A world without glitz

Like a scar slashed by a wrathful god, the cliff towers into the clouds, violently dividing heaven and earth. This isn't a work of nature, but a "masterpiece" created by the Demon Lord Xiaoxiang upon his sudden emergence from the Fiery Hell Demon Abyss, wielding supreme magical power—a massive barrier that proclaims his might. The cliff face, smooth as a mirror, reflects the unchanging clouds, yet conceals a subtle, almost imperceptible crack.

It was this very crack that became the outlet for the raging fire of desire. Blood-red flames, raging with the fury of incinerating everything, erupted from it like a never-ending river of molten lava, carrying scorching sparks and plummeting like meteors into the bottomless abyss. The air distorted under the intense heat, emitting a low whimper.

Meimei stood alone on the cliff's edge, her dark dress rustling in the heat. She gazed down at the eternal torrent of flames below, her eyes complex and incomprehensible. After a long moment, she slowly leaned over, extended a slender finger, and tentatively touched the tiny tongue of flame escaping from the edge of the crevasse.

“Zizi——”

The sensation at her fingertips wasn't the expected searing pain, but instead a strange, bone-deep warmth and... familiarity. It was as if this destructive flame was a long-dormant part of her blood. The floodgates of memory were blasted open by this warm current, and the past, deliberately forgotten, layered within the human identity, surged and roared like magma.

She closed her eyes, a bitter smile curling up at the corners of her lips. After being human for so long, one can actually forget one's true nature—she is a demonic fire spirit born from the Fiery Hell, not some ordinary, cautious disciple of the Taixu Sect.

Far from the bustle of the cliffs, a tranquil bamboo garden nestles in a valley. Nestled among the lush bamboo, narrow paths lead to secluded gardens, each brick and tile bearing the marks of its owner's handiwork. This secluded retreat, modeled after the gardens at the back of Taixu Palace, is Sanxu's haven, a safe haven from the strife of life. The garden is lush and vibrant, with the southern candlewood trees thriving in the best growth, their emerald green leaves gleaming with a warm sheen in the sunlight.

"This year's candle leaves are really impressive." Sanxu, holding a homemade bamboo kettle, slowly watered a lush clump of spiritual herbs at his feet, his face a rare expression of leisure and satisfaction. This bamboo garden has always been quiet, rarely disturbed by the inconsiderateness of others. However, today, this tranquility was broken.

“Squeak—”

The simple bamboo gate was gently pushed open. Sanxu paused, his brows furrowed slightly. Was the Demon Sect's information inaccurate? Or was it the result of his deliberate avoidance of news from his old friend? He had indeed not heard a single word about the Immortal Cultivation Conference. He set down the kettle and glanced at the door in confusion. "Who... Meimei? Why are you back?" He said with surprise, and subconsciously called out, "Come in."

The figure at the door froze. Meimei didn't step into the carefully nurtured greenery. Instead, she knelt upright on the dirt ground outside the bamboo garden, like a lifeless stone statue. Her head hung low, her long hair obscuring most of her face, and only her tightly pursed lips hinted at a hint of determination.

Sanxu's heart sank, and he quickly walked to the door, reaching out to help: "Disciple, what's wrong with you?" His voice was full of concern and confusion.

Meimei's head shot up, her eyes, always gentle and gentle, now filled with helplessness and an almost icy determination. "Master," her voice was deep and clear, each word resonating like a heavy stone hitting the ground. "I have fulfilled your orders and helped Taixu escape, but... my identity as a demon sect has been fully exposed within the Taixu Sect. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to infiltrate the Taixu Sect." Her straight back trembled slightly, betraying her inner resentment and humiliation.

"Hmph!" Sanxu's concern was instantly replaced by a hint of impatience. He glanced at the empty mountain road behind Meimei, his tone cold. "Just for such a trivial matter, you ran all the way back to the bamboo garden? Where's that girl Chen Ye? Didn't she go with you? Her identity has been exposed, so why is she still clinging to that poor mountain valley?" As he spoke, he bent down and picked up the bamboo kettle from the ground, as if to dispel his sudden irritation with the motion of pouring water. The water splashed onto the candle leaves nearby.

"Master!" Meimei's voice suddenly rose, filled with urgency. "Chen Ye... she was imprisoned in the Taixu Sect by Sect Master Qi! I risked my life to escape! I came back to beg you to save Yuxi Jun!"

"What? Imprisonment?!" Sanxu was struck by lightning. The bamboo kettle in his hand clattered to the ground with a clang, and clear water gushed out, soaking his cloth shoes. His face, which always looked a bit lazy or calculating, instantly lost all color, becoming extremely solemn. Was the thin veneer of peace between immortals and demons about to be completely shattered? Qi Yiwen... He knew this child he had watched grow up best. Reason was always the cornerstone of his behavior. Chen Ye's identity... With Qi Yiwen's intelligence, it was not surprising to guess.

Sanxu's hands trembled uncontrollably, and the canteen he'd picked up erupted in erratic streams of water. A chill shot from his feet to his skull—if this news reached the ears of that ungrateful couple... He could already see Xiaoxiang's bloody guillotine coming roaring in, followed closely by five more mountain-shattering palms! He and Meimei were likely the first to be "dismantled"!

"Go! Go!" Sanxu's voice was shrill and urgent. He practically lunged forward, grabbing Meimei's arm with such force that she stumbled. He dragged her along, not even turning back, as he dashed towards Taixu Gate, as if a ferocious beast were chasing him.

However, just a few steps out of the bamboo garden——

"Bang!"

The two gusts of wind collided head-on! Sanxu and Meimei fell to the ground in disarray. Looking up, they were instantly shocked—it was the evil pair, Demon Lord Xiaoxiang and Jade Tree Lord Wuyu! Xiaoxiang was a burly figure, his black robe billowing. The dark axe at his waist, "Severed Head," exuded a terrifying aura. Wuyu had a cold and stern face, dressed in a simple green robe. He looked ordinary, but his phoenix eyes swept across with a chill that could freeze the soul.

"Master, don't be anxious," Meimei quickly got up from the ground, brushing off the dust while explaining to Sanxu at a very fast pace, "How dare I conceal such a big thing? I have already informed the Demon Lord and Yushu Lord a long time ago!" She looked calm, even with a hint of composure that "it should be so."

"You...you kid!" Sanxu pointed at Meimei, his beard shaking with anger, but he could do nothing about it.

Meimei seemed not to hear his rebuke. She knelt down again smoothly, but turned to face Xiaoxiang and his wife and said respectfully, "Disciple Meimei, respectfully welcomes the Demon Lord and the Jade Tree Lord!"

"Oh! You are really a good disciple to my master!" Sanxu looked at Meimei's smooth "surrender" action, and felt his eyes go dark and a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest.

Meimei raised her head, looked at Sanxu with burning eyes, and said in a clear and firm voice: "Disciple has never forgotten that I was born to fulfill Master's wish!" These words, at this moment, sounded full of irony and determination.

Fortunately, Sanxu was well aware of the principle of "a good man never suffers a loss in front of him," and he gave in as quickly as lightning! Otherwise, the giant axe called "Headbreaker" at Xiaoxiang's waist would have turned into a black light, completely separating his head from his neck!

"I swear! I will bring Chen Ye back safe and sound!" Sanxu almost roared, with cold sweat on his forehead. He only hoped that his sister Wuyu would spare his life for the sake of this promise.

However, although Xiaoxiang's axe shadow was fast, the real deadly murderous intent followed closely behind!

“Bang!”

A resounding, crisp slap landed on Sanxu's face without any warning! The force was so strong that he spun half a circle on the spot, and his cheek instantly became red and swollen. The one who did it was none other than Wuyu! Her face was frost-covered, her phoenix eyes burning with rage, and her voice was sharp with extreme anger: "Just bring him back intact and that's it?! My son went through so much suffering and hardship in that shabby place, do you think I can't think of it?! Qi Yiwen, that bastard! He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's the number one in the immortal sect?!" She turned to Xiaoxiang and said resolutely, "Husband! Let's go! Go blow up the Taixu Sect for me! Let it become their mass grave!"

"Go!" Xiaoxiang's voice was like rolling thunder, the giant axe had already been unsheathed with a buzzing sound, and the terrifying demonic energy rose into the sky.

"No! Absolutely not!" Sanxu was so scared that his soul was scattered to his body. He didn't care about the burning pain on his face. He pounced on Xiaoxiang and his wife and hugged their legs tightly as they were about to take a step. He almost hung on their legs. "My two ancestors! Calm down! Listen to me! You two must not leave the bamboo garden for even a single step!" He begged almost at the top of his lungs.

"Brother!" Wu Yu was so angry that he was shaking all over, trying to shake him off. "You're such a coward! You've never stood up for yourself since you were little! The most courageous thing you've ever done in your life was tricking someone's divine beast into guarding the gate! Now your niece has been captured and her face is ruined! And you're still here making sarcastic remarks? You deserve to be single for the rest of your life!"

Sanxu also gave up, holding on tightly and refusing to let go, looking up and shouting angrily: "I'm a coward? What about you two? One catches fire at the slightest touch, the other explodes at the sight of fire! Together they are like a raging fire, a real world-destroying combination! What's the temper of that girl Chen Ye? Lawless and trouble-making! How is she not like you two?! As her uncle, how many messes have I cleaned up for her over the years? How many asses have I wiped for her? Don't you have any idea?" He became more and more angry as he spoke, as if he wanted to pour out all the resentment that had been pent up for many years.

"She's your niece!" Wu Yu screamed and repeated, as if it was the only reason.

"I know she is my niece!" Sanxu roared even louder, spit flying everywhere, "I really want to kill you first, you troublemaker! When you were young, you got into trouble, and I always covered it up for you and cleaned up the mess. In the end, I couldn't handle it anymore, so I had to take you into seclusion in the mountains! What's the result? You and the king of the mountain next door gave birth to a daughter. Well, the disciple is better than the father! Your ability to cause trouble is ten times greater than what you had back then! You harmed your master and your apprentice! Now you want to drag the entire world of immortal cultivation down with you?!" Sanxu was heartbroken and tried to use the bloody history to awaken the two men's reason.

However, just as his emotions were boiling, his saliva flying, the sight before him choked him. Xiaoxiang and Wuyu, who he had just tightly embraced, were now standing silently outside the bamboo garden fence like ghosts! Even Meimei had retreated to that side at some point. He was left alone inside the fence.

"Master," Meimei said, standing outside the fence, her face almost pitiful, her voice remarkably calm. "You, old man, are sometimes just like your niece... you talk too much." She shook her head slightly. "Please leave your cherished 'wish' to us. When you can finally leave this courtyard... In this world, there's no such thing as spiritual cultivation or demonic cultivation. The path of cultivation should be unified."

"You... you three..." Sanxu's eyes were bloodshot. He rushed to the bamboo fence, frantically shaking the seemingly fragile but indestructible fence with his hands. It was a barrier he had personally erected, meant to protect peace, but now it had become a cage that imprisoned him. "Why? Why did you three get together? What a sin! What a sin!" The bamboo fence creaked under his futile thrashing, but it remained motionless. The vast bamboo garden, the vibrant vegetation, now became a ironic backdrop, trapping only him, a man distraught but powerless.

Outside the bamboo garden, three figures gathered.