Chapter 104: Burning Jade and Common Ruin
Pei Qi’s words were spoken casually, but they were loud enough for everyone present to hear.
Sacred Artifact.
Not a Divine Artifact.
Feng Shi frowned. Like everyone else, his first thought was the Great War between Immortals and Demons a hundred years ago.
Legend had it that the biggest trigger for that war was a Sacred Artifact.
However, until the war ended—after months of fighting that left both sides heavily wounded—the Sacred Artifact had never appeared.
No one had ever seen it. The seniors who experienced that war were either dead or injured, nearly all of them having vanished from the world.
As a result, there were many conflicting rumors in the cultivation world today regarding the war and the artifact. The most widely accepted theory was that the Sacred Artifact didn’t actually exist and was merely a fabrication by the Demon Race as an excuse for the invasion.
But now, what was the Sacred Artifact Pei Qi was talking about?
Feng Shi asked Qing Qing.
Qing Qing remained silent. It thought it already knew what this so-called “Sacred Artifact” was.
But…
It couldn’t say. It couldn’t explain.
Shen Songhe, however, didn’t show much of a reaction upon hearing the words “Sacred Artifact.”
A trickle of dark red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He forced himself to stay upright without kneeling and sneered, “There is no such thing as a Sacred Artifact…”
Pei Qi was clearly unsatisfied with this answer. His expression turned grim. Demonic qi condensed into a claw-like shape, clutching Shen Songhe’s slender neck. He sneered, “Still stubborn?”
“That Senior Brother of yours doted on you the most. Since he’s dead, the item would only be left to you!”
“For a hundred years, you’ve hidden in the Chongshan Sect. It was truly difficult to get my hands on you. This time, even if I have to dig out your Dantian, I will find that Sacred Artifact!”
He had done this once a hundred years ago, and today, he was still unwilling to give up.
A faint flush began to appear on Shen Songhe’s pale face from the lack of air. A trace of bitterness surfaced in his eyes.
Rumor had it that the Sacred Artifact could reverse time, fulfill many of a person’s regrets, and forcefully change fate.
But… if such a treasure truly existed in this world, why would he have had to desperately hang onto life for a hundred years, just to wait for this moment?
Seeing him like this, Pei Qi felt incredibly frustrated. He further threatened, “If you refuse to hand it over, not a single person in this secret realm will live!”
As he spoke, he tightened his grip. His eyes showed a bloodthirsty, frenzied killing intent. A faint, barely perceptible bloody aura floated within the demonic qi surrounding him.
Only at this moment did it feel real—this man wasn’t some refined, noble young master, but a Demon Venerable who killed without blinking, possessing a heart as cold as stone.
Feng Shi couldn’t bear to see the frail Shen Songhe being treated this way. His usually smiling face was now filled with gloom.
Brute force couldn’t break the rope, so he would use an item.
[Host, the system has detected that you are once again in a life-or-death crisis. Would you like to use the Gift Pack item “Heart-Piercing Arrow”? This item can slay a Void Refinement stage expert. If you use it twice in a row against Pei Qi, you will have a 50% chance of victory.]
An item that could kill a Void Refinement expert only had a 50% win rate against Pei Qi?
Feng Shi was momentarily dazed.
[If both shots hit the heart directly, the host will have a 70% win rate and a 100% escape rate.]
[This item requires the host to initiate it from a close distance, restricted to within three steps. Do you decide to use it on the Demon Venerable Pei Qi?]
Feng Shi snapped back to reality and asked, “What about that ‘Life Loop’? Can I use that?”
In the system, the description for that item’s function was still hidden and couldn’t be viewed.
[Apologies. Under the current circumstances, that item is not applicable.]
It seemed the only system item he could use for now was the “Heart-Piercing Arrow.” Feng Shi no longer hesitated and clicked confirm.
[Target locked. When you wish to activate the item, silently chant ‘Heart-Piercing Arrow’ in your mind.]
At some point, Qing Qing had stopped speaking. The one communicating with Feng Shi was now the cold, mechanical voice of the system.
However, Feng Shi didn’t have time to think about it.
Using an item to break the restraints on his hands and feet, he shattered the shackles on Wu Cheng at maximum speed. Then, he swung his sword. A chilling sword light shot out, accurately striking the wrist Pei Qi used to choke Shen Songhe.
Pei Qi was entirely focused on the Sacred Artifact. For a moment, he was caught off guard, and his grip loosened.
Turning his head, he saw that the “puppy” he had tied up so well had actually run out again.
A hint of ferocity appeared on his face. A ball of demonic qi, as dense as a solid object, condensed in his palm and was pushed toward Feng Shi.
Feng Shi dodged to the side, only a corner of his clothes catching some of the black qi. With a spin, he ignored everything else and charged toward Shen Songhe.
To his surprise, at the very last moment, the person half-kneeling on the ground used all his strength to strike Feng Shi’s chest, forcefully pushing him away.
“Shizun?”
Having been struck, the blood in Feng Shi’s chest churned. He looked over in disbelief.
In his peripheral vision, the surrounding scenery retreated rapidly, and the person before him grew further and further away.
Shen Songhe held his neck with one hand. His snow-white hair was tangled on the ground, stained with green mud at some point.
He looked at Feng Shi, a faint smile still on his face. His voice trembled as he transmitted his thoughts: “Xiao Shi, be good. Leave first.”
Like a magnolia blossom falling from its branch, left to be trampled, it gave one the sudden glimpse of a tragic end.
Seeing him like this, Feng Shi felt a sharp, dense pain in his heart, as if it were being scorched by fire or pricked by needles. It was unbearable.
The dull pain stimulated his eyes, making them increasingly wet. The unease in his heart reached its peak. Feng Shi gripped Wu Cheng tightly, forcefully resisting the residual spiritual pressure Shen Songhe had left in his body, and flew back on his sword.
However, just then, a pop suddenly echoed in his ears.
Feng Shi looked up and saw a transparent, spherical barrier rapidly descending from above. In the blink of an eye, it completely encased him.
Realizing what was happening, Feng Shi gritted his teeth and kicked it.
But the barrier was extremely elastic; the force of his kick was entirely distributed, making it impossible to break.
“Shen Songhe! What are you doing?!” Unable to break free, Feng Shi shouted, his eyes filled with bitterness.
His brow was deeply furrowed as he continuously attacked the barrier with Wu Cheng, but his strength felt as if it were hitting thin air, finding no purchase.
The thing restraining Feng Shi was an Immortal Artifact, unaffected by Pei Qi’s domain.
Thus, the artifact carried Feng Shi all the way out, further and further away from Shen Songhe.
Feng Shi’s heart was in a state of panic. Looking at the man whose features were gradually blurring, for a moment, it seemed as if this scene overlapped with something else. An unknown emotion made his heart ache intensely.
Seeing the person being sent away, Pei Qi’s expression turned several times uglier. He stepped forward and grabbed Shen Songhe: “In that case, I will first overturn your Dantian and take the Sacred Artifact!”
With those words, the demonic aura around him exploded, swallowing Shen Songhe along with it.
The emotions in Feng Shi’s heart were indescribable, but they surged through his spiritual veins, causing his spiritual energy to go berserk. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He still had the “Heart-Piercing Arrow”…
He still had a chance…
Shen Songhe cannot die!
Holding his chest, only this one thought remained in Feng Shi’s mind.
Looking at the last of his points on the system panel, he didn’t hesitate to buy an item that could break the restraint of the Immortal Artifact.
In the blink of an eye, the escape route Shen Songhe had fought so hard to provide was shattered by Feng Shi’s own hand.
Spitting out the remaining metallic taste in his mouth, Feng Shi stepped onto Wu Cheng and turned back without looking back.
There was fire in his eyes, but they were also full of determination.
Damn it, whether it was for the mission or for himself, as long as Shen Songhe was gone, Feng Shi wouldn’t be able to live anyway.
At worst, they would perish together! Burning jade and common ruin!
Translator’s Note: Feng Shi is really going all in! The term “Burning Jade and Common Ruin” (玉石俱焚) refers to a situation where the good (jade) and the bad (stone) are destroyed together—essentially a “taking you down with me” move.
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] President Shou Is Not a Total Shou](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-shou-is-not-a-total-shou-214x300.jpg)
