Guilt
As soon as Xie Lanchen finished speaking, the stagnant water in the left front suddenly exploded, and Fu Hai’s enormous body rose into the air, a foul wind rushed in, and his pair of scarlet vertical pupils gripped the Lone Goose Sword in his hand tightly.
Yun Wei's heart was suddenly filled with turmoil. Shitang Town had a blood debt, with more than 300 innocent lives lost to its claws and fangs. Now it dared to approach Guiyun Sect.
Those Guiyun Sect disciples had never seen such a terrifying scene before. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they could not move an inch.
The older Senior Brother Lu suppressed the shock in his throat and roared hoarsely, "Form the formation! Form the formation now!"
As they spoke, the five men hurriedly stood back to back, but their longswords trembled wildly, and they could hardly form a battle formation.
Xie Lanchen, however, was different.
The boy showed no fear on his face, his longsword flashing coldly as it pierced straight at the demonic dragon.
He remained as extreme and arrogant as ever. Yun Wei observed him coldly.
Relying on his exceptional talent, he disregarded all the dangers in the world and even attempted to fight this demonic dragon, who had cultivated for a hundred years, all by himself.
Such reckless behavior is no different from suicide.
"Senior Brother Xie, be careful!" The disciples' voices trembled with anxiety as they mustered their remaining courage to step forward and help.
"Step back, don't get in my way." The young man's voice was cold and hard. With a cunning flick of his sword, a sharp sword aura drew an arc, forcing Senior Brother Lu and the others who were trying to approach to retreat several steps.
"The demonic dragon is too powerful! The records are incorrect! Call for help immediately!" Senior Brother Lu shouted hoarsely.
Everyone then seemed to wake from a dream, frantically reaching for the sect's jade talisman at their waists.
On the other side, Fu Hai let out a deafening roar, his demonic aura surged, a foul wind swept across the land, sand and stones flew, and trees as thick as bowls were easily broken and crushed like fragile wheat stalks.
With a loud "crack," an old pine tree was snapped in half by its sweeping dragon tail and smashed straight into Xie Lanchen's face.
The boy's pupils contracted sharply. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his Lone Goose Sword shining brightly as he parried the attack.
clang--!
The broken wood was cleaved in two by the sword's spine and fell to the ground with a rustling sound.
Looking at the Lone Goose Sword again, there wasn't a single nick or nick on its blade, and its clear light still flowed, demonstrating its divine weapon's power.
Yun Wei also felt a wave of dizziness as the sword trembled.
Just now, she tried to resonate with the sword spirit to help the young man find an opening to counterattack, but all her efforts were shattered by his domineering and arrogant sword intent that kept people at a distance.
Xie Lanchen's defenses were so strong that they bordered on obsession. Even when facing life and death, he would instinctively resist any external force, even if that force was meant to save his life.
Such a temperament is too rigid and easily broken; sooner or later it will kill him and drag others down with it.
Before Yunwei could speak, Fuhai's massive maw, filled with fangs, lunged at the boy.
Should we save him?
Six years of long-standing grudges and sharp confrontations have become deeply entrenched and difficult to resolve.
If it weren't for the fact that her remnant soul had unfortunately been residing in this Lone Goose Sword, with their minds connected and there was no way to avoid it, she would have long since stopped uttering another word to such a person who treated human life like dirt and was so callous and ungrateful.
The truly strong are not those who stand alone, but those who, even in the deepest abyss, still hold fast to a sense of responsibility. Even as faint as a firefly's glow, they dare to illuminate their own path—this is true compassion.
Even if she has only a little strength left, she should still have the courage and decisiveness to take on the lives of others.
This courage has nothing to do with personal likes, dislikes, or grudges; it is simply a choice made from the heart, and it is solely based on the word "responsibility."
This is the way to benefit all.
"Senior Brother Lu! Look at Senior Brother Xie's sword!" a disciple suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Lone Goose Sword had broken free from Xie Lanchen's control and floated up on its own.
The sword hummed incessantly, as if it were alive, aiming at the onrushing sea.
The next instant, scalding, viscous, dark golden dragon blood gushed out from the throat of Fuhai like a burst dam.
After doing all this, Yunwei felt an unprecedented sense of exhaustion wash over her. Her soul seemed to be instantly drained, and she could no longer maintain any strength. The light of the Lone Goose Sword suddenly disappeared, and it plummeted straight down.
A hint of surprise flashed in Xie Lanchen's eyes, and then he grabbed the Lone Goose Sword firmly in mid-air.
"Three inches below its neck lies its reverse scale." Yunwei's voice came from the sword, devoid of emotion.
The tragedy in Shitang Town was by no means an isolated case. When such a powerful demon wreaks havoc, it is always the innocent people who suffer.
Even if it weren't Xie Lanchen today, she wouldn't stand idly by now that she's encountered him.
Protecting all living beings is the essence of her heart when she wields the sword.
The boy's eyes sharpened, and he understood immediately. He followed the sword, transforming into a swift shadow, and thrust it straight at the dragon's reverse scale on its neck.
The moment the sword tip pierced through, demonic blood spurted out.
At the same time, Senior Brother Lu and the others were also inspired by this desperate counterattack, and several sword lights, some strong and some weak, intertwined and fiercely attacked the demonic dragon.
Fu Hai let out a deafening roar, its massive body spinning violently in agony and rage, its tail sweeping fiercely in all directions.
Several muffled, terrifying impacts rang out almost simultaneously.
Senior Brother Lu and the others were swept away and crashed heavily onto the jagged broken wood and rocks. Blood immediately gushed from their mouths and noses, and they lost consciousness.
Xie Lanchen landed a successful sword strike, but was also struck hard in the chest by the terrifying aftershock of the dying counterattack. He was sent flying several feet away, kneeling on one knee and only managing to stay upright by planting his sword in the ground. Blood kept flowing from his lips, and he could no longer get up.
Yun Wei remained silent, only a thought flashing through her mind: the young man's swordsmanship was not only fierce, but his cultivation was also not low; coupled with the combined efforts of the five disciples, although the sword light varied in strength, it still managed to form a formidable formation.
With such strength, ordinary demonic beasts should have been killed long ago, so how come even the Overturning Sea Demonic Dragon couldn't be seriously injured?
As if confirming her judgment, the dying Fu Hai was surrounded by a dark, eerie light, and its enormous dragon claw slammed into the ground.
A massive, bottomless black hole suddenly opened up, swallowing everyone whole.
The Lone Goose Sword fell to the ground. Yun Wei "looked" at the mess in front of her. Five Guiyun Sect disciples lay sprawled out, their breaths weak and feeble, on the verge of death.
Not far away, Xie Lanchen struggled to prop himself up on one side, leaning against the cold, damp rock wall, clearly at his limit.
She was trapped within the sword, possessing a swordsman's heart but powerless to change her fate. To think that she, once the undisputed leader of the swordsmanship, capable of wielding immense power, could now be so helpless as to be unable even to protect the lives of others—how utterly pathetic.
The valley floor was extremely dark, with only a faint ray of sunlight filtering through the cave entrance high above.
Several thick, dark green vines hung down from the damp, black stone wall.
Above their heads, the massive shadow of Fu Hai slowly pressed down, completely blocking the only way out, and those scarlet vertical pupils stared intently at the tiny creature at the bottom of the valley.
The blood debt of over three hundred innocent people in Shitang Town must ultimately be settled by my own hands. Yun Wei thought to herself.
Those once vibrant faces—farmers toiling in the fields, women busy at the stove, children playing and chasing each other—all they sought was peace and tranquility, yet they became innocent victims of the clutches of the corrupt regime.
Today, she will use this soul-burning act to annihilate this scoundrel, to save the living, and to avenge the dead.
She knew that the covenant of life required mutual affection to be formed, and this soul-stirring act might break down his defenses. If she could use this to evoke a trace of guilt in Xie Lanchen's heart, she might be able to entice him to sign the "covenant of life".
Even if her remaining soul is consumed by this, as long as the contract is formed, she will have a small foundation to make a comeback.
The Lone Goose Sword flashed with a faint light and silently flew to Xie Lanchen's side.
"Xie Lanchen," Yun Wei said.
"How badly are you injured? Do you still have the strength to lead them away from here?"
The boy paused at the sound, then abruptly turned to Gu Hongjian, his eyes swirling with emotion, as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, but in the end they all turned into sarcasm: "You care whether I live or die? Tell me, what do you want to do?"
He absolutely refused to believe that this senior sister, who had once treated him as nothing and whose eyes were only on the Great Dao and the common people, would show him even the slightest bit of irrelevant kindness at this moment.
Yun Wei remained silent for a long while before calmly saying, "Burn this remnant soul and perish with Fu Hai. Only this method can slay this fiend and give you a glimmer of hope."
The young man immediately interrupted her, his tone sharp and barbed: "The sect's reinforcements will arrive in an instant. It's not your place to put on airs and offer me charity!"
Yun Wei chuckled inwardly. He had indeed thought so.
So be it. Why should she explain her actions to him, or need his understanding? She only needs to have a clear conscience.
Thinking of this, she simply hummed in agreement, completely disregarding the boy's reaction.
"You can't stop me," Yun Wei said, emphasizing each word.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Lone Goose Sword suddenly burst forth with a blazing red light, soaring into the air and illuminating the dark valley floor.
The red light condensed into a sword aura over ten feet long, carrying the power to cleave the heavens and earth, and crashed straight into the giant claw that the demonic dragon reached out.
"boom--!"
The shockwave roared like thunder, and rubble rained down. Caught off guard, Xie Lanchen was slammed against the rock wall. In an instant, stars flashed before his eyes, and the world spun around him.
The boy braced himself against the ground with one hand, pressing the other firmly against his forehead. Fragmented images flashed before his eyes—the afterimage of Yun Wei practicing her sword on the cliff, the way she coldly avoided him during the sect competition, and the moment the Lone Goose Sword burst into red light...
Where is Yunwei?
Thinking of this, he immediately struggled to get up and staggered frantically searched the desolate valley floor, which was shaking and filled with dust, his eyes frantically scanning every corner.
Found it.
She was a few feet away beside a huge, jagged, and tilted rock that had been shaken apart.
The blade was covered with a dense, spiderweb-like network of cracks, so menacing and terrifying that it seemed as if a gentle touch would shatter it completely.
The chilling aura that once belonged to Yun Wei, so clear and both familiar and loathed to him, had vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
Xie Lanchen staggered forward, grabbing the cold, lifeless, cracked hilt of the sword in his hand. His fingers trembled violently from the force, and his voice was hoarse: "Yunwei? Speak."
He stared intently at the glaring cracks on the sword, as if trying to see through them the figure of that aloof and arrogant man who had always been superior to him, yet at this moment chose to perish together with him and everyone else.
"Do you think I need you to risk your life to protect me? Or do you think that by doing so I will owe you something and be able to obey you in the future? Don't even think about it! Don't even think about it!" He shook the sword violently, as if trying to wake up the last remaining soul inside and demand an explanation.
But the sword was still a sword, cold, silent, and lifeless, with only cracks remaining to indicate the earth-shattering blow that had just occurred.
A twisted, almost numb sense of pleasure crept into his heart: the swordsmanship champion he had looked up to for years, who had tried his best to surpass and even look down at him, had now vanished completely, in such a decisive and tragic way that he had never imagined.
He should be happy.
Isn't that right?
All these years, I've been constantly on guard, working diligently day and night. When have I not been thinking about suppressing her completely?
Others only thought he was arrogant and wanted to compete for the position of sect leader, but they didn't know that when he was in the middle of the night, with his sword pointing to the sky, what he was thinking about was nothing more than: when could he let her, the bright moon that was high in the clouds and never lowered its eyes, truly see him?
The mountain wind blew in from the cave entrance, stirring up dust from the valley floor and also ruffling the boy's loose hair, revealing a pair of empty, unfocused eyes.
In the world, it seemed that only his heavy, chaotic breathing and the silent, cracked Lone Goose Sword in his hand, which looked as if it would shatter completely at the slightest touch, remained.
"That sword strike just now was as brilliant as the sun, unparalleled throughout the ages. Its intent and spirit were definitely not your doing."
A cold, unfamiliar girl's voice, filled with undisguised deep disgust, suddenly rang out in the deathly silence of the valley.
Xie Lanchen suddenly looked up and followed the sound.
At the edge of the horizon, amidst the dim light of the dust, a blurry figure gradually became clear.
"Guiyun Sect brat, get your filthy hands off! You're not worthy to touch this sword."
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