In Gao Qiumin’s courtyard, the little demon servant he cherished had been stripped of her luxurious clothes and viciously whipped fifty times. The steward, settling a personal grudge because Xie Xuechen had struck him and taken her away for a day, falsely accused her of stealing a noble guest’s clothes. With Gao Qiumin’s approval, he had the demon servant restrained in Gao Qiumin’s courtyard for punishment.
He rubbed his sore hand, looking at the battered and barely breathing demon servant with disgust. He spat and said coldly, “Quite tough-skinned. My hand’s aching from beating her.”
Just as he was about to have someone drag the demon servant away, he received instructions from Gao Fengxu. The young master of Yongxue City had taken an interest in one of the estate’s demon servants and ordered him to investigate. The steward immediately broke into a cold sweat, suddenly realizing that the mysterious young man in white was none other than Xie Xuechen, the young master of Yongxue City and a peerless sword cultivator born with ten orifices.
The demon servant he was interested in was, of course, Ling Ling, whom he had just beaten black and blue…
Recalling Xie Xuechen’s sharp and cold killing intent, he did not doubt that if Xie Xuechen found out he had beaten this demon servant to such a state, his own life would be forfeit. His mind was in a jumble, thinking only of how to escape punishment, and he hesitated to tell Gao Fengxu the truth he knew.
As darkness fell, the first scream rang out from somewhere, and a faint smell of blood spread through the estate. Soon, the guards of Mingyue Estate realized they were under attack! The cultivators of Mingyue Estate began inexplicably slaughtering each other. The elders were alerted and intervened to stop the fratricide. One of them said with a grim face, “It’s demon possession!”
Those demons had somehow possessed the bodies of cultivators in the estate. With people coming and going these past few days, defenses had been lax, allowing the demon cultivators to sneak in. The cultivators and servants of Mingyue Estate instantly panicked, as they couldn’t be sure if their friends and family standing beside them had already been possessed by demons.
“Quickly, report to the Estate Master!” Elder Song, who was in charge, ordered, them to stay behind to manage the situation. “It seems the demon army’s invasion was premeditated. The estate is no longer safe. Notify everyone immediately to evacuate the noble guests.”
Just as Elder Song finished speaking, more agonizing wails and raging flames could be heard and seen in the distance, casting his face in an even darker and more severe light.
“It’s the War Demons…” Elder Song’s expression changed slightly. Although the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation blocked the War Demons’ true bodies from arriving, their avatars were still as powerful as Fashen realm cultivators. They could also stir up the killing intent in people’s hearts, making them lose reason and turn into indiscriminate killing machines.
The War Demons quickly discovered Elder Song and lunged at him with a vicious grin. The two soon became locked in battle, evenly matched. Elder Song took a few hits from his opponent, his blood and qi surging, while the War Demon was extremely difficult to kill. Elder Song had no intention of prolonging the fight. He set a trap to shake off the War Demon and flew towards Gao Qiumin’s courtyard.
Gao Qiumin had also heard the screams outside and seen the flames rise. Being young, she was too frightened to leave her chamber and sent the steward to call for Gao Fengxu. Just as the steward reached the door, he saw Elder Song enter with a pale and grave expression.
“Elder Song!” Gao Qiumin anxiously went to meet him. “What exactly is happening outside?”
Elder Song said in a deep voice, “Demon and fiend armies have invaded the estate. It’s not safe to stay here any longer. Young Miss, you are precious and must leave this place immediately!”
Gao Qiumin’s face turned pale as she asked, “Where’s my father?”
Elder Song replied, “The Estate Master hasn’t responded. Those demons and fiends came prepared, likely sending formidable experts to keep the Estate Master occupied. Young Miss, come with me now!”
Gao Qiumin bit her lip and nodded firmly, saying, “Alright.”
Just as Elder Song was about to lead Gao Qiumin away, he suddenly stopped, lowering his eyes in thought. He said, “No, I’ve already been targeted by the War Demon. If I take the Young Miss away, it might be more dangerous… Steward Dai, has a cultivator escort the Young Miss through the secret passage. Find a servant girl similar in build to the Young Miss and dress her in the Young Miss’s clothes. I’ll draw away the War Demon!”
The steward jolted, his eyes darting around as he stammered, “There’s a demon servant very similar in build to the Young Miss!”
After speaking, the steward went to the side courtyard and dragged over Mu Xuanling, who had just been punished. Elder Song glanced at her and said, “She seems about the same build as the Young Miss. Dress her in the Young Miss’s clothes. I’ll take her to lure away the pursuers.”
The steward had a maid dress the demon servant in the Young Miss’s clothes, carelessly removing the iron mask on her face, revealing her pale little face and strange demon markings.
The steward said, “She has a demonic aura about her.”
Elder Song dismissed it, “I have ways to conceal it.”
Gao Qiumin looked at the golden markings on the demon servant’s face with disgust. She took out a set of her clothes and had someone dress the demon servant in them. The clothes just stripped from the demon servant were still nearby, so she put them on, frowning as she patted them down, feeling they still carried the demon servant’s aura.
After seeing the steward and several cultivators escort Gao Qiumin through the secret passage, Elder Song picked up the unconscious demon servant, slung her over his shoulder, and flew off in another direction.
Xie Xuechen had agreed to a sword duel with Gao Fengxu, intending to end it quickly. However, Gao Fengxu was eager for victory. Seeing that Xie Xuechen’s sword intent was unexpectedly strong, he feared losing face if defeated by a Yuan Power realm cultivator. He broke his promise and used his Fashen realm might to suppress Xie Xuechen’s sword intent, resulting in a stalemate. Xie Xuechen felt a vague uneasiness, and at that moment, he heard a disturbance outside. With Gao Fengxu’s Fashen realm body and Xie Xuechen’s innate ten orifices, both had keen perceptions and sensed the infiltration of demonic and fiendish auras from afar. Gao Fengxu was filled with doubt, not knowing why demons and fiends were invading Mingyue Estate. Xie Xuechen, however, understood clearly, though he hadn’t expected Sang Qi’s invasion to come so quickly!
Ling’er!
His heart jolted as he thought of Ling’er still in the estate. He immediately withdrew his sword, saying in a deep voice, “Demons and fiends have invaded the estate. The situation is critical. Let’s end our duel here. I request that the Estate Master give me the key to the Spirit-Locking Ring!”
Gao Fengxu’s gaze darkened as he looked towards the flames outside, with endless screams echoing in the distance.
“Xie Xuechen, you don’t seem surprised by the demon and fiend invasion?” He discarded his friendly facade and looked at Xie Xuechen darkly. “How could the noble young master of Yongxue City be so entangled with me over a mere demon servant? Do you have other motives? Is today’s demon and fiend invasion related to you?”
Xie Xuechen sensed the killing intent emanating from Gao Fengxu. His phoenix eyes flashed as he dispersed his spiritual energy to form a protective barrier.
“I have no intention of being enemies with Mingyue Estate,” Xie Xuechen said. Hearing the approaching battle cries, he worried about Mu Xuanling’s safety. His handsome brows furrowed slightly, his voice taking on a colder edge. “But I know that the one leading the army to ambush Mingyue Estate today is the half-demon Sang Qi.”
Gao Fengxu’s pupils constricted. This name stirred up many unpleasant memories, ones that had once made him feel utterly humiliated.
“As for why he chose to attack today, I think the Estate Master should be clearer about the inside story than I am.”
Hearing this, Gao Fengxu’s expression changed. He raised his sword to block Xie Xuechen, who was about to turn and leave.
“What do you know!” Gao Fengxu demanded harshly.
Xie Xuechen, concerned for Mu Xuanling and seeing Gao Fengxu’s stubbornness, no longer wished to waste time with him, fearing Mu Xuanling might come to harm. He gave Gao Fengxu a cold glance, Wan Ren in hand, deflecting the other’s divine sword.
“Gao Fengxu, you shouldn’t be asking me that question!”
Gao Fengxu felt his arm go numb, forced back several steps by Xie Xuechen’s Wan Ren. He watched helplessly as the young man in white flew away, staring in disbelief at his retreating figure—how could a mere Yuan Power realm cultivator possess such strength…
Xie Xuechen’s words stirred up a strong sense of unease in him. His only connection with Sang Qi was Su Ningxi. He had an agreement with Venerable Miao Hua: Miao Hua would marry the Primal Yin Divine Woman into Mingyue Estate to become the next guardian of the pearl, and he would lend the revived Chaos Pearl to Mirror Flower Valley for three hundred years. Unexpectedly, Su Ningxi had an affair with the demon priest Sang Qi and attempted to elope to escape the marriage. After being discovered, she even took poison on her wedding day to commit suicide. With no other choice, he had Su Ningzhen impersonate Su Ningxi, deceiving the world and hiding Su Ningxi’s corpse in the estate to use as a vessel to nourish the Chaos Pearl.
Sang Qi had been surrounded and attacked by the elders of Mirror Flower Valley, barely escaping to hide in the demon realm for years of seclusion. He thought that half-demon had long since died, but not… He chose to invade Mingyue Estate now because…
Because Sang Qi believed that Gao Qiumin’s birthday was Su Ningxi’s death anniversary!
Gao Fengxu immediately thought of a place. His instincts told him that Sang Qi must be there—Su Ningxi’s grave!
With a gloomy face, Gao Fengxu rushed towards the cemetery of Mingyue Estate.
The heavy smell of blood, the scorched odor of burning wood, and the foul stench of demonic and fiendish qi mixed, greatly affected Xie Xuechen’s judgment. He struggled to discern Mu Xuanling’s aura among them, tracing it to Gao Qiumin’s courtyard. There, he found the hairpin he had bought for Mu Xuanling lying on the ground, indicating she had been there.
Xie Xuechen’s keen observation noticed that the eight-immortal table in the hall showed signs of having been moved. He pushed the table aside and saw the stone slabs beneath slowly open, revealing a steep and long secret passage. He leaped into the tunnel, catching the scent of Ling’er’s clothes. His spirits instantly lifted as he rushed forward in pursuit.
His tall figure, slightly hunched, sped through the cramped tunnel. Above his head, the sound of endless wailing could be heard. Xie Xuechen’s face turned pale as he clenched his trembling right hand, resisting the urge to go up and join the battle. He could only keep reminding himself that this had already happened, that it was something he couldn’t change… He had returned for just one person…
After running through the secret passage for a long time, he finally saw the exit. Xie Xuechen leaped out and found himself in a snow-covered pine forest. The thick snow on the ground clearly showed a trail of messy footprints, one set much smaller than the others, likely belonging to a young girl. Xie Xuechen’s figure flitted rapidly between the pine trees, rising and falling. Soon, he heard the sounds of fighting ahead.
In the depths of the pine forest, dozens of demon soldiers, led by a demon general, were besieging a group of cultivators. Among the cultivators, one was a Fashen realm elder, and the rest were Yuan Power realm cultivators—not weak by any means. However, the demon general was even stronger, with endless ghostly techniques that put the cultivators at a disadvantage. After a heavy blow, the Fashen realm elder completely lost his fighting ability and fell onto the snowy ground. The demon general lunged towards the girl in the red cloak. The girl ran forward, stumbling and falling to the ground. Just as she was about to be caught by the demon general, a heavy sword descended from the sky, plunging into the snow behind her, and blocking the demon general’s path.
Xie Xuechen’s figure arrived shortly after, like a descending deity, shielding the red-cloaked girl behind him. He pulled Wan Ren from the ground, coldly facing the demon general before him. At this time, he had not yet broken through to the Fashen realm, nor had he learned the Jade Watchtower Scripture, but with sheer courage alone, he was determined to hold off these demons and fiends! The demon general was initially startled by the sword energy, but seeing that only a Yuan Power realm sword cultivator had appeared, he immediately relaxed.
However, he soon found he couldn’t smile anymore, for this fearless sword cultivator was too terrifying. He was willing to take a sword to the abdomen just to exchange lives with the demon general. The demon general was not a demon god; demons could die, and he valued his life too much to fight to the death with this sword cultivator.
But the more he tried to avoid Xie Xuechen’s sharp edge and retreat, the less of a match he was for him. Xie Xuechen’s final sword shattered the demon general’s demon core. The demon general died with a look of disbelief on his face, his eyes still open. The remaining demon soldiers fled in terror, leaving only Xie Xuechen kneeling on the ground, exhausted.
He panted, allowing blood to drip onto the snow-covered ground as dizziness overcame him. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded beside him, calling out shyly, “Thank you, Young City Lord, for saving my life.”
Xie Xuechen heard this voice and abruptly raised his head, staring in shock at the young woman before him.
She wore Ling’er’s clothes, a red hood covering half her face, but it wasn’t her!
“It’s you…” Xie Xuechen felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen in an instant. He suddenly understood, comprehending many things… Those inexplicable rumors were true, saying he had risked his life to save Gao Qiumin. So this was the truth! She had exchanged clothes with Ling’er, letting Ling’er lure away the demon pursuers! And he had been deceived. He was here, so where was Ling’er…
Xie Xuechen felt a sharp pain in his chest, groaning as hot blood spurted out, his body swaying. Gao Qiumin tried to step forward to support him, but he coldly and ruthlessly pushed her away.
“Who helped you lure away the pursuers?” Xie Xuechen asked hoarsely.
Gao Qiumin’s delicately painted face turned pale at his coldness. She stammered for a moment before softly saying, “It was Elder Song.”
She didn’t mention the demon slave, as she hadn’t given her a second thought. But Xie Xuechen immediately knew that Elder Song had left with Mu Xuanling.
“Where did they go?” Xie Xuechen asked again.
Gao Qiumin shook her head, “I left first, so I don’t know where Elder Song went.”
Xie Xuechen frowned and turned to leave.
Gao Qiumin stared at his departing figure in shock, calling out, “Aren’t you coming with me?”
But he left resolutely, not even giving her a single glance back.
Xie Xuechen guessed that Elder Song had likely taken Ling’er in the opposite direction to lure away the pursuers. He didn’t dare waste a moment, gathering his strength to fly on his sword, covering a hundred li in no time. The night wind and snow were fierce, and as he flew against the wind, he suddenly caught the scent of blood. Looking down intently, he saw dozens of demon and fiend soldiers surrounding a white-haired Fashen cultivator.
Among the enemy forces were two commanders, one demon and one fiend, with strength comparable to a Fashen cultivator. The two monsters toyed with the human Fashen from left and right, wearing him down. They laughed as they overwhelmed him, pouncing to tears at his body.
Elder Song gritted his teeth, knowing that the demon race, unlike the less intelligent fiend race, was most suspicious. If he easily handed over this fake young lady, they would surely become suspicious. Only by fighting to the death would they believe that the girl he was protecting with his life was truly Gao Qiumin. The demon commander wanted to buy time, which played right into his hands. As long as he delayed long enough, the young miss would be able to escape…
Elder Song held on for a long time, his body torn and bleeding from the bites of the demon and fiend soldiers. Blood flowed everywhere, and he no longer had the strength to maintain his Fashen form. He was killed by the combined forces of the demon and field commanders. Before they could rejoice, another white-robed sword cultivator appeared.
The Golden Tiger Demon Commander impatiently bared his sharp fangs, glaring fiercely at Xie Xuechen, and said viciously, “A mere Yuan Power realm dares to be reckless before us!”
Xie Xuechen carefully cradled Mu Xuanling. In her unconscious state, she furrowed her brows, letting out a painful moan at his touch. Xie Xuechen froze, pulling up her sleeve to see newly added whip marks.
— It was that demon slave overseer!
Xie Xuechen suppressed his regret and heartache, trembling as he lifted her skirt to reveal her slender ankles. Because she had been forcibly taken beyond the binding radius of the spirit-locking ring, it had triggered the restrictions within, causing countless barbs to deeply pierce her bone marrow. Electricity coursed through her meridians, bringing bone-scraping, tendon-pulling pain that made her convulse involuntarily even in her unconscious state. Elder Song naturally wouldn’t have cared about the torment a half-demon wearing a spirit-locking ring would suffer when forcibly taken from Mingyue Mountain Villa. In his view, this half-demon was no different from a dead person.
“It’s a demon slave,” the Golden Tiger Demon Commander also saw the spirit-locking ring and angrily said, “We’ve been tricked by that old man!”
Who could have imagined that a Fashen cultivator would risk his life to protect a demon slave?
“Kill them all,” the Fiend Commander chuckled, revealing a cruel, bloodthirsty smile. “Since they’re here anyway.”
Xie Xuechen suddenly raised his head, a gust of wind and snow blowing back his hair, revealing a pair of phoenix eyes filled with murderous intent, causing both the demon and fiend commanders to feel an inexplicable shudder. In the next moment, a sword strike of ten thousand men broke through the wind, emitting a domineering and sharp sword energy that killed all before it!
“This sword energy!” The Demon Commander dodged the sword light in shock, looking at the young sword cultivator in disbelief. How could someone with mere Yuan Power realm cultivation have such strong sword energy?
A name flashed through his mind — Xie Xuechen, born with ten orifices!
Few demons or fiends knew exactly how those born with ten orifices differed from ordinary cultivators, and few could force him to use his full strength.
Despite the difference between a major realm and being surrounded by dozens of powerful enemies, Xie Xuechen showed no fear or intention to retreat. He held the weakened demon slave in his left arm while wielding his sword with his right, not giving an inch. He fought fearlessly, killing to the point where the enemy was terrified.
The Fiend Commander’s eyes turned blood-red, completely losing his rationality under the pressure. His form suddenly expanded, revealing a crazed battle intent to fight to the death.
Xie Xuechen’s blood dripped down, staining the snow beneath him red, and inadvertently falling on her eye corner.
Her eyelashes, like raven’s wings, trembled lightly as she slowly opened her eyes, her voice softly sounding.
“Big brother…”
Amid the sea of blood and mountain of corpses, he held her tightly, his phoenix eyes losing their killing intent as he looked down at her and said gently, “Ling’er, don’t be afraid.”
The demons and fiends surrounding them were about to pounce, wanting to annihilate the young man who was already at the end of his strength.
Xie Xuechen raised one hand, gently pressing it against the back of her head, holding her to his chest. His voice, trembling, came from within his chest.
“Ling’er, don’t look,” he said.
Between the eyebrows lies the divine orifice. In cultivation, people first open the yin and yang orifices, then the divine orifice. Some say those born with the divine orifice are reincarnations of divine beings, born to fulfill heaven’s will, shouldering the fate of the nation and caring for all living beings.
He had originally thought this was his destined fate. His life didn’t belong to himself but to all the living beings under heaven.
But in the end, he sacrificed this life for one person, wishing only to protect her for the rest of her life, ensuring her peace and happiness.
A dazzling golden light emanated from the divine orifice, more blinding and enchanting than the golden crow. However, all the demons and fiends who looked directly at this light had blood and black qi seeping from their eyes, their hearts and gallbladders shattering as they tried to flee. But it was too late. With a deafening roar, the light that tore through the night engulfed all life, grinding those demons and fiends into dust.
*
“Ling’er, you must leave quickly… Sang Qi will be here soon…”
“Big brother… Big brother, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“Ling’er, be good, leave quickly.”
“Big brother, let’s go together. You promised to take me with you! You can’t lie to me! I don’t want to be alone!”
“Ling’er… you must live well…”
Xie Xuechen knew he was out of time. The vitality of this body was exhausted, and his spiritual form had no place to attach. It was forced out of his body, exposed to the wind and snow. He finally understood the meaning of time grinding. His soul, not belonging to this time and space, was discovered at this moment. A force from the power of time and space almost crushed his spiritual form, compelling him to leave this world.
Xie Xuechen struggled to kneel on the ground, painfully looking at the girl holding his lifeless body.
She couldn’t see him, only knowing that she had lost the only person in her life who had cared for her. The pain in her heart even surpassed the pain in her body.
She cried, saying, “I’m just a demon slave. Except for you, no one cared about me, no one loved me. You said you’d take me away, and I believed you! Just now when they beat me, I wasn’t sad at all. I thought Big Brother would come to take me away soon, and we could be together every day from then on. Just thinking about it made me happy.”
“Big brother, wherever you go, I’ll go with you…”
— Ling’er, leave quickly…
Xie Xuechen silently shouted, tears streaming down his face. He only wanted her to be safe and sound, but he never imagined that the warmth he thought insignificant had become an unbearable weight in her life, making her willing to die for him, and also willing to live for him.
She carried him on her back, her tears surging so she couldn’t see the path ahead clearly. She bit her lip hard, not letting herself cry out, but she couldn’t control her body’s trembling.
“Big brother… don’t go…”
The spirit-locking ring sapped her strength, and she fell to the ground, colliding with the cold corpse.
The wind and snow were fierce and urgent as if holding a grand funeral for someone.
The snow covered his eyebrows, and his body, layer by layer, trying to take him away from her side.
“Ah—”
She clutched his hand tightly, letting out a painful wail, like a cuckoo crying blood, or a young phoenix’s clear cry.
Suddenly, a vast and mighty aura surged from within her body. On her pale face, demonic patterns suddenly emitted a golden light, moving as if alive. Her hair was blown into disarray by this powerful aura, and her dark, moist eyes were covered with a faint gold. That power suddenly broke through the constraints of the spirit-locking ring. The iron ring shattered, and blood spurted from her ankles, but she felt no pain at all.
In her heart, there was only one belief — to let him live!
At any cost, let him live!
Endless power surged from her weak, small body. Faint golden light entered his cold body. She stared unblinkingly at his lifeless face, wanting to give him everything she had, but it seemed to have no meaning.
His body remained cold.
“Big brother…” her young, hoarse voice sobbed as she trembled, caressing his cold cheek.
The commotion attracted more demons and fiends. She stumbled to her feet, dragging her bleeding ankles, using her last breath to run forward, trying to lure away the pursuers.
She didn’t know that there was someone always following behind her, sharing the same pain and sorrow. He witnessed everything that happened but was powerless to stop it. The mysterious power within her body flowed into his body, condensing into a dot of cinnabar between his eyebrows, slowly rebuilding the divine orifice. But she thought she had failed to save him.
She also didn’t know that when that power left her body, it also took away the mysterious demonic patterns on her face.
Those weren’t demonic patterns at all, but an overflow of chaotic energy out of control. Now, she had given him the power that everyone in the world coveted.
Xie Xuechen could only watch helplessly as she exhausted her strength and fell into the snow, unable to rise again.
The silver-haired, black-robed half-demon slowly walked to her side, kneeling and extending his slender index finger to brush away the black hair half-covering her small face, revealing an extremely weak, pale countenance.
“Ning Xi…” As if sensing a familiar aura, he lowered his eyes and murmured, lifting her light body into his arms.
Xie Xuechen wanted to chase after them but was held back by a hand on his shoulder.
“Do you truly wish to die here?” came the soft sigh of the Wheel Mirror Deity from behind.
As soon as the words fell, he felt a pulling force taking him away from that icy, snowy land. The pain that had almost crushed his spirit suddenly dissipated, but he was too weak to support himself and fell to his knees.
The Wheel Mirror Deity looked at him with eyes full of compassion.
“Xie Xuechen, seven years ago, I saw you in the Wheel of Reincarnation,” the Wheel Mirror Deity spoke.
Xie Xuechen’s shoulders shook, but his lowered head didn’t rise. His black hair fell, concealing his pale and cold features, hiding the deep sorrow and regret in his heart. After a long while, a hoarse voice sounded, “You knew early on that I couldn’t save Ling’er by returning to the past, yet you deliberately lured me back to repeat the same mistakes.”
The Wheel Mirror Deity reached out, lightly touching the cold Wheel of Reincarnation, feeling the sands of time passing through his fingertips. “Do you know what time means to me?”
He didn’t wait for Xie Xuechen’s answer but continued on his own.
“The beginning is the end, the starting point is also the endpoint. I can freely travel between the past and future, but can only be an observer, unable to make any changes to the past or future. Every change would produce a different world.” The Wheel Mirror Deity’s words were profound, touching on the essence of this world, emitting a sound like a great bell, enlightening like sweet dew. “Similarly, for the Fate Official, this is also the essence of destiny. All endings are written before the beginning, and all actions against heaven are also within heaven’s will.”
Xie Xuechen slowly raised his head, staring at the unfathomable deity, and asked hoarsely, “What wrong have I done, what wrong has Ling’er done, to be arranged such a fate by heaven?”
The Wheel Mirror Deity slightly raised his eyebrows, his black eyes seeming to absorb all light, dark enough to make one’s heart tremble.
“I am the Time Keeper, yet I cannot see through heaven’s will,” he said slowly, lowering his head to gaze at the blood-soaked Xie Xuechen. “But there was once a ‘person’ who told me to wait here, saying that someone would come to unravel heaven’s will for me.”
“I believe you are that person.” The Wheel Mirror Deity slowly moved, walking to stand before Xie Xuechen. “You possess the power of chaos. The power of chaos can reverse cause and effect.”
“But I couldn’t even save Ling’er,” Xie Xuechen closed his eyes in pain.
“You can save her.” The Wheel Mirror Deity lightly pointed at the cinnabar mark between Xie Xuechen’s eyebrows. The mark glowed faintly, and a vast spiritual power surged from the divine orifice. “The Chaos Pearl gave its remaining power to you, thus it cannot awaken. If you destroy your divine orifice, the power of chaos will return to her body. However, if you do this, you will die completely, body and soul destroyed.”
Xie Xuechen’s phoenix eyes brightened, a wild joy surging in his heart. He asked in a trembling voice, “I only need to destroy my divine orifice to save her?”
The Wheel Mirror Deity nodded, “Did you hear clearly what I just said?”
Xie Xuechen smiled faintly, “I heard clearly. It’s just returning what belongs to her.”
“Alas…” the Wheel Mirror Deity sighed softly, “Those who can walk past the God-Slaying Platform are all fools.”
A faint smile appeared on Xie Xuechen’s lips as he slowly closed his phoenix eyes. The cinnabar mark between his eyebrows gradually brightened.
His Way was to bend but not break, to forge ahead. His heart was selfless and detached, without emotion or love.
But in the end, his dao heart still crumbled.
The divine orifice emitted a dazzling light, engulfing his blood-stained figure. That blood-stained white robe gradually blurred in the light, as if ground into golden dust by an invisible force, floating in the air, and finally turning into light smoke, no longer existing.
In this world, there was no longer an Xie Xuechen.
And that strand of chaotic energy, flowing with golden light, also descended to the lower realm, returning to where it came from.
The person atop Snow-Embracing City opened his eyes, a tear sliding down from the corner of his eye. It seemed as if a piece was missing from his left chest.
In this world, there was no longer an Xie Xuechen.