102: Chapter 102 Abnormal Movement of the Rift

Three days later, The Rift changed.

On the first day, it was just that the Devilish Qi grew a bit thicker than before, and those black threads grew a little faster. Lu Mingyuan severed them several times a day, barely managing to keep them in check.

On the second day, the Devilish Qi suddenly doubled. The black threads no longer grew one by one, but sprouted in clusters. Sever one cluster, and three more would grow.

On the morning of the third day, Lu Mingyuan opened his eyes. The moment he saw The Rift, he knew—something was wrong.

That rift, once two hundred miles wide, had become three hundred.

It didn't slowly expand. It was torn open by another hundred miles in a single night.

The rocks at the edge of The Rift were riddled with holes from the Devilish Qi's erosion, as if gnawed by countless insects. From those holes, black liquid was seeping out, drop by drop, falling into the depths of The Rift with a sizzling sound.

Bai Ze stood beside him, its ears pricked straight up.

"Something's wrong."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

"What's wrong?"

Bai Ze stared at the core of resentment deep within The Rift.

"It's absorbing something."

Lu Mingyuan was taken aback.

"Absorbing what?"

Bai Ze was silent for a moment.

"Resentment. The resentment of those newly dead."

It looked at Lu Mingyuan.

"How many people have died nearby in these three days?"

Lu Mingyuan's heart tightened.

He remembered the sound of weeping coming from afar yesterday evening. He remembered the faint glow of fire on the other side of the mountain the night before. He remembered the news Zhang Qingyuan brought back yesterday morning—the village thirty miles to the east, where everyone had died overnight.

"Many," he said softly.

Bai Ze nodded.

"That's it then. It's eating that resentment. The more it eats, the faster it grows."

It paused.

"At this rate, in at most seven days, The Rift will expand to five hundred miles. By then, Devilish Qi will cover the entire Northwest."

Lu Mingyuan fell silent.

He looked at that core of resentment, watching it pulse slowly and powerfully, like a giant heart.

It was eating.

Eating the resentment of the dead.

The more it ate, the larger it grew.

The larger it grew, the more people died.

The more people died, the more it ate.

It was a vicious cycle.

Zhang Qingyuan came running from a distance, holding the heart lamp.

"Master! Master!"

He was out of breath, his face pale.

Lu Mingyuan looked at him.

"What is it?"

Zhang Qingyuan pointed behind him.

"Over there—there are so many demon soldiers—they've come out from The Rift—"

Lu Mingyuan frowned.

He leaped into the air, stepping on the Void Realm, and looked in the direction Zhang Qingyuan pointed.

At the edge of The Rift, densely packed black shadows were surging out.

Those shadows were Chaos Demon Soldiers. Not a few, not dozens, but hundreds. They crawled out from the depths of The Rift, swarming outward in waves like ants.

After emerging, they didn't immediately scatter. Instead, they gathered together, forming ranks.

As if waiting for some command.

Lu Mingyuan stared at those demon soldiers, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.

These demon soldiers were different from before.

The previous ones were chaotic, disordered, without pattern. They only knew how to devour, without any organization.

But these demon soldiers were forming ranks.

They were waiting.

Waiting for what?

Bai Ze also flew up, standing beside him, gazing at the demon soldiers.

"They have a commander now."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

"A commander?"

Bai Ze nodded.

"A General-level Demon has been born within the core of resentment. These demon soldiers are its army."

It paused.

"A General-level Demon possesses simple intelligence. It knows battle formations, knows how to besiege a point and attack reinforcements, knows to avoid the strong and strike the weak."

Lu Mingyuan was silent.

He remembered Chapter 84, that demon general called Bone-Eroding.

That was a General-level Demon.

Back then, there was only one.

Now, there was another.

And it was stronger than Bone-Eroding.

After the demon soldiers finished forming ranks, they didn't move.

They just stood there, densely packed, like a black sea.

Lu Mingyuan counted.

At least five hundred.

Five hundred Chaos Demon Soldiers, plus one General-level Demon, were enough to slaughter all living beings within a thousand-mile radius.

He glanced back.

Behind him were villages, towns, those ordinary people still alive.

They didn't know what was happening here.

They were still living their lives.

But they didn't know that death was already at their door.

Bai Ze looked at him.

"What do we do?"

Lu Mingyuan thought for a long time.

Then, he said softly:

"Fight."

Bai Ze was startled.

"Fight? You said resistance was useless—"

Lu Mingyuan interrupted it.

"Resistance is useless. But stopping them from getting out is useful."

He looked at the demon soldiers.

"If they get out, they will kill. Killing produces resentment. That resentment will be eaten by that thing. The more it eats, the stronger it becomes."

He paused.

"So, we can't let them get out."

Bai Ze was silent for a moment.

Then, it nodded.

"That makes sense."

It looked at the demon soldiers.

"But can you alone fight five hundred demon soldiers plus a General-level?"

Lu Mingyuan shook his head.

"No."

Bai Ze looked at him.

"Then what do we do?"

Lu Mingyuan thought about it.

"Delay."

He looked at Bai Ze.

"You help me watch that General-level one. The moment it moves, tell me. I'll clear out the small ones first."

Bai Ze nodded.

"Alright."

Lu Mingyuan turned to Zhang Qingyuan.

"You stay here, don't move. No matter what happens, don't come over."

Zhang Qingyuan grew anxious.

"Master, I can help too—"

Lu Mingyuan shook his head.

"You can't. Wait here."

With that, he leaped down.

At the edge of The Rift, the demon soldiers moved.

Not charging at him, but scattering in all directions.

They were going to act separately.

To kill people.

Lu Mingyuan landed amidst the demon soldiers, Wanxiang True Qi instantly surging forth.

Chaos Sword Qi swept out horizontally, one sword slash felling three demon soldiers.

Those demon soldiers dissipated into black smoke, but more surged forward.

He stepped on the Void Realm, his figure like lightning, his sword light like a rainbow. With each sword strike, a demon soldier inevitably fell.

But for each one that fell, a new one immediately took its place.

There were too many.

Five hundred demon soldiers, densely packed, impossible to kill them all.

He took a deep breath, the Wanxiang True Qi in his Dantian spinning wildly.

Guardian Sword Realm, open!

A curtain of light expanded from his body, covering an area of ten zhang around him. Within the light curtain, the demon soldiers could barely move, as if trapped in quicksand.

Seizing this opportunity, he cut down over thirty demon soldiers in one go.

But the light curtain only lasted ten breaths before shattering.

The demon soldiers pounced, their black mist condensing into clawed hands, grabbing for him.

He sidestepped, dodging, and with a backhanded sword strike, felled two more.

But there were too many.

His left shoulder was caught by a demonic claw, a searing pain. His right leg was entangled by another claw, nearly causing him to fall.

Gritting his teeth, he severed the claw on his leg with a sword strike and staggered back.

At that moment, a low, deep roar suddenly came from the depths of The Rift.

Hearing the roar, the demon soldiers all stopped in unison.

They turned, faced The Rift, and knelt, prostrating themselves.

Lu Mingyuan gasped for breath, staring into the depths of The Rift.

From the depths of The Rift, a huge black shadow was slowly rising.

The shadow was dozens of zhang tall, shaped like a human, but without facial features, only a giant mouth. The mouth was full of sharp teeth, layer upon layer, like a meat grinder.

It was the General-level Demon.

And it was much larger, much stronger than Bone-Eroding.

It rose from the depths of The Rift, looking down at Lu Mingyuan.

On that featureless face, there was only a mouth.

That mouth stretched open.

As if smiling.

Bai Ze rushed down from the cliff, landing beside Lu Mingyuan.

"That's the one."

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

"I see it."

Bai Ze stared at the General-level Demon.

"It's stronger than Bone-Eroding. At least equivalent to a Golden Immortal."

Lu Mingyuan was silent.

He had just broken through to the Heavenly Immortal rank, not even reaching the Middle Stage.

A Golden Immortal-level General-level Demon—he couldn't defeat it.

But he couldn't retreat.

Behind him were those ordinary people still alive.

The General-level Demon looked at him, its mouth stretching even wider.

It spoke.

Its voice was unpleasant, like stone grinding against stone, like bone breaking bone.

"You... are... that... person..."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

"You know me?"

The General-level Demon nodded.

"Darkness... remembers you... You... hurt... it..."

Lu Mingyuan's heart shook.

Darkness remembered him.

It was deep within The Rift, watching everything here.

It was waiting.

Waiting for the General-level Demon to kill him.

The General-level Demon took a step forward.

"Today... you... die..."

Lu Mingyuan tightened his grip on his sword, Wanxiang True Qi spinning wildly.

He knew he couldn't win.

But he knew he couldn't retreat.

Just then, Bai Ze suddenly spoke.

"Mingyuan."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

"Hmm?"

Bai Ze said softly:

"Delay."

Lu Mingyuan was startled.

Delay?

Bai Ze looked at him.

"What you said earlier, delay. Delay until it grows impatient, delay until it makes a mistake, delay until there's an opportunity."

It paused.

"I'll help you."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it and suddenly understood something.

"You have a way?"

Bai Ze nodded.

"Yes. But it can only hold for a moment."

Lu Mingyuan asked:

"How long?"

Bai Ze thought about it.

"Thirty breaths."

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath.

Thirty breaths.

Within thirty breaths, he must find an opportunity.

He nodded.

"Alright."

Bai Ze stepped forward, standing in front of Lu Mingyuan.

It raised its head, looking at the General-level Demon, at The Rift behind it, at the core of resentment deep within The Rift.

Then, it opened its mouth.

Not to speak, but to chant.

A very strange sound, like an ancient incantation, like the whispers of heaven and earth, like the murmurs of countless living beings.

The sound spread. The demon soldiers kneeling on the ground suddenly began to tremble.

They began to dissipate.

One, two, ten, a hundred—all five hundred demon soldiers turned into black smoke within ten breaths.

The General-level Demon was stunned.

It looked down at the dissipating soldiers, at Bai Ze, something flashing in its eyes—was it fear?

Bai Ze's chanting didn't stop.

The sound grew higher, stronger, finally shooting straight up into the sky.

The clouds in the sky were dispersed, revealing a gray, murky firmament.

The General-level Demon clutched its mouth, letting out a shriek.

Its body began to crack.

One crack, two, three—countless fissures spread across its form.

It struggled desperately, trying to retreat back into the depths of The Rift.

But Bai Ze's chanting was like invisible chains, binding it tightly.

It couldn't move.

It could only stand there, letting its body crack apart bit by bit.

Twenty breaths.

The General-level Demon's body was already half cracked open.

It let out a despairing roar.

Deep within The Rift, the core of resentment suddenly pulsed violently.

A thick black Qi surged out from The Rift, pouring into the General-level Demon's body.

The cracks began to heal.

Bai Ze's chanting began to weaken.

Its body began to tremble.

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

"Bai Ze—"

Bai Ze didn't turn its head.

Gritting its teeth, it continued chanting.

Twenty-five breaths.

The General-level Demon's cracks had healed by a third.

Bai Ze's chanting had weakened by half.

Blood seeped from the corner of its mouth.

Lu Mingyuan tightened his grip on his sword and charged forward.

But Bai Ze's voice sounded in his mind.

"Don't come! There are still five breaths!"

Lu Mingyuan stopped in his tracks.

He looked at Bai Ze's back, at its trembling body, at the blood at the corner of its mouth.

Five breaths.

Five breaths left.

He stared at the General-level Demon, at the healing cracks, at its stretched-open mouth.

Where was the opportunity?

He couldn't see it.

But he couldn't move.

Because Bai Ze said there were still five breaths.

Four breaths.

The General-level Demon's cracks had healed by two-thirds.

Bai Ze's body swayed, on the verge of collapse.

Three breaths.

The cracks had healed by three-quarters.

Bai Ze's chanting was down to its last thread.

Two breaths.

The cracks were almost completely healed.

Bai Ze's body pitched forward.

One breath.

The General-level Demon opened its eyes.

It looked down at Bai Ze, its mouth stretched to its widest.

Then, it reached out a hand to grab Bai Ze.

In that instant, Lu Mingyuan moved.

He was like a bolt of lightning, streaking across the Void Realm.

The sword light was like a rainbow, piercing straight into the General-level Demon's chest—the spot where the cracks had just finished healing.

That was the place where the cracks had healed last.

That was its most vulnerable spot.

The sword tip pierced in.

The General-level Demon let out a piercing shriek.

Its body, starting from the chest, cracked open again.

This time, it could not heal.

It looked down at the sword wound on its chest, at the small human figure behind the wound.

Its eyes were full of disbelief.

Then, its body exploded with a roar.

It turned into a sky full of black smoke, dissipating between heaven and earth.

Lu Mingyuan landed on the ground, gasping for air.

He turned to look at Bai Ze.

Bai Ze lay on the ground, its mouth full of blood, its eyes half-closed.

He rushed over and picked it up.

"Bai Ze! Bai Ze!"

Bai Ze opened its eyes and looked at him.

"Thirty breaths... just right..."

Lu Mingyuan looked at it, his eyes reddening.

"Are you insane?"

Bai Ze smiled.

The smile was faint, shallow, and covered in blood.

"You're... the insane one..."

It paused.

"I'm... fine... just need... to rest..."

Lu Mingyuan held it, not speaking.

Bai Ze closed its eyes.

Its breathing was weak, but still there.

Lu Mingyuan raised his head, looking at the core of resentment deep within The Rift.

It was still there.

Still pulsing.

Still waiting.

But he had survived.

Bai Ze had also survived.

Those demon soldiers, that General-level, were all dead.

At least for today, they wouldn't get out.

He picked up Bai Ze and stood.

Zhang Qingyuan ran down from the cliff, tears streaming down his face.

"Master! Senior, it—"

Lu Mingyuan shook his head.

"It's alive. Just tired."

He looked at the core of resentment deep within The Rift.

"Today, we won."

That core of resentment pulsed quietly.

No response.

But he knew it was watching.

Waiting for the next time.

Next time, it would send out a stronger General-level, more demon soldiers.

Next time, could they still win?

He didn't know.

But he knew that as long as he was alive, he would guard.

Guard here.

Guard this rift.

Guard those ordinary people still alive.

Guard until the day it was sealed.