Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Chapter 126

‘A thousand years apart’?

‘My demon core’?

Jian Huan followed the Black Dragon’s gaze, turning her head to look at Shen Jizhi, who stood in front of her to the right, pondering the dragon’s words.

She still remembered what Madam Mei Yi, who was acquainted with his parents, had said back in Ningzhang City.

The demon origin stone within Shen Jizhi carried the cultivation legacy of the Demon God Hua Dihai from a thousand years ago…

So, the Black Dragon before her—could it actually be Hua Dihai himself?

A thousand years ago, during the Great War between the righteous and the demonic forces, countless powerful figures from the Nine Provinces Continent perished in the battle to finally kill Hua Dihai.

Among them were Master Fang Quan from the Lotus Mirror and Senior Lotus Heart…

Yet, Hua Dihai was still alive in this world?

Such a calamity from a thousand years ago was standing right before her.

For a moment, Jian Huan felt as if a boulder was pressing down on her chest, her heart sinking uncontrollably.

She looked at Shen Jizhi, who was ten steps away from her, and suddenly everything became clear.

Almost as soon as he had entered the hall, the doors had swiftly closed behind him.

And from the moment he stepped inside, he had never approached her.

He must have sensed something, which was why he had kept his distance.

Jian Huan’s eyes dimmed, her hands and feet turning icy cold.

She clenched her lips, took a deep breath, and tightened her grip on her sword. Before she could even think about what to do next,

tears suddenly streamed down from the corners of her eyes, warm and sticky as they trailed down her cheeks.

She was a little scared, sure, but she hadn’t been crying, had she?

Jian Huan reached up in confusion, wiping her face, and stared at the crimson blood on her fingertips in shock.

This was only the beginning.

A continuous flow of blood, like erupting volcanic lava, gushed out from her eyes and ears.

The pain came belatedly, crashing over her like a tidal wave.

Jian Huan groaned, her brows deeply furrowed. A quick internal check revealed—

Every meridian in her body had been shattered, reduced to dust.

With a spurt, Jian Huan opened her mouth and vomited a large amount of blood, her gaze falling toward the direction of the Bodhi Pagoda.

The Black Dragon paid her no mind, still fixated on Shen Jizhi.

But Jiang Wei, kneeling beneath the dragon, suddenly glanced her way, his eyes filled with disdain and the cold indifference of a superior, as if mocking her for overestimating herself and daring to challenge the heavens.

It was those words…

The words the Black Dragon had spoken…

The strange, otherworldly pronunciation, though seemingly harmless, had unknowingly inflicted severe injuries upon her.

So, this was the power of a Demon God.

There was no room for resistance.

Jian Huan vomited more blood, her strength failing as her fingers loosened, and the silver sword in her hand slipped away. The stack of talismans hidden in her sleeve scattered in all directions.

Her body, suspended in mid-air, plummeted like a bird struck by an arrow, swiftly falling into the cracked ground below.

Jian Huan’s consciousness began to fade, her body growing colder and colder.

The cold and pain made her teeth chatter uncontrollably.

Yet, she still struggled to keep her eyes open, searching for Shen Jizhi.

In the blood-red, blurred world washed by her tears, the black-clad young man with a high ponytail, his eyes wide with fury, was desperately rushing toward her.

Jian Huan coughed up more blood, her throat emitting pained moans, rendering her unable to speak. She could only mouth silently, “Shen Jizhi, I’m sorry…”

Before they had ventured into the Dark Abyss, he had placed a five-colored frost flower within her golden core.

This was Shen Jizhi’s self-destruct mechanism, meant to prevent him from breaking through the demon origin stone and turning into a bloodthirsty demon should he succumb to demonic energy.

But now, it was she who had fallen first.

If she died, he wouldn’t survive either…

So, I’m sorry, Shen Jizhi.

She was still too weak.

She hadn’t been able to protect herself.

Nor had she been able to protect him.

The yellow talismans fluttered and swirled in the hall like delicate, weightless butterflies.

The butterflies surrounded Jian Huan, her body drenched in blood, as she continued to fall.

Her long, dark hair spread like seaweed in water, and her once lively, spirited eyes slowly closed, her long lashes tipped with blood, her life fading away.

“Jian Huan!”

Shen Jizhi’s shattered eyes reflected the horrifying scene before him.

Like a shadow, he dashed toward her.

A dark, icy dragon claw suddenly extended, reaching him in an instant.

The shadow loomed over the young man’s head, descending like a mountain.

Shen Jizhi’s body froze, his gaze, like hot water splashed onto icy snow, instantly crystallizing into frost.

He stood in place, motionless, like a puppet.

The dragon claw descended, gripping Shen Jizhi’s abdomen.

The sharp claws pierced into his flesh and bones, crimson blood blooming like red plum blossoms in the snow.

The Black Dragon retracted its claw, the black mist emanating from it seeping into Shen Jizhi’s wounds, probing toward his golden core.

The demonic energy, light as smoke, drifted toward the demon origin stone within him, swirling around it as if calling out to something.

Through Shen Jizhi’s flawless physique, the Black Dragon gazed at the demon core that had been separated from it for a thousand years, its vertical pupils filled with madness and the joy of reclaiming what was lost. Its voice carried a seductive tone: “My demon core, my precious core, it’s time to return… come back to me…”

Within the young man’s golden core, amidst the swirling tides of spiritual energy in the five-colored sea, the demon origin stone sensed the presence of its original master.

Like a confused child, it hesitated for a moment before following the guidance of the demonic energy, drifting from the center of Shen Jizhi’s spiritual sea toward the edges, moving outward toward his dantian…

Jiang Wei, kneeling beneath the Black Dragon, watched as Jian Huan, entangled in demonic vines, fell into the fissure below.

He watched as Shen Jizhi, controlled by the divine lord, stood motionless like a puppet.

He glanced at Jiang Qiaoqiao, unharmed and protected by the demonic vines.

And at the Bodhi Pagoda, trembling violently under the Bodhi Demon Heart Formation, its doors about to open. A sense of pride swelled within him, the culmination of decades of ambition.

Finally, finally.

The Demon God had returned, and the era of their demonic race was about to begin!

From now on, in the Nine Provinces Continent, they would no longer need to hide like rats in the shadows, no longer suppress the bloodlust surging within them. They could devour humans at will, do as they pleased.

This was the will of the heavens.

Their demonic race was the will of the heavens!

Jiang Wei’s eyes, filled with the fervor of a devout follower, turned toward the Black Dragon. He lowered his head deeply and declared with conviction, “Your servant, Jiang Wei, congratulates the Divine Lord on his return!”

The seven demon envoys kneeling behind Jiang Wei straightened their expressions and echoed in unison, “We congratulate the Divine Lord on his return!”

The eight demons were the most powerful in the demonic race, and their voices, deep and resonant, reverberated through the empty hall, filtering through the heavy doors and reaching the ears of Jing Chi, who stood guard outside.

Hearing this, Jing Chi dropped to his knees, kowtowing fervently as he shouted, “Congratulations on the return of the Demon God! May the Demon God reign for eternity! The Demon Lord is wise and mighty, protecting our demonic race as we rise to dominate the Nine Provinces!”

The sword in his hand still dripped with black blood.

Around him, the remaining guests of the demon banquet lay in pools of blood, their bodies mutilated beyond recognition.

Behind Jing Chi, the shadow guards and puppet guards fell to their knees in unison, their knees hitting the hard tiles with a series of thuds: “Congratulations on the return of the Demon God! May the Demon God reign for eternity! The Demon Lord is wise and mighty, protecting our demonic race as we rise to dominate the Nine Provinces!”

The synchronized shouts startled the crows perched on the eaves.

The crows flapped their wings and flew away, their harsh cries echoing: “Caw—caw—”

In the demon city, the demons wandering the streets faintly heard the commotion. They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks toward the direction of the demon palace, their eyes filled with envy.

“Has the demon banquet begun?”

“It must have! Listen to that! The banquet must be in full swing! I’m so jealous—I want to drink the Nascent Soul blood too!”

“Who doesn’t? Better start earning more demon crystals!”

“…”

After a few casual remarks, one of the demons raised a cup of blood wine and shouted toward the demon palace, “Long live the Demon God! The Demon Lord is wise and mighty!”

With that one shout, the crowd of demons, filled with absolute devotion to the Demon God, began to cheer in unison.

The atmosphere was lively, boisterous, and filled with jubilation.

The Black Dragon coiled around the branches of the demon tree, listening to the congratulatory cries coming from all directions. Sensing the imminent return of its demon core, it thought of the grand ambitions it had held for millennia, now finally within reach. It let out a low, sinister laugh.

More demonic energy, cautious and deliberate, surged into Shen Jizhi’s dantian, hastening the emergence of the demon origin stone.

The invasion of demonic energy into his dantian caused Shen Jizhi excruciating pain.

But he could not speak, could not move.

His consciousness slowed, his mind like a lifeless sea, unable to stir even the faintest ripple.

But Shen Jizhi's gaze still lingered stubbornly on Jian Huan, who was almost completely obscured by the layers of demonic vines.

No...

He had promised her.

Three years ago, in the secret passage leading from Qi Wan's mansion to the underground palace, he had promised Jian Huan.

No matter what, he would let her die after him.

His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by a hand, a cold and piercing pain.

In his early years, Shen Jizhi had gone to Medicine Granny for treatment.

From time to time, he would encounter parents bringing their children to Medicine Granny for help.

Once, a three-year-old child had been injured by a passing carriage while playing near their home. By the time the child was brought to Medicine Granny, they had already stopped breathing.

The parents hugged each other and wept. The mother wiped her tears and said to the father, "I wish it had been me who was hit, me who had died..."

At the time, Shen Jizhi had only listened casually.

On the path of cultivation, parting and death were all too common. He believed everything in the world was fated and felt no particular emotion.

But now, in this moment, he suddenly understood. He suddenly saw the look in those parents' eyes.

The emotions of the world—familial love, romantic love, friendship—though different, when they reach their deepest point, share a common feeling.

That soul-wrenching pain of wishing you could take their place, bear their suffering, or even die in their stead.

Enough.

Everything should end now.

She shouldn't have to suffer like this.

Right now, on the Nine Provinces Continent, it should be the transition from late autumn to early winter.

The weather was growing colder, and the daughters of wealthy families would have already changed into warm, bright winter clothes. They would have lit small stoves, sitting in rooms as warm as spring, half-opening a window, waiting for the first snow of the season.

She should be like that too.

Jian Huan should be like that too.

With a gentle movement.

The five-colored spiritual sea in Shen Jizhi's dantian suddenly stirred.

The demonic core, which was about to emerge from the wound torn by the dragon's claw, came to an abrupt halt.

Then, in the next instant, the demonic core shot back a thousand times faster, retreating along its original path, returning to Shen Jizhi's dantian, to the surging five-colored spiritual tides.

The demonic core had no choice in its original master, but its current master was chosen by the core itself.

The black dragon paused, taking a moment to process what had happened. Its laughter ceased, replaced by disbelief and fury. "How dare you, demonic core!!!"

If the spiritual sea had a voice, it would surely roar like thunder.

Streams of radiant spiritual tides surged, each wave higher than the last.

The waves rose into the air, enveloping the demonic core that had returned to the dantian.

Shen Jizhi's divine consciousness, mixed within the spiritual tides, dissolved the five-colored spiritual energy coating the surface of the demonic core.

Inside the spatial bowl, Gu Shan suddenly opened his eyes. His usually sly and murky gaze was now sharp as lightning, looking outward.

The old man's cracked lips trembled.

In the end...

His disciple had finally broken the seal on the demonic core.

But who could he blame?

He ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????could only blame Shen Jizhi's master for being useless, reduced to a prisoner of the demons, relying on his junior to save him.

Yin Yusheng's spiritual healing had already begun and could not be interrupted.

Otherwise, not only would Gu Shan's severe injuries fail to heal, but Yin Yusheng would also suffer damage.

Gu Shan took a deep breath, unable to bear watching any longer. He closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

He slowly regulated his breathing, cooperating with Yin Yusheng's spiritual healing, circulating his dantian to speed up his recovery.

The seal Gu Shan had set with the Nascent Soul Stage thunder tribulation was broken, revealing a black crystal as dark as obsidian.

With a crisp sound, the crystal shattered, and a majestic power instantly filled Shen Jizhi's dantian.

The spiritual tides churned endlessly, like a sea ravaged by a typhoon, the waters turning murky in an instant.

His golden core changed color, becoming as black as ink.

Although the Mahayana Stage was currently the highest level of cultivation on the Nine Provinces Continent, beyond it lay realms yet to be explored by cultivators.

On the Nine Provinces Continent, this was referred to as ascension.

But no one had ascended in tens of thousands of years.

Perhaps the concept of ascension was merely an ancient legend, a wishful dream of cultivators to become immortals.

A thousand years ago, Hua Dihai was called the Demon God because his power far exceeded that of the Mahayana Stage.

The hidden power of the demonic core was evident from this.

This power, vast and wild, rampaged through Shen Jizhi's dantian, causing his black core to crack and his meridians to shatter.

But as they broke, they were constantly being reborn.

The disguise concealing his appearance and the effects of the demonic pill were expelled, revealing Shen Jizhi's true, exquisitely carved face.

The black dragon grabbed Shen Jizhi and brought him close. Its vertical black pupils, now glowing with a crimson light, stared at his face in rage. "This is... my demonic core!!!"

The dragon's breath, mixed with its voice, surged in all directions, shaking the entire demon palace. The low-level demon guards outside the hall clutched their heads, rolling on the ground and vomiting blood.

The dragon's body was enormous, and Shen Jizhi, who usually stood out in a crowd, now seemed frail and small in the dragon's claw.

Hearing this, Shen Jizhi raised his head.

His eyes were still brown, but they were visibly darkening.

In just a few breaths, he had experienced hundreds of cycles of death and rebirth, leaving the young man in unbearable pain, his face as pale as snow.

"Yours?" He looked at the black dragon and said softly, "It's been in my body for nearly twenty years. I just didn't use it. But why do you think it still belongs to you?"

"Ah—" The black dragon roared in fury, opening its mouth and spewing a terrifying black flame toward Shen Jizhi.

Shen Jizhi raised a hand, and a spiritual barrier instantly rose around him, glowing with radiant light. The five-colored spiritual energy and the deepest black coexisted.

With his other hand, he stretched outward, murmuring softly. A snow-white sword flew from the corner of the wall, slicing through the air toward him.

Shen Jizhi closed his hand around the hilt, his gaze calm as he calculated everything. The moment the spiritual barrier collided with the dragon's breath, he swung the sword, slashing at the weakest point of the dragon's claw before him!

With his extreme sword intent as the foundation and the wild power of the demonic core as support, he severed the black dragon's claw with a single strike!

Then, before any of the demons could react—even before the claw gripping his waist could loosen—he turned swiftly, carrying the dragon's severed claw, and dashed toward Jian Huan without pause!

Everything happened too quickly.

Jiang Wei and the seven demon envoys reacted and began to chase Shen Jizhi.

The weakest and least knowledgeable of the eight demons lagged behind, instinctively turning to glance at the Demon God they revered.

The black dragon was staring at its severed limb.

From the wound, countless black demonic heartworms poured out, one after another, in a dense, endless stream.

The demon envoy was shocked.

He had thought... he had thought their Demon God was a dragon, but now—

This was no dragon. The dragon's body was not made of flesh and blood but of countless demonic heartworms!

This was... a dragon body forged from worms.

The black dragon's terrifying gaze swept toward him.

The demon envoy shuddered, not daring to look any longer, and hurried to join the pursuit of Shen Jizhi.

Jian Huan had been wrapped into a cocoon by the demonic vines.

The blood constantly flowing from her was being absorbed by the vines. The excessive blood loss left her parched and cold, her body curling into a tight ball.

The blood flowed up the vines toward the demonic tree, passing through the Bodhi Demonic Heart Array and circling the Bodhi Pagoda.

While Shen Jizhi was dealing with the demonic heartworm king, no one—human or demon—noticed.

When the Bodhi Pagoda sensed the power of Jian Huan's bloodline, it flickered faintly. A soft green light flowed silently from the pagoda, following the vines back to Jian Huan, stopping her bleeding and slowly repairing her shattered meridians.

The Bodhi Pagoda, which had been resisting the power of the Bodhi Demonic Heart Array with its doors tightly shut, suddenly began to open as the demonic heartworm king lost a claw and Shen Jizhi rushed toward Jian Huan.

Streams of green light flowed out from the open doors, spreading quietly through the ruined palace.

The light was gentle and compassionate, as dreamlike and awe-inspiring as the auroras of the far north.

Jian Huan, who had fallen unconscious, seemed to sense something. Her tightly furrowed brows trembled slightly, hovering between dream and wakefulness.

At that moment, a powerful force surged from within the Bodhi Pagoda, sweeping up the cocooned Jian Huan and carrying her swiftly toward the open doors!

The demonic heartworm king, witnessing this sudden turn of events, felt a tremor deep within its soul.

This was a primal warning of danger, inherent to its nature as a source of the Dark Abyss.

"Don't let her enter the tower—kill her!" The Demon Heart Insect King's countless insect claws all lunged toward Jian Huan, who was ensnared by the Bodhi power. Its elongated body surged into the air, determined to strike Jian Huan down before she could reach the Bodhi Tower!

Halfway through his path, Shen Jizhi paused as he watched Jian Huan flash past him like a streak of green light, speeding upward and forward. His eyes flickered, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he turned around and swung his sword at Jiang Wei and the demon envoys who were preparing to attack Jian Huan from behind!

The terrifying power of the Demon God forced Jiang Wei and his group to retreat.

Seizing the moment, Shen Jizhi took a long stride forward, his gaze fixed on the massive insect that seemed to leap down from the blood-red moon. His focus zeroed in on its twelve limbs.

He could sense that within lay the demon core, the source of the insect's power.

But now, the demon core was in his possession.

Shen Jizhi lowered his eyes, took a deep breath, and, ignoring the backlash it would cause, mustered every ounce of his strength.

His snow-white sword trembled violently, as if it could no longer bear the strain.

Yet, he pressed on, rushing ahead of Jian Huan and charging toward the Demon Heart Insect King with his sword raised.

The insect king's vertical pupils dilated, and its foul-smelling mouth opened wide, spewing forth demonic flames.

The young man was like a sword himself, his entire body wreathed in sword energy. He did not dodge but instead charged straight through the demonic flames, which could burn even the soul, carrying with him a sharp, deadly intent to perish together with his foe!

"Human! Human!" the Demon Heart Insect King hissed through gritted teeth, its body twisting to evade the only path Shen Jizhi had left open for it, swiftly distancing itself from Jian Huan as she passed by.

With a loud *bang*, Jian Huan entered the Bodhi Tower, and the tower doors slammed shut behind her.

The warm, green light that had filled the hall vanished in an instant, leaving only the dim, crimson glow of the nearly extinguished flames scattered throughout the palace.