Chapter 65: A Turning Point Arrives, Unexpected Changes Abound...
"I hate fate."
Suddenly, Li Hongyi heard these words.
He knew that Li Qingyun was indignant at fate, but in his impression, Li Qingyun had always been an introverted person. He would not have spoken his mind unless he was forced to express his emotions by the situation.
Before entering the Gate of Hell, he could hear Li Qingyun saying that he wanted to abandon the heavens and prove the Dao. He could also imagine that the little ancestor was provoked by Chang Yubai's rejection and was using words to vent his frustration.
But why now?
It even sounds tender and wistful, with a hint of regret and bitterness, making the sentence seem as if it were burdened by sin.
Why are you suddenly feeling sentimental again?
Li Hongyi was completely bewildered.
"Are you perhaps possessed by evil spirits?" He leaned back tactically, adopting a symbolic defensive posture.
After hearing his words, Li Qingyun felt a lump in her throat, and could only give Li Hongyi a warning look with eyes as sharp as knives.
Once Li Hongyi regained his strength, Li Qingyun finally relented and made way for Li Hongyi to take over.
"Are you from Ghost Island?"
Seeing that he could frighten away the ghosts with just a single release of his cultivation level, Li Qingyun couldn't help but suspect this guy: "And you weren't corrupted while you were on Ghost Island, are you a ghost?"
“No, it’s not a matter of physical condition.” Li Hongyi steered his train of thought back to reality. “There’s a heaven watching over us, so I can’t say too much.”
Li Qingyun: "..."
Li Qingyun: "You have quite a few secrets."
"Haha, who says otherwise?" Li Hongyi replied with a light smile.
"But the ghostly aura on your body is thin, hastily used, and not skillfully. When released, it can only be used to put on a show of power. With your limited resources, you should not be able to support the core of a region."
Li Hongyi: "..."
"Even the God of the Underworld is a master of martial arts, yet you show no respect, only resentment. You fought him, but you didn't win. How did you manage to escape from the God of the Underworld without being hunted down by Ghost Island? This doesn't seem like Ghost Island's style, unless the God of the Underworld doesn't know you challenged him."
Li Hongyi: "..."
"Your fighting techniques changed suddenly. That ghost could have continued to entangle with you, but you used a move you had never used before. You must have used it without thinking, which means you just remembered that you could still use this move."
Li Hongyi: "..."
"You don't rely on treasures and weapons, so you should know every move by heart. Hmm... your previous memories were hidden, but something happened that made you remember them again. Is it because you're about to die?"
Li Qingyun tilted her head slightly and said in her most familiar innocent tone, "You are afraid of Li Tiansheng, but you are not afraid of death. You are willing to sacrifice yourself for him."
"If Li Tiansheng is a chosen one showered with love and privilege, then what are you?"
“Li Hongyi, you don’t seem to be Li Tiansheng’s father, you seem more like…”
The shadow that cleared the way for him.
But why is it that the shadow is in front and the person is behind?
Li Qingyun began to re-examine Li Hongyi's role: "You are able to be the core of Guiyu not because of Guisha, but because... you are the core."
Li Hongyi's expression was no longer pleasant: "I'm starting to hate your intelligence."
Li Qingyun frowned: "You're an anchor point? What kind of anchor point?"
"Do you think I would say it..." Even if Li Hongyi wanted to say it, he couldn't possibly say it.
Li Hongyi suddenly remembered the man's comment and couldn't help but laugh: "You really are the most terrifying threat."
Every slight deviation can lead to change, but the formidable enemy before ascending the divine steps remains unchanged.
I considered preserving Li Qingyun's memories so he could stand by me through thick and thin, but his attitude is indifferent to the common people; keeping him would only bring trouble.
[Given his keen insight and composure, I was caught off guard and fell into his trap before I could even react. If we cannot ascend to godhood, neither of us can even return to our starting positions.]
Li Qingyun must die.
He is the most terrifying threat.
In his memory, Li Qingyun stood at the end of the story countless times. Even when the two of them stood together, Li Tiansheng would still betray him from behind.
"Li Qingyun" had no intention of saving the world or saving people; he only wanted to destroy the heavenly order and take revenge on the heavens.
Such people are not meant to walk the same path.
This kind of person... is not the Li Qingyun in front of us.
Li Hongyi smiled even more openly.
His smile only drew a disdainful look from Li Qingyun, who then stopped speculating.
Having said all that, Li Qingyun wasn't trying to force Li Hongyi to reveal anything; she simply wanted to use Li Hongyi's reaction to prove whether her guesses were right or wrong.
He had already confirmed what he wanted, so there was no need to persist. In any case, Li Hongyi could still accompany him, and sooner or later he would reveal his weakness.
Li Qingyun thought so.
But then he noticed that Li Hongyi's face had turned pale.
It happened in an instant—
Li Hongyi pulled the person over and shielded them behind him, then unleashed his full spiritual energy, creating a sturdy protective barrier that blocked the powerful shockwaves that were about to hit them.
A piercing, sharp shriek followed, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. In the darkness ahead, a gigantic, blood-red, hideous monster slowly crawled forward, half of its body exposed before the two.
"A demon!" Li Hongyi exclaimed in shock. "How could there be a demon!"
This thing clearly takes shape many years after the collision of Ghost Island, and it needs to be fed with fresh blood and evil energy to grow such a sturdy body.
The evil spirit smelled the presence of Li Qingyun and roared. Its huge, pond-like eyes descended, with black veins rolling in the whites of its eyes and red reflections in its black pupils. The closer the evil spirit got, the stronger the stench of blood that filled their nostrils became.
"What the hell is this?" Li Qingyun was also startled by the terrifying appearance.
He had seen many evil cultivators, but this was the first time he had encountered one so evil that he was completely inhuman. Just looking at him made him feel nauseous.
“Ghost Island actually harbors an evil spirit…” Li Hongyi gritted his teeth in anger, letting out a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a yelp or a groan. “God of the Underworld, so all the people who have died over the years have been used here!”
Li Hongyi had not investigated this past event in depth, and Li Tiansheng could not find any clues to pursue it. Now that Guiyu's situation has been pushed to the brink, he has finally realized that the God of the Underworld has left a way out.
Li Qingyun had a bad feeling: "Can you beat him?"
“…” Li Hongyi did not respond.
"Hello!"
Li Hongyi suddenly grabbed Li Qingyun's arm, stopping him from making any probing movements.
“That’s an evil spirit.” Li Hongyi exhaled a deep breath and said, “A sixth-level Venerable Martial Spirit, like the Ghost Messenger, sharing the same origin as the God of the Underworld.”
However, the Ghost Messenger's strength was weak, so he could only cultivate by borrowing the essence of the Underworld God, and the skills he cultivated were all different.
Evil spirits are different.
The evil spirits are combat weapons deliberately created by the god of the underworld. They have no reason and only the instinct to devour life force and blood. Their cultivation is built up from the lives of countless others.
Even a hundred years from now, this thing will still be a headache for the protagonist.
Using them to deal with him and Li Qingyun is giving them far too much credit.
Bang--
The demon's attack came swiftly, and before Li Qingyun could react, she found herself in a different position.
It was Li Hongyi who used his movement technique to help him escape.
But the place where the two had just stood was the gates of hell. The evil spirit destroyed their defenses with a single blow, sending countless vengeful souls surging out.
Damn it!
Li Qingyun realized that the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse, but all the rare and precious materials he had activated were crushed by the evil spirit in just a few moves, and all his resistance seemed utterly futile.
Li Qingyun roared inwardly: Why isn't the God of the Underworld dead yet?!
Li Hongyi noticed his nervousness. Having dealt with the God of the Underworld before, he instantly understood why Chang Yubai's side had made no progress: "It must be that Emperor Chen has been turned into a ghost."
Li Qingyun: "What?"
"The God of the Underworld probably had some precautions and killed the Emperor of Dust a little earlier, turning him into a puppet. The White Emperor has not yet seen any chance of victory, so he must be confronting the two Venerable Martial Lords all by himself."
His deduction was wrong; he relied on past experience and assumed that the node would not change and that the Dust Emperor was still alive.
Little did they know that every turn of events is different, and experience can only be used as a reference, not as a guarantee.
His words startled Li Qingyun: "!!!"
Why didn't you say so sooner! Would he even be alive now?!
Li Hongyi quickly replied, "The Puppet Emperor's cultivation has been greatly reduced, so he can only be used to delay the battle. The White Emperor is very strong. He has the Black Scale Sword to restrain ghost energy and also has special techniques. Although the two Venerable Martial Arts seem troublesome, they do not pose a great threat to him."
"It's just a matter of delaying any longer..."
Li Hongyi did not continue speaking.
If this continues, the spirit of Ghost Island will completely corrupt the Wasteland. At that point, the boundary between the two domains will become chaotic and merge into one, and the Ghost Domain and the Wasteland will never be able to separate again.
This disaster will not end until life is utterly desolate.
We need to get Ghost Island back in its rightful place as soon as possible.
But there is only one way now: to restart his core plan and get everything back on track.
Li Hongyi: "..."
Li Qingyun: "You!"
He pushed Li Qingyun away in an instant.
A powerful spiritual force enveloped Li Qingyun's body, swiftly sending him out of the Gate of Hell. Before Li Qingyun could react, the Gate of Hell was blocked by a huge, ugly body.
In a fleeting glance, Li Qingyun could only see the lifelessness in Li Hongyi's eyes.
In an instant, Li Qingyun knew what Li Hongyi was going to do.
But Li Hongyi was shrewd and intelligent, so how could he not know what he cared about?
A spirit butterfly was also blasted out, and before Li Qingyun could even process it, it sent out the words from her mind.
[Actually, you don't need to use me to prove your point.]
[Saving me is useless; my fate has nothing to do with the morality you seek.]
[You guessed right, Li Tiansheng and I are inseparable, but my fate is not determined by destiny… The destiny I was born to fulfill was determined by Li Tiansheng.]
You don't have to do it for me.
After she finished speaking, the fairy butterfly vanished.
Only Li Qingyun remained, her eyes glazed over, standing helplessly in the desolate land, letting the wind and sand rage.
...
Li Hongyi activated the locked source of his power, kicking the evil spirit into the gates of hell.
The demon's enormous body was stuck in the four frames of the door, making it temporarily unable to move.
Then, without looking back, he ran into the depths of Ghost Island.
At the end of the darkness, there was a brightly lit altar.
The gentle blue-silver fluorescence shone on his cheeks, but it only revealed a sorrowful expression.
"I thought I wouldn't have to die this time."
He genuinely believed he was saved.
But today should have been his day to take the lead; he shouldn't be complaining.
A thousand emotions surged through his mind, causing his brow to furrow even more deeply.
"If only you hadn't come back."
Amidst his murmurs, Li Hongyi's smile was bitter.
If only Li Qingyun hadn't made a fuss about coming back, and hadn't given him any hope.
This made him... somewhat reluctant to face death.
None of the many heroic sacrifices could compare to the despair felt this time.
It was because he had seen Chang Yubai and witnessed the true variables.
However, if this is truly the last reincarnation, then he will never be able to escape again.
The moment Li Tiansheng achieves his goal, he will become useless and be completely recycled, even his consciousness will cease to exist.
"I want to live..."
But his inner struggle could not stop him from walking toward the town's altar.
When he stood in the center, the chains bound him on their own.
A chaotic aura invaded his body, and shattered patterns began to spread across his skin.
The chains bound his freedom, and he instinctively spread his arms slightly in resistance.
Li Hongyi's movements were interpreted by the chains as an attempt to escape, and his restraints were tightened even further.
The brightness faded from his eyes, leaving only ever-deepening darkness.
In his dazed state, he seemed to see that figure in black, standing in the same spot as always, waiting for him to await the turn of events.
Upon catching sight of that all-too-familiar face, Li Hongyi suddenly mustered his last strength and laughed out loud.
"ha."
Even in his most desperate moment, he still hoped that Li Tiansheng could win.
turn out to be……
Li Hongyi closed his eyes and quietly awaited the end of his life.
[Li Tiansheng, I've come back to you.]
He thought to himself.
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