"What a bastard. That feckless nuisance almost ruined the eons of banquets and peace that I've enjoyed thanks to the lack of Realm Wars. Old friend, you don't mind that I've cleaned the garbage for you, right?"
"Absolutely not. Every single Devil of the Infernal Paradise felt the impulse to target that boy—an impulse obviously triggered by Hell to push us all onto a road of no return. When even False Devils didn't take the bait, that worthless descendant of mine rushed to carry out Hell's will—nearly putting our carefree lifestyles to an end. You only got to him faster than I did, or I'd be the one smashing the fool." Within the veils of darkness, an exchange of words between two Ancestors of Devilkind followed—including the destroyed True Devil's own ancestor.
"Well said! The Ancient Spirits have been wiped out. If we can never get our hands on another Demon Monarch, keeping the peace between the Three Paradises is our top priority. Offending Yongye for some Grace you'll likely fail to take advantage of is utter foolishness. Let's all unite to restrain the weaves of fate and prevent this event from reaching Yongye's ears. Afterward, I will welcome you all for a grand revelry."
"This is indeed an event to celebrate. A direct descendant of Yongye is using his mortal shell to cultivate demonic arts. That boy's evil cultivation speed is astonishing. I'm afraid that by the time Yongye sees through his actions, his Divine Soul will have been corrupted as well. If we can help him descend The Pit and obtain a Devil Crown, we will have another tool to snatch benefits from Yongye and the Celestial Paradise." More Infernal Ancestors chimed in, and soon, dark-purple nets invisible to most of Hell's denizens spread through the Winds of Evil to connect to the Great Desolation world.
The nets wrapped Xinzi's world, preventing the weaves of fate from leaking towards the Three Paradises. At the same time, foul energies dropped on and obscured "randomly picked" events, adding an extra safety net to the layout. All except for one, the Lords of Hell smiled at one another, then returned to their respective domains. That one lingered on the scene, reading through the Winds of Evil to spy on Xinzi.
As he stared at the little monk, that ancestor recalled an event of 10,000 years ago—a Heavenly Phenomenon so loud that it spread to the Three Paradises, warning Devils and Saints of the birth of a perfect Divine Child. The Divine Ancestors of the Celestial Paradise were quick to cover its trace. Some speculated that a certain Saint of the Sacred Paradise also made a move, and it wouldn't be long before the event faded into obscurity. 'It's you?' The Ancestor wondered, but unfortunately, unless he used the Winds of Evil to force his way into the boy's soul, he couldn't verify his theory.
Still, the tiniest probability that this could be true demanded swift actions. The Ancestor's eyes narrowed at the shrouding net, creating a nanoscopic gap that it hoped would enable Yongye to sense some anomaly. "There are times when even Devils must learn to curb their greed. Child, you are Heaven's business. Do not bring us your troubles." The Ancestor said and returned to his domain.
…
Meanwhile, while Tusha, Chun Xu and Xiao Hu kept their eyes shut, Xue Yuanshao, who observed everything from start to finish thanks to his privileged position in Xiao Hu's soul, stared absentmindedly at Xinzi. The Divine Form returned to the mortal body, but still Xue Yuanshao couldn't avert his gaze. Due to Qingxin's manipulations, Xue Yuanshao believed that to secure a future for himself, his only hope was to support this divine master-disciple pair to the best of his abilities. However, up to this point, he only saw the little monk as a high-ranking member of the Hengye clan, potentially a Hierarch in training.
Qingxin too seemed to think the same, but now that he'd been exposed to the divine light released by a single lock, the ancient expert had to throw that conjecture to the trash.
Xue Yuanshao had both the blessing and misfortune of interacting with the two Gods of the Great Desolation world. Thus, he could affirm that with just this one lock removed, Xinzi's divine light already eclipsed that of the August Divinity, making Hengye Wuxin the only one that could suppress him in that department. Should all the locks break down, what level of splendor would his divine light reach?
'How can we still call this a Divine Spirit? Clearly, he is a God! Xiao Hu, I'm so sorry for letting you challenge this boy. What was I thinking? In this life or another, do not dare to offend him.' Reflecting on all the times it'd encouraged Xiao Hu's aggressiveness, Xue Yuanshao despaired, wondering if he'd ever have the opportunity to atone for his folly.
'This is what we will call the Halo of the Supreme Antagonist.' Aware that the world held its breath, primordial existences made their move while starstruck mortals marveled at his infinite potential for destruction, Xinzi felt that he'd turned into the center of all conflicts, the driving force behind all the events that'd shake the Four Realms of existence. Supreme Antagonist aside, what title could accurately describe him?
"You can open your eyes," Xinzi said and, crossing his arms behind his back, the naked monk adopted an imposing posture, convinced that as soon as Tusha, Chun Xu and Xiao Hu opened their eyes, the awe that likely filled them now would shoot up to stratospheric levels. Alas, as their eyes opened to the monk's exaggerated pose, the three saw through Xinzi's petty thoughts and their limbs that, initially trembled uncontrollably, returned to peace.
'If only shamelessness could kill.' The three thought simultaneously. Only Xue Yuanshao, who still processed the divine light, couldn't let Xinzi's antics ease his fears. Leaping out of Xiao Hu's soul, the ancient expert fell on his knees, kowtowing at Xinzi:
"I had eyes but couldn't see Mount Tai and repeatedly offended your excellency. I humbly hope that your excellency will forgive my transgressions and give me an opportunity to turn over a new leaf!" The hurried words rolled off Xue Yuanshao's tongue with such zeal, fear and humility that Xiao Hu started to wonder if she didn't underestimate the gravity of Xinzi's identity. Tusha too rushed to Xinzi's side, putting on a humble and flattering stance at odds with her true self. Only Chun Xu failed to react, lost by the succession of startling events that took place before her.
'Waves of Evil Qi, a pit of darkness, an old man leaping out of Xiao Hu's soul, the Sanguine Reincarnation that had supposedly died in the Dream Mountain, and Heaven knows what else. What…is going on here?' Chun Xu's head seethed with a myriad of questions—questions that she knew wouldn't find answers today.
Seriousness returned to Xinzi's eyes, and he glanced back and forth between Xue Yuanshao and Tusha. 'Although you exposed your existence to those three, I suppose that I can't blame you for trying your best to save me. We will discuss this later. For now, return to the Dream Mountain. There are certain things that we will need to work on soon,' Xinzi said, and aware that despite her good intentions she'd committed a blunder, Tusha gave Xinzi hurried bows and, not even daring to speak, vanished from the scene.
Our monk's eyes shifted towards Xue Yuanshao, who still kowtowed for mercy. "Stop. You're a remnant soul. No matter how hard you bang your head against the floor, you can't really hit anything. There are better ways to show your loyalty and it just so happens that I've tasks ready for you to carry out. From now on, you will be working on my projects. No need to disturb Xiao Hu's soul." Xinzi said, making Xue Yuanshao put an abrupt end to the kowtowing routine. Eager to jump on the opportunity, the ancient expert cast Xiao Hu an apologetic smile, before breaking down into light particles and rushing into Xinzi's Soul.
"Unreliable bastard…" Xiao Hu hissed as the old man deserted her. But soon, she noticed Xinzi's stare, and her eyes shifted towards him. "Dissatisfied? Don't worry, I'm not in the business of keeping old men's souls in storage. He will not be staying with me for long. When I'm done with him, I don't mind returning him to you—if that's what you want."
"No need." Xiao Hu rejected the offer, grumbling as she recalled all the things that accursed old man had drove her to, and the knowledge he kept concealed. Her trust in Xue Yuanshao had been waning for a while now and if not for their joint fate, she would have long stop bothering to pay any of his words heed. Still, the bitter taste of betrayal soured the swordmaster's mouth, making her wonder why all those she cared for seemed so eager to misuse her trust.
As if reading through her thoughts, Xinzi kneeled before Xiao Hu, gave her head a gentle pat, then asked in a warm, straightforward tone.
"Man or woman? Which one do you want to be? Choose now, and I will fulfill your wish."
