Ch. 585 - The Second Demon

Standing atop a high slope, Deepfeather was surrounded by over a dozen Black Demons.

These Black Demons exuded powerful auras and stood silently, guarding him on all sides.

“Cowards hiding in the dark,” Deepfeather spat disdainfully. “The truth of Black Demon City, how much longer do you plan to keep it buried?”

“How do you know about that?” Master Universe asked with a frown.

By all logic, as long as no one spoke of it, the disciples who transformed at night would remember nothing the next day.

“If you didn’t want others to know, you shouldn’t have done it,” Deepfeather replied coldly.

“You dare call yourself my teacher after all these decades? You’re not worthy.”

“We can talk this through,” Master Universe said. “I will take responsibility for the sins we committed. There’s no need to unleash these Black Demons. The innocent should not suffer.”

“Innocent or not, what does that have to do with me?” Deepfeather said angrily. “I’ll make sure the truth about the Black Demons is known to the world. I’ll destroy Black Demon Temple completely. You people deserve to be condemned for thousands of years.”

“Sigh… If that’s how it is, then as your master, I have no choice but to act,” Master Universe shook his head.

God Meridian Realm energy surged around him as he launched a suppression strike at Deepfeather.

Deepfeather snorted coldly. At that moment, a black aura swirled around him.

The aura transformed into a twisted, menacing face behind his back.

“Infernal Force!” Master Universe exclaimed, immediately understanding.

“You’ve mastered the Ancient Demon Dao, where did you get that technique?”

“Surprised?” Deepfeather sneered and waved his hand.

His Infernal Force surged outward, wrapping around the dozen Black Demons nearby.

These Black Demons had endured suppression for thousands of years, and their Infernal Force had reached terrifying levels.

With his aura entangling them, Deepfeather seemed able to control them.

Their Infernal Force surged violently as they charged at Master Universe.

…

Watching Master Universe surrounded, Deepfeather sneered, “My dear master, I hope you enjoy the gift I’ve prepared for you.”

“Is this your revenge on the world?” a calm voice spoke from behind.

Deepfeather jumped back in shock and turned around.

Xu Zimo had silently walked up behind him, step by step.

“It’s you,” Deepfeather said with a chuckle.

“I should actually thank you. There were too many Black Demons for me to control alone. If you hadn’t brought the demon powder into the city, I wouldn’t have been able to start this battle.”

“Then go thank me in hell,” Xu Zimo said, stepping forward.

Deepfeather’s gaze narrowed. He raised his right hand, summoning a roaring Black Demon from nearby.

Xu Zimo simply waved his hand, he didn’t even draw Shadow Tyrant, his blade.

A brilliant arc of sword light burst from the void, slashing the Black Demon clean in half.

Deepfeather’s pupils shrank in alarm. Before he could react, Xu Zimo’s figure had already vanished, moving faster than the eye could follow.

In the next instant, he appeared right in front of Deepfeather and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air.

“You used me like a pawn?” Xu Zimo said coldly.

“Who are you?” Deepfeather choked out.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is I’m pissed off,” Xu Zimo said calmly.

“Please, let him go,” Master Universe shouted, finally breaking free from the surrounding Black Demons.

“Oh?” Xu Zimo turned his head.

“I beg you not to kill him,” Master Universe said. “I’m willing to trade my life for his.”

“I don’t need you pretending to be noble in front of me,” Deepfeather scoffed.

“Child… I admit we made mistakes, horrible ones. I never wanted to escape the consequences,” Master Universe said solemnly.

“I’ve worked all these years to make amends. Not to erase the past, but to do what I can with the time I have left.”

“You talk like a saint, but you think I don’t know?” Deepfeather said coldly. “All these years, you’ve been secretly continuing experiments on the Black Demons. You never stopped.”

“No,” Master Universe shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to cultivate Infernal Force for my own gain. I was looking for a way to remove the Infernal Force from their bodies, to return them to normal lives.”

Then he turned to Xu Zimo and pleaded, “Sir, if you won’t spare him, then I ask just one thing: Before you kill him, let him kill me. That way, he’ll have his revenge, and I’ll die in peace.”

Seeing that Xu Zimo didn’t object, Master Universe handed his sword to Deepfeather.

He closed his eyes and said, “Go ahead. Kill me. I’ve been ready for release for a long time.”

Deepfeather slowly took the sword. He stared at the master who so desperately sought death, silent for a long time.

In the end, he tossed the sword aside and said quietly, “If dying could atone for past sins, then there’d be no villains left in this world.”

“…Are you two done with the drama yet?” Xu Zimo said coolly.

“You don’t need to kill me, I’m already dying,” Deepfeather replied calmly. “Do you know how I learned the Ancient Demon Dao?”

“No,” Master Universe shook his head. “Since Grandmaster brought it back, no one has ever succeeded in cultivating it. Even after all these years of effort, it remained useless.”

“That’s because I met a real demon,” Deepfeather said.

“I sacrificed my soul to him, and he taught me how to use the Ancient Demon Dao to control the Black Demons.”

“A demon?” Master Universe’s face changed.

“How could there be a real demon in Black Demon Temple?”

After all, he had lived there most of his life and knew everything about the place.

“Master, do you remember the period when Grandmaster first returned from Void Valley?” Deepfeather asked. “Although I wasn’t born yet, you told me he lived alone in the back mountain during that time.”

“The back mountain…” Master Universe frowned.

The back mountain of Black Demon Temple had been abandoned for years. Since Grandmaster left, no one had set foot there.

With the temple in decline, only a dozen people remained.

“You’re saying the demon is in the back mountain?” Master Universe asked.

“One morning, about half a year ago, I woke up and found myself in the back mountain,” Deepfeather explained. “I accidentally stumbled into the cave where Grandmaster used to live. It was there that the demon revealed the truth to me, the truth about Black Demon Temple.”

Hearing all this, Xu Zimo said nothing more.

He turned and took to the sky again, flying straight toward Black Demon Temple.

He had always been deeply concerned about the Ancient Demon Race.

But since arriving here, aside from Paimon, he had yet to encounter a second demon, until now.

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