Chapter 113

Within the demonic cocoon, mountains and rivers roared.

This indicates that the person who set up this formation is in a state of agitation, and their emotions are on the verge of exploding.

But Sheng Ningyu couldn't care less about any of that.

Holding the Unyielding Sword, her face no longer held its usual languid smile.

Despite her haste to arrive, Sheng Ningyu could clearly see that the figure that had flashed by in the sea of ​​blood must have been her second senior brother.

"This was Rong Que's doing." Sheng Ningyu's pupils turned crimson.

She calmly declared, "I will kill him."

Xie Qianjing looked at Sheng Ningyu quietly.

She hovered in the void, looking unusually disheveled, with bloodstains covering her clothes and face.

Xie Qianjing still had that slightly teasing smile on his face, but he said, "You don't need to be like that."

Don't change your temperament for his sake.

Xie Qianjing had just tricked Rong Que into losing his senses and revealing his demonic form, displaying his ugly side. But now, he was unwilling to do so.

He said, "Immortal Rong did not intend to kill you. Leave here and go find him."

"Thank you, Qianjing!"

Sheng Ningyu braved the blood-soaked gale and continued forward, only to be blocked by a scarlet silk thread.

It wasn't a barrier of puppets spreading through the sea of ​​fire, but rather threads that spread from Xie Qianjing's fingertips.

"Ninefold."

Xie Qianjing suppressed the mischievous and malicious smile that had been playing on his lips. He looked at Sheng Ningyu quietly, and suddenly, a faint, gentle smile appeared on his lips.

Just like the gentle and indulgent Xie Xianjun of yesteryear.

However, in contrast, there was a calm and resolute tone in his words.

"Don't come any closer."

Sheng Ningyu stared intently at Xie Qianjing, still stubbornly extending her hand to him.

She couldn't penetrate Xie Qianjing's barrier. The puppet barrier here was far stronger than the one outside, and when Sheng Ningyu reached out, it felt like countless silver needles piercing her.

Large amounts of blood seeped from his fingertips, much like the scene when he stubbornly wrote his name in the coffin years ago.

But Sheng Ningyu still did not withdraw her hand.

She dared not use her sword, for her swordsmanship was born to drink blood and kill all villains. If she were to use it now, it would surely injure Xie Qianjing.

Sheng Ningyu was unwilling.

So she sheathed her sword and stubbornly reached out her hand to Xie Qianjing.

"Hold onto me, and I'll take you away."

The Sword Master, who is usually so audacious, is actually trembling.

Xie Qianjing thought that he was probably really possessed by demonic energy.

Seeing Sheng Ningyu like this, he actually felt... at peace.

At this moment, it seems that all the past struggles have found their answers.

Xie Qianjing: "Jiuzhong, don't come any closer."

Xie Qianjing was enveloped in the puppet barrier. Before leaving, Rong Que released all the demonic energy into the air, which pierced Xie Qianjing inside the demonic cocoon like silver needles.

Xie Qianjing felt no pain until now, when he saw Sheng Ningyu's fingertips bleeding from the puppet barrier.

pain.

It hurts a lot.

Xie Qianjing subconsciously wanted to wipe away the blood that had seeped from Sheng Ningyu's fingertips due to the corrosion of the puppet silk, but as soon as he raised his hand, he realized that his fingertips had become almost transparent white.

He will soon... very soon he will dissipate.

But Xie Qianjing felt no fear whatsoever.

He looked at Sheng Ningyu and smiled gently: "I remembered something earlier."

Xie Qianjing slowly said, "According to the prophecy in the 'Fragment of Heavenly Fate,' I should have died long ago."

Whether it was that little immortal you liked, or the pure and innocent Bodhi Immortal Lord of the Xie family, they should have died in that catastrophe long ago.

The Xie family of Bodhi, born with the bones of an immortal, fell into demonic ways.

When the Chu family's Soul-Devouring Nail pierced his shoulder blade, when he was living worse than an abandoned dog in that dark, gloomy room.

Xie Qianjing thought that if he had any backbone, he should have died.

The Xie family is inherently noble and pure, just like the Bodhi snow lotus in that pond, the purest and most immaculate existence.

Otherwise, how could they have fallen to such a state simply because they were out of place?

Sheng Ningyu gripped the puppet barrier tightly, fine drops of blood trickling through her fingers, but she seemed oblivious to the pain, stubbornly declaring, "I want you to live."

Survive.

Amidst the sea of ​​blood, the wind howled.

Seeing that Sheng Ningyu still wouldn't let go, and that he was covered in injuries, Xie Qianjing looked somewhat helpless, but in his heart he felt a sense of satisfaction.

That's terrible.

Xie Qianjing found it extremely ironic.

He just now looked down on Rong Wuque's character, but how good is he himself?

"Ninefold." Xie Qianjing looked at the person in front of him, his black pupils gradually turning bloodshot. "In the past... during those days before you woke up, do you know how I survived?"

Sheng Ningyu's hand trembled again.

Xie Qianjing saw it, and he twitched the corner of his mouth.

"I think of the Xie family, my old friends, my teachers, and those who harmed me..."

Xie Qianjing suddenly chuckled softly, his tone lowering slightly, and his indifferent, snow-like voice suddenly gained warmth, like a spring breeze swirling through winter.

"I think of you, day after day."

Xie Qianjing took a few more steps forward.

He could clearly see Sheng Ningyu's disheveled state and the blood spilling from her lips.

"...Back then, I was filled with resentment and hatred, and what I most wanted to see was how you are now."

This was Xie Qianjing's dirtiest and most disgusting thought.

He wanted the high and mighty moon to fall, he wanted her to sink into the mud with him.

"Sheng Ningyu... Sheng Jiuzhong..."

Xie Qianjing seemed to be talking to himself. He suppressed his smile, and black magic patterns crawled all over his right cheek.

Gone was that ethereal aura; he was now like a ghost, his entire body radiating a chilling coldness.

Xie Qianjing made many assumptions. He imagined that Sheng Ningyu would be surprised, disgusted, or discard him like trash after hearing these words. So Xie Qianjing desperately craved it while simultaneously suppressing himself, until now, before he dissipated.

He was finally able to stop pretending and tear off all the masks he had worn in the past.

“Sheng Ningyu, you’ve fallen for the wrong person.” Xie Qianjing chuckled softly. “I’m no longer that upright and outspoken little immortal lord.”

He was no longer the person Sheng Ningyu liked.

No matter how much he pretends or tries to hide, he will only pale in comparison to those boys with pure hearts, making him seem even more ridiculous.

Xie Qianjing paused, then slowly raised his eyes.

Amidst the raging flames, Sheng Ningyu spoke, each word clear: "The former Sheng Ningyu liked the former Xie Qianjing."

"But Sheng Ningyu only likes Xie Qianjing now."

The Sheng Ningyu of the past will never come to this place again.

But this time, she will definitely come.

Even if Yuan Daojun doesn't appear, Sheng Ningyu will definitely come.

She loved him, loved his gentleness, loved his indifference, loved his former aloofness and purity, and loved the mess he left behind after wading through the mud.

Sheng Ningyu loves Xie Qianjing. No matter when or where, she will fall in love with him whenever she sees him.

But ironically, she was the one who wronged Xie Qianjing the most.

Above the raging sea of ​​blood, countless emotions surged, and the burning heat in his pupils seemed capable of incinerating the flames into ashes.

"Don't look at me like that." Xie Qianjing suddenly sighed. "Jiuzhong, one of the reasons why I would rather cultivate demonic arts than become a cripple is that I don't want to see you looking at me like that."

Those who cultivate demonic arts are inverted in their love and hate.

He loathed her so much, how could he bear to see her with such an expression?

Even the slightest bit.

Xie Qianjing didn't want it either.

Sheng Ningyu's pain was never nourishment for Xie Qianjing, but rather the last straw that pulled him down into the abyss.

Sheng Ningyu thought Xie Qianjing had misunderstood her emotions. She didn't want any more misunderstandings or barriers between her and Xie Qianjing. Amidst the wind, she suddenly said, "Do you still remember what I said to you before the Thousand Mountains Trial?"

Almost as soon as he thought of those words, the person in front of him repeated them.

"Xie Qianjing, the person I have always loved is you."

It's no longer just about "feeling happy".

It is "love".

Xie Qianjing was slightly taken aback. He seemed not to have expected Sheng Ningyu to bring up this. After a moment of stunned silence, he chuckled softly, a hint of brilliance appearing in his dark eyes.

"Jiu Chong'er, you look beautiful when you smile."

Xie Qianjing spoke slowly, as if he was hesitating and struggling with something, yet his words were extremely clear, as if he had rehearsed them a thousand times.

“I misspoke earlier,” he said. “From now on, you should smile at people more often; many handsome young immortals will fall for you…”

Xie Qianjing thought that if Sheng Ningyu wanted to win someone's favor, it would be incredibly easy.

She only needs to glance at that person, and if she's in a good mood, she can smile, and no one can help but fall for her.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Ningyu was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

He really is an idiot.

Sheng Ningyu seized the opportunity and suddenly rushed forward!

"Ninefold!"

Sheng Ningyu turned a deaf ear.

She crossed the raging inferno, enduring the pain of being entangled by the puppet barrier, and held Xie Qianjing's hand tightly.

Her hair was blown back in disarray by the gale, the flames scorched her cheeks, and her sleeves fluttered wildly, whirling incessantly.

Sheng Ningyu's hand, which was gripping Xie Qianjing's, was covered in blood, but she felt no pain. Instead, she laughed even more wildly and unrestrainedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No one in the world would think like that."

Only you will think I speak nicely, only you will think that no matter what I do, everyone else should like me.

Of all the people in the world, only you would love me like this.

She gripped his hand tightly, their palms overlapping, stained with their blood.

Xie Qianjing: "Nine layers is enough."

He once wanted to hold her back and let her fall into the abyss of suffering, so that she would be covered in mud just like him.

But when the time came, Xie Qianjing realized that he couldn't bear to do it.

I can't bear to see her hurt, I can't bear to see her in pain, and I can't bear to see her sad.

As long as she shows even a little bit of love.

Xie Qianjing said softly, "You should go now."

"Should? Should what should I do!" Sheng Ningyu laughed, but her fingertips turned white from clenching her fists, revealing a strange obsession. "Xie Qianjing, have you forgotten our marriage contract?"

Xie Qianjing paused, trying to pull his hand out of hers: "You didn't kill me, so the spirit contract won't backfire."

Xie Qianjing's eyelashes trembled.

I long for the mountains to recede and the waters to flow, and for the sea to dry up and the rocks to crumble.

This bond of love is a vow made for all eternity, to share the vastness of heaven and earth, and to journey together through the long years.

Never to change.

So... so she had seen it all along.

Marriage vows in the mortal world are inherently ethereal and uncertain, yet at a certain moment, two unparalleled geniuses took them seriously.

Sheng Ningyu: "I not only saw it, but I also thought the same thing when we formed the bond!"

The following sentence is, of course, a lie.

Even now, Sheng Ningyu still hasn't truly remembered the past.

The wind howled fiercely, stinging one's eyes.

This time, Xie Qianjing did not expose him.

"What does the next life even matter?!"

Sheng Ningyu stared at him and interrupted him: "Xie Qianjing, I never believe in those things."

As Sheng Ningyu spoke, the entire demonic cocoon suddenly burst open!

The long-accumulated, thick, viscous demonic energy, like an ink stick smashed into clear water, suddenly exploded and spread in all directions! The air was instantly stripped away, turning into a scorching, throat-irritating poisonous mist, making each breath feel like swallowing a mouthful of boiling oil mixed with rust.

Sheng Ningyu swung her sword, severing the demonic energy that was trying to take advantage of the situation.

Her left hand's five fingers were tightly gripping Xie Qianjing's hand, with such force that it almost seeped through his clothes and embedded itself into his bones.

It felt as if if I loosened my grip even slightly, the person in front of me would truly turn into a snowflake and vanish completely.

But Xie Qianjing could not leave this place.

Sheng Ningyu refused to believe it. She gripped the sword tightly in her right hand, thick blood rolling across the blade, reflecting the surrounding blood mist and her own burning eyes.

Xie Qianjing did not try to break free again.

He simply raised his eyes, his gaze passing over her trembling body and looking behind her.

"Ninefold," Xie Qianjing called her name again, his voice soft, yet exceptionally clear amidst the lingering echoes of the surrounding cracking and burning.

"Look behind you."

Sheng Ningyu subconsciously turned her head away, and then she could no longer move.

The demonic cocoon at the very center of this world burst open, completely tearing apart the last fragile barrier.

At the entrance to the demon's lair, the heart-wrenching cries, along with the stench of blood, scorched earth, and despair, surged into her consciousness.

Sheng Ningyu can see very, very far.

Beyond the demonic aura, beyond the resentment of ghosts and demons, beyond the sea of ​​fire, she saw countless ordinary people, supporting each other as they fled and hid; she saw cultivators with weak spiritual power, covered in blood, yet still struggling to maintain the fragile barrier.

Sheng Ningyu also saw her old friends and her teachers.

Those were faces covered in dust and tears, filled with the fear and despair of impending death, yet their pupils still held a faint glimmer of hope.

Those hopeful gazes surged toward her like a tidal wave, and Sheng Ningyu felt fear for the first time in a long time. She awkwardly looked away.

Are you looking at her?

Why her?

Because she is the Sword Master.

Sheng Ningyu thought to herself, "Heaven must be blind to have made her the 'Sword Master'."

She was outspoken and unruly, ignoring the admonition that "the Sword Master should not descend from the high platform," meddling in many matters of cause and effect that she shouldn't have, and doing many things that others might think she shouldn't have done.

“But you’ve done very well all these years,” Xie Qianjing said softly. “That’s why the entire city of Shanhai Never Sleeps fell silent because of your words. And that’s why your story is still told throughout the Qingyi Academy.”

"Ninefold, open your eyes and look at them again."

Further away, surging waves of monstrous creatures, exuding a putrid stench, were beginning to emerge, their greedy gazes fixed firmly on this helpless "prey."

Sheng Ningyu knew that if she hesitated even for a moment longer, if she continued to entangle with Xie Qianjing here, that fragile defensive line and all the lives behind it would be swallowed and crushed by the black tide in an instant.

The hands that were gripping Xie Qianjing loosened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

The change in force was extremely slight, yet Xie Qianjing clearly felt the momentary loosening.

A complex mix of emotions flashed across the depths of his eyes.

He seemed both tolerant and understanding.

But this time, he harbored no resentment.

“They can’t wait any longer, Jiuchong.”

Sheng Ningyu took a deep breath and opened her eyes again.

Sheng Ningyu once majored in the Path of Ruthlessness.

Others might not be able to see it clearly, but in her eyes, there were large swathes of puppet barriers binding her and Xie Qianjing.

These red lines begin from their clasped hands.

This is a dead end, Sheng Ningyu thought.

At this moment, for her, it was not a choice between the world and Xie Qianjing.

Xie Qianjing was her Daoist partner, equal to her body and life.

Therefore, for Sheng Ningyu, this was a choice between the world and herself.

Choose the world, or choose yourself?

If I were to choose myself, would so many innocent people really have to die here?

How will she prove her great path, the final sword move of the Ninefold Sword that she has yet to reach?

The cultivators supporting them from a short distance saw that Sheng Ningyu had moved.

Sheng Ningyu slowly raised her sword.

Her movements were slow and seemingly incredibly heavy, not like she was lifting a sword, but rather like she was prying up a mountain or supporting an entire sky that was about to collapse.

Inch by inch, the sword broke free from the sticky blood, emitting a clear, resonant hum!

...

"The Sword Master has found the origin!"

"Hold on a little longer, everyone! Now that the Sword Master has made a move, we are saved!"

Everyone was overjoyed, and everyone was thrilled to witness the Sword Master draw his sword.

...

Sheng Ningyu was unaware of all this.

She focused all her attention on her sword.

Centered on Sheng Ningyu, the overwhelming and pure sword intent stirred the heavens and earth, and an invisible storm suddenly took shape!

The fierce wind howled like knives, tearing at the demonic energy around Sheng Ningyu with a hissing sound, her clothes and black hair fluttering wildly in the air.

Almost simultaneously, a blood wave surged up, completely coalescing into a gigantic maw that blotted out the sky. Its fangs were countless struggling vengeful spirits and skeletons, and with the force to devour everything, it roared straight toward Sheng Ningyu!

Even the smallest detail can cause mountains to shake and the winds and clouds to change drastically!

Everyone was terrified upon sensing such sword intent, and then they were overjoyed!

The Sword Master saved them!

They're finally, finally going to get out of here!

Unbeknownst to anyone, Sheng Ningyu slowly opened her eyes in the void.

She lowered her eyes and looked at those people indifferently.

Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.

Everything below, whether it was the cultivators fighting to the death to protect it, the mortals wailing and fleeing, or even the ferocious demons rushing towards it, had lost all meaning and distinction.

However, they are all just mindless and ignorant specks of dust in the vast sand table where fate threads intertwine.

The boundary between life and death became blurred in that instant. All the love, hate, obsession, desire, vows... all these emotions entered Sheng Ningyu's consciousness at this moment, but could no longer arouse her in the slightest.

A few specks of dust, a faint noise.

Sheng Ningyu couldn't see any of the faces clearly.

Xie Qianjing.

Xie Qianjing... what is he?

The thought had barely formed when, in the stillness and emptiness, a light snowflake drifted in from somewhere and landed on Sheng Ningyu's brow.

It melted instantly, like a drop of blood.

What if, among all that dust, there was one named "Xie Qianjing"?

Sheng Ningyu suddenly opened her eyes!

...

Beyond the floating barrier, a cultivator, panting heavily, had just pushed aside the puppet barrier and raised his hand in surprise: "Is that a rain of pear blossoms? Where did these pear blossoms come from?"

"What pear blossoms? It's snowing!"

Snow?

Yang Xiuzhu suddenly turned around, and almost simultaneously, countless people screamed in terror.

"Sword Master!"

Above the surging sea of ​​blood, the final sword that had stirred up heaven and earth suddenly turned around and was slashed at by Sheng Ningyu herself!

In an instant, the sea of ​​blood calmed down, the wind subsided, and all the puppet barriers seemed to lose control in a moment. The originally crimson sea of ​​blood faded in sections, turning gray and white.

In the air, only snowflakes continued to fall, like a white figure falling from the clouds.

...

Sheng Ningyu opened her eyes again.

The heavy snow blanketed everything in white, as if shrouding the world.

Sheng Ningyu found herself sitting in the snow. She raised her hand and caught the snow in front of her, feeling the cool touch melt in her palm.

For some inexplicable reason, Sheng Ningyu felt a sense of emptiness in her heart, as if she had lost something.

"Finally awake."

A calm and unhurried voice came from behind.

Sheng Ningyu suddenly turned her head and saw a blurry silhouette coming toward her in the snow.

The emptiness in her heart was suddenly filled with immense anticipation and joy. Before Sheng Ningyu could even fully savor this unprecedented emotion, she had already recognized the person who had arrived.

Dressed in snow, with a pure and graceful appearance, she seemed to have concealed the glitz and glamour of the mortal world.

He is Rong Que, the flawless young master of Jian Ge and also her second senior brother.

Rong Que approached, lowering his eyes: "Junior Sister seems somewhat disappointed to see me?"

Sheng Ningyu shook her head: "Senior brother, what are you joking about? I am naturally happy to see you here."

As she spoke, Sheng Ningyu reached out her hand to Rong Que.

Rong Que seemed pleased. He bent down and readily reached out his hand, intending to help Sheng Ningyu up.

However, just a second before their fingertips touched, Sheng Ningyu abruptly withdrew her hand.

Rong Que's hand froze in mid-air, then slowly withdrew.

That face, which once garnered countless praises in the cultivation world, is now hidden beneath the snow, its expression blurred.

Sheng Ningyu didn't know why she had such a mature reaction. It was as if the deepest part of her heart was preventing her from getting close to her second senior brother, as if getting close to him would... cause her to get hurt.

What will get hurt? Herself?

Sheng Ningyu hesitated.

But this is her second senior brother, her favorite second senior brother in the Sword Pavilion.

How could he possibly hurt her?

"Junior sister," Rong Que quietly interrupted her, "you've been out for far too long."

"It's time to return to Jiange with me."

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Author's Note: Right away! [Sunglasses]