Chapter 28: The Invasion of Demonic Energy

From above, Xu Town truly appeared to be a very small place. Nestled in a remote region, it was surrounded by mountains and ravines, sparsely populated, with this lone town standing abruptly amidst the wilderness. The surrounding environment was dense forest and untamed mountains—ecologically pristine, the kind of place where the air should be crisp and the scenery delightful.

Yet at this moment, a layer of pitch-black mist hung over the town, obscuring the view. Ning Xianyu frowned, wondering if this was what demonic energy looked like. Aside from the unpleasant color, she didn’t sense anything particularly strange about it. Yi Tianling, meanwhile, had already swallowed a pill and calmed his mind. “The demonic energy here in Xu Town is heavier than when I left. Senior, if I am unable to withstand it later, I ask for your help.”

Ning Xianyu herself felt nothing amiss—just that the color was unappealing. Seeing how seriously Yi Tianling regarded the matter, she thought perhaps the body of a great demon lord was simply too robust to be affected. But what about the demon lord himself? He was currently inhabiting her body—could he endure it?

Yet Xuan Yuan Tunhan seemed perfectly fine, showing no sign of discomfort whatsoever. Evidently, a powerful soul could have such effect; the demon lord truly deserved his reputation as the foremost figure in the Six Realms of Yunhuang—impressive indeed.

Her system scorned her: [The stronger he gets, the harder it is for you to escape. What are you so happy about?]

This single remark left Ning Xianyu so dispirited that she didn’t want to acknowledge the system any further.

The flying artifact gradually descended. When the three of them alighted, they set out toward the town. Yi Tianling looked delighted, almost impatient to enter. Ning Xianyu found this odd—he looked as if he were returning home. What could the reason be?

The system, ever gossipy, supplied: [Because his beloved lives here—he can’t wait to see her.]

So that was it. The protagonist really enjoyed himself, having just parted from Su Yun’er and now already longing for another.

They hadn’t gone far when Ning Xianyu noticed a black wall up ahead. More precisely, it was a wall formed by some black substance—gaseous, floating in the air, enveloping the entire town. Strangely, this substance didn’t disperse but instead clustered together, which made for an exceedingly eerie sight.

Ning Xianyu guessed—could this be what demonic energy was? If the demonic energy in a mere town was so dense, what must it be like in the demon realm itself?

Xuan Yuan Tunhan stood at the edge, frowning slightly. “Has the demonic energy always been this heavy?”

Yi Tianling also frowned. “No. When I left, it wasn’t nearly this dense—just a faint trace of blackness, never so thick and persistent.”

Such heavy demonic energy was truly frightening. “This is bad—the villagers…”

He rushed straight into the black mist, but had barely gone a few steps before he began convulsing and collapsed to the ground.

Ning Xianyu was so startled she nearly leapt behind the demon lord. “Was he attacked?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan, exasperated, pulled her to her feet. “It’s the demonic energy attacking him. His cultivation is insufficient; he can’t withstand it.” He glanced back at her. “Stay close to me. Call forth your spiritual power to ward off the demonic energy.”

Ning Xianyu hastily enveloped herself in a layer of spiritual energy, determined not to end up like Yi Tianling. The two of them entered the black mist one after the other.

No sooner had they entered than Xuan Yuan Tunhan’s frown deepened. “The demonic energy truly is very heavy, and it seems there’s something else mixed in as well.” No wonder someone at Yi Tianling’s level succumbed so quickly.

He quickly turned to check on Ning Xianyu, only to find her utterly at ease, glancing around curiously. The spiritual shield she’d raised was riddled with holes, spiritual energy leaking everywhere, yet she seemed blissfully unaware. What was even more peculiar was that the demonic energy made no move to invade her; instead, it stayed far away.

From where he stood, it seemed as though Ning Xianyu was surrounded by a faint, gentle light, and that light was affecting the surrounding demonic energy.

Worldly and knowledgeable as he was, Xuan Yuan Tunhan couldn’t immediately make sense of it. Did this woman possess some unknown ability after all?

Ning Xianyu, seeing him staring at her for so long, began to feel anxious. [System, good system, you have to protect me—is the demon lord planning to devour me?] That look in his eyes was frightening.

The system replied nonchalantly, though it had little confidence. It only had a wishing function, usable once a month; it had no other abilities. Why couldn’t its host remember that?

Xuan Yuan Tunhan concluded that the so-called system was indeed protecting her, shielding her from the demonic energy. So the system wasn’t just a nuisance—it had some use after all.

They made their way to Yi Tianling’s side and pulled him up. The moment he leaned against Ning Xianyu, he felt much better. “Thank you, seniors. I was caught off guard by the demonic energy—how shameful.”

Ning Xianyu said nothing but gestured for him to circulate his energy and expel the evil influence.

Yi Tianling steadied himself and began to meditate. He’d expected some struggle, but, oddly enough, he soon found himself feeling clear-headed and refreshed. Strange—could it be that his recent experiences had advanced his cultivation and he was on the verge of a breakthrough? Elated by this prospect, he looked at the two of them with unconcealed joy.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan urged him to hurry along. If the demonic energy was so heavy outside the town, it would be even more perilous within. “You’re right, senior,” Yi Tianling replied, quickly leading the way inside.

Curiously, the further they went, the lighter the demonic energy became. Their vision gradually cleared. It was as if the thick demonic mist only enveloped the outskirts and barely affected the town itself.

Recalling what he’d seen from the air earlier, Xuan Yuan Tunhan asked, “Did someone set up a formation here, sealing the villagers with demonic energy? What do they intend for the villagers?”

Yi Tianling found it equally strange. “There was nothing like this when I left. Could some calamity have occurred in my absence?”

He anxiously hurried ahead, pulling out a talisman and tossing it skyward. However, after it burned away, nothing happened.

Ning Xianyu found his actions odd and quietly asked the system, [What is he doing? Some kind of shamanic ritual?]

The system responded, [No, that’s a communication talisman, left to him by his beloved.]

So that was it. [Does that mean he didn’t find her?]

[Of course not. His beloved has already been taken to the demon realm. He’s arrived too late. It’s to save her that he’ll end up going to the demon realm.]

At this point, the system added a lesson. [According to the original plot, the protagonist obtained the Nine-Branch Epiphyllum on Huayin Island and saved the people of Xu Town. It was then that he discovered his beloved had been taken away, and for love, he braved the demon realm.]

[Now that the plot has gone awry, whether for the townspeople or for that holy maiden of the demon realm, the protagonist must still make a journey to the demon realm.]

Listening to their conversation, Xuan Yuan Tunhan realized that, despite everything, the plot still followed its original trajectory. His expression darkened. Was it truly so difficult to change the course of a story once written?