The Demon Heart Seed and a Hero’s Farewell

“No! No! No! I don’t want to kill anymore! I refuse to be the demoness’s tool! I want… I want freedom… I want to become stronger… I want to become even more powerful than the demoness…”

‘A Demon Heart Seed?’

This girl, known as Xiao Yuan, was actually a Demon Heart Seed!

Tou couldn’t believe his luck!

Having encountered a Human Heart Seed just yesterday, he now faced a Demon Heart Seed today; it seemed the demoness’s palace held a strange destiny for him.

‘But why had Xiao Yuan, the Demon Heart Seed, looked at him with such a complex expression at the end?’

“Stronger! Stronger! Stronger! Stronger!”

Now, she was rapidly repeating the words ‘stronger,’ her body beginning to swell, seemingly on the verge of transforming back into that ferocious large dog!

“What’s wrong with her?! Do you know her? Do you know anything? Never mind! We should just run!”

Tou had initially intended to ask the little loli in his arms for her opinion, but this transforming woman clearly spelled trouble!

He swiftly commanded the Ruyi Jingu Bang, now a rope, to shoot backward, eager to escape this perilous place.

“Eek! Don’t run! Sister Jie said Xiao Yuan is very gentle; she wouldn’t hurt us!”

“Can’t you see that look on her face, like she wants to devour us?! You brat, if you squirm again, I swear I’ll throw you off!”

Tou paid no heed to the little loli’s feelings; he had an undeniable sense that if he didn’t run, he would truly be eaten.

“You coward, run by yourself then! Just let me go!”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! If you hadn’t saved my life, I would have tossed you long ago! And can’t you see?! That lunatic is already catching up, you idiot! You want to stay? In her crazed state, she definitely won’t let us go!”

Behind them, Xiao Yuan proved surprisingly clever, mimicking his method by controlling black ropes to fly rapidly through the air, twice as fast as Tou.

As she closed in, the little loli in his arms continued to squirm, demanding to be let down, nearly driving him to distraction.

“She’s really catching up! You’re so slow, I truly don’t know why I saved a weakling like you! When she finally catches us, remember I just saved your life, and please, throw me out!”

The little loli, peeking over Tou’s shoulder, indeed saw Xiao Yuan closing in, her expression utterly ferocious, which immediately made her change her mind.

Tou felt no joy; it seemed this little loli truly wasn’t sent by his masters to protect him, and a pang of disappointment resonated within him.

Still, Tou found solace in the thought that even if the little loli hadn’t spoken, he would have thrown her far, far away regardless!

It would be enough if only he were eaten!

“Alright! There’s a large hole in the cave ceiling ahead; I’ll throw you out there in a moment. Be careful not to land on anything sharp!”

Tou saw the large hole in the cave ceiling—the very one the Monkey King had shattered with his fist-shadows earlier—and a thought crossed his mind: ‘Finally, I can get rid of this annoying little loli.’

“Don’t you dare think I’m stu—… pid—… Aaaah!”

Farewell, then!

Having tossed the little loli away, Tou felt an immense sense of relief.

It wasn’t just the satisfaction of getting rid of that bothersome little thing; it was the profound sense of accomplishment from finally saving someone, a feeling that made him believe he was truly becoming an adult.

Now, it was his turn to face the danger alone!

Even if it meant death, he had to keep the Demon Heart Seed occupied for as long as possible, ensuring the little loli had ample time to escape.

‘Seriously! I’m about to die, I should be distraught, yet why do I feel a strange sense of excitement?’ Tou mused with a bitter smile.

Perhaps it was because what he was doing now felt very much like an adult’s responsibility!

At the very least, in front of the little loli, he was embodying the role of a big brother.

“Ugh… Ah!”

Being an adult is truly difficult!

A black rope pierced Tou’s shoulder, his recently healed body once again suffering injury.

It hurt so much!

No matter how many times it happened, the pain was excruciating!

It felt as if he were on the verge of death!

Yet, Tou refused to stop!

He had to hold on a little longer, giving the little loli more time to get away.

He couldn’t give up; even if it killed him, he wouldn’t stop running!

He was an adult now!

What were these minor injuries compared to that?

“Die!”

After the black rope skewered Tou’s shoulder, it swiftly coiled, attempting to entangle his body.

This would allow Xiao Yuan to catch him even faster!

Determined to stop her, Tou activated the Ruyi Jingu Bang’s transformation ability, morphing it into an enormous rod—no, its sheer girth meant it was no mere rod, but a colossal pillar that five or six people holding hands could barely encircle.

The colossal pillar materialized, first isolating the two as they drew near, then abruptly shooting backward, intent on smashing Xiao Yuan away!

It did indeed strike, sending Xiao Yuan flying a considerable distance backward.

However, Tou fared no better; he was ensnared by the ropes Xiao Yuan had shot, pulling him backward along with her.

The agony, as if his very bones and flesh were being torn apart, was something Tou could only endure through gritted teeth.

With the enormous pillar now separating them, Tou, to prevent Xiao Yuan from closing in further, expanded the pillar by another significant measure.

Within the relatively narrow cave, this action completely isolated them from each other.

This greatly extended the time he had left to live.

Yet, Tou remained trapped, bound by the unbreakable black ropes.

His only recourse was to channel spiritual energy into his Imperial Armament, making it extend even further!

Even if Xiao Yuan possessed the power to sever his Imperial Armament, it would still take her some distance to reach him.

‘No!’

Tou’s face suddenly contorted in shock; he had lost his connection to a significant portion of the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

It felt precisely as it had when Four-Master had seized his Imperial Armament before, as black stripes rapidly spread across his weapon.

Tou instinctively released his grip once more.

The colossal pillar he had painstakingly created was no longer his!

As the black pillar dissolved into an inky liquid on the ground, Xiao Yuan’s savage face appeared before him, plunging Tou into utter despair!

“If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with! I’m not afraid of you!”

This was, perhaps, Tou’s final act of defiance.

He then closed his eyes, his face etched with pain, awaiting death.

“I’m so sorry! If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to kill you! But! But you are truly vital to me!”

A soft, tearful voice reached his ears.

Xiao Yuan was indeed gentle, but her gentleness and Tou being eaten were two entirely separate matters!

“I only consumed a bit of your flesh and blood, and it allowed me to regain my human form, restoring my strength to the Heavenly Human Realm! You possess incredible energy, I’m certain of it! By devouring your heart, I will surely become an Emperor Sovereign! Once I have that power, I want to properly thank you. While I’m still lucid, please tell me if there’s any wish you haven’t fulfilled; I will definitely help you…”

“Shut up! My wishes! What good are they after I’m dead?!”

Hearing this, Tou grew furious; he had no desire for pity!

Especially not from the one about to kill him.

‘As for his wishes! Was he supposed to ask this person, who was about to murder him, to happily marry his masters?’

Tou would never agree to such a thing!

‘However, he… he did have some things he wanted Xiao Yuan to convey to his masters.’

‘But to entrust this to the person about to kill him… Never mind, he was dying anyway, why bother with such trivialities now!’

‘No more tsundere, no more tsundere!’

“Wishes, you ask? Then please, please tell my masters, tell them I love them! And I’m sorry, I was lazy and loved to eat, always making you angry. My temper was bad, too; it must have hurt terribly when I bullied you all. I really… really wish I could ask for your forgiveness!”

Tears welled in Tou’s eyes, quickly blurring his vision.

He longed even more to apologize to his masters directly, in their presence!

“And masters! I’m not a child anymore! Today, I helped a little loli escape, and I even helped the Little Monkey save her father! I’m amazing, aren’t I?! So, you don’t need to worry anymore! Even if I go to the Underworld, I can still take care of myself! Even without you… I… I can still live… live on my own!!!”

As Tou recounted his glorious deeds, a smile involuntarily bloomed on his face, imagining how proud his masters would be of his growth.

‘But with him gone, his masters… they would surely grieve for a very long time!’

‘He was truly terrible!’

‘But he couldn’t be underestimated!’

‘No more crying! No more crying!’

‘It’s just death, isn’t it?!’

‘It’s just never seeing his masters again, isn’t it?!’

‘It’s just never tasting delicious food again, isn’t it?!’

‘It’s just…’

‘But he was truly so unwilling to let go…’