Chapter 1544

The Gu Immortal refuses Fang Yuan’s plea for his lifespan Gu, saying everyone has a reason to live and he has his own revenge to take against the same demon. Lifespan Gu are very few outside, because the demon scavenged for them, so Fang Yuan kneels all night before his parents’ grave and rises with a dangerous gaze. He kills his benefactor to take his lifespan Gu and lengthens his life. As he grows unscrupulous, he is branded a dangerous person and becomes part of the demonic path. ^{ch. 1544}

The demon has exterminated every opposing force, and Fang Yuan finds no chance to kill him, so he turns to the people around the demon. Among the demon’s new family, a daughter turned Gu Immortal at sixteen at a shocking price is doted on most. Fang Yuan creates a coincidence and saves her life, and the very innocent Little Shang soon trusts him. He means to kill her so the demon feels the pain of losing family. But his emotions awaken, and when she confesses her affection he panics and runs away. ^{ch. 1544}

Hiding at his parents’ graves, he understands that he has fallen in love with the daughter of the enemy who killed his entire family. Extremely anguished and deeply conflicted, he lets her off and goes after only the demon. He robs for resources and reaches rank eight, heavily injured. While he recuperates, Little Shang finds him and demands to know why he ran. He passes off his parents’ unmarked grave as a former lover’s and tells a pitiful but beautiful love story. In tears, she decides to live with him, and though he loves her too, he fears harming her and eroding his determination. ^{ch. 1544}

That night the demon puts Little Shang to sleep, forcibly brings Fang Yuan over, and does not separate them. Fang Yuan’s identity stays deeply hidden as the demon says rank eight makes him somewhat worthy of his daughter, who really loves him. Probing her afterwards, Fang Yuan learns the demon wants to advance to rank nine with little confidence. Overjoyed, he understands that failure would leave the demon dead or heavily injured. He keeps close to Little Shang as his way to the demon. ^{ch. 1544}

The demon fails and hides in a valley to recuperate, but his most trusted aide exposes the location. Most Gu Immortals had not truly submitted, so a large number from the five regions surround the valley. Little Shang wants to help her father, and Fang Yuan goes with her. The weakened demon still kills many Gu Immortals, but Fang Yuan schemes and exposes precious information that endangers him. In the final battle, by luck Fang Yuan controls the immortal formation, which has one deciding attack left. ^{ch. 1544}

The Gu Immortals urge him to kill the demon, while the demon offers him second place in the world, unlimited riches and Little Shang if Fang Yuan kills them. Attacking the Gu Immortals gives the demon victory but saves Little Shang. Attacking the demon brings revenge but kills her. Then his struggle vanishes, and he smiles mockingly, laughs, and tells them he laughs at himself and at them all. He asks whether they all find love and friendship, killing and slaughtering very boring. The dream realm collapses once again. ^{ch. 1544}