Chapter 172: Whispers of the Demonic Abyss, the Temptation of Chaos
The white light of the Temple Messenger, which carried cold order and implicit threats, had just dissipated in the sky. The ripples caused by the space tearing above Xuanyun Sect had not yet completely subsided. Another completely different but equally heart-pounding wave spread silently like a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows.
It didn't come from the outside world, but rather from a deeper, more twisted dimension, acting directly on the soul. There were no grand ceremonies, no majestic pronouncements, only a whisper imbued with an ancient, chaotic, yet strangely alluring power. Like the whisper of a loved one, yet like the bewitching siren song of a demon, it precisely penetrated the layers of defense of Yeli's samsara sanctuary and resonated directly within her mind.
"Hehe... Did you see that? Those self-righteous 'Servants of Light'... They came here in chains, wanting to turn you into a docile bird in their cage, Li Zun... or rather, the Sanctuary of Samsara?"
The voice was neither male nor female, with multiple overlapping tones, as if it was composed of countless chaotic thoughts, full of jokes and mockery.
Ye Li's pupils shrank slightly, but her expression remained impassive. She had just returned to the Qingtian Palace with Qin Yixuan, Muyun Jushi, and the others to discuss the situation in the Holy Temple. This whispered intrusion was so stealthy that even Qin Yixuan, who was so close, didn't immediately notice it.
"Who are you?" Ye Li responded coldly in his mind. The power of reincarnation was like the most sophisticated filter, vigilantly analyzing the composition of this thought, trying to trace its source.
"We? We are the watchers of the 'Bottom of the Ten Thousand Abysses,' the spokesmen of the 'Origin of Chaos'... You can call us the 'Demon Abyss.'" The voice carried an unpleasant stickiness. "We have observed you for a long time, Ye Li. From your rebirth from obscurity to your current position as the master of reincarnation and standing tall in the Holy Land... Your path has been filled with struggle, betrayal, destruction, and rebirth... How beautiful, how true to the essence of chaos!"
"Power! Only absolute power is the only truth in this universe!" The whisper suddenly became high-pitched and incendiary. "Order? It's just an excuse for the weak to huddle together for warmth! Light? It's just a veil used by hypocrites to whitewash the situation! Look at the path you've walked. Every step you take has been through corpses and destruction. You were born to belong to chaos, to be embraced by power!"
Ye Li remained calm and watched the performance of this thought with a cold eye. She knew that this was just the beginning.
"Those idiots in the Temple want you to hand over the Samsara Mirror? How ridiculous! How can such supreme power be handed over to others?" Mo Yuan whispered with disdain, and then his tone became extremely seductive, "Cooperate with us, Ye Li! Mo Yuan possesses ancient knowledge that you cannot imagine, about the nature of 'nothingness', about how to truly control it, rather than foolishly trying to 'purify' or escape it like the Temple!"
"'Nothingness' isn't the end, but the beginning. It's the purest source of power after all things return to the abyss! If you're willing, we can share this power and explore together the mystery of immortality, something that even the Supremes and even the Holy Realm desire! Transcend the cycle of birth and death in this universe and achieve true eternal freedom!"
The Mystery of Immortality! These four words seemed to carry a strange magical power, enough to make any cultivator pursuing the pinnacle of the Great Dao feel excited and shaken.
However, Ye Li's heart, tempered by two lifetimes, was already as solid as a rock. She keenly grasped the trap and deeper message behind this temptation.
"Sharing? Cooperation?" Ye Li sneered in her mind, "Just like your 'cooperation' with Ling Hao, Xuan Cong, Mo Shang and the others?"
She directly pointed out the name of the betrayer in her previous life.
Mo Yuan was silent for a moment, then let out an even more sinister laugh. "Hehe... you really do know. Yes, they were indeed our chosen 'partners.' Unfortunately... they failed. Ling Hao had ambition, but lacked the capacity and wisdom to match it; Xuan Cong was too calculating and lacked the courage and determination to strive for progress; Mo Shang was even more obsessed with selfish desires and was unfit for great use. They were merely failed experiments to test some of our ideas."
It openly regarded Ling Hao and the others as abandoned pawns and experimental subjects, and its tone was full of indifference.
"But you're different, Ye Li!" The whisper became fervent again. "You possess qualities that none of them possess—tenacity, decisiveness, a deep understanding of the nature of power, and... most importantly, you control the entire Samsara Mirror! You're the perfect partner! We can help you truly unleash the power of the Samsara Mirror, or even surpass it! Instead of just treating it as a vessel of power like you do now."
At this moment, the whisper changed its tone, becoming ambiguous and provocative.
"Look at the one beside you... Qin Yixuan of the Xuannv Sanctuary." The whisper carried a hint of sickening stickiness. "How pure, how sacred... She represents light, order, and purification... Is she truly on the same path as your reincarnation, your destruction, your chaotic nature?"
"Do you know that beneath her divine radiance lies an instinctive rejection and wariness of you and the power of Samsara? The Temple desires her not simply for her power, but also because the 'order' she represents is inherently incompatible with the 'Samsara' and 'Chaos' you wield! One day, when their ideologies clash beyond reconciliation, how can you be sure she won't stand against you and raise the all-purifying Star Sword?"
This plan of alienation is extremely vicious, directly targeting the most fundamental bond of trust between Ye Li and Qin Yixuan.
A cold light suddenly gleamed in Ye Li's eyes! A dragon has a reverse scale; if touched, it will be enraged! Qin Yixuan was her greatest reverse scale! This demonic whisper dared to try to drive a wedge between them!
Just as she was about to use the power of reincarnation to crush this disgusting thought, the whisper seemed to sense her anger and quickly changed the subject, throwing out an unexpected message.
"Hehe... why get angry? Perhaps I've said too much. However, Ye Li, you need to understand that your enemies are far more than just us, the Demon Abyss, or those openly displayed Temple messengers." The whispering voice became low and meaningful. "The Temple is not a monolithic entity either. Cracks have long appeared within them."
"Those who have been suppressed by 'pure order' for too long, longing to unleash their true nature and pursue true power... have long been dissatisfied with the Temple's rigid dogma. Beneath the Temple's glamorous exterior, there are also those who share similar ideals... 'comrades'."
"Light and darkness, order and chaos, are never clearly defined. Sometimes, beneath the most extreme order, the most insane chaos is bred. And from the deepest chaos, a brand new order can emerge... Isn't this delicate balance and transformation precisely what your path of reincarnation explores?"
"Think about it, Ye Li. By cooperating with us, you will gain not only power, but also key information about your true enemy... the 'shadow' hidden beneath the glory of the Temple... Isn't this more valuable than the Temple's empty promise of 'order'?"
The voice stopped abruptly here.
The whisper, full of temptation and confusion, disappeared without warning just as it appeared, as if it had never existed.
But the ripples it left in Ye Li's mind were far from subsiding.
The temptation of the Demon Abyss is naked and direct, targeting power and immortality, and even uses Ling Hao and others as a precedent to try to prove the "sincerity" of its "cooperation". And its strategy of sowing discord is even more insidious and vicious.
However, what Ye Li cared about most was the last piece of information about the existence of "fellow believers" inside the temple.
"Darkness within the light...order becomes a shackle..." The Star God's warning once again surfaced in her mind.
Was what Mo Yuan said true? Was it real, or was it a lie fabricated to drive a wedge between her and the Temple (despite their already opposing positions)? If so, what were these so-called "comrades" within the Temple? What kind of "power" did they seek?
The Eternal Temple, the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons... These two seemingly extremely opposing ancient forces came to the door almost at the same time. One used the name of order to force people, and the other used chaos as bait to deceive people.
After she and Qin Yixuan entered the Holy Land, the chessboard of the spiritual world seemed to attract a bigger and more dangerous chess player who was hiding behind the scenes.
Ye Li slowly opened her eyes, the shadow of reincarnation in her eyes was floating up and down, so deep that it made people's heart palpitate.
Qin Yixuan seemed to sense something and looked over with concern. Her slender hand gently covered the back of her hand, and the warm star power flowed through with a soothing meaning.
Ye Li held her hand in his backhand, feeling the firm and pure warmth. The slight ripples in his heart caused by the alienation between Mo Yuan and him instantly subsided.
She looked at Qin Yixuan, then at Mr. Muyun and others who had worried expressions on their faces, and spoke in a deep voice, summarizing what Moyuan had whispered just now (except for the words of discord).
The hall suddenly fell into an even more solemn silence.
The Temple is lurking in front, and the Demon Abyss is lurking behind.
However, the undercurrents hidden beneath this seemingly peaceful spiritual world are much more turbulent and complex than they could have imagined.
The true eye of the storm was slowly forming, and they were already in it.
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