Chapter Seventy-Seven: Is Master going to abandon me?!

The darkness deepened.

Gradually, it wasn't just the desolate darkness that grew, but also an even more eerie silence. Although there shouldn't be anything around them that posed a significant threat to their safety, Ye Chi couldn't help but feel a sense of oppression, bringing with it a touch of panic and unease. He subconsciously moved closer to Ya Feiyu's figure, who was dressed in black, almost pressed against Ya Feiyu's side. His thin lips were slightly pursed as he said, "Master, it's so dark and scary here..."

Ya Feiyu glanced at him and said in an unusually calm tone, "I'm here."

Any man with a modicum of romance would make one's heart race if he said those words, but Ya Feiyu was different. At this moment, he looked like a piece of wood, devoid of desire. His tone was indifferent, and his expression remained unchanged. These words, spoken without any embellishment, sounded incredibly straightforward. Ye Chi felt somewhat helpless, but he was still slightly moved—there was no way around it; as the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

He smiled, the gloom in his heart dispelled considerably, and even the fear in his heart seemed to lessen. He jokingly said, "Then please, Master, save me."

“…cough,” Ya Feiyu cleared his throat, feigning composure, “The exit should be around here.”

Ye Chi and the others had their cultivation sealed, and their previously sharp senses were slightly affected. However, Ya Feiyu was different. He replaced the spiritual power flowing within his body with the dense demonic energy around him, so his perception of his surroundings was not affected at all. The stagnant air gradually began to circulate, indicating that there must be an exit nearby that connected to the outside world.

Sure enough, at the end of the corridor was an opening leading outwards. Sunlight poured in, almost stinging his eyes, which were accustomed to the darkness. Ye Chi instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, but the sunlight seeped through his fingers and into his dark eyes. The air was fresh and clean. This seemed to be a cave, and Ye Chi didn't want to stay in that ghostly ruin any longer. He quickly stepped out, looking back to see Ya Feiyu still standing there, a long, thin shadow trailing behind him in his black robes, gradually disappearing into the darkness. His silver eyes seemed to glow, radiating an inexplicably cold gaze.

"Master, aren't you coming?" Ye Chi had already noticed something was wrong and immediately asked.

"You guys go first. I suddenly remembered that I still have some things to take care of."

Ya Feiyu lowered her long eyelashes, turned her head, and a glance between her and Ye Chi avoided each other, a look that even carried a hint of farewell. Ye Chi subconsciously followed, but suddenly a wild demonic energy surged from the darkness, blocking his way without any intention of attacking. At first, Ye Chi thought it was a demonic cultivator about to attack Ya Feiyu, but when he looked up sharply, he realized that Ya Feiyu was actually surrounded by demonic energy at the center.

This demonic energy was controlled by Ya Feiyu.

Why is Ya Feiyu able to... control this demonic energy?

Ye Chi's mind was filled with a buzzing sound. He was lost in thought and didn't even notice that Ya Feiyu had turned and left. When he came to his senses, Ya Feiyu had already disappeared, enveloped in demonic energy, walking away with such determination. Ye Chi shouted, "Master!!!"

Ya Feiyu didn't even stop walking.

He stretched out his hand, staring blankly at Ya Feiyu's slender back. His hand hovered in mid-air, then stiffly fell to the ground. His long bangs obscured his gloomy expression. Tantai Wushuang and Mo Huanchen followed one after the other. The former stammered, "Immortal Venerable Tianxue... why can you control demonic energy? Could it be that he has already..."

His face was pale, and there was no need to elaborate further. Everyone present was discerning and could understand his unspoken words. Ye Chi's eyes were more solemn than ever before, and he tried to approach, but as soon as anyone moved forward, the previously subsided demonic energy seemed to suddenly come alive, surging and forcing him back.

Ye Chi had no choice but to retract his half-step. At this moment, the demonic energy was like a docile animal, no longer revealing its threatening side.

What is the raven trying to say?!

Reason told him that Ya Feiyu would not so easily embark on the path of demonic possession in his life. Perhaps he really had something to finish, and the reason he didn't want them to come was simply because he didn't want anyone to follow... But Ye Chi could not rule out the possibility that Ya Feiyu might fall into demonic possession. Ya Feiyu's sudden ability to control demonic energy was definitely not normal.

Unfortunately, he is now so weak that he can't even pass through the demonic energy barrier set up by Ya Feiyu...

He gritted his teeth in anger, slumped down on a nearby boulder without uttering a word, his heart feeling as if it were filled with cement, a tightness in his chest, an unbearable ache. He could only breathe through his mouth, looking somewhat like a pathetic, stray dog. Thinking of this description, even Ye Chi himself couldn't help but laugh out loud—a self-deprecating laugh, but also one he genuinely found hilarious.

He was acutely aware of the possibility of Ya Feiyu's descent into demonic possession. If it were the old him, he would have fled long ago, wishing he could get as far away from Ya Feiyu as possible. Even if Ya Feiyu hadn't completely turned evil, one could imagine how troublesome it would be for a cultivator capable of using demonic energy to appear in the public eye. He might even be ambushed or attacked by people who had long disliked him... Given Ya Feiyu's popularity, this wasn't entirely impossible.

It might even be a few degrees more serious than he thought.

He was just an ordinary transmigrator, a modern person who hated trouble, but for some reason, he went crazy over the matter of Ya Feiyu and lost all his reason. Now, what difference is there between him and a dog that only follows its master?

But he was perfectly clear-headed; no one knew better than him what a crazy choice he had made at that moment.

He wanted to spend his life with Ya Feiyu, regardless of whether Ya Feiyu was a demon or an immortal, a human or a ghost.

He will always be Ya Feiyu's most loyal dog, his most capable subordinate, and his most trustworthy partner.

...

The impermanent figure was ethereal and illusory. The moment Ya Feiyu returned to the ruins, it reappeared from the darkness. It had never truly gone away. At this moment, it was happily clinging to Ya Feiyu's side, a strange smile curving its lips. "Does Master care about those three people? No, I should say... does Master care about that clumsy kid?"

Ya Feiyu glanced indifferently at the demonic energy leaning on his shoulder, then looked away. He didn't want to give Wuchang even a second glance, and simply said indifferently, "Don't be too curious."

Wuchang smiled, climbed off his shoulder, and circled him once. "What does Master want to do?"

Ya Feiyu looked ahead, lowered his eyelashes, and said in a calm voice, "Kill everyone here."

"Without exception, everyone still inside the ruins will be killed," in the silent darkness, the killing intent emanating from those silver eyes made them as sharp as silver blades, revealing their danger without any concealment, and the voice was as cold as ice, "All of them, kill them without leaving a single one alive."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding demonic energy seemed to boil and burn because of the bloodlust in his heart, all dissipating in all directions. Ya Feiyu stood there, his face slightly pale. He had to lean against the stone wall to barely maintain his posture. A sharp pain shot through his chest and abdomen, making it impossible for him to even concentrate for a moment. Wuchang did not obey his command. Even though the surrounding demonic energy had all dissipated, he remained beside Ya Feiyu, circling around him. Excessive use of demonic energy itself would have an indelible effect on the body. Even demonic cultivators dared not maintain control over demonic energy for a long time. Ya Feiyu not only controlled the demonic energy in the entire ruins by himself, but also commanded it. His body had not been very good in recent years, and it had gradually weakened due to the demonic energy entering his body. The fact that he could still hold on until he walked back here and avoided others was already the limit of what he could do.

He knew that Wuchang was protecting his master. Ya Feiyu slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, leaned wearily against the wall, slowly closed his eyes, and endured the burning pain that felt like his flesh was being gnawed away.

Impermanence was not someone he knew in a previous life; he was a ghost living in this ruin.

The ghost gradually turned black under the influence of demonic energy, and its appearance was no different from real demonic energy. It was impressed by the powerful energy in Ya Feiyu, which is why it chose to follow him.

Wuchang was like a sparrow, chattering incessantly. In the few hours that Ya Feiyu spent with him, he had said countless words, leaving Ya Feiyu parched. But Wuchang just kept talking and getting more and more excited. If Ya Feiyu hadn't chased him away, who knows what earth-shattering things he would have said when he was with Ye Chi.

But at this moment, he was very quiet.

Seemingly realizing that Ya Feiyu was truly in pain, he said nothing and did nothing, but simply transformed into a wisp of mist and leaned against Ya Feiyu's side. The ghost's body was thinner than normal demonic energy, so there was no sensation when touched. Ya Feiyu's eyelashes fluttered, and he spoke in a muffled voice, "Aren't you leaving?"

“With you like this, who can leave?” Wuchang seemed to be in a bad mood as well, his usually loud tone sounding heavy now. “I’m the strongest here. Without me, you don’t know what would have happened.”

Ya Feiyu looked up at him, and after a long, long time, she managed to utter a sound as soft as a feather: "Thank you."

Wuchang didn't hear him for a moment, "Huh??"

Ya Feiyu's earlobes felt slightly warm. "I said, thank you."

Ya Feiyu wasn't used to thanking people, but he still had basic manners, even though he felt something was slightly off. Wuchang was different; he seemed to rarely receive thanks, and for a moment he was a little bewildered. The entire mass of gas appeared somewhat flustered, drifting around him restlessly. Ya Feiyu couldn't help but find it amusing and said, "What's wrong? Why are you so excited?"

Wuchang said blankly, "Because no one has ever said such a thing to me before."