If they kept holding back just to protect these villagers, then in the end — the only ones who would die here would be them.
“Boss... are we really not going to fight back?” A younger YaoGuai, dressed in ragged clothes, turned anxiously to their leader, a figure well-respected among their kind. “If we don’t fight back soon, we’ll all be killed by these ordinary humans.”
Hearing this, the old YaoGuai fell silent. He had promised Zhang Nu that they wouldn’t harm the villagers, and yet these very same villagers, now under Black Mist’s control, were attacking them without hesitation. But even so, he refused to break his word.
“They’re innocent,” the old YaoGuai finally said. “They’re being controlled by that monster. Everyone, fall back. Leave this to me.”
The younger YaoGuai stared at him in disbelief. He knew exactly what the old YaoGuai intended to do, and what price that would demand.
“Boss, are you sure about this?” His voice trembled. “These people... they’re just ordinary humans. They’re not worth sacrificing yourself for. If you go through with this, you’ll lose everything — your cultivation, your life.”
But the old YaoGuai merely nodded, his gaze calm and resolute. He had already considered the consequences, and yet he had no regrets.
“For those of us who cultivate, the worst thing we can do is let darkness fill our hearts,” the old YaoGuai said quietly. “As long as we hold onto kindness, we still have a chance of becoming truly powerful. To save these people... even if I lose everything, even if I die— it’s worth it.”
“Remember this, always be kind to others. Never become someone who bullies the weak.”
And with those final words, the old YaoGuai’s body began to dissolve, scattering into the wind like dust. High above in the sky, his figure slowly vanished.
As the YaoGuai energy that had clouded the villagers’ minds dissipated, they slowly regained consciousness. Looking at the YaoGuais before them, the fear returned to their faces.
“Y-You... why are monsters like you walking around in broad daylight...?”
The irony of their words wasn’t lost on the YaoGuais — after all, just moments ago, these very same villagers had been the ones attacking like mindless beasts.
But none of the YaoGuais tried to explain. Instead, they quietly remembered their leader’s teachings and the promise they had made to him.
Meanwhile, Black Mist, realizing that his control over the villagers had been broken, was utterly furious. If he couldn’t control them anymore... then he would consume the hatred and filth of this world itself.
Drawing on the impurities of heaven and earth, on the greed and malice buried deep within human hearts, Black Mist’s power surged to terrifying new heights.
But Zhang Nu had also absorbed Black Mist’s blood and spiritual energy. His cultivation soared from the fourth stage of Qi Gathering all the way to the sixth.
When Zhang Nu slowly opened his eyes again, he was no longer the man he had been moments ago. He could feel everything that had just happened and when his gaze locked onto Black Mist, it burned with fury.
If not for this monster... the old YaoGuai wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice his life.
“You’ve committed countless sins. Today will be your judgment day!”
But Black Mist only sneered, utterly dismissing Zhang Nu’s words. So what if Zhang Nu had leveled up? Black Mist had grown stronger too. Did Zhang Nu really think he could surpass him so easily?
The moment their battle began, Zhang Nu realized just how wide the gap between them still was. Black Mist, strengthened by all the hatred and filth of this world, had become unimaginably powerful. Zhang Nu, despite his breakthrough, could barely keep up.
But none of them had noticed yet — Lin Xiao had already begun to loosen the seal within his own body.
Lin Xiao was no ordinary man. Long ago, he had realized the truth about himself — he was someone connected to the Tree of Life. As long as that tree existed, so would he. And when the moment came, he could draw upon its power.
Now, facing death itself, Lin Xiao no longer hesitated. Slowly, energy began to surge within him, power, unlike anything he had ever released before.
Just as Zhang Nu was knocked down hard onto the ground, unable to rise, Lin Xiao’s eyes turned blood-red. He stared at Black Mist — calm, cold, utterly focused.
He knew exactly who his enemy was. Without hesitation, he raised his weapon — and hurled it with all his might. The strike flew straight and true, piercing directly through Black Mist’s heart.
Even a creature like Black Mist, born of hatred and evil, still possessed a weakness. And that weakness... was the heart.
And now, Lin Xiao’s strike had found its mark, piercing through it without mercy.