Nan Yan felt everything around her being obscured by a blinding white light. The Sumeru Turtle, the Dao body image, and even the floating specks in the Infinite State gradually vanished. In the vast emptiness that remained, she stood alone, hearing distant voices from all directions, as if she were quietly chanting to herself:
“All things are born with destiny. To go against the flow is destiny; for peddlers and porters to seek life is destiny; for great cultivators to save all beings is also destiny.”
Sensing something, Nan Yan turned around to find a figure identical to herself standing behind her.
“Are you… the Reverse Reincarnation Mirror?” she asked.
The figure clasped its hands, its brow less furrowed than Nan Yan’s, appearing as serene as an enlightened being. As it closed its eyes in response to her question, cracks suddenly appeared behind it, resembling a shattered mirror.
“What’s this?” Nan Yan’s eyes widened in shock.
Within those fragments, scenes of worldly chaos emerged. Everywhere, the fires of war raged, fueled by this upheaval.
She saw bewildered souls rising from countless cold corpses strewn across the land, joining the rampaging ghost tide in the sky, surging towards the resisting army of cultivators.
The world began to feel alien. The sun vanished, while the moonlight and starlight retreated into dim clouds. It looked like… a paradise for the dead.
“What will become of this mortal realm?” Nan Yan asked.
The figure formed by the Reverse Reincarnation Mirror replied softly, “This mortal realm should have been one of the myriad worlds, existing because of the living. If the whole world falls, it will no longer be the realm of mortals.”
“Then what will it be?”
“The Netherworld,” the figure answered, compassion flickering in its eyes. “A place devoid of life. There are few such realms in the vast universe, exiled in the void, feeding on the vitality of other realms, abandoned by the Heavenly Dao… The Emperor of Fengdu was born for this purpose.”
Previously, the mortal realm had only nine hells, each with its function, managing the cycle of reincarnation for all living beings. With the order of heaven and earth, each remained in its place.
But the creation of heaven by the Dao initiated calamity. The nine hells were excavated, and their control was seized, leading to an irreversible situation. Dead souls accumulated in purgatory, unable to reincarnate. Gradually, they absorbed yin energy and transformed into evil ghosts, manipulated by the prison masters to counterattack the mortal world.
As all nine hells lost control and the dead couldn’t rest in peace, the Emperor of Fengdu should have emerged to re-establish order, reinstating the nine hells and managing the cycle of life and death. However, when a person with seven emotions and six desires becomes the Emperor of Fengdu, the immense power can cause them to lose their true nature.
“It’s like a malevolent child who extinguishes all life in their realm, forcing every living being into the netherworld to become their subject,” the figure explained.
“Shao Cang wouldn’t do that,” Nan Yan protested.
“He will eventually,” the figure countered.
“Why?”
“Because you’ll be gone.”
Nan Yan was taken aback. She reexamined the figure, noticing a faint halo of light surrounding it, emanating warmth.
The figure spread its arms and said, “This is you after ascending, having achieved mental perfection by completing your revenge.”
“Me? Ascend?” Nan Yan’s first reaction was denial. “I’ve chosen the path of Ksitigarbha. Until hell is empty, I won’t become a Buddha. Moreover… I don’t want to ascend.”
The figure explained, “But the Buddha bone and Zen heart within you desire it. They originally belonged to the upper realm. Jiming gained enlightenment in the darkness and descended to the mortal realm. Once you complete your revenge and resolve this karmic cause, they will take you to ascend to the upper realm.”
Nan Yan was momentarily stunned. “What about Shao Cang?”
“As the Lord of the Netherworld, he will naturally remain there forever.”
“Will the mortal realm be extinguished?”
“If Ying Zeywei can’t suppress him, soon this world will have no living humans left. All souls will become citizens of the netherworld,” the figure raised its eyes and continued, “But you can save it by suppressing the Emperor of Fengdu. You must not let the mortal realm fall.”
Nan Yan stared at her intently. “What should I do?”
“Make the two cultivators in their fifth stage of celestial tribulation cease their war and jointly suppress the Emperor of Fengdu.”
Nan Yan shook her head. “Ying Zeywei won’t consider it, and neither will I.”
“Or, you could give up your Buddha bone and Zen heart,” the figure’s expression became inscrutable as it persuaded, “A person with three hearts united can either break through realms and ascend or suppress the Emperor of Fengdu at will. Consider the weight of one person’s grudge against the fate of all living beings. Remember the Buddha three feet above your head; you must make a decision.”
“I…” Nan Yan lowered her head, closing her eyes with a bitter smile. “Why must it be Ying Zeywei?”
The figure approached slowly. “You’re still too young, and your father has a contract with the Yellow Springs, making him unsuitable to suppress the Emperor of Fengdu… Only him, and only him, is the most suitable.”
Nan Yan fell silent as the figure drew near, reaching out as if to touch her heart.
“You wouldn’t want to fail the countless beings a Buddha’s shoulders, would you?”
Just as the slender fingers seemed about to pierce her chest and grasp her Zen heart, Nan Yan suddenly caught the figure’s hand. Simultaneously, Buddhist chains erupted from her body, firmly trapping the other.
“If the Reverse Reincarnation Mirror wanted me to sacrifice myself, why wait until now?”
The figure’s face suddenly blurred. “You should be able to sense that I haven’t spoken a single lie.”
“Everything you said is true. I almost felt compelled to sacrifice myself for the world’s sake. Unfortunately… you are the Dao body image.”
The illusory realm before her shattered with a thunderous bell toll. Behind the crumbling false appearance, the Dao body image resembled a broken mirror, its fragmented face showing a hint of bewilderment.
“I never imagined there could be something in this world capable of infiltrating the Reverse Reincarnation Mirror and the Sumeru Turtle’s core to create illusions. Six Harmonies Dao Heart, you truly are the most terrifying thing in the world,” Nan Yan said as golden Bodhi leaves scattered around her, each transforming into a solid seal to gradually break apart and seal the humanoid form of the Six Harmonies Dao Heart.
“But have you heard? The so-called ‘impervious to all demons, Buddha bone, and Zen heart’ – if I were to be misled by your few nonsensical words, how could I be worthy of being its master? I don’t want to hear your last words. The eighty-one great seals of karma depletion have taken much of my time. Farewell!”
As Nan Yan defeated the Dao body image, a tremendous change suddenly occurred in the vast sea. The entire ocean seemed to split in two, with water fleeing in fear, revealing the scarred seabed.
From the split sea’s core, amid surging magma on both sides, two supreme cultivators stood facing each other. The scent of blood, sea breeze, and scorching heat filled the air. Jiming exhaled softly and said, “Your Six Harmonies Dao Heart has also been sealed.”
“Impressive, the Book of Seven Buddhas’ Karma,” Ying Zeywei’s face remained emotionless. “Its destiny destroys karma, sealing all Daos… Can you still be considered a Buddha-like this?”
“I am not Buddha, and you are not Dao,” Jiming raised his eyes. He saw the dawn light gradually overpowering the night where Ying Zeywei stood, but his eyes showed no emotional fluctuation.
Ying Zeywei was not one to obsess over martial victories. He only cared about achieving his goals. Now, Nan Yan should have gained the upper hand against the Dao body image, but why…
At this moment, outside this sea area, a heaven-spanning sword seal suddenly appeared. Then, a voice filled with hatred echoed from afar—
“Ying Zeywei, die!!!”
The Sword Champion of Wei State, the world’s premier swordsman, carried the force of ten thousand jun, descending three thousand zhang with one sword strike that shattered the surrounding barriers.
Like dawn breaking, killing intent from all directions flooded in. Following this sword strike, a low dragon’s roar sounded. A giant dragon emerged from the sea, its form so massive it could rival the Sumeru Turtle.
Meanwhile, on the coast of Yin State, amidst splitting earth and crumbling mountains, the Sumeru Turtle frantically shook its head, its mouth tightly shut as if desperately trying to prevent something from escaping. Yin Ya thrust the Ten Thousand Nuo Flag directly into the top of the Sumeru Turtle’s head.
“Say that again about refining who?! Spit out, my sister!”
Mu Zhanting and Yin Ya anxiously grappled with the Sumeru Turtle outside, only relaxing when they sensed Nan Yan’s aura safely reaching the turtle’s head area.
“My sister is just too awesome, so stubborn!”
After a round of long-distance praise, they unexpectedly found that the Sumeru Turtle wasn’t dead yet and was forcibly keeping its mouth shut to prevent Nan Yan from coming out. Mu Zhanting grew anxious and, seeing reinforcements arrive, immediately shouted to the Dragon Lord—
“Dragon Lord! Over here! Nan Yan is in this old turtle’s mouth!!”
Atop the dragon’s head, Ao Guang cast a cold glance. The giant dragon beneath his feet parted the sea, and in an instant, its mouth clamped down firmly on the Sumeru Turtle’s neck.
“Roar—!!”
The Sumeru Turtle cried out in pain, forced to open its massive mouth. Nan Yan, who had just escaped from inside, seized the opportunity to rush out.
“Are you alright?” someone asked.
Having just exhausted almost all her spiritual power to seal the Six Harmonies Dao Heart, Nan Yan’s face was pale. Suppressing the hint of blood in her throat, she replied, “I’m fine. How’s my father’s situation?”
She didn’t need to ask. The moment the barrier outside the sea area was shattered, the situation had already become an ambush from all sides.
Ao Guang didn’t bother with the battle between the summoned giant dragon and the Sumeru Turtle. He flew directly towards the battlefield of Ying Zeywei and Jiming, casting a cold glance at Jiming before addressing Ying Zeywei:
“It took three Destruction Iron Arrows to kill the Nine Abyss Evil Dun, and five to slay the Demon King.” Ao Guang raised his hand, revealing twelve Destruction Iron Arrows before him.
As these arrows appeared, the surrounding air distorted. For a moment, no one dared to stand alongside Ao Guang within a hundred li.
“Twelve Destruction Iron Arrows to send you on your way—truly unprecedented.”
The killing intent surging in the air fell on Ying Zeywei like a physical force, signaling the fall of a great hegemon.
However, in the next moment, Ying Zeywei suddenly smiled. His grey eyes, long trapped in chaos, seemed to gain a spark of ordinary human emotion.
“Thank you all for your enthusiastic sendoff. I should… return the favor.”
A sense of foreboding arose. As Ying Zeywei finished speaking, Ao Guang immediately drew his bow, nocking three arrows. The moment the Destruction Iron Arrows left the string, the entire world shook.
“My Dao gives birth to heaven and earth; heaven and earth become the crucible.”
The Destruction Iron Arrows arrived, their unparalleled destructive essence colliding with Ying Zeywei’s defenses. Two arrows spun continuously, turning into black holes, while the third penetrated his protective spiritual energy, entering half an inch into his shoulder before suddenly vanishing.
Even so, the Destruction Iron Arrow began to corrode the flesh around Ying Zeywei’s shoulder. An ordinary person would have been writhing in agony, but Ying Zeywei remained unmoved. Pointing to the sky, he spoke softly:
“The Dao transforms heaven and earth, refining all living beings. None dare disobey.”
People in the distance cried out in shock:
“That is—!”
Including Fan State, the miniature versions of all twelve States suddenly appeared in the sky. Seeing this, Ao Guang roared in anger: “Have you gone mad?!”
Six Destruction Iron Arrows flew towards Ying Zeywei with a world-ending force. Yet, determined to continue his spell, Ying Zeywei’s shadow split into three. His three Divine Essence Body Images moved to intercept the arrows.
These body images were hastily created. The Daoist and Confucian bodies blocked two arrows before disintegrating. The remaining arrow, with overwhelming force, destroyed the Demonic body image before piercing through Ying Zeywei’s back.
Ying Zeywei’s form wavered slightly, but his technique was complete. Smiling, he uttered the final words: “Sacrifice the living, summon Fengdu, descend!”
An ancient city, exuding a primordial aura, slowly appeared from the dark sky above. It was like a ravenous beast, fixated on the twelve States of living beings offered in sacrifice.
The mortal realm often witnesses the suffering of its people; even the netherworld hears the cries of the living.
Jiming closed his eyes in light prayer, murmuring Buddhist scriptures. Like golden rain and silver wind, scattered Bodhi leaves flew upwards against the wind. The descent of Fengdu seemed to slow momentarily.
He had resolved to fulfill his duty as a Buddhist master, but he couldn’t stand by and watch Fengdu devour the people of the twelve States. As he single-handedly obstructed Fengdu, he realized that in this situation, Ying Zeywei had regained the initiative.
“… The Saving Life Lotus Seal, you’re truly going all out.”
Half of Ying Zeywei’s body seemed engulfed in flames, yet he showed no signs of pain. His eyes even held a hint of madness.
“Jiming, back then you couldn’t protect the people. Now, you can’t defy heaven either.” He turned to Ao Guang and said, “In nine days, I’ll be reborn with the Red Emperor’s Demon Heart. How many Destruction Iron Arrows will you have left to kill me?”
This won’t do. If the Destruction Iron Arrows don’t strike vital points, Ying Zeywei could endure for ten days to half a month with his abilities.
Ao Guang, enraged, growled, “Killing you is enough!”
Six Destruction Iron Arrows were nocked simultaneously. Ying Zeywei laughed, his form flickering as he flew towards Jiming, who was resisting Fengdu’s attempt to refine the living.
As the killing intent descended, at this critical moment, Nan Yan barely managed to arrive, shielding Jiming.
“Walking into the trap. Child, such foolishness will cost you your life.”
Gripping a broken sword, Ying Zeywei struck without hesitation. The terrifying power of a cultivator in the fifth stage of celestial tribulation bore down on Nan Yan.
“It’s you who will lose your life.”
Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, but Nan Yan showed no fear. She had seen a familiar figure emerge from the void, appearing right behind Ying Zeywei.
Shao Cang never disappointed her; he always managed everything perfectly.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that the next moment’s spray of blood would shatter her long-held sense of security.
“You—”
Silence fell across the battlefield. Qi Yang didn’t follow their countless unspoken agreements to strike down the enemy. Instead, he stood behind Ying Zeywei, shielding him from the remaining Destruction Iron Arrows. He did not attempt to block the sword, which ultimately fell upon Nan Yan.
“The ancients said, ‘One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.'” The Six Harmonies Dao Heart, seemingly sentient, returned to Ying Zeywei’s hand along with the struggling Buddha bone and Zen heart. Looking down at this heart, which had cost him all his efforts to obtain, he smiled with a hint of desolation.
“I suppose you no longer care for my praise, do you, Shao Cang?”
As Ying Zeywei spoke, Qi Yang suddenly turned back, pushing him aside and wordlessly embracing the lifeless Nan Yan.
…How glaring.
Ying Zeywei’s eyes reflected Nan Yan’s face, so similar to Nan Rao’s. His mind involuntarily flashed back to the scene of him killing Nan Rao to obtain the Red Emperor’s Demon Heart years ago.
The Nan family had finally been eradicated by him.
“Qi! Yang!!!”
Overwhelming hatred and fury came from all directions. Simultaneously, Ying Zeywei united the three hearts. The entire sky shifted, plunging into darkness.
“I’ll kill you!!”
“Don’t be rash! He’s united the three hearts; he’s now comparable to a State Lord!”
“So what?!”
“Qi Yang, Qi Yang! What are you doing?! That’s A-Yan…”
“Wait, something seems off about him—”
…
What’s that sound?
Nan Yan hazily heard something, feeling the chaos outside. Gradually, as her body warmed, she realized someone was holding her tightly.
“Shao Cang?”
“Mm.”
Nan Yan tried to look up at him, but he held her down, preventing her from moving. Soon, she caught the scent of blood and noticed Shao Cang seemed to be trembling.
“Are you hurt?”
“… Don’t move,” Qi Yang said softly. “I just did something terrible.”
Nan Yan’s mind was filled with chaotic fragments. Unable to remember where she was or what she had done, she asked hesitantly, “What did you do?”
“I don’t want to say. If I do, you’ll run away immediately.”
Everything had proceeded as he had planned. He thought he could accept it… but when that sword fell, he felt as if half his life had been taken.
“Life… Binding… Lock,” Ying Zeywei enunciated each word. Dissipating spiritual energy turned into a downpour of cold rain, falling on his brow and heart, yet unable to extinguish the flames spreading from his chest.
“Even a demon like you has a Life Binding Lock.”
The Life Binding Lock could take a fatal blow to someone dear to the user. Ying Zeywei seemed to be digging out Nan Yan’s heart, but in reality, he had taken Qi Yang’s heart.
Even twelve more Destruction Iron Arrows might not be enough to kill him, but in his haste to unite the three hearts, he had fallen into this crucial trap.
“Yes, even a demon like me has someone I want to protect completely.”
Qi Yang still held Nan Yan, pressing her face against his shoulder to prevent her from seeing his current injuries. His gradually unfocused eyes finally reflected the image of Ying Zeywei being consumed by the Destruction Iron’s flames. At last, a smile born of long waiting appeared on his face.
“My heart hangs elsewhere. What you took was the Destruction Iron.”