Master of Strange Dao

"Originally, I didn't have much time left, either I would die of old age, or breakthrough and endure one more tribulation to extend my life. Now, the Heart Demon Tribulation has arrived.

Since it is a tribulation, it is far worse than usual Devil Thoughts, and it seems I am fated to be ensnared by it.

I am also exhausted, old. Many things have already been settled before. I won't mention them again.

You must all strive to serve His Majesty faithfully in the future.

I have been loyal and dutiful all my life, and now, near death, I do not wish to perish here, nor at the hands of my colleagues.

Better to go and slay some Devils, end my life there, sparing others from harm. You need not come with me, I will go alone."

Having said this, the Old Chief Venerate transformed into a tunneling light and soared into the sky.

He flew out of the Capital City all the way, heading straight for the Abyssal Rift.

After the Old Chief Venerate departed, shortly Ye Jiuyuan also emerged from the palace city and pursued him.

...

On the other side of the Abyssal Rift, Yu Ziqing sat by the cliff, sipping tea and nibbling on snacks, listening to the Deceitful Ghost regale him with recent happenings.

The Abyss was full of rumors and whispers; anything could be carried by the winds of the Abyssal Rift. While the Deceitful Ghost didn't know much of importance, it greatly aided Yu Ziqing in understanding the Abyss.

For instance, those Devils fought every few days.

Recently, the Black Sky Devil and the White Sky Devil were engaged in a fierce battle, bloodying the Nu River.

Just because they truly ignited fiery rage, determined to annihilate each other.

Then, a stronger Demon from a lower layer of the Abyss arrived and mediated the blood feud between the two waves of Devils, demanding the Black Sky Devil Mother release the White Sky Devil she had captured.

The Black Sky Devil Mother had no choice but, unwilling to swallow her pride, devoured the head of the White Sky Devil on the spot and tossed out its body as if she let it go.

"So, is this Abyss actually layered?"

"My Lord, it appears so. This is the first layer."

"Oh, no wonder..."

Yu Ziqing suddenly realized that was why the last layer he visited was entirely mountainous and barren, with King Xiang's Escape Skill speed and vision, he hadn't noticed any different places, as if the entire world was mountains.

It turned out that layer truly contained no Devils; it was another layer, not that he hadn't found any Devils.

Recalling the aura he sensed, Yu Ziqing thought, he must escalate the matter of relieving the giant from his boredom.

Highly likely, that layer was actually the giant's prison.

Who was he that needed repression there?

"Continue."

Yu Ziqing, out of boredom, could only listen to the Deceitful Ghost's gossip.

He was trapped; there was nowhere else to go. Almsgiving Town was inaccessible too, so he secretly waited on this side.

"My Lord, someone has come to Almsgiving."

"Mm, it's normal for more people to come since a batch of sweet rain was just released."

"No, as per your orders, it's people from the Shadow Department. Other Deceitful Ghosts detected the source of the Devil Thought and sent them back."

"Who came?"

"Rumor has it that it's the Shadow Supreme."

"Hmm?" Yu Ziqing sat up immediately, somewhat surprised: "The one who became Devilic is the Shadow Supreme?"

"And someone named Ye Jiuyuan also came, saying the Shadow Supreme's Heart Demon Tribulation was too fierce, he could hardly control it and asked Ye Jiuyuan to kill him."

"Ye Jiuyuan said he couldn't do it, oh, but he struck, and the Shadow Supreme died, falling into the Abyss."

Yu Ziqing watched the Deceitful Ghost stretch its ears, sighed.

This fellow should learn storytelling, narrating this live with no ripples at all.

"Let's hide."

Yu Ziqing followed the Deceitful Ghost into a cave, where the ghost qi around concealed both his and Cece's presence completely.

Moments later, an old man emerged from below the rift, a sword lodged in his chest, blood all over his chest.

The surrounding Deceitful Ghosts stayed quietly in their respective caves, glanced at the old man, and then attended to themselves.

The old man seemed unbothered by the sight. After landing, he pulled out the sword in his chest, casually brought out an oil lamp, pinched the wick with two fingers, and snuffed out the lamp.

He stood by the cliff, full of demonic qi, yet appeared calm, not at all like someone who couldn't withstand the Heart Demon Tribulation.

Yu Ziqing from the cave watched this unfold, dumbfounded.

He had long suspected there was sure to be something happening within the Shadow Department, and this event, perhaps, was botched by sending the sweet rain.

That's why Ye Jiuyuan tried to provoke him that way, seemingly very eager to enrage him.

Once Yu Ziqing understood this, he imposed a restriction, initially mere intimidating talk, but once he sneaked out from the Big Array and reached the Abyss, it became an actual ban.

Yet Yu Ziqing never anticipated the one to become Devilic was the current Shadow Supreme.

This old dog had lived long enough, hadn't turned Devilic in his entire Shadow Department career.

Suddenly unable to suppress the Devil Thought and turned Devilic? Who would believe that?

Ah, it was the Third Tribulation Realm's calamity, nothing more.

Watching the Old Chief Venerate's actions, the more Yu Ziqing observed, the stranger it seemed.

The oil lamp he took out earlier, unless his eyes were deceiving him, should be the soul lamp, right?

If he guessed correctly, extinguishing this soul lamp meant the soul lamps within the Shadow Department were likely snuffed out with it.

So, there's a trick to deceive the soul lamp, such a play?