The bloodthirsty spirit, sealed within a short sword as an artifact spirit, had long since lost much of its former strength and even its memories after so many years.
Upon returning to its original body this time, it immediately sensed a powerful force emanating from the flesh.
This power surged into the spirit, rapidly enhancing its strength and bringing many long-dormant memories to the forefront.
Finally, it remembered its various experiences in the You Tian Realm.
"Shi Xue, I hope you can prioritize the bigger picture..."
"Our Demon God Clan will birth a peerless genius who will suppress all ages, destined to lead our entire clan..."
"To deal with the great calamity that awaits, all of us in the Demon God Clan should have the spirit of self-sacrifice, naturally including you, Shi Xue..."
"Sacrificing your Great Dao can forge a peerless expert..."
Faces that were outwardly righteous and solemn persuaded her to sacrifice herself for the Demon God Clan, to achieve a greater good for all...
"I refuse to accept this!"
"Why should I sacrifice myself to fulfill a nobody..."
"My talent is better than his, and the Great Dao I grasp is stronger than his."
"Why shouldn't he be sacrificed to fulfill me?"
"Is it simply because he is the Demon Lord's own son..."
"Shi Xue" let out roars of unwillingness, but it was to no avail; she could not control her own destiny.
Everyone forced her to submit to the greater situation!
Everyone forcefully persuaded her that she should sacrifice herself.
"I refuse to accept this!"
"Unacceptable!"
Even though her voice was hoarse and strained, no one was interested in hearing her opinion any longer.
Her refusal was already drowned out by the clamor...
Finally seizing an opportunity, she escaped the You Tian Realm, and the entire Demon God Clan mobilized, hunting her across the world.
She was forced to fight her pursuing kin, a battle so fierce it nearly overturned half the Immortal Realm.
In the end, she was captured when her strength failed.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, she chose to self-destruct her Great Dao, though whether it was successful remained unknown.
When she awoke again, she had become a muddled artifact spirit.
"Shi Xue" lay in the crystal coffin. As the powerful energy from the physical body surged into her, all sorts of complex memories and emotions flooded her mind.
Gradually, the physical body and spirit merged. "Shi Xue's" cultivation finally halted at the Demon Lord realm, ceasing to ascend.
"That's it..."
"Weren't you at the Golden Immortal realm?"
At this moment, Xiao Fei and Ji Wudi stood around "Shi Xue," looking at her with disappointment.
"Shi Xue" steadied her mind, pulling her thoughts back from the memories.
"I was indeed equivalent to the Golden Immortal realm before, but there was an issue with my Great Dao, and I cannot recover it for the time being.
However, I can still accompany you on a trip to the You Tian Realm."
Previously, it was Xiao Fei who wanted to force her to go to the You Tian Realm; now, Shi Xue was willing to go herself.
Shi Xue naturally had her own plans. Even after more than a million years, she still harbored resentment.
She intended to reclaim everything she had lost!
"I grew up in the You Tian Realm and am familiar with every blade of grass and tree there. If I guide you, it should save a lot of trouble."
Xiao Fei hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Three months later, a demon clan merchant caravan carrying strategic supplies entered the You Tian Realm without hindrance.
No one in the Demon race of the You Tian Realm noticed as three inconspicuous porters from the caravan quietly departed.
These three porters were naturally Xiao Fei, Ji Wudi, and Shi Xue in disguise.
"I cannot act easily this time. If I make a move, it will only attract more powerful enemies, so you two will have to handle everything.
After we rescue the person, I will be responsible for the rendezvous."
The three walked casually towards Demon Mountain, with Xiao Fei assigning tasks.
His own strength was only at the Immortal Lord level, with limited combat power, making his intervention largely meaningless. Moreover, any action would expose his true identity.
The primary goal of the Demon-Monster Alliance's fierce battles was to capture him and obtain his Creation Jade Disk.
If he revealed his identity now, all the powerful figures of the demon and monster races would swarm towards him, leaving him with no escape.
Doing so would be tantamount to seeking his own death.
"Brother Xiao! Don't worry, this time, watch me showcase my skills, punch the Demon Lord, and stomp on the Demon Lords, making these demon whelps run around like headless chickens."
Ji Wudi, having just comprehended the Great Dao and successfully broken through to the Golden Immortal realm, was brimming with confidence. He felt like challenging any cow he saw by the roadside to a strength contest.
Shi Xue's alluring eyes glanced at Ji Wudi, and a suction force immediately emerged, drawing a stream of blood from Ji Wudi's body.
Only then did Ji Wudi realize that there was still a demon whelp beside him, and he seemed to have offended her slightly just now.
"I say, big sister, there's no need to be so stingy. When I said demon whelps, I definitely didn't include you.
I'm just letting out a little blood to calm you down, so you don't suffer later.
Demon God Mountain is teeming with experts and hidden masters; it's far more formidable than you perceive on the surface."
Shi Xue coldly threw down a sentence and continued to lead the way forward.
The three temporarily stopped their advance beneath a large rock at the foot of Demon God Mountain. Any further would enter the territory controlled by the Demon God Clan.
"Our goal this time is to rescue the person through stealth. It's best to come and go quietly, avoiding any disturbance to the demon powerhouses.
"Shi Xue, you are familiar with the terrain, so you will lead the way and act as our guide."
"Ji Wudi, you are the only one at the Golden Immortal realm, so you will be responsible for the main combat output. Try to avoid prolonged engagements."
"I also have some intelligence gathered by the intelligence system for your reference."
As Xiao Fei spoke, he produced two jade slips and handed them to the two.
Although Shi Xue had grown up here and was very familiar with Demon God Mountain, it had been over a million years.
In such a long time, the world had changed drastically, and everything was different.
The information in her memory might not be entirely accurate, requiring new intelligence for reference.
"How do you plan to get us into the mountain?"
Ji Wudi looked at the heavily guarded Demon God Mountain and asked Shi Xue.
Demon God Mountain was a forbidden area for the demon race. Apart from the Demon Gods, ordinary demons were not qualified to enter.
It was incredibly difficult for the three of them to sneak in.
"There is an underground secret passage at the rear of Demon God Mountain. I often used it to sneak out and play."
What Shi Xue didn't say was that she had used that same secret passage to escape from Demon God Mountain back then.
At this moment, she was also a little worried, wondering if the secret passage had been sealed.
"Alright! Let's head to the exit of that secret passage first."
After making their decision, the three pretended to be casually strolling and headed towards the rear of Demon God Mountain.
Arriving beside a black water pool at the back of the mountain, Shi Xue stopped. Her demonic sense probed the bottom of the pool.
After a while, she frowned and withdrew her demonic sense.
"This secret passage has indeed been discovered and sealed."
Xiao Fei also looked in the direction Shi Xue pointed and saw a spring eye covered in formations.