Chapter 140 Darkness

What stimulates Excalibur?

"There are many possibilities. Perhaps it's... some kind of selfless lie."

These were the last words Ning Mingmei remembered before his consciousness sank into darkness.

…

Ning Mingmei walked in the dark storm, holding a candle.

He didn't remember why he came here, nor did he remember who he was. There was only one sentence circulating in his mind.

"Walk in the darkness until you reach the end, and you will see an ice door. There are forty-nine locks on the ice door. Cast a spell to lock them. Do not open the door, and do not enter behind the door. Then, you can leave the sword."

"What is the candle used for?"

"The candle will clear the way for you, it is afraid of flames."

It’s really weird. The magic sword belongs to fire and emits high-temperature flames, but it is afraid of fire?

Ning Mingmei didn't remember many things at this moment. The storm was swirling all around and it was terribly cold. Stars were vaguely visible in the storm, and the stars seemed to form a child. The child ran around him and then disappeared in the wind.

“Keep moving forward and don’t look back.”

Ning Mingmei remembered this sentence again.

He couldn't see the stars behind him. The stars formed a crowd, staring at him with resentment - they were fragile and easy to dissipate, but they still existed.

They were like vengeful spirits that had been killed by the divine sword but were still imprisoned here.

But they are young and old, traveling in groups, and are more like ordinary villagers than powerful enemies.

Ning Mingmei continued to move forward. Faintly, he saw "people" in the storm, and the voices of "people".

"The clan leader's son is the reincarnation of a demon. He was once a demon. He will surely lead our clan to glory."

Then there was the woman's sigh.

"No need for that. With the Heaven Gate collapsing and a catastrophe ahead, how can we still think about competing for fame and fortune... It would be great if we can overcome the difficulties and get out of the crisis together. As for him... I just want him to grow up like a child."

"People often think that demons are cruel. I often wonder why they are always considered this way. There are many tribes in the demon world. Since we are the oldest tribe in the demon world, we should also take on the responsibility of representing the demon world."

Someone comes in.

"Chief, more and more tribesmen are getting sick, going crazy, and dying because of the evil spirit."

"In order not to drag down his people, Wan Yi walked into the Demonic Abyss alone..."

The woman clenched her fists.

"This cannot go on any longer."

"It's not just the demons that are facing this pain, but the entire world as well."

Keep moving forward.

Ning Mingmei heard someone say this. At the same time, he felt numbness and itching in his ear.

It was as if someone was holding him in his arms, lowering his head, and putting his lips close to his ear.

Accompanied by a cool breeze, these words were spoken softly.

The scene before my eyes dissipated like the ebbing tide. Ning Mingmei continued walking, and this time, an even more bizarre scene unfolded before his eyes.

A pair of eyes.

He blinked twice in the storm, as if trying to see the scene in front of him clearly. In the eye-like frame, there is a shadow-like scene.

There were two women sitting in the tent. One is the patriarch who was talking to his tribesmen in the previous scene.

The other one's shadow is more blurred. But she has a noble temperament and a slender and graceful figure.

Behind her stood ten elders.

The ten elders were silent and small, like dwarf shadows. The slender woman's shadow is noble and elegant, like a daffodil.

But when she sat in front of those people, she was like a puppet controlled by them.

"We understand your intentions...

"Yes, for the sake of the world...someone must make sacrifices. Not only us, but the world as well."

"We will try our best..."

"If you need his blood... take his blood and refine it into this, over and over again."

Ning Mingmei didn't hear the last part clearly. He took a step forward, frowning, trying to figure out what was going on.

But suddenly, someone gently covered her cheek with his palm.

You are too curious.

Keep moving forward.

A strange force lifted Ning Mingmei up, and gently but forcefully forced him to change direction. Ning Mingmei did not resist. He continued forward in the darkness. There was a sound of drops in the sky, and suddenly it started to rain.

The candlelight illuminated the limited area in front of me. Ning Mingmei then realized that what was falling were not raindrops.

It's a drop of blood.

The warm candlelight created a barrier to isolate the blood rain. The blood rain started out as just a few scattered drops, then became like silk threads and then like a waterfall.

In the pouring rain, Ning Mingmei, shrouded only by candlelight, was like a small lonely boat, silently walking on the road of exploration.

The storm roared, and he could hear voices in the storm.

"not enough."

“Not enough.”

"Not enough, not enough, not enough."

"If it's just blood, it's not enough. If it's just blood..."

In the storm, Ning Mingmei heard someone sigh softly. But the sound seemed to come not from inside the sword, but from outside it. In the bloody rain, Ning Mingmei saw those eyes again.

There are different scenes in the two eyes.

On the left are eleven people. Ten elders surrounded the slender woman standing in the center.

On the right is the clan leader sitting on the throne, and the clan members beside her.

"Are we really going to do as they say and send the young master to... sacrifice the sword?"

"We have already paid so much and made sacrifices, not only us, but also the six realms. If we retreat now, all the previous efforts of everyone will be burned to ashes."

"But……"

"If it goes to waste, what will they say to the demons? Besides, what we have to do is to benefit the people."

"Only by opening the gate of heaven can the six realms..."

"But the young master will definitely not..."

"Priest, if anything happens to me, you will inherit the responsibilities of the clan leader."

"But?!"

The scene before my eyes shattered instantly. Then, there was an illusory scene.

Below the platform was a storm like a raging fire, and above the platform, a young boy was struggling.

"Why, why do you do this to me?"

"I have been donating blood for the sword since I was five years old..."

"Was I born to die like this?"

…

"You are not the only one who will be sacrificed." A crowd of people said in a dignified voice, "After you die, the person responsible for opening the Heavenly Gate will also be drained of all his body and die. His soul will fly away, his spirit will be torn apart, and he will escape into the netherworld, with no afterlife."

“……!”

Suddenly, the young boy's body stopped struggling.

His mother hugged him from behind.

"Mother," the young man said softly, "do you want me to die too?"

"I will hold you forever. Do not be afraid. Child, I will accompany you into Excalibur."

…

It was like thousands of fireworks exploding before my eyes. Ning Mingmei put his hands up to cover his eyes. The storm was intense and the candlelight flickered. Every time the light flickered, an arm would reach out from the darkness and try to pull him down.

Those arms were either pale or dark. But they seem to belong not only to humans, not only to gods, but also to demons.

“Chuck…chuck…”

"It's great to have the Heaven Gate open! It's great!"

The cold grew more bitter. Ning Mingmei's teeth were chattering. Until something seemed to block his teeth.

Like someone's finger.

He let his teeth pierce deeply into his skin and did not let go.

Finally, the storm dissipated. Ning Mingmei suddenly opened his eyes.

He saw something.

A...big door.