rest in peace

Above the altar, the air was frozen solid.

The faceless shell emerged from the stone, and malice spread like a tide, gradually eroding Yun Shu's demonic power. The octagonal soul fire flickered, but what appeared on the black jade pool wall was not a human form, but countless twisted and hissing snake shadows.

It's utter chaos... How can you so blaspheme the dead?

Yun Shu frowned deeply. In his arm, Jin Zhu seemed to sense something, her small hand gripping Yun Shu's clothes tightly: "Fox Immortal? Is...is something...moving?"

Behind him, Canglang's face also turned pale. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire flowed on the long sword in his hand, but it was difficult to dispel the cold and gloomy aura that had been accumulating for ten thousand years, and it was difficult to convert the resentment left over from ancient times.

"Shh. It's alright, Jinzhu, don't be afraid." Yun Shu's crystal-clear eyes were calm and serene as she turned her head and said softly, "The Fox Fairy has some matters to attend to. Why don't you stay with this brother from the Red Lotus Sect and protect him for the Fox Fairy, okay?"

The Nine Heavens Heart Bell vibrated silently, and no evil spirits could get close within a hundred paces.

“…Okay.” The pale-faced girl let go, but still didn’t open her eyes. “Then…the Fox Fairy must come back soon.”

"Yes, I will."

Canglang, the Fire Patrolman of the Red Lotus Sect, solemnly led Jinzhu away, then faced the Fox Fairy, silently bowing with his sword in hand. Karmic fire flared up again, enveloping the two tightly, leaving Yun Shu ample room to maneuver.

A flash of light appeared, and the black-haired nobleman reverted to his appearance as the White Fox Immortal Lord. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure rose like a light snowflake, appearing in the blink of an eye above the dark pool, facing the shadowy figure directly.

Amidst the eerie blue flames, his pure white robes billowed, and pure demonic power poured down like moonlight. Within a dark, deathly aura, his figure was holy and compassionate, almost divine, forming the most extreme contrast with the evil pool of water that absorbed life and devoured souls.

As if enraged by this pure radiance, the dark figure let out a shrill roar. The faceless beings around it moved at the sound, like a tide contaminated by coal dust, moving in groups with a tooth-grinding screeching sound and boundless sorrow and pain, rushing towards that sliver of clear light in the sky from all directions.

They want to drag down the purest existence in this place and turn it into their own kind.

The "deity's" compassionate gaze swept over all the faceless beings present, without flinching or showing anger. It simply raised its hand slowly, its fingertips forming an ancient and complex hand seal. A vast, ocean-like demonic power erupted from its center, no longer as gentle as a protective barrier, yet it brought neither suffering nor destruction. Instead, it cleansed, purified, and nourished this parched, polluted land like a gentle spring rain.

Rest in peace.

A few ordinary words, when spoken by him, sound like the sacred chants of the heavens, carrying the majestic power of the righteous path, and carrying out the work of cleansing away evil.

As the words fell, the brilliant radiance transformed into countless threads of light, penetrating the bodies of every faceless being who rushed towards Chao Yunshu. Wherever the radiance passed, the bodies constructed of quicksand melted and evaporated rapidly, like snow under the blazing sun. The souls imprisoned and tormented within for millennia, their faces devoid of features yet filled with gratitude, were also purified and transcended under this light, ultimately transforming into specks of starlight that returned to the desert.

However, the dark figure in the center of the pool only hesitated for a moment before suddenly opening its massive maw. Soul flames from all directions surged upwards instantly, forcefully halting the power of salvation for a split second! Immediately, even more black quicksand poured out from the cracks at the bottom of the pool, relentlessly entangling the Faceless One's body and entangled its shattered soul. Furthermore, the dark figure itself leaped forward, nearly touching Yun Shu's fluttering robes.

Seeing this, Yun Shu's eyes flickered slightly. Destroying and converting these manipulated bodies would be easy, but if the root cause wasn't removed, it would all be in vain.

The dark shadow in the center of the pool... the soul fires from all directions... If these nine nodes can be destroyed simultaneously, perhaps the souls of the Faceless Ones can be restored to peace.

Just as he concentrated his energy, intending to unleash his demonic power to trigger an even more powerful spell—

"Monster! Get away from my master at once!"

A dark streak of light tore through space, arriving suddenly like a meteor. Mo Yiheng's figure stormed in, adding another surge of demonic energy to this already chaotic and desolate place. He didn't have time to see the whole scene clearly; all his attention was locked on that snow-white figure in the air. Naturally, he clearly saw the black shadow's sinister claws and sensed the powerful yet pure demonic energy being impacted by countless filth.

In his desperation, the pitch-black demonic flames surged forth from his body like a dragon, but they did not attack aimlessly. Instead, they split into nine streams and crashed directly into the ugly black shadow and the eight-pointed ghostly blue soul fire.

The Yin Demon Flame and the Cold Soul Fire collided violently, the roar shaking the entire temple and sending pebbles and sand tumbling down.

Although Mo Yiheng had observed that the soul fire was the key to maintaining the formation and the source of the black shadow's evil power, he could not overcome the soul fire's strangeness. This action not only failed to extinguish it, but also further enraged them. The eerie flames curled upwards, actually entangled and devoured the demonic flames, resulting in a stalemate.

"Nonsense!" For the first time, Yun Shu's voice carried a hint of anger.

Such reckless, head-on collisions... while brute force may damage the soul fire, it also intensifies the suffering of the souls within, and may even completely shatter them!

Mo Yiheng's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He looked in the direction of the voice and met Yun Shu's slightly reproachful gaze.

Master is angry... He's done something wrong again...

But he just... didn't want that thing to defile his master...

An overwhelming sense of grievance and panic welled up in his heart, and the demonic flames in his hand slowly died down, for fear that if he made any rash moves, he would displease his master again.

But the Soul Fire didn't give him a chance to be stunned. Taking advantage of the weakening of the demonic flames, the eight dark blue flames instantly condensed into one and surged wildly towards the newly appeared demon, determined to make Mo Yiheng pay a price.

"……well."

What a silly child.

Seeing his helplessness, Yun Shu's anger, which hadn't even ignited yet, vanished in an instant.

Sensing something amiss behind him, Mo Yiheng immediately turned around, his eyes showing no fear, only a violent rage from being provoked. He condensed flames in his palm, intending to take the attack head-on!

However, he was not as fast as the other person.

The gentle yet irresistible force of Qinghui suddenly wrapped around his waist and pulled him gently. He only felt a blur before his eyes, and the next moment, he was being held in Yunshu's arms, knees bent and shoulders bent.

Master, Master hugged him...and...and in such an intimate way...hug, hug...

So close... I don't even need to turn my head... I can snuggle into Master's neck... Master smells so good...

The once powerful and volatile Demon Lord was now completely red-faced, his heart pounding wildly, and he had no idea where he was.

The person being held is so happy they feel like they're about to die, while the person holding them is completely oblivious to it.

Yun Shu held his breath and focused his mind, facing the massive soul fire head-on in place of Mo Yiheng. He didn't use any magic to change the nature of the world; he simply lowered his eyes, and the hand that was holding Mo Yiheng's shoulder extended two jade-like fingers, casually pinching them in front of him.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The soul fire, brimming with all the death energy and seemingly capable of destroying the world, was casually held between Yun Shu's fingertips, trembling and unable to advance even an inch. The resentful death energy still tried to erode Yun Shu's hand, but it was easily dispelled by a layer of clear light.

Yun Shu glanced at the thing and then slightly tightened her fingertips.

"Get out." His voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, as light as a feather.

"...hiss."

A faint cracking sound rang out as the soul fire dissipated inch by inch, shattering along with the ominous black shadow, ultimately turning into a wisp of black smoke, which was wiped away by the demonic power surrounding the fox spirit.

The whole process was handled with effortless ease, as if it were merely brushing away a speck of dust from the corner of a garment.

This scene stunned Canglang in the distance, while the Demon Lord, lying in Yun Shu's arms, was even more shocked. Mo Yiheng looked up blankly at Yun Shu's still calm and beautiful face, and everything that had just happened in the blink of an eye kept replaying in his mind.

Powerful, composed, elegant... yet undeniable.

Only then did he truly realize that his master was a great demon on the verge of tribulation, capable of contending with heaven and earth. The strength accumulated over ten thousand years was far beyond his imagination. His so-called worry and desire to share the burden were such laughable wishful thinking.

An indescribable surge of excitement and heat welled up in his heart, burning his ears bright red. It wasn't fear, nor shame, but an almost trembling adoration... and an unspeakable admiration and longing.

Yun Shu did not lower his head. His gaze was fixed on the countless souls in this place again, and he spoke softly: "Heng'er, help me guard the eight directions, do not let the soul fire reignite, but do not harm the essence of the ten thousand souls in this place."

“…Yes!” Mo Yiheng reluctantly jumped down from the embrace, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and immediately responded. This time, he restrained his unruly demonic flames, instead using the Soul-Suppressing Golden Lotus as a medium, offering up pure demonic energy and transforming it into eight shackles, deeply embedding them into the place where the soul fire appeared, severing its connection with the pool water and quicksand, but no longer attempting a forceful attack.

Yun Shu hovered in mid-air, his body radiating a bright, clear light, with the celestial fox divine mark on his forehead appearing and disappearing. As if summoned by him, all the water vapor within the temple, and even the gurgling spring water, converged into countless tiny streams of light, swirling around him.

"With water as my guide, I will sweep away all evil spirits. With my power, I will help you sleep peacefully."

Vast demonic power and pure water spirit merged perfectly, unleashing a rain of light beneath the desert sands, sprinkling every corner. From the cracks at the bottom of the pool, the water and life force that had been forcibly drained were gently returned. The departed souls bowed three times towards the center of the pool before turning back to look at Yun Shu and the others, finally dissipating and finding release.

The eight soul flames gradually died down, and the resentment within them, accumulated over ten thousand years, was slowly purified under the protection of the oasis and the empress.

The altar fell silent again, but it was no longer a suffocating stillness; rather, it was a brief tranquility after the dust had settled. Water continued to seep from the cracks, but it was no longer decaying and gloomy; it had become crystal clear.

Yun Shu landed silently, her radiance receding, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.

He walked slowly to the center of the pool, bent down to help the venerable blonde empress up, and gently touched the tear that had never fallen in the corner of her eye with his fingertips, pressing his forehead against hers.

"..." A very soft sigh, from ten thousand years ago, fell with her tears, and her body suddenly turned into a handful of dust, merging into the spring, into this oasis, into her land.

"Fox Fairy," Jinzhu opened her eyes at some point, "They... stopped crying. I just... saw a very beautiful older sister, is she free now?"

"Hmm." Yun Shu smiled gently. "They are free. She is free too. But there must be more than one place like this in the Western Regions... Would Jin Zhu be willing to accompany the Fox Fairy to find them and set all the trapped souls free?"

"certainly!"

Then, Yun Shu's gaze fell on Mo Yiheng, who was still somewhat dazed. He walked over and raised his hand to brush a speck of dust off the other's shoulder armor.

Are you injured?

Mo Yiheng snapped back to reality, his heart pounding like a drum when he met his master's eyes, which were so close to his own. He hurriedly shook his head, his voice tight: "No! Heng'er is unharmed!"

So cautious... does he think he was angry just now? Yun Shu guessed, suddenly finding the child somewhat cute, yet also a little soft-hearted.

"Don't panic, Master is not angry." He said gently, lightly touching his disciple's brow with his fingertip, just as always. "But next time, don't be so impulsive... I know you are a Demon Lord with great power. But such vast demonic power is not only about destruction. Sometimes, soothing and guiding are more important. Do you understand?"

The cool touch between his brows was fleeting, yet it sent a shiver down the spine of the mighty Demon Lord. The fading blush returned, burning all the way from his ears to his neck.

He nodded emphatically: "Heng'er... will follow Master's teachings!"

"Good boy." Yun Shu rubbed his fluffy head, then turned and pushed him towards the southeast. "Now that you've come to see him and know that your master is alright, you can go back in peace, right? What kind of talk is it to ask A-Jin to guard the Demon Realm for you?"

"How did Master know about me...?"

He clearly never mentioned this matter!

"You..." Yun Shu poked his forehead again, "There are only a handful of people in the whole world who have the ability to suppress the Demon Realm, and my master and senior sister will definitely stay behind at Yunhua Mountain. Thinking about it this way, isn't it only the Human Emperor who can shoulder this great responsibility?"

"Oh..." Mo Yiheng looked dejected, secretly reaching out to grab Yun Shu's sleeve, "Then... isn't Master angry? Murong Jin treated you like that, yet I still allied with him..."

Yun Shu sighed helplessly, "Do you think Master is someone who doesn't understand the bigger picture? The evil spirits haven't been eliminated yet, and there are strange phenomena in both the human and demonic realms... Only by joining forces can we minimize the risks. Besides, although Murong Jin has betrayed me, he has never betrayed the world. How can I deny that he is an outstanding human emperor because of my personal grudges? Alright, go back now."

Seeing that his master was determined to send him back, Mo Yiheng felt wronged, but dared not disobey. After struggling for a long time, he had no choice but to use his magic to condense a black fur ball, stuff it into Yun Shu's arms, and run away, not giving his master any chance to refuse.

“…This child.” Yun Shu sighed, but she was too anxious to find out where the cult was hiding, so she had no choice but to give up and take Jin Zhu and Cang Lang out of the temple.

He slid a piece of black jade from his palm—he had taken it out specifically to use the death energy on it to guide him to the next location.

Under the influence of demonic power, Mo Yu extended a black line, pointing straight to the southwest of the boundless desert.

Canglang finally emerged from the shock of "the Immortal Lord and the Demon Lord fighting side by side." Seeing this, he stepped forward and asked, "Immortal Master, if you trust me, you may accompany me to the Red Lotus Sect. Perhaps it will save you some trouble."

The Red Lotus Sect is based in the Western Regions, and the position of Fire Patrol Envoy requires frequent travel across the desert, making him extremely familiar with sandstorms and quicksand pits in the Western Regions. Now that a matter is urgent, traveling with him is indeed a good idea.

Therefore, Yun Shu nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your trouble."