“Very well,” the Beast God smiled faintly, turning his body. The weariness on his face seemed to deepen, “You have come here to kill me, haven’t you?”
Gui Li shook his head.
The Beast God was slightly taken aback, and then chuckled, “I did not expect that there would still be someone who does not wish to take my life. For these past few months, as you humans put it, I have ravaged the world and caused endless suffering, surely a man deserving of death. Yet, why do you not wish to slay me?”
Gui Li remained silent, gazing at the Beast God, who returned his gaze. Between the two men, the fire burned quietly, its reflection in their eyes.
“Should I have wished to kill you?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
A long, deep silence followed…
“Perhaps,” Gui Li’s face suddenly showed a complex mix of emotions: a trace of nostalgia, a hint of pain, and a vague sense of confusion. Facing one of the most evil demons in the world, he seemed to have completely let go of all his defenses, no longer showing the cold and closed-off demeanor he had with others.
“If this were ten years ago, I would have been determined to rid the world of this calamity, even if I knew my strength was inadequate, I could not retreat. But now…”
The Beast God fixed his eyes on him, urging, “But?”
The confusion on Gui Li’s face grew deeper as he spoke slowly, “I suddenly feel, what does the world and its people have to do with me? My only wish was to live an ordinary life, I did not want to learn the Way, nor did I desire immortality or eternal life.”
The Beast God’s expression changed, his eyes shifting from a faint mockery to a solemn look, even revealing a hint of the same confusion that mirrored Gui Li’s, as if something had touched a part of his soul.
He suddenly asked, “Then what is it that you truly desire?”
Gui Li gave a sardonic smile and slowly looked up at the dark ceiling of the ancient cave, where no light could penetrate. “I do not know. Sometimes, I wonder if I could return to those days on Dazhufeng, or perhaps even to my childhood, when I knew nothing. But,” he gave a soft, bitter laugh, “how can I abandon all the grudges and grievances, the rights and wrongs, that have accumulated over the years?”
The Beast God fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you regret your choices?”
Gui Li did not immediately answer. After a while, he looked back at the Beast God, into the eyes behind the flickering flames, and shook his head.
The Beast God sneered, “You say you have had a life filled with hardships and sorrow, yet you do not regret it. How can this be?”
Gui Li replied, “My life has been full of difficulties, but many were not of my own making. I wished to live a simple life, but I was drawn into the conflicts of Buddhism and Daoism. I wanted to cultivate in peace, but I became a demonic path. I wished to be sincere with others, but I made mistakes and planted seeds of false affection. When I finally understood who truly cared for me…”
His face slowly took on a melancholic look, and he trailed off, speaking softly after a while, “Regret? How can I regret? What use would it serve?”
The Beast God watched the man standing before him, the passing years seeming to have left no mark on his face, but his figure appeared weary. The Beast God couldn’t help but ponder the life of that young man from ten years ago.
The two men fell into silence, each lost in memories of the past.
How many moments in our lives are worth remembering?
Ten years? A hundred? A thousand…
Or will they all eventually fade away, erased by the passage of time?
The Beast God thought silently, the fatigue on his face becoming more pronounced. His gaze slowly shifted towards the entrance of the ancient cave, through the endless darkness, where a solitary figure might be standing in the distance.
What kind of life was this, after all?
He suddenly asked Gui Li, “Tell me, what is the purpose of living?”
“For what purpose…?” Gui Li murmured, then looked up and said, “I do not know. It seems my entire life has been lived for others.”
The Beast God was taken aback and muttered to himself, “Living for others, then what about me? For whom do I live?”
Gui Li was surprised, having not expected such words from the Beast God. He frowned, recalling his own words, surprised by them.
After a moment, Gui Li’s face regained its composure, the fleeting weakness seemingly vanishing. He looked deeply at the Beast God, “I came here not to kill you.”
The Beast God seemed distracted, lost in thought, and replied absently, “Oh, then what brings you here?”
Gui Li pointed to the Táotiè lying on the ground, “I came for it.”
The Beast God’s brow furrowed, his eyes flashing with surprise. The Táotiè on the ground reacted immediately, its huge eyes widening, and its blood-red mouth opening in a roar. It slowly stood up, exuding a murderous aura. The three-eyed monkey, Xiaohui, seemed confused, moving away from the Táotiè and returning to Gui Li’s side, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. However, after a moment, it climbed onto his shoulder, glancing occasionally at the Táotiè.
The Beast God snorted, “Strange indeed. You came not to kill me, but for this Táotiè? What do you want with it?”
Gui Li said calmly, “Not for myself, but for another. If it is not too much, I will help him.”
The Beast God studied him for a moment and then laughed, “You owe a debt, don’t you?”
Gui Li was silent for a moment, then said, “I do owe a debt, a very great one, so great that I cannot repay it in a lifetime. But that is none of your concern.” He raised his eyes, his face stern, and took a step forward. As his figure approached, the Beast God’s pupils seemed to contract.
The flame in the brazier reflected on Gui Li’s face, dancing shadows trembling between light and dark. The man spoke calmly, “I do not wish to be your enemy, but it seems it is inevitable.”
The Beast God raised his head and laughed coldly, “Do you think your cultivation can surpass mine?”
Gui Li did not speak, nor did he stop. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty space. There was no wind, yet for some reason, the flame in the brazier began to sway, its light growing stronger.
In the darkness, like a void, silent and unfathomable, how many demons and spirits might be watching the figures in the light?
Gui Li walked towards the Beast God in the light of the flames.
Suddenly, the flames leaped higher, radiating blinding light, their volume increasing several times over. In the heart of the blazing fire, a sound like a dragon’s roar echoed through the vast stone chamber.
As the dragon’s roar intensified, the entire chamber trembled. The sound grew louder, reaching a deafening pitch.
Gui Li halted as the inferno rose from the brazier, blocking his path. In the heart of the blaze, a pair of sinister eyes seemed to appear, watching him.
The Beast God’s figure vanished behind the flames, but his calm voice emerged clearly, “This is an ancient Southern Border formation, the Eight Fierce Fire Formation. If you can break it and survive, I will let you do as you please.”
As he spoke, a roar erupted from the center of the flames, the earth around them cracking and splitting. The intense heat pushed back Gui Li’s clothes, but his face remained unperturbed. Even the monkey, Xiaohui, on his shoulder, stared intently at the flames without fear.
One by one, images of fierce gods appeared above the flames, their grotesque faces and postures matching those seen in the Xuanhuo Altar of the Incense Valley. Gui Li’s face showed a complex mix of emotions as he gazed at the images.
A ring of blood-red light formed around the central flame, and as the final piece closed, the red light exploded, overpowering even the flames. A terrifying aura descended, and the fiery beast, Táotiè, roared, appearing in the heart of the fire, its eyes locking onto Gui Li.
“Roar!”
The chamber shook as the flames surged, the Táotiè emerging from the fire, its massive body covered in flames, its roar echoing through the chamber.
Gui Li and Xiaohui both paled, the monkey growling angrily from his shoulder.
The Táotiè’s body emerged from the fiery halo, its presence raising the temperature to unbearable levels. Gui Li’s clothes began to singe as the Táotiè’s immense form towered over them.
Finally, the last part of the Táotiè’s fiery body appeared, standing before Gui Li and Xiaohui. Behind it, the eight godly images in the halo pulsed with light.
The air was thick with malevolent energy, and the familiar feeling of battle surged through Gui Li’s veins. He remembered the fierce battle in the Xuanhuo Altar of the Incense Valley.
Gui Li did not move, staring at the Táotiè before him.
The Táotiè turned its head, a wave of heat sweeping over them. Its burning eyes locked onto Gui Li and Xiaohui. It paused, then let out a thunderous roar, filled with rage and vengeance.
The flames erupted, their color shifting from red to white, forming a massive, spinning ball of fire. The Táotiè opened its mouth and lunged, the ground beneath them cracking as the flames engulfed Gui Li.
The flames rose, a brilliant climax to a life’s spectacle. But in the eyes of the Beast God, there was no joy or sorrow, only fatigue.
In the darkness of the cave, Lu Xueqi and her companions had been walking for a long time. Despite their vigilance, they encountered no threats. In the soft blue light, Lu Xueqi’s beautiful figure stood out, her expression calm and mysterious.
Behind her, the occasional glances of her companions lingered, but she seemed oblivious. Her bright eyes focused on the darkness ahead, where she saw something she hoped to find.
She walked forward, never looking back. The darkness receded and then closed around her, her figure standing out prominently, even overshadowing her companions.
Suddenly, she stopped.
The others halted as well. Li Xun, alert, moved to ask, but stopped when he saw the complex look on Lu Xueqi’s face.
At that moment, the darkness ahead stirred, a faint rumble building, then growing louder, like a mighty beast roaring in the depths of the cave.
Li Xun stepped back and ordered, “Form a circle, stay alert.”
The experienced warriors of the Incense Valley quickly gathered, weapons ready. The walls of the cave began to shake, and a powerful force emanated from the darkness, causing the ground to tremble.
Amidst the chaos, Lu Xueqi stood firm, her figure illuminated by the soft blue light, the darkness closing in around her.
A wave of heat rushed out, but she did not waver. The heat felt almost maddening, and the source of this power was unimaginable. Lu Xueqi, without a word, stared into the darkness, her eyes burning with a fierce resolve.
She suddenly let out a long, piercing cry and, against the wind, moved towards the darkness.
Li Xun and the others were shocked, but before they could react, Lu Xueqi’s figure disappeared into the darkness like an arrow from a bow.
Silence fell as the heat subsided, and the ground stabilized. The shattered stones and debris were the only signs of the recent chaos.
Li Xun, after a moment, said, “Someone, who is there?”
They saw a figure emerge from the darkness, a graceful, alluring woman.
They were stunned, thinking it might be Lu Xueqi, but as the figure approached, they recognized her as Jinning, the beautiful and cunning Jin Pinger.
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