How to Handle a Sickly Yandere Demon God - Chapter 33

This was the first time Xu Xingxing had seen such an expression on Xu Yi’s face.

It was an expression she couldn’t find even after combing through over twenty years of Xu Xing’er’s memories.

His eyes were wide open, pupils sharply contracted. His pale lower lip trembled uncontrollably, and his chest had stopped moving, as though he were suffocating.

Those usually indifferent and cold eyes seemed to flicker with a myriad of emotions, yet at the same time, they appeared utterly devoid of feeling.

It was as if someone had reversed the hands of time, turning back the years, transforming the white-haired sect leader who had weathered countless hardships back into the naive child who had made mistakes centuries ago.

After a long while, he forced out a single, strained word from his throat:

“You…”

He didn’t finish speaking. A trickle of blood slowly seeped from the corner of his lips.

He took two sharp breaths, as if trying to force himself to complete his sentence:

“You… are unreasonable.”

The same words again.

Shi He laughed once more. To be precise, he had been smiling ever since he laid eyes on Xu Yi.

At first, Xu Xingxing didn’t understand. Just two hours ago, he had been frantically trying to escape, so why had he now transformed back into the gentle and amiable elder brother?

But in this moment, she thought she understood.

If they were both going to die, being able to see each other one last time was a blessing. If they were going to die, dying by his sword would naturally bring him joy.

She recalled the shattered expression on Shi He’s face when Xu Yi had stopped him and suddenly realized that, even then, he had no intention of leaving alive.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost to Xu Yi.

Even if he couldn’t achieve a complete victory, escaping should have been within his capabilities.

Xu Yi must have realized it too.

That was why, upon seeing Shi He’s smile, his chest heaved even more violently, and he actually cursed aloud, “You fool!”

Shi He, being called a fool, looked at him helplessly and said:

“If I weren’t a fool, who would be your friend?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he struck Xu Yi away with a single palm. Before anyone could react, he reached out and grabbed Xu Xingxing, who was standing nearby in a daze.

By the time she realized what was happening and tried to fight back, a surge of blood-red waves instantly enveloped the two of them. Just as Xu Xingxing attempted to channel her spiritual power to break free, an overwhelming pain exploded in her chest, spreading throughout her entire body in an instant. The excruciating agony, like being dismembered, blanked her mind for a moment!

This pain felt all too familiar.

Suddenly, it dawned on her. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she forced her eyes open and looked at Shi He, who was now seated opposite her, chanting incantations with his eyes closed.

She saw waves of blood continuously surging from the area around his heart, enveloping the two of them like a tide. Thin streams of blood split off, tightly binding her limbs!

Recognizing the familiar blood curse, alarm bells rang loudly in her mind,

Shi He was transferring his cultivation to her!

It seemed someone was attacking from outside. The sound of spells exploding echoed, causing the blood waves to surge violently. Unable to withstand the strain, Shi He spat out a mouthful of blood, yet he remained unfazed, chanting the incantations even faster.

Xu Xingxing felt as though her entire body was about to burst apart. It was as if shards of glass were piercing through her blood vessels, scraping against her internal organs and meridians over and over again with the flow of her blood.

Soon, an intense metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and nostrils, and even her vision was tinged with a layer of red.

Every time she thought the pain couldn’t get any worse, it would escalate to a new level of agony.

She no longer cared about anything, not even having the strength to scream. Just as the pain drove her to the brink of biting her tongue to end it all, it suddenly vanished completely. She felt as if she were floating among clouds or drifting on waves, as though she were the only existence left between heaven and earth.

It was like sunlight shining upon her, enveloped in a soft haze of clouds. In her dazed state, she felt so comfortable that she almost drifted off to sleep.

But her mind remained somewhat clear, how could there be sunlight in the middle of the night?

Xu Xingxing could no longer feel her limbs. With great effort, she shook her head and blinked, squeezing the blood from her eyes.

Only then could she see her surroundings again.

The sea of blood had thinned significantly, leaving only faint traces of blood mist, as if it were about to dissipate. Opposite her, Shi He appeared withered, with sagging skin, white hair, and missing teeth, like a candle flickering in the wind.

When he noticed her gaze, he struggled to lift his weary eyelids and gave her a relieved smile. He tried to turn his face slightly toward Xu Yi, but as his neck moved, his frail body began to crumble.

First his legs, then his waist. He seemed unaware, still stubbornly trying to turn his head, but before he could complete the motion, his entire body had vanished into nothingness.

Xu Yi watched the scene, his eyes revealing unmistakable helplessness for the first time.

All was silent, save for the gentle sound of snowflakes falling. Something had come, only to drift away as lightly as it had arrived, leaving only the wind to swirl the snow in circles on the ground.

Everyone on the ground looked up at her, some with worry, some with fear, some deep in thought, and others in shock.

It was only then that Xu Xingxing realized she was suspended in midair.

She felt no panic. Even witnessing a living person turn to ashes before her eyes failed to evoke much emotion. All she felt was the overwhelming silence and heaviness around her.

Suddenly, a snowflake landed on her forehead, like a drop of water falling into a still lake, an eagle piercing the sky, or lightning tearing through the clouds. The lifeless world seemed to have been set into motion again, instantly filled with noise.

Yet no one was speaking.

It was the sound of breathing and heartbeats, the distant rustle of wind and falling leaves, the soft thud of snowflakes landing.

Small streams converged into rivers, rivers flowed into great waters, and the great waters poured into the sea. Layer upon layer of sound surged into her ears and flooded her mind, making her head ache intensely.

It felt as if it were about to explode.

Yet she had no desire to move, as if she had already grown numb.

She looked at Xu Yi, who was also looking at her. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

If only Xiao Hei were awake.

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came, leaving her with nothing.

She saw that Xu Yi had completely shed his earlier confusion. Frowning, he glanced at the sky and gestured to the Kunlun disciples.

The disciples below retreated, forming a circle around her.

Were they planning to eliminate her?

No.

She then saw Xu Yi furrow his brow and say to Qi Rongli, “Go and disperse the surrounding civilians.”

Qi Rongli quickly led the remaining soldiers away.

She heard someone speak, it was Fang Zhiming’s voice.

“Why are the clouds so thick? I’ve never seen clouds this dense before!”

“It’s just your lack of experience. Senior Sister is advancing from Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation, the intensity of her tribulation lightning can’t be compared to ours,” Qin Feng retorted.

“Bullshit! Do you think I’m like you? I’ve only seen the lightning tribulation at the Golden Core stage! Even when Master broke through to the Void Refinement stage, the clouds weren’t this thick!” Fang Zhiming’s tone suddenly grew agitated.

“Screw you! Why are you cursing for no reason?” Qin Feng seemed to have a sudden realization before he even finished his retort, his voice trembling slightly. “What… what do you mean? Even the Void Refinement tribulation isn’t this powerful? Then what realm is Senior Sister breaking through to?!”

“I once read in ancient texts that immortal ascension tribulations are divided into three types: the Minor Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, known as the Human Tribulation, with thirty-six heavenly thunderbolts; the Major Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, known as the Earth Tribulation, with fifty-four heavenly thunderbolts; and the Return to Truth Nine-Nine Tribulation, with eighty-one heavenly thunderbolts. From Nascent Soul to Mahayana, it should be the Earth Tribulation, which should logically be the Major Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation. But if one breaks through multiple realms consecutively, the tribulations will stack continuously.”

Lin Yue’s tone was exceptionally grave. “Just now, Shi He transferred all his cultivation to Senior Sister. If Senior Sister breaks through multiple realms consecutively, the tribulation she’ll face might be even stronger than the Return to Truth Nine-Nine Tribulation…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but everyone understood.

Including Xu Xingxing, who was suspended in mid-air.

The Return to Truth Nine-Nine Tribulation was meant for immortal ascension, something only Mahayana stage cultivators at the peak needed to consider. Mahayana cultivators, whether in terms of physical resilience or spiritual power and techniques, possessed the confidence to withstand those eighty-one heavenly thunderbolts.

But now, she, a cheater and a noob, had to endure over a hundred heavenly thunderbolts. The outcome was clear; there was only one question.

When exactly would she die?

Xu Xingxing’s emotions began to resurface.

Goddammit, couldn’t she just not be a big shot? All she wanted was to complete her mission properly, why was she being forced to chug health potions?!

The air grew heavy, everyone’s breathing suppressed to the minimum, leaving only the drum-like heartbeat in their chests, like a symphony performed by countless deer banging their heads together.

If it weren’t for the rumbling thunder beginning to sound overhead, Xu Xingxing would have thought everyone present had a crush on her.

She tried to channel her spiritual power. The spiritual energy inside her surged like a tidal wave, instantly flooding every part of her body. Her previously limp limbs immediately regained their vitality, like Popeye after eating spinach.

She had never felt better, her body light, her breathing smooth, her entire being filled with boundless strength. Right now, she could carry water buckets up to the 28th floor a hundred times without breaking a sweat.

Thus, Xu Xingxing’s mood grew exhilarated. She looked up at the increasingly bright clouds, feeling a chuunibyou-like sense of “my fate is mine to command.”

Screw it! Even if I die, I’ll screw it over first!

The clouds descended lower, like demons eager to devour the mortal world. The lightning grew brighter, the thunder louder, as if impatient to strike down and blast everything into smoke!

Xu Xingxing raised her head and stared back at the clouds, fearless, like a celestial god standing atop a mountain peak, ready to battle countless demons.

“I think I’m starting to understand why the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion prophesied that Senior Sister is the savior…” Fang Zhiming murmured. “Qin Feng, what do you think…”

“Yeah…”

For once, the two of them agreed.

Qin Feng stared blankly at the graceful figure standing in the air.

Her features appeared even more striking under the electric glow, her slender figure seemingly capable of unleashing an aura that could command all living beings to bow. She stood high in mid-air with nothing beneath her feet, forcing everyone to look up at her. In comparison, all mortals seemed like mere dust and mud, as if looking up was their only rightful posture, and admiration their only permissible emotion.

Though not yet an immortal, she seemed like a true celestial being.

“But… Senior Sister is wearing ordinary clothes…” Lin Yue murmured weakly.

Qin Feng and Fang Zhiming felt a pang of heartache, their expressions turning complicated.

Xu Yi, standing nearby, overheard this and spoke in a low yet authoritative voice:

“Close your eyes.”

Everyone immediately shut their eyes.

Their task was to block the outward spread of the heavenly lightning’s power, which could still be accomplished with closed eyes.

Xu Xingxing, of course, heard this.

Now stepping out from the void, she had once again become the top critic of the cultivation world.

After mentally cursing a string of expletives, she began to calculate:

How could she ensure that after failing to block the heavenly lightning, she would be directly struck into ashes?

After all, she really didn’t want to lie naked in front of everyone.

The heavenly lightning didn’t give her much time to ponder, roaring as it struck down.

A bolt as thick as a tree trunk seemed to teleport, arriving before her eyes in the blink of an eye.

She conjured an ice sword and expanded a barrier, directly blocking the first bolt of heavenly lightning above her!

A blinding radiance exploded above Xu Xingxing’s head, spreading outward in all directions. Even though the cultivators below had formed a defensive formation, the roofs of houses along the lightning’s path were instantly torn off!

Another bolt of heavenly lightning struck down!

The overwhelmed barrier shattered instantly. She raised her sword to block it, but the blade of the ice sword cracked under the immense force. The single bolt split into two, and with all her strength, she slashed at them, causing the two bolts to sweep past her and strike the ground!

The ground instantly formed a five-meter-deep crater! The inner residence of the Zhou estate was completely devastated!

The third, the fourth…

The tenth, the twentieth…

The fortieth, the forty-first…

At first, Xu Xingxing was full of fighting spirit, but as bolt after bolt of heavenly lightning struck, she grew increasingly exhausted. The ice blade had already shattered, and the skin on her hands was torn open. She numbly exerted all her strength to block them, again and again.

But her strength was dwindling.

She had lost count of how many bolts had struck.

Another bolt descended. She raised her bare hands to block it, the intense electric light nearly blinding her, the deafening thunder threatening to rupture her eardrums. The smell of blood surged up from her seven orifices, her fingers now reduced to bare bones, her arms mere tatters of flesh…

She was going to die. She was really going to die.

Her hazy mind held only one thought:

She had to protect these tattered clothes…

She couldn’t be naked…

Not even in death…

In her daze, Xu Xingxing blocked yet another bolt of heavenly lightning. She had little strength left, her senses fading, no longer even feeling pain. Watching the lightning tear her flesh apart, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Good.

If it turned her into a skeleton, at least she wouldn’t be naked…

So tired…

She just wanted to rest.

Another bolt of heavenly lightning struck. She half-closed her eyes, watching it rush toward her face, calmly accepting her impending death.

Screw this mission… I’ve had enough of this damn suffering…

Everything seemed to slow down at that moment.

She saw the heavenly lightning drawing nearer, flashing with a blinding electric light.

She saw snowflakes falling slowly onto her white bones, only to be lifted again by a gentle breeze.

She saw a long sword being thrown over, blocking the lightning strike, only to be shattered by the following thunderbolt.

Oh, that was Xu Yi’s sword.

Hah, there’s still a bit of fatherly love after all.

She watched as the sword, before even hitting the ground, was snatched up by a massive mouth and flung into the clouds.

A massive mouth?

The owner of that mouth had a body as tall as a tower, its fur reflecting a gleaming black in the light. Its eyes were as crimson as if stained with blood, and the bell around its neck had grown as large as a table along with its body. It leaped into the air, hovering above her, shielding her from the thunder behind it.

A spirit beast, Huo Dou.

Xu Yi’s sword split the heavenly thunder into several smaller arcs of lightning from within the clouds. From her perspective, it looked like a pair of wings made of thunder and lightning, spreading out behind Huo Dou!

The electric currents surged around her, mingling with the red rain dripping from above.

It was its blood.

Those enormous crimson pupils were fixed intently on her, swirling with emotions, anger, frustration, and for the first time, an undisguised tenderness and concern…

Its voice, deep and resonant like a bell, made her already fragile head buzz, yet at this moment, it filled her with an overwhelming sense of familiarity and security.

Then, it snarled viciously:

“You fool! Do you want me to die with you?!”