The Spider Heart Demon shrieked with venomous hatred, trembling without end as it frantically searched Jiang Ding's sea of consciousness, trying to find anything it could exploit, anything that could shake his Dao heart.
Yet it found nothing.
From Tushan Immortal City and the Northern Plains to the domain battlefield, every matter and every person he had encountered—Han Lin, the four maidservants of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, Bloodflow Cloud, Burning Bone True Lord, Divine Crow True Lord—left him with a clear conscience. Some had even been deeply satisfying.
Whenever he recalled their deaths, he felt only delight, without the slightest guilt or regret.
His sword heart was empty, lucid, and flawless, untouched by dust.
At the very end, the Spider Heart Demon used all its power to conjure a scene from Banyan City Cemetery: Great Sun True Lord in his twilight years, his lifespan about to run out as death approached.
"Not bad. This is the place."
"It seems great minds think alike. That senior Black Tortoise whom I greatly respected was like this, and so are you."
Jiang Ding praised it.
He carefully experienced the fear, unease, despair, and resentment of his elderly self. They were all utterly real, making him sigh inwardly.
This was also the thing buried deepest in his heart, the thing he feared most.
"How could a life be without regrets?"
Jiang Ding sighed.
"No!"
"Don't!"
The Spider Heart Demon trembled, sensing something. It let out shrill, frantic squeaks.
Clang!
A sword light flew from the clouds, bright and snow-white. It reflected deeply in the Spider Heart Demon's eyes, pinning it dead within the dark universe of stars.
"You failed."
"You did not find the flaw in my inner demon, nor did you grievously wound me."
Jiang Ding said calmly, "So die. Remember, I