Forge a path to success.

Chapter 141 Get your wish
And so, an invisible wind began to blow.

No longer thrusting towards the direction of the spear tip, nor blowing out insidiously like a trap, but instead placing the center within the enemy's body, letting gravity act on one's own body.

This will speed things up.

The banshee reared up on all fours, riding the wind as she galloped. The gravitational pull of the Qingkun Spear allowed her to skip the initial acceleration phase, instantly reaching her maximum speed. Alone with only her spear, she was like a thousand troops, a crimson heavy cavalry charging through blood.

Wu He was utterly disoriented, feeling as if he had been sent flying into the sky in an instant. He was sent flying by the tip of the spear, and the laughter of a banshee drifted through the inverted world.

He forced himself to regain his senses, activating the talismans he had prepared as he plummeted. Several wisps of yellow mist dispersed, obscuring his vision, and six corpse worms emerged from the ground, lunging at Qingxia. These were originally intended as defensive pawns, but now they proved useful. Wu He didn't even glance at the fate of the corpse worms; he took advantage of the chaos to hide in an office building. The outcome was already decided; he had lost the moment the monster's attack succeeded. Now, he could only escape, only flee…!
A familiar sound of wind came from behind, and the walls and windows shattered with a crash. Six corpse worms, stacked in a row, crashed into the building and were impaled on the wall in front of Wu He by the Qingkun Spear. A bone-white iron chain was threaded through the handle of the Qingkun Spear. Qingxia threw it like a javelin and retrieved it with ease using the chain.

Wu He stood frozen, hearing footsteps approaching from behind.

Without giving her enemy a chance to speak, Qingxia charged forward, thrusting her spear out once more. The impact sent Wu He flying, shattering him into pieces!

Black blood dripped pitifully, a nearly ruptured, rotting heart encased in fragments of flesh, a lone head rolling on the ground, its eyes fixed on its own heart. Wu He saw the banshee cease her charge and gracefully turn away. He felt a deep tremor from the earth, as if something was about to burst forth. But before these external changes, unrelated to him, he first felt a profound sense of bewilderment within himself.

The other person was holding his weapon.

The Heart Sword has been taken away.

The power he had painstakingly cultivated no longer belonged to him.

Only then did he finally grasp reality. Faced with this incredibly cruel truth, the other, seemingly insignificant facts that had been deliberately ignored began to surface. Those fragile moments of steadfastness. Those subtle expressions of pride. Those unwillingly acknowledged feelings of pride. All of them surged into his heart…

As the Heart Sword broke, it shattered at the same time.

In fact, he was very proud of his martial arts training.

Deep down, he still considers himself a martial arts practitioner.

Noble above the mediocre. Pure above the heretics. A talent unique to this family, a future universally acknowledged...

When did the changes begin?

Is it time to try to prove this on ordinary people?

Is this the time to reach into the forbidden in order to achieve advancement?

Is this the time to exchange status and wealth for killing?

Is it time to ignore pleas and cries and take away the "treasure"?

Unfathomable, countless. By the time he came to his senses, things had progressed to this point; even the monster wielding the gun seemed more like a martial arts practitioner than he had. In a daze, he heard the echoes of their past arguments, the young cultivator questioning the old man.

Master, I have already surpassed many of my fellow disciples, how can you impart secret teachings to me?

—It's not the right time yet.

But the Hunren who entered the mountain eight years after me have already begun to learn sword forging. All my fellow disciples believe that my talent is no less than theirs. Why haven't I even been taught the Qi Armor of the Palace?

--well.

Your differential treatment is unfair!

—Wu He, you fool! You're so eager for quick success and instant benefits, so self-righteous. You cultivate talismans but not martial arts, you seek techniques but not the mind. What use is it to pass on the secret teachings to you? You lack even the basic state of mind. Even if you learn them, you'll just become another martial arts parasite!

Then you don't need to teach me. I, Wu He, disdain such pretentious martial arts training! I won't do it!!

Was it from that time onward? Had the wrong choice been made long before even engaging with Darkmoon?

I took the wrong turn. There's no going back.

Since that's the case, let's just go all the way and continue down this wrong path!
"--Come!"

A frenzied cry erupted from his parched mouth, his decaying heart pounded violently, and vibrant black blood reformed the flesh into a human form. When the demoness turned around, Wu He had already completed the reformation, a pure black talisman between his fingers.

Two days ago, at dawn, Wu He made his final prayer, beseeching a distant and great being to grant him power to complete three talismans. One was the Blood-Sealing Talisman to imprison Chu Hengkong, another was the Gu Hand-Connecting Talisman to reactivate the pirate corpse gu, and the last was a trump card he hadn't planned to use—an unorthodox talisman he would only employ when all other options were exhausted.

"Open the talisman, offer blood as a sacrifice to the moon!!!"

Corrupted black blood surged into the talisman, carrying with it the spirit cultivated through martial arts that they would never have willingly given up. The talisman's color turned crimson, except for the crescent moon above, which remained as black as ever. Wu He used his own blood to construct an array, affixing the talisman to his heart. The pulsating sound of his heart was amplified by the talisman, spreading throughout the entire city, faintly resembling thunder.

Qingxia immediately recognized the talisman's purpose. A useless talisman for praying to elders for power; to be effective, it required a ritual, at least chanting. She hurled her spear, its tip whistling forward with the help of gravity, about to pierce Wu He's skull. But the spear tip struck transparent ice, and magical ice crystals burst forth, forming an ice wall between the two!
The wall originated from a longsword of the same color, held by a blue-armored knight who emerged from the ground. Then, a yellow-armored knight summoned boulders, and a red-armored knight summoned flames. The three knights each took a side, and the three different elements merged and enhanced under precise control, forming a composite magic array to seal the demons.

Discipline Seal: The Array of the Holy Trinity!

Qingxia frowned her delicate brows. The three knights' sealing array had just sealed her off, but it didn't interfere with Wu He's actions. Was it just a simple coincidence? Why at this particular moment? Her long ears twitched, and with her keen hearing, she caught the distant cry of the Eye Demon.

"Misfortune...a chain of misfortunes...!"

Even the slightest sense of unease that Qingxia could only vaguely perceive was, in Vande's eyes, a tangible chain. That chain tightly bound the Shadow Knights, guiding their actions like puppets. The faces of those afflicted by this misfortune were reflected in the iron chains!

"As expected, that demon..." Qingxia gently tapped her forehead, not only because of the sudden change, but also because of the series of consequences that would follow. "This is going to be a bit troublesome..."

She clenched her fist, gathering her strength, preparing to break through the blockade. On the opposite side of the Holy Trinity Formation, Wu He had already seized the opportunity to raise his hands. His luck had turned around, and he shouted loudly towards the moonless sky.

"The protector of the original dream, the guardian of the forgotten cradle, the generous and benevolent benefactor!"

"Bless this land of darkness, and deliver your kin with your love!"

Wu He did not invoke the First Abyss; not yet fully transformed into a Fallen One, he was not qualified to pray to the Black Moon. His prayers were directed to that benevolent old man, who would satisfy all thirsts and respond to all desires—that benevolent god, as generous as a father!

Do you really think so?
The old man's low laughter mingled with the sounds of his heart.

"Child, ask yourself honestly. Do you love me? Do you respect me? Do you consider me your family, your elder, your father?" "Of course, old man!" Wu He cried out hoarsely, "I respect you more than anyone else! I consider you the only god worthy of serving in this world!!"

Young people, why lie to the elderly?
You see me nothing more than a dirty money bag, a convenient tool, summoned at will and dismissed at will. You despise the filth on the surface of this money bag, trying every means to distance yourself from me. Yet, when you're desperate, your first thought is still of your elders.

"I've truly reformed!" Wu He shouted. "I'm quitting martial arts! I'm quitting!!!"

He heard the old man's meaningful laughter, which carried affection, pity, and some other meaning that he couldn't quite decipher.

My child, I will fulfill your wish.

After all, I will always love you.

A curved line streaked across the sky. It was as if someone "outside" had gently poked at it with their finger, the fingernail leaving an arc-shaped hole. Within the hole was a black crescent moon, its black surface writhing and falling, forming a foul-smelling rain over the city. Messengers from other paths descended from the moonlight, crowding around Wu He.

Among them were the Moon Beasts that had appeared in Huilong City, the Hand of Pampering with a lotus-shaped palm, the Cradle Mud resembling oil, and many more twisted creatures that Ji Huaisu had never seen before: the Calling Skull, shaped like multiple human heads strung together; the Sticky Palm of Friendship with features on the back of its hand; and the Loyal Guardian, composed of multiple eyeballs. They all touched Wu He together, as gently as if visiting a seriously ill relative, offering their own flesh and blood to this unfortunate kin without regard for the cost.

Above the dark moon, there is another enormous, filthy blood writhing. It will penetrate the moon's projection and reach the actual Dust Island. That is the "Blood of the Moon," whose strength far exceeds that of a regular point 3. It is the strongest moon beast that a low-point being can command!

A terrifying roar erupted from the Holy Trinity Formation, and in the blink of an eye, the monster was about to break free. But Wu He no longer cared; he smiled with delight, feeling the immense power supplied by his "blood relatives." The life force of a young dragon, which he could not obtain even after ten years of arduous cultivation in the mountains, was in his hands in an instant thanks to the old man's blessing.

He was no longer a martial artist; the red blood in his body had turned pitch black, and his body had unnaturally swelled and deformed. His face was sunken into his surging muscles, making him unrecognizable as human. But Wu He shouted with wild joy, he didn't care anymore, he didn't care at all now. Because he could live, whether he was a martial artist or not didn't matter anymore!

But suddenly the physical changes stopped, the blood turned red again, the decaying heart regained its life, and the reinforcements from the heretics were reversed by a strange force. All eyes turned to Wu He's back, and Wu He himself turned around in a daze, seeing the radiant talisman.

Nagarjuna's Separation from Defilement.

A talisman that harmonizes Qi and blood, maintains balance, and transforms external foreign substances into one's own power. He painstakingly obtained this talisman to distinguish himself from heretics. Perfected by his own hands, the talisman suppresses and dissipates the power originating from heretics, transforming it into his own Qi and blood.

A deep fear clouded Wu He's eyes, and the moon beasts' gazes shifted, becoming indifferent rather than warm. They no longer approached Wu He, nor did they demand the flesh and blood they had given him; they simply turned away in silence.

Far from this "outsider" who called them from afar and showed them no respect whatsoever.

This was precisely what Wu He himself had longed for not long ago—to break free from the influence of the Black Moon and completely sever ties with the heretics. Now he has returned to his human form, using dramatic methods he himself had never anticipated.

His wish came true. He became a pure martial arts practitioner from Dragon Village!

"Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream escaped the man's lips, a sound so agonizing it shouldn't exist in the world, filled with hatred and blame, yet its source remained elusive. The Holy Trinity Formation shattered at that moment. Qingxia gazed down upon the martial cultivator's horrific state, saying nothing.

"It's your...fault!!" Wu He cried out in tears of blood, "It's you! You ruined my chance to become a martial artist! You made me lose everyone!! If it weren't for you!! If it weren't for you!!"

Qingxia listened quietly, looking down at the desperate man, listening to his frantic cries. Wu He threw a series of spirited daggers, the transparent blades grazing past her; they weren't even attacks, just the man's powerless venting... venting his anger...

A mournful cry, sharp as a blade.

"Give me back my Heart Sword! You monster!"

"Okay," she said. "Here you go."

Xiaolong Qingkun Spear thrust out horizontally, piercing Wu He's heart. He staggered back two steps, blankly clutching his Heart Sword, as if he hadn't yet awakened from a dream. As he fell, he gazed at the moon in the sky, casting his deepest hatred upon the old man.

There's something I've been hesitant to tell you.

He heard the old man's voice.

—The reason you were able to steal the dragon bone when you fled the mountain is because it was a material your master had specially obtained for you to forge a sword.

Whether in the mountains or under the moon, someone will love you.

"..."

Wu He said nothing.

He gazed up at the sky blessed by the black moon, and transformed into a cold corpse.

Qingxia carefully observed the man's expression until he died. She actually had a lot to say. She wanted to say that this man was truly spineless, that he had disgraced the righteous path, that it was unreasonable for their counterattack to fail because of such a person, and that so many people had indirectly died at the hands of such a person.

But she didn't say those words in the end, because Wu He had lost. Victory and defeat, life and death, were all that mattered; no further words were needed. She picked up the weapon that had once belonged to Wu Xiu, thinking that humans also had this side—neither beautiful nor powerful, but revealing a dirty truth.

"I don't want to become that kind of person..."

She stretched her shoulders, slung the spear behind her back, and pondered her next task. Just then, Chu Hengkong emerged from the ruins with his head down. Qingxia's eyes lit up, and she waved to him.

"Oh! Chu Hengkong, you're still here. Sorry for coming so late, I also have things to do. The situation isn't very good right now, I suggest you..."

"Heroine, you must retreat immediately!" Van der screamed. "Retreat!"

Qingxia blinked and saw several bloody holes in Chu Hengkong's upper body. Wu He's dying flying knife had accidentally injured him, and the injury had shattered the martial artist's last will.

Where she couldn't see, an iron chain wrapped around the assassin's ankle.

An unfortunate chain reaction.

"...Can I really be that unlucky?"

Chu Hengkong silently looked up, his eyes filled with blood-red slash marks.

A bloody gash appeared on her cheek, and in an instant, the assassin was within an inch of her, his right hand forming a knife as he thrust it straight into Qingxia's abdomen.

At this crucial moment, he went berserk!

(End of this chapter)