A purple whip descended from the sky. Whether intentional or not, it captured the cloaked man just as A-Xi had been, forcing him to kneel midair.
“T-T…” The cloaked man stammered, unable to even finish his words, as the man’s gaze turned icy and pierced through him.
“Do you think my name is something you can utter?”
The cloaked man immediately bowed, “Spare me, Lord! Spare me! I am merely Cang Mu of the South Sea, a humble beast before the True Lord!”
“Lord?” Bai Shuo stared blankly at the man under the purple moon. Was this a real deity?
This was Tian Qi. He had traversed from the heavenly realm, breaking through the void to reach the ghost realm. His purpose had been to search for Yue Mi’s soul within the river of reincarnation in Ao Ge. But at the ghostly entrance, he had caught sight of this scene.
For him, life and death within the three lower realms was usually a matter of indifference. Had it not been for the heartbreaking cry he’d heard, he might not have stopped to witness the tragedy unfolding beneath the imperial tombs.
The Qian brothers cowered at the side, not daring to breathe. They had been forced by the cloaked man to capture young boys and girls for sacrifices, never suspecting that this domineering cloaked demon was, in fact, a pathetic coward.
In truth, they misunderstood. The cloaked demon, known as Cang Mu, belonged to the fearsome nine-headed serpent clan of the South Sea. He was a fierce beast whom even most celestial beings couldn’t defeat. Only when faced with an ancient, reclusive deity did he appear so humiliated.
Ten years ago, Cang Mu wreaked havoc across the South Sea, causing the celestial beings of Mount Da Ze to hunt him down. Desperate, he fled to the mortal realm. The entrance to the ghost realm beneath the imperial tombs was the only place where the ghostly aura could mask his demonic scent, hiding him from the celestial beings. He concealed himself under the tomb for a full decade, draining the flesh and blood of the Qian brothers to heal his wounds. Using his demon power, he granted them longevity, threatening and enticing them each month to bring him spiritual beings to devour.
For ten years, he lay low, his grievous injuries almost healed, preparing to return to the South Sea to claim his throne and power. He never imagined that two mortal girls would bring down Tian Qi, a true god, upon him.
“Spare your life?” Tian Qi’s gaze was piercing. “A mere nine-headed serpent demon, daring to ravage the mortal realm and slaughter innocents. If I were to spare you, then who would answer for the countless souls bound to you in death?”
With a sweep of his hand, the purple whip lashed Cang Mu into the air, its divine power crackling. The strike left Cang Mu screaming in pain, blood gushing from his mouth as wounds formed across the serpent horns on his forehead.
Seeing Tian Qi’s relentless blows, Cang Mu let out a furious roar and reverted to his true form. A towering nine-headed serpent thrashed above the imperial tomb, releasing a foul stench that darkened the skies.
But no matter how it squirmed or tried to dodge, the purple whip held fast around its tail, striking blow after blow.
Black blood spewed from the serpent’s mouth as it writhed, weakened and bleeding profusely.
“Tian Qi! I am of the demon clan! If you destroy me, you are unworthy of being a Demon God!” The serpent spoke with a human voice, its long tail bound by the purple whip, leaving only its nine heads to howl curses helplessly in the air.
Tian Qi didn’t even spare it a glance. “For a demon, death is death. So many words—it’s pathetic for a demon of your rank.”
The nine-headed serpent froze, silenced by Tian Qi’s contemptuous tone. Letting out a roar toward the heavens, its nine blood-red eyes glowed darkly, and one of its heads morphed into a human hand, conjuring a sword to sever its own tail.
“Raaaah!” A piercing cry of agony filled the air as black blood rained down from above. The severed tail fell, freeing it from the purple whip’s hold. In a final act of vengeance, the half-bodied serpent lunged toward Bai Shuo, its massive head bearing down on her.
It couldn’t harm Tian Qi, but it could take someone with it in death. If Tian Qi wanted to save this mortal, then it would swallow her whole and drag her to the grave!
Bai Shuo had no time to escape. She could only watch as the massive serpent head drew closer, its foul stench enveloping her. Clutching A-Xi tightly, she looked up at Tian Qi on the throne.
In her gaze was a mixture of hope, desperation, and an unwavering trust she hadn’t known she had.
That one look was enough for Tian Qi to notice her.
A flash of purple light tore through the sky, as the god’s power surged forth. The enormous serpent head turned to ash before it could even utter a final plea.
Silence fell; the purple moon cast its light over the earth.
By the time Tian Qi came to his senses, he had already left the purple-insignia throne and was standing before Bai Shuo.
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