Chapter 356: Death is near, but the plan Succeeded [2]

Wan Shou noticed it.Only now.

That Yu Xuan casted no shadow.

The realization struck him hard.

"...Ah," Wan Shou said, his voice shrinking despite himself, sweat seeping from places that should not sweat.

"How about you... let me go?"

Yu Xuan looked at him strangely suspecting that something is wrong, because this demon showed various characters within short span of time.

"Giving up already?" Yu Xuan asked calmly.

"I had no reason to spare you to begin with and then you kindly handed me an additional one."

His gaze hardened.

"Targeting my people, coveting her and now wasting my time."

Wan Shou forced a laugh, sharp and menacing on the surface.

"Hahaha! You think I’ll die?" he sneered.

"Then you’re greatly mistaken! Are you sure you want to provoke me over some random disciples?!"

His voice boomed, full of false bravado.

But inside.

Very. Very. Different thoughts were racing in his mind.

’Hehe I guess I succeeded.’

***

Among the Heavenly Demons, Wan Shou was an anomaly.

Not because he was heaven defying.

Not because he possessed some peerless talent that bent fate around him.

But because despite bearing an Immortal-Grade bloodline, he was weak.

Painfully so.

He was born a mortal.

Among the Heavenly Demons, whose very infants could crush mountains, Wan Shou was likely the weakest individual to carry an Immortal-Grade bloodline.

That contradiction alone drew attention.

Because he was born in the Immortal Realm, his existence immediately reached the ears of his Ancestor.

An Immortal bloodline manifesting so feebly was rare.

At first, Wan Shou was labeled a genius, a curiosity worthy of observation.

But time was cruel to him.

And cultivation speed is merciless.

As years passed, his growth remained... average.

Not slow.

But far from worthy of his bloodline.

In a land ruled purely by strength, that was enough.

The title of "genius" quietly faded.

And as his Ancestor’s gaze lingered on him, envy and jealousy bloomed among his generation.

Those born later surpassed him.

Those born weaker overtook him.

Those who once bowed began to sneer.

Wan Shou became a convenient target.

Hatred followed him like a shadow.

Yet Wan Shou did not resent them.

Because he understood the law of the jungle better than most.

Strength ruled.

That was all.

Then, an opportunity appeared.

The descent into the Lower Realms.

To the others, it was a battlefield, a chance for conquest and glory.

To Wan Shou, it was a turning point.

He personally requested his Ancestor to allow him to descend, citing the desire to broaden his horizons and understand other races.

The request was rejected, at first.

His Ancestor wanted to shield him.

A weak Immortal bloodline bearer was bait for predators.

But when the God-Weeping Sovereign himself intervened, the situation changed.

Faced with such authority, even the Ancestor had no choice but to yield and even involve himself.

Because he sensed it.

Wan Shou had been pulled into a scheme far larger than himself.

Yet... the Ancestor did not stop it.

Because within that danger, he too sensed an opportunity, one that could either forge Wan Shou into something terrifying, or erase him completely.

Wan Shou agreed.

Not because he was brave.

But because he had no choice.

Still, what none of them truly understood was this.

Though Wan Shou’s Immortal bloodline did not grant him overwhelming power, it gave him something else.

An enhanced mind.

Sharper instincts.

A frightening sense for survival.

And above all, a bit of cunningness.

He knew his schemes would never work against beings on the level of his Ancestor.

And perhaps that was precisely why he was chosen to be used, or tested.

When he was selected as the Heavenly Demon’s representative tasked with capturing the disciple of the Martial Ancestor, Wan Shou understood immediately.

This was a suicide mission.

Death was not a possibility.

It was the expectation.

And yet.

He did not refuse.

Because for now, reputation among the Ancestors mattered more than survival.

Because being branded a failure was worse than dying.

Because this is a place where hidden geniuses existed, and they would not have chosen him unless something else was at play.

So Wan Shou descended.

Into the gate.

Into the scheme.

Into a battlefield where a monster walked wearing human face.

And now.

Wan Shou’s mission was coming to an end.

So he chose to perform his final act.

A man overflowing in negative emotions, a bit proud and arrogant, but he knew where to strike Yu Xuan.

Initially, he was extremely wary of everyone around him.

He even restricted his own thoughts, who knew if the other side possessed mind-reading abilities, or if someone among his allies had already sabotaged him, or worse, he had already been planted with a spiritual trigger within him?

He had witnessed enough inexplicable horrors to know better.

To survive and to complete this mission, he forced himself to act unpredictable, erratic to the point that even he couldn’t fully anticipate his own moves.

Even if there are casualties.

He saw it clearly, the faint disdain in Yu Xuan’s eyes, the cold indifference that treated him as nothing more than an inconvenience.

That gaze unsettled him more than fear ever could.

Still, Wan Shou pressed on.

Though failing to obtain the woman with the auspicious aura was a loss, he convinced himself it was acceptable.

Opportunities would come again. He would survive. He always did.

This time, even after death.

Raising his voice from those multiple mouths, Wan Shou roared with feigned outrage.

"WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! ALL I DID WAS CAST MY EYES ON A HUMAN GIRL! ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVOKE AN INTER-REALM WAR?!"

Yu Xuan stared at him for a moment, genuinely wondering if the man was suffering from sudden mood swings.

He moved a step and then he answered calmly.

"Why...? Haa. You shouldn’t have laid your filthy eyes on her. Even your existence disgusts me. But daring to desire her? You’ve clearly tired of living." His gaze sharpened.

Yu Xuan no longer wished to waste time. Enough had passed already and by now, the return gate should be nearly complete.

In the next instant, he vanished.

And reappeared.

His fingers wrapped around Wan Shou’s grotesquely distorted neck.

"WAIT! STOP! IF YOU KILL ME, YOU’LL PROVOKE— AHHHHHHHHH!!"

White-gold flames erupted from Yu Xuan’s hand, engulfing Wan Shou completely.

As his existence burned away, Wan Shou screamed his final threat, voice cracking with madness and desperation.

"THIS ISN’T OVER! NEXT TIME I WILL INVADE YOUR WORLD, I’LL—"

"Then I’ll be waiting," Yu Xuan replied softly, a faint smile touching his lips.

And with that.

Wan Shou’s ending act came to a close.

Then Yu Xuan paused... as if sensing something.

[A/N: Spoilers on Chapter 30...]