Chapter 12: A Demon Born from Corpses

“If you can form a contract with it, it will greatly benefit your mission.”

Only after Su Ziye had left Shadowchaser’s territory did Xing Xi’s calm voice drift through the void.

“If I use Shadowchaser’s power to kill a Heavenly Realm demon beast, can that still count as my achievement?” Su Ziye asked in return.

Xing Xi was silent for a moment before answering, “Yes.”

“I remember that everyone you helped ended up being killed by you,” Su Ziye said mildly.

“Because that was not their own power. If you enter into a contract with Shadowchaser, then its power will become part of you, just as the Annihilating Blade is also your power.” Xing Xi explained quietly.

“Tch!” Su Ziye turned his head. “Is it still too late for me to go back?”

“You still have time,” Xing Xi replied.

Su Ziye knew that Xing Xi never lied.

She had no concept of lying at all.

Although breaking a promise was shameful, if the reward was sufficient, then there was nothing wrong with breaking one.

With that thought in mind, Su Ziye smiled.

Then he continued walking forward.

“Why?” Xing Xi asked quietly from within the void.

“You seem very eager for me to complete this mission.” Su Ziye spoke with interest. “You haven’t said a single word to me these past few days. Why do you suddenly have so much to say now?”

“Come to think of it, this is the first time you’ve taken the initiative to speak to me.”

“Could it be that you became embarrassed when I called you my little sister?”

“I’ve forgotten,” Xing Xi said calmly. “Even if that really happened, it was an extremely long time ago. I’m curious how you can remember such a trivial matter, but to me, that belongs to another version of myself.”

“And yet you still hope that I’ll complete this mission in the end,” Su Ziye said evenly.

“Yes.” Xing Xi did not deny it.

“Why?” Su Ziye asked.

“I don’t know,” Xing Xi replied calmly.

When she said she did not know, she truly did not know.

“Then can you tell me the secret to success? I know your experience cannot be replicated, but I would still like to put in a little less effort.” Su Ziye asked.

He did not really want to know. He only wanted to speak with her a little longer.

“I cannot offer you any help,” Xing Xi replied. “But you still have time to turn around and go back.”

“I know you’re telling the truth, but I can’t help feeling that you’re deliberately laying a trap for me.” Su Ziye smiled. “So I refuse.”

Xing Xi fell silent at once.

“Don’t be so unhappy. I only wanted to chat with you a little longer,” Su Ziye said.

“Is conversation interesting?” Xing Xi asked.

“I know you rarely have the chance to speak with other people, and you probably don’t find conversation interesting. But I can tell you this: whether conversation is interesting depends on who you’re speaking with. For example, if I’m talking with you, then I’m more than happy to do it.”

When he wanted to be glib, Su Ziye could be extraordinarily glib.

Even though such tactics were completely useless against Xing Xi.

She had fallen silent once more.

Whenever she did not want to answer a question or engage in a conversation, she simply became silent.

After all, silence was an answer capable of dealing with anything.

“I believe I can do it,” Su Ziye said calmly.

This time, he had formally answered Xing Xi’s question.

“I want to know exactly how great the gap is between me as I am now and the person you once were. That is why, even though I could borrow Shadowchaser’s power, I still chose to refuse.”

This time, Xing Xi gave him an answer.

“Very great.”

…

…

Xing Xi had been ordered to monitor and review every one of Su Ziye’s actions over the course of a month, until he either successfully slew a Heavenly Realm demon beast or the month-long deadline expired.

In truth, Xing Xi submitted a detailed report on Su Ziye’s actions every day. Those reports even included every word exchanged between her and Su Ziye.

She did not lie.

Just as, back then, she had clearly chosen to use six Heavenly Realm magic crystals to save the fate of her companions. Yet when her superiors questioned her, she had still chosen to disclose everything truthfully, without withholding a single detail.

She said that she was not worthy of trust, and that from the very beginning, she had never wanted anyone to trust her.

Before long, Su Ziye suffered his third defeat.

In fact, Su Ziye had not been picking and choosing his opponents. He had been advancing all the way toward the heart of the Forest of Dying Radiance, searching for and observing the overlord demon beasts that dwelled there.

For someone like him, who possessed the strength of the Heavenly Realm without actually having reached that realm, nearly the entire Forest of Dying Radiance was open to him. There were also many ways to determine the level of an overlord demon beast. Aside from seeing it with one’s own eyes, the size of its territory, the number of demon beasts within it, and the density of its magical power could all reveal the overlord’s level.

Of course, there was one most fundamental rule.

The closer one drew to the inner heart of the Forest of Dying Radiance, the stronger the demon beasts became.

In other words, the farther Su Ziye advanced, the stronger the demon beasts he encountered would be.

They were becoming increasingly impossible for him to defeat.

And so, in the end, Xing Xi could no longer restrain herself from warning him.

“If you want to complete the mission, you would do well to search for a target near the outskirts.”

It was now the fifteenth day.

Although Su Ziye had not been seriously injured in those three battles, the formidable aspect of a domain lay in its nearly inexhaustible replenishment of power. Those brief encounters at the Heavenly Realm level had therefore had little effect on him.

Moreover, the closer he drew to the heart of the Forest of Dying Radiance, the stronger the demon beasts he encountered became, and the faster Su Ziye advanced.

After all, he could not defeat them. What else could he do besides hurry onward?

“I know,” Su Ziye replied calmly. “I never intended to complete this mission quickly.”

You make it sound as though you could complete it whenever you pleased.

Xing Xi decided to ignore the man.

But she was required to hear every word he said.

Because every word he spoke would ultimately be reported truthfully to the elders of the Dark Star.

“Do you know? The deadline for this mission is one month. That means you’ll be forced to stay by my side for this entire month. I don’t know why those elders of the Dark Star are willing to grant me such a reward, but believe me when I say that I truly hope for your company—and that I hope we can continue accompanying each other like this in the future.”

Xing Xi still did not respond.

She did not know how to respond, and more importantly, she did not want to.

To her, the man’s devotion felt more like a form of mockery.

The little sister he longed for, the one he loved, had died long ago.

She was merely a demon reborn while wearing that girl’s corpse. The more he loved her, the more unforgivable she became.

“Do you know?” Su Ziye suddenly said, without any apparent connection to what came before.

“At the center of the Forest of Dying Radiance, there is a lake.”