I want to tread the heavens

Ling Xiao returned from the Secret Pavilion, his injuries more severe than expected due to the forced use of his vital energy and the backlash from the dark red curse. He vomited several mouthfuls of black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, then fell back into a semi-comatose state of high fever, sometimes unconsciously uttering painful murmurs, sometimes convulsing. Uncle Rong almost exhausted all the medicinal herbs he had on hand and begged Guo Yun overnight to barely keep him alive, but his condition remained critical.

Fa Cai stayed by the bedside without leaving for a moment. Unlike usual, it was no longer playful. Its amber pupils glowed eerily in the darkness, its ears caught the faintest sounds outside the yard, and its entire body was tense at all times, like a silent guardian stone sculpture. It could sense that the aura emanating from its master was weaker, yet also more... "alluring," like a candle flame flickering in a storm, exuding a strange fragrance, attracting unknown predators in the darkness.

As night deepened, thick, dark clouds gathered in the sky, obscuring the two moons. At the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), the first pale lightning bolt tore through the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Large raindrops pelted down, quickly forming a torrential downpour that washed over the parched earth and drowned out many unwanted sounds.

Amidst the clamor of thunder and rain, a distorted, pale gray shadow, almost blending into the rain and shadows, like an intangible ghost, silently glided over the towering wall of the Guo family's inner courtyard, avoiding the sight of several sentries, both visible and hidden, and drifted precisely towards the secluded courtyard on the east side of the outer courtyard.

The rainwater passed through its "body" without any obstruction, as if it were merely a condensed cloud of water vapor. It emitted no spiritual energy fluctuations, had no breath, no heartbeat, only a pure greed for life and a thirst for a certain "mark" burning in its ethereal "consciousness."

Soul Puppet. A reconnaissance and assassination tool cultivated by the demon race's "Guide" Ghost Crow. Formless and intangible, it devours souls, especially those with special bloodlines, unstable souls, or those severely injured and on the verge of death, which have a fatal attraction to it.

The courtyard was in sight. The gray shadow paused for a moment in the shadows outside the courtyard wall, as if "sniffing" out something. Then, like flowing silt, it "flowed" upwards along the damp, mottled wall, easily slipping through the gaps in the window paper and into the house.

Inside the room, only a tiny oil lamp flickered in the draft. Ling Xiao lay on the bed, his breathing weak, his face even paler in the dim light. Fa Cai, perched beside the bed, its ears twitched violently, and it abruptly raised its head, staring intently at the window, a low, menacing growl escaping its throat. Although it couldn't see the soul puppet, its beastly instincts and extreme sensitivity to malice made it instantly bristle!

However, the soul puppet's target was not it. Ignoring Fa Cai's warning, it "floated" straight toward Ling Xiao on the bed. The front of its pale gray form slowly opened, revealing a rotating, pitch-black "mouth" that seemed capable of swallowing light, aiming at Ling Xiao's brow—the location of his soul and spirit, and the source of the subtle fluctuations of the Devouring Heaven Bloodline!

Just as that dark maw was about to touch Ling Xiao's skin—

"laugh--!"

A soft yet sharp whooshing sound, almost drowned out by the thunder and rain! A streak of dark light burst forth from the shadows on the floor beside the bed, striking with unparalleled precision the core of the soul puppet's "mouth organ"! It was a rusty, unremarkable iron nail, infused with a kind of condensed killing intent and blood energy to the extreme. Though it lacked the radiance of spiritual power, it carried a tragic aura forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, purely born for destruction!

The soul puppet let out a silent shriek, clearly not expecting this sudden attack that wasn't driven by spiritual power! It instinctively tried to dodge, but the iron nails were too fast and too cunning, as if they had calculated its trajectory in advance!

"puff!"

The iron nail was deeply embedded in the soul puppet's pale gray body, not piercing through, but rather like being driven into a viscous substance. The soul puppet's form twisted and trembled violently, and its pitch-black "mouthparts" instantly disintegrated, emitting a sizzling sound like cold water dripping into hot oil. A chilling, resentful intent, mixed with countless broken wails, suddenly erupted from the wound, impacting the entire room!

Almost at the same time the nails were shot out, the fortune-bringer beside the bed also moved! It didn't pounce on the soul puppet (because the target was unclear), but instead turned around suddenly and used all its strength to slam into the wooden cabinet on the other side of the room!

"Boom!"

The wooden cabinet was smashed to pieces, revealing a narrow recess behind it, barely big enough for one person to hide in. Inside the recess, Yue Rong crouched like a lurking cheetah, holding a rusty, broken knife. His face was flushed an unnatural red under the oil lamp, and his eyes were bloodshot. Clearly, the attack that had just struck, imbued with his life essence, had taken a heavy toll on his already exhausted body.

He had long anticipated that tonight would not be peaceful! Ling Xiao had revealed too much; the demons would never let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had hidden himself here beforehand, concealing all his aura, turning himself into a stone, waiting for this very moment!

The soul puppet, wounded, let out a silent groan of pain and rage. It suddenly changed direction, ignoring Ling Xiao, and pounced on Uncle Rong like a mad snake! Its pale gray body twisted and split into several tentacle-like gray shadows, carrying a chilling aura that eroded the soul, and coiled towards Uncle Rong.

There was no fear in Uncle Rong's eyes, only a cold, deathly silence. He knew he couldn't hold off this bizarre monster for long, but he had to! He let out a low, beast-like roar, neither dodging nor avoiding, but instead charging towards the gray figures! The broken blade in his hand drew a gruesome arc, unenhanced by spiritual power, relying solely on pure killing skill and a fearless, resolute determination!

"Sizzle!" A gray shadow was struck by the broken blade, making a "sizzle" sound again, but more gray shadows wrapped around him, like maggots clinging to his bones, instantly entangling Uncle Rong's arms and body! The chilling power frantically eroded his flesh and blood, devouring his already weak life force. His face was instantly covered with a layer of deathly gray, and black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

However, he also successfully drew most of the soul puppet's "attention" and "body" to himself! Furthermore, he used his body to block the soul puppet's path towards Ling Xiao's bed!

"Now!" Uncle Rong roared inwardly.

Having been waiting for its chance to make a fortune, its amber pupils suddenly contracted, instantly turning into a cold, silvery-white light! An ancient pressure, even more refined and violent than when it awakened under the moonlight, erupted from its small body! Instead of growing larger, it poured all of its awakened silvery power into its four claws and fangs!

"Awooo—!!"

The sound was no longer a wolf's howl, but rather a short, sharp shriek, more like the prelude to a predatory hunt by some primordial beast! Fa Cai's small body transformed into a silver-gray afterimage, moving so fast that it left a fleeting streak of light in the dim light of the rainy night! It accurately pounced on the spot where the Soul Puppet and Uncle Rong were entangled, on the "wound" where the iron nail had driven in and was still making a "sizzling" sound!

The silver claws, covered in a gleaming silver light, pierced and tore fiercely! The silver light, imbued with the power of moonlight and ancient bloodlines, was like a scorching hot iron, frantically burning and purifying the filthy essence of the soul puppet!

"squeak--!!!"

This time, the Soul Puppet let out a clearly audible, extremely shrill scream! The sound was neither human nor beastly, but filled with endless pain and resentment! Its pale gray form churned and disintegrated violently as if boiling, and the gray shadow tentacles that were wrapped around Uncle Rong broke and dissolved inch by inch!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Uncle Rong broke free, staggered backward, and spat out another mouthful of black blood. His body swayed, and he could barely stand, but he still gripped the broken knife tightly and stood in front of the bed.

The soul puppet was severely injured, its form rapidly becoming thin and transparent, as if it would dissipate into the air at any moment. It "looked" at Uncle Rong, who was barely breathing but had a fierce look in his eyes, then "looked" at Fa Cai, who was standing in front of Ling Xiao again, baring his teeth and growling, his silver eyes cold. Finally, from its disintegrating form, two points of eerie green light (if they could be considered eyes) stared intently at the unconscious Ling Xiao on the bed.

A dry, distorted, eerie voice, as if countless voices were superimposed, resounded directly in the minds of the three people in the room, filled with malice and a declaration:

"Child of the Fallen Star... Seed that Devours the Heavens..."

"The Demon Emperor's gaze... is inescapable... and will inevitably fall upon us..."

"Your flesh, blood, soul... are all His Majesty's supreme sustenance..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the remaining pale gray shadow suddenly shrank inward, transforming into a thin gray thread as fine as a hair. With a "whoosh," it pierced through the roof tiles and disappeared into the raging rain outside. Only a mess remained inside the house, along with a thick, lingering, chilling demonic aura and a faint smell of blood.

Thunder roared, and the rain intensified.

The silver glow on Fa Cai quickly faded, returning it to its dusty gray state. However, it was also greatly exhausted, its limbs were weak, and it lay on the ground panting heavily, yet it still tried its best to raise its head and stare at the hole in the roof.

Uncle Rong leaned against the cold wall, slowly sliding down to the floor, the broken sword clattering from his hand. He coughed violently, each cough bringing up clots of purplish-black blood, his breath barely audible. He glanced at Ling Xiao, still unconscious on the bed but seemingly oblivious to the terrifying battle that had just taken place, then at Fa Cai, loyal to his master and equally wounded. In his bloodshot eyes, the last glimmer of hope was completely extinguished.

The devil has been spotted; the warning has been issued.

We really can't stay here any longer.

He struggled to raise his trembling hand, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. What rekindled in his eyes was not despair, but a calm yet frantic determination, like that of a veteran about to face death.

"Let's go...we have to go..."

He murmured softly, his voice drowned out by the deafening sound of rain outside the window.