Falling into devilhood

As he spoke, Cang Xiao's gaze grew colder still. The illusion he had inadvertently triggered while tracking Yin Fan earlier had put him through considerable torment, deepening his obsession with eliminating Yin Fan.

Hearing Cang Xiao mention "the Heavenly Secrets Fate Disc's new prophecy," Wu Fei and Yin Fan, hidden in the shadows, both sharpened their gazes.

This prophecy, too, targeted Yin Fan.

The more this happened, the more Wu Fei suspected that the Heavenly Dao was behind it all.

Ninety-nine kinds of essence blood flowed into every groove. Blood-red light spread from the center across the entire altar, then abruptly flared. Everything overhead suddenly let out a wretched howl in unison and vanished into the red radiance shining from the altar.

Everyone focused on the center of the altar.

Suddenly, Wu Fei's heart gave a violent jolt. A bone-chilling presence slowly descended, as though a pair of invisible eyes were seeing through his entire body, clinging like a festering sore to the bone.

At that moment, the fierce beasts' essence blood on the altar grew darker. Its blood-red hue deepened, gradually turning into thick black mist.

"This..."

The sect leaders and Devil Venerables also sensed a pressure beyond the Tribulation Transcendence Stage sweep over them, and their expressions involuntarily grew solemn.

Yin Fan frowned and looked at the Buddhist disciple beside him, only to discover specks of golden light glowing in Wu Fei's eyes and the Silent Dust Pearl trembling soundlessly in his palm.

His expression was grave, as though facing a formidable enemy.

Wu Fei turned his head slightly toward Yin Fan. The golden light in his eyes flared, then slowly faded as he said, "It's here."

No sooner had he spoken than rosy clouds suddenly lit up above the altar, accompanied by strains of celestial music. Behind the clouds, a towering figure flickered in and out of view, like a heavenly god descending.

A majestic voice rang out. "Were you the ones who summoned me...?"

Cang Xiao and the others were delighted at the sight and answered respectfully.

Only Wu Fei stared at the thin layer of black mist beneath the rosy clouds, his gaze growing colder. The Silent Dust Pearl's golden light brightened slightly as it gradually elongated and took shape. It was the very golden bow that had once helped Yin Fan deal with the gray mist.

Yin Fan's gaze fell on him, and he heard Wu Fei say, "Junior Brother Jing, remember what I'm about to say. What your eyes see may also be an illusion. Only by looking with your true heart can you see the truth."

As Wu Fei spoke, a glittering golden arrow materialized on the bow. A point of golden light gathered and stirred at its tip, dark gold in color, with a faint white glow covering it.

Before the altar, Cang Xiao was speaking with the summoned phantom.

Cang Xiao said, "This man will bring an enormous disaster upon the entire cultivation world. Senior, please take action and-"

Before he could finish, a streak of golden arrow light suddenly flew in from the horizon, bearing terrifying pressure, its tip aimed straight at the phantom above the altar.

To everyone's surprise, when the golden arrow touched the godlike figure, that imposing figure proved as flimsy as paper, easily dispersed by the Exquisite Heart Power on the arrow.

Cang Xiao froze. The other cultivators and Devil Cultivators all burst into an uproar. "What's going on?"

The figure above the altar had clearly possessed pressure beyond the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, yet a golden arrow from some unknown source had destroyed it?!

The golden bow in Wu Fei's hand turned back into the Silent Dust Pearl and returned to his palm, concealing both his deed and his name.

Only after seeing Wu Fei loose this arrow with his own eyes did Yin Fan realize that the golden arrow that night had actually been shot from a bow formed by the Silent Dust Pearl. His ink-dark eyes shone brightly. Then, reining in his emotions a little, he asked, "Senior Brother, how did you know that figure was false?"

"Junior Brother Jing, did you sense a presence just now?" Wu Fei asked instead of answering.

"Yes." Yin Fan nodded. "When that presence swept past, I vaguely felt as though it had seen through all my secrets..."

"This thing summoned by the altar seems able to see into people's hearts. It must have seen what Cang Xiao and the others were thinking, then conjured a heavenly god surrounded by rosy light and celestial music."

As he spoke, Wu Fei took the Buddhist beads off his wrist. "Junior Brother, hold on to these beads for now. They can offer some protection."

Yin Fan had just accepted the beads and had yet to say anything when something stirred on the altar again.

After the golden arrow dispersed the figure, the altar fell quiet for a time. A moment later, thick black mist suddenly poured from its center. Liu Yuexuan, who was still standing on the altar, bore the brunt of it as the black mist burrowed into her body.

"Ah!"

Liu Yuexuan clutched her head, her expression shifting between delight and madness.

"Sect Leader Cang, this is..." The scene startled everyone, stirring a wave of panic.

"Hahahaha..." Liu Yuexuan suddenly threw back her head and laughed wildly, her voice crazed. "Senior Brother Jing, why don't you like me? Why won't you accept me...?"

At the same time, the black mist around her grew thicker and more terrifying, while her voice gradually shifted from Liu Yuexuan's shrill female voice, abruptly becoming a deep, rough male voice. "Senior Brother Jing, why don't you like me...?"

Yin Fan: "..."

Wu Fei: "..."

"Senior Brother," Yin Fan suddenly said.

Wu Fei turned at his voice, his gaze falling on Yin Fan's somewhat solemn face. "Hmm?"

Yin Fan pressed a hand to his shoulder, his expression grave. "Shoot him again."

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep working hard. Sending you hearts!

Chapter 23: Falling into devilhood

On the altar, Liu Yuexuan was still wailing in that deep, rough male voice. Looking at Yin Fan, Wu Fei nearly failed to maintain his composed expression, a trace of amusement rising in his eyes.

"All right."

Golden light shone from the Silent Dust Pearl in his hand. Just as the golden bow was about to take shape, the black mist on the altar seemed to sense something. It suddenly emerged from Liu Yuexuan's body and floated above the altar.

At the sight, the Blood-Sealing Devil Venerable exclaimed in alarm, "Cang Xiao, just what have you summoned?"

Why did this mass of black mist have a presence so similar to that of Devil Cultivators like them?

Looking again at Liu Yuexuan, whom the black mist had just possessed, they found her expression vacant, as though she had lost her wits.

Then an eerie laugh came from the black mist, its voice carrying a faintly beguiling note. "You summoned me. I can grant you one wish..."

"Do you want me to help eliminate that junior called Jing Fanyu, or do you want a method of ascension? You may choose only one."

"Naturally, we want Jing Fanyu eliminated," Cang Xiao said sternly.