The Path of Suffering’s Embrace

“Buzz…” The Colorless Longsword in Su Mo’s hand began to transform, shifting to a pristine white.

Its pure, unblemished white, untouched by worldly dust, astonished Xu Qingzhu and Xiao Yao.

They found it hard to believe that the inner essence of a ‘Demoness Su’ could be such an immaculate white.

This transformation even stirred the Demon in the heavens, drawing its gaze to intently watch Su Mo’s metamorphosis.

“Mm.” Closing her eyes, Su Mo felt enveloped by darkness. From the gloom, countless figures emerged, reaching out to grasp her.

They struggled, as if having glimpsed a sliver of light, a final hope, expending their last vestiges of strength.

A voice informed her:

“These are all the innocent people who died in Dangyang County. Do you believe they are innocent?”

Ignoring the voice, Su Mo focused on activating the Nine-Tailed Fox Love Sutra, reaching out to touch and comprehend the suffering.

Pain, she realized, was not a singular entity; it manifested in myriad forms.

The souls and bodies of those innocently deceased commoners had long been devoured by the Sublimation Sacrifice, slowly sinking into oblivion.

Simultaneously, their grievances, regrets, guilt, and rage were likewise consumed and absorbed.

This energy was channeled into the Colorless Longsword, allowing its wielder to perceive the anguish within.

For ordinary individuals, such agony would inevitably consume all reason, amplifying the inner demon. This was precisely why the Sublimation Sacrifice required the Colorless Longsword as a key to forge a demonic body, first distorting the human mind.

Su Mo, however, was different. Having entered the Path of Suffering, these torments were no longer “toxins” to her.

Instead, they were nourishment.

“Mother, I’m so hungry…”

“I barely sold anything today, what will become of my child…”

“Why? Why do I have no talent…”

“He’s married, and the bride isn’t me. He lied to me…”

“Stop hitting me! I only have my old mother…”

…

The laments of countless people, the daily memories of Dangyang County, surfaced in her mind, cycle after cycle.

In that instant, she felt as though she had traversed countless ages, bearing witness to their lifelong suffering.

“How about it? Accept me, and you won’t have to endure this pain. You’ll be free and unfettered from then on.”

The voice continued its seductive whispers, imbued with immense interest.

It was the first time it had witnessed such a pure soul willingly grasp the Colorless Longsword.

‘If such a person were to willingly embrace demonhood, what kind of spectacle would they create?’

“Alas~” Su Mo sighed deeply, shaking her head.

“It seems there’s nowhere to escape these—life and death, sickness and pain, separation, misunderstanding, regret…”

“Become a demon, and you won’t have to concern yourself with these pains,” the voice chuckled, a hint of disdain in its tone.

Opening her eyes, a flash of crimson light appeared. Su Mo paid no heed to Xu Qingzhu before her, nor the childhood sweetheart behind him.

She understood clearly that the origin of all this suffering lay with the Demon above.

Her vermillion lips parted, and Su Mo spoke with a faint smile:

“You say becoming a demon allows one to escape?”

“Naturally.”

Overhearing this, Xu Qingzhu’s pupils constricted abruptly, and he immediately warned:

“Wife Su! You mustn’t!”

“W-Wife Su…” Lu Yanling’s eyes darkened.

Glancing down at him, Su Mo calmly addressed Xu Qingzhu:

“Be quiet, you fool.”

“…” Xu Qingzhu fell silent, as if struck by a devastating blow.

Lifting her gaze once more, her eyes swept past Xiao Yao’s wicked smile, and she found it utterly pathetic.

The one most deeply mired in depravity was none other than Xiao Yao. He had never even realized that his entire life was merely a play, meticulously orchestrated by others.

Her gaze ascended further, catching sight of the Demon, which, intrigued, cast down two massive, blood-red eyes.

Meeting Su Mo’s gaze, the Demon spoke for the first time in the presence of everyone:

“Little girl, are you not also presumptuous? What you see, is it not merely what your heart desires to see? Your insights are nothing but your own ignorant interpretations; you have blinded your own heart.”

“You’re right, I’ve never believed my choices were inherently correct. I merely wish to act with a clear conscience.” Su Mo retrieved her Storage Ring, glanced at it casually, and drew forth a flower, memories flooding her mind.

In that cave, Xu Qingzhu had once said:

“This is a Nine-Tailed Velvet Fox Flower. Those who consume it may obtain the Nine-Tailed bloodline; it’s an exceptionally rare treasure.”

“However, its greatest purpose is to purify the constitution of those with a Nine-Tailed lineage, allowing them to wield even more potent bloodline power.”

Nearby, Xu Qingzhu’s eyes flickered, gazing at the peculiar spirit plant in her hand.

His lips moved slightly, yet he uttered not a single sound.

With an indifferent glance at him, Su Mo consumed the Nine-Tailed Velvet Fox Flower.

It wasn’t born of absolute trust in him; Su Mo was simply striving for a future.

A future where Dangyang County could be saved.

“Oh?” The Demon noticed, finding it rather amusing.

It didn’t intervene, for such occurrences were exceedingly rare.

It merely wished to be entertained.

“Boom—!” A surge of aura erupted from Su Mo, and a fierce gale swept over the others.

Through the swirling wind, they almost believed a Nascent Soul expert had descended.

The transformation continued. Su Mo’s physique seemed to grow more enchanting; while there were no overt changes in her curves, an intrinsic allure emanated from her.

Yet, her demeanor became more restrained, devoid of any affectation, instead appearing natural and imbued with an ethereal quality.

Her silver hair stirred without a breeze. Beneath the Nine-Tailed mark on her brow, her captivating eyes remained undisturbed, as if the suffering surging in her heart was utterly negligible.

Behind her, a fox tail split into two, two fluffy white fox tails swaying gracefully.

“Two tails?! No, it’s the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan!” Someone exclaimed in surprise, finally comprehending Su Mo’s bloodline.

Among the demon race, the Nine-Tails were akin to royalty. Tens of thousands of years ago, the reigning Demon Emperor was an unparalleled powerhouse from the Nine-Tailed clan.

‘Why would such a rare and noble Nine-Tailed clan member appear in the mortal realm?’

‘Shouldn’t they remain within the demon race’s protection, receiving the finest care to strive for the emergence of another Demon Emperor?’

“Brother Xiaozhu! She’s actually from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan?!” Lu Yanling exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.

This implied that the demon race would undoubtedly oppose Xu Qingzhu and Su Mo being together.

The disparity in their statuses was too vast, and the demon race would never permit such a precious bloodline to languish in the mortal realm, much less among cultivators.

They knew that many powerful experts would personally descend to respectfully escort Su Mo back.

‘If they were to acknowledge Su Mo’s identity and bloodline…’

“Utterly fascinating! In that case, are you also willing to go all out for them?” The Demon suddenly spoke, its laughter like thunder, reverberating throughout Dangyang County.

One time… two times… four times spiritual power!

‘Do two fox tails signify a four-fold amplification? If it were nine tails, wouldn’t that be… five hundred and twelve times?! Hiss~’ Su Mo calculated, startling herself.

After sensing it, she largely understood: although she hadn’t yet comprehended the Golden Core Dao, she was already considered a Golden Core realm expert.

Coupled with the Path of Suffering.

The suffering of the entire city, its insights, flooded her mind.

She extended a hand, pinching two fingers in the void, and a black leaf materialized. Ordinary people, upon seeing it, would feel despair in their hearts.

With a casual toss, the black leaf drifted, flying behind her, where it rooted in the air, sprouted, and instantly grew.

“Rustle, rustle…” A black tree swayed in the air, its canopy obscuring an area ten li in circumference.

“The suffering of an entire city, have you ever felt it?” Su Mo raised the Dark Thunder Bow, using the Colorless Longsword as an arrow.

With her understanding of the Path of Suffering deepened, she had grasped the method of “transforming pain into power.”

Whether it was yours, his, or her own, anything she came into contact with could be absorbed and converted into power for her next strike.

Yes, to put it simply, it amplified her next attack.

The Colorless Longsword, by linking her to the suffering of the entire city, proved immensely helpful.

Had she relied solely on herself, she would at most absorb pain within a few dozen meters—a very limited range.

Using the Colorless Longsword as an arrow, a sword as a shaft, made Su Mo truly unprecedented.

Pinching her fingers to draw the bow, the towering black tree behind her began to shed its leaves.

Amidst the sky full of black leaves, lightning crackled around Su Mo, intertwining light and shadow.

“Little girl, you don’t seem to realize the danger,” the Demon said mockingly, anticipating her struggle.

With the bowstring already drawn, Su Mo furrowed her delicate brows, her voice firm:

“What do you mean?”