Simultaneous Transmigration: From Japanese Anime to American Comics

Chapter 154 – Shocking Turn! A Stable Triangle!

Chu Yang was at a loss over how to deal with Jiang Ming—not because he couldn't beat him, but because standing in front of him was an adorably innocent little girl.

Jiang Wan'er.

The daughter of Jiang Ming and a fox demon.

It was precisely because of Jiang Wan'er's existence that Jiang Ming hadn't completely fallen into the demonic path. A sliver of clarity still remained within him.

The moment Chu Yang entered the final level, he encountered Jiang Wan'er.

Sensing the presence of a living person on Chu Yang, Jiang Wan'er was first overjoyed, then frightened. She feared her father, lost to madness, would kill Chu Yang, and tried to persuade him to turn back.

Chu Yang hadn't expected the final level to contain Jiang Ming, but on second thought, it made perfect sense—there was no one stronger here.

Even the Heavenly Demon Emperor would be walking to his death against a fully corrupted Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming was a very special figure. Though he had triggered the catastrophe of Shu Mountain, it had been his beloved master and fellow disciples who had driven him into darkness.

If given a choice, he wouldn't have walked that path. But back then, no one gave him a choice—or rather, they forced him down a road he never wanted.

That generation of Sword Sect, from the sect leader Jiang Jue down to the disciples, had only themselves to blame. They reaped what they sowed—nothing more.

From beginning to end, Jiang Ming was more a victim of his circumstances than a true villain.

Chu Yang could kill the Heavenly Demon Emperor without hesitation, but when it came to Jiang Ming, he wavered.

"You'd better leave quickly. If Daddy loses control, you won't be able to escape!"

Jiang Wan'er tugged at Chu Yang's sleeve, anxiously urging him to go.

"Do you think he's in pain right now?"

Chu Yang suddenly asked.

Jiang Wan'er looked deeply at the door separating them from her father. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. "Of course he's in pain. Daddy lives with guilt every day. That guilt drives him mad, and in his madness, he kills more people. It's been a vicious cycle for years."

"He's lucid for shorter and shorter periods. Sooner or later, he'll become a demon who only knows how to kill. But I can't leave him—I'm his only family."

Chu Yang sighed. "I can try to free him, but he might die. Can you accept that?"

Jiang Wan'er stared at him, stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief. Was it really possible?

"Rather than completely falling into darkness, I think he'd rather be freed."

Jiang Wan'er gave a firm answer.

"Then wait outside."

Chu Yang slowly stepped through the door.

The current Jiang Ming was far more terrifying than the one from the original timeline. During his descent into madness, he had attracted the Heavenly Demons, and after death, his soul had been tainted by their aura. He now existed in a half-ghost, half-demon state.

In terms of sinister aura, even the Evil Sword Immortal might pale in comparison.

"Who are you?"

Jiang Ming tilted his head, his blood-red eyes filled with madness.

Chu Yang cupped his hands. "Junior Chu Yang greets Senior."

"A disciple of Shu Mountain?"

Jiang Ming recognized the robes Chu Yang wore. His tone suddenly became wooden, and in the next second, his pupils turned into a sea of blood.

Those two words—Shu Mountain—were like a trigger, provoking him to the extreme.

Jiang Ming instantly fell into madness.

"I was going to chat with you like the Sword Saint, but now I see there's no point."

Chu Yang sighed and summoned [Fengdu]. Waters of the Yellow Springs surged from the void, engulfing the frenzied Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming, who had been about to strike, froze as if under a petrification spell. He stood motionless, his face contorted in pain and struggle.

The waters of the Yellow Springs were highly damaging to soul bodies and could simultaneously wash away the demonic aura. With some luck, Jiang Ming might regain clarity before fading and say a few words to his daughter.

At first, Jiang Ming howled in pain, but as the demonic thoughts diminished, clarity returned to his eyes.

Though still suffering, it no longer seemed unbearable.

Eventually, his figure grew faint—like a dream, as if a single poke would shatter him.

"Thank you, young one. I've been in darkness for so many years, and now I can finally be conscious again."

Jiang Ming nodded slightly, a gentle smile on his face.

"There isn't much time. If you have something to say, say it to Jiang Wan'er."

Chu Yang turned to call Jiang Wan'er inside.

She hadn't spoken to Jiang Ming in so long that she was timid, stepping forward slowly.

"If you don't say anything soon, Senior will be gone."

Chu Yang gave her a gentle reminder and stepped outside, leaving the space to the father and daughter.

Within a few breaths, Jiang Wan'er's cries echoed from inside. She hadn't even had a chance to feel her parents' love before losing them both, one after the other.

When Chu Yang went back in, Jiang Ming was already gone. His soul, cleansed by the Yellow Springs, had qualified for reincarnation. Otherwise, tainted as it was with demonic aura, it would've been obliterated.

Jiang Wan'er tearfully thanked Chu Yang, who merely waved it off as he turned to examine the formation around them.

As the lowest level of the Demon-Sealing Tower, this was the foundation of the entire structure—naturally the area with the most formations.

Recording everything would take considerable time.

Chu Yang didn't mind Jiang Wan'er being nearby. Right in front of her, he pulled out various pieces of high-tech equipment. The little girl, still crying a moment ago, was instantly distracted, and the tears stopped.

After all, given her identity, no one would believe anything she said even if she told them. Besides, she wouldn't be staying at Shu Mountain anyway.

Meanwhile, outside the tower, the situation had taken a dramatic turn.

Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal arrived together and suddenly ambushed Qingwei and the others who were maintaining the formation, stealing the Five Spirit Pearls.

The Five Spirit Formation collapsed instantly.

The situation they'd fought so hard to stabilize fell apart in an instant, and the tower, which had already been mostly repaired, began to crumble again.

"Damn it! I let my guard down!"

Seeing that things were going smoothly on Chu Yang's end, the Sword Saint Du Gu had relaxed—but now, he erupted in fury. With a roar, countless sword auras surged toward Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal.

The Drunken Sword Immortal was equally enraged. He hurled his wine gourd to the ground and used his sword techniques to trap the two enemies, assisting his senior brother in destroying the wicked pair.

Xu Changqing ran frantically toward Qingwei and Cang Gu, overwhelmed by a fear he had never felt before.

Li Xiaoyao and Jing Tian also prepared to move, but Lin Yueru grabbed them.

"We'll handle things here. You two go help Senior Sword Saint and the Drunken Sword Immortal. You must not let Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal escape with the Five Spirit Pearls!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyao charged toward Bai Yue, with Jing Tian wielding the Demon Sword right behind him.

Turning back, Lin Yueru saw Xu Changqing clutching Cang Gu, his face deathly pale, and her heart sank.

"Brother Xu, get a hold of yourself. Quickly, give them the Blood Bodhi!"

Lin Yueru grabbed Xu Changqing's robes and shook him hard. Xu Changqing gave a bitter smile.

"Miss Lin, I've already given them the Blood Bodhi, but it's no use. The wounds on our masters are infested with evil thoughts, like maggots in the bones, preventing them from healing."

Xu Changqing's voice trembled. He was terrified the elders he respected would die.

"Snap out of it!"

Tang Xuejian slapped Xu Changqing across the face and shouted, "You're the only one who can save them! Do whatever comes to mind!"

Taking a deep breath, Xu Changqing steadied Qingwei and Cang Gu, then transferred his own spiritual energy into them to resist the evil aura's corrosion.

Lin Yueru followed suit, supporting Elder Jingming and infusing him with her true essence.

Although Tang Xuejian wasn't very powerful, she was a divine tree fruit imbued with holy energy. With the help of the Five Poison Beast, she could barely assist one of the elders in resisting the evil thoughts.

The last elder was aided by Long Kui. As the Demon Sword's spirit, she was naturally adept at dealing with such demonic influences.

Thus, they barely managed to keep Qingwei and the others alive. But as time went on, they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

Everyone understood that their only hope now lay with Chu Yang inside the tower.

"Don't pin all your hopes on him. If he hadn't been maintaining the formation from within, the tower would've collapsed long ago!"

A crimson figure suddenly appeared.

"Red-Hair—" Tang Xuejian stopped mid-sentence as she caught the icy look from Chonglou. She quickly corrected herself, "Senior Demon Lord, you're just in time—please help us!"

Chonglou glanced at the gravely wounded elders and replied flatly, "My deal was to protect you people from dying. The old guys like Qingwei weren't part of the agreement."

Tang Xuejian protested, "That's not fair! If anything happens to Qingwei and the others, Daoist Xu and Daoist Chu will be heartbroken. If that leads to their deaths from grief, doesn't that still count as you breaking your promise?"

Chonglou's eye twitched, and after a long pause, he muttered, "Women really are unreasonable."

Lin Yueru snapped, "If you're not going to help us, then go help Li Xiaoyao and Jing Tian. Kill Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal. That should fulfill your agreement, right?"

Chonglou's lips curled. "They're not in mortal danger. I'm not helping."

Tang Xuejian glared at him. "Fine! Don't help! You're just here to watch us suffer!"

At that moment of stalemate, a calm, cold voice rang out.

"If the Demon Lord won't help, then allow me. But I must ask the Demon Lord to leave Shu Mountain, a place of purity."

Zixuan suddenly appeared, the Sacred Spirit Pearl in hand, walking step by step toward them. She said to Xu Changqing, "The repairs to the Demon-Sealing Tower are nearly complete. The Sacred Spirit Pearl shares the same origin as the Five Spirit Pearls—it can be split to provide the final bit of energy needed."

Xu Changqing and Chonglou both spoke in unison: "No!"

Xu Changqing shook his head firmly. "If you do that, the Sacred Spirit Pearl will be completely destroyed. You won't survive!"

"I've lived a long time—that's enough." Zixuan smiled radiantly. "Now that I've reunited with Ling'er and spent time with her, my heart is content."

Still, Xu Changqing shook his head. "No!"

Zixuan's gaze softened. She walked to Xu Changqing, gently touched his hair, and whispered, "I'm leaving. You must cultivate well and pursue immortality."

Xu Changqing could only watch helplessly as Zixuan walked toward the tower, his hands still holding Qingwei and Cang Gu's lives—unable to move.

"Such a useless fool!"

Chonglou didn't even know if he was cursing Xu Changqing or himself. After the outburst, he strode forward and placed his hand on the Demon-Sealing Tower.

A surge of powerful demonic energy enveloped the tower, instantly replenishing the energy needed for its restoration.

Almost at the same moment, the clear sound of sword cries rang out. [Fengdu] flew out from the tower's summit, followed by Chu Yang's figure.

[Fengdu] headed straight for the wounded elders, summoning the Yellow Springs to purge the evil within them, while Chu Yang charged directly at Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal.

"DIE!!!"

Rage surged through every inch of Chu Yang's body. Since arriving in this world, he had never been this furious.

Behind him, the phenomenon of the sun and moon appearing in the sky simultaneously manifested. His upgraded True Origin Martial Body exuded an even more overwhelming pressure, radiating an aura so intense it sent chills down the spine with every move he made.

The sun and moon hung high—oppressing all under heaven!

Chu Yang raised his fist and brought it down with tremendous force. In an instant, the entire space trembled violently!

Underfoot, Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal were suddenly forced downward, the terrifying momentum of Chu Yang's punch pressing down on them so fiercely they could barely stay on their feet.

The two figures flickered—and vanished.

A moment later, the spot where they had stood exploded with a deafening boom and collapsed inward, unleashing wave-like shockwaves that rippled outward like a tsunami!

Even the nearby Sword Saint and others were caught in the aftershocks!

High above in the sky, Chu Yang exuded an awe-inspiring presence that made it hard to breathe—like a god descending.

Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal exchanged glances; the thought of retreat sparked in their minds. The Five Spirit Pearls were already in hand—there was no need to risk everything now.

Faced with this terrifying Chu Yang—plus the Sword Saint and the others—they stood virtually no chance of victory.

Fortunately, the Demon Lord showed no signs of taking action. If he had, Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal would've fled at the very first moment and never stayed to fight.

Chu Yang sensed their intentions and immediately activated Universal Pull. A terrifying suction yanked the Evil Sword Immortal, making his body stagger—causing the Five Spirit Pearls to fly from his grasp.

"Damn it!"

The Evil Sword Immortal tried to lunge forward and reclaim them, but a razor-sharp sword aura suddenly slashed toward him, forcing him to fall back.

The Sword Saint, using his finger as a blade, unleashed the Ten Thousand Sword Art. Countless sword auras swirled like a tempest and slammed into the Evil Sword Immortal, sending him flying.

Storing the Five Spirit Pearls, Chu Yang summoned [Fengdu] and opened the Death Gate, preparing to fully subdue the Evil Sword Immortal.

The appearance of the ghostly gate shattered the Evil Sword Immortal's final mental defenses. For the first time, panic appeared on his face.

Without hesitation, he turned to flee!

Suddenly—

The ground cracked open with a massive rift, and a gigantic demon beast burst from below, blocking everyone's attacks.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal vanished.

Chu Yang glanced at the sudden beast but didn't take it to heart. He left it to the Sword Saint and the others, then flew to Cang Gu's side.

Now that the evil thoughts no longer lingered, his injuries quickly healed under the effects of the Blood Bodhi.

The same went for the others.

Only then did Chu Yang breathe a sigh of relief. He began to reflect on himself—he shouldn't have underestimated Bai Yue and the Evil Sword Immortal. Their surprise attack had nearly succeeded.

Had it not been for the prior agreement with the Demon Lord, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The collapse of the Demon-Sealing Tower was secondary. The real danger was that Qingwei and the others had nearly died. If all five of them had perished, the Evil Sword Immortal—being of the same origin—could have absorbed their cultivation in one fell swoop and ascended directly to become an Outer World Heavenly Demon.

Thankfully, the worst didn't come to pass. Chu Yang learned a painful lesson—next time, he was definitely going to squeeze more out of Chonglou. That guy really came in clutch when it counted!

But that would have to wait. Right now, there was something even more pressing to deal with.

Not far away, Chonglou was staring intently at Zixuan.

Zixuan, eyes full of tenderness, was gazing at Xu Changqing.

Xu Changqing, in turn, was glaring furiously at Chonglou.

The three of them formed a perfect triangle.

Chu Yang couldn't help but sigh, "Such a stable shape."