“Demon! You’re cornered—today is your last day!”

“Don’t even think of running! The Six Great Holy Lands have sealed off Sacred Beast Mountain completely. Even with heaven-defying power, you die here today!”

“Today, we slay you for the innocent disciples of every sect—to bring closure to their deaths and act for the sake of all living beings!!!”

“Don’t let him escape!!!”

Shouts and jeers swirled around him. A sea of righteous cultivators condemned the heinous demon, while the grating clash of blades against his weapon assaulted his senses.

“Same empty threats again. I’ve escaped who knows how many times—have you no shame?” He slowly opened his eyes, shooting a disdainful glance at the cultivators. His vision blurred slightly; his mind felt hazy.

His robes hung in tatters, slashed by blades, stained with blood. A fist-sized hole gaped in his abdomen—completely hollow. Yet he still stood tall, gripping a long saber drenched in deep crimson blood.

Not one of the righteous cultivators dared step closer. Like a disorganized mob, they raged impotently from afar.

“Qin Cheng! You’re gravely wounded—death is inevitable. Reveal the secrets of the Heavenly Palace now, and we might grant you a proper burial!”

Qin Cheng—a demon through and through, utterly devoid of humanity.

He had once cold-bloodedly sacrificed an entire small nation in a blood ritual, slaughtering every soul until rivers ran red and the air thickened with blood. When the cultivation world uncovered this atrocity, a global manhunt began—all for a single step in cultivation. He saw lives as worthless. Kidnappings, massacres, city-wide slaughters? Routine. Even heirs of the Six Great Holy Lands fell to his blade. After provoking the entire realm, he was hunted relentlessly. Cornered at last through ambush and overwhelming force, all sect elites gathered to end him.

Yet for Qin Cheng, this was merely a thrilling feast—fueling his madness.

A madman. A man chasing a twisted purpose, untamed and defiant. To him, slaughter was just a spark to ignite the world’s attention. He craved legacy. Even if infamous. Living freely like the wind had long soothed his fractured soul.

“Come on! Kill me! If you don’t step up, Grandpa’ll look down on you!”

*Damn… looks like I’m done for today.*

Qin Cheng weakly tightened his grip on the saber. Blurred sight, foggy mind—he knew his body was failing. Standing upright had drained his last strength. A bowstring stretched to breaking. Death was only a matter of time. Yet those fools still hesitated. A faint amusement flickered within him.

*If only I’d killed Ma and Pa earlier… they wouldn’t grieve when I’m gone, right?*

A fleeting thought in fading consciousness.

Eyelids grew heavy. Voices of the “righteous” blurred into noise. Only the soft drip of blood remained clear.

His eyes closed slowly.

He stood motionless—saber in hand, head bowed, silent.

Still, no one advanced.

Three sticks of incense burned in silence.

Whoosh!

A sword shot through the air like a meteor, shearing off his arm and slamming him to the ground. His saber clattered away, abandoned.

“He… dead?”

“The demon Qin Cheng is dead!”

“Justice prevails! The demon falls!”

“Wait—check the body! He might fake death again!”

“And the Heavenly Palace! Search him for clues!”

…

…

“This ungrateful brat! Causing trouble again! Does he think his recent stunts went unnoticed? Locked up and still sneaking out? If he keeps this up, I disown him!!!”

“Calm down… Little Cheng’s just timid and playful. As his father, please be understanding…”

The furious male voice and the woman’s gentle murmurs prickled Qin Cheng’s ears. His brows twitched slightly—a trace of irritation.

Back then, anyone who dared chatter like this would’ve lost their head in a blink.

Qin Cheng slowly opened his eyes. An unfamiliar white ceiling met his gaze.

He turned his head. Strange medical devices surrounded him. An IV drip hung from his right arm.

*What is this… some kind of formation?*