Final Chapter (Part 2)

Final Chapter (Part 2)

"Turn the blame on someone else?"

Heng Jin was so angry that she laughed. As she laughed, her smile became more and more bitter. She felt powerless and helpless, and then she shed two lines of clear tears in grievance.

"Ari, you hid me! The wedding ceremony, which only involved you, me, and our parents' tablets, was also conducted according to your wishes. You said that one day, you would give me a legitimate status."

Fragments of memory slowly resurfaced in her mind as Heng Jin spoke. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the seasons rotated, and there were countless times she had tricked him into waiting for a legitimate relationship...

The wait is many years.

"Why? Did you remember?"

“Even if…even if…”

Yuanli was at a loss for words to say in a split second, so she fled and hid back in her mansion.

Her heart had been restless for a long time. She was going to make peach blossom cakes one last time, kneading the dough and shaping it continuously to stop herself from thinking about her past life with Heng Jin. She was afraid that when the truth was revealed, she would let both Cha Suxun and Heng Jin down.

She was afraid that the karmic relationship between her and Heng Jin would become like that between her and Xiao Yan'an, becoming increasingly entangled, a tangled mess that would drag on for generations. Only when one of them was reduced to ashes could the karmic relationship be forcibly severed.

Before she knew it, she had made such a huge pile that the sacred peach tree was almost plucked bald by her.

Xiaozhu gently reminded him, "It's late, Star Lord. Why don't you do it tomorrow and go to bed first?"

"Xiaozhu, go and rest first, don't worry about me."

"How can that be? My duty is to serve the Star Lord. He works through the night, and I should serve him, and I want to. You're rarely this distracted, and I'm worried."

"Xiaozhu, if I weren't there, and you had to choose a master from among Tianshu Xingjun, Yuexia Xianren, and Taibai Jinxing, who would you choose?"

"Xingjun, don't you want me anymore?"

"I just couldn't sleep, so I just said whatever came to my mind. Just think of it as chatting with me."

"Okay. I will choose Tianshu Xingjun."

"Why?"

"Because he is most like his master, both are extremely gentle and delicate gods at heart."

…

Yuanli carried a food box and went to the Netherworld Palace to find A Cha. When passing through the Yellow Springs Road, she saw densely packed souls filling the entire wide road, and the ghost messengers were very busy.

Although Ah Xiang's soup shop was crowded with souls bound by the soul-binding chains of the underworld, only a few of them could actually drink the soup and cross the Naihe Bridge.

Ah Xiang and the others were extremely busy, but Yuanli did not show up to disturb them and went straight to Cha Suxun's Netherworld Palace.

In the main hall, official documents were piled up like mountains, stacked one on top of the other, forming a mountain that blocked the view.

Cha Suxun teleported to her side, took the food box from her hand, held her hand, and led her to the bedroom where there was no pile of official documents.

"Here, freshly made peach blossom cakes."

Yuanli took a piece from the food box and fed it to his mouth.

He took a small bite.

"Ali's peach blossom cakes are as beautiful and delicious as ever. Ali, do you think I'm being unreasonable? I know you'll definitely make them for me, but I still want you to waste your time making peach blossom cakes for me at this critical moment."

"Of course not. I know all about Ah Cha's worries and my love for me. Besides, I never think that satisfying your wishes is a waste of time. I only need to do such a simple thing to put your mind at ease and give you the strength to move forward. What a good deal."

Cha Suxun opened his arms towards her, and Yuanli naturally hugged him. She gently stroked his back, his body, cold as ice.

From another perspective, Cha Suxun and Youming are actually one and the same, carrying together everything about Youming, and his body is the best reflection of Youming's situation.

Even a deity like her couldn't resist such cold. Yuanli was so frozen she could almost feel the blood coursing through her veins.

After a brief hug, Cha Suxun let her go.

She looked down and saw frost on her fingers as she stroked his back.

"Ah... I didn't expect it to get to this point where frost has formed. Are you cold?"

Yuanli shook her head distressedly, "It's okay, I'm a god, I don't feel cold, you can hold me for as long as you want."

"The longer we hug each other, the harder it will be to leave each other. It will be great when peace returns to the world and we can meet and hug each other anytime."

"Well, when peace returns to the world, we can meet and embrace each other at any time, and we won't have to endure the pain of separation and longing anymore. I really look forward to that day coming soon."

"Yes, it will come soon."

…

Both of them adhere to the principle of "reporting good news but not bad news", and only pick out the recent agreements and keep silent about each other's difficulties.

In order to avoid disturbing his busy schedule, she met him in a hurry and left in a hurry.

After leaving the netherworld, she first went to the human world to continue saving the earthbound spirits. Compared to the last time she came to the human world, there were far fewer earthbound spirits.

The lifeless world seemed to finally have some signs of vitality.

After a night of exorcism for the earthbound spirits, Yuanli returned to the palace of the Broom Star Lord in Heaven. Hengjin was sitting leisurely in her yard, being purified by Chuanlian.

Behind him were piles of gifts he had brought yesterday, including the barefoot beast with an oversized bow.

"Ari, you're back~"

Heng Jin followed her gaze and looked at Xuan Lian, explaining, "I always have to trouble Xuan Lian to purify me. I've recuperated much better now and don't have to lie on the couch all the time. Xuan Lian should also have a good rest. Why should I bother him running back and forth all the time? That's why I moved here."

"Oh, whatever you want, Emperor."

"Ari, I want to buy some of the peach blossom cakes you made to nourish and replenish my spiritual energy. I won't let you do it in vain. These are my rewards."

The "generous reward" has always been very tempting to her, even though she has resigned from the position of deity to the Heavenly Emperor and no longer needs to save money to build a temple.

Yuanli immediately ordered Xiaozhu to pack up all the peach blossom cakes she had made last night and bring them to Xiangyao.

"These are enough for your entire mansion to eat for three days. Is it not too much to take the peach blossoms from your sacred tree?"

"Of course it's not excessive, it's a good deal. I'm afraid I'll have to bother Star Lord with the rest of the treatment, and I'd rather not treat him for nothing. This barefoot beast will serve as my rent."

"The lease period is until your injuries heal. I only rent the yard to you. You are not allowed to set foot anywhere outside the yard. You are not allowed to make noise and disturb me. If the tenant and the landlord, that is, me, have any unpleasant conflicts, or if the tenant violates any of the above conditions, the lease will be terminated and you will move out immediately. If you rent my yard, you must abide by my rules. If the Emperor can accept this, I agree to rent it to you."

"Of course I can accept that."

"Well, please help yourself, Emperor."

Yuanli didn't bother to exchange any more pleasantries with him and returned to her bedroom.

In the past two days, Yuanli always calculated the time and arrived at the human world when night fell. She began to liberate the earthbound spirits, and when day rose in the human world, she returned to the Star God's Palace.

This cycle repeats itself over and over again.

Strangely enough, Heng Jin had become surprisingly obedient. She actually just sat on the rocking chair in the courtyard of Xingjun Mansion, being treated and purified. She didn't make any noise or trouble and obeyed the lease.

Just as the morning bell of heaven rang for the third time, the deadline set by Xie Yuan outside Lingxiao Palace that day cut through the silence of the Nine Heavens like an ice-hardened blade.

The vermilion lacquered door of the Heavenly Emperor Palace remained tightly closed from beginning to end. The figure of the Heavenly Emperor inside the palace was hidden in the mist above the jade steps, and not even a trace of divine power was leaked out - he ultimately chose to remain silent.

All the immortals and gods had been recalled to heaven in advance. The streets in heaven that used to be filled with immortal air were now deserted. Only the crisp sound of armor colliding could be heard echoing among the clouds.

The old wound on Heng Jin's left shoulder had healed, leaving only a pale blue curse mark winding through his skin. He was wearing a silver-white battle robe, with gilded lightning patterns on it gleaming brightly under the skylight. The long spear in his hand was pointed at the ground, and the divine light condensed at the tip of the spear dyed the clouds near the South Heavenly Gate a warm gold. Behind him, countless heavenly soldiers and generals formed a square formation, their breath as cold as frost.

The moment the deadline ended, the clear sky in heaven suddenly darkened.

Without any warning or roar, irregular black hole teleportation arrays appeared out of thin air in the sky, with twisted dark purple halos on the edges. A subtle "sizzling" sound came from where the air was torn, like fine cloud brocade being repeatedly cut by a blunt knife.

The holes continued to expand, swallowing the clear skylight into darkness bit by bit, just like a beautiful painting with ugly wounds eaten away by insects.

What shocked the immortals the most was that there was not a trace of demonic energy detected around Xie Yuan.

He was suspended in the center of the teleportation array. When he raised his hand, the blood vessels under the skin on his wrist were clearly visible. The half-demon and half-immortal spiritual light that should have been a mixture of black and white was now pure golden red, the unique golden vein of the heavenly realm. As it flowed along the blood vessels, even the air around him was filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance.

This undoubtedly confirms the statements made on the paper that were previously circulated.

Yuanli stood behind the heavenly soldiers, her fingertips feeling slightly cold. Her suspicions were finally confirmed. That day, Xie Yuan deliberately caused heavenly thunder to strike half of his life away, in order to completely remove the evil spirit from his body and prove his bloodline in the most decisive way.

"Fallen Angels, listen!"

Baiyan's voice was as hoarse as a millstone, and thick black mist rose from his body. The Fallen Angels behind him followed suit, and countless tiny black shadows separated from the black mist, like shards of shattered mirrors - that was a nightmare wrapped in the miasma and resentment from Heng Jin's old wound.

These black shadows were extremely fast. Once they touched the immortal's robes, they would instantly penetrate the skin. The victim's eyes would immediately be covered with a layer of gray mist, and the body would fall down limply with a twisted smile on the corner of his mouth. It was obvious that he had fallen into the most terrifying illusion.

In just half an incense stick of time, both sides of the Heavenly Street were filled with sleeping immortals and gods, and even most of the patrolling heavenly soldiers had fallen.

Xie Yuan never moved, just quietly looking in the direction of Lingxiao Palace.

He didn't need to say a word, and the door of the Heavenly Emperor's Palace finally opened slowly. The figure of the Heavenly Emperor walked out on the jade steps. The golden divine light around him fluctuated violently, but it couldn't hide the solemnity in his eyes.

"Father, you finally came to see me."

The Heavenly Lord did not respond. His divine power suddenly condensed into an invisible palm and slapped Xie Yuan hard in the face.

A crisp "pop" sound echoed in the empty Tianjie. Xie Yuan staggered back two steps, and bright red blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto his white robe like a blooming red plum.

"I have never had any bloodline offspring."

Xie Yuan raised his hand to wipe away the blood. There was no anger in his eyes, only a cold desolation. He smiled bitterly and said, "Whether father admits it or not is no longer important. Since father is unwilling to acknowledge our past, which you consider shameful, then fall from the altar and live with us in this murky mud."

As the words fell, the black energy surrounding the Fallen Angels suddenly surged. The black energy seemed to wriggle as if it had life, carrying a sickening stench and malice, surging down from the depths of the clouds.

The glazed tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which could originally reflect the colorful rays of light, now looked as if they had been splashed with ink. The golden glow faded little by little, revealing the dark background underneath. The copper bells on the eaves no longer rang, and the bells were covered with black rust, and they shattered into powder with the slightest touch. The vermilion columns were decaying and peeling at a speed visible to the naked eye, and wood chips mixed with black air fell down, revealing the mottled wood inside.

The fairy mountain shrouded in clouds and mist has lost its former grace. The emerald green fairy grass withered silently in the black air, turning into fine sand at the touch of a finger and dispersing with the wind, leaving not even a trace of spiritual energy. The rare fairy birds let out shrill cries, and their wings became stiff as stone the moment they touched the black air. They fell straight to the ground and turned into a blurred mass of flesh and blood.

Strange black spots appeared on the armor of the divine soldiers guarding the heavens, and the protective spiritual light flickered like a candle in the wind. The fingers that were tightly gripping the spears began to tremble - not because of fear, but because black air was drilling into the seven orifices through the fingers, like countless tiny insects gnawing at the sacred power in the soul, causing even the bones to ache slightly.

The spiritual spring in the Tianhe River also became turbid and smelly, and the golden sand at the bottom of the river turned into black silt. The water surface that could once reflect the stars now only reflected twisted and desperate faces. Occasionally, a struggling immortal would poke his head out of the water, but the moment he took a breath, he would be choked by the black air and cough violently. The blood foam he spat out spread in the water and was quickly swallowed by the silt.

Even the Celestial Monarch, at the pinnacle of divine power in the heavens, was unable to withstand it. Black energy coiled around the divine light shield surrounding him like a venomous snake, dimming the light with each contraction. The divine pattern of "Justice" engraved on his forehead began to flicker, as if resisting the encroachment of the black energy, but it still couldn't stop the black energy from seeping in through the cracks in the shield.

"How dare you use your sins to create nightmares to deal with immortals and gods!" The Heavenly Monarch's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "When the Heavenly Punishment descends and the six realms are destroyed, do you think you can escape unscathed?"

Xie Yuan and his followers remained unmoved upon hearing this. He raised his hand and brushed the black energy in front of him, a subtle tremor emanating from his fingertips. His tone was filled with joy, but his expression couldn't conceal pain and resentment. "If you think there's only sin, then you underestimate me. Feel it carefully. This is the disappointment and resentment of the living in purgatory on earth, after enduring endless misery and suffering, towards the immortals and gods they have always believed in. This cage of pain, cultivated in this way, is most suitable for Father."

He leaned closer to the Heavenly Monarch, his voice low enough for the surrounding immortals to hear clearly: "You, sitting high and mighty on the altar, aren't you accustomed to feigning compassion and ignoring the suffering of the common people? This is just the right opportunity to give you a good listen. Tsk tsk, Father, listen to this voice full of complaints in the black air. How wonderful~"

Yuanli stood not far away and clearly saw the weariness that flashed across Xie Yuan's eyes. He seemed to be forcing himself to enjoy this revenge, but his clenched fingertips and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed that he wasn't truly enjoying it.

The entire heavens resembled rice paper dropped into a pool of ink, saturated from sky to ground by this resentful darkness. Even time seemed to become stagnant and heavy amidst this filthy erosion. At this moment, within the celestial being trapped in a nightmare, a faint light shone—an elderly immortal official. Though his eyes were closed, his brow furrowed tightly. The aura surrounding him gradually expanded, forming a small shield that temporarily kept out the surrounding dark energy.

As if inspired, the divine power in the bodies of other sleeping immortals and gods also began to tremble slightly, and rays of light rose from their bodies. Although weak, they connected into one, and were particularly conspicuous in the darkness.

Those originally trembling divine soldiers felt the breath of hope, and the fighting spirit was rekindled in their eyes. They roared, and used all their strength to thrust their spears into the rushing black air. Although the divine light at the tip of the spear was weak, it could create short cracks in the black air. Every attack was carried out with a firm belief in protecting the heaven.

On the banks of the Milky Way, several sober immortal officials worked together to perform a purification spell. Their foreheads were covered with sweat, and their hands were trembling slightly due to excessive force. The white light condensed in their palms hit the spiritual spring again and again, but it could only make the turbid water surface clear for a brief moment, and was soon polluted again by the black air.

The Celestial Monarch seized this opportunity, gathering thirty percent of his divine power at his fingertips, transforming it into a golden ball of light, begging for help from the outside world. He hurled it toward the outer reaches of the Celestial Realm. However, just as the ball of light left the confines of the Celestial Emperor's Palace, a dark figure suddenly appeared and caught the ball. It was Bi Qi of the Huangquan Clan.

He held the ball of light proudly, the black energy in his palm wrapped the golden light tightly, and his fingertips slid across the surface of the ball of light, leaving black marks.

Bi Qi's nails were painted a deep purple, and the skull bells on his earrings jingled. He raised an eyebrow at Tianjun with disdain, his smile wild and unbridled. Bi Qi's gaze swept across the room, finally locking onto Yuan Li's location. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "I found you."

He swooped down towards Yuanli, his speed as fast as lightning. At this moment, Xiaobai, which had transformed into a bracelet on Yuanli's wrist, suddenly lit up with white light, and Jiuwei, Chuanlian, and Xiaozhu also appeared at the same time, blocking Yuanli's way.

The spiritual light surrounding Xiaobai was pure and without any impurities, without a trace of black energy. His eyebrows, nose bridge, and even his habit of slightly raising his eyebrows when speaking were exactly the same as Xieyuan's.

"Are there any more surprises?"

Bi Qi stopped, his eyes full of surprise.

The immortals and gods present were even more shocked - the spears in the hands of the heavenly soldiers almost fell out of their hands, the immortal officials subconsciously held their breath, and even Heng Jin held his spear tightly, his pupils slightly contracted.

The moment Xie Yuan saw Xiaobai, the aura around him suddenly became unstable. He was about to raise his hand, but Yuanli was one step faster. She condensed spiritual light at her fingertips and put Xiaobai into the spiritual silver bell.

Unexpectedly, a black teleportation array suddenly lit up under Yuanli's feet. With a flash of light, she was teleported to Xie Yuan's side.

"Give him to me, and I'll consider letting you go." Xie Yuan's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of urgency.

"Don't even think about it!" Yuanli refused without hesitation.

"It seems you're not satisfied with the conditions I've offered." Xie Yuan chuckled, his tone somewhat coaxing. "It's okay, I'm very generous. I can help you achieve whatever you want, as long as you give me the boy who looks exactly like me."

"My wish is for peace in the six realms. Can you grant it to me?"

"Yes, but you don't have enough chips."

"What chips do you want?"

"That's the question you should ponder." Xie Yuan's eyes grew sharp. "How can you offer me a bargaining chip that satisfies me in exchange for your wish? However, time is running out, so you'll need to think quickly. In seven days, all immortals and gods trapped in nightmares will perish. You won't let me down, will you? Li Wan Demon Lord."

"You are not dead!" Tianjun's voice suddenly rose, full of shock and anger.

"Father, why are you so angry and harsh?" Xie Yuan turned to look at the Heavenly Monarch, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "So what if Demon Monarch Li Wan is still alive? With her merits and blessings, she shouldn't have died. Could it be that you're afraid, Father? Afraid that the Demon Monarch will be furious if he learns the truth, and the entire Demon Realm will attack the Upper Heaven Realm?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the immortals and gods present. His voice suddenly rose, tinged with resentment and accusation, "In my opinion, the Demon Lord Li Wan, revered by our demonic realm, is more than a match for your Heavenly War God Heng Jin. You are ignorant and pedantic, claiming to have compassion for all living beings, yet you maintain prejudice and discrimination against demons. Aren't we also ordinary beings born of the Heavenly Dao? Do we deserve to be treated like worthless grass?"

"What truth?"

"Don't you know yet?" Xie Yuan looked at Yuan Li, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "In fact, before you suppressed me, he knew my identity. He knew even more clearly how I got this son. The heavenly punishment will protect me from death just like it protected him. I am unkillable."

He pointed at Tianjun, his tone thick with hatred. "He knew it, yet he still chose to sacrifice you, the Yiji bloodline, in vain to protect his reputation. He just didn't expect that I would disrupt his plan to keep things quiet by suppressing me forever. The last one was you, the next one is your brother, Heqi. I guess he must have mentioned to you that if you don't act in a certain way, then you will have to imitate the past and let the last Yiji bloodline, Heqi Demon Lord, follow the example of his sister, Liwan Demon Lord, to suppress me again and try to get rid of me?"

Tianjun's expression was clearly beginning to panic. He looked at Yuanli and said anxiously, "Li Wan! Are you going to believe his nonsense? Stand together with an evil spirit that has also killed countless people in the demon world and aid and abet his evil deeds?"

"What Xie Yuan wants is nothing more than for you, as a father, to admit your past and repent to the people you have let down, and to the innocent people of Yuemang Mountain. This is not too much. Mistakes should be punished, and guilt should be admitted."

Her voice was gentle yet powerful, echoing through the empty streets of Heaven. "Lord of Heaven, in my past life, I have always admired your great achievements and virtues. You have been my role model. I do not want to be forced to tear off the veil that hides everything. I hope you will confess your truth and not disappoint the people of the six realms who admire you as much as I do."

The Heavenly Lord stood on the jade steps, looking at the immortal officials crawling below, listening to the resentment of the people coming from the black air. Those voices pierced his heart like needles.

Images from the past surged through his mind—the fire at Yuemang Mountain, Xing Yi's desperate eyes, and Xie Yuan's frail figure as a child… He condensed the "Memory Sealing Technique" on his fingertips, a spell that could erase the memories of everyone present. He condensed the spell three times in his palm, and each time he retracted it just before it was about to be cast. The divine light in his palm became unstable due to the frequent activation, and even burned his skin, leaving faint scorch marks.

Selfish desires clamored in my heart: Since I have come this far, I must make mistakes again and again, so as not to let down the heinous sins I committed in the past by betraying my original heart.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch the magic formula, his eyes fell on the Jade Tablet of Heavenly Rules hanging around his waist.

The word "justice" that he had carved on the jade tablet with his own hands was emitting a dazzling golden light. The light penetrated the black air and shone directly on his face, causing him to squint subconsciously.

The knuckles beneath the emperor's robe were clenched white, and blood from his palms seeped into the cloud patterns, staining the brocade with dots of red plum blossoms.

The divinity collided in his chest, as if to tear apart this body wrapped in lust for power and lies.

He tried to mobilize the laws of heaven to suppress the surging memories, but saw that the coiled dragon carvings on the beams and pillars in the hall were peeling off inch by inch - the dragon scales were shattered, the dragon claws were broken, that was the silent accusation of the lie by the way of heaven.

His divine nature felt as if being eaten by ants. He suddenly remembered the oath he had made to the people when he first ascended the throne: "I will never sacrifice public interests for personal gain." At this moment, those words turned into golden swords, piercing his soul and causing him to feel a sharp pain in his chest.

The divine pattern on his forehead flickered, as if an invisible hand were strangling his throat. Should he confess his crimes, expose the truth to the Three Realms, and then fall from the clouds, facing universal condemnation? Or cover it up with even more elaborate lies, allowing his sin to flourish in the Nine Heavens? Two forces tore at his body, divine light and black energy intertwined, illuminating the entire High Heaven Palace with a flickering light and darkness.

"Heh..." A self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips, with a hint of sadness.

"What qualifications do you have to speak to me like this?" He suddenly raised his voice, his tone full of majesty, "I am the master of the six realms! I am the master of heaven and earth! I am the master..."

In the last sentence, four short words, his voice suddenly became weaker, as if all his strength had been drained away, and he was even a little unsteady on his feet.

Onlookers could clearly hear his self-blame and regret, but only the Heavenly Emperor himself knew that hidden deep inside was unwillingness - unwillingness to see the position of Heavenly Emperor, which he had cultivated for a thousand years, destroyed by the hands of the person he hated the most.

He clearly saw the look in the eyes of the sober immortals, immortal messengers, and even the heavenly soldiers and generals as they looked at him. There was disappointment, questioning, and contempt in those eyes, as if they were executing him by slow slicing.

No one spoke, simply because he was still the Lord of Heaven at the moment.

After a long period of inner torment and struggle, his divinity ultimately triumphed over everything. The beads on the imperial crown ceased to sway, and when he spoke again, his voice, though hoarse, held an unprecedented calmness: "I simply once fell in love with a demon man. What's wrong with love? Is love that isn't accepted by the world wrong?"

He looked at Xie Yuan, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "Xie Yuan, do you think I haven't tried? I also want this love, which has been criticized as abnormal, to be exposed to the light of day. I have tried everything, but I still can't change people's views on same-sex love. You are not me, and I am not you. Neither of us has experienced each other's suffering, and neither of us has the right to criticize the other."

Xie Yuan raised his head and looked straight at Tianjun. There were no tears in his eyes, only desolate disappointment.

His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like a blunt knife, slowly cutting open the wounds that had long since scabbed over.

"How do you know I haven't thought about it from your perspective? Immortals and demons have always been hostile to each other. Even though I didn't know you were a Heavenly Sovereign at that time and thought you were just an Immortal Sovereign, I still felt that my existence itself was a stain on you."

He remembered when he was a child in the streets of the demon world, other little demon children would throw stones at him, insult his true bloodline, and insult him for being the cursed product of two men in love. He could only hide in the corner with his head in his hands, not daring to shed even a tear - he was afraid that if he resisted, people would discover that he had celestial bloodline, which would implicate his father.

"So, even though I was bullied countless times, I never fought back, afraid that the conflict would escalate and I would become a bad kid, covered in blood and human life. That would truly be a stain that my father couldn't wash away." Xie Yuan's voice was choked with sobs. "No matter how difficult life was, no matter how helpless and desperate we were, my father and I always put ourselves in your shoes and imagined your difficulties. We never revealed our presence to find you when you had no news and caused you trouble."

"In my life, I am the shame of not being loved by you, Father." His eyes fell on Heng Jin, eyes full of envy and unwillingness. "I often think, Father is an immortal who sympathizes with the common people, but I am also one of the common people. Why did you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to my suffering? When Daddy died of illness and couldn't wait for you, I realized that you hated my birth, hated me and Daddy."

"But even so, I'm extremely disappointed in you, but I'm still constantly finding reasons and excuses for you, trying to comfort myself by not hating you and understanding your difficulties." Xie Yuan's voice suddenly rose, with a hint of accusation, "But what about you, Father! You raised Heng Jin! Everyone knows how well you raised him, and how much you value him! You'd rather raise an orphan with no blood relationship than even look at me, your own blood!"

"The fire on Yuemang Mountain burned down our home, the roots of the Ghost Dead Tree buried the ruins, and you never returned home."

He raised his hand and brushed across his arm. The blood there was still pure golden red, but it seemed to be mocking his existence.

"My half-demon, half-immortal bloodline means I can't practice either the magic techniques of the demonic realm or the celestial realm. I can only cultivate by refining miasma and resentment. Father, do you really not love me at all?"

The Heavenly Lord looked at him, his face expressionless, yet a complex mix of emotions swirled in his eyes. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his voice as cold as ice: "Yes, I don't love you. I've never even had the thought of cherishing you as my own child. I even deeply resent your presence."

As he spoke, his fingers tightly gripped the handrail of the jade steps, his knuckles turning white from the strain. His once steady breathing became rapid, his eyes glaring as if he wanted to devour Xie Yuan alive. Even the divine aura around him took on a hint of hostility. "When I learned of your existence, I longed to wipe you out, including any trace of your existence in this world."

Xie Yuan's body shook, as if he was hit hard by these words. He opened his mouth, but only a faint sound came out: "I know... you don't love me."

"It seems you don't fully understand the methods your father used to create you?" The Heavenly Lord's voice was tinged with sarcasm. "What kind of demon is he? What has he done? How do you know that I am also a victim of his torture and threats? Your birth and existence are against the will of heaven. How could I possibly love you!"

"My father said that he created me using forbidden techniques." Xie Yuan's voice was a little confused.

"He only told me half of it." Tianjun closed his eyes, as if recalling an extremely painful past. "When I loved him the most and trusted him the most, he extracted a strand of my soul and also a strand of his own soul, and used forbidden techniques to fuse them together to create you. You are nothing but a deformed product!"

"Since childhood, I have been strictly raised according to the standards of the Lord of Heaven and Earth. I have always dreamed of sitting on the throne of the Heavenly Sovereign and relieving all suffering." The Heavenly Sovereign's voice was a little tired. "In my world, there are so many things more important than love. Back then, I was very young and panicked. The lessons and price I learned when I tried hard to change the world's perspective made me retreat, and my dream came true the moment I retreated. When I can't have both dreams and love, I will unwaveringly choose my career."

"Before I even opened my mouth, Xing Yi told me he could hide behind me forever, even if he could never stand by my side in the outside world as my lover." His gaze drifted off into the distance, as if gazing into the distant past. "He told me to pursue my dreams with peace of mind, that he would always support me and be my staunch backer. But Xie Yuan, when I truly ascended to the throne of Heavenly Sovereign, he suddenly became a completely different person. It was terrifying."

"He used our past and your existence to threaten me, threatening me to acknowledge you as my offspring and bring you to the Celestial Realm to raise. Otherwise, he would make our past public, destroying my reputation and making me ineligible to be a Celestial Monarch." The Celestial Monarch's voice was filled with resignation. "I tried my best to eliminate the miasma of Yuemang Mountain, but the miasma and resentment there seemed to be infinite reproduction. No matter how many immortals and gods I sent to purify it, it was to no avail."

Xie Yuan froze in place. Tianjun's words were like several poisoned ice spikes, piercing into his already broken heart.

The hands hanging by his side were tightly grasping his robe, his knuckles were white and almost broken, and his fingertips even dug into his palms. Blood dripped from between his fingers to the ground, but he didn't feel any pain at all.

The eyes that once burned with hatred and unwillingness were now filled with dead silence and desolation. Even the black air seemed to sense his despair and slowly stagnated around him.

"No... Impossible..." His voice trembled, as if he was trying to convince himself, but also as if he was resisting the cruel truth, "Daddy is not that kind of person... He clearly said that he was willing to hide in the dark because he loved you... You are lying to me, you must be lying to me!" He looked up suddenly, his eyes bloodshot, and there was a last trace of begging in his eyes when he looked at Tianjun - begging Tianjun to say that all this was a lie, begging his daddy to never have any malice.

But the Emperor just lowered his eyes, and the beads on the imperial crown swayed gently, covering the emotions in his eyes and leaving only a heavy silence.

This silence made Xie Yuan more desperate than any excuse.

He suddenly felt like a complete joke. From childhood to adulthood, he had been holding on to the idea that "Daddy loves me, and Father just has difficulties." But in the end, he was told that he was just the product of two resentful couples torturing each other, a "deformed monster" whose existence was not even expected.

"Enough." Tianjun suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse as if it had been sandpapered.

He slowly turned towards Yuanli, his once majestic figure now somewhat hunched. He lowered his head, resting his forehead on the cold jade steps, and performed an extremely solemn salute - that was the salute that the monarch of heaven would perform to his meritorious officials.

"Demon Lord Li Wan, I apologize to you."

His voice trembled uncontrollably, and every word was saturated with remorse. "Back then, to protect my reputation, I concealed this filthy past, leading to your innocent death. I've clearly experienced the pain of love being rejected by the world, yet I still sided with the narrow-minded and joined in bullying your love."

He raised his head, with an unprecedented determination in his eyes, and the divine light around him began to fluctuate violently, as if gathering all his strength.

"The sins were caused by me, so they must be rectified by me. Today, I offer my throne as the Heavenly Sovereign and my own soul as a sacrifice to apologize to all the people of the six realms, to you, to Xie Yuan, and to all the innocent souls who died in Yuemang Mountain!"

Before he finished speaking, the Heavenly Lord suddenly raised his hand, and a dazzling golden light condensed in his palm - that was the precursor to self-destruction of his soul.

Yuanli's pupils suddenly shrank, and she subconsciously wanted to stop it, but was stopped in place by an invisible divine force.

The Heavenly Lord looked at her, a hint of apology flashed in his eyes, and then he pressed the divine light in his palm hard against his own eyebrows.

"No!" Xie Yuan screamed, his body lunging forward uncontrollably, but he only caught a piece of dissipated divine light.

The body of the Heavenly Emperor quickly became transparent in the golden light. The imperial crown slid from his head and hit the jade steps with a crisp sound, but no one paid any attention to it.

The golden-red divine light around him shattered bit by bit, turning into countless tiny points of light, like stardust blown away by the wind, slowly floating into the air.

When those spots of light touched the black air surrounding the heavens, the black air actually made a "sizzling" sound and began to slowly dissipate - that was the last remaining warmth of divinity, atonement for his sins.

However, in an instant, the once high and mighty Heavenly Emperor completely turned into nothingness, without even a trace of his soul remaining, and truly returned to chaos.

The world seemed to be silent for a moment, leaving only the faint sound of the black air dissipating and the incredible gasps of the divine soldiers.

Xie Yuan froze in place, his outstretched hand still suspended in mid-air, his palm empty, save for the faint remnant of the Celestial Monarch's divine light. His pupils sagged, his lips moving, but no sound emanated.

His father was dead—the man whom he had hated and resented all his life, but whom he had secretly longed for a little fatherly love in his heart, just disappeared like that.

What made him even more panicked was that with the annihilation of the Heavenly Monarch's soul, the power of heavenly punishment in his body that had been protecting him suddenly receded like a tide. His body instantly became light and fluttery, and he even felt a little unstable when standing.

He seemed to have lost all his strength. He stared blankly at the direction where Tianjun disappeared, his mind blank.

At this moment, a cold wave suddenly appeared in the void behind Xie Yuan - that was the breath of the teleportation array being activated, but it was more weird than the teleportation array he had used before. There was a dark glow on the edge, and it was mixed with a familiar miasma belonging to the demon world.

"call out--"

A cold light suddenly shot out from the teleportation array and pierced Xie Yuan's back.

It was a short blade forged from soul iron, a faint black-purple mist swirling around the blade, evidently quenched with a soul-corrosive poison. Xie Yuan was so distracted at the moment that he was completely oblivious to the danger. It wasn't until the short blade pierced through his body, the icy blade grazing past his heart, that the intense pain jolted him back to consciousness.

"puff--"

Blood gushed out from the corner of Xie Yuan's mouth. He lowered his head stiffly, looking at the half-blade exposed on his chest. The black air on the blade was drilling into his body through the wound, greedily devouring his soul.

"Useless stuff."

A cold and biting voice sounded behind him, with undisguised disgust.

"In vain, I secretly paved so many paths for you, spent so much thought, planned so many means, hoping to lead you onto the bright path of re-establishing the rules of the Six Realms. I thought you, who only cared about repairing my portrait for the Rebirth Temple, had finally come to your senses and realized that you could bring him to the heavens and make him pay the price of unbearable pain! And you! You only cared about proving whether your father truly loved you! You let him die so easily!"

Xie Yuan's body trembled violently. This voice... this voice was...

He turned his head with difficulty, his vision blurred due to blood loss, but he could still see that face clearly - pale complexion, narrow and long phoenix eyes, with a cruel sneer on the corner of his mouth. It was his father who he thought had died of illness in Yuemang Mountain long ago. Fortunately!

"Dad... Dad?" Xie Yuan's voice was as weak as a mosquito. He couldn't believe his eyes. "You... you're not dead?"

Xing Yi did not answer, but just reached out, gripped the knife handle tightly, and stabbed it another inch inward.

The short blade completely pierced Xie Yuan's body, and blood flowed out from the gap in the blade, staining Xie Yuan's white robe red and splashing on Xingyi's fingertips.

Xingyi frowned in disgust, as if he had touched something dirty, and wiped the blood with his fingertips.

Xie Yuan's body trembled violently, not because of pain, but because of despair.

He raised his hand, wanting to touch his father's face, wanting to confirm that this was not an illusion, but his arm just rose halfway and then fell down weakly - he couldn't do it. Even if he was hurt like this, he couldn't attack his father.

"Why..." He couldn't hold back his tears and finally rolled down, dripping onto his blood-stained robe, instantly dyeing it red. "So you...really don't love me...why? I clearly...clearly listened to you so much..."

"Love you?" Xing Yi suddenly chuckled as if he had heard a huge joke, his laughter full of resentment, "Of course not! Who do you think you are? You used him—" He suddenly pointed in the direction where Tianjun disappeared, the hatred in his eyes almost overflowing, "Using his soul thread to create a monster! I hate him, I hate him to the bone, and naturally I hate you too!"

He leaned down, leaning close to Xie Yuan's ear. His voice was extremely low, but every word was as sharp as a knife: "Every time I hear you call me 'Daddy', I feel extremely disgusted! If it weren't for the fact that you have his soul thread in your body, which can help me restrain him and destroy the Nine Heavens, do you think you could have survived until now?"

Fortunately, he stood up and pulled out the short blade.

Blood gushed out from Xie Yuan's wound like a fountain. Xie Yuan's body could no longer support him and he fell backwards.

Xie Yuan looked at Xing with cold eyes. The face that he once relied on so much was now filled with unfamiliar cruelty.

"Go to hell, you useless trash." Xing Yi looked at Xie Yuan lying on the ground, a cold arc appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he turned around to leave, as if he had just crushed an annoying ant to death.

Xie Yuan lay on the cold jade steps, his vision gradually blurring. He could feel his spirit rapidly dissipating, the strength in his body draining away bit by bit.

His life flashed and replayed quickly like a kaleidoscope.

It turns out that the person behind all the evil deeds committed under his name that brought disaster to the six realms was actually my father...

It turns out that from the beginning to the end, he was just a superfluous "deformation".

He slowly closed his eyes, and when the last bit of consciousness faded away, he could only hear Yuanli's anxious cries and the angry roars of the divine soldiers.

The black air between heaven and earth began to surge wildly, as if it was going to completely swallow up the entire Ninth Heaven.

The last ray of divine light dissipated from Xie Yuan's eyes, and he was completely dead.

The black energy wrapped around his body lost its host and should have dissipated, but the moment Xing Yi raised his hand, it rushed to his palm like a swarm of bees returning to their nest, condensing into a surging black mist.

None of the fallen angels and monsters who had followed the evil abyss resisted at this moment.

Baiyan was the first to kneel on one knee, his head lowered. His once ferocious face was filled with awe, and even his voice trembled a little: "This subordinate greets the master."

The rest of the followers followed suit, kneeling down at the foot of the jade steps in a black mass, surrounding Xing Yi in the center, as if he was the real master of this catastrophe.

Xing Yi looked at the black mist in his palm, a nearly maniacal smile curling up at the corner of his mouth. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the devastated heavens, and as if looking through the void, at a nonexistent figure. His voice was filled with paranoid resentment: "Destroy them all! When the heavenly punishment comes and cleanses the six realms, everything in the world will start over again!"

He clenched his fists tightly, and the black mist exploded in his palms, transforming into countless tiny black threads that flowed through the air and into the noses and ears of every sober person. "Qing Hui! When we meet again, I will make sure you die in unbearable pain and regret it!"

As he finished speaking, he closed his eyes, and a dark purple curse mark appeared between his brows - it was a forbidden technique that triggered nightmares, more powerful than the nightmares spread by the fallen angels before, and it had the power to completely devour the soul.

Yuanli stood there, her whole body cold.

Until this moment, those previously overlooked doubts finally connected: How could Xie Yuan pinpoint the weak spot in the Heaven Realm's defenses? Why was Xing Yi's "threat" so confident, as described by the Heavenly Monarch? Even Xie Yuan's half-demon, half-immortal bloodline seemed like a carefully calculated chess piece... She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. The pain made her realize more clearly—the true culprit had never been Xie Yuan, driven by hatred, but Xing Yi, who had faked his death for years, manipulating everything from behind the scenes!

"Cough..." A muffled cough echoed nearby. Yuanli turned to see an immortal official clutching his chest, his eyes gradually becoming hollow as he collapsed limply, a trace of fear still lingering on his lips. Immediately afterwards, more celestial soldiers and generals began to stagger, their spears falling to the ground one after another, their protective auras extinguished in an instant like candles snuffed out by a violent wind.

But in just a moment, all the immortals and gods who were still resisting fell down, and the only sounds left in the entire heaven were Xing Yi's crazy laughter and Yuanli's heavy breathing.

The black energy, like a living vine, slowly wrapped around Yuanli's ankles. She tried to mobilize her demonic energy to resist, but she felt dizzy and her vision began to distort. Xingyi's figure gradually blurred, and the jade steps and palace turned into swaying shadows.

The next second, she lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes again, Yuanli found herself standing in the center of an ancient stone formation.

The ground of the stone formation is engraved with densely packed dark red runes, as if drawn with dried blood, and one can feel a slight stickiness when stepping on it.

She lowered her head and was shocked to find that she was covered in blood. The dark red bloodstains soaked through her clothes and emitted a pungent fishy smell.

In front of her, Heqi's robe collapsed to the ground, but there was no flesh and blood inside, only a broken skeleton - two ribs were broken, and there were scratches on the finger bones. It was obvious that he had experienced a violent struggle before death.

Eight emerald green soul-calming hairpins were scattered around the bones. The runes on the hairpins had long since faded, but there were still faint fluctuations of demonic energy belonging to Heqi.

"No...impossible..." Yuanli's voice trembled. She stretched out her hand tremblingly, and her fingertips gently touched the cold ribs. The biting cold spread through her fingertips to her whole body.

She could clearly sense that the fluctuations of divine power were rapidly dissipating, like a candle in the wind - this meant that Heqi, her most beloved brother, had died in this soul-calming formation, just like she had in her previous life.

Tears rolled down without warning, hitting the white bones.

Yuanli squatted down and buried her face in her blood-stained robe. Suppressed cries overflowed from her throat and gradually turned into a heart-wrenching wail.

"This is a nightmare... Yuanli, this is a nightmare..." She suddenly raised her head and pinched her arm hard. The sharp pain made her eyes clearer.

She forced herself to stand up, staring at the skeleton, telling herself over and over in her heart: This is not true, it's just a trick of Xing Yi, He Qi is still alive...

But the next second, the scene in front of him suddenly changed.

She stood in the main hall of the Demon Palace. From outside came the deafening roar of blood and demonic energy, choking her to the point of suffocation. On the throne in the Demon Palace, He Qi sat, covered in blood. His black robe was torn, revealing skin covered in wounds deep enough to see the bone. Blood dripped down the throne's armrests, forming a small pool on the ground.

Below, the Demon Lord, his ministers, and several demon kings gathered before the throne, all wearing ferocious smiles. One demon king raised his massive axe and struck Heqi's shoulder fiercely. With a "crack," the sound of broken bones could be clearly heard.

Heqi groaned, but didn't fall. He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes looking in Yuanli's direction. His lips moved with difficulty, and a weak but clear voice uttered, "Sister... don't leave me..."

Yuanli tried to rush forward like a madman, but her body seemed to be nailed to the spot. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move an inch. She watched helplessly as the other demon king drew his sword and pierced Heqi's heart. She watched as Heqi's body shook violently, the last bit of strength drained from his eyes, and his head drooped weakly.

Warm blood splattered on her face, carrying the familiar scent of Heqi. The warmth was so real, as if still tinged with the warmth of life, that it instantly shattered all of Yuanli's rationality. She collapsed to the ground, her hands clutching the ground tightly, her nails filled with cold stone chips, yet she felt no pain at all.

Before she could recover from her despair, the scene before her eyes switched again—sometimes it was Heqi chained to the Zhuxian Terrace, struck by thunder after thunder, his flesh scorched, yet he still cried out, "Sister!"; sometimes it was him thrown into the Ten Thousand Demons Cave, being devoured by countless monsters, even his bones being chewed to pieces; sometimes it was him kneeling outside the Demon Palace, begging the ministers who once supported him to let him go, only to be kicked down, a sharp blade piercing his heart...

Time and again, Heqi died before her eyes in different, gruesome ways. Each death felt incredibly real, and each cry of "Sister" was like a blunt knife, repeatedly slicing at Yuanli's heart. Her consciousness teetered on the brink of collapse, her tears long since dried, leaving only a hollow gaze and a suppressed, trapped, animal-like sob in her throat.

Xing Yi's voice seemed to come from far away, carrying a cold smile, echoing in her mind: "Enjoy it. In this nightmare, you will watch him die forever, immersed in the pain brought by endless torture until death comes."

Yuanli's soul was suspended in mid-air, the light of the Tianfan lamp wrapped around her fingertips flickered - when she had just forced herself to break free from the nightmare, her soul had been somewhat eroded. Now, every time she floated an inch further, she felt her consciousness swaying slightly.

Her eyes were fixed on Heng Jin, who was leaning against a pillar not far away. The celestial god of war, who had always been as tall and straight as a pine tree, now had a frown that could crush ice. His knuckles were tightly gripping the shaft of his spear, his fingertips turning white from the force, and even his breathing was trembling with suppressed force.

She took a deep breath, gathered the warm light of the lantern closer, and turned it into a strand of golden thread, gently reaching towards Heng Jin's eyebrows.

There was no hindrance, just as she expected, and her consciousness instantly sank into a familiar darkness - that was Heng Jin's spiritual world, and also his nightmare cage.

There was no bloody fight in front of me, only a vast expanse of white.

Heng Jin stood in this empty space, his silver-white battle robe stained with a faint gray. He stretched out his hand, his fingertips suspended in mid-air, as if touching something that was about to disappear.

The next second, Yuanli saw "himself" appear in front of him: wearing a black robe from the demon world, with a faint smile on his lips, but his body was becoming transparent little by little, like mist blown away by the wind.

"Ajin, stop chasing me."

"Yuanli"'s voice was very light, with a hint of apology, and then it completely turned into countless tiny points of light and dissipated in the void.

Heng Jin lunged forward, but his hands only grasped at nothing. He froze in place, his shoulders trembling slightly, and a suppressed sob escaped his throat—not anger, not resentment, but despair deep in his bones.

This blank space began to cycle. "Yuanli" appeared again and again, then vanished again and again. Heng Jin reached out again and again, only to grab at nothing. With each cycle, the light in his eyes dimmed a little. In the end, he even stopped reaching out. He simply stood there, watching the direction "Yuanli" disappeared, like a statue without a soul.

It turned out that his nightmare was watching her soul fly away without leaving even a trace.

Yuanli's heart suddenly tightened, as if it was being tightly grasped by something.

She recalled the nightmare in which she saw Heqi's tragic death, and understood very well the despair of "knowing it is fake, but feeling the pain so real".

She no longer hesitated, and the warm light on her fingertips suddenly lit up, turning into a golden silk thread, gently wrapping around Heng Jin's wrist - that was the "Soul-Awakening Seal" they had agreed on when they jointly resisted foreign enemies in the Demon Realm.

"Heng Jin! Wake up!" Her voice penetrated his soul and entered his consciousness. "That's not real! I'm still here!"

The warm light spread from her wrist to Heng Jin's entire body, and cracks began to appear in the blank nightmare world. The dissipated light spots of "Yuan Li" were absorbed by the warm light and condensed into her outline again.

Heng Jin suddenly came back to his senses, the emptiness in his eyes replaced by shock. He grabbed the hand with warm light, and the real temperature from the fingertips made his eyes redden instantly: "Ari... is it really you?"

"It's me." Yuanli nodded. The light of the lantern completely dispelled the darkness of the nightmare. Their souls returned to the jade steps of heaven. "Luckily, the nightmare we set will magnify our greatest fears. We can't be trapped here."

"Fortunately, fortunately they are all fake..."

Fear and terror had not yet been completely driven away by his relief, and his voice was trembling with weakness. Heng Jin took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and quickly regained some composure. "What's the situation now?"

"Time in the nightmare passed very quickly and without feeling. I was trapped in the nightmare for three days, and only four days are left."

Yuanli pointed in the direction of the corridor.

"Fortunately, we've left three Fallen Angels to guard the area: Baiyan at the South Heavenly Gate, Biqi at the rear hall of the Lingxiao Palace, and Xuansha at the Tianhe Ferry. Biqi still holds the divine power ball that was taken away from the Heavenly Monarch earlier. Xuansha is skilled in using miasma, which can affect the soul."

The two exchanged glances and instantly formed a plan: "I'll distract the guards, and you take this opportunity to awaken other powerful immortals and gods." Heng Jin gripped his spear tightly, and the lightning patterns on his silver-white battle robe began to glow faintly. "Let's start with the South Heaven Gate. Baiyan is the leader of the Fallen Angels. Taking him out will deter the other monsters."

Yuanli nodded, dimmed the lantern's light, and sank back into a trance. Hengjin, spear in hand, stepped lightly toward the South Heavenly Gate. He didn't conceal his presence, but instead deliberately released a hint of the might of a war god, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, instantly startling the barnyard slugs in the corridor.

"Who's there?" Baiyan's voice was as hoarse as a millstone. Black energy surged around him, and the bone whip in his hand was covered with spikes. "Which damn immortal god has woken up?"

Heng Jin did not respond, but suddenly threw out the spear. The silver-white spear light cut through the darkness and pierced Bai Yu's face.

Baiyan hastily used his bone whip to block. With a crisp "clang" sound, the whip was numbed by the spear's light. He stumbled back, his eyes full of shock: "Heng Jin? You're awake!"

At the moment when Baiyan was distracted, Yuanli's soul quietly circled behind him, and the warm light from her fingertips suddenly pierced into his eyebrows.

Baiyan's body froze instantly, the black energy receded like a tide, and the madness in his eyes was gradually replaced by clarity. Although he was once a fallen angel, he was also an immortal god controlled by nightmares. At this moment, he was purified by the lantern and finally regained his sanity.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the distance: "Master Bi Qi! Heng Jin is awake!"

It’s Xuansha from Tianhe Ferry.

He had discovered the unusual movement at some point and was fleeing towards the back hall of Lingxiao Palace, wanting to inform Bi Qi.

Heng Jin's face changed, and just as she was about to chase after him, she saw a golden light shooting out from the back hall of Lingxiao Palace - it was Bi Qi who used the divine power light ball of the Heavenly Lord!

"Heng Jin! Die!" Bi Qi's voice was filled with an arrogant smile. A golden ball of light expanded in his hand, carrying an aura of destruction.

The ball of light blasted towards Heng Jin, cracking the ground and creating deep trenches. Black energy surged wildly under the impact of the ball of light. Heng Jin raised his spear, trying to resist, but the pressure of the ball of light sent his blood surging, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, Yuanli's soul suddenly appeared behind Bi Qi, and the warm light of the lantern turned into a sharp blade, piercing fiercely into the core of the light ball - that was the remaining divinity of the Heavenly King, which was the same source as the purifying power of the lantern. The light ball instantly lost control, and the golden light gradually dimmed, and was finally completely absorbed by the lantern.

Bi Qi was horrified and tried to escape, but was stopped by Bai Yan who had regained his consciousness.

The two worked together and quickly subdued Bi Qi and woke him up from his nightmare.

After dispatching the three guards, Yuanli and Hengjin finally breathed a sigh of relief. But at that moment, a deafening roar of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky—not just any thunder, but a roar that carried the might of the heavens. Lead-gray clouds hung low, and each lightning bolt was like a golden axe, splitting the darkness and illuminating the devastated palace of the heavens.

"It's a punishment from heaven..." Heng Jin raised her head to the sky, her voice solemn, "The sinful black energy has brought down the wrath of heaven. If this continues, the six realms will truly be cleansed and purified by heavenly punishment!"

Everyone's expressions suddenly changed. The awakened immortals gathered their divine power and rushed towards the main hall of Lingxiao Palace, where Xing Yi was. Inside the hall, Xing was controlling Xie Yuan's residual soul, creating a puppet shrouded in black energy—his last trump card, intending to use Xie Yuan's resentment to trigger a greater disaster.

"Kill Xingyi!"

At Heng Jin's command, the spear pierced into the evil spirit's chest first.

The immortals and gods all took action, and the golden light and black air collided in the air, making a harsh sound.

Yuanli held the Tianfan lantern in her hand, and the warm golden light instantly enveloped the entire hall. The black air on the puppet was sucked into the lantern bit by bit. Xie Yuan's residual soul gradually calmed down in the light, and finally turned into a wisp of white smoke and completely dissipated.

The evil spirit that was causing the rebellion was solved, and Xingyi's plan was completely shattered.

But the pressure of heavenly punishment was getting heavier and heavier. The lightning in the clouds had begun to strike the ground, and the water in the Milky Way was boiling.

Yuanli looked at the immortals and gods still sleeping around her and gritted her teeth - her soul was already extremely weak, and every time she used the lantern it was like burning her soul, but she knew that she could not wait any longer.

"Everyone, step back!" Her voice trembled slightly, yet was remarkably firm. She gripped the handle of the Tianfan Lantern tightly, reciting the prayers for salvation that surged within her. The spiritual power of her body surged toward the lantern like a tide.

The light of the lantern suddenly became dazzling, like a second sun. The warm golden light spread along the ground, passing through the eyebrows of every sleeping immortal, completely dispelling the nightmare.

The black air surrounding the heavens was drawn by the light and continuously poured into the lantern. The dark clouds in the sky began to dissipate, revealing a ray of clear skylight.

But Yuanli's body was becoming transparent little by little.

Her soul was like a bubble blown by the wind, ready to burst at any moment. Heng Jin rushed over to support her, but her hand passed right through her body—her soul was about to dissipate.

"Don't waste your energy... I shouldn't have lived this life in the first place..." Yuanli's voice was soft, with a hint of relief. "As long as I can protect the Six Realms... that's good enough. Hengjin, I don't want to live anymore. Don't make the same mistakes again. Tell this to Axun as well."

The immortals and gods all took action, trying to use their divine power to forcibly retain her soul, but no matter how powerful the spell was, it was like a stone sinking into the sea when it came into contact with her illusory body. Despair enveloped the entire heaven.

At this moment, a series of subtle flapping sounds came from outside the clouds. Countless silver psionic butterflies pierced through the clouds and slowly fell around Yuanli like a silver rain.

The light of the spirit butterfly gathered into a figure, and a man in a bright red wedding dress stood in it - the collar of the dress was embroidered with mandarin ducks and lotus flowers, a red brocade belt was tied around the waist, and a hairpin inlaid with pearls was inserted in the hair crown. It was obviously carefully prepared.

It's tea from Xun.

His wedding clothes were covered in dust, and his hair crown was slightly askew. It was obvious that he had come from a long way away and did not even have time to tidy up his clothes.

He looked at the translucent Yuanli, and the light in his eyes changed from eagerness to incredible despair, and the red veil in his hand fell to the ground with a "pop".

"Ari..." His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. He ran towards her, but didn't dare to reach out and touch her, fearing that even the slightest touch would cause her to completely dissipate. "No... Ari, no... You can't leave me alone again. Today is our wedding day. Everything is ready. Heqi is in the Demon Realm entertaining the guests, waiting to carry my sister to the wedding. All that's missing is you, the bride. Wake up and come see me..."

He was clearly waiting in the Demon Realm's wedding hall, waiting for her to return from Heaven, waiting to crown her with a phoenix crown, waiting to tell her that he had prepared her favorite Demon Realm Epiphyllum for her. But he sensed the turmoil in her soul, broke through countless obstacles to rush over, only to see her about to disappear.

Almost...

She was just a little bit away from becoming his wife.

Yuanli looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She wanted to raise her hand to touch his cheek, but her fingertips only passed through air.

Her body became increasingly transparent, and her voice was as light as a breeze: "I'm sorry... Cha Suxun... This time... I'm going to let you down again..."

Silver psionic butterflies fluttered around them, and the red of the wedding dress formed a glaring contrast with Yuanli's transparent figure.

The light in heaven gradually brightened, but this belated wedding never waited for its bride.

The immortals and gods didn't hesitate for a moment. Heng Jin took the lead, condensing the power of the God of War into a golden light shield, wrapping her body. Taibai Xingjun took out the Kunlun Cold Jade Marrow and dripped it between her eyebrows, trying to stabilize her soul. Even Baiyan, who had just regained consciousness, mobilized his remaining immortal power and joined forces with other immortals and gods to weave a spiritual power network. They were defying the will of heaven, using the most advanced divine power in the six realms to forcibly lock her scattered soul threads within her body, but the cracks in the light shield were still spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye. Everyone knew that this was a futile effort to delay the end.

Cha Suxun knelt beside her, his fingertips trembling as he brushed across her cold cheek. The red of her wedding dress formed a stark contrast with her pale face.

He took out a warm jade from his arms. It was a token of love he had prepared for the wedding. But now, it could only be placed against her palm in vain, without even a trace of warmth being transmitted into it.

"Ali..." His voice was choked with sobs, and there was complete despair in his eyes. "I will take you home. Today is the day for us to get married..."

He tried to pick up Yuanli's body carefully, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed by a hand like an iron clamp.

Heng Jin stood behind him, his silver-white battle robe still stained with traces of black burns, his eyes bloodshot, like a trapped beast that had lost its mind: "Where are you taking her? There must be a way! Give her to me!"

"for you?"

Cha Suxun turned around abruptly, his pent-up anger and despair erupting at that moment. He pushed Heng Jin away, his voice filled with scarlet hatred, "She's my wife! I want to take her home! What right do you have to stop me? Two lifetimes! Two whole lifetimes! It was because she was close to you, close to this heavenly realm, that she ended up with her soul torn apart! Do you know how much effort I put into resurrecting her? You don't! You only know how to drown yourself in your own grief and cry to the heavens, and now you are doing this useless, self-deceiving work!"

He pointed at the gray mist that was spreading between Yuanli's eyebrows, his voice trembling, "Her soul has begun to disintegrate directly. Not even a trace of soul can be collected! Even if the Great Luo Immortal came, it would be impossible to prevent her demise! You didn't ask her wishes and didn't give her the choice to kill herself and let her become a god, but it was all your selfish desire to force reincarnation and continue the relationship! But do you know? When a god dies, his soul returns to chaos and can't even enter the cycle of reincarnation! Heng Jin, just how far do you want to harm her!"

"No one can stop me from saving her! Now you're the one who wants to give up on her! I haven't even given it my all, so what gives you the right to say she's completely hopeless? Either you kill me, or you'll never be able to take her away!"

Before he finished speaking, Heng Jin's spear had already stabbed towards Cha Suxun's chest. Cha Suxun dodged sideways, gathering netherworld cold energy at his fingertips, transforming it into a short black blade that slashed straight at Heng Jin's face.

The two men who loved her deeply, at this moment, completely turned against each other and their moves were deadly.

Heng Jin's spear carries the thunder power of the celestial god of war, and every strike can shatter the surrounding clouds; Cha Suxun's blade is wrapped in the death energy of the underworld, and every stroke can freeze the air.

Their fight affected the surrounding immortals and gods, but no one stepped forward to dissuade them. The immortals and gods looked at each other and finally chose to mobilize their divine power to help Heng Jin: they also wanted to save Yuanli, and they were unwilling to give up even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance.

The golden divine power surged towards Cha Suxun like a tide, forcing him to retreat again and again.

He looked at the immortals and gods surrounding him, then glanced at Yuanli who was wrapped in a shield of light. A trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, but he was finally shocked by the divine power and spit out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back to the outside of the Heavenly Gate and watched Heng Jin carry Yuanli away.

Deep down, he also hoped that Heng Jin could successfully find a solution.

Heng Jin held Yuan Li in her arms and rushed all the way to the Hanyu Tianchi in heaven.

The water of Tianchi Lake is made of thousand-year-old cold jade, which can preserve the soul to the greatest extent. The ice sculptures and jade bricks by the pool emit a cold light under the gray sky.

He gently placed Yuanli on the jade platform in the middle of the pool, and knelt on the jade steps, holding on to the ice edges of the pool with both hands. His fingers were frozen black, but he was completely unaware.

He began to recite the lines of poetry etched deep in his memory over and over, his voice hoarse but firm: "Recklessly stirring up cause and effect disturbs the vastness of the universe, the cycle of life turns like the morning sun. The sound of Buddhist chants lingers around the temple, the sea of ​​karma sinks deep for several autumns. The dark ashes condense into blue, the debt of the past life, the lingering fate continues the sorrow. The virtue and grace remain in the dark, the soul disappears, and only then will the purple flower shine."

This was the blessing he received when he knelt down and prayed to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky in order to find a way to resurrect Yuanli.

In the past, he could never understand the last sentence, but at this moment, looking at Yuanli's soul which was constantly dissipating, he suddenly had some enlightenment.

Only after her soul completely dissipates can she meet Zi Huazhang? Does this mean that only after her soul completely dissipates can she be reborn from death?

But is this "dissipation" a true disintegration of the soul, or is it another form of rebirth towards death?

No one could give him an answer.

Heng Jin looked at Yuanli on the jade platform, and the ice spikes in his palms were shattered - he didn't dare to gamble, but the cracks on the light shield were almost spreading to his eyebrows, and they had no choice.

He suddenly stood up and flew out of the Heavenly Gate.

Cha Suxun was leaning against the stone pillar of Tianmen, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. When he saw him coming, vigilance and murderous intent immediately appeared in his eyes.

"I know a way."

Heng Jin got straight to the point, her voice tinged with pleading. "The old Buddha's poem says, 'Only when the soul disappears can the purple flowers shine forth.' Perhaps... perhaps only when the soul disappears, and death is faced head-on, can one live towards death."

Cha Suxun was stunned. He had been in charge of the underworld for tens of millions of years and had never heard of such a statement.

The immortals and gods who came here also shook their heads, but when they saw the golden light gradually weakening in the direction of Hanyu Tianchi in the distance, everyone fell silent - this was the only hope, even if it was just an illusion.

"How do we do that?"

Cha Suxun stood up, and the bloodstains on his wedding dress had solidified into dark red.

Taibai Xingjun suddenly spoke, "Throughout the ages, statues have served as the link between the human world and the gods. Even when a god is unconscious and asleep, he can sense the prayers of his followers. Yuanli's spirit hasn't completely left her body yet. Perhaps... perhaps, through her statue, I can awaken her desire for life."

A light suddenly lit up in Cha Suxun's eyes.

He raised his hands and formed seals, and the Netherworld power around him transformed into thousands of silver spirit butterflies. Each spirit butterfly carried a wisp of his clone and flew towards the human world.

From the moment she became a deity, he secretly built the first Broom Star God Temple for her. He was afraid that her incense was not strong enough, that there were not enough believers and her divine power was weak, and he was even more afraid that her divine power would dissipate. So he hid it from her and built temple after temple in the human world. To date, there are 35,684 temples.

He transformed into thousands of clones, scattered in every temple of the Broom Star God in the human world, kneeling in front of the cushion, praying and wishing over and over again, counting her merits in two lives, intending to arouse her desire for rebirth.

Not long after, a dark figure stumbled into the heavens—it was Heqi.

When the situation in the demon world was stabilized, great joy was followed by great sorrow, and the news of the death of the Broom Star Lord spread throughout the four seas and eight wildernesses and six realms.

He left everything behind and rushed to the heaven, but he only saw the light shield beside the Hanyu Tianchi Lake and thousands of spirit butterflies in the distance.

After learning the whole story from Tianshu, Heqi was so grief-stricken that he fainted immediately. After being rescued, he immediately went to the temple of the Broom Star God in the human world.

Ah Cha was still wearing her wedding dress, but she looked drained of energy, listless and haggard, with a deathly pale face.

Heqi looked up at the statue of his sister. He knelt down on the mat with a plop and prayed to the statue of his sister over and over again, asking her not to turn into ashes. He was speechless and finally prostrated himself on the mat, covering his face and crying loudly.

One day in heaven is one year on earth.

The light shield of Hanyu Tianchi lasted for seven days, while the Broom Star God Temple on Earth grew increasingly bustling. All beings in the six realms remembered her merits and came to pay homage, bearing incense and offerings.

There is an endless stream of devout believers.

The smoke from the incense burned followed the statue and turned into wisps of golden light, converging towards the heavens and landing on the light shield of the Hanyu Tianchi. However, the cracks in the light shield were getting bigger and bigger.

On the morning of the eighth day, the golden light of Hanyu Tianchi was completely extinguished.

Yuanli's soul finally turned into bubbles in the sky and slowly dissipated in the dim light of the morning sun, without leaving even a trace.

Heng Jin hugged her body, face to face, and tears wet her cold cheeks.

The remaining warmth from her body slipped away from his fingertips bit by bit like quicksand that could not be grasped. All the strength in his body was drained away. He could only kneel on the jade platform, sobbing silently, like a walking corpse without a soul.

No one knows whether Yuanli has already had the opportunity for a new life.

"Give my sister back to me!"

He Qi stood behind him, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. His dark royal robe was still stained with the dust of the demonic realm, and his eyes were filled with unwavering hatred. "You have no right to hold her. Get out of here."

Heng Jin did not resist, but carefully handed Yuanli's body to Heqi.

He used Kunlun cold jade to carve a coffin with his own hands, and the coffin lid was carved with the blossoms of her favorite sacred tree, peach, each one was lifelike.

When the coffin was closed, the chill seeped into her skin through the thin fabric, but it was far less than the aching, cold desolate area in her heart. He stroked the coffin lid, just as he had done when he lifted her veil and gently stroked her face at their wedding, tenderly and lovingly.

"Ari, go home..."

His voice was as soft as the wind.

As soon as the voice came out, it broke into sobs.

The tears hit the smooth coffin lid, making a crisp "thump" sound, which was particularly harsh in the silent stone chamber.

He leaned over and stared into the coffin. Yuanli's long hair was scattered on the jade pillow, as black as ink, but her lips were as pale as faded peach petals, lifeless. There was no longer the itch of her hair brushing against his wrist when she smiled and looked up.

He was speechless, tears falling one after another on the coffin lid, and his heart was filled with intense pain.

The surrounding Qi suddenly stopped.

The scattered jade chips hung in the air, the tears in the corners of his eyes were frozen on his cheeks, and even his breathing seemed to be strangled by an invisible force.

The next second, an absolute pressure far beyond that of immortal gods wrapped around his soul and suddenly pulled it out. His body shook like an empty shell, but his soul had already ridden like thunder, passing through the Kunlun sea of ​​clouds, crossing the nine heavens, and was lifted up to the Hongmeng place outside the thirty-third heaven.

There is no sun or moon here, only endless clouds of light floating in the void, and every ray of light carries the rhythm of Tao that can crush all living beings.

Soon, a human-shaped shadow that looked like mist but not mist, like cloud but not cloud, condensed from the flowing light. It had no facial features, but it instantly shook Heng Jin's soul. It was the awe engraved in the origin of all living things. No words were needed, his heart was certain: this was the way of heaven.

The light and shadows remained still, yet words as profound as the sounds of Sanskrit pierced his soul: "Clinging to delusion and seeking enlightenment, life begins from now on, and death begins. If I meet someone who loves you, my body will turn to dust."

There was no superfluous tone, but it was like a huge rock hitting the soul field. Before he could think about the words, they were broken down into the most straightforward meaning by an irresistible force and imprinted into his cognition - if you insist on going against the will of heaven and forcing it, the day when the cause and effect of your forced desires backfire on you will be the beginning of your death; and the moment she falls in love with you, you will be completely wiped out, your body and soul will be gone.

Heng Jin's soul trembled violently. He wanted to ask, but just as his lips and teeth were about to condense his thoughts, the human-shaped cloud suddenly released a gust of wind, crushing his soul like a sharp blade.

The moment the severe pain hit him, he felt like he was thrown into a bottomless abyss, his soul rolled in the void, and the next second it slammed back into his body.

"Cough..." A sweet and fishy taste surged in Heng Jin's throat, and she suddenly came back to her senses. The jade chips hanging in the air fell on the coffin lid, and the tears on her cheeks finally slid down her chin and hit the peach blossom-patterned petals.

The clepsydra started ticking again, and the frozen time began to flow. He stood up, supporting himself with the cold jade coffin. The redness in his eyes had not faded, but there was a hint of determination.

Heng Jin stared at her in the coffin, silently saying in her heart: "Fate is inherently thin and indifferent, often like dust and muddy water, with no prospect of meeting again. You still owe me the lifelong marriage you promised me. As long as I don't let go, don't give up, karma will flow, and you and I will meet again. I will travel across the four seas and eight wildernesses, across thousands of rivers and mountains, until we meet again, and we will renew our previous relationship. Ah Li, go to sleep, and when you wake up, I'll be here."

He Qi took the coffin, and when his fingertips touched the cold jade face, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

"She's dead! Dead!"

He pushed Heng Jin hard, his voice filled with scarlet hatred. "Why are you pretending to be affectionate? Who are you pretending for? Get out! You are not allowed to touch my sister! I wish I could tear your tendons out, peel off your skin, and eat you alive! You are the adopted son of the murderer who killed my sister! You sinner!"

He pointed at Heng Jin's nose, his words tearing through his blood: "As the Lord of the Demon Realm, I am issuing new laws. You, Heng Jin, are never allowed to set foot in my Demon Realm again! You are never allowed to appear at my sister's grave to pay homage! Heng Jin, why wasn't you the one to die?"

After saying this, he didn't even look at Heng Jin. He turned around and flew towards the Demon Realm, holding the cold jade coffin.

The sacred peach blossoms on the coffin glowed coldly under the sunlight, like a belated farewell, or a promise that could never be fulfilled.

The wind from heaven was still blowing, and the water in Hanyu Tianchi had returned to its former calm.

No one knows whether God really favors her and gives her a new life.

All we know is that all living beings praise her merits and spread her stories. The temples of the Broom Star God in the six realms are always bustling with incense, and believers and the people are still praying devoutly, hoping that the Broom Star God can be reborn and return to the world.

(End of full text.)

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