Among demonic cultivators, a common saying was 'Death Feeds Life'.
It was a common belief, after all, demonic cultivation gained everything on the bodies of others.
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"Jiu Yue! You damn demonic cultivator! We would make sure you won't be able to ascend today! I swear on behalf of my sect!"
"Jian Jiu Yue! You scammed my heavenly treasure 200 years ago! Heaven has eyes! If you ascend today I will eat my own shit!"
"With us here! Don't even dream about ascending! 700 years ago you destroyed my sect! Today I will make sure to cripple your cultivation and make you my dog!"
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In the middle of the commotion was a mere lone cultivator, he was dressed in simple turquoise robes that were heavily battered, it gave him the feel of a valiant general who wore a war flag in place of a valiant cape.
Life was truly unpredictable. Yesterday, he was still cultivating normally in his Immortal Pavilion, and today, he was going to die.
He was going to die, here, today, and now.
Yet, after all these years, all these battles, all his sacrifices, Jian Jiu Yue, on the brink of his ascending to the Heavenly Realm, he was cornered by all the people he had screwed over throughout his grand old life of 5000.
Combined with the injuries from the heavenly tribulation that was still raining relentlessly, not to say the countless attacks coming from all directions.
Sigh, who was there to blame?
Jian Jiu Yue thought to himself, it was him who had crossed all these people, and became a demonic cultivator, now on the brink of success, they were all coming back to bite him.
Yet did I regret it?
Jian Jiu Yue asked himself.
He didn't even need to think for long, he didn't regret any decision.
If he did not cultivate the demonic path he wouldn't have gone past his mortal lifespan.
Needless to say, a chance at Heavenly Tribulation.
Thinking so, Jian Jiu Yue couldn't help but let a smirk find its way onto his face before he started cackling.
Seeing this the self righteous cultivators surrounding him were taken aback.
What kind of lunatic could laugh even in face of death?
One could commit countless sins in one's life, the only important thing was to live freely!
In the end, the only thing that mattered, was oneself.
Righteousness, fairness, justice?
In the end, all those were useless!
When one dies, there is no point of Righteousness, fairness and justice, there is simply no longer a need for it.
Countless hours in battle with the righteous sects, he has been enduring countless attacks, he couldn't help but see an old friend that accompanied him for his entire cultivation journey.
The iron taste of blood was ever so familiar.
Countless failed tribulations, countless battles and countless betrayals, this taste has long been etched into Jian Jiu Yue's soul.
It was this familiar taste that brought him to where he was, as much as he hated it, this old friend came back at his last moments.
Slightly tilting his head to look at the setting sun, Jian Jiu Yue smiled.
Perhaps to the world, he has failed his tribulation, and that he was getting the karmic retribution he deserved.
But to him, he felt enlightened even, like a blank slate, if asked, he might not be able to explain what he was currently feeling.
"A pity, truly a pity, I couldn't see the Heavenly Realm you all spoke so much about!" Jian Jiu Yue shouted, putting both his hands into the air, having a huge smirk.
The group of cultivators surrounding him immediately took a few steps back, gulping down saliva.
Even at the brink of his death, the title Demonic Sword, Jian Jiu Yue, held as much significance as it had in his prime.
After all, the name of a demon who slaughtered millions wasn't easily forgotten.
"Careful! The demon is preparing something"
"This Demon is known for his underhanded schemes and plans! Although we checked the area for hidden formations, who knows what he had done!"
Jian Jiu Yue scorned inwardly, there were no traps, the only thing here was a dying man.
But perhaps, he should use their wariness to find an escape route?
Jian Jiu Yue immediately refuted his thoughts, even if he was in his prime, the chance of escaping here is slim.
He closed his eyes, as a strong heat welled up behind his sockets.
Death was ever so distant, even now, he couldn't believe his own predicament.
"I don't regret a thing." Jian Jiu Yue muttered under his breath.
"My inheritance? You guys want my inheritance? Only one person can have it! After my death only one of you can get my inheritance!"
He screamed, almost manic as a deranged laugh followed.
Although he was closing his eyes, he could feel the greedy gazes of those cultivators, his inheritance, was after all one that could let one rise straight to the 8th realm from a mortal!
Something that usually required thousands of years, could be done in less than a fraction.
That was the power of inheritances, a person who cultivated with an inheritance and one without, even in the same realm, the difference is clear as day.
There was no one who wouldn't want a free pass to rise to the top.
Even though it was a demonic inheritance and who knew what cultivation methods were inside, in front of absolute power, human greed could not be suppressed.
Not to mention the countless resources, treasure, and of course the cream of the crop, Divine Treasure Immortal Pavilion, it was a treasure that could accelerate cultivation speed, refine your spirit root and let even a talentless mortal rise to power!
Who could not be moved by this? Even ascended immortals would undoubtedly be moved by this, even if they couldn't use it, their descendants can still benefit a lot from it!
Jian Jiu Yue couldn't help but feel an incredible sense of satisfaction in his tiny plan, these righteous cultivators were going to shed blood for a mere demonic cultivator's inheritance.
He was silently destroying all the treasures he had, there was no chance he was going to leave a thing for his enemies.
Leaving anything for the enemy, was a stupid decision.
"Don't listen to the demon's lies! We must be united at this last moment and guard against him!"
"That's right! Why would we want a demonic cultivators inheritance!"
With the leaders of the righteous cultivators speaking, be it so they did want it the rules of righteous cultivation bounded them.
Their reputation made them suppress their greed's, but the top leaders of the respective sects knew well what they meant.
Were they not interested in the inheritance?
No.
On the contrary they wanted it a lot, but as righteous cultivators, they can only initiate it after he dies, and the sect who kills him would get most of his inheritance as their alliance stated.
There was only fairness on the surface.
Those were the rules of righteous sects.
The sect, who got the biggest share of the pie, would face multiple hindrances and problems from other sects.
A smart leader would know well to give some crumbs of their share of the inheritance to the top dogs among the sects, making their situation much better.
And they had to give just the perfect amount, too little and it would be insulting, too much and the other sects would think you had a lot more treasures, and would find a way to initiate a war, taking your inheritance for themselves.
That was the politics of righteous sects, on paper they had to smile and act united, the undercurrents were way deeper.
Even they could not say they sinned less the Jian Jiu Yue, except that they were masterfully hidden.
Jian Jiu Yue was still standing at the spot like a statue, the more still he was, the more on guard the righteous forces were.
After all, ultimate techniques required unsurmountable focus.
Why did no one attack him?
Ultimate techniques were easily broken as attacking one while they are preparing the technique would cause huge backlash.
It was almost common sense for cultivators to attack the opponent while they are charging a ultimate technique.
There was only one reason that stopped them from attacking.
The opponent.
Who was he?
Jian Jiu Yue, the man of a thousand schemes, he who killed an ascended immortal whole merely at rank 8 and slained uncountable cultivators and mortals alike.
Who knew what methods he had.
Was what they were thinking, that wasn't a bad decision at all, in terms of strategy, cautiousness was almost always important.
It could be mere intimidation and a huge white lie, yet no one wanted to be the one to test the theory.
What if it wasn't?
What if he could attack us?
Yet what was even scarier was the supposed ultimate technique he was charging.
Jian Jiu Yue scoffed in his heart, his focus was getting worse and he could barely destroy his treasures.
Time was running out, this statement would not last long, his petty trick is obvious, yet he could only deter them by making them overthink.
There was absolutely no chance of him leaving anything to his enemies, he would rather destroy them all.
The demonic path has barely left any inheritance, it was for one reason, demonic cultivators were usually lone cultivators, who have lived their lives learning to be selfish.
They would rather die with their treasures gone than leave to anyone.
In the Seven Supreme Inheritances, there was only one demonic inheritance.
With this long track record, how would the scheming leaders of those righteous path not know he was destroying his treasures and inheritances?
The only reason they were willing to let him drag it on was because the higher the quality of the treasure, the longer it takes to destroy them, and Jian Jiu Yue as the number one demonic cultivator under the heavens, obviously was filled with those.
And of course, the possibility of a hidden attack.
Just as they knew this, Jian Jiu Yue knew it as well as they did.
After all thousands of years of fighting against them, it was only fair if he had learned a few habits that they had.
About time.
Jian Jiu Yue bit his tongue, it was about time.
Seeing that his spiritual energy was running out, he knew he was going to die, yet the progression of the destruction of his inheritance was less than half.
His mental state was falling abruptly.
Jian Jiu Yue could only question himself, how many treasures have I destroyed already? Eight? Nine? Which one?
His focus was dwindling and the exhaustion of spiritual energy was affecting his memory, at this moment, he could barely know what was happening, and even forgot what he was doing for moments.
His mental state was degrading, fast.
Gritting his teeth, he knew that he could no longer drag it on any further, no matter how cautious they were, there was a time where they would still strike.
It has come to this, after all.
While having muddled thoughts and barely any focus, Jian Jiu Yue left the world with a smile on his face.
It was a shock to even the righteous cultivators.
A demonic overlord who stuck fear into every single cultivator's heart, died, without even a grand old exit.
No one could have imagined that.
At the very least, an explosion should have happened, while he destroyed his soul, shrieking fearsome last words that would plague the cultivation world for at least another thousand years.
The undisputed ruler of the demonic cultivation world, died that day.
No?
Of course not!
How could I, the great Jian Jiu Yue, fall like this?