Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
No one had anticipated such a turn of events. The crowd hadn’t forgotten that Dao Lord Shi Huan lay in slumber beneath the Wandering Sea.
Some of the older cultivators had watched Shi Luoyi grow up and had even attended her Dao ceremony just six months ago. Now, seeing her sink into the sea, they were filled with indescribable emotions.
They had come to slay the fallen demons, fearing the chaos they might unleash upon the mortal realm. But watching a young disciple lose their soul and be swallowed by the Wandering Sea made them frown involuntarily.
The plan had been to first slay Bian Lingyu and then punish Shi Luoyi, but before they could act, Shi Luoyi’s very life essence was gone.
At some point, the crescent moon reappeared in the sky, yet no one spoke. Everyone fell silent.
Shi Huan's love for his daughter had been known throughout the land. If he were still alive now, who knows how heartbroken he would be.
Though Shi Luoyi was dead, others still lived. The crowd looked at Su Li, then shifted their gaze to the man in silver robes—the "fallen demon" they had pursued across thousands of miles.
Most of them had seen Bian Lingyu before.
Six months ago, on Evernight Mountain, Bian Lingyu had been a frail mortal. Now, as they looked at him again, they realized something had changed!
Under the cold moonlight, Bian Lingyu’s face was vaguely familiar, yet completely different.
As if the fog had been lifted, his features shone with an ethereal glow.
His eyebrows were more refined, his lowered eyes gradually transforming into icy silver pupils. His skin became paler, and his facial contours seemed delicately carved anew.
Though they had seen him before, it felt like meeting him for the first time.
Bian Lingyu shifted his gaze from the sea, lifting his eyes. In that instant, almost everyone instinctively took a step back.
Even Wei Changyuan couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity.
The person before them was Bian Lingyu, yet not quite. Standing opposite everyone, a mere lift of his eyes made it impossible to meet his gaze.
Qian Jingyi, who had been standing behind Su Li, retreated several steps. Realizing his knees were weak, he gasped in shock.
Sweat formed in the palms of the crowd. No one could describe this strange sensation.
The venerable master of Lin Yun Sect, already white-haired, felt as if he had returned to his youth when he first entered the sect and experienced the awe-inspiring presence of the Dao.
Facing such a person, no one dared to utter a harsh word.
Cangwu arrived, stunned. It looked at Bian Lingyu, then at the surging waves of the Wandering Sea, understanding that the young god had broken free of the seal.
Among the crowd, Su Li’s face was the hardest to read.
After Bian Lingyu withdrew his gaze from the Wandering Sea, a black sword slowly materialized in his hand.
Su Li immediately recognized it as the divine artifact passed down through generations of divine rulers, called Zhan Tian.
A sword Su Li had once desperately wanted but couldn’t even lift.
Bian Lingyu had used this sword to slay countless fallen demons. Now, it was pointed at Su Li.
Bian Lingyu’s expression remained blank, but Su Li swallowed hard.
Gritting his teeth, Su Li didn’t want to show fear in front of so many cultivators.
His mind was a mess. From the moment Shi Luoyi was swallowed by the Wandering Sea, everything spiraled out of control.
Su Li tried to remain calm, telling himself there was nothing to fear.
No matter how powerful Bian Lingyu appeared, after eleven years in the mortal realm under the suppression of Heavenly Dao, he was likely a shell of his former self.
Su Li was different. He had conserved his strength, his mother had replaced his bones, and he had stolen Bian Lingyu’s power twelve times in his youth. He was far stronger now.
Both possessed divine pearls. Bian Lingyu, without even a soul, was left with a battered body. How could he possibly defeat Su Li?
He discarded the mortal sword of this body and summoned the weapon his mother forged for him, charging toward Bian Lingyu.
The Wandering Sea began to stir, the surface roaring silently.
Cold moonlight bathed the earth. At this moment, no one cared about dodging the terrifying fierce winds. More terrifying was the battle between two gods.
The master of Shengyang Sect was forced back half a step by divine power, discovering his arm burned with piercing pain. Ignoring dignity, he quickly dragged his son out of the fray. To his astonishment, despite nearing the peak of cultivation, he dared not stay a moment longer!
Others weren’t faring well either.
The quicker-witted among the crowd hurriedly shielded their disciples and retreated.
The master of Hengwu Sect had also withdrawn far from the shore.
Seeing Wei Changyuan injured and closest to the sea, Cangwu, mindful of Shi Luoyi’s kindness, promptly carried him away.
Once everyone had retreated, they nervously turned to look.
Golden light clashed in the air, nearly turning night into day. Under the clash of divine powers, their movements were too fast to follow.
If a battle between peak cultivators could cause mountains to crumble and the earth to split, this was beyond description. The sea was forcibly split by divine power, and even the fierce winds momentarily ceased.
The Wandering Sea, which never approached the yellow sands, surged onto the shore like a tide for the first time.
The master of Hengwu Sect stared intently at the sky, his eyes gleaming with fervor.
Such formidable power was what he had pursued for most of his life. Even at Shi Huan’s peak, he wouldn’t possess such strength.
This was the innate power of a god!
When the first ray of dawn broke through the sky, the roaring sea finally began to close. A streak of light fell from the heavens.
The outcome was decided!
Everyone held their breath and looked on.
Su Li was violently slammed into the yellow sand, his face pale. He never imagined Bian Lingyu could still be so strong!
For the first time, he realized that over the past thousand years, if Bian Lingyu had wanted his and his mother’s lives, they wouldn’t have survived to this day.
Seeing another streak of light heading towards him, Su Li gritted his teeth and dodged.
The buzzing sound in his ears caused the sand around him to rise.
Cold sweat drenched his body. Had he not dodged, Bian Lingyu would have crushed his bones.
Bian Lingyu had gone mad!
Su Li no longer cared about appearances. If Bian Lingyu returned to the Divine Realm, it would be disastrous! He roared at the crowd of cultivators: “Why are you still standing there? What are you waiting for!”
The crowd was uncertain.
If they had believed Su Li before, now anyone with eyes could see that Bian Lingyu didn’t resemble a fallen demon.
Bian Lingyu stood against the dawn, holding the Zhan Tian sword, his demeanor cold and indifferent.
Some hesitated: Fallen demons were masters of disguise. What if Bian Lingyu truly was an evil spirit? Should they really allow this fallen demon to slaughter the gods?
Seeing this, the master of Hengwu Sect’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected Su Li to lose. If Su Li was gone, would Bian Lingyu spare him?
“Everyone, Lord Su Li is right. We came to slay demons; how can we stand idly by!”
But before his words faded, a hand pierced through the master’s heart from behind.
With a loud shout, the master shattered the hand with his cultivation, saving his heart from being crushed. He retaliated with a palm strike, sending the attacker flying several zhang away.
No one expected such a twist.
A seemingly ordinary male disciple lay on the ground, clutching his severed arm, laughing wildly: “Master, do you remember your disciple?”
With that, he abandoned the body he had temporarily possessed, revealing his true form. The cultivators immediately recognized him.
“It’s Master’s top disciple, Jiang Qi!”
The disciples of Hengwu Sect widened their eyes, murmuring softly: “Senior Brother Jiang.”
“How did Jiang Qi become a ghost cultivator and attack his own master?”
Jiang Qi’s entire body exuded a chilling ghostly aura. Knowing his attack had failed, he realized he wouldn’t survive. But even if he were to die today, he was determined to drag the sect master who had caused his family’s destruction down to hell with him.
His eyes turned ferocious as he revealed the truth about the massacre of his family years ago and the envy Hengwu Sect Master held toward Shi Huan, along with the suppression of Shi Luoyi, over the years.
Hengwu Sect Master angrily rebuked: “Spreading slanderous lies, you’re courting death!”
Jiang Qi had managed to strike only because of the element of surprise. Now, with Hengwu Sect Master exploding in rage, a single palm strike shattered Jiang Qi’s soul.
The residual Zhuyan power could no longer save Jiang Qi this time.
Eleven years ago, filled with hatred, Jiang Qi had found an opportunity in the Wandering Sea, barely surviving to live until now—it was enough. His life had been shrouded in deceit, and he knew he deserved his fate.
Jiang Qi gazed at the sea one last time before dissipating into the yellow sands.
Although the sect master had killed Jiang Qi with a single strike, when he looked up again, he noticed everyone’s gaze on him had changed.
Who was Jiang Qi? Once the most favored disciple of the sect master!
With already unstable hearts, Jiang Qi’s revelations ensured no one would trust Hengwu Sect Master anymore.
He never imagined that the reputation he had painstakingly built over half his life would be destroyed by Jiang Qi.
He had never taken this fallen aristocratic disciple seriously—just a mere ant trying to shake a tree. Yet, constantly playing with hawks, he had finally been pecked blind.
The sect master seethed with hatred for the wretch Jiang Qi! His face turned ashen; anything he said now would be wrong. Seeing Su Li on the verge of defeat, he knew if Bian Lingyu killed Su Li, he wouldn’t be spared either! Without hesitation, the Hengwu Sect Master fled into the yellow sands.
Su Li had been waiting for the Hengwu Sect Master to incite the crowd to join forces against Bian Lingyu.
But he never expected the Hengwu Sect Master to flee just like that. Enraged, Su Li clenched his teeth, but the next moment, a bone-chilling sword blade pressed against his neck.
Su Li finally panicked. He looked at Bian Lingyu and said: “If you dare harm me, Mother won’t spare you!”
Bian Lingyu stood against the light.
By now, the sun had fully risen, and the Wandering Sea appeared peaceful and beautiful. Su Li couldn’t see Bian Lingyu’s expression clearly and couldn’t help but feel a sliver of hope amidst his panic.
Bian Lingyu had been abused since childhood, with no one teaching him anything. Born noble, his life had always been as insignificant as grass. He had never experienced a normal person's life, not even for a day.
Gods were naturally cold and indifferent. Even though Su Li and his mother had treated him so cruelly, Bian Lingyu had never sought revenge.
Su Li assumed he could escape this time too.
After all, he hadn’t really hurt Bian Lingyu, had he? In the past, despite their extreme actions, Bian Lingyu hadn’t retaliated. Perhaps this time, he might let Su Li go as well.
Su Li didn’t want to die!
If his soul was killed here by Bian Lingyu, even if he had contingency plans to survive and return to the divine realm, his roots would be destroyed, reverting him back to the useless state of his childhood!
He didn’t want that!
Bian Lingyu looked down at Su Li. The fierce winds from the seabed swept onto the shore again, cutting into Bian Lingyu’s body, yet he didn’t dodge.
For a moment, Bian Lingyu was distracted. He didn’t understand why he hadn’t dodged.
Only when his arm was cut did he feel a faint pain.
That pain barely registered in his heart before it was quickly shut off. A blurry figure lingered in his mind—someone he clearly remembered but couldn’t see clearly.
Bian Lingyu lowered his eyes, much like those seven hundred years alone in Tianxing Ravine. Back then, he understood nothing, not even how to feel sorrow since no one had taught him.
He slightly moved the Zhan Tian sword.
Su Li breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could exhale fully, the next instant, a chill ran down his neck as his soul was brutally shattered.
Su Li’s agonized screams echoed throughout the Wandering Sea.
“Mother, Mother, save me…”
But there would be no Divine Empress in the mortal realm, nor anyone to save him. The Zhan Tian Sword could slay ancient gods, let alone a god of impure bloodline?
Su Li’s eyes bulged with rage, wanting to struggle but ultimately in vain, slowly dissipating into the yellow sands.
The crowd watched as his soul was killed by Bian Lingyu, all trembling with unease.
By now, everyone realized they had been used by Su Li and Hengwu Sect Master.
If what Shi Luoyi said was true, then they had traveled thousands of miles to slay a god?
He had even killed Su Li; would he spare them?
Some already felt weak in the knees. Those who first cursed Bian Lingyu as a beast hastily knelt: “Divine Lord, please spare us! We were deceived by Su Li and Chu Xiuyuan, leading to our offenses!”
Other remorseful cultivators bowed their heads, unable to look at Bian Lingyu, feeling deeply ashamed.
Bian Lingyu remained silent.
The morning sun rose, casting colors on his silver robe. At some point, he had sheathed the Zhan Tian sword, turning his back to the Wandering Sea, walking step by step into the yellow sands.
His expression was cold, choosing the same path he came from.
Bian Lingyu didn’t look at any of them. Neither their pitiful pleas nor their remorseful unease moved him.
Cangwu parted his lips: “Lingyu Brother…”
Bian Lingyu only paused briefly, not once looking at Cangwu. Just as his figure disappeared into the yellow sands, he never once looked back at the Wandering Sea.
Cangwu gazed at the vast sea, its surface calm and beautiful.
Cangwu looked at Bian Lingyu’s retreating figure, feeling a bit sorrowful. Suddenly, he recalled a tranquil afternoon long ago in a small courtyard on the border town.
A young girl holding an umbrella knocked on the wooden gate, tidying her skirt. On a warm spring day, she ran towards her beloved.
It had just rained that day; apricot blossoms in the courtyard were scattered, yet it was a beautiful spring nonetheless.
Now, the person was gone, and the deity had returned. Summer had long arrived in the mortal world.
August.
Someone visited the coast of the Wandering Sea again. She toyed with a transparent porcelain bottle.
Inside the bottle were golden specks of light. If Bian Lingyu were here, he would recognize them instantly—they were the divine powers Su Li had stolen from him. The former God Emperor’s divine pearl had carried Su Li’s fleeing soul back to the divine realm, but the residual power after his soul dissipated could be collected.
Qing Xuan bent one knee and sat by the shore.
“Truly dead?”
The desolate Wandering Sea offered no response.
After a while, she took out a soul lamp from her bosom, which still contained a wisp of the girl’s fragrant soul.
On that day, Qing Xuan hadn’t come to the Wandering Sea. She knew Su Li was doomed. That worthless fool probably never understood the gap between him and Bian Lingyu. Thinking it over, Qing Xuan returned to Evernight Mountain, retrieving this soul lamp beforehand.
Qing Xuan’s fingers touched the soul lamp. The soul inside uneasily recoiled, as if trying to avoid her.
She sneered and tucked it back into her bosom.
“Everyone’s dead, yet your soul still dares to show anger towards me?”
This so-called soul was merely a wisp of soul energy, incapable of saving anyone, retaining only a trace of the girl’s presence before her death.
The water of the Wandering Sea was icy, and even Qing Xuan, sitting for a short while, had several cuts from the fierce winds.
She coldly surveyed the sea for a moment, knowing she needed to leave too.
Eleven years in the mortal world, everything had come to an end.
The sky was enveloped in mist. Qing Xuan knew that above the divine realm, chaos likely reigned.
A young god who had tasted emotions returned to power, an ambitious Divine Empress, Su Li reduced to a cripple again, and a group of old ministers eagerly awaiting the young master’s return…
Thinking about it was thrilling.
But this excitement didn’t belong to Qing Xuan. Having lost to the girl beneath the Wandering Sea, returning to the divine realm made her no more than a defeated dog. A mess awaited her cleanup.
Thinking about her original body still in Su Li’s palace, Qing Xuan curved her lips into a smile, though her eyes remained icy.
Her original body had just reached adulthood.
On the day of selecting the Divine Empress, Qing Xuan chose to be female without hesitation. But her body hadn’t fully matured before she descended to the mortal realm. Eleven years had passed, and she had never returned to her original form.
She wondered what her original body had become.
Qing Xuan cast one last glance at the sea before rising and leaving.
Google Sites
Report abuse