Chapter 388: Ashen Sky

Petal-sized ashes of various shapes drifted slowly across the sky. They seemed to appear out of thin air, continuously rising and falling at a fixed height, covering the entire sky in a dense layer.

Beneath the dim canopy of the heavens, the Void Emperor stood in midair, gazing upward. Strands of black hair fell loosely from his temples, swaying gently in the wind, while a deep sense of worry flickered in his eyes.

No one knew how long he had been watching before he finally lowered his gaze to the mountain lotus in his hand, letting out a bitter laugh.

“Mr. Gu moves fast. In just a few short days, he’s already fought his way up there…”

“I wonder if this life-extinguishing ash will fall or not…”

“Hopefully, it won’t. Otherwise, even I won’t be able to hold on for long…”

“Void Emperor!”

A deep voice echoed, drawing the Void Emperor’s attention toward the Demon Capital. Approaching from the distance was the Flood Dragon Emperor, clad in a simple, light-colored robe, walking toward him at a steady pace.

The distance between them was vast, yet with just five steps, the Flood Dragon Emperor had already arrived before him.

The Void Emperor was unsurprised by his arrival—he had anticipated that the Flood Dragon Emperor would come looking for him. Rather than waiting for him to storm into his temple in a frenzied rage like last time, he had chosen to wait for him here instead.

However, what did surprise him was that the Flood Dragon Emperor, who had always kept himself free of female company, had brought along a female attendant this time.

Without any pleasantries, the Flood Dragon Emperor asked directly, “Void Emperor, did you see the crimson radiance that briefly flashed across the sky earlier?”

The Void Emperor chuckled, “I’m not blind. Even if I were, I would have felt it.”

“Hmm?”

At such a crucial moment, the Void Emperor was still playing the part of an old, arrogant veteran, causing the Flood Dragon Emperor to frown. “The sword intent contained within that radiance was the most terrifying I have ever witnessed. If that strike had been aimed at either of us, we would have perished without question!”

Nearby, Liu Shi shivered at those words.

For a mighty Great Demon to speak in such a defeatist tone… Just who had unleashed that fleeting yet overwhelming sword strike?

If such a person had set their sights on them, there would truly be no escape—neither in heaven nor on earth!

The Void Emperor nodded in confirmation. “I’m glad you understand.”

“You damn old fossil, you—”

Seeing the Void Emperor’s infuriatingly casual demeanor, the Flood Dragon Emperor was initially enraged. But then, as if realizing something, his expression froze. “From the way you’re speaking… you know whose sword that was?”

Hearing this, the Void Emperor replied nonchalantly, “Mr. Gu.”

“Mr. Gu?! Him…?”

“He’s that powerful?”

The Flood Dragon Emperor’s face was filled with disbelief.

The Void Emperor flicked his sleeve and countered, “What do you think?”

“But if he’s truly that powerful…”

Before the Flood Dragon Emperor could finish his sentence, the Void Emperor turned away and let out a derisive chuckle. “Little flood dragon, since you’re a junior of my demon race, I’ll give you a word of advice.”

“Put away your unrealistic ambitions. Survive this ordeal first.”

“Survive?” The Flood Dragon Emperor’s voice turned sharp. “Explain yourself clearly!”

Without another word, the Void Emperor took a single step forward and vanished into the night.

The Flood Dragon Emperor, in contrast, took a step forward as well—but then hesitated and stepped back instead. His expression grew heavy as he looked toward the sky.

Gray lines overhead… A sword force that shook the heavens… Ash covering the sky…

Piecing everything together, a terrifying thought emerged in his mind.

If the Void Emperor, that wretched old ghost, wasn’t lying…

If that earth-shattering sword had truly come from Mr. Gu…

Then that meant…

If Mr. Gu wished to kill him, it wouldn’t be an insurmountable battle—it would take no more than the blink of an eye.

Thinking about it this way, the other party had come all this way just to ask a few questions, leave a warning, and then leave. Wasn’t that essentially an act of mercy, sparing his life?

If that was the case, what reason would he have to deceive him?

Could it be that there truly was a gray thread above his head?

Then what did that make him?

A puppet on a string?

That strange thought that had arisen in his mind that day—was it not just a passing notion, but rather the “puppeteer” forbidding him from taking action?

In an instant, the Flood Dragon Emperor felt a deep weight settle over his heart, his entire being consumed by a long-lost sense of powerlessness.

“Good thing I didn’t act that day…”

“No wonder my fortune that day was nothing but ill omens—it was divine providence…”

A voice, soft as a mosquito’s hum, reached Flood Dragon Emperor’s ears, pulling him back from his thoughts.

He cast a glance at her before turning around and saying, “Let’s go. Order all demon cultivators in the city—we march on Northern Huangtian tonight!”

“The time for change has come!”

“Now?” Liu Shi exclaimed. “Isn’t this an ill-advised time to move? Didn’t you say that the ashes in the sky are extremely dangerous, Flood Dragon Emperor? If they fall while we’re out in the open, wouldn’t all our demon cultivators suffer terribly?”

Hearing this, the Flood Dragon Emperor turned to her, his expression firm. “Precisely because of that, we must move now!”

“If the ashes do not fall, then all is well. But if they do, our demon race will not be the only ones to suffer.”

“This is a catastrophe for the entire Great Wu!”

“When chaos rises, so too does upheaval. Where disaster strikes, change begins!”

“Without destruction, there is no creation. If we wish to secure prosperity for demonkind across generations, now is our best chance!”

Seeing the unwavering determination in Flood Dragon Emperor’s gaze, Liu Shi hurriedly responded, “Y-Yes, it was cowardice on my part!”

Satisfied, Flood Dragon Emperor swept his sleeves and, together with Liu Shi, transformed into a streak of light, streaking toward the Demon Capital.

Four Corners Town, in front of the Universal Temple.

A small, slender figure sat cross-legged on the stone steps before the temple. She held an iron sword across her lap, slowly wiping its blade with a clean, white cloth.

Nearby, Temple Keeper Huang, leaning on his cane, gazed at the ominous sky with a deep frown. “A calamity, a calamity indeed! First, that blinding red light illuminated the world, and now these ashes cover the sky. That wretched heaven truly wants to wipe out all life in Great Wu…”

Hearing this, Qiao Min briefly paused in her movements and muttered, “Mr. Gu.”

“Mr. Gu?” Temple Keeper Huang asked in confusion. “Are you saying all of this is his doing?”

“No,” Qiao Min shook her head. “When the red light filled the heavens and turned night into day, the presence I felt… it was his sword that cleaved the sky.”

“As for this eerie ash accumulating above… I believe it’s the work of his enemies. Perhaps they couldn’t defeat him in battle and resorted to underhanded tricks, using the lives of the people as leverage.”

Temple Keeper Huang, hearing her reasoning, began pacing anxiously, his cane tapping against the ground. “If what you say is true, we must find a way to help Mr. Gu!”

“Help?” Qiao Min asked, puzzled. “Are Mr. Gu’s enemies something we can simply deal with?”

“Uh…” Temple Keeper Huang sighed. “But we can’t just do nothing either…”

At this, Qiao Min lowered her head, carefully folding the cloth she had used to wipe her sword. Setting it aside, she lifted the iron sword and gazed at its cold, frost-like edge, her voice calm.

“Doing what we must is the best way to help him.”

Temple Keeper Huang frowned. “And what would that be?”

Qiao Min lifted her eyes.

“Slaying demons!”