this era; its appearance only proves that Su Qing'an's existence itself has caused some other problems.

For example, the nature of Planet-class Honkai Beast.

For example, the distortion interference of [records].

Or perhaps it's just that the butterfly effect has created a few scattered differences.

Since the existence of Zhujiu Yin is now beyond doubt, the only remaining path is to kill him.

Jiang Rongyue had a vague premonition that she was capable of killing this demon.

However, if one does not reach the ultimate, exceptional state using the Stigmata in the early stages, one will inevitably suffer some injuries that appear somewhat frightening.

But if it ended like that, that person would feel guilty and sad.

But she didn't want that.

Li Shishi had never seen Zhujiu Yin, yet she assumed that Jiang Rongyue could easily kill him.

The reasons for this, besides the fact that the latter left such a deep impression, also include the lessons learned from the past.

--Zhu Zhujiu Yin was not the first Great Demon Jiang Rongyue had encountered.

So she never worried that this would be a burden for the girl.

But there are always unexpected events in this world.

That is the current situation.

Jiang Rongyue lowered her eyes, but allowed the Stigmata that snaked along her back to become even hotter and more intense.

Her pair of dark, peach-blossom eyes gradually turned from a somber, frosty look to a deathly silver-white, and billowing mist appeared as if steam was rising, revealing a vast, turbulent ocean within.

The girl's bones, blood, muscles, and bones were bearing an extremely terrifying pressure as if they were flowing against the current. It was as if every nerve and cell was being forced to exert hundreds of times its original strength, and even the most resilient steel would shatter under such pressure.

But this was still not the end. The Mind Lake within the Sea of consciousness rose and fell, and like a rising tide, it began to multiply in size at an eerie rate.

At the same time, the crimson patterns of the Stigmata seemed to come alive, winding and overlapping outwards.

Her slender figure was covered with totem-like patterns, her pale skin and blood-red lines intertwining to create a desolate color scheme, forming a stark contrast.

As deep and boundless as the sea, it is beyond compare.

This is an exception.

This can also be called the Ascending Tower State.

That is, the posture exhibited by unleashing the power of the Stigmata to amplify oneself to the limit.

Jiang Rongyue now possesses a level of authority that even the Immortal Chi Yuan must take seriously.

She still hasn't been able to enter the Tai Xu Realm, but her control and capacity over the Heaven and Earth Qi have already surpassed the normal limits for entering the Tai Xu Realm.

The girl was clearly just an ordinary person, yet at that moment, she completely transcended the realm that ordinary people could theoretically reach.

What will the price be? Even if she doesn't know it now, she is acutely aware of its weight.

But when Jiang Rongyue drew the [Demon Slayer] sword, she still had no regrets.

In the next instant, only the chilling killing intent, as fierce as wind and snow, resounded between heaven and earth, accompanied by the mournful cries of his own body shattering and twisting.

Li Shishi could only see the splendor of the falling sword, but could not glimpse the man's bloodied and disheveled state amidst the sea of clouds.

Most of the Clouds in the sky were shattered, and the rivers on the ground stopped flowing.

Zhujiu Yin could reveal even a fraction of its power, nor could its hidden mysteries be discovered, it met its demise.

Even the possible remains were swallowed up by the raging river that had been carved out by the [Demon Slayer] and carried to unknown territories.

Jiang Rongyue sat on the soft white clouds. The frost in her eyes gradually receded, cracking out the original darkness. Her beautiful pupils, however, were like glass beads that had been burned and frozen, gradually showing cracks, and finally shattered completely with a chilling wail.

Crackle, crackle.

This phenomenon gradually spread from the skin of the Stigmata to the spine, with blood and organs slowly seeping out during the process, as if being crushed and boiled into an extremely beautiful red, staining the pale skin and peeling away along with it like a weathered sculpture.

She was irresistibly heading towards death.

--Just to deliver that one strike that would put Li Shishi at ease.

But Jiang Rongyue is still alive, though she paid an extremely heavy and... heartbreaking price.

After Ascending Tower State, one will inevitably face an extremely painful death.

This is based on the girl's own experience.

However, after complete death, the state will return to its original state in a very short time.

This is why Jiang Rongyue preferred to enter the Ascending Tower State rather than fight to the death.

She wanted to see her unharmed, not wanting her to feel even the slightest worry or guilt.

The girl was so foolish and innocent, as if she had never known how to deal with the emotions that were budding in her heart. She could only express this joy that no one else could see in such a distorted and reckless way.

And after a long three minutes.

Jiang Rongyue shed her flesh and bones, lost her form and consciousness, and met her unseen death in the sea of clouds.

The [Demon Slayer] sword, now out of reach, plummeted from the sky, seemingly destined for the abyss-like chasm between heaven and earth.

Thus, the invisible and colorless waves, existing in another dimension, surged and ebbed.

If Su Qing'an were beside him at this moment, he could clearly perceive with his Manas consciousness that this area was in a state of extreme disorder and terrifying quantum alternation, even more unpredictable than the entrance to the [Lostbelt].

In just a few breaths, Jiang Rongyue reappeared unharmed in the same spot, even her clothes, which had been stained with blood and flesh, were now clean again.

She gazed at the [Demon Slayer] sword, which was about to fall into the abyss below, and slowly clenched her fist. An invisible force caused the sword to suspend in mid-air for a moment. Then, as if it possessed a spirit, it leaped a great distance to its sheath at her waist and concealed its sharpness.

The girl parted the clouds on the horizon and landed on the other side of the river.

She gazed at the girl in red swaying in the wind, slowly approached, and before the girl could speak, she took off the [Demon Slayer] sword, sheath and all, and naturally tied it to the girl's waist.

Jiang Rongyue's movements were so fluid and skillful, it didn't seem like she was entrusting her beloved sword with her life. Her brows relaxed, her lips slightly upturned, and she smiled as she softly said:

"Let's go."

Li Shishi looked at the man's face, but for some reason, she suddenly felt a sharp panic in her heart, and a sense of emptiness and despair washed over her.

The question that had originally been on my mind—why the other party had raised their sword technique to the point of severing the flow of the river—suddenly vanished in a strange way.

The girl was secretly puzzled, but she managed to suppress this strange and inexplicable emotion and smiled as she replied, "Okay."

It wasn't until much later that she understood that even S-rank Valkyrie of later generations couldn't regard demons of this level as mere mosquitoes and kill them at will.

It wasn't until much later that she realized the heavy price behind that seemingly casual "Let's go."

June 7, 1112.

Li Shishi met Zhujiu Yin in the Yangtze River system.

With the One Sword Sinks the River, demons vanished.

From then on, countless stories circulated endlessly across the land of Shenzhou.

[Chao Xian] quickly gained fame.

Ephemeral World.

Su Qing'an gazed at the gradually blurring platform nearby and the dilapidated buildings in the distance.

The girl gazed at the broken escalator and the endless, vibrant colors that reappeared before her, then glanced at the man's face and whispered:

"This place is about to break down too."

Su Qing'an replied:

"This is a sign that the journey is about to begin."

Since their time on St. Freya's island, the two have been wandering through other Imaginary World. These worlds, which the boy calls "foam," are indeed as numerous and indiscriminate as the foam that rises from the tide. Any fragmented memory can be used to construct a crude "foam."

Sometimes, on a sun-drenched bus, the two of them, dressed in Shenzhou simple school uniforms, would sit together in a corner. Su Qing'an would be playing an MP4 player with piano music playing in his hand. They would each wear an earphone, listening to the same music, breathing the same air, and basking in the warm sunshine together.

The tangled white headphone wire lay on her thigh, a tangled mess that seemed to proclaim that the bus would never arrive at its stop.

Sometimes it's a vast shopping mall that feels like it's on a deserted island. Su Qing'an carries many stacked bags of clothes in her hands, while the girl in front of her wears a large oversized hoodie with a blue bear print, light gray wide-leg pants that accentuate her good leg shape, and a slender, fair ankle exposed, with black canvas shoes underneath.

She's so youthful and energetic, it's hard to believe she's the Hua I know.

There are countless examples like this. If it weren't for the fact that brushing away the foam itself wouldn't affect the time in the outside world, Su Qing'an would have done everything in her power to dispel these misty dust particles from the very beginning.

With almost extra time, in a state resembling a holiday, the boy didn't mind observing a little longer to see just how many interesting poses [Foam] could display.

For Fu Hua, however, this journey turned into a parade resembling a fashion show because it was Imaginary World infused with someone's subconscious and preferences.

If it weren't for hyperthymesia, she definitely wouldn't have been able to count how many different styles she had tried before.

If Su Qing'an hadn't been so innocent, and had almost never imagined any immortals that were inappropriate for children, the process of clearing away the "foam" would definitely not have been as harmonious as it is now.

If it were someone with more distracting thoughts, this trip would turn into a frank confession session where everyone tries to hide their true feelings.

Now, the girl has no problem with the clothes she changes from time to time. After learning the underlying principle, she even thinks it's a good opportunity to remember someone's preferences.

Hyperthymesia allows "experience" to play a greater role in her life. After experiencing this journey that almost allowed her to peek into someone's mind, many previously unknown details are slowly being filled in.

At that moment, another speck of foam shattered.

The boy stood beside a pond filled with white doves, gazing at the surrounding scene.

This appears to be an old, neglected amusement park. A few seemingly untrustworthy intelligent robots are visible, and a tour bus with flashing colored lights and playing cheerful music is approaching, accompanied by electronic noise.

"Beep beep beep, dear child, would you like to ride the White Horse Sightseeing Car?"