How do I choose? Should I have both?
As the demonic energy of the Western Demon Abyss dissipated, Fang Li, disregarding her own weakening body, knelt beside Fang Yan, her hands pressed tightly against her brother's still slightly trembling back. Pure chaotic energy flowed continuously into his body, carefully purifying the last trace of filthy demonic energy left by the remnant soul of the Demon Emperor.
Her face was pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, but her eyes were incredibly focused.
"Li'er... Brother's alright, really..." Fang Yan slowly woke up, feeling the strength behind him and his sister's rapid breathing. His heart tightened, filled with both gratitude and heartache. He struggled to sit up, "Stop! You've exhausted yourself! Quickly regulate your breathing!"
Fang Li stubbornly refused to stop until she was sure that the last trace of demonic energy in Fang Yan's body had been completely purified. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, her body swaying slightly.
She lifted her slightly reddened face, looked into Fang Yan's concerned eyes, and finally couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She suddenly hugged Fang Yan's neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and choked out, "Silly brother! You mustn't take such risks again next time! Do you hear me! If something happens to you, I... what will I do!"
Fang Yan was a little breathless from his sister's choking, but he grinned foolishly, his heart overflowing with warmth. He gently patted Fang Li's back, coaxing her like he used to when they were little, his voice unusually soft: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to Li'er. I'll be careful next time and won't be reckless. Hey... this time it's all thanks to my Li'er, you're so amazing! I'm thick-skinned, it's alright, it's really alright..." He awkwardly comforted her, feeling his sister's dependence, and felt that all the suffering he had just endured was worth it.
After a brief rest, the group dared not linger in this dangerous place and quickly returned to the Li Yuan Secret Realm.
Inside the Chaos Palace, the atmosphere was solemn. Fang Qingyu and Yun Zhiruo had been anxiously waiting, and only breathed a long sigh of relief upon seeing their children return safely. Although Fang Yan's face was still somewhat pale, his spirits were still good, and he gave a detailed report on his experiences in the Western Demon Abyss.
Xie Chen solemnly took out the two halves of the rubbings he had brought back from the Northern Underworld Ruins and the Western Demon Abyss.
He placed the fragment at the center of the Star Compass, and the starlight flowed from his fingertips, drawing upon the power of the celestial bodies to infuse it.
A brilliant light shone from the crack in the rubbing, slowly healing itself until it transformed into a complete dark gold stone slab! On the slab, a detailed map appeared, its outline clearly pointing to a forbidden zone marked by numerous celestial runes.
The Burial of the Sword! Beside it is a line of ancient seal script warning: "The place where the Heavenly Judgment Sword sleeps, the key to the great calamity of Chaos Returning to Nothingness. The Heaven-Sealing Stele, the only seal nemesis of the power of the Heavenly Dao, has been dismantled, and its core is also hidden in the tomb."
In other words, to prevent the Celestial Court from using the "Heavenly Judgment Sword" to trigger the Chaos Ruins Calamity, one must not only venture into the Dragon Pool and Tiger Cave of the Burial Sword Mausoleum, but also find and activate the core of the "Sealing Heaven Stele" that has already been dismantled, even under the heavy guard of the Celestial Court!
Fang Qingyu's gaze swept across the map, finally settling on the warning text. His face was solemn: "The situation is clear. The Celestial Court holds the weapon of destruction. If we continue to passively defend, we will only be waiting to die and watch the world return to chaos! Only by taking the initiative, infiltrating the Burial Sword Tomb, finding the core of the stele, and activating the Heaven-Sealing Stele, can we have a glimmer of hope!"
Yun Zhiruo's brows furrowed with worry: "The Burial Sword Mausoleum is of utmost importance to the Immortal Court, and it must be heavily guarded, riddled with traps and formations, and fraught with danger... Going there would be a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."
As soon as the words were spoken, several figures stepped forward almost simultaneously!
Ye Wuyang exuded a chilling aura and said decisively, "I'll go." His words were concise yet carried an undeniable determination.
Shen Yunzhou stood shoulder to shoulder with him, his sword aura soaring into the sky, his gaze sharp: "I will go with you." His tone was equally unquestionable.
The Burial Grounds of Sword Cultivators? He'd like to see who buries whom!
Ji Qianqiu thumped his chest loudly, his voice booming, "Count me in! I'm good at fighting and clearing the way! I've been wanting to have a good chat with those bastards from the Celestial Court for a long time!"
Xie Chen snapped his jade fan shut, his expression calm yet resolute: "The Burial Sword Mausoleum is a forbidden area of the Immortal Court, and its arrays and traps are bound to be numerous and extremely dangerous. We need someone skilled in divination to accompany us. It is my duty to do so."
Fang Li took a deep breath and stepped in front of everyone: "My Chaos Dao Foundation is the key to dealing with the Heavenly Judgment Sword and activating the Heaven-Sealing Stele. I must go!"
"Me too..." Fang Yan hurriedly began, his face flushed slightly with urgency.
"Yan'er!" Fang Qingyu interrupted him, giving his son a deep look, his tone brooking no argument, "You stay behind on the perimeter. Coordinate all sides and provide support. Besides... your injuries haven't healed yet, you need time to recover."
Fang Yan opened his mouth, but seeing his father's unquestionable gaze and then looking at the resolute faces of his sister and companions, he swallowed his words, nodded heavily, and quietly clenched his fists.
The final decision was quickly reached: an elite team consisting of Fang Li, Ye Wuyang, Shen Yunzhou, Ji Qianqiu, and Xie Chen would secretly depart tomorrow using the Li Yuan Secret Array to infiltrate the Immortal Court's forbidden area, the Burial Sword Tomb! All other forces would be coordinated by Fang Yan and would provide support from the perimeter.
With the trip to the Burial Sword Mausoleum decided, the night in the Liyuan Secret Realm was shrouded in a tense silence, as if a storm was brewing.
Fang Li tossed and turned in her courtyard, unable to sleep, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions that left her restless.
She pushed open the door, hoping to clear her thoughts in the cool night breeze.
She was taken aback as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard gate.
Under the moonlight, Ye Wuyang stood alone under the Chaos Tree outside the courtyard, his figure as upright as a pine tree, yet exuding an indescribable loneliness.
Frost had crystallized into tiny ice crystals on his shoulders; he seemed to have been standing there for a long time. Hearing the door open, he slowly turned around and gazed intently at her.
Fang Li's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she subconsciously asked, "Ye Wuyang? What are you doing here?"
Ye Wuyang didn't answer immediately, but instead stepped closer. When they were extremely close, close enough for Fang Li to feel the chill emanating from him, he remained silent for a moment, his voice low and hoarse:
"Li'er," he paused, "this journey to the Burial Sword Mausoleum is fraught with peril, a path of nine deaths and one chance. If... I don't return..."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Fang Lixin's heart tightened suddenly, and she interrupted him, a strange panic gripping her. She didn't like hearing such words, especially not from him.
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Wuyang suddenly reached out, grabbing the back of her head with one hand and pulling her into his arms with the other! The force was astonishing; his arms were tightly wrapped around her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Fang Li could clearly feel his heart pounding violently beneath his chest.
“If we could come back…” He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered in her ear, “we…reinstate our status.”
The restoration of their clan name was a joint signature on the sect's genealogy when they became Daoist partners in their previous life!
Fang Li was completely dazed, her mind went blank, she forgot to struggle, and she forgot to respond.
After Ye Wuyang finished speaking, before she could react, as if afraid of hearing a rejection, he suddenly released her, turned around and transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the thick night without looking back.
Fang Li stood alone, the night wind brushing against her burning cheeks, her mind a jumble of emotions, unable to find peace for a long time. "Reinstatement? Reinstatement my foot..."
Returning to her room in a daze, Fang Li subconsciously sat down at the table, intending to pour herself a glass of water to calm down, but then noticed a white jade pendant with a warm, lustrous sheen that had appeared on the table.
The jade pendant has an ancient and simple design, with mysterious sword patterns engraved on it. It feels warm to the touch and faintly exudes a calming spiritual power.
As she was wondering, Shen Yunzhou's telepathic message had already been sent:
"Wear it." The words were concise. "This is the Shen family's ancestral soul-protecting jade. Your life... belongs to me. No one but me can take it from you, not even the Heavenly Dao."
Fang Li held the jade pendant, which still retained some of her body heat, her fingertips trembling slightly.
These words were so domineering they were almost unreasonable, yet they terrified her more than any sweet talk.
"His life is mine? What a cheesy, domineering CEO line..." What is this nonsense?! One after another, they say things like this at a time like this! How unlucky!
System: [Host! The Sword God has activated forced love! He even gave away the ancestral Soul-Protecting Jade! The sunk cost is too high!]
Just then, a knock sounded on the door, accompanied by Ji Qianqiu's booming voice: "Junior sister! Junior sister! Are you asleep? I brought you some good food! We have important things to do tomorrow, so you need to eat well to have the energy!"
Fang Li took a deep breath, barely calming herself down, and got up to open the door.
Ji Qianqiu stood at the door, grinning and showing two rows of white teeth, carrying a huge oil paper package. He patted his muscular chest with his other hand and said, "Junior sister! Don't worry! I'll definitely be at the forefront tomorrow! Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my dead body first!" He then opened the package, which contained fragrant spiritual herbs and roasted beast meat, steaming hot.
Fang Li felt a warmth in her heart at Ji Qianqiu's concern, but also felt even more confused.
She took the oil paper package and whispered her thanks, "Thank you, Senior Brother Qianqiu..."
"Hey! Don't be so polite with me!" Ji Qianqiu waved his hand憨厚ly. "Then you should get some rest! I'm going to check my axe!" After saying that, he left in a hurry.
After seeing Ji Qianqiu off, Fang Li felt even more unsettled. She simply walked out of the room and wandered aimlessly until she unknowingly arrived at the highest star-gazing platform in the secret realm.
At the edge of the observatory, Xie Chen, dressed in a green robe, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the starry sky.
Hearing footsteps, he didn't turn around, but pointed to a spot in the night sky and said, "Junior sister, come and see."
Fang Li looked in the direction he pointed and saw a star in the night sky that was exceptionally bright, and not far from it, a smaller but equally radiant star nestled close together.
Xie Chen slowly said, "The ancient books of the Starfall Pavilion record that the bright star is called 'Guardian Star'. And the one next to it is called 'Companion Star'." He suddenly turned his head to look at Fang Li, his gentle eyes appearing particularly deep under the starlight, "Legend has it that Companion Star exhausts its stellar orbit just to protect Guardian Star and keep it shining forever."
He stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Fang Li for the first time: "In this life, I wish to be like 'Companion of Dust,' exploring the cosmos to protect 'Li's' eternal brilliance." He raised his head to look at the starry sky, "This vow, the stars bear witness."
Fang Li stared at him blankly, her heart pounding like a drum.
"Ban Chen... Shou Li... You made up your own star chart, didn't you?! But... you're so good at it! Who can resist this!"
The system had completely gone berserk: [Ahhh!]
She practically fled back to the Glass Pavilion, closed the door, slid down to the floor with her back against the door panel, and covered her burning face with her hands.
"System! What...what do I do...I..." She was inwardly groaning; the amount of information she had received tonight was overwhelming!
The system's data stream crackled: [Emotional module overload! This…this configuration! This lineup! How…how do I choose?! Database analysis…optimal solution…do I…want it all?! Pah! They all have to come back alive for me! (Roars) If they die, everything is lost! Bad Ending Warning!]
Tongzi's words were like a wake-up call, instantly dispelling the chaotic emotions in Fang Li's heart.
Yes, the Burial Sword Tomb, the Heavenly Judgment Sword, the Celestial Court's heavy troops... the road ahead is truly a matter of life and death. If none of them return...
“That’s right…” she muttered to herself, her resolve hardening. “We all have to come back alive…all of us… have to come back alive!”
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