Chapter 44

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In truth, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable had summoned his people to the shore of Mirror Lake only because he had no other choice.

He knew perfectly well that Su You was an outsider from beyond their world, just like those outsiders who might be sent away through the teleportation array at any moment.

Su You, too, might leave at any time because of a teleportation.

Now, to the people of the Netherworld Clan, Su You was the only savior they had found after languishing for thousands of years.

If they had never seen hope before, perhaps they could have continued enduring their suffering for a little longer.

But things were different now.

Now, within their endless torment, they had glimpsed the hope of being reborn—and if that hope suddenly left them…

The Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable dared not imagine what madness and despair would overtake his people then.

Perhaps, at that point, every member of the Netherworld Clan throughout the Nether Domain who had yet to break free of the curse would completely collapse. From then on, the Nether Domain would become nothing more than a burial ground and cursed land for the Netherworld Clan.

Therefore, to guard against the worst, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable had no choice but to do everything in his power to help Youyou—the Netherworld Clan’s sole hope—break the curse as quickly as possible.

Yet according to what he had sensed before, breaking the curse required the little one to come into contact with his people.

That contact could not be through empty air.

In his urgency, he had thought of water as a medium. Only the water of Mirror Lake could hold such a vast number of Netherworld Clan members and allow them to come into contact with the little one through it.

And besides…

Within Mirror Lake, which was as terrifying as a nightmare from the realm of ghosts to the Netherworld Clan, the curse inside their bodies would be magnified without limit.

Then… what of the purity and kindness in the little one’s heart?

There was no existence in this world that was purely and absolutely life or death. Since Mirror Lake could magnify their curses and evil thoughts, making them suffer unbearable agony within its waters…

Then surely, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable thought, the lake could magnify the kindness in the little one’s heart as well.

What would happen after that kindness and purity came into contact with the Netherworld Clan within Mirror Lake?

Carrying this hope and speculation, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable carefully placed the little one on a lotus leaf floating upon the lake. Then he guided the child to put his hand into the water.

As he watched the little one obediently follow his instructions, the heart of the mighty Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable could not help but grow tense. His heart raced, afraid that his conjecture might be wrong, and afraid that Su You, the hope of the Netherworld Clan, might be forced to leave their Nether Domain before he could save more of its people.

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Just as the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable’s heart was pounding frantically, the tiny child crouched on the lotus leaf and, as requested, reached into the water with undisguised curiosity.

Although he did not know why Mingming wanted him to do this, Su You truly liked the beautiful lake very much… He had wanted to play in the water for ages!

But Teacher Sunflower had once told him that children were not allowed to play in water carelessly!

So earlier, he had stared longingly at the water’s edge for a long time without daring to touch it.

But now…

Now Mingming was asking Youyou to help! So he was not playing in the water carelessly! Besides, Mingming was right beside him, so even though Youyou was a child, he was allowed to touch the water!

With this tiny bit of “mischief” in his heart, Su You eagerly reached out and placed his little plump hand into the waters of Mirror Lake.

“Wow!”

The instant his hand touched the surface, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable stared at him nervously and asked seriously, “Youyou, do you feel uncomfortable?”

While quietly stirring the water with his hand and sending ring after ring of ripples across the surface, Su You turned toward the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable and said happily, “Wow, Youyou doesn’t feel uncomfortable!”

As he spoke, he stirred the water twice more and said with delight, “Wow, Mingming, the water here is so pretty and feels so nice!”

Seeing Su You’s reaction, the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. At least, just as he had expected, Mirror Lake had no adverse effect on the child in his arms!

Yet when he heard the little one’s answer, a dull ache rose in his chest. How could he not know how beautiful Mirror Lake and its waters were?

Before Mirror Lake became the Netherworld Clan’s place of curse-breaking—or rather, before the ancient Netherworld Clan had been cursed at all—its waters had been the most beautiful sight in the entire Nether Domain.

Even cultivators would be unable to keep from becoming intoxicated by such breathtaking scenery.

But after the people of the Netherworld Clan were cursed, the lake changed from a beautiful, spiritually rich place into a site where they came to break their curses—or, in the end, a place of utter despair…

From then on, the people of the Netherworld Clan no longer wished to approach Mirror Lake.

Only when they sensed that they could no longer endure would they emerge from the various corners of the Nether Domain where they had hidden themselves and trudge heavily toward the lake…

Before destroying themselves completely and dying, they would seek one last thread of hope within Mirror Lake.

Sadly, from the moment the Netherworld Clan was cursed, no one had ever truly gained a new life through the lake.

Thus, this beautiful Mirror Lake had long since ceased to be the scenic wonder it once was. It had become a beautiful burial ground for the Netherworld Clan.

…

When the members of the Netherworld Clan followed the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable’s instructions and entered Mirror Lake one after another, they had already prepared themselves to die within its waters.

And when they first touched the lake, they indeed felt the aura of the curse that caused them unbearable agony growing stronger and stronger. Every member of the Netherworld Clan who entered the water could not help but writhe and thrash in pain.

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But…

Just as they felt they were about to reach their limits, a cool, soothing presence flowed through the lake and washed over their bodies.

“What… what is this aura?”

The first to sense it were the Netherworld Clan members who had entered the lake earliest and were closest to the lotus leaf where Su You sat.

By instinct, they began moving toward the source of that soothing presence. And then…

Then they saw the little one playing in the water with his hand.

The Netherworld Clan member closest to the child was startled when he realized that he had unknowingly drifted so near to him. After all, for thousands of years he had grown accustomed to his own ugliness and repulsiveness. Yet even knowing how hideous and disgusting he was, he would still be tormented whenever he accidentally caught sight of his own appearance.

That was why the people of the Netherworld Clan always hid themselves in swamps and deep mountains, leaving themselves no opportunity to see their own revolting features.

But now, in the water, he had suddenly come face-to-face with such an adorable child…

The Netherworld Clan member instinctively backed away twice, yet he could not bear to leave the sensation of that soothing presence washing over his body.

His thoughts were in turmoil. He feared that he was about to frighten the child into tears.

But then he saw the little one gazing at him with curiosity and envy.

Su You stared at the Netherworld Clan member before him and said eagerly, “Hello! Is it fun to soak in the water?”

The Netherworld Clan member looked at the child in stunned disbelief. There was not the slightest trace of fear or disgust in his eyes—only simple curiosity and envy…

But… curiosity and envy?

What could he possibly envy? This repulsive appearance?

When the Netherworld Clan member thought of that, he instinctively lowered his head and glanced at the surface of the water.

In the reflection, he saw that… he seemed to have escaped the hideous appearance imposed by the curse and returned to the face he had once possessed.

At that moment, the Netherworld Clan member stared at the water in disbelief. Then he looked up at the child on the lotus leaf and at the Ten Thousand Nether Demon Venerable holding him…

Two streams of tears slipped down his face before he even realized it.

It seemed that he had been saved.

The Netherworld Clan… it seemed that they had been saved.