Chapter 184 - 4.49 The Demon Is...
Through the growing crack, everyone could get a glimpse of pitch black sky and gigantic bloody moon that was contrasting to the dusty blue sky in the background. Rapidly, the light was swallowed by the spreading darkness as if someone had just pulled the curtain shut and the entire space was only illuminated by the barest crimson light from the moon. Creatures similar to crows flew around, except they were bare of feathers and their wings had a sharp tip to it, deadly enough to kill. Their long beaks opened up but instead of cawing, what came out of their mouths were the wails of resentful ghosts, its sound was eerie and mournful, reverberating through the air like a cacophony of hell’s symphony.
The cultivators were frozen in shock, petrified. "W—What is this?"
"The demonic realm...?"
There were sharp inhalations of breath. "Goodness, did Jingxue-Jun do this...? Had he just opened the gate to the demonic realm?!"
"Does he want to kill everyone?!"
The hushed and panicked murmurs ceased abruptly as soon as a dark shadow approached from deep within the night. Everyone subconsciously held their breath as if they could hide better this way, eyes wide open in shock, unable to look away as a figure stepped through and fully revealed themselves. It... It was a demon, a real demon. Glowing crimson eyes and dilated slits, blunt horns above his head, rows of jagged fangs from the space of his parted lips... No one could have mistaken it.
It was a real, genuine demon.
The air seemed to go stale with the arrival of the creature, hush grass withered in his presence. His every step oozed with power and confidence. There was a stagnant pause before a muted scream reverberated through the air. The cultivators snapped out of their reveries at the terrified screech and put on a defensive stance, swords turning from Lu Yizhou toward the demon out of instinct. Despite their bravado appearance, it was ironic how no one dared to talk, for fear that the demon’s attention would turn to them.
The demon maneuvered through the crack that was too small to accomodate his towering figure and landed on the ground with a soundless thump. He didn’t seem to realize the presence of dozens of cultivators whose swords were pointing at him because from the start, his attention had been wholly focused on Heimo, who was pale with shock and openly gawking at him.
"U—Uncle Luqiu...?" Heimo inquired, breathless. The rims of his eyes reddened as he took in the appearance of the demon. It was completely different from the man in his memory, yet some aspects remained the same. His brisk and steady footsteps, the way his eyebrows rose when he smiled and Heimo only needed the demon to tilt his head with a remorseful look for him to be convinced that this was the same man who had raised him up and taught him everything he knew. "How... Why..."
Too many questions swiveled in Heimo’s mind. Uncle Luqiu was a demon? Since when? How? He didn’t die? All these times, he had been alive and well in the demonic realm? What exactly happened three years ago?!