Chapter 787 – The Light Goes Out
Jin Gui was killed by a single finger from Mo Hua.
The few remaining demon cultivators around were horrified. They scattered in panic, but none of them managed to escape the clutches of Sword-Bone Head, who swiftly caught up to them and cut them down one by one with his bone swords.
After the demon cultivators died, quite a bit of evil intent remained.
Sword-Bone Head stared hungrily—but in front of Mo Hua, he didn't dare move a muscle, trying his best to look like a "well-behaved" citizen.
After all, devouring demonic remnants wasn't exactly what a "proper" evil creature ought to be doing.
Mo Hua glanced at him and said:
"Eat."
"N-no," Sword-Bone Head shook his head rapidly, "those who walk with virtue become virtuous, those who dwell in darkness fall to evil. Since I'm following you now, I swear to walk the righteous path and never again touch demonic energy or evil intent."
Mo Hua's expression turned slightly strange. He frowned.
"I said eat. Where's all this nonsense coming from?"
"I..."
Sword-Bone Head hesitated.
He wasn't sure if Mo Hua really wanted him to eat—or if this was a "test," to see if he could resist temptation and remain unswayed by the allure of evil.
Sometimes, discerning a superior's "true intent" was... very difficult.
Unable to decide, Sword-Bone Head snuck a glance at Mo Hua. Seeing that Mo Hua was already looking a bit impatient, he panicked and quickly said:
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, young master, for the reward! I'll carry out your command!"
Translation: This isn't me being greedy—this is me following your orders. Don't suddenly change your mind and blame me later, alright?
Without further hesitation, Sword-Bone Head began to devour the lingering demonic remnants around them, bit by bit.
At first, he was a little restrained. After every bite, he'd sneak a look at Mo Hua—if Mo Hua's expression showed even a hint of displeasure, he would immediately stop.
But after a while, he realized Mo Hua didn't seem to care at all whether he ate or not.
Relieved, he let go of his reservations—and immediately felt ravenous.
Since transforming into a "Sword Demon," he hadn't consumed any soul energy or willpower. Now, with such an abundant feast of demon essence laid out before him, it all felt irresistibly delicious.
Sword-Bone Head began to gorge himself.
Mo Hua truly didn't care.
These lingering evil thoughts were beneath his interest.
Besides, though the demon cultivators were essentially "half-demons," they still retained human appearance—Mo Hua had no "appetite" for that.
He walked over to the nearby coffins.
The three pitch-black coffins were carved with demonic patterns—cold and eerie. They looked exactly the same as the sacrificial coffins that had once trapped Xiao Mutou and the others.
Sure enough, formations were inscribed on the coffins.
Mo Hua casually drew a line with his finger, breaking the formations, and lifted the lids.
Linghu Xiao, Ouyang Mu, and Song Jian were all inside.
Their faces were pale, eyes closed, unconscious.
Mo Hua scanned them with his spiritual sense. Their divine souls were pure—free of demonic influence.
They were just a bit weak, likely because it was their first time experiencing soul separation. Nothing serious.
Mo Hua nodded slightly, finally at ease.
Meanwhile, Sword-Bone Head had just finished scarfing down all the evil remnants.
The injuries he'd sustained from Mo Hua's earlier "abuse" were beginning to heal.
At the same time, the demonic energy coiling around his bones grew denser. His aura was steadily rising.
A crimson, sinister glow lit up in his eyes.
He could feel his cultivation surging—an intense desire to rip, devour, and dominate welled up in him.
The arrogant aura of a true demon... was beginning to take shape.
Sword-Bone Head glanced at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua also glanced at him—calm and expressionless.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. All of Sword-Bone Head's swelling pride instantly deflated.
He hunched over awkwardly and muttered:
"Young master... I'm... I'm done eating..."
"Mm." Mo Hua nodded. Then pointed to Linghu Xiao and the others:
"Carry them. We're going back."
At the mention of "going back," Sword-Bone Head nodded immediately:
"Yes! Yes!"
He'd just devoured a banquet of evil essence and gotten a huge benefit—it was a great harvest.
Now that the people were rescued, and he could leave this dangerous Demon Refining Diagram alive—what could be better?
No danger, big gains.
Sword-Bone Head was ecstatic.
Even the "Plague God" himself—Mo Hua—seemed cute and lovable now in his eyes.
The towering skeletal figure of Sword-Bone Head hoisted Ouyang Mu and the others onto his back, following Mo Hua as they retraced their steps, leaving the valley, passing through the white-bone corridor, crossing the divine chain—finally returning to the blood pool.
The whole journey went smoothly.
Sword-Bone Head breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally home...
But just as he laid Linghu Xiao and the others down, he heard Mo Hua say:
"Come back with me one more time."
"Back... again?"
Sword-Bone Head froze.
"Didn't we already rescue them? Why go back?"
Mo Hua gave him a calm glance.
"They're rescued, yes. But now the real business begins."
The real business... hasn't even started.
Sword-Bone Head was stunned.
What does this little ancestor want to do...?!
He wanted to ask—but didn't dare.
He wanted to refuse—but didn't dare.
He didn't want to seem... disrespectful.
So he could only bow his head and say:
"Yes."
The three young cultivators remained unconscious.
Mo Hua confirmed their souls were fine, then temporarily left them in the blood pool, inscribing divine patterns around them.
These Divine Dao formations served both to seal and protect.
Once everything was set, Mo Hua stepped once more onto the divine chain and reentered the Demon Refining Diagram.
Sword-Bone Head hesitated for a moment—then gritted his teeth and followed.
The scene inside was the same as before.
But this time, Mo Hua had no more concerns. His actions became swift and unhindered.
"Let's see where exactly the demons in this diagram are hiding…"
Mo Hua's eyes flickered, stepping toward the depths of the Demon Refining Diagram.
"My divine sense has been stuck for far too long."
"This time, I have to break through…"
Meanwhile, at the exact moment Jin Gui's soul was obliterated by Mo Hua's finger—
Deep within Ten Thousand Demon Valley, inside a certain grand hall…
A cold wind passed across an altar.
The lamp placed before Jin Gui's physical body—snuffed out instantly.
The dozen or so demon officials bustling about in the hall suddenly froze, falling completely silent. Their expressions were dazed.
"What happened? The lamp... went out?"
"How could it go out?"
"The saying goes, 'When a person dies, their lamp goes out.' His soul... is already gone?!"
Some of the officials sneered coldly.
One demon official said mockingly:
"What a waste!"
"Young master gave him such a simple task, and he still managed to screw it up—and even got himself killed!"
"All the demons in the diagram are sealed. None of them can come out. All he had to do was deliver three souls... and he failed?"
"How exactly did that idiot die?"
Another demon laughed:
"Don't tell me he slipped and fell off a cliff…"
Laughter echoed through the hall.
But at the center of the room, behind a beaded curtain, sat a young noble with a handsome figure, though his face was obscured.
He was calmly reviewing the archives of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley.
Upon hearing the conversation, the young lord's brow twitched. His expression turned cold.
The officials around him instantly sensed the shift in atmosphere. The laughter died abruptly.
After a moment of silence, an elderly steward spoke up:
"Young Master, I fear something is amiss…"
"Jin Gui may have been incompetent, but he still bore the Four Symbols Mystic Tiger Demon Mark. Without an ambush by powerful demon spirits, there's no way he could've died so easily in the Demon Refining Diagram."
The old steward paused briefly, then continued in a solemn tone:
"I'm afraid… the Demon Refining Diagram has been 'invaded' by something."
"Invaded?"
The surrounding demon cultivators looked at each other in confusion.
Jin Yixuan's eyes narrowed as he spoke:
"Young Master, could it be… that 'rat' sneaking around in the dark?"
The young master remained expressionless.
Jin Yixuan explained:
"When those three brats escaped, it was obvious someone was helping them behind the scenes."
"But when we caught them, no one else was in sight—clearly that 'rat' sensed danger and fled beforehand."
"Now he's infiltrated the Demon Refining Diagram again, probably to rescue those three brats."
"That rat…" Jin Yixuan's tone darkened,
"He may be trickier than we thought."
Good at stealth, proficient in Primordial Magnetic Arrays, and even dabbled in Divine Dao techniques—enough to bypass the ritual and project his divine sense directly into the Demon Refining Diagram… He had too many tricks up his sleeve.
The young master's eyes narrowed, his voice icy:
"Find him. Kill him."
Things had gone far enough—he had no more patience.
This rat had interfered too many times. There was no reason to keep him alive any longer.
From the crowd, someone stepped forward confidently:
"Just a lowly rat. I'll light the soul lamp and enter the diagram right now—I'll kill him."
The speaker was a young nobleman with handsome features and a sinister aura—Jin Yicai of the Broken Gold Sect.
Jin Yixuan frowned slightly.
"You?"
Jin Yicai gave a cocky grin:
"Cousin, don't worry. I'm not like that trash Jin Gui—I won't die some inexplicable death like he did."
Jin Yixuan didn't look convinced.
In his eyes, Jin Yicai was also a good-for-nothing.
But due to his unique status and noble bloodline, if anything happened to him, Jin Yixuan would have a hard time explaining it to the clan elders.
"That rat may not be so easy to handle…" he warned.
Jin Yicai shook his head:
"Cousin, you're overthinking. Only the weak sneak around. If this rat were truly strong, he would've killed us by now—why hide?"
"He's acting like a rat because he is one—he can't face us head-on."
Jin Yixuan thought for a moment, then nodded:
"Take a few stewards with you, just in case."
Jin Yicai hesitated. He wanted to refuse—after all, with his strength, he could easily handle this alone. Bringing others might dilute his credit.
But it was his cousin's instruction—and more importantly, the young master's order—so he couldn't say no.
"Fine, as you wish," Jin Yicai replied.
Jin Yixuan then picked out four stewards to accompany Jin Yicai. Together, they sat at the altar, facing a strange demonic mural, and lit the soul lamps.
Their divine souls were pulled in, entering the Demon Refining Diagram.
When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a sinister valley shrouded in black mist and blood fog.
A crimson stream trickled through heaps of white bones.
They had arrived at the Demon Refining Valley within the diagram.
Following the sacrificial path, the group moved deeper into the valley, searching for clues along the way.
Before long, they found the place where Jin Gui had perished.
"There was a fierce battle here…"
"The demonic aura is strong—and mixed with sword qi. The opponent seems to be a 'Sword Demon'."
"There's also another divine sense here, but faint—seems that presence didn't contribute much to the fight. It's far less imposing than the demonic energy…"
Jin Yicai froze slightly.
"Sword Demon?"
Not human, not demon—but a Sword Demon?
Which sword sect raised that?
Puzzled, he looked into the distance and said:
"Pursue them!"
The five demon stewards continued tracking forward.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, they spotted a towering figure ahead—its entire body of white bone shaped into swords, exuding a fearsome demonic presence.
And next to it stood a small figure.
In Jin Yicai's arrogant eyes, he saw only the imposing Sword Demon, completely ignoring Mo Hua.
He stepped forward with a sneer and said coldly:
"You killed Jin Gui?"
Sword-Bone Head was momentarily confused.
Jin Gui? Who the hell is that?
He had no clue.
But outwardly, he remained silent—cold and grim.
Jin Yicai saw this "arrogance" and twitched, snorting coldly:
"Killed a piece of trash and you're feeling proud?"
With Mo Hua beside him, Sword-Bone Head stayed polite and didn't dare utter a word—ignoring the mockery entirely.
Jin Yicai's eyes narrowed.
A puppet?
He looked toward the "small fry" beside the Sword Demon—but because Mo Hua's figure was smaller inside the diagram, Jin Yicai didn't recognize him and ignored him again.
"Jin Gui was trash, sure—but this Sword Demon doesn't seem entirely useless. Either way, I'll probe him first..."
Without further words, Jin Yicai released his sword qi and charged at Sword-Bone Head.
Sword-Bone Head sighed internally.
Why are these people so eager to die…
And if you must die, at least pick the right person.
You go and pick a fight with that little guy next to me, you'll die instantly. What're you doing bothering with this decorative skeleton…
Still, the enemy had already attacked. Sword-Bone Head couldn't just stand still.
He summoned his White Bone Demon Sword and clashed with Jin Yicai.
But unsure of Mo Hua's intentions, he didn't go all-out—deliberately holding back.
For a moment, the two sides were evenly matched.
Jin Yicai was slightly surprised:
"This Sword Demon really does have some skill. No wonder Jin Gui died…"
After a few more rounds, just as the outcome was still uncertain—a flash of golden light suddenly streaked past!
Jin Yicai's heart clenched.
Sensing something was wrong, he swept Sword-Bone Head aside with one strike and turned to look behind him.
What he saw froze his soul.
The four stewards who had been standing behind him, sneering and spectating—had all been shredded into pieces by some unknown force!
What just happened?!
Jin Yicai's pupils constricted in horror.
And at that moment, a crisp but clearly unamused voice rang out:
"Sword-Bone Head!"
"Yes, young master!"
"Yes!"
Sword-Bone Head quickly responded.
He knew—this little ancestor was out of patience. He didn't want to waste another second on these small fry.
Sword-Bone Head no longer held back. Twin demonic flames flared in his eyes, and the white bone longsword in his hand suddenly expanded—then slashed down fiercely!
Jin Yicai couldn't block it at all. His shoulder was instantly torn open by a deep gash.
Only now did he realize—his Broken Gold Sword Technique was utterly worthless before this Sword Demon.
"Not good!"
He roared as the demon tattoo on his back lit up, demonic energy beginning to surge.
It was a dog rune.
Sword-Bone Head sneered and, without hesitation, reversed his grip and stabbed Jin Yicai directly in the chest, pinning him to the ground.
"A dog rune? Then don't go pretending you're some big bad wolf."
Jin Yicai's face turned pale.
No… Why is a divine sense battle so different from what I imagined?
Why is this Sword Demon… so terrifyingly strong?
And the four stewards… what happened to them?!
While he was still frozen in fear, a crisp, somewhat annoyed voice sounded beside him:
"In the Ten-Thousand Demon Valley, you raise countless demon spirits—where are you hiding them all? Why can't I find them?"
Jin Yicai glanced again at the small figure beside the Sword Demon. Though the boy was now smaller, his face looked oddly familiar…
Suddenly, realization struck.
"You… you're—!"
Jin Yicai was so shocked he couldn't even finish the sentence.
Mo Hua shook his head.
"Forget it. I'll find them myself."
"Sword-Bone Head, eat him."
Eat?!
Jin Yicai's eyes widened in horror. He didn't even have time to scream before death came for him.
The last thing reflected in his pupils was a hideous white bone sword—and a pair of cold, hollow skeletal eyes.
Sword-Bone Head cleaved Jin Yicai in two with a single strike, shook his head, and muttered inwardly:
"The cultivation world is perilous. The divine path is even crueler. This young master type really isn't cut out for it…"
Even he, a proud Sword Demon, had to tread carefully—let alone this arrogant idiot who didn't know a thing.
The moment Jin Yicai died…
In the Ten-Thousand Demon Valley's grand hall, all five soul lamps extinguished simultaneously.
The surrounding demon cultivators fell silent.
Even the young master behind the screen and beaded curtain narrowed his pupils.
Something… wasn't right.
Jin Yixuan's brows were deeply furrowed. He hadn't expected this outcome.
He had always known his cousin was trash—he hadn't expected much from him.
But the four stewards who went with him? They were seasoned experts with combat experience in divine sense battles.
Yet their soul lamps had gone out all at once.
Which meant—these four were slain simultaneously by something.
Jin Yixuan's heart sank.
Maybe this wasn't a "rat" sneaking into the Demon Refining Diagram…
Maybe it was a man-eating tiger.
And worse—if this tiger only came to rescue someone, it could've left after killing Jin Gui.
But it didn't.
It stayed, and even slaughtered Jin Yicai and the backup team.
Heavy killing intent. Cruel temperament. Clearly—it had big plans.
After all, there were great secrets hidden inside the Demon Refining Diagram…
Jin Yixuan's expression turned grave. He cupped his hands toward the figure behind the screen:
"Young Master, regardless of whether the intruder is human, demon, or devil—it must be eliminated quickly!"
The young master remained cold and said nothing.
Jin Yixuan thought for a moment and added:
"The worst mistake in warfare is to fight in scattered waves. Entering one batch at a time only allows us to be picked off individually."
"I propose we attack together—with overwhelming force—surround and kill this intruder in one strike. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous!"
The young master pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded:
"That… may be our only option."
Jin Yixuan bowed and turned to the others:
"Everyone, light your soul lamps. Enter the diagram with me. Slay the intruder!"
"Yes, Commander!"
"At once!"
Over a dozen stewards cupped their hands in response.
Following custom, each of them lit a soul lamp, sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and entered the Demon Refining Diagram with their divine sense.
Their expressions were grim—they knew this was serious.
What they didn't know… was how serious.
Once the demon cultivators entered the diagram, the great hall fell into eerie silence.
Only the thin wisps of smoke from the extinguished soul lamps curled upward…
And the remaining lamps—still flickering faintly.
Behind the screen, the young master continued his task.
With the Ten-Thousand Demon Valley destroyed, time was tight. Many things needed to be moved out quickly to avoid future trouble.
"In great matters, one must remain calm."
That was the elder's teaching.
The more critical the moment, the more one must stay composed. Only then could one be truly fit to do great things.
He planned to take the Qianxue Prefecture, use the Four Great Sects as stepping stones, and one day ascend to the highest ranks of the Dao Court—ruling over the fates of countless cultivators.
Gradually, the young master's mood calmed.
He meticulously organized scrolls, formation drafts, pills, evil tools, and other resources—preparing to pack them into a storage ring.
Focused and methodical.
He didn't know how long had passed… or maybe it hadn't been long at all…
Suddenly—a cold wind swept through the hall.
The young master stiffened, fingers trembling as a chill crawled up his spine.
After a moment, he slowly looked up. His once-clear gaze now trembled violently.
Inside the great hall— Every single soul lamp… had gone out.
(End of this Chapter)