Hero

"You want to learn? I can teach you, but first, listen to me.

The 108 Heavenly Demon-Slaying Grand Formation wasn’t created by me—it originated from the Upper Realm."

"The Upper Realm!?" Gu Qingfeng halted his outstretched demonic claw.

If there was anything that interested him now besides Shang Xinyan, it was the Upper Realm.

"Do you still have connections to the Upper Realm?"

"Yes." Shang Xinyan nodded.

"This formation was passed down to me by my father, and my father is in the Upper Realm."

Holy shit!

Could it be that Gu Qingfeng was about to receive double blessings today?

"Yan'er, you wouldn’t happen to be from the Sacred Clan, would you?" Gu Qingfeng asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Shang Xinyan quickly clarified, "Don’t misunderstand—I’m human, and so is my father."

"Ah... I see." Gu Qingfeng’s mood instantly plummeted.

"My father and I are both from the Qing Realm. He was captured by the Sacred Clan and taken to the Upper Realm."

Gu Qingfeng froze. "But the Sacred Clan devours humans. Your father couldn’t have..."

Shang Xinyan nodded solemnly. "He didn’t die. Because he possesses the Heavenly Fate Anomalous Body—the Seven Orifices Exquisite Body. This physique grants no combat advantages, only enhanced comprehension.

Those with the Seven Orifices Exquisite Body are all geniuses of unparalleled insight.

Moreover, this physique is exceedingly rare. The Sacred Clan couldn’t bear to kill him. Instead, they imprisoned him, carving his flesh daily to sell—eating his meat enhances one’s comprehension..."

As she spoke, Shang Xinyan’s expression grew eerily calm, like a sea that appeared tranquil but hid turbulent undercurrents.

Gu Qingfeng now understood his father-in-law’s plight—reduced to an endlessly regenerating meat source, carved and bled daily until his lifespan ran out.

"And this grand formation of yours..."

"Through his extraordinary comprehension, my father absorbed knowledge from the Upper Realm over the years, combining it to create this formation—one capable of borrowing the power of the Heavenly Dao. It was never something that belonged to this realm.

Back then, the humans of the Qing Realm deciphered a method of cross-realm communication through the Demon Scroll, inadvertently summoning the Sacred Clan.

To break this deadlock, my father also studied the Demon Scroll. He devised a way to transmit knowledge across realms, using it to continuously absorb Upper Realm knowledge and relay it to me."

Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng suddenly had a thought.

"Your father... didn’t let himself be captured willingly, did he?"

"Yes." Shang Xinyan nodded silently.

At this moment, Gu Qingfeng was genuinely moved. He never imagined his father-in-law would go to such lengths.

To save the humans of the Qing Realm, he willingly surrendered himself—treated as livestock by demons, carved and bled daily, enduring torment while secretly learning Upper Realm knowledge to send back.

The greatest suffering wasn’t the physical pain, but the mental anguish. What strong-willed expert lacked pride or dignity? Especially one who stood at the pinnacle of the Qing Realm.

Yet for the sake of humanity, he chose to live as livestock. How the demons must have treated him was unimaginable.

Livestock—a status even lower than slaves.

And still, he went. He couldn’t even take his own life, because the Qing Realm needed the Upper Realm’s knowledge. He endured, clinging to survival.

"My father understood the terror of the Sacred Clan. He knew that without learning from the Upper Realm, the Qing Realm’s humans would never rise again. So he went. Before leaving, he transferred the power of several Divine Realm experts to me, keeping only his own strength—lest the Sacred Clan grow suspicious and deem him worthless, ending his life.

It was his sacrifice that allowed the Dark Realm to master formations capable of borrowing the Heavenly Dao’s power. His wish was for me to use this formation to sever the passage and save the Qing Realm."

"But what about your father?"

Shang Xinyan remained silent for a long time before answering. "He said... he would end his life once it succeeded."

"So you’re torn—wanting to save the Qing Realm, yet unwilling to let your father die?"

Shang Xinyan shook her head. "If possible, I wish for his death more than anyone."

Gu Qingfeng understood. To her, death might be the only mercy left.

What kind of despair must a daughter feel to wish death upon her own father?

"Then what’s holding you back?"

Shang Xinyan suddenly smiled—the first time Gu Qingfeng had ever seen her do so. It was a smile so heartbreaking it seemed to carry the weight of the world.

Tears streamed down her face as she laughed.

"I know my father is lying to me. He can’t kill himself. The Sacred Clan treasures his flesh too much—they’ve surely placed countless restrictions on him. He has no way out."

Gu Qingfeng gently pulled her into an embrace, all traces of mischief gone from his expression, replaced only by sorrow.

She was right. The Sacred Clan would never let such a valuable resource die easily. They’d ensure he lived as long as possible.

Her father’s words were nothing but comfort—empty promises.

Once the passage was severed, the humans of the Qing Realm would rejoice. But the greatest hero—the one who sacrificed everything—would remain alone in a foreign realm, treated as livestock, enduring endless torment until his lifespan withered away.

And the lifespan of a Divine Realm expert? A thousand years.

A thousand years of suffering.

Worse still, the Sacred Clan might forcibly extend his life by boosting his cultivation, prolonging his agony indefinitely.

Gu Qingfeng never considered himself a good man—perhaps even a villain. But there were those in this world who commanded respect from both friend and foe alike.

Such individuals were called heroes.

"Gu Qingfeng, I want you to promise me something." Shang Xinyan suddenly turned, her tear-filled yet resolute eyes locking onto his.

As he wiped her tears away, he nodded. "Name it."

"After I bear your child, I will lead the Dark Realm to the Ten Thousand Demon Nation to sever the passage. If we succeed, I’ll entrust the formation’s core to you. I want you to take control of it for me."

"Me? What are you planning?" Gu Qingfeng stiffened, a foreboding chill creeping into his heart.

"To go to the Upper Realm and free my father."

Gu Qingfeng’s expression darkened. Of course—this foolish girl wanted to fulfill both duties. Save the Qing Realm’s humans, then charge alone into the Upper Realm to rescue her father.

By "free," she likely meant granting him the mercy of death. Even she knew rescuing him from demon territory was impossible.

But even if she succeeded—how would she return? The passage would already be severed.

Unless... she never planned to return.

She had accounted for everything—except herself.

Even with the strength of multiple Divine Realm experts, her cultivation remained below the Divine Realm’s peak. Venturing into Sacred Clan territory with such power was no different from a lamb entering a tiger’s den.

And she, too, possessed a Heavenly Fate Anomalous Body.

This silly girl must have known the consequences, yet she was determined to go.

Just like her father, with the same unwavering resolve.