Chapter 61

The Star Lord who was traveling with them immediately sent word of the ambush to other islands, but it was too late. In that brief moment, the Demon Lord had already killed most of them.
On the gray-blue sea, the Demon Lord leisurely stood with his hands behind his back, as if admiring the final struggles of his prey. He wore a luxurious robe, his long eyes narrowing in a wicked smirk. When his gaze swept over them, it felt as if they were being watched by a cold-blooded predator, sending a chill down their spines. The leader of the group, the Star Lord of the main formation, recognized him and his pupils contracted. "Gong Jin, you’ve woken up?"
"Didn’t expect your seal to break so quickly, did you?" The Demon Lord, Gong Jin, chuckled, but his expression suddenly turned savage. "Last time, I was ambushed by you all and slept for a thousand years. Now, it’s time for you to pay back your debts!"
Gong Jin raised his hand, and red demonic energy swirled in his palm, eventually coalescing into a gigantic hand. With a sharp command, the demonic claw descended like a dark cloud over a city, blotting out the sky.
The claw shot directly at the Devourer Beast. The Star Lord, being of the same rank as Gong Jin, was weakened by the formation’s collapse and was unable to withstand the DemonLord’s attack. Seeing the incoming demonic energy, the Star Monarch cried out, "They’re after the Devourer Beast! Protect it!"
But before he could finish, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The immortal race on Huaiyin Island, using their strongest techniques, threw everything they had at the demonic claw in an attempt to block it. But their efforts were futile, as the demonic energy only diminished slightly, and the claw continued its relentless assault on the beast.
Luo Han gritted her teeth and suddenly shouted, "Devourer Beast!"
The Devourer Beast, more beastly than spiritual, was weakened by the pressure from the Demon Lord. It sluggishly looked up at Luo Han in confusion.
Suddenly, the wind kicked up from the ground, caused by the twisting of space. Luo Han shouted at the Devourer Beast, "Get ready to devour."
As the demonic claw closed in, it suddenly vanished, as if it had been pulled into another space. The ground swirled with fierce wind, and a vortex appeared behind them. Demonic energy spiraled out from the vortex, swirling in the air like a tornado before being sucked into the Devourer Beast’s mouth.
Luo Han took a great risk, using spatial manipulation to move the demonic claw away, then stretched the space to weaken the demonic energy’s force, allowing the Devourer Beast to devour it. Although it was a close call, she ultimately succeeded.
The demonic energy swept across the ground in a massive wave, forcing both immortal and demon cultivators to pause their clashes just to steady themselves. When the storm finally settled, dust clouded the air, and an entire swath of forest behind them had been flattened.
Gong Jin, the Demon Lord, had assumed his blow was a guaranteed victory—yet the Devourer Beast had not been seized.
He let out a soft "Oh?"—interest piqued at last. Floating leisurely over the sea, Gong Jin began his slow approach toward Huaiyin Island. “A few lowly Celestial Immortals, and you dare escape this lord’s Thunderclap Divine Palm?”
Luo Han struggled to push herself up from the ground. She had been closest to the vortex and had taken the brunt of the impact. If Ling Qingxiao hadn’t shielded her from the brunt of the wind and debris, she would have long since been swept away. The beast, which thrived on devouring energy, was now clearly overwhelmed after ingesting so much demonic force—it couldn't digest it all. As Gong Jin advanced, the creature instinctively shrank back.
The Devourer Beast had always relied on its innate gifts. Without the backing of its gluttonous bloodline, it was, in truth, only a mediocre combatant. Back in Western Sea, once Luo Han had neutralized its devouring powers with a law-based technique, Ling Qingxiao had been able to subdue it alone.
Now, the beast was drained and unable to take in any more energy. If Gong Jin attacked, it would be no different from an ordinary spirit beast.
As Gong Jin approached, the few remaining defenders gripped their weapons tighter. Ling Qingxiao silently moved in front of Luo Han and the Devourer Beast, his fingers curling tightly around the hilt of his sword.
Luo Han suddenly sent him a message through divine sense: "Which direction is the nearest island?"
Ling Qingxiao immediately understood her intent. "Southeast—108,000 li away. Fusang Island. The Fusang Sect is based there."
Every sect had powerful elders guarding its grounds. At the very least, its mountain-protecting formations would hold for some time. Even if Gong Jin gave chase, he wouldn't be able to breach it quickly.
While both sides were locked in a tense standoff, trying to find a way to stall without tipping their hand, Ling Qingxiao made the first move. He didn’t probe or feint—he went straight for his finishing strike. But Gong Jin, being an entire realm above him, didn’t even flinch. Against a Demon Lord—the demonic equivalent of a True Immortal—even a hundred Celestial Immortals couldn’t leave a scratch.
Gong Jin casually swept aside Ling Qingxiao’s sword strike with a wave of his hand. At first, he hadn’t thought much of it—but when his sleeve was unexpectedly slashed by the sword qi, his expression changed. He lifted his arm to inspect the damage, then slowly raised his gaze to meet Ling Qingxiao’s. A faint smirk curved his lips. “Interesting.”
Now, Gong Jin was finally taking things seriously. Ling Qingxiao summoned his spirit dragon, fusing it with his swordlight. The energy surged forward like an unstoppable tidal wave. Gong Jin scoffed, sweeping his sleeve to catch the sword energy, sneering, “Overestimating yourself.”
But before he could finish his sentence, his expression changed—then his entire figure, along with the surrounding demonic aura, vanished from the sea's surface.
Ling Qingxiao's grand strike had only been a diversion—his true goal was to buy Luo Han enough time to act.
The summoning of a spirit dragon was a high-level spell that consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. Its immense force stirred the sea with blinding radiance and violent sword winds. Within that chaos, subtle spatial fluctuations were perfectly concealed.
Gong Jin, like everyone else, had focused on the dazzling display of swordlight—failing to notice the faint tremble in the space around him. By the time he sensed something amiss, it was already too late. Luo Han had trapped him in a sealed pocket of space.
Now suspended in a pure white void, Gong Jin found himself surprised for the third time that day. If her deflection of his Thunderclap Divine Palm had sparked curiosity, and the dragon youth’s sword had drawn interest, then this—being confined in a spatial prison—ignited true desire.
A long-lost spatial technique...mastered by a seemingly insignificant girl?
Excellent. He would bring her back, tear through her soul, and make the technique his.
Gong Jin erupted with power. The white space around him ripped like fragile paper. As he emerged, he saw the girl crouching beside the Devourer Beast. A flash of spiritual light later, the beast vanished.
So that was their plan.
Trap him. Then use talismans to teleport the beast to another island. A clever gambit indeed.
“Not bad,” Gong Jin chuckled darkly. “But unfortunately, you underestimated me.”
Luo Han had known from the start that the spatial barrier wouldn’t hold Gong Jin for long. The difference in power was too great. She only needed a few moments—enough to let the beast escape. But she hadn’t expected him to break free that quickly.
She’d only just finished sending the Devourer Beast away. Her own escape talisman hadn't even been used. And now Gong Jin was back.
No use tearing it now—she wouldn’t be able to flee.
So this...this was the difference between a Demon Lord and a Celestial Immortal?
If advancing from Spirit Immortal to Celestial Immortal was a matter of gradual accumulation, then crossing into True Immortal was a true leap—a metamorphosis of essence. It was widely acknowledged across the heavens that the greatest power gap between realms was between Spirit and Golden Immortals.
If Celestial Immortals were martial experts, then True Immortals were the kind who founded sects and ruled legacies.
As long as you had decent talent, it was possible to reach the Heavenly stage through perseverance. But to become a True Immortal? You needed talent, luck, resources, and a will of iron. Miss even one, and you’d never make it.
This one chasm barred over ninety percent of cultivators. Those who crossed it had their names recorded in the scrolls of Heaven. From that day forward, they were no longer just cultivators—they were leaders of sects, stewards of territories, and true powers of the realm. All True Immortals were names of legend. Ling Qingxiao’s father, the master of Zhongshan, Lord Ling Xianhong, was one such figure—when he walked into a room, even elders bowed in respect.
That was the weight of a True Immortal.
Now the Devourer Beast was gone, and Gong Jin had been thoroughly enraged. Black energy gathered around his hands—no doubt, a fierce battle was imminent.
Or rather...a massacre.
Was this the sin of being weak?
Luo Han had known the laws of the six realms were governed by the survival of the fittest, but since her arrival in this world, she had met Ling Qingxiao almost immediately. Even as they wandered from place to place, most of what she experienced was structured, ordered, even civil.
But this—this was her first encounter with true injustice. A moment where strength decided everything, and the weak were nothing but prey.
In that instant, she understood why the dragon race upheld the law of the jungle. Better to die at the hands of your kin, than be slaughtered by outsiders.
A fierce yearning ignited within her—a desperate craving for power. If only I were stronger...If only I could master the laws sooner...
The Demon Lord Gong Jin turned his attack toward Tianyu Star Lord, who immediately gathered his spiritual energy to counter. But in a sudden and unexpected move, Gong Jin altered his trajectory—charging straight at Luo Han.
Startled, Luo Han instinctively tossed out a defensive talisman. It managed to stall Gong Jin for only a fleeting moment before her shield shattered under the weight of his demonic force. In the next breath, that seething magic was already right in front of her.
Luo Han stared helplessly at the incoming demonic strike. In that life-or-death moment, time seemed to slow. She could even see the turbulent flow of energy within the mass of darkness. And because she could see it so clearly—she knew, without a doubt: if this hit her, she would die.
Her mind froze. Her body locked in place, stripped of the instinct to flee. Then, as if in a dream, a shadow fell over her. Someone stepped between her and the oncoming strike, taking the blow head-on.
Time snapped back into motion.
Screams erupted around her as Luo Han jolted back to awareness and grabbed the collapsing figure before her. “Are you insane?!”
The strike had landed squarely on Ling Qingxiao’s chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t pause to check his wounds—instead, he flung a counterattack without hesitation.
Gong Jin hadn’t expected someone who’d just taken a serious hit to retaliate instantly. Caught off guard, he took the brunt of Ling Qingxiao’s spiritual strike.
Both attacks landed. But the gap between a Celestial Immortal and a Demon Lord was like the chasm between heaven and earth. Ling Qingxiao’s strike barely scratched Gong Jin, while he himself was critically injured. His legs gave out beneath him. Luo Han caught him with all her strength, but the two still collapsed heavily to the ground.
Luo Han was truly terrified. She could feel with gut-wrenching certainty—this time, Ling Qingxiao was gravely, possibly fatally wounded.
Frantic, she reached for spiritual medicine. “Hold on—just hang in there a little longer!”
In the past, no matter how badly he was hurt, Ling Qingxiao would always say “I’m fine.” But this time, he didn’t even have the strength for that. He barely managed to whisper, “Go.”
Even as he spoke, a teleportation talisman flared to life at his fingertips. He wasn’t going to argue—he would send her away by force if needed.
Luo Han’s tears fell the moment she saw it. “What are you doing?!”
“Go? Let’s see who among you dares leave.”
The talisman hadn’t even fully ignited before a wave of demonic energy extinguished the flame. Gong Jin’s hand surged with power—his next strike would be fatal.
This time, he wasn’t holding back.
Neither Luo Han nor Ling Qingxiao had the strength to dodge.
A storm of defiance surged through Luo Han’s chest. She couldn’t accept this—not leaving in the middle of the fight, not being helpless, and definitely not letting Ling Qingxiao die because of her.
Yes, Gong Jin was a Demon Lord—an entire realm above them. He could toy with their lives at will. But she was the Dao itself—far beyond any Demon Lord.
Why should she be the one trampled beneath him?
Her heart roared in rebellion. That single instant of fury sparked a resonance across the heavens and earth.
Though the skies had been clear, dark clouds suddenly churned over Huaiyin Island. Purple lightning coiled like divine serpents, rumbling across the sea with terrifying pressure.
At that very moment, cultivators and slumbering ancient powers across the Six Realms were jolted awake.
In the distant East Sea, even the fish and shrimp panicked at the shift in the heavens. They dove deep, instinctively seeking safety—but in their fear, many crashed into one another, throwing the waters into chaos.
Far below, a pressure rose slowly from the ocean floor.
The aquatic clans sensed the familiar aura and flocked behind the Xuan Turtle.
Ancient and wise, the Xuan Turtle had lived for eons. He was the East Sea’s legendary guardian spirit. But this time, instead of retreating with the others, he turned upstream—surfacing against the current.
Though the South Sea lay impossibly far from the East, the turtle raised his head toward it, as if he could peer through ten thousand miles of land and sea.
Overhead, the faint flashes of violet lightning shimmered in the clouds.
Even from this distance, the aura of Heaven’s Wrath could be felt.
A few bold water spirits followed the turtle to the surface, whispering nervously, “Ancestor...is someone transcending their tribulation?”
The turtle gazed for a long moment before shaking his head slowly. “No.”
“Then why is the lightning so fierce? It’s worse than when the Jiao King ascended to Celestial Lord…”
The turtle remained solemn, but at last, a faint smile crept onto his lips.
“The Celestial Tribulation is Heaven’s test. Heaven never seeks to destroy. But this—this is not a test.”
“This is Heaven’s wrath.”
“How could that possibly be the same?”
Back on Huaiyin Island, no one yet understood the reason for the sudden tribulation.
“What’s going on?!” Cultivators looked skyward. “Is someone transcending a tribulation? Why is there thunder?”
Lightning is the bane of demons—and Gong Jin’s power was immediately suppressed. Warily, he pulled back his hand and stepped to the side, keeping his distance.
No one knew what was happening. Not even Tianyu Star Lord could explain it.
Then, as he stared into the roiling thunderclouds, his pupils suddenly shrank.
“Run!” he shouted. “Lightning’s coming—now!”
The violet lightning was slender and sinuous, almost delicate—but when it struck, it came faster than thought, leaving no time to react. Immortals and demons alike panicked, abandoning their fights to flee in all directions.
As Tianyu Star Lord flew from the island, he suddenly remembered—there were two juniors in the group. One was gravely injured.
He didn’t hesitate. He spun back, racing toward them.
He’d intended to carry them both to safety—but just as he turned, he saw that bolt of divine thunder crashing down—straight for Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han.
He opened his mouth to shout—but in that instant, light flared blindingly bright.
Tianyu Star Lord reflexively shielded his eyes. Then came the deafening crash—a roar like the sky itself had split open. Boulders the size of houses rained down like hail, forcing him to ascend higher into the sky.
When at last the thunder stopped and the wind died, the cultivators cautiously opened their eyes. They waved away the lingering dust—
And froze.
The island was gone.
Huaiyin Island had vanished beneath the sea.
Everyone on it...gone.
Tianyu Star Lord and Demon Lord Gong Jin were both struck speechless. Their followers surged forward, demanding answers:
“Star Lord! What happened?”
“Where are they? Where did they go?”
“What now, my king?” one of the demons asked quietly.
Tianyu Star Lord’s expression was grim. He stared at the bottomless sea for a long time, saying nothing. Gong Jin swept his gaze across the area, then gave a casual wave. “Withdraw.”
The Demon Lord Gong Jin’s awakening and his sudden assault on the Immortal Realm caused an uproar in both realms. But it was the sinking of Huaiyin Island that truly shook even the reclusive titans of the cultivation world from their silence.
Amid all the noise and chaos, almost no one knew that—aside from the destruction of the island—two young cultivators had vanished along with it.
Those two, Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao, now stood beneath clear daylight skies, staring blankly at their surroundings. All around them were jagged stones and scattered woods. Luo Han looked up at the glaring morning sun, then out at the open plains in the distance, utterly baffled. “Weren’t we at sea?”
They had arrived at Huaiyin Island sometime around mid-morning. Then came the formation setup, the rituals, the attempt to retrieve the Demon-Sealing Stone...and the battle with the demon clan. Luo Han remembered clearly: by the time the demons arrived, the sun had nearly set.
So why...why did it feel like the day had started over?
And more importantly—where was the ocean? Where was the island?
Luo Han wracked her brain, but couldn’t make sense of it. All she could recall was the Demon Lord’s final attack, her own overwhelming unwillingness to yield...and then a surge of incomprehensible power. Thunder and lightning, blinding light, deafening sound. When she came to, this was where she found herself.
Still stunned, she didn’t notice the object that rolled out from her sleeve with a soft thud. She glanced down.
The Demon-Sealing Stone.
Back in the chaos, she’d instinctively shoved it into her sleeve while protecting the Devourer Beast. The stone was no ordinary artifact—it held immense power. Alarmed, she bent down to retrieve it, and the moment she straightened up, Ling Qingxiao collapsed beside her.
“Ling Qingxiao?” She clutched the stone and scrambled to his side.
He was completely unconscious. His complexion was drained of color, his lips pale as snow. Luo Han brushed her fingertips across his face—it was cold. Startlingly so.
Even without medical expertise, she could tell: his condition was grave.
She looked around in all directions. There was no time to ponder where they’d ended up—he needed help. Now.
Ling Qingxiao had always been slender, and though he didn’t weigh much, he was still a grown man. Luo Han gritted her teeth, half dragging, half carrying him under a grove of trees. There, she hastily deployed a defensive array and pulled out a vial of Bodhi Essence from her pendant.
In the year she’d known Ling Qingxiao, he always seemed to be getting injured.
The lightning tribulation in the Abyss of Absolute Spirits. The qi backlash in the Western Sea. And now, the crushing blow dealt by a Demon Lord.
But there was a difference.
The first time, he’d been hurt protecting family. The last two—he was protecting her.
Luo Han uncorked the vial and tried to administer the medicine, but nothing worked. His injuries were even worse than in the Abyss—at least then, he had still been semi-conscious. Now, even her voice couldn’t stir him.
In a strange, unfamiliar land, to fall unconscious so quickly—it could only mean the damage had gone far beyond what his body could bear.
She gazed down at him, brushing aside the hair that clung to his temple. His skin was pale as porcelain, devoid of any warmth. He looked less like a man and more like a lifeless statue.
“Ling Qingxiao,” she whispered, “wake up...just a sip, please.”
No response.
She anxiously watched for any sign of movement when a sudden voice cut through the trees.
“I swear the trail leads this way. So why can’t we find them?”
Luo Han froze.
There are people here? And that “trail”...were they talking about us?
The spot she had chosen was shielded by a tall hedge of shrubs. The local vegetation was enormous, much taller than she was used to. Hidden behind the foliage, she and Ling Qingxiao were completely obscured. The group outside approached from the front, unaware of anyone concealed behind the undergrowth.
Luo Han slowly parted the bushes, just enough to glimpse the intruders. Three figures walked toward her. Judging by their appearance, they were demons...but their clothing was oddly rustic—nothing like the ones at Huaiyin Island.
The demons she had seen before wore opulent black robes, embroidered and rich. These ones, however, were dressed in plain brown tunics, rough-spun linen. Simple and unadorned.
Why would the demons change clothes just to lure them out?
One of them, a youth with furrowed brows, muttered, “There’s definitely spiritual energy nearby. So where is it?”
“Probably hiding somewhere,” said the eldest, his eyes sharp and wary. “Stay close. Don’t split up. If you see any immortals, don’t waste time talking—take off their heads.”
Take off their heads?
Luo Han was stunned.
Yes, in the cultivation world, there was killing for treasures, eliminating witnesses, even dissolving corpses...but beheading? That was rare, unless you held deep personal enmity. Most found such brutality beneath them—why leave blood and gore when a single corpse-dissolving talisman would suffice?
Where the hell had she landed?
Had the lightning strike dropped her into some savage, barbaric land?

Author’s Note:
Heaven’s Journal, Entry #426:
Got hit by a Demon Lord. Was furious. Swore to become a straight-A student.
Then got struck by lightning.
…Whatever.