Chapter 56:

Seven days later.

The Azure Heaven Palace had been destroyed and was now under the control of Lingjusi Island. Out of the five sects of the Immortal Alliance, only three remained.

Xuan Xin distinguished himself in battle, broke through to a new cultivation stage during the fighting, and was promoted to Dharmic Form. With the support of all, he became the next sect leader. Sang Qi perished in the Mirror Flower Valley, and Gao Qiumin left with the body of Su Ningzhen, his whereabouts unknown. The Grand Elder saw Sang Qi’s corpse in the Star-Sinking Valley and ordered the jade coffin hidden beneath a tree for twenty years to be unearthed. Inside the jade coffin, Su Ningxi lay gentle and serene, just as she had been in life. Beside her lay Sang Qi’s severed right arm, which she had poured four days and nights of vitality into long ago. So many years had passed, yet it had not decayed. Perhaps this was the last trace of Su Ningzhen’s remorse—she couldn’t bear to refuse Ningxi’s final plea and had placed the severed limb into her jade coffin after all.

With a long sigh, the Grand Elder placed Sang Qi’s corpse beside Ningxi’s, allowing them to be buried together in death.

—”Even the strongest beings in this world must eventually die, buried underground to become nourishment for grass and trees…”

These were words Su Ningxi had once spoken to Sang Qi, and now they had become their final fate.

Xie Xuechen’s spiritual senses recovered only after three days. During those three days, he secluded himself in a private chamber, completely cut off from the outside world. When he emerged three days later, his handsome face was cold, even more so than before.

In the remaining four days, he alone, with sword in hand, eradicated the demonic threats and stormed Lingjusi Island, forcing He Xianwo into direct confrontation.

“Master Xie, killing me alone will accomplish nothing,” He Xianwo said, retreating pale-faced behind a protective barrier after being overpowered. “Moreover, is the justice you cling to truly just? The so-called righteous sects of the Immortal Alliance claim to uphold justice, but in truth, they are nothing but a den of filth. They speak of punishing evildoers, but who decides who is evil? Fu Yuanjing killed and stole another man’s wife, even abandoning his own son like trash. The Mirror Flower Valley and Bright Moon Manor colluded to harm the Yuan Yin Xuan Nu. These are facts known to all under heaven. The Immortal Alliance has already lost the people’s trust. Their actions are no different from the demons they claim to oppose. Why, Master Xie, must you protect such a sect?”

“I have never been protecting the Immortal Alliance,” Xie Xuechen’s handsome face was as cold as snow, aloof and solitary. “He Xianwo, you are of the human race, so why do you serve the demons?”

He Xianwo was momentarily stunned, then laughed softly. “What difference is there between humans and demons? Master Xie, the cruelest wounds in this world have never come from demons, but from the malice in human hearts.”

“Then can your actions eliminate that malice?” Xie Xuechen asked.

“No,” He Xianwo replied boldly, smiling slightly. “But I can make them unable to commit evil. Humanity has ruled unchecked for too long, their desires swelling until they went mad. They need a force to restrain them.”

“But the savage nature of demons cannot be subdued either. Won’t they also commit evil? Using demons to control humans is nothing more than a delusion,” Xie Xuechen said coldly, his disagreement evident. “Your methods are no different from those of the One-Thought Venerable. Human affairs, though imperfect, remain matters for humans alone. They require no interference from demons or devils.”

He Xianwo looked regretful and sighed. “I thought you were different, Master Xie, that you would not be bound by the narrowness of one race or one person, but would consider all beings. What difference is there between demons, devils, and humans? Were we not all born from chaos?”

“That is true,” Xie Xuechen gazed steadily at him. “But I am human, so I must place humanity first. Among humans, there may be those who commit crimes and have wicked intentions, but the severe cases can be punished by law, and the minor ones reformed through admonishment and education. To punish evil and uphold justice, guiding people toward goodness—that is the true path. Driving tigers to devour wolves will only bring endless trouble.”

“Then do demons and half-demons not deserve the same rights as humans? Are only the Immortal Alliance entitled to the sacred lands of the Divine Realm?” He Xianwo said coldly. “Master Xie, born into nobility, you naturally do not understand the hardships of demons and half-demons.”

“I heard that you once had a beloved partner who was killed by the Demon Identification Bureau for lacking a proper demon certification,” Xie Xuechen suddenly said.

He Xianwo’s face immediately darkened, his fists unconsciously clenching.

“The Demon Identification Bureau was under the jurisdiction of the Azure Heaven Palace, so you have always hated them, merely hiding your resentment for years,” Xie Xuechen looked at the storm gathering in He Xianwo’s eyes and sighed softly. “He Xianwo, I understand your intentions. You want to establish a new order where demons and half-demons are treated equally, but this method is too extreme and cruel. It will surely provoke resistance from cultivators across the land. If the three realms of humans, demons, and devils fall into chaos, the Divine Realm will become a hell on earth, and the common people will suffer.”

He Xianwo’s expression softened slightly, and he lowered his eyes, saying gravely, “This is the price that must be paid to achieve great things.”

Xie Xuechen frowned. “You say that only because the price is not yours to pay.”

He Xianwo was silent for a moment before saying, “There’s nothing more to be done. Master Xie, with your unparalleled strength, if you wish to kill me, go ahead. This is the only price I can pay.”

Xie Xuechen looked at He Xianwo and said gravely, “He Xianwo, if you trust me, I, as the leader of the Immortal Alliance, promise from this day forward that demons and half-demons will enjoy the same status and rights as human cultivators. They will not be killed at will or reduced to demon slaves. The Immortal Alliance will ban all forms of enslavement and slaughter of demons. However, the demon kings must take action to stop all killing and looting by demons and send appropriate representatives to Snow Embrace City to negotiate a ceasefire with the Immortal Alliance.”

He Xianwo was stunned, looking at Xie Xuechen in confusion. “Why? Why are you willing to negotiate peace? I know that with your current power, no one in the world can oppose you. Even wiping out the demon race would only be a matter of time.”

Xie Xuechen asked, “Why should I wipe them out? Just because I can?”

He Xianwo could not answer.

“The Heavenly Axis Sword has never been a sword of slaughter or destruction,” Xie Xuechen raised the sword, its golden light reflected in his cold, dark phoenix eyes. “It is a sword of rebirth after destruction, a sword of redemption.”

But it could not save the one he cherished most.

Xie Xuechen lowered his phoenix eyes, sighed inwardly, and looked back at He Xianwo.

“I display my power only to make others listen to me more quietly, and to make it easier for you to persuade the demons,” Xie Xuechen sheathed his sword and turned to walk away. “In three days, in Snow Embrace City, I await you, Master He, and the demon kings.”

Three days later, He Xianwo arrived at the Azure Heaven Palace with the ten demon kings, but Xie Xuechen was nowhere to be seen. Awaiting them was a dignified and handsome traveler—Venerable Xuan Xin, the current leader of the Xuantian Temple.

Venerable Xuan Xin held his prayer beads and smiled. “Xie Xuechen has resigned as the sect leader. I am temporarily overseeing the Immortal Alliance.”

“What!” Everyone was shocked and confused. “Where is he then?”

Venerable Xuan Xin said, “He has his own important matters.”

He Xianwo quickly thought back to that day at the Two-World Mountains, when everyone pressured Xie Xuechen over the leak of the Jade Gate Sutra. Xie Xuechen had declared that once he killed Sang Qi, he would resign and face the Ten Thousand Lightning Tribulation. He never expected Xie Xuechen to fulfill his promise so quickly.

But He Xianwo understood that whether Xie Xuechen was the sect leader or not no longer mattered. He had already demonstrated sufficient deterrent power. As long as he lived, he would be the Immortal Alliance’s greatest asset.

Abao stumbled on his short legs to the Blow-Snow Tower. Xie Xuechen’s former residence was now heavily warded, with a woman inside who looked as if she were merely sleeping.

Nan Xuyue stepped out from the room and saw Abao standing outside the barrier, tears in her eyes.

“Abao, why are you here?” A faint smile flickered across Nan Xuyue’s handsome but pale face.

Abao’s eyes were red, her voice childish yet hoarse, as if she had cried too much.

“I heard that Sister is dead…” Abao burst into tears. “I have no father, no brother, no sister anymore…”

She couldn’t understand what had happened. Why, in just a few days, had she lost the most important people in her life? Her father’s body had been burned by He Xianwo and placed in a small jar. Her brother said he didn’t want to see her and disappeared somewhere. She followed He Xianwo to see her sister, only to hear that her sister had been severely injured in the Mirror Flower Valley and had already passed away…

Nan Xuyue weakly patted her head, his gaze somewhat dazed. “Abao, she isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping for now.”

Abao sniffled as she looked up at Nan Xuyue. “Nan Gongzi, you’re not lying to a child, right? Is Sister really okay? Then let me see her!”

Nan Xuyue hesitated for a moment before taking Abao’s hand and entering the barrier. This barrier was set by Xie Xuechen, and only Nan Xuyue could pass through it, or anyone with Xie Xuechen’s permission.

Abao tiptoed into the room and rushed to the bed where Mu Xuanling lay, taking her icy hand. She looked like she was sleeping, but her face was extremely pale, and her body was as cold as stone.

Abao’s tears immediately began to fall, and she choked out, “Nan Gongzi, you’re lying… Sister is clearly…”

Nan Xuyue gently shook his head and whispered, “Don’t wake her.”

Abao rubbed her eyes, looking up at Nan Xuyue with suspicion. Only now did she notice that Nan Gongzi seemed a bit strange.

Nan Xuyue stared fixedly at Mu Xuanling, who was still asleep. His long eyelashes fluttered faintly, his eyes brimming with sorrow and yearning. Gradually, he sat down by the bedside, covering her cold hand with his warm palm. His voice, usually soft and smiling, now carried a chilling hoarseness.

“Abao, she isn’t dead. Why won’t she wake up? Is it because she doesn’t want to see me?”

Abao was startled. In her heart, she thought, Sister is clearly dead. Why would Nan Gongzi say this… Could it be that Nan Gongzi is so heartbroken he’s gone mad?

Though she was still grieving for Mu Xuanling’s death, she still tried to comfort him, holding back her tears. “Nan Gongzi, don’t be sad. Sister liked you so much. How could she not want to see you?”

Nan Xuyue gave a bitter smile, lowering his gentle gaze and whispering, “Because… it was me who caused her death…”

No one else knew, but he himself understood—he had indirectly caused Ling’er’s death.

From the moment Xie Xuechen asked him for the Jade Shattering Pill, he had already planned everything. He knew Xie Xuechen would fight to exhaustion, burn his lifespan, and even fight to the death. Sang Qi could not withstand Xie Xuechen’s ultimate move, and the Mirror Flower Valley was even less of a threat. Ling’er also had the artifact he gave her, so everything should have been just a close call… Even if Su Ningzhen unexpectedly revealed the matter of the Chaos Pearl, he still had the power to stop Sang Qi at that moment, but he didn’t act. He was waiting for Xie Xuechen to take the Jade Shattering Pill, waiting for Sang Qi to kill Xie Xuechen…

But he never got the chance. Even when he saw Ling’er take out her core to fight Sang Qi to the death, all he thought was—Even if Ling’er explodes her core, with the jade pendant protecting her, she won’t die. And Xie Xuechen would…

He was obsessed with the fate he had glimpsed, but in the end, he had miscalculated…

The jade pendant he had carved with all his heart was secretly hidden by Ling’er on Xie Xuechen’s body.

“Hahaha…” Nan Xuyue covered his eyes and softly laughed, his broken laughter devoid of any joy, filled only with pain and self-mockery. “It was my own baseness that made me lose her…”

“Nan Gongzi…” Abao was startled and fearfully took a step back, falling to the ground, her red, swollen eyes staring blankly at Nan Xuyue. “You… you’re scaring me…”

Nan Xuyue removed his hands from his face, revealing tear-streaked, bloodshot eyes.

“Am I so frightening… Yes… I’ve always been this kind of person… I killed my father and brother, committed every evil deed, and was destined to lose the one I loved…”

Abao didn’t understand why Nan Xuyue said he had killed his father and brother.

Sometimes Nan Xuyue himself was also puzzled why Ling’er never asked him why he, a cripple and outcast abandoned by his father, had eventually become the master of the Yunxiu Manor. Was it because she didn’t care, or because she had already guessed…

That day in the underground prison of Snow Embrace City, the Obsession Demon had seen through his obsession and asked him—You have such deep regret. Is it for the people you’ve killed, or for the one you’ve lost?

The people I’ve killed?

Hmph… He had never regretted them.

Ling’er’s words had dispelled the fog in his heart. If people in this world didn’t love him, why should he grieve for them? He had always been cold-hearted; his gentleness was merely a cultivated manner, never truly heartfelt toward anyone—except her. His heart, no bigger than a child’s palm, could hold no one else.

His birth father, who had abandoned him, his elder brother who had harmed him, and countless other brothers who had wanted to kill him—he had eliminated them all. He still remembered that day when he personally killed Nan Xingye. When Nan Wujie arrived, Nan Xingye’s blood was still warm, but his eyes would never open again. He looked up at his father and finally asked the question he had kept hidden for so long.

“Father, will you destroy a living master for the sake of a dead cripple?”

At that time, he had already mastered formations, medicine, mechanisms, and astronomy, becoming an influential figure in the cultivation world despite his inability to cultivate. He watched as Nan Wujie’s face shifted from pale fury to calm acceptance.

“Good,” he said, then without another glance at Nan Xingye, he turned and left.

Years later, he too died by Nan Xuyue’s hand. As he lay dying, he tightly gripped Nan Xuyue’s hand and rasped, “I know… you won’t disappoint me…”

Nan Xuyue pulled his hand away, his expression indifferent.

He himself didn’t know why he felt so calm, as if all emotions in the world had nothing to do with him. Until he reunited with Ling’er and saw her chasing after another man’s shadow, enduring countless wounds yet never giving up, his heart finally grew warm again.

He had met Ling’er first. Without Xie Xuechen, she would have come to him…

This was his obsession, his only obsession, his selfish obsession.

An obsession he could never speak of…

Nan Xuyue leaned down and kissed Mu Xuanling’s icy hand.

In the end, he was no match for Xie Xuechen. Xie Xuechen loved her without calculation, with only wholehearted care and the determination to face a thousand deaths without hesitation.

Xie Xuechen had said he had a method that might save Ling’er. For that slim possibility, he was willing to risk his life.

—”Nan Xuyue, if your heart bears guilt, then guard her for me.”

—”And if I never return?”

—”Then go with her to the underworld.”