Desire of the demon

The Mad Demon, or so they had named him, looked at the chaotic display that Yan Sheng and his gang were putting on. He wasn't some clichéd villain waiting for the heroes to power up only to be defeated. No, he had far too much on his plate right now.

Outwardly, he appeared calm and collected, but inwardly, he was exhausted. On one hand, he had to fend off Yan Sheng and his gang and countless other cultivators that had formed this blood river. On the other hand, he was constantly resisting the will of the heavens, which were trying to stop him in a desperate attempt to save the world. In a twisted way, even the heavens were pitiful.

I swear I would wipe the heavens will when I succeed mad demon roared inwardly .

He glanced at Yan Sheng and his eyes widened in mild surprise. He used that move? Well, it was predictable. After all, Yan Sheng had gone to great lengths to gather those women into his so-called "harem."

"Extraction of the Five Supreme Elements."

Yan Sheng felt the immense power of the five elements, which had been stolen from the origins of those women. For a moment, he felt a tinge of pity for them, but he quickly brushed it aside. Isn't this exactly why I kept them around in the first place? he thought coldly.

Laughing loudly, Yan Sheng looked at both the Mad Demon and the heavens. "Whether I break free from this cursed cage or not depends entirely on this moment, Mad Demon."

The Mad Demon gazed back at him with disdain. "So, you've finally abandoned those women you fought so hard to keep by your side?"

Yan Sheng smirked. "Oh, come on, Mad Demon. You're not that naïve, are you? You figured out my plan ages ago."

Meanwhile, the women, weakened and drained, could do little more than shed tears of unwillingness. Having their elemental origins extracted was no small matter. They didn't even have the energy to curse Yan Sheng for his betrayal.

The Mad Demon nodded, smiling with a mix of admiration and mockery. "Indeed, Yan Sheng. I saw through you long ago and even warned them, but it's all irrelevant now. Now that you've begun the Ascension, the heavens will also seize this chance to force me into it."

Yan Sheng lips widened even more forming a crooked smile , indeed you have guessed it right this move allows me to extract elements of extreme physique and use those elements to forcefully ascend me with my enemy.

Both figures levitated off the ground, hovering just a slight distance from each other, waiting for the heavenly tribulation that would decide who would ascend. As the tribulation stormed down upon them, they unleashed their final moves.

"Obsidian Slash."

"String of Light."

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Darkness could be seen everywhere blueish purple energy coud be seen wiggling like snakes in this chaotic place a man could be seen drifting aimlessly in the void, his body withered like an ancient tree long past its prime, barely clinging to life. His vitality had been drained, and he seemed to be waiting for death.

Suddenly, the man opened his eyes looked at his surroundings and sighed, "How long has it been since I ascended?" he muttered to himself. "I can't even remember anymore."

He inspected his mind palace, looking hopefully at the two orbs—one black, one white—that rested there , he tried to move them but alas those orbs didn't even budge. Helplessly, he muttered, "What are these things, anyway? I can't even use them."

These orbs had been with him since the beginning of his cultivation journey, but not once had they shown any tangible use. It was as if they were merely decorations, taunting him with their mystery.

He knew deep down that these orbs held the key to advancing further in his cultivation, but how could he use something that remained so elusive, so unresponsive?

What was the point of it all?

He hadn't even found his home he had hoped to reach after his ascension. All his suffering, all his sacrifices—what had it amounted to?

Two silent tears slid down his withered cheeks.

"Am I… crying?" he asked himself softly, chuckling bitterly. "How long has it been since I shed tears? Haha… it seems my impending death has driven me more insane than I realized."

In the quiet of his mind, a faint image surfaced—of a gentle figure. He couldn't even recall the face clearly, but the memory of that figure brought him an odd sense of peace.

"Tell me… would I meet you if I died?" he whispered. "I hope not. If heaven and hell exist, I'm definitely going to hell."

With that, he took his last breath.

---

Mad Demon—or rather, Li Huo—opened his eyes to pitch-black surroundings. He observed the silence around him for a moment and muttered, "Does hell look this peaceful? Did they remodel it or something?"

He looked around, half-expecting to find the legendary boiling oil pits where sinners were supposedly cooked alive. But to his disappointed there was nothing there instead of darkness.

As he surveyed the area, he frowned. Wait... this place looks oddly familiar. Where have I seen it before? He racked his brain but couldn't come up with an answer.

Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of him with a loud "Boo!"

"Whoa!" he jumped, startled. "It's you! How the hell did you get here? Did you follow me to hell?"

[Nope. We're back.]

"Back? Back to where?"

[To where your journey began.]