After My Death, the Immortal Venerable Became a Demon for My Sake - Chapter 14

Inside Guanqi City, within the halls of the Guanqi Sect.

Jiang Cishuang had already dispelled her previous disguise. She followed the footsteps of the various immortal sects up the long stairs of the main gate. Unlike before, the cultivators passing by now bowed respectfully, their hands clasped in greeting.

“Greetings, Qinghuai Immortal Venerable.”

Jiang Cishuang acknowledged them with a faint nod and stepped into the main hall. There, sitting firmly in the center, was Xue Huaixiu. In an instant, her cold eyes seemed to be swallowed by a brief, hidden darkness.

Within her spiritual sea, that quiet, suppressed wisp of energy surged again as if trying to break its shackles. Jiang Cishuang lowered her gaze, wordlessly suppressing the aura. When she looked up again, she had resumed her mask of icy indifference.

She walked over and sat in a chair to the side, glancing up at the Sect Leader of Guanqi sitting above before closing her eyes to rest.

Once all the sects had gathered, the assembly officially began.

The Sect Leader of the Guanqi Sect, surnamed Shen, stood up and bowed to the crowd. “This Shen thanks all the sects for coming to Guanqi at such a critical moment.” He sighed deeply, his voice heavy with concern.

“The Demon Race is wantonly occupying our territories, burning and looting across the immortal realms. They are becoming too arrogant. Even the trade between the Human and Immortal realms at the Flower Pavilion has been heavily struck. Pavilion Master Hua sent word to me that if we do not intervene, this trade route will be completely seized by the demons. Everyone, the war between Immortals and Demons is inevitable. Guanqi Sect is willing to lead the charge, and I hope every sect here will act for the sake of all living beings.”

His words were like a stone dropped into a lake, causing a ripple of whispers to spread through the hall. Even the elders on the stage began to exchange hushed words with those beside them.

Jiang Cishuang listened to their chatter as if it had nothing to do with her. Suddenly, she sensed a sharp gaze. She turned her head and, as expected, met the eyes of Xue Huaixiu. She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before shifting her gaze back to the floor.

Someone seemingly found the Sect Leader’s speech too high-sounding and couldn’t help but retort: “The Guanqi Sect speaks of sacrificing for righteousness, yet you push the rest of us into the fire. Everyone knows that if the demons invade, Guanqi City is the first line of defense. The Sect Leader’s words make it seem like you’re just using us as a shield. I cannot agree.”

The Sect Leader froze, his expression tightening with a flash of anger. He frowned. “Nonsense! While it is true my sect would be the first to suffer, if Guanqi City falls, the entire Immortal Realm will be in peril. We must crush this threat in its cradle!”

Zong Yue, sitting nearby, watched the two of them argue. He glanced at Jiang Cishuang, who remained detached from the situation. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes as he smiled and spoke up at the opportune moment.

“The Sect Leader is right; the war is unavoidable. But we have discussed this for so long—perhaps we should hear the opinion of the Guanyun Sect.”

He turned to Jiang Cishuang, who had remained silent. “The Qinghuai Immortal Venerable was born under a great destiny. In this war, she will surely lead the way to boost our morale. What do you say, Immortal Venerable?” His tone was respectful, but his eyes were fixed intently on her, hiding his true intent.

As the “daughter of destiny” in the immortal world, favored by the heavens, Jiang Cishuang had been the object of Zong Yue’s envy for a long time. Eventually, that jealousy had curdled into hatred. He hated why he couldn’t be the one favored by the Dao; he hated Jiang Cishuang for “stealing” the luck that he felt should have been his, even if it never would have been.

He expected her to remain indifferent, but to his surprise, Jiang Cishuang set down her teacup and slowly raised her eyes to look at him. Those eyes, usually cold and emotionless, were now filled with a deep, bottomless darkness a black so pure it felt like falling into an abyss.

Zong Yue and the disciples beside him felt a sudden chill, as if they had been pushed into a frozen lake in the dead of winter. A bone-chilling cold spread from the soles of his feet to his heart. He gasped for air, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

By the time he blinked, Jiang Cishuang had already stood up. Her aura was once again as pure and detached as snow; there was no trace of the darkness he thought he had seen.

Her gaze swept over the crowd. “For the sake of the world, the Guanyun Sect will not hesitate. I will lead our people to the front lines to resist the demons.”

With just that one sentence, the hearts of the various sects seemed to settle. They stopped bickering over who would go first and instead began discussing the details of the upcoming war. Only Zong Yue remained shaken, his gaze toward Jiang Cishuang now practically dripping with venom.

After the assembly concluded, Jiang Cishuang did not leave immediately. As expected, Xue Huaixiu soon walked over to her side. She bowed.

“Sect Leader.”

Xue Huaixiu kept his hands behind his back, looking satisfied with her continued lack of expression. “Qinghuai, was everything you said at the meeting truly what you think?”

Jiang Cishuang clasped her hands before her. “It was.”

“Good!” Xue Huaixiu laughed. “With you there, I am truly at ease.” He glanced around to ensure no one was watching. His eyes shifted, and a moment later, a voice that only the two of them could hear echoed in her spiritual sea.

“You should have encountered your Love Tribulation by now.”

Jiang Cishuang kept her head bowed, her face hidden in the shadows. “I have indeed met her.”

“Your heart is for the world; you will not be shackled by petty affections. I trust you, but there is one thing I must tell you.” He remained cautious even while using a high-level spiritual transmission.

“Please speak, Sect Leader.”

“Song Wangxiao is not just your final hurdle to achieving Godhood. She is also the ‘Sacred Vessel’ that restrains the demons. If she dies, all living beings live. Therefore, in this war, she must die. One can only blame her poor fate; she was born to be sacrificed for the world.”

Jiang Cishuang acted as if she were hearing this for the first time. When she looked up, her eyes were full of shock, appearing to believe him completely. Her brow furrowed, then she lowered her head again. Her voice remained cold, but held a note of certainty: “This disciple understands.”

Xue Huaixiu stood tall, looking every bit the immortal master, yet the demonic energy within him was already surging.

There is no such thing as a Sacred Vessel. Once Song Wangxiao is killed and the demonic aura within her is released, nothing will stop the Demon Lord from ruling. He couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smirk.

Jiang Cishuang, oh Jiang Cishuang, who would have thought that before your ascension, you would solve such a great problem for me? He clenched his fists, struggling to restrain himself from striking her then and there.

All his movements were caught by Jiang Cishuang. She stared at the floor, catching the sight of his clenched fists in her periphery. Thinking back to the demonic aura she had sensed on him that other day, she couldn’t help but let out a silent, inward sneer.

After the meeting, Jiang Cishuang hurried back to the inn. However, the moment she pushed open the door, the silent, stagnant air made her heart sink.

Song Wangxiao was not there. She walked to the center of the room and saw that the water in the teacup on the table was already cold. Many things were missing from the room. Her expression turned icy.

Spiritual energy surged from her body, wrapping around the room as she searched meticulously for any trace of Song Wangxiao’s aura. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened. She stared fixedly out the window. The surging energy in the room stopped instantly and returned to her body.

In less than a breath, Jiang Cishuang’s silhouette vanished from the room. As she left, the candle in the room flickered and died out strangely.

In the evening streets, passersby were becoming sparse. Jiang Cishuang followed the faint thread of Song Wangxiao’s spiritual energy, tracing it to a secluded alleyway.

In the alley, the energy became misty and elusive. She suppressed the rising anxiety in her heart, trying to determine which direction Song Wangxiao had gone.

Naturally, this was when someone decided to cross her path.

“Qinghuai Immortal Venerable, it is quite a coincidence to run into you here.”

Zong Yue’s voice came from behind. Jiang Cishuang turned around, her eyes as silent and cold as stagnant water in the darkening twilight.

Zong Yue noticed nothing unusual and continued chatting with the two disciples beside him.

“At the assembly today, the Immortal Venerable was truly magnanimous, acting for the sake of the world. We admire you.” Zong Yue performed a mocking salute.

Jiang Cishuang looked at the three of them coldly. She could no longer sense Song Wangxiao’s location; she was likely getting further away. For the first time, a sense of genuine impatience rose in her heart.

“I have nothing to say to you, Immortal Venerable Zong Yue. Farewell.” She turned to leave, but Zong Yue didn’t budge.

“I haven’t finished speaking. Is the Immortal Venerable in such a hurry for something important?”

Jiang Cishuang frowned, her eyes filled with displeasure.

“I heard that your cultivation has reached another level today. I brought my two disciples to humbly seek guidance. I hope you will spar with us.” Zong Yue finally revealed his purpose.

Jiang Cishuang finally looked him in the eye, her patience exhausted.

“Immortal Venerable Zong Yue’s cultivation is powerful; I cannot compare,” she said flatly, attempting to walk past.

But Zong Yue and his disciples had already drawn their natal swords. Zong Yue’s face was filled with malice; there was no “humble guidance” here.

“Whether your cultivation is high or not, we’ll only know after a lesson. No need to be modest, Qinghuai!” He charged at her with his sword, the killing intent at the tip of the blade making it clear this was no mere sparring match.

Jiang Cishuang frowned. Feeling the connection to Song Wangxiao growing even weaker, she summoned her sword, Fuming. She stood her ground and took Zong Yue’s strike head-on.

A massive shockwave of sword intent exploded between them. The disciples nearby couldn’t withstand the blast and were knocked back several meters.

Within the dust kicked up by the energy, Zong Yue struggled to defend himself. When the dust cleared, he looked up to see Jiang Cishuang standing nearby, her white robes completely unstained by dust.

Enraged, he gathered his energy and swung again. Jiang Cishuang held her sword in one hand, her expression calm but her movements lightning-fast as she parried. The colder her expression became, the angrier Zong Yue grew. He let out a roar and lunged, his two disciples also regaining their footing and stabbing toward her.

Jiang Cishuang’s eyes flashed with annoyance. Spiritual energy gathered at her fingertips and wrapped around Fuming, the blade beginning to hum. She spun, the sword intent of Fuming clashing violently with Zong Yue’s blade. At the same time, her free hand formed a seal in the air. Suddenly, a massive, glowing array expanded in the sky, trapping them all within it.

The swords clashed again, sending out another wave of energy. The array slammed down from the sky, causing the surrounding houses and trees to tremble.

When the dust settled, Jiang Cishuang was still standing within the array, but Zong Yue was coughing up blood, and his two disciples lay unconscious on the ground.

Zong Yue looked at the expressionless Jiang Cishuang in disbelief. Her cultivation has actually reached this level! Waves of jealousy washed over him. Why? Why is she so powerful? I even made a deal with the demons why can I still not defeat her?

Zong Yue ignored his internal injuries and tried to gather energy for another attack, but in the next second, the spiritual sword he had used for a hundred years let out a final cry and shattered before his eyes.

When a natal sword breaks, the wielder suffers a backlash. Zong Yue felt a piercing pain in his spiritual core and collapsed.

In the final second before he lost consciousness, he looked up at Jiang Cishuang. He saw the “immortal” the world knew the one who was supposed to be detached and pure staring down at him with eyes full of bottomless darkness. The sword intent and spiritual energy swirling around her cut several strands of her hair. She didn’t look like a supreme immortal; she looked like a god of slaughter.

Jiang Cishuang stared at the unconscious men with no emotion, as if looking at corpses. She retracted Fuming into her spiritual sea. She noticed that the massive energy clash had somehow nicked her finger; a few drops of blood had stained the hilt of the sword, giving the solemn blade a touch of eerie beauty.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she looked toward the distant horizon. She brought her injured hand to her lips and bit down hard until blood stained the corner of her mouth. She slowly curled her lips into a smile.

“Found you.”

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