Demon Sword Maiden

"Your Highness?" Lily was puzzled as she ran. Why did the Celestial Maiden projection call her that? Was it because of the costume she wore?

The projection flew swiftly, its sword brimming with immense obsession energy. Though ethereal, the sword glimmered like snow.

The sword shot forward with a powerful thrust toward Jamako.

Jamako, shocked, quickly blocked it with his iron fan. The weapon, made of a rare Spirit Treasure iron, was exceedingly uncommon in Yomi.

The clash of the weapons sent a shockwave through the battlefield, disrupting the winds.

The Celestial Maiden's sword shattered and dissipated upon impact, but Jamako's robust body shook, his thick arms going numb.

"My goodness, these Celestial Maidens are still so powerful despite being dead!" Jamako roared, his eyes grim. "That's why no one in Yomi dares to enter the Ancient Battlefield! There's nothing valuable here, just these damned annoying Celestial Maidens!"

Jamako quickly swung his palm.

Though it was merely an obsession manifested by a dead Celestial Maiden, Lily felt deep sadness watching it be destroyed by the ugly and menacing Jamako.

"Damn it! If she were a real Celestial Maiden, I could have fun after defeating her! I'm quite strong in Yomi. I want a few Celestial Maiden slaves too! But all the Celestial Maidens in the Ancient Battlefield are just damned Resentment Energy! No use whatsoever!" Jamako cursed as he swung his palm, having destroyed the projection.

"Chase the woman quickly!" urged the female demon.

Lily felt sad but could do nothing about it. She could only run quickly to escape.

"Why… Even though I'm not a Celestial Maiden and not their true sister, they've been laid to rest in this Ancient Battlefield for thousands of years, yet they're still willing to awaken and protect me. But I… I can only watch as that b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲…" Lily felt immense heartache, yet she could do nothing but escape. She couldn't do a thing!

"Stop right there!" the two infernal powerhouses shouted, chasing after her.

Lily relied on her instincts, running toward the pulse of sadness. She felt it growing stronger and closer. But the powerhouses behind her were also getting closer.

The female demon was close enough to strike with her whip. The whip, filled with malice and Yomi energy, swung toward Lily's back. The whip cut through the air with a deadly swish.

A projection, glimmering in silver light, leaped from the mountain rock. "Your Highness! Watch out!" It was another Celestial Maiden projection.

The projection charged at the female demon, forcing her to shift her focus.

Meanwhile, Jamako continued chasing Lily, his net appearing in his hand once again.

In the bleak Ancient Battlefield, flashes of light glimmered from various mountain locations. Multiple Celestial Maiden projections appeared, charging at the two powerhouses.

In moments, Jamako and the female demon began to panic, surrounded by several projections.

"Why are they… protecting me?" Lily looked on in disbelief. It was clear she had accidentally entered the Ancient Battlefield, yet many Celestial Maiden projections had awakened and risked themselves to protect her. Lily was momentarily stunned.

"Ah…" Suddenly, an intense pain exploded in her head. Lily, usually in great health, felt immense pain. It was so intense she couldn't help but kneel and scream, clutching her head.

"Ah… Ah…"

Her vision began to blur under the immense pain. The surroundings alternated between bleakness and mist. Cold winds sometimes caressed her hair, while screams and hot, stinky winds blew on her face.

Her vision stabilized, but suddenly she saw herself flying through a burning hell at unimaginable speeds. It was too quick for her mind to comprehend the changing scenery, leaving her disoriented as her vision went blank.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

Flustered shouts from Celestial Maidens echoed everywhere. But Lily, dazed, could only hear noise, unable to comprehend it.

A giant Demon God, as big as a mountain, suddenly appeared before her eyes. Then, white light flashed randomly, and it disappeared. It seemed she had either teleported or pierced through the giant demon's body.

Painful cries from Celestial Maidens and screams from demons filled the air. She sensed an incredibly oppressive and powerful force behind her.

Lily wanted to look back, but everything was moving too fast. Countless terrifying arrows and dark energies flew toward her. She felt her soul trembling in fear, unsure if she had been struck. Every fiber of her being, even her willpower, felt shattered.

"Ah!" Lily screeched in pain, tumbling to the floor, unable to handle the tremendous mental pressure1.

"Your Highness… Your Highness…"

Lily lay on the cold, hard ground and slowly opened her eyes, seeing an injured Celestial Maiden child in front of her. She seemed incredibly young, barely a teenager, her body filled with injuries and becoming translucent.

The young Celestial Maiden's gaze held a hint of pain and unwillingness. Yet, after seeing Lily, her eyes flashed with anticipation and peace. "Your Highness… avenge… us…"

A lethal wound in the shape of a fist, likely caused by Jamako, marred the child's back. She dissipated into stardust before Lily, scattering into the wind.

Lily remained dazed, her head throbbing with occasional bursts of pain.

"No way. I can't keep going like this!" Lily thought, determination flooding her mind. Ignoring the pain, Lily painstakingly lifted herself off the ground. She looked back to see several Celestial Maiden projections still surrounding the two Infernal powerhouses.

Being mere manifestations of obsession energy, they couldn't last long in battle. Jamako and the female demon destroyed them one by one, causing them to dissipate into white mist. Yet, they continued attacking without hesitation!

Even in death, the Celestial Battle Maidens preserved their fighting spirit!

Lily's heart swelled with inspiration. She felt an urge to rush over and fight these powerhouses without hesitation.

However, the passionate shouts, their reckless protection, and their determined gazes tortured Lily. She felt hurt, angered, and saddened, yet an exceptional calmness, almost cruel, washed over her.

"My fighting strength is weaker than these Celestial Maiden projections. Even if I rushed over, I wouldn't be able to injure them. It's pointless. It would only make their sacrifices in vain!"

"I… I… I can only run! I must escape!"

Tears welled up as Lily's heart ached, but this realization filled her with unimaginable determination.

"Run!" Lily turned and ran without hesitation.

"Damn it, don't let her escape!" the female demon shouted.

Multiple Celestial Maiden projections emerged and surrounded them without hesitation, forcing the powerhouses to a standstill.

"Your Highness…" A Celestial Maiden projection with flowing hair sighed in relief as Lily escaped. "Avenge us…"

Jamako's heavy punch destroyed the projection, scattering it into mist.

After expending a lot of energy, they finally destroyed all the projections and resumed their chase after Lily.

"Oh no!" Despite escaping at full speed, the powerhouses chased her just as fast as before, seemingly unaffected by the previous combat. Lily felt helpless in comparison.

The sense of sadness grew stronger. She had lost all sense of direction, overwhelmed by the ocean of sorrow she felt. Lily rushed to a high place and stopped abruptly, seeing an incredibly deep trench before her.

She couldn't see the bottom of the trench, and both sides seemed endless, like a crack through the ground itself. Aside from general corrosion due to age, the trench was incredibly smooth.

It was as if the ground had been sliced open by an incredibly sharp blade, 10,000 miles long.

"Could this be… a blade cut?" Lily was shocked. Could this massive trench, which severed the ground itself, have been caused by a sword slash?

What kind of existence could achieve such a feat?

As the powerhouses approached and Lily had nowhere to go, she sensed unimaginable energy radiating from the trench. This ancient weapon scar still felt capable of vaporizing her at any moment.

She dared not cross the trench. However, the two Infernal powerhouses were right behind her.

Yet, the pulse of unending sadness was on the opposite side of the trench.

"Huh?" Lily was frightened by the horrifying energy from the trench but realized it also carried a hint of familiarity.

"This… familiar feeling… The Lunar Heavenly Path! This trench is releasing energy from the Lunar Heavenly Path!"

A black figure loomed behind her. Jamako had arrived.

"Woman! You can't run!"

At that moment, Lily noticed a weakened Celestial Maiden projection on the other side of the trench. It crossed and charged at Jamako.

"What? This Celestial Maiden projection crossed the powerful energy field unharmed? She might just be a projection, but…"

The weakened projection didn't last long, risking everything to stop the powerhouses.

"Your Highness! You can't die! Even if I shatter my bones, I must protect you!"

Determination flashed in Lily's eyes.

With a solemn look, she jumped and floated across the trench. The horrifying pulse of energy scattered her hair and clothes but didn't harm her. Surprisingly, as she crossed, a complex hint of the Lunar Heavenly Path entered her mind, enhancing her comprehension.

Concepts that had previously baffled her instantly became clear as Lily felt a flash of inspiration.

"I see… So this is it… This is the secret behind the Lunar Heavenly Path!"

Lily landed on the other side of the trench. At that moment, she was enveloped by an ocean of sadness.

"This… This is…"

Clouds rolled across the sky above. Dark purple light illuminated her feet and the strange landscape around her.

Lily felt her heart pounding. Countless glowing crystals were scattered on the ground, too many to count. The crystals were scattered across the wilderness, making her feel like she was stepping on stars.

Lunar Crystals. These were all Lunar Crystals! Endless amounts of Lunar Crystals2!