"I have to bring him back." Xu Ming muttered, already prepared to jump into the river. But before he could leap, his shoulder was held back by Tao Rui, causing him to turn around and look at the leader with eyes that demanded an explanation.
A few seconds passed, and Tao Rui simply stared at Xu Ming before letting out a long sigh, his gaze fixed forward. "What has been destined cannot be undone. Feng Jian's departure today must be his fate. And the will of the heavens can never be stopped. You know that, don't you?"
"The leader is truly wise," Xu Ming said, bowing respectfully. "But how will I answer to the Master of Realms later? Feng Jian seemed to be one of the souls that held significant value to him."
"And do you think any of this would happen without his will?"
For a moment, Xu Ming fell silent, staring at Tao Rui, who stared back at him. Eventually, the old man turned his gaze skyward, at the perpetually overcast sky. "Everything that transpires in the lower world is according to the Master of Realms' decree. If Feng Jian entered the River of Seven Lives today, it's certainly by his will."
Reflecting on Tao Rui's words, Xu Ming could only stare blankly at the river below. Slowly, he stepped closer to the edge, standing near the boundary. "You were a kind soul. I can only hope the River of Seven Lives doesn't bring you unbearable suffering, though I know it's impossible."
Meanwhile, Lei Cheng clenched his fists, his expression difficult to decipher. That day, Feng Jian truly entered the River of Seven Lives, passing through numerous portals to be reborn into the world, even if it meant bearing many trials on his shoulders.
Three hundred thousand years later, wars erupted everywhere. Darkness had long enveloped the world. Initially, the demon clan's battles were confined to the upper realms against the gods.
But as time passed, dark energy surged, prompting some demons to descend into the mortal realm, wreaking havoc. They ignited endless battles that had become a daily occurrence for the inhabitants.
That afternoon, a boy dressed in all black, his long hair tied back with a brown cloth, arrived in the forest to collect firewood—a habit he'd maintained for years, despite being only seven years old.
The boy continued to bend down, gathering branches from dead trees for firewood. "Today, Mother wants grilled fish. After gathering wood, I'll go to the river to catch the fish she wants," he murmured with his usual cheerful smile.
However, as he was engrossed in his task, a fireball suddenly shot toward him. Before he could dodge, the fireball exploded, sending him flying through the air, crashing through several large trees.
Young Jian Hong's chest tightened as he landed hard on the ground, coughing up blood while clutching his chest. His eyes stared straight ahead, witnessing the flames raging in front of him. "No... The wood I painstakingly gathered, burned just like that. What if I can't find more firewood?"
With great effort, the boy crawled forward, then slowly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He approached the growing flames cautiously. But before he could react, an arrow whizzed toward him. This time, Jian Hong managed to see it from the corner of his eye and leaped out of the way.
As he observed the arrow embedded in a tree, which withered and died instantly, his eyes widened. "Black means death. This arrow is poisoned?" he muttered, panic evident in his voice. He spun around to confront whoever had attacked him. "Who's there?"
Jian Hong's voice trembled, sweat pouring down his face, both from exhaustion and sheer terror. His eyes darted around, vigilant. Then, a bone-chilling laugh echoed.
"Hahaha. A mere child wants to know who I am? Hey, boy. Before you even learn my identity, you might just die of fright here." The voice seemed to reverberate, causing Jian Hong to spin in search of its source.
"Show yourself! You've attacked me once. Why not reveal your true form?" Whether his actions were brave or foolish, Jian Hong couldn't say. But every word he spoke came straight from his heart.
Suddenly, a swirl of black smoke materialized before Jian Hong, making the boy recoil in terror, stumbling to the ground. "You... a wicked demon? You're the one disturbing the peace of the Shenji Kingdom!"
Since his birth, Jian Hong had never stopped hearing tales of the wars waged along the borders between the Shenji Kingdom and the demon clan. It weighed heavily on his mind, filling him with compassion for the countless victims. Jian Hong had once vowed that he would be part of the effort to destroy the demon clan one day.
That anger had become ingrained in his being, making him highly emotional when hearing about, let alone facing, demons like now.
Slowly, the black smoke coalesced into a grotesque face with two horns and long fangs. Its appearance was the most terrifying thing Jian Hong had ever seen. "And what will you do? If I am a demon, what can you do? You're just a little boy. But you know, children are always the tastiest morsels for our clan. Tell me, which part of you should I devour first?"
"Dream on!" Jian Hong hurled a clump of dirt at the face, then leapt up, delivering a hard kick that sent the demon's face smashing against a tree several meters away.
"You've shrouded my country in your dark mist for years. Isn't that enough? Can't you live peacefully without disturbing us? Listen, every being desires peace. But your demon clan is selfish, always trying to dominate the world. Everything has its place, yet you take what's not yours! The freedom you've taken from us... somehow, someday, I will reclaim it." The boy stepped forward, fists clenched, his face seething with anger. His steps carried a confidence beyond his years.
Feeling humiliated, the demon floated back in front of Jian Hong, its eyes now burning a deeper shade of red, clearly brimming with fury. "You humans are deceitful! What do you know about demons? You're just a child bearing too much suffering. You're no better than us."
Jian Hong's fists clenched tighter. At that moment, the black smoke formed a rope that coiled around him. But as soon as it touched his skin, the demon was violently repelled, leaving scorch marks on its face. "ARGHH!"
The demon fell back, rolling until a branch landed on it, intensifying its agony. "How is this possible? Why can't I touch him?"
"Surprised? It's written in the scriptures that demons cannot attack humans directly. They need a vessel as an intermediary." Jian Hong grinned triumphantly. "Turns out, sneaking into the royal library every night to read those scrolls wasn't in vain. Everything it said was true, and it's very useful for me."
"Impossible! That can't be! On the battlefield, we always slay our enemies without intermediaries. You must be lying!"
"Why would I lie?" Jian Hong crossed his arms and glared arrogantly. "Can you fake the pain you're feeling? Fool!"
"You?!" The demon rose again, attempting to attack Jian Hong. "Alright, if you're that strong, I won't use the same tactic. I may not be able to harm you directly, but let's see how you handle this!" A dark aura enveloped the demon, causing nearby boulders to levitate. "These stones may serve as my intermediaries."
Jian Hong's eyes widened. "You're cheating!"
"No, boy. All's fair in love and war. If you don't want to fight, you shouldn't have stepped onto the battlefield!" With those words, the massive stones flew toward Jian Hong, forcing the terrified child to run for his life.
Jian Hong dashed through the forest, dodging between towering trees and tall grass. He tripped several times but quickly got back up, desperately evading the flying rocks. "Damn it, I haven't finished reading the scroll! What should I do?"
The boy kept running, glancing back to see a rock hurtling directly at him. He widened his eyes and leapt into the air, using the rocks as stepping stones, until they collided with a tree, creating a cloud of dust.
After coughing from the dust, Jian Hong finally cleared the air with his hand, eyeing the fallen rocks with a triumphant grin. "Is that all? The demon's skills are no match for my wit, even as a mere child." He clapped his hands proudly, as if he'd accomplished something grand.
He turned to head home, only for a swirl of black smoke to reappear before him. "Who gave you permission to leave? Didn't you want to play with me? Why the rush, clever boy? The fun has only just begun."
Jian Hong raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Not long after, the ground beneath him began to tremble. Branches from the trees above started to fall. The moment he realized something was wrong, his body stiffened instantly. "This can't be..." He didn't finish his sentence and quickly turned around. At that exact moment, Jian Hong felt like he wanted to disappear from the face of the earth.
"Humans are indeed foolish. That's why victory never favors you. Hey, kid. Once my attack is launched, it will never return empty-handed. Those stones won't stop until they hit their target."