Chapter 329 The Final Battle (Part 2) "In the end..."

With a soft drip, the last drop of icy rain, which had not yet been stopped, fell, and a tender green bud at his feet instantly turned pale, from green to gray.

Thunder roared across the sky, the shield formed by the sage's spirit glowed faintly, the giant pillar in the east struggled to hold up the sky, and countless pale blue figures wandered across the wilderness with an aura of grandeur.

Although there were many disciples of the Secret Sect attacking from the rear, they were still forced back to the rear by the many powerful and heroic figures who had emerged over the past few hundred years.

Just then, Xie Kanhua, Mu Chun'e and the like finally arrived at the battlefield. The heads and elders of the major sects gathered together, and the life-or-death battle was just a breath away!

A chilling string twanged, like the drumbeats before a fierce battle. Xie Kanhua made the first move, followed immediately by the others. Swords flashed and magical weapons flew incessantly. The taut strings resounded, and the vibrating spiritual energy accompanied the falling meteor arrows, creating a deafening roar!

In the midst of this chaotic battle, Ru Xian and the others arrived at Lin Feiran's side. Everyone looked at the glass box in her hand. The seven-colored treasure light was still only bright enough to turn blue, with half of it still shimmering.

No one spoke, but everyone knew who they were waiting for.

Lin Feiran stood there, a chilling wind howling past, and a flash of lightning illuminated her figure; her somewhat tattered robes still fluttered in the wind.

A golden sword was stuck in front of her, and a long umbrella was strapped to her back. Her black hair was tied tightly with a snow-white ribbon. The contrast between the black and the crimson suddenly created a striking and cold beauty in everyone's eyes.

She gazed at the crack in the sky, then slowly withdrew her gaze.

Ru Xian asked, "Should we wait any longer? If that doesn't work, shall we try a direct assault on Tianmen?"

Xuanzhen peeked over from the side and couldn't help but say, "Judging from the way this door looks, it's probably impossible to take it by force... I'm not saying anything more."

Under Ru Xian's gaze, he silently covered his mouth.

Ji Changying looked at the Heavenly Gate and pursed her lips, saying, "He's right. The entrance was created by the creation of heaven and earth, and ordinary things cannot break through it."

Wei Changzai raised his hand and covered the glass box: "Otherwise, take away all my luck."

Ji Changying pondered for a moment, then shook his head again: "Since we need the combined strength of two people, I'm afraid you alone are not enough."

Several people offered various suggestions, but none of them seemed feasible. Lin Feiran shook her head, her hair fluttering in the wind. She drew her long sword and turned to walk towards the crowd: "Wait a little longer. I believe she will come."

After she finished speaking, she joined the melee, eliminating the cultivators who tried to approach the area and damage the array gate.

Seeing her leave, Wei Changzai naturally drew his sword and followed. Ru Xian glanced at her, then turned to look at Ji Changying and asked, "Can your body still hold up?"

Ji Changying smiled slightly: "If we can hold on a little longer, it shouldn't be a problem."

Ru Xian didn't quite agree, her brows furrowing slightly: "You didn't actually have to come today. Try to stay in the rear and recuperate. If we lose the battle, at worst we'll all die together. But if we win, you can live for a while longer."

Ji Changying's brows relaxed slightly. He looked at Lin Feiran's figure and said, "For me, the result is the same. I might as well go on my final journey... I think I still have to do something."

At this point, he turned to look at Xuanzhen, a smile in his eyes: "You ran very fast just now, it seems that your previous efforts were not in vain."

Xuanzhen wasn't very familiar with Ji Changying, only knowing that he was Lin Feiran's senior brother. But judging from his tone, it seemed like they were quite close. Xuanzhen said somewhat shyly, "Thank you."

Ji Changying's smile remained unchanged: "Xuanzhen, don't you recognize me? You're speaking to me so formally."

At this point, he took out a long fan from his waist and tapped Xuanzhen's head with the end of the fan.

The knock didn't actually hurt, but the action startled Xuanzhen. A moment later, when he saw Ji Changying wink at him, he suddenly realized what was happening, and his dog-like eyes widened in surprise.

"You, you!" Xuanzhen looked her up and down in utter shock. "You're Qingzhu?!"

"You only recognize me now?" Ji Changying smiled, not denying it, but with a hint of relief in his eyes. "After being an undercover agent for so long, I only feel guilty towards you few. In the end, I still want to tell you all."

Xuan Zhen jumped up and down in shock, but Ji Changying had already replaced his folding fan with a long sword. He said softly, "You are all very good people, but I have been deceiving you for so long. I'm sorry."

Having lied, he naturally had to do something to atone for his sins, but unfortunately, he no longer had the time and could only offer this useless apology.

"Feel sorry."

Ji Changying said another word, her eyes gleaming, and then stepped into the battle, drawing her sword to meet the attack.

Ignoring Xuanzhen's shocked expression, Ruxian knocked him awake with her finger, then grabbed her spear and stepped forward.

"You guys... wait for me!" Xuanzhen snapped out of her daze, not bothering to ask any more questions, and joined the fray.

Everyone was waiting for Qiu Tong's arrival. At this moment, time meant life. Some people had already complained and wanted to turn back, grab her, and force her to give up her luck.

Just then, another rumble of thunder echoed in the sky. Everyone looked east and saw that the pillar that had once supported the sky had now broken off several inches!

The dissipated spiritual energy mixed with the pattering raindrops, falling on everyone's heads. This rain was just ordinary cold rain, unlike the icy rain that drained life force, but some people still couldn't help but roar in anger.

"When is she coming?!"

"Don't wait any longer, let's ram through it together, surely that will open the door!"

Is it still possible to rejoin Tantric Buddhism at this point?

With no reinforcements arriving, the cult's arrogance grew even stronger. Lin Feiran remained silent, focusing solely on drawing her sword. In the brief intervals between the flashes of the blade, she would look up.

The sage's eyes appeared and disappeared in the sky, blocking all the lightning bolts that struck down, yet their gaze remained peaceful and serene, carrying a gentle compassion that could encompass everything.

Heaven and man look down upon us, and all living beings are filled with compassion.

Lin Feiran couldn't help but recall the several saints he had met, the empty wind in the pilgrimage valley, and the lone windmill stuck at the bottom of the valley.

After a long and arduous journey, they finally received the wind that blew into the valley today. But was this not also a lingering echo carried on the mournful wind, their final song ignited with their last breaths? If this time it didn't work, there would be no more of them.

Will Qiu Tong come? Lin Feiran might have been wondering, but at this moment, she felt a strong certainty that Qiu Tong would definitely come!

The sky was filled with shimmering clouds of tribulation. Lin Feiran's black robes were already mostly soaked with hot blood. In the midst of this fierce battle, a clear shout suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"Lin Feiran!"

A bolt of lightning flashed, and the holy spirits in the sky trembled slightly. Lin Feiran looked in the direction of the sound in the lightning and saw Qiu Tong flying down from above on her sword among the many people. Below her was Qing Yao, who was clearing the way for her.

Qiu Tong still came.

Lin Feiran leaped up, her long sword flashing like a crescent moon in the crowd. She stepped over the many outstretched hands, went straight to Qiu Tong, grabbed her wrist, and with a thunderous burst of speed beneath her feet, she carried Qiu Tong to the flooded road in an instant, under the cover of the others.

Qiu Tong's eyes were still red, but she was no longer as lost in thought as before. She wiped away her tears and said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, I'm late. I shouldn't have hesitated for so long!"

Lin Feiran pursed her lips, took out the glass box, and asked, "Are you really sure?"

Qiu Tong nodded, and stretched out her hand, which was covered in mud. In her palm was a square copper coin, the same one that she and Wei Chang had dropped earlier.

She said, "...He is dead."

Qiu Tong repeated herself, her eyes still blurry with tears: "I knew all along, he was already dead..."

Even before her rebirth, her Consort Wei was already suffering from the signs of decay and nearing death. If she could be reborn, would everything change?

Just as she was struggling with her dilemma, a sudden clap of thunder sounded outside, and the rain that had been held back suddenly began to fall. Then, heart-wrenching cries came from near the Imperial Academy, the only cry that mortals could utter, mixed with the cries of pain from others.

Looking at the rain outside the window, she couldn't help but think of her mother, her pale face, and the pain she felt when her illness flared up.

Was she supposed to just stand by and watch everyone, even her sister and her family, die in this freezing rain?

She can't do it either.

Feeling lost and helpless, she walked out of the room with tears streaming down her face. Amidst streaks of lightning, she saw a copper coin left behind in the courtyard by someone.

The scales in her heart kept tipping, and she couldn't make a decision. So she stepped forward, trembling, and tossed the copper coin into the air, hoping to rely on fate to choose an answer that she herself didn't know.

But in a daze, she seemed to see the person who haunted her dreams again.

Wei Changzai is a cold-faced but warm-hearted person. He is gentle and kind-hearted. Otherwise, how could he have developed a demonic influence and fallen into nightmare after learning that the life-extending sword bone in his body was peeled off from a fellow disciple?

To be reborn through the life of a fellow disciple was something he could never accept.

Would he have wanted to see this tragedy unfold? If he were in that situation, what would he have done?

He would probably say, "Qiu Tong, small love is affectionate, but great love knows no bounds..."

These were words he had once said to her, and now they echoed in her ears. Qiu Tong held the copper coin, tears streaming down her face, sobbing uncontrollably.

None of this should have happened. If she had known this would happen, she would never have been reborn, never started over. She would rather have died with him in that thunderous night.

If she could really go back to the past, perhaps her situation would change, but others would not. As long as the Dao Lord is still alive, her mother's illness will still be incurable, and those patients with cold-related illnesses she has seen will still not recover.

Everyone will simply become food for the Dao Lord; their fate will remain unchanged.

"Small acts of love show affection, great love knows no bounds..."

Her favorite person was Consort Wei, but her life wasn't just about Consort Wei...

Qiu Tong was in tears. She hugged Lin Feiran and wailed, "He's dead. He'll never come back. If he knew that I caused so many people to die so tragically just to go back and see him, he wouldn't like me!"

The pain expressed in those words is heartbreaking.

Lin Feiran's eyelashes trembled slightly. She didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only raise her hand and put her arm around her shoulder.

Qiu Tong slowly released Lin Feiran, holding the Tai'a sword in her hand, wiping away her tears, and sobbed, "Lin Feiran, take it. I should have moved on from his death long ago, but I just can't accept it... I've never accepted it..."

Just as the Dao Lord said, in all these reincarnations, Wei Changzai never survived. His life always ended in a nightmare. What about her?

She has to move on eventually.

Qiu Tong placed her hand on the glass box, and tears, like pearls, fell to the ground, nourishing the withered grass.

Lin Feiran performed the hand seals accordingly, and the light mist around Qiu Tong suddenly merged into it. With her help, the seven-colored treasure light in the glass box quickly brightened to purple, and in an instant, the treasure light shone brightly, illuminating the figures of Lin Feiran and Qiu Tong like a bright pearl.

In an instant, it was as if a bright moon had risen over the wilderness, shining brightly and radiating its precious light, and that bright moon was in Lin Feiran's palm!

The surrounding chaos intensified, with countless magical artifacts attacking, but she held the treasure box and carried the long sword as she stepped onto the long road that was flooded with water.

One after another, the dark blue figures followed closely behind, disappearing like streaks of light. The long-cherished wish to mend the heavens, which had lasted for hundreds of years, was finally about to be fulfilled today. How could they not be excited and exhilarated!

"Who wishes to make amends?"

I will repay this debt with my own body!

Lin Feiran ran along the long road, his speed increasing until he was as if riding the wind, and finally rushed to the front of the Heavenly Gate!

She tossed the glass box into the air, formed hand seals as she remembered them, and then swung her sword horizontally. The glass box shattered with a crash, and the blade was covered with what appeared to be a thin but actually incredibly powerful aura. Then, she unleashed her sword!

This world revolves around Wei Changzai and Qiu Tong. With their overwhelming luck, even the most impregnable laws can be defeated with a single blow!

A cracking sound echoed across the sky, and the eyes of the sages in the clouds all opened, looking towards the door.

Without hesitation, Lin Feiran leaped in. The path continued uninterrupted, so Ru Xian, Ji Changying, Wei Changzai, and Xie Kanhua, who was with him, all followed the path and leaped into this secret realm!

Lin Feiran landed from mid-air, stood firmly on her feet, and looked around.

The sky brightened behind the door, but it was no longer the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Peak they had seen before. The sacred mountain and the temple had vanished, replaced by a barren and desolate land, filled with billowing dust.

In the heart of this barren wasteland, there is a patch of green, teeming with life. The grass forms the shape of an octagon, with the trigrams recessed within, filled by a spring of unknown origin, which adds to the vitality of the place.

The Taoist master, dressed in gray, stood before the divination, quietly gazing at her.

"It seems there are quite a few hidden pieces lying in ambush along the way."

This time, Lin Feiran said nothing. He simply brushed the sword with his sleeve and stepped forward. In a few steps, a faint breeze rose from the blade, seemingly gentle, yet it did not conceal the sword's brilliance!

The Daoist Master, leaning on his bamboo staff, took a slight step back. Thunderclouds suddenly rose in the bright sky, and in the blink of an eye, streaks of lightning fell like dragons, almost trapping Lin Feiran inside, making it impossible for him to move an inch.

He raised his hand again, clenched it slightly, and his figure vanished like mist, replaced by soldiers filling the entire wilderness. Each of them had white eyes, and their limbs were pieced together from various magical artifacts or the remains of demonic beasts, making them look extremely strange.

One of them, with bent legs resembling the feet of a wolf, appeared before Lin Feiran in the blink of an eye. Its arm, forged from a blade, swung down, but Lin Feiran dodged. The runes on the soldier's arm suddenly flared up, and the twisted characters seized the opportunity to attack her brow, forcing her back several steps!

The lightning bolts falling from mid-air continued unabated. Lin Feiran dodged while dealing with the attacking soldiers. Just then, the Dao Lord appeared at the center of the Bagua, looking at this place with the same calm gaze.

The next moment, he raised his hand, seemingly holding Lin Feiran's figure in his palm. After making this gesture, his figure suddenly became chaotic.

At this moment, Lin Feiran could almost see in all directions. While deflecting the thunder, he also had to retaliate against the soldiers and pay close attention to the movements of the Dao Lord.

The instant he raised his hand, she spun around and swung her sword, severing the head of one of the soldiers in a horizontal slash. The soldier then dissipated like a thin mist, but at that moment, an indescribable force suddenly seized her.

Just like the withered arrow she shot when she fought Bi Sheng earlier, Lin Feiran's movements paused for a moment.

It wasn't that her body was frozen in place, but rather that her time was stopped at the moment her head was severed.

Her time stopped, but the time around her did not stop flowing.

Another soldier had already flashed in front of her. He spun around and slapped her, his right arm's tiger claw carrying the power to shake mountains, almost instantly shattering her cultivator body!

With a sharp clang, two beams of light shot down from above, tightly binding the tiger's claw before severing it like icy blades.

The Dao Lord looked up and saw that people were constantly rushing to the opening that had been split open. The string that had saved Lin Feiran in time came from Xie Kanhua's fingertips.

However, Lin Feiran was unaware of this at the moment. All she could see was the instant she was stopped. She saw the stopped sand, the stopped thunderclouds, and even the stopped changes in light and shadow.

In that instant, she felt as if she had been banished to a desolate place, where there was not a sound of wind, and everything seemed eternal and still. Gradually, her eyes lost their color, and finally, even the light disappeared from her sight.

In that moment, she felt as if she were in a void. In this gap forgotten by time, she could no longer see the darkness, nor even feel her own existence. All she felt was a vast sense of belonging to the world.

In a daze, she seemed to hear someone whispering in her ear: "Do you see it? Do you feel it? This is my world, where even 'existence' doesn't exist."

At this moment, she seemed unable to understand even these words, as if someone were whispering unfamiliar words in her ear, like a human hearing birdsong but not understanding its meaning.

Lin Feiran seemed to be fading away, almost forgetting who she was.

At that very moment, a low, eerie voice entered his ears, like the sudden light of dawn, tearing apart the void in the rift of time. Color reappeared before his eyes, and the wind whistled past his ears. Lin Feiran looked down and saw that the wind blade on his sword remained unchanged.

Someone was supporting her from behind. Lin Feiran turned her head and met a pair of clear blue eyes. Ru Xian raised her hand and waved it in front of her eyes, as if she had sensed something.

"Give her some time to come to her senses; the feeling of everything coming to a standstill can make her forget a lot."

Lin Feiran then remembered that Ru Xian had taken such an arrow when he faced Bi Sheng earlier.

Memories flooded back, washing away the feeling of loneliness and emptiness from before. Lin Feiran clutched his chest and looked up. The others who had rushed in were fighting against the soldiers, and the azure spirit was also battling them. Meanwhile, Xie Kanhua dodged the lightning and tried to stop the thunder.

"One against many?" The Dao Master didn't move, but looked at the crowd. "It's not good to bully people like this."

Zhang Siwo, carrying a sledgehammer, said, "Do you really think those disciples and followers will come up and help you? Dream on! It's just us here now, here to gang up on you!"

Lin Feiran frowned: "We need to find a way to break his move, otherwise no one can defend against it."

She turned to look at Ru Xian: "How did you wake up from that?"

Ru Xian said, "Rely on incantations."

Lin Feiran was taken aback, but his expression changed slightly. He twirled the spear in his hand and held it diagonally behind his back. He raised his eyebrows and said, "I'm in a good mood now, so I can help you break his time-stopping technique."

"But you are not incapable..."

“That’s them,” Ru Xian interrupted her. “The Skywalker’s body is weak, so he couldn’t withstand the backlash. I’ve cultivated to this level, so I can at least hold on a little longer.”

He looked at Lin Feiran with a smile and said softly, "Didn't I say that I would always stand behind you, no matter what we do?"

Lin Feiran gripped the longsword, his lips slightly pursed, and continued, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it. At least I won't die before you, that would be too much of a loss. So you should use it well and not make me use it too many times."

He placed his hand on Lin Fei's back and pushed her forward: "Go on, little hero."

Lin Feiran gripped her sword with both hands, no longer hesitating, and once again drew her sword forward. Several heroic spirits followed beside her, cooperating seamlessly with her. This time, she was no longer held back and rushed to the Dao Lord with an irresistible force!

The longsword fell, but was blocked by the bamboo staff in his hand. The two exchanged several moves. As they accumulated strength, the sword wind on Lin Feiran's blade became sharper and sharper. With a clang, the sword and the bamboo clashed together!

Golden light flickered in the Dao Lord's eyes, and lightning suddenly burst forth from his staff. An indescribable, powerful spiritual force rippled outwards, and Lin Feiran was unable to withstand it. She was struck down as if hit by a heavy blow, and her body slid several meters. The blade of the Golden Wave Sword almost sparked against the ground. She gripped the hilt and deeply embedded the blade into the ground to stop her backward momentum.

"Cough cough..."

His chest was churning with blood and qi, his clothes were tattered, and his exposed right arm was covered with scratches.

But Lin Feiran didn't stop for a moment. As soon as she regained her footing, she immediately flipped over and went back with her sword in hand!

Still a guardian spirit, she stepped forward with her sword. Just as the Dao Lord raised his hand to stop her, another voice appeared and broke through. Lin Feiran's figure only paused for a moment before leaping away again!

They exchanged a few more blows this time. In terms of movement, Lin Feiran was naturally superior. The two clashed again, sword and bamboo colliding, and lightning flashed again. But this time she was not knocked away. Instead, she tightly gripped the Dao Master's wrist and took the thunderbolt head-on!

This was a pain that most people could not bear, but Lin Feiran endured it. Her eyes were slightly red, the veins on her neck bulged, and her hand holding the sword trembled for a moment. But in the instant that spiritual power poured out, she seized the opportunity and immediately swung her sword down!

Just as Jinlan had said before, the moment the blade swept across, she felt that she was holding an ordinary sword and that what she was about to cut down was a white mist with no point of leverage.

But the wind is still blowing.

A faint wind blade still remained on the edge; this was the "Calming the Wind and Waves" technique that Jin Lan had specially written down, a method for cutting through the wind.

This time, she won't let it go!

The longsword slashed down, slicing across his head. The moment the wind blade collided with the white mist, it was no longer the feeling of emptiness as before. She had finally touched something!

With a gurgling sound, its head fell to the ground, and white mist rose from its neck.

Lin Feiran, panting, looked in this direction, and everyone else followed suit: "It's done? It's... done?"

Wei Changzai stared blankly for a moment, then immediately shouted, "Something's not right! These soldiers are still alive! Slowly, get out of the way!"

Behind the swirling white mist, a bolt of lightning suddenly exploded, knocking Lin Feiran back once more. The head that had been feigning death on the ground began to roll, and a smile appeared on its usually expressionless face. This time, it wasn't as distorted as before, but rather had a touch of humanity.

Zhang Siwo was shocked: "How could this be? Is he immortal?"

Previously, everyone cleared obstacles for Lin Feiran and made way for her because only Dingfengbo and Jinlan Sword could reach the Dao Lord. But now that he was acting so strangely, Zhang Siwo couldn't wait any longer. He spat with both hands and attacked with his hammer!

Wei Changzai followed closely behind. As soon as the coldness emanated from his sword, the clear spring in the Bagua formation immediately froze into ice. His gaze was fixed, and his long sword swept horizontally, the sound of the sword ringing out incessantly!

The Daoist Master simply looked at him and said, "It is indeed a pity that you did not choose my box."

He raised his bamboo staff to catch Wei Chang's sword. At the same time, Zhang Siwo's hammer came crashing down behind him, Xie Kanhua's dagger was about to fall above his head, Zhou Shushu's long fan was on his left, and Murong Qiudi's sword was on his right!

The group moved even faster, surrounding him in a pincer attack!

Such an attack should have caused him some damage, but whether it was a sword, a hammer, or a knife, the moment it entered his body, it was as if it had struck a gentle breeze. For a moment, it didn't pierce anything. When he tried to withdraw his sword and turn around, the weapon he had thrust out was sucked in.

The same lightning flashed, and the same immense spiritual power exploded in an instant. The group was violently thrown back, and their swords and blades fell to the ground!

The Dao Lord looked at them and said, "This is my secret realm, where spiritual energy is almost inexhaustible. Although I am not yet a person, it would be easy for me to control this to deal with you."

Lin Feiran was helped up by Rushan and her wounds were treated as quickly as possible. She looked ahead, and the light in her eyes was not diminished in the slightest by the broken sword.

She casually tore open her already tattered long sleeve, revealing her slender muscles slightly tightened and the bandages wrapped around her arm taut.

She gripped the Golden Wave Sword and stepped forward again: "Again!"

...

Meanwhile, the Tianmen Pass was also completely blocked by people.

Master Xun was leading the disciples of the Imperial Academy to guard the east, Mu Chun'e was leading people to guard the north, Zhou Shushu and his disciples were guarding the south, and the west was completely different, with the people guarding it all being demons who had come to help.

Xun Feifei, Bi Qing, and the like stood at the forefront, followed by Qiu Tong, Qing Yao, and others.

No matter how many people want to climb this heavenly road, almost none can cross this impregnable wall!

Ji Changying held his sword and looked at Tianmen, but decided to turn around and go. Xun Feifei stopped him when she saw this. Now that they both knew Ji Changying's identity, they no longer had any politeness or distance between them.

"What are you going to do?" Xun Feifei looked at him and said disapprovingly, "You are injured now, so you should stay here and guard the place. The Lord told you not to go up there and take risks, or you could lose your life at any time."

We haven't settled the score with you yet for lying to us for so long.

Ji Changying lowered his eyelashes, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he looked at Xun Feifei and said, "I have to go. There are some things that only I know that I must say."

Xuanzhen rushed over, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"..."

Ji Changying still embarked on this path to heaven. Just as Ru Xian said, he was now merely moving with a broken body, his insides already decayed and rotten. Death was only a matter of time, so why bother to cling to life for a while longer?

He had a difficult time on this road. By the time he reached the Heavenly Gate, he was already breathing heavily, but his clear eyes still held a firm determination. Just as he stepped into that wasteland, a figure flew towards him.

He initially wanted to avoid it, but after seeing the figure clearly, he immediately raised his hand to catch the person. Due to inertia, he was also knocked back several meters, but fortunately he managed to stop.

"Junior sister, are you alright?"

He immediately helped the man up and looked at him. He saw that Lin Feiran was quite disheveled, with sweat-dampened hair on his forehead, and his tightly pursed lips were red, but not rosy, but stained with blood. His arms were covered with clearly visible bloodstains, but the light in his eyes did not go out and was still burning brightly!

Lin Feiran recognized him and couldn't help but cough a few times before saying, "Senior brother, didn't I tell you to wait down here? No matter how strong your body is, you can't possibly hold on here!"

As she spoke, she tried to avoid the lightning and escort Ji Changying out of the Heavenly Gate.

Ji Changying did not comply with her actions as usual, but stopped and raised her hand to wipe the dust off her face.

He glanced into the distance, his voice gentle and warm, and said calmly, "Have you realized that you can't kill him?"

Lin Feiran was startled, but when she looked at him again, she understood. She immediately said, "Senior brother, I said I don't need it..."

“Junior sister.” Ji Changying sighed helplessly, a hint of a smile in her eyes, “I told you before, you will definitely need the secrets I know.”

Each of the Nine Swords was cursed because they knew certain secrets, and each person was different, including him.

"I don't know as much as Bi Sheng, nor as much as Fu Yin and the others. Originally, I was making these nine swords in place of my master. I am his contracted demon, and it was enough that my master was bound by the curse."

The reason they kept me was because of my unique technique for making dolls.

Once, the Dao Lord commanded me to create a human body for him, as he wished to enter the world. I did it, but it only lasted for half an hour, which was essentially a failure. However, during this time, I discovered a secret.

A secret even Bi Sheng didn't know.

"Junior sister, what we are seeing now is not his true form."

Ji Changying still spoke, and suddenly, an unstoppable golden incantation appeared on his face.

The incantation flowed like water, across those eyes that seemed to be swaying in the spring breeze, and across that smiling face. Lin Feiran stared blankly, as if realizing something, and tears welled up in her slightly reddened eyes.

"Senior brother..."

Ji Changying was already seriously injured, and now that the incantation was triggered, his mind was shaken and he could hardly stand. He could have used his sword to support himself, but a selfish thought got the better of him, so he let go of the sword and let himself fall forward.

He thought, this is the last time, let him be selfish for once.

Lin Feiran immediately caught him, her hands trembling slightly. She subconsciously pressed down on the incantations that were streaming down his face, repeating, "Don't say it. As long as you don't say it, these incantations can still be stopped..."

This was the first time Ji Changying had ever lay in her arms. He rested his head on her arm, looking at her quietly. He shook his head, then leaned close to her ear and finished saying what he hadn't said before, without even giving her a chance to refuse.

"That's his secret. How about that? It's simple, isn't it? Just like when you used to play hide-and-seek in my room."

Lin Feiran stared at him blankly, tears welling up in her eyes and dripping onto his face. She rarely felt so helpless, calling out "Senior Brother" repeatedly, just like when she first arrived at Daohe Palace and would call out to him for everything.

But Ji Changying did not feel the fear of impending death. She looked at Lin Feiran with only a faint reluctance in her eyes.

"I miss the old days. Why didn't the Dao Lord come to see me in my dream? If he had asked me if I wanted to go back, I would have nodded immediately."

"But he didn't ask me. Very few people would ask me what I want."

The incantation melted faster than ever before, covering his entire body in just a few words.

He wanted to place his hand on Lin Feiran's hand, but after a moment's hesitation, he only placed it on her wrist, his voice trembling slightly.

"Because nobody knows how much I want to go back to the past, back to the beginning."

Everyone has regrets, but who knows the regrets in his heart?

Since we're all going to die anyway, and we've already revealed too many secrets today, one more buried one won't make a difference.

"Junior sister, when no one knows, I always think, I keep thinking, if I had been bolder back then, would you not have had this relationship with junior brother?"

If I had been more fearless, and hadn't watched you from afar after you descended the mountain, had revealed my identity as Qingzhu, and then clung to you every day, then the one with you today wouldn't be Ruxian.

"I always wonder why I'm always a step behind, always looking ahead and behind..."

He looked at Lin Feiran and raised his hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes.

"In the past, I didn't understand why they wanted to start over. Life is too bitter, what's the point of starting over again?"

But now, junior sister, I have a shameful thought. I think, it would be better if you lost. I have the mark of the Dao Lord, and in my next life, I will see you before they do...

But this is not what you want.

Before he died, he revealed everything he had hidden in the past, saying such shameless things, but it wasn't as embarrassing as one might imagine; it was something he could actually say.

It could have been said long ago, when I accompanied her to find plum blossoms, when I gave her her sixteenth birthday gift, and every time she called me "Senior Brother".

He began to have difficulty speaking, and his gaze became increasingly unfocused, but he still looked at her, his hand slowly falling down, like a spring breeze approaching, a vibrant curtain falling.

"Junior sister, I've always wanted to tell you this, do you know, I..."

"I know," Lin Feiran said, sobbing uncontrollably. "I already knew when you were looking at me that night."

"That's good. So even a little blockhead can have a day of enlightenment." His breath grew weaker and weaker, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. "However, it's still too late for him to realize this."

He looked at Lin Feiran with eyes full of reluctance, his figure already beginning to dissipate. In his last moment, he could only manage to touch her face, tears streaming down his face before disappearing without a trace.

Everything faded away, leaving only a single drop of water on the back of her hand.

Just as colorful clouds easily disperse, so too does life, fleeting and leaving no trace.

Lin Feiran gripped the sword with trembling hands, clenched the tear into his palm, stood up and looked at the gray figure fighting with the crowd. He closed his eyes, and after a moment, when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with an unconcealable coldness.

Following Ji Changying's advice, she drew her sword again and stepped forward, but this time she did not go towards the Dao Master, but rushed towards the Bagua Spring!

Ji Changying's incantation had already begun, and the Dao Lord naturally knew what had happened. His gaze softened, and the figures of the numerous soldiers shifted, all heading towards her.

"Your grandfather isn't dead yet!" Zhang Siwo slammed down with his hammer, sparks flying, and the attacking soldiers were immediately knocked away.

Several bolts of tribulation lightning roared out, but Lin Feiran narrowly dodged them all. She flipped over and leaped away, and the Dao Lord's figure immediately appeared in front of her. He blocked Lin Feiran's path, and with his bamboo staff facing her, he used the same move as before.

However, the moment his spiritual power exploded, Lin Feiran changed his aura and used a breathing technique.

The Dao Lord has no spiritual veins. What he exhales is not pure spiritual power, but something mixed with spiritual energy. Lin Feiran, by using the power of the spiritual veins, absorbed all the spiritual energy he exhales and converted it into his own spiritual power through breathing exercises.

However, this spiritual energy was too overwhelming. When it rushed in, it was like a raging wave, pouring in like a tidal wave. If Lin Feiran had not already merged with the spiritual veins of heaven and earth, he would probably have been broken by this spiritual power and the spiritual veins would have been completely destroyed!

But in the end, she did not. She absorbed all the spiritual energy and quickly converted it into spiritual power. Golden-white spiritual light immediately rose around her. Anyone who had seen this move before would know that she was about to use Spiritual Storm.

At a certain limit she could bear, she used her spiritual power to shake back all the spiritual energy she had just absorbed. With a loud bang, the Dao Lord's figure dissipated like white mist, and all the soldiers within several miles were shattered. Even Wei Changzai and the others were affected and had to retreat several meters!

Enveloped in white light, Lin Feiran rushed towards the center of the gossip at an extremely fast speed!

The Daoist Master immediately looked up, intending to use the time-stopping technique again, but as soon as he made the move, he heard a clear incantation.

Lin Feiran continued forward.

The Daoist Master turned around and met Ru Xian's gaze. The two began to confront each other.

"All spells require the sacrifice of life, but I do not. If you are not afraid of death, then continue."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to look at Lin Feiran and continued to try to stop him.

Finally, at a certain moment, Ru Xian bent over, covered his mouth, coughed incessantly, his voice slightly hoarse, and a trace of blood flowed from between his fingers.

Upon hearing the coughs, Lin Feiran paused slightly, but did not stop. When she reached the center of the Bagua diagram, she immediately examined the springs and the hexagrams, quickly calculating in her mind.

Just then, Ru Xian simply raised her hand, and as far as her eyes could see, there were everyone on the wasteland.

As soon as the words were spoken, almost everyone froze, including the soldiers. Only Lin Feiran and the Dao Lord remained free to move. However, the Dao Lord was also restricted; he could no longer use his magic, so he had no choice but to move to stop them.

But at this moment, Ru Xian's coughing became more and more obvious. He coughed and stood up, a trace of crimson staining the corner of his lips.

Others may not know, but Lin Feiran does. The longer the curse lasts, the longer Ru Xue will suffer. He is burning his own life to light a lamp for her in the wind and snow.

She could only speed up her pace, constantly moving around the Bagua formation, and landing her magic array undisturbed.

"Like hailstones, gather your strength!"

Suddenly, all silence vanished, and Ru Xian immediately knelt on one knee, coughing so hard he could barely stand up.

Lin Feiran had already formed a hand seal and struck a certain point in the Bagua formation with his palm. Instantly, the clear spring trembled, and the tender grass leaves around him seemed to have lost their vitality, fading in color. The Bagua formation in the wasteland began to collapse and be buried in the fine sand, with dust rising all around!

Amidst the billowing dust, a muffled shout pierced everyone's ears, followed by a shrill scream.

Lin Feiran was closest to it, and when she looked at what was in front of her, her face showed undisguised horror.

Before me was an indescribable mass of flesh, about the size of a ball, covered in the delicate skin of a newborn baby, glistening with a blood-like liquid. It seemed to be growing without knowing how, and had eight limbs that were wriggling toward the air.

The facial features on the lump of flesh were also growing haphazardly; the ears were under the armpits, the nose was on top of the eyes, and it had no head. Where a head should grow, only a fist-sized fleshy bud sprouted.

Although it was quite horrifying, it was definitely human flesh, warm, soft, and with the color of veins.

When Zhang Si saw this, he almost vomited: "What is this thing?!"

Murong Qiudi looked over, her eyes slightly widening: "Could this be the birth he spoke of?"

Just like a person's birth, it must begin as an infant.

Seeing that his creation had been exposed, the Dao Lord no longer concealed it. He flew up and his figure disappeared like the writhing body. Yellow sand rose in the wilderness. When the north wind stopped, they opened their eyes again and found themselves standing in front of the temple of the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Top.

The temple was a blanket of white, with rolling waves in front of it. In front of the temple was an extremely long staircase, which they called the "Hanhai Road".

Lin Feiran snapped out of her daze and immediately said, "No, he was stalling for time to let this body grow!"

She looked at the temple ahead and no longer hesitated: "Let's go to the temple!"

Zhang Siwo and the others dared not delay. The group originally intended to use their magical artifacts to move forward, but when they passed through the snow-white long staircase, they found that their spiritual energy dissipated, just like when they faced that ice pillar. Their spiritual energy was completely gone, and they could only move forward with their physical bodies.

After falling off the magical artifact, the group immediately began climbing the steps again!

For some reason, as they walked, the hatred and anger in their hearts began to dissipate, and their pace slowed down. Everyone knew that something was amiss, but at this moment they could not muster any energy to deal with it.

Of the group, only Lin Feiran kept moving forward. She didn't notice anything unusual about the others and was only thinking about going faster and faster!

But halfway up, she discovered that snow had fallen on the white steps, and the long steps had become stone stairs, with familiar chains still attached to them. She suddenly looked up and heard the hum of bells, which startled a flock of birds into flight!

This is the long staircase in front of the Daohe Palace gate.

She was momentarily dazed, as if on the way back to the mountain, she didn't remember what she was supposed to do back there, she only knew that she had to go forward.

She continued walking forward, encountering many people: Qingyu, Taihui, Zhang Chunhe, Wei Changzai... They appeared one by one, each with a cold expression on their face.

"We can't go any further!"

"We can't go any further!"

"There is no way forward!"

They tried to stop her one by one, using various methods such as bullying, defrauding, or harming her, to take the longsword from her hand.

Despite the persistent dull pain in her heart, Lin Feiran remained oblivious and remembered that she had to move forward and climb to the summit.

Zhang Chunhe suddenly reached out and grabbed her, saying coldly, "At your age, do you still want to move forward?"

"What age?" Lin Feiran asked, but found that her voice was no longer as clear as before.

She looked at herself and realized that her hair had turned gray and her back was hunched. She could barely hold her sword. The disciples of Daohe Palace surrounded her, and everyone was looking at her with a smile that was full of sarcasm.

"What genius? He's already given up. He can't even get past the Silent Realm."

"She's so amazing, why doesn't anyone take her as a personal disciple? So what if she's the daughter of a general? She still has to squeeze into this freezing cold disciple dormitory with us."

"A person who can't even speak properly won't say a word, but will secretly complain to the senior brother, causing me to be punished."

"Just watch, she won't make it up there."

"She has sword bones!"

Lin Feiran remained silent. Looking at her aged hands, she still took faltering steps forward. The wind and snow were fierce, and she walked very slowly, but she was still determined. Amidst the obstruction and ridicule of the crowd, she silently walked forward.

She saw many people die before her eyes, such as Xian, Ji Changying, her mother, and her father. They blocked each step. Lin Feiran paused slightly, but still slowly supported herself with a wooden cane that she had found from somewhere and continued to move forward.

The wind and snow continued, and on the long journey, she was left all alone in the end.

She kept moving forward, her eyes growing clearer and clearer, until she reached the summit and looked up at the sky: "What do you mean by creating this illusion?"

His voice was hoarse, and he was very old, but his eyes were as bright as ever.

"..."

Amidst the churning sea of ​​clouds, his voice emerged: "You are the first person to have come up here unaffected by the Vast Sea Road and unfazed by the illusions in your mind. I am astonished that you have made such a smooth journey."

Is this what it means to have a pure and innocent heart?

Lin Feiran supported herself with her sword, her body extremely tired, as if she were supporting a thousand-pound stone. However, this was not due to physical aging. She could feel that it was because she had walked the Vast Sea Road and arrived at the temple.

The snow in front of them dissipated, and a very tall palace came into view, with a Bagua water formation laid out inside, just like in the wilderness.

Lin Feiran took a step forward, but felt weak all over. She immediately used her sword to support herself, and then looked back. She could no longer see Zhang Siwo and the others on the steps.

Using her sword as a crutch, she walked forward step by step.

She said in a hoarse voice, "What's the point of letting me relive the past? Today's illusions are just a replay of yesterday. I've already experienced them and moved on, so why should I waver?"

This tactic is useless, but it's excellent at stalling for time.

The Dao Lord's voice still echoed in the temple: "I like your innocent heart very much."

Lin Feiran scoffed: "What, you want to put it on your heart?"

"That's fine too."

Lin Feiran stood in front of the hall and looked inside. The hall still contained the Bagua water formation, but the Dao Lord's figure was no longer there. In front of the main hall, a fleshy ball resembling a heart was slowly pulsating.

She knew that the growing body was inside the ball of flesh.

As Ji Changying said, the Dao Lord has no body, so he created one for himself. In order to be born, he must grow from small to large, just like an infant growing in the mother's womb.

To truly kill it, you must cut off its head the moment it grows out.

With no one to help, this is almost the last battle.

The soldiers in the palace reappeared. Lin Feiran swallowed the pill and gritted her teeth to fight amidst the falling thunder. She was indeed very tired after fighting for so long.

With a loud crash, she was knocked back and slammed into a pillar for what seemed like the umpteenth time. She coughed as she got up, patted the cracks on the pillar, and laughed, "This is the first time I've ever fought someone and ended up looking this disheveled."

She looked up and wiped the blood from her lips: "But there were still some gains."

The beating heart above was cut open, revealing the frail infant inside.

It was no longer the strange creature we had just seen; its limbs had shrunk back to four, becoming real hands and feet; and its facial features no longer grew out of proportion, but had obediently shrunk to the two fist-sized fleshy balls.

A long, fleshy tube extends from its belly into its pulsating heart, into which a continuous stream of vital energy is being supplied.

Lin Feiran propped himself up with his sword, looked at the corpses of the soldiers lying all around him, and said, "You can't even turn into mist anymore, how many more soldiers can you send out to fight me?"

"Yeah, what other options are there? It's just a matter of who falls first."

Lin Feiran exhaled and drew her sword again, running faster and faster, almost instinctively fighting the attacking soldiers. But this time, she finally reached the steps below the heart.

"Cough cough..." Lin Feiran wiped away the spilled blood, covered her lips, and stepped onto the stairs.

The Daoist Master suddenly said, "Don't you have any regrets? I'm afraid only I know them in the whole world."

Lin Feiran remained silent and continued to push herself forward.

A wisp of white mist drifted out and reached her side, the voice calm.

Lin Feiran had already stepped onto the last step and was quietly looking at it.

"If you kill me now, all of these possibilities will be permanently blocked."

"Lin Feiran, think about it carefully. Have you ever had a moment of fulfillment or a moment of freedom in your life? Is this really what you want to do?"

You are the savior, you are the great hero, but what do you get in return?

I don't understand.

You are the one who saves the world, but why should it be you who does? After I die, others will cheer loudly, having received everything they wanted, but what about you?

"Only you have gone through hardships and pains, only you have lost your parents, your friends, and your loved ones, and only you will remain alone."

"Do you know what will happen after I'm gone? There's a question you've always been unwilling to face: after I die, the Holy Spirit will dissipate, and will your mother, whom they saved, still live on?"

"Can our grandmaster still remain in this world?"

Lin Feiran gripped the hilt of her sword, surrounded by fallen corpses. She remained silent, but her gaze flickered for a moment.

“Open your eyes and look. You are the one who carries the most burden, you are the one who bears the most responsibility, and you are the one who gives the most. But what have you gained? Perhaps after this is over, the world will not even know that you killed me.”

"In your second life, you can rewrite the fate of the people you love. In your second life, you will never suffer the same humiliation as Daohe Palace again."

"Kill me, and will you ever see your mother again?"

Lin Feiran stood in front of him, the sword she had raised never falling.

"Slowly." Jin Lan's figure appeared behind her. She stepped forward and took Lin Feiran's hand holding the sword.

Slowly, I know you can do it.

Also appearing nearby was the figure of the Grandmaster.

Lin Feiran's eyes flickered slightly. Today, she had already witnessed Ji Changying's departure with her own eyes, and now even they couldn't keep her.

"After the sword falls, you will dissipate, right?"

Jin Lan remained silent.

The grandmaster looked in this direction and said, "We are already dead."

The Dao Master spoke up at the opportune moment: "But you could have stayed here."

During the long silence, the head, which was the size of two fists, grew even larger, and the facial features gradually returned to their original positions, becoming a complete head. However, its eyes were damaged; the left eye was blind, while the right eye possessed a divine charm.

Lin Feiran slowly closed her eyes, her fingertips gripping the sword almost turning white, but at a certain moment, she opened her eyes and raised the sword.

The Daoist Master remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Why?"

Lin Feiran spoke in a hoarse voice: "Because I saw it."

Along the way, she saw too much, and once she saw it, she couldn't ignore it.

"There are regrets in the past, but there's no need to relive them."

Lin Feiran raised her sword again, and a gust of wind suddenly rose from it. She closed her eyes, and the sword fell. This time, she finally hit something, and the thing rolled down and fell into the clear spring.

With a loud bang, the temple began to tremble, the entire secret realm shook, and the surrounding area began to collapse.

When she opened her eyes again, everything was blurry. Lin Feiran supported herself with her sword, and tears slowly dripped from her eyes.

"Goodbye," she whispered, "Mother."

Jin Lan stood before him, her figure almost transparent. She stepped forward and hugged Lin Feiran, a familiar warmth emanating from her: "Manman, you did very well."

Lin Feiran turned to look at his grandmaster, whose dark aura had silently faded away. His grandmaster smiled and said, "Fate brings us together and fate separates us; it has always been like this. It is enough that I have witnessed you reach where you are today."

He did not linger there. Instead, he rose gracefully, dodging the falling boulders, and plunged into the radiant light that supported the sky.

In the collapsing hall, Lin Feiran and Jin Lan sat on the steps, seemingly content in their secluded corner.

Lin Feiran leaned on her shoulder and suddenly asked, "If there were a tomorrow, where would you most like to go?"

Jin Lan smiled and said, "Me? I want to travel the world. I used to be poor and wandered around. Later, when I had money, I was hunted down and had to hide. I couldn't have any fun anywhere."

Lin Feiran watched her increasingly faint features, her eyelashes fluttering, tears streaming down her face. She asked, "If we could do it all over again, when I was six years old, would you still leave?"

Jin Lan remained silent for a long time, and just when Lin Feiran thought she was going to say she was leaving, she spoke up.

“…No, I won’t.” She said in a hoarse voice, “I’m such a stupid mother. I should have waited for you to grow up, and then the three of us could do these things together.”

Lin Feiran watched Jin Lan's hand gradually disappear: "Will you miss me in the future?"

There was no reply, and the warm figure was no longer beside him.

Lin Feiran paused for a moment, then answered to herself, "I will miss you all."

The temple had collapsed, but Lin Feiran still showed no intention of leaving. She looked at the head floating on the water, a head that could hardly be called a head.

"Why are you staring at us? Are you still alive?"

"Yes." A faint mist rose again in the hall, and the Dao Lord's figure reappeared. "But he is about to perish."

Lin Feiran brushed away the falling pebbles and said, "Why bother? What's so great about being human? You might as well be a tree or a flower. Forget about being human."

"If I could do it all over again, I would still want to be human." Even as he said this, most of his body had already disappeared. "Maybe this isn't the final outcome?"

Lin Feiran sat on the steps, the sharpness of her long sword undiminished. She looked down at the steps below, slowly stood up, and faced the collapsing figures amidst the dust and smoke.

"Is that so? If I can kill you once, I can kill you a second time."

"Born once, killed once; one day they will all be wiped out."

After a moment of silence, the Dao Lord's figure finally dissipated: "You won this final round."

The temple collapsed completely, but Lin Feiran was too exhausted to escape. She lay back on the stone steps, looking at the collapsed dome. Beyond the dome was a bright sky.

She fell from mid-air and landed among the rocks, like a shooting star, onto the open field below.

The pillar in the east had disappeared, the thick black clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, and the light of dawn shone through the clouds. Golden rays of light shone down like slanting pillars, gradually dispelling the long-silent night.

Cheers continued, but the rain never fell, and the story continued.

Lin Feiran rose from the ruins and looked at the first rays of dawn in the east. She stood against the light, her dark figure almost etched into the first ray of sunlight. The Golden Wave Sword was stuck straight into the crack in the stone, its blade reflecting the first ray of light.

The sun is coming out.

Author's Note: The main story is finished. What follows will be the side stories, which will definitely consist of three chapters.

1. Epilogue: This is a story about everyone's post-war experiences, as well as a lot of records of Lin Feiran and Ru Xian's love affair. Kissing is not enough, so let's have this and that!

2. The Way and the Past: The Stories of Wei Changzai, Ji Changying, and Lin Feiran

3. Ever Night Chapter: The Three Months of Kobayashi's Fake Death

When the time comes, everyone can buy according to demand. Let's try to climb the charts first. I'm also preparing some extra chapters, which will start updating on the 4th. Don't worry, they won't be very long. These extra chapters are purely romance-themed. I'll be returning to my comfort zone...

P.S.: There's a little foreshadowing regarding the senior brother's ending; you'll find out in the epilogue.

P.S.: Other characters will be added in the epilogue. If you'd like to see whose ending you'd like to see, please mention it in the pinned post or comments. I might write something about it if it's appropriate. As for the "what if" storylines that many readers want to see, I'm still debating it. I've never written an "what if" story before, and I felt that writing one wouldn't quite fit the characters. However, after trying out a Western fantasy mini-drama, I think it's quite good. Anyway, I'll write these three stories first, and the others later. [droopy-eared rabbit head][droopy-eared rabbit head]