Chapter 71 Hidden Mission: Assassinate Demon Lord Ji Fu...
In the cool moonlight, Ji Fuguang slowly walked over.
The demonic energy surrounding him did not subside; instead, it flowed slowly as if it were alive, revealing his unquestionable identity.
His lips seemed to curve slightly, but there was no warmth in them.
"You only see it now?" His voice was low and steady, yet more chilling than the night wind. "As you can see."
Those four simple words struck Sheng Zhiyi with a profound shock.
It's not denial, not explanation, but a cold admission.
She felt dizzy, but still forced a smile and said, "Senior brother...did you choose to fall into demonic possession when you were in the formation just now...?"
If one has only recently fallen into demonic possession and is merely a nascent demon, there is still a chance to remedy the situation, as long as the demonic energy is forcibly expelled...
As if seeing through her thoughts, Ji Fuguang's smile widened. He looked down at Sheng Zhiyi, his coldness tinged with a cruel mockery, and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Able to easily acquire demonic divine weapons, able to instantly kill demonic elites, and able to forcibly break free from demonic spirit-trapping formations. Junior Sister, what do you think my identity is?"
"The Demon Lord?!"
Sheng Zhiyi was startled by the two words she blurted out; a huge sense of betrayal and fear instantly gripped her.
Almost instinctively, she struggled to back away, wanting to get away from the source of this suffocating demonic energy.
Sensing her fear and resistance, Ji Fuguang's eyes turned cold, but he made no move.
But the pervasive demonic energy clung to her like a shadow, icy cold and carrying an unyielding suppressive force, rendering her unable to move.
"Let go!" Sheng Zhiyi's voice was sharp and broken with fear.
Cold fingers gripped her slender neck without warning. They weren't very forceful, but it was enough to stop her from speaking, as if her blood had frozen.
Ji Fuguang leaned closer to her, demonic energy swirling around her cheeks, his eyes sizing up an insignificant yet disobedient prey.
"Be quiet." His tone was indifferent, carrying a condescending threat. "Or, do you want to experience right now what it truly means to be 'in danger'?"
Sheng Zhiyi's pupils contracted sharply, and all the strength to struggle was drained away in that instant.
Looking into those cold, demonic eyes, she realized for the first time that the person before her was no longer the senior brother she could argue with, complain about, or even occasionally test.
He is the Demon Lord.
A demon lord who could decide her life or death with the flick of a finger.
Ji Fuguang felt her stiffness and slight trembling, and seemed finally satisfied.
He released his grip on her neck, his fingertips brushing across her pale cheek, brushing away the blood-stained strands of hair, and stuffing the gall bladder of the Jade Serpent into her mouth.
The cool snake gall slid down the throat, encased in its outer sheath, and had no bitter taste.
When Ji Fuguang offered to help her retrieve the snake gallbladder before, she felt a hidden sense of joy despite her helplessness. But now, Sheng Zhiyi only felt a chill to the bone.
Before the medicinal power of the snake gall had fully dissipated, a chilling wind rose again in the valley, even more bone-chilling and unsettling than the previous formation.
Several dark figures appeared silently in the shadows of the surrounding rock walls like ghosts. Although the demonic energy surging around them was not as pure and powerful as Ji Fuguang's, it was by no means an ordinary demon.
Sheng Zhiyi was startled and pressed herself tightly against the stone wall, her fingers gripping the sword hilt tightly once more.
Were these demons summoned by Ji Fuguang? What are they planning to do?
The leading demon was tall and imposing, his face adorned with strange demonic markings. He knelt on one knee, his voice excited and hoarse:
"His Majesty!"
Ji Fuguang lowered his eyes slightly, focusing on his fingers, not glancing at them at all. But this did not affect the demon's mood in the slightest. He continued:
"Since regaining consciousness, I have searched the entire land and finally found you! Demon Clan..."
"How did you find this place?" Ji Fuguang interrupted him in a calm tone.
The demons didn't see anything wrong with it at all, immediately stopped talking, and replied respectfully:
"I was searching for your whereabouts near the North Sea, but to no avail, so I returned along the way. I just sensed a trace of demonic energy in the air, so I came down to check, and I never expected it to be you..."
His words came to an abrupt end.
Because Ji Fuguang gently lifted Zhao Yexue's hand, the previously somewhat restrained monstrous demonic energy suddenly erupted again, even more violent and fierce than before.
The pitch-black demonic energy, like tangible tentacles, and with an overwhelming force, instantly engulfed the few demons who had just appeared.
Before the demons could even fully show their astonishment, their bodies began to disintegrate and annihilate under that terrifying pressure.
There were no screams, no struggles. It was as if they were wiped away by an invisible giant hand, along with their demonic energy and divine souls, all turning into dust in an instant and dissipating in the night wind, leaving not a trace.
The whole process was incredibly fast and eerily quiet.
Ji Fuguang slowly withdrew his gaze, as if he had merely brushed away a few specks of dust.
He looked at Sheng Zhiyi and saw that her face was as pale as paper, her body was trembling slightly, and her eyes were filled with fear and disbelief that were almost overflowing.
Ji Fuguang's eyes were indifferent, even showing a hint of weariness: "See? This is what happens when you find me."
He approached her, his cold fingertips lifting her chin again, forcing her to look at him: "If you don't want to become the next 'fate,' you know what to do when you return to the sect."
Before Sheng Zhiyi could even process the fact that Ji Fuguang had personally killed the demons, she caught the meaning behind his words: was he preparing to return to the Tianyan Sect?
Indeed, Ji Fuguang himself is the Demon Lord, so why should he continue to play along with her on this mission to investigate the demon race?
"You... will you return as the chief disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Sect, or..."
Will he return to his identity as the Demon Lord?
Before Sheng Zhiyi could finish speaking, Ji Fuguang had already understood her implication.
He curled his lips into a smile, and his face regained its cheerful expression.
"Junior Sister, I don't know how to answer your question. Haven't I always been... your senior brother?"
Looking at his usual smile, Sheng Zhiyi finally realized that there was a hint of coldness hidden in his eyes.
——
The two returned to the Tianyan Sect.
The sun shines warmly, cranes call sweetly, and everything seems unchanged.
Ji Fuguang took Sheng Zhiyi back to Shuanghua Peak and went to report on the completion of the mission himself.
Sheng Zhiyi didn't know how he reported to the sect, but it was probably another lie. This must be commonplace for Ji Fuguang.
After descending Shuanghua Peak, Sheng Zhiyi wandered aimlessly through the sect. Her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't know who to confide in.
With the sect leader in seclusion, and the other elders having a close relationship with Ji Fuguang, everyone in the Tianyan Sect praised Ji Fuguang. The only one who disliked Ji Fuguang was probably Shen Qingming.
But thinking of Shen Qingming's guileless nature, Sheng Zhiyi shook her head, determined to keep this a secret from him.
As I was walking, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.
Sheng Zhiyi instinctively hid to the side and secretly looked over.
On the mountain path, Ji Fuguang seemed to have encountered several disciples by chance, and as they walked, he pointed out the key points of swordsmanship to them.
"If this move is a bit difficult, you can try using the beginner sword techniques first..."
The disciple's question was very simple, even Sheng Zhiyi could answer it, but Ji Fuguang showed no impatience. Instead, he patiently and gently guided the disciple.
The warm, clear sunlight shone on his face, even tinting his eyelashes a light gold, making the small red mole at the corner of his eye stand out.
That smiling face seemed to possess a certain divinity, making people feel an involuntary sense of closeness.
With a clear mind and bright spirit, she is unparalleled in her elegance and talent.
How could Ji Fuguang, with such methods, possibly be the ruthless Demon Lord?
Having received the guidance, the disciple respectfully bowed and left.
Ji Fuguang put his hands behind his back and said, "Come out."
Knowing she couldn't escape his divine sense, Sheng Zhiyi obediently emerged from behind the tree, "Senior Brother..."
The scene she had just witnessed was still vivid in her mind. Sheng Zhiyi mustered her courage and said softly, "Senior brother... I know you must have your reasons. The demon race is fighting and scheming among themselves, and you've been hiding your identity... You still really want to be a disciple of the cultivation world, don't you?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Fuguang glanced at her. His dark eyes held no passivity of being misunderstood, only a cold, all-knowing depth.
He suddenly smiled, walked towards Sheng Zhiyi, and slowly combed the stray hairs at her temples with his fingers.
Amidst the cool fragrance of pear blossoms, he moved gently, his voice tinged with a smile: "A predicament? Want to become a disciple of the cultivation world? Yes, that's why I twisted my adoptive parents' necks, killed my senior sister who confessed her love so earnestly, and pierced through the preachy elders with such a predicament."
“Junior Sister, your storytelling ability is a little stronger than your cultivation talent.” His fingers slid across her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. “However, I like your current… well-behaved look as you try so hard to survive.”
“Remember, keep it up.” His voice deepened, carrying an unmistakable obsession and controlling nature. “Your eyes can only look at me, your thoughts can only be on me. If you dare to think about going home again, or reveal even a hint of what you dared not say—”
He suddenly chuckled softly and gave Sheng Zhiyi a deep look.
The words were left unsaid, but the unspoken threat was more suffocating than any concrete statement.
Sheng Zhiyi finally understood that her so-called predicament was just wishful thinking on her part.
He has always been the Demon Lord who controls everything. He must have a more terrifying purpose for staying in the Tianyan Sect. As for me, I was just a puppet who accidentally discovered his secret and was kept by his side.
"By the way," Ji Fuguang glanced at her, his tone gentle, "I don't like you leaving Shuanghua Peak so easily. Junior Sister will understand, right?"
"Yes... I understand, senior brother..."
Sheng Zhiyi obediently answered, then turned around and walked back to Shuanghua Peak along the mountain path.
She was extremely familiar with every blade of grass and every tree on Shuanghua Peak, but sitting here now, she felt a tightness in her chest.
That evening, Ji Fuguang returned, and Sheng Zhiyi served him tea and ground ink as he requested.
Ji Fuguang seemed to have something to attend to and didn't say anything to her.
Having completed all of this, Sheng Zhiyi returned to her room.
Even though it was just a few simple things, a deep weariness welled up from the bottom of her heart.
Sheng Zhiyi lay in bed, trying to do something to distract herself. She unconsciously looked at the system in her mind.
The system was still lagging, just like before. Only the scoreboard still had numbers; the rest of the screen was blank.
For a moment, Sheng Zhiyi didn't know whether she wanted the system to recover as soon as possible or to remain frozen like this.
Anyway, the result is pretty much the same.
One is a system that erases existence, and the other is a puppet of Ji Fuguang.
They're about the same.
Sheng Zhiyi turned over and closed her eyes.
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind:
[Good evening, player Sheng Zhiyi!]
[The final mission was not completed, but given the player's consistently excellent performance, a special exchange service is now available. Please choose one.]
[Do you want to use 800 points to redeem a hidden quest?]
[Note: If you choose to redeem the hidden quest, the hidden quest will replace the final quest, and the previous penalties will no longer apply.]
Without hesitation, Sheng Zhiyi clicked to redeem.
Soon, the system voice sounded again:
[Good evening, player Sheng Zhiyi!]
[A hidden quest has been released. Please check your inbox.]
[Hidden Mission: Assassinate Demon Lord Ji Fuguang.]
[Mission Reward: Return to Reality]
[Punishment for failure: Extinction of existence]
[Task completion countdown: 24:00:00]
[Please complete the current strategy mission as soon as possible!]
Sheng Zhiyi's eyes were fixed on a line of text about the mission.
Assassination of Ji Fuguang?!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com