Chapter 244

“Huh? Ning Ning and the others want to challenge the Shadow Demon?”

Lin Qian arrived after hearing the news, holding a large white rabbit in her arms.

“If I’m not mistaken, the Shadow Demon should be at the Nascent Soul stage, right? Can a group of little Golden Core cultivators really handle it?”

“That little girl seems determined to win.”

Tian Xianzi leaned back in his wooden chair, his gaze shifting away from the mystic mirror, staring off into the distance.

Suddenly, he chuckled softly, “The Battle of Qiong Mountain… still fresh in my memory.”

Lin Qian nodded and raised her eyebrows.

“After all, Elder Tian Xianzi was one of the ones who set up the formation.”

Back then, the war was urgent, and the people were suffering everywhere.

To quickly subdue the Shadow Demon, the elders of various sects set up the Thousand Light Returning Formation at Qiong Mountain, combined with crisscrossing sword energy, which finally severely injured it.

The place where the Shadow Demon resided was filled with death energy.

To prevent it from spreading to the mortal world, the head of Kunshan Sect sealed the entire Qiong Mountain in a mustard seed realm and stored it in the Demon Refining Tower.

If there was any regret…

Lin Qian turned her gaze toward the mystic mirror, where Ning Ning was leaning against a towering mountain wall, intently observing the thought spirits left by the soldiers.

The intense emotions of the deceased could be absorbed by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, repeatedly projecting fragments of their memories. These untouchable shadows were called “thought spirit”.

There were so many soldiers who died at Qiong Mountain, and their strong emotional energy lingered in the enclosed space of the Demon Refining Tower, unable to dissipate and only growing stronger.

Naturally, many illusions were formed, appearing from time to time in the falling snow.

Lin Qian’s gaze darkened slightly, and she fell silent.

The only regret from the Battle of Qiong Mountain was the countless mortals who sacrificed themselves to help.

They were no match for the overwhelming demon tide and were almost entirely wiped out.

The memory was so distant that Lin Qian thought she would gradually forget it.

But now, as she recalled it, it was as vivid as ever.

The cultivation world and the regular army both suffered heavy casualties.

The team known as “Jiansha” was made up of civilians from all over.

There were men and women, butchers and scholars, martial artists, and physicians.

It was said that even a few courtesans joined, complaining day and night about their exhaustion.

When the death energy at Qiong Mountain surged, it had to be quickly sealed in the Demon Refining Tower.

The elders were so exhausted that they didn’t even have time to properly bury the soldiers.

Lin Qian’s eyelashes lowered slightly as she quietly watched the scene in the mystic mirror.

Who knows if they will succeed today…

“Qiong Mountain didn’t look like this back then, did it?”

After a long silence, Lin Qian spoke again, “Qiong Mountain was as beautiful as jade, and the peaks were the best places to watch the sunrise and sunset.”

Ji Yunkai opened his eyes and rested his chin on his hand, yawning.

“With demonic energy running rampant, it’s inevitable.”

He spoke absentmindedly, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“The Shadow Demon is such an ugly thing that can’t stand the light, so it insists on making sure no one else can see it either. I remember it can swallow the sky and obscure the sun. The stronger its fighting spirit, the darker and colder it gets. When the battle starts and the cold seeps into their bones… It won’t be good weather for those kids.”

“I have 100% confidence in Ning Ning.”

Tian Xianzi grinned. “How about we make a bet?”

“No.”

Ji Yunkai popped a piece of red date candy into his mouth, raising his crescent-shaped eyebrows.

“No one here wants to see her fail.”

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Inside the Demon Refining Tower, He Zhizhou shivered from the increasingly cold temperature.

Ever since they had finalized their battle plan with Ning Ning, Xu Ye and Zhou Zhao had been huddled together, discussing it at length. Finally, they concluded:

Even though it’s hard to understand, judging by Ning Ning’s serious explanation, it seems like it might work.

Of course, that’s assuming her “serious explanation” is actually true.

“Still looking at those thought spirits left by the soldiers?”

He Zhizhou noticed she was absorbed in thought and curiously walked over to Ning Ning.

“The reason you’re so determined to defeat the Shadow Demon is because of that letter, isn’t it?”

Ning Ning clasped her hands behind her back.

As she leaned against the mountain wall, the biting cold made her frown.

“Earning points for killing it is definitely important too. We’re not doing this for free.”

She leaned her head back against the stone wall, her tone calm.

“I just think that if those soldiers who sacrificed everything to fight the demons ended up becoming what they hated the most…”

“How should I put it?”

Ning Ning said, “It doesn’t feel like something a cultivator or a hero would do. It just makes me feel bad.”

He Zhizhou chuckled.

He rarely showed such a serious expression.

His dark eyes quietly deepened, and his handsome features reflected the snow.

“The battle between immortals and demons was incredibly brutal. The good people who didn’t meet a peaceful end… there were probably countless of them.”

Neither of them had lived through that time, only hearing about it through the stories of others.

Phrases like “rivers of blood” and “fields of bones” were old words they’d heard many times.

But it wasn’t until today, seeing the scene at Qiong Mountain with their own eyes, that they truly felt the cruelty and despair.

“It’s no wonder the world holds such a grudge against the demon clan.”

He Zhizhou sighed.

“They are the enemy with whom we cannot share the same sky.”

Ning Ning’s eyes stung from the wind and snow, and for some reason, she suddenly thought of Pei Ji.

He was born at the end of the immortal-demon war when hatred for demon cultivators was at its peak.

How did he, carrying the burden of such a despised bloodline, get through each day of his long childhood?

She didn’t dare think too deeply.

Just brushing the surface of the thought made her chest feel tight.

“Alright—”

Ning Ning pushed aside her scattered thoughts, stood up straight, and raised her voice slightly.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Ready!”

Xu Ye cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming.

“If Senior Sister Su finds out I defeated the Shadow Demon… hehe, hehe.”

Zhou Zhao glanced at him with a look that clearly said “no future” and looked seriously at Ning Ning.

“I don’t want any glory from this battle. I’m willing to give all the credit to you—just keep the secret on the ice surface safe, my dear respected mother.”

…You even called her “respected mother” without hesitation. That’s even more useless than Xu Ye! She’s a young girl; she doesn’t want such a burly son!

“This battle is extremely dangerous. Everyone, be careful and don’t get caught up in the fight.”

Her teammates didn’t seem very reliable, so Ning Ning rubbed her forehead and said, “If we can’t win, we’ll retreat immediately. Teammates are like birds in a forest; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.”

This statement was so vivid that He Zhizhou could already imagine being defeated by the Shadow Demon and fleeing in panic.

“No matter what happens, I’ll do my best.”

Ning Ning extended her right hand, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she smiled.

“Let’s all do our best and conquer the 50th floor together.”

He Zhizhou felt a surge of excitement and placed his hand on hers.

“Let’s go! Our journey is to the stars and the sea!”

Xu Ye took a deep breath. “Senior Sister, I-I can do this!”

Zhou Zhao finally placed his hand on top of the others and said, “For my dearly respected father and mother, I wish you both a long life.”

Ning Ning: …

Please stop calling me that!!

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