Chapter 65
In the dead silent Wutong Courtyard, Yan Bujian's body completely turned cold.
Just when his soul was about to dissipate like smoke and dust, an invisible force reached out from the void, gently enveloping his scattered consciousness, like a spring breeze gathering withered petals, and gently picking him up from the edge of eternal silence.
The world was spinning.
He only felt the light and shadow in front of his eyes rapidly retreating, and the wind whistling in his ears. When his consciousness stabilized again, he had landed in the depths of Yunshan, in front of the familiar seal.
That is the beginning of everything and the end of everything.
The Demon-Suppressing Sword remained firmly planted in the barrier between the two worlds, its crimson blade gleaming with a chilling cold light in the gloomy battlefield. This divine sword, reforged from his own sword bone, had stood guard here for millennia, the sealing runes entwined on its blade still visible. The barrier hadn't loosened in the slightest with the passage of time, locking the roar of the demonic world below firmly into the abyss.
Perhaps sensing his soul coming, a wisp of white air slowly lingered on the sword.
The next moment, a cold voice without any emotion suddenly sounded in his mind:
"You are the one favored by the luck of this world, why do you choose this dead end?"
Yan Bujian slowly raised his eyes, his red-gold eyes fixed on the airflow, and he asked coldly, "Who are you?"
"I am the guardian of order in this world." Upon hearing this, the white air currents swirled around the sword before his eyes like a living being. "Beyond this world, there are billions of parallel worlds, with countless beings like me. In other worlds, we are called 'systems'. To put it in a way you can understand, I am the 'balance' of this world, maintaining the operation of heaven and earth and balancing the cause and effect between immortals and demons."
Yan Bujian heard this, but his expression remained unchanged. Having attained the Dao for a thousand years, he was accustomed to the strange phenomena of heaven and earth, and he had no curiosity about this so-called "boundary balance".
He leaned slightly to the side, his gaze fixed on the patterns on the Demon-Suppressing Sword. His tone was as cold as the frost on the mountains. "What is your intention in summoning my remaining soul here?"
"Thousands of years ago, desires between the immortal and demonic realms grew, and demonic energy and immortal aura intertwined and polluted my essence, damaging it and giving rise to another wave of rebellious evil thoughts. As a result, the barrier between the two realms was on the verge of collapse." The airflow's tone was still dry and straight, but with a hint of clarity in the recollection. "In this time of peril, I had no choice but to rely on my remaining strength to mobilize the destiny of this world and plant a sword bone in your body, which was about to be born. It is a foundation for the immortal that is rarely seen in a million years, and it is only to help you ignite your spiritual veins, usher in the return of the immortal realm, and purify my essence."
These words were like a stone thrown into still water, finally stirring up a slight ripple in Yan Bujian's eyes.
He always thought that the sword bone was innate, but he never expected that everything was deliberately done by someone!
But this slight wave of emotion was fleeting. The next moment, he sneered, "So, you're looking for me now, hoping I'll be grateful to you before I disappear?"
"No. You are the only one in the Three Thousand Continents who has cultivated the Way of Mercilessness to the highest level. Therefore, you alone know what lies ahead at the end of this Way."
The depths of Yan Bujian's eyes trembled suddenly.
"And this is also the reason why you chose to commit suicide..." The air flow slowly floated in front of his soul, transformed into a human form, and said with his lips moving -
"The path of indifference you are cultivating has flaws."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Yan Bujian suddenly shouted angrily, but there was a hint of panic in his voice that he himself hadn't even noticed. "If there was a flaw, how could I have survived the tribulation of the self-examination back then?!"
The being calling itself "Heng" ignored his misbehavior and continued with a matter-of-fact tone, "You've pondered this for years. Haven't you figured it out yet? Back then, you were able to clear your mind entirely because, at the last moment of your failure, you borrowed the mantra of protection bestowed upon you by the will of the Immortal Venerable Kong Xiang Lan Zhong. This tricked the Heavenly Dao into misjudging you as cultivating the 'Path of Sentient Beings', thereby deceiving the Heavenly Dao!"
"From this point on, you remain the same, devoid of any affection for the world. However, being emotionless is not the same as being without feeling. Your path to ruin isn't due to a flawed path, but rather to your vain attempt to master 'heartlessness', despite never truly understanding the meaning of 'emotion'. As your Dao fruit reaches its fullest perfection, the emptiness building up within you will eventually consume everything."
Yan Bujian's fingertips curled up almost imperceptibly. Even if he didn't want to admit it, every word of Jie Heng's words was like a sharp needle, piercing the deepest pain in his heart.
Heartlessness and affection are two sides of the same coin, the two ends of yin and yang. After millennia of painstaking cultivation, he finally grasped this truth. Yet, he protected all living beings simply because it was his mission, never truly considering them as beings in need of protection. He possessed the power to shake the universe, yet he had never truly felt even a hint of human warmth. How could he possibly understand the true meaning of "affection"?
As he sat in meditation day after day, he had thought about integrating into the mortal world and re-experiencing the seven emotions and six desires... But now, he has lost the opportunity to feel "emotion" forever.
Even with this thought, he remained stubborn, his tone resolute, "I have never regretted the path I've chosen. If you're just here to lecture me, this conversation ends here."
"——What if I say, can I give you another chance to choose?"
Jie Heng's voice suddenly rang out, like thunder exploding in Yan Bujian's sea of consciousness!
"Your fate was paved by me." Airflow's tone grew more solemn. "You fulfilled your mission, reshaping my true form and saving this world from collapse. Now, seeing you at your end, your soul on the verge of annihilation, I am ultimately...unable to rest in peace."
"—I can allow you to return to a time before all cause and effect began, and choose a new path. Perhaps this time, you won't have to end up in the situation you're in today."
Yan Bujian's brows gradually furrowed, but the next moment, he replied almost without thinking, "No need."
"No matter how many times I have to do this, I will still choose the ruthless path. The ending will not be any different."
"...I will add a little spark to your original destiny."
His reaction seemed to have been anticipated by Jieheng. It spoke slowly, "That was a variable, a soul from another world. If you were to start over again, your nature wouldn't change, nor would the suffering of your youth be erased. But this spark will leave a mark on your life—perhaps it can help you see the true meaning of 'love' and lead you out of your current impasse."
These words were like a sharp sword, piercing into Yan Bujian's seemingly indestructible heart!
He suddenly looked up, a trace of confusion flashed in his scarlet-gold eyes - as Jie Heng said, in the past thousand years, every minute and every second, he was questioning his own path, so that in the end he drew a circle and imprisoned himself in a dead end, and only death could free him.
"But doing this goes against your status, doesn't it?" Yan Bujian murmured. "You are the embodiment of the rules of this world. You should maintain balance, not break the rules like this."
"Of course." The white figure nodded slightly. "To offset the causal disorder caused by your rebirth, I will also release another tainted soul. He will carry with him the memories of this life, become your enemy, and set numerous obstacles for you. If you choose to start over, the final outcome is unpredictable. It is determined by your own choices... This is not a special favor, but a huge gamble."
Yan Bujian fell silent. He stared at the crimson light flowing from the Demon-Suppressing Sword, thinking back to the loneliness of his millennia-long journey to immortality, the pain of being devoured day after day by his inner demons... If given the chance, could he really have a different life?
"Your hesitation has revealed your inner thoughts—go now. In your next life, Immortal Lord, I hope you can reshape your Dao and recognize your own heart."
Yan Bujian's pupils shrank: "Wait——!"
But before he could finish his words, the white airstream from the sword suddenly erupted in a dazzling light, completely enveloping his soul. Light and shadow swirled once more, and time, like a reversing tide, saw millennia rapidly recede before his eyes. He saw the glory of his ascension to the Immortal Realm, the bloody slaughter of demons, and the hardships of breaking through the barriers in the Cloud Mountains. Finally, the scene froze on the day he was tortured by the demon in the Bodeng Sect's dungeon.
His spirit hovered in mid-air, like a bystander, watching his younger self chained to the cold stone wall, his body covered in whip marks, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. The demon held a bowl of lustrous green medicine in his hand. It was the same poison known as the Myriad Insects Attractant. According to his destiny, he would be swallowed immediately, beginning his torturous life as a medicine man.
But at this moment, something unexpected happened.
The girl in the white dress's eyes suddenly changed, from their original vicious and fierce look to confusion. Although it was only for a moment, it could not escape his keen perception.
Yan Bujian's soul was shaken violently.
Here we come!
He remembered the original Lin Yibai, cold and submissive, who would never plead for mercy for a strange medicine man. But the girl in front of him clearly had fear, emotion, and reluctance in her eyes.
Could it be that the spark that "Heng" mentioned actually ignited in Lin Yibai's body?
His eyes followed the girl's figure closely, watching her secretly help him time and time again: after feeding him the Myriad Insects Attractant, she sneaked into the dungeon in the middle of the night to bring him the healing elixir;
In the dense forest of vine nightmares, she saw that his life was hanging by a thread, but she did not abandon him. Instead, she supported him with her thin body and walked out of the maze step by step.
In the dense mist of the mountains, she disregarded the danger, simply because she was concerned about his safety. When the two masters were fighting, she bravely jumped into the teleportation vortex without fear of death...
Every time she helped him, there was a hint of warmth that was completely unfamiliar to him, like a tiny flame, melting the ice in his young heart bit by bit.
He watched his younger self change from being wary and indifferent at first to being moved and acquiescing, and even developing feelings for the girl deep in his heart, even willing to protect her with his own life.
At the end of the secret realm, when he was about to leave Kong Xianglan, he should have accepted the "help" of the Immortal Venerable like his previous self. However, at that time, he must have known the Immortal Venerable's unfinished intention from his previous performance, just like himself.
Using "emotion" to cover up "heartlessness" ultimately results in one no longer being able to experience any emotion in the world. Once you embark on this path, there's no turning back.
In his previous life, he readily agreed.
But in this life, in order not to forget Lin Yibai, he resolutely refused the deal even though he knew that this would tarnish his own spiritual heart and cut off his future.
Therefore, when he questioned himself, he realized that he was about to die under the golden thunder as he had expected.
Watching this from above, he could only sigh inwardly and smile bitterly: It seemed that this was the end of his reincarnation...
However, the next moment, the situation suddenly turned around!
He should have been defeated due to his indifference, but he was moved by the wishes of all living beings, and from then on he understood the meaning of "protection" - at the end of the battle, the brand new self actually turned his path around and cultivated the "path of compassion"!
All these changes really originated from the "spark" named Lin Yibai.
Yan Bujian's soul trembled slightly, and the loneliness and emptiness of a thousand years were filled with warmth at this moment. He finally understood that the "variable" that Jie Heng mentioned was not to change his fate, but to make him see clearly that ruthlessness was not the only way out, and that love and morality could coexist.
Even if Lin Wuya intervened in the end and tried to seize his Dao fruit, forcing him at the last moment to pass on the Dao fire transformed from his life's cultivation to Lin Yibai, choosing to exchange his own extinction for her peace -
High in the sky, he witnessed the whole process and felt relieved and calm in his heart.
Being able to witness his own transformation with his own eyes and understand the true meaning of love, even if the final outcome is death for her, this life... will have no regrets.
But just when his mind was at peace and he was ready to follow the long river of fate, Jie Heng's cold and calm voice rang in his ears again:
"Host, can you confirm that you will spend 100,000 achievement points to transfer the Dao Fire back to Yan Bujian's body?"
He was suddenly stunned.
Then came Lin Yibai's heart-wrenching, sobbing cry of determination: "—I'm sure! I will return the Dao Fire to him! Even if I use up everything and my soul is shattered, I want him to live! I want him to live..."
The moment the words fell, Yan Bujian felt an irresistible force suddenly grabbing him, pulling him from the empty state of watching, and fiercely dragging him towards the sea of clouds below, towards the body that had already lost its life!
The moment the soul and the body overlapped, a dazzling golden fire leaped out from between Lin Yibai's eyebrows and merged into his dry and lonely sea of consciousness like a swallow returning to its nest.
The cultivation of the two lives merged seamlessly at this moment. The vast and boundless immortal power surged like a river, flowing endlessly through his limbs and bones. The broken meridians repaired and mended at a speed visible to the naked eye. The soul that was on the verge of collapse condensed and stabilized again - the thousand years of loneliness in the previous life and the fiery emotions in this life, actually, at this moment, perfectly merged into one, no longer distinguishable from each other!
"No! This is impossible!"
The confining white light gradually dissipated, and from the side came Lin Wuya's incredulous roar. He stared at the resurrected Yan Bujian, his eyes filled with twisted jealousy and unwillingness.
The next moment, a fierce look suddenly appeared in his eyes, and the strange gray flames around him rose up. He didn't care about anything and pounced towards Yan Bujian like a dying beast, intending to snatch the returning Dao Fire again!
Yan Bujian slowly opened his eyes, and in his red-gold pupils was a murderous intent as cold as the eternal abyss.
"That's all."
The cold words, like the final judgment, fell gently.
He raised his hand and waved casually.
“Zheng——!”
A sword light flashed out, wrapped in pure immortal aura and brilliant Taoist fire, like a red-gold meteor that cuts through the eternal night, with unmatched sharpness and determination, slashing straight towards the mad Lin Wuya!
“Puff!”
The sword flashed and disappeared.
The madness and resentment on Lin Wuya's face hadn't yet faded when his body was severed by the unparalleled sword light! At the spiritual platform, the gray Nascent Soul was instantly exposed. After sensing the surrounding cold, it suddenly came to its senses, let out a terrified scream, and then turned into a gray light and fled!
Yan Bujian was as calm as water, but he casually condensed a ray of pure golden light on his fingertips and flicked his finger.
The golden light followed like a shadow, catching up with the fleeing Nascent Soul in an instant and sinking into it with perfect precision!
"After two lifetimes of planning and calculation, he still remains unrepentant, choosing to commit murder again... In the end, it was all in vain."
As he finished speaking, the golden light that had penetrated into the Nascent Soul's body suddenly burst out, and Lin Wuya's soul let out a final howl that was so shrill that it didn't sound like a human voice. Then, like a piece of burning paper, it instantly turned into flying ashes, drifting down and dissipating among the sea of clouds.
However, this scene did not fall into Yan Bujian's eyes.
After launching that final blow, his gaze had already drooped downwards—
The girl was seen standing in the clouds, her eyes filled with surprise and tears as she looked at him, her body still trembling slightly.
His mind moved slightly, and clouds gathered under his feet, forming a crystal white staircase.
He walked towards her step by step, his steps slow and gentle, as if walking towards a fragile dream, for fear of disturbing this hard-earned peace.
When he reached her, he extended his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly as he gently wiped away the tears from her cheek. Then, the corners of his lips curved slightly, and his voice was softer and gentler than ever before:
"I'm back."
Lin Yibai tilted her head back, gazing at him through tearful eyes. Light pierced through the clouds, casting a warm golden halo over their huddled figures. Yan Bujian lowered his head, gazing into her reddened eyes, then slowly lowered his gaze to her slightly moving, tear-stained lips. And so, the tide of love, suppressed for a thousand years within him, finally broke through all the dams and surged forth.
He could no longer restrain himself, and slowly leaned over, pressing his lips gently against hers.
It was an extremely gentle, yet devout kiss, carrying the weight of a thousand years of waiting, the cherishment of lost and regained, and overflowing with love that threatened to overflow. Lin Yibai's body stiffened slightly at first, then softened completely. He gently closed his eyes and responded awkwardly yet firmly.
The flowing clouds stopped at this moment, and fairy mist lingered around the two people. The world was silent, and only the blending of their breathing and the clear heartbeat like a drum remained, playing a silent but warm tribute to this reunion that transcended life, death and reincarnation.
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