Chapter 1168: This Is Where It Ends
Aside from the legendary daylight fireworks, the demon clansmen were more concerned about the divine carriage and that small cart.
Thinking that inside the carriage were the Human Race's Pope and Saintess, even as the defeated side, they couldn't help but feel some curiosity and excitement. In the Demon Domain's Snow Plains, Chen Changsheng was quite famous, while Xu Yourong had become even more renowned due to the Demon Lord's fervent confession. But who was in that small cart? The people were very puzzled—how could any human be ranked ahead of the Pope and Saintess? As speculation gradually spread, the populace finally learned that it was the Human Emperor and the Pope's teacher, named Shang Xingzhou, said to be a figure as famous as Wang Zhice.
Shang Xingzhou paid no heed to the curious gazes cast from both sides of the street. His eyes fell on the buildings lining the road, also filled with curiosity.
He had been beneath Snow Old City before and had read countless related records, but this was his first time entering this city.
To him, this demon capital was both unfamiliar and familiar, filled with a intoxicating sense of unreality.
Just like those buildings—truly beautiful, yet utterly illogical.
What did those towering spires symbolize?
Why did the windows, inlaid with blue glass like the ocean, welcoming the brightest sunlight, still feel so gloomy, as if they were the true underworld?
The most magnificent building appeared before everyone's eyes. Even in the pitch-black, starless night, it was still so striking, like a true mountain.
That was the Demon Palace.
The main gate of the Demon Palace, over ten zhang high, had already cracked, with faint blue flames flickering at the edges, likely related to the materials.
The small cart stopped outside the Demon Palace, not entering, and so the entire procession halted.
Time passed slowly. The small cart remained motionless, and no sound came from within.
Countless gazes fell upon the small cart.
Old Master Tang walked over to the small cart.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong also approached the small cart.
Old Master Tang, separated by the green curtain on the window, asked, "Going in?"
The green curtain was lifted, revealing Shang Xingzhou's face.
He said, "Is it about enough?"
Old Master Tang looked at Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, then nodded.
They had started entering the city in the morning and only now reached the Demon Palace. Besides the reasons mentioned earlier, the most important cause was that he had ordered the entire procession to take a long detour through Snow Old City, making sure to pass through all the famous districts and see all the renowned buildings.
"It's about enough."
Old Master Tang said.
"Then this is where I'll stop looking."
Shang Xingzhou let out a satisfied sigh, then closed his eyes.
Silence fell before the Demon Palace. The sounds of battle in the distance and the light of fireworks illuminating the night sky clearly reached this place.
No one knew how much time passed before Old Master Tang stepped forward and lowered the curtain.
Chen Changsheng walked to the front of the cart and lifted out the little Daoist boy.
The little boy knew who he was and wasn't afraid; he held onto Chen Changsheng tightly.
Chen Changsheng noticed that the little boy's sleeves were tied very tightly, and there were still some bloodstains on his face. He knew these were left from treating the soldiers these past days.
"You have an uncle whose sleeves are cut very short. That's very convenient. I'll make you some later."
The little boy nodded and said, "Okay."
Xu Yourong stepped forward and took him from Chen Changsheng's arms.
The little boy had never seen Xu Yourong before, but he still behaved very obediently.
Chen Changsheng walked toward the Demon Palace.
Xu Yourong followed behind, holding the little boy.
The little boy looked back at the cart and finally couldn't help but cry, "Has the old ancestor died?"
Chen Changsheng said nothing and didn't turn back.
Old Master Tang, hands behind his back, followed.
Wang Po arrived, ready to pull the small cart into the Demon Palace.
"Let me do it."
Xiao Zhang took over the task.
Everyone knew that the most suitable person for this job was Chen Changsheng, but they also knew why he refused to stop.
...
...
The sounds of slaughter within the Demon Palace gradually ceased. Flames erupted in some halls but were quickly extinguished. Even in occupation, everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
Just like Chen Changsheng's footsteps—steady, with a clear rhythm, neither hurried nor slow.
But he couldn't clearly see the appearance of the halls in the Demon Palace.
Those halls were built from very rare black marble, exuding an incomparable grandeur. Moreover, each hall had a different style, a different color. This technique, common in Snow Old City's paintings, applied to architecture, was truly astonishing, possessing an intensely rich beauty.
But to him, they were just blurry patches of color.
Deep within the Demon Palace lay a vast sunflower field, covering an immense area, looking like a yellow ocean. On this cold autumn night, it still gave off an extremely passionate feeling.
The group crossed the sunflower sea, heading deeper. They felt the warmth around them gradually turn cold, while an evil, chilling power, like the night itself, grew stronger.
The Daoist Canon recorded that this power was the aura of the Abyss, one of the sources of demonic strength.
The Demon Hall stood at the edge of the Abyss; it seemed they were truly not far now.
The yellow sunflowers parted like a tide, revealing a pitch-black, towering hall before everyone's eyes.
Ascending a stone staircase several li long, they entered the Demon Hall.
Only then did Chen Changsheng's vision stop blurring, though it was still somewhat red.
The space inside the Demon Hall was enormous, supported by no stone pillars, all built from black boulders. At intervals, there were paintings—some of figures, some of landscapes, some of flowers and objects, or just simple brushstrokes—as if hiding much wisdom within.
From the Demon Palace's main gate onward, they had encountered no demons, and there were none here either, making it exceptionally desolate.
Suddenly, a faint green light appeared before everyone's eyes, shooting straight at Chen Changsheng's brow.
Even from a distance, they could feel the intense poison on it.
Chen Changsheng was familiar with this green light—it was Nanke's Peacock Feather.
Xu Yourong was saying something to the little boy in her arms, not looking up.
A short sword shot through the air, accurately striking that green light.
Just as Chen Changsheng prepared to meet Nanke's next bizarre attack, the green light vanished into the air.
Then, a series of dense impacts echoed from above the Demon Hall, followed by snowflakes drifting down.
With a loud crash, two figures slammed heavily onto the ground. Even the hard black rock was cracked in several places.
As the dust gradually cleared, a girl in black had subdued Nanke.
"Why have you become so much weaker?"
The girl in black looked at Nanke, puzzled.
Chen Changsheng looked at Nanke's pale face, also somewhat surprised, wondering what she had endured in these days since returning to Snow Old City.
"I really regret not killing you the moment I saw you in the Garden of Zhou."
Nanke ignored the girl in black, staring at Chen Changsheng's face, speaking with boundless hatred.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment, didn't respond, and continued deeper into the Demon Hall.
Nanke watched his retreating back and shouted with a tone of despair, "Do you have to see us all dead before you're satisfied?"
"No, I just want you to surrender."
Chen Changsheng looked at the small cart, was silent for a moment, and repeated, "Surrender."
...
...
(Today, the "Ze Tian Ji" TV drama starts airing on Hunan TV, and it has also reached this point. I feel a bit emotional. When I was a child, watching Ikkyu-san, every time I heard "This is where it ends, this is where it ends," I didn't know why, but it made me very sad. When I wrote "Joy of Life," writing about that song from Ikkyu-san, I was also very heartbroken. I wish everyone happiness. Shang Xingzhou, may you live for eternity.)
(37 Chinese)