Chapter 13: The Return of the Demon King
The skies above the Celestial Continent churned with crimson clouds as whispers of dread swept across sects and cities alike. In every major realm, cultivators paused in their meditation, their senses tingling with an ancient, oppressive qi.
In the heart of the Stormveil Mountains, deep within a sealed valley that had remained untouched for five thousand years, something stirred.
And then—he returned.
---
The Demon King's resurrection was not a spectacle of thunder or war—but a whisper, a chill, and a rising shadow. His body reformed from the ashes of ancient grudges, hatred, and devoured destinies. Horned and cloaked in infernal silk, his eyes burned with molten crimson.
> "Immortal Duality… The Soul Emperor's lineage still persists," he mused, gazing into a blood mirror that reflected only Jin Yue. "How amusing."
At his side stood a woman clad in veils of void—Lady Raksha, a dark enchantress with the power to twist emotions into weapons.
> "Shall I go to him?" she purred. "I can break his spirit before he even reaches Ascension."
> "No. Not yet. Let him believe he is winning. Hope is the sweetest fruit before it rots."
---
Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard of the Moonlight Orchid Pavilion, Jin Yue stood on the edge of the lake, training in silence. The lotus soulflame floated above the water, each flicker mirroring his breathing, as ripples of refined dual qi spread across the surface.
Lianhua watched from the side, fingers interlaced.
> "You're stronger than ever," she said.
> "Not enough," Jin Yue replied. "I can feel it… something dark is rising."
Suddenly, the skies darkened.
A massive sigil ignited in the sky—black flame encircling a broken crown.
Jin Yue's breath hitched. The air turned heavy. His soulflame shivered.
> "He's returned," Yue'er whispered behind him. "The Demon King… I recognize that sigil. It burned the Skydome Sect to ash during the Era of Rupture."
An urgent bell rang across the realm. Sect elders emerged from the main hall, faces grim.
> "We must prepare," Elder Han said. "Our wards may not hold if he descends."
---
That night, as stars hid behind blood-stained clouds, a voice echoed inside Jin Yue's mind.
> "Child of flame and fracture… will you kneel, or will you burn?"
It was no illusion.
The Demon King had spoken directly to him, bypassing every spiritual defense.
Jin Yue bit his lip until blood fell into his palm.
> "Neither."
---
The Demon King's influence spread quickly. Rogue cultivators began swearing allegiance. Entire sects vanished overnight, their members absorbed into the Abyssal Court—a revival of the Demon King's empire. Even within Jin Yue's own circle, seeds of doubt began to bloom.
Some followers wondered if the Soul Emperor's heir could withstand the dark tide. And worse, Lady Raksha began infiltrating dreams.
---
Elsewhere—The Temptation
That night, Lianhua dreamt of golden petals turning black, of Jin Yue's hands stained with blood, whispering sweet promises of power.
Meimei cried out in her sleep, gripped by illusions of Jin Yue betraying them all, smiling coldly atop a throne of corpses.
Even Yue'er, cold as she was, paused in her meditation, her hand twitching as visions of her former sect's massacre flashed before her eyes—Jin Yue, laughing, wearing the Demon King's crown.
Lady Raksha was working her magic.
---
Jin Yue gathered them all the next morning beneath the Soulflame Tree, a sacred place on their floating island.
> "He's trying to break us," he said. "He knows he can't win by force—so he'll rot us from within."
He looked each of them in the eyes.
> "If you ever doubt me, say so. If I ever fall, strike me down."
Yue'er stepped forward first.
> "If you fall… I will shatter my core beside you."
Lianhua followed.
> "I would rather burn with you than bow to him."
Meimei nodded, though tears ran freely down her cheeks.
> "Then we stand together."
---
Above them, thunder rumbled.
The Demon King smiled in his citadel, licking blood from his fingers.
> "Let them love. Love makes the taste of loss… divine."