Chapter 75: Severing Ties of Sentiment and Righteousness (Part 2)

  As soon as this was said, it seemed that even the wind and the light flashing on the sword pillars around them stopped for a moment, and the atmosphere on the lotus platform solidified.

  Xuan Xiao slowly turned his head, his eyes filled with an incredulous expression. After a long time, he finally spoke in a low voice: "What... did you say?" As soon as the words fell, a scorching flame had already risen from around him and surged towards Xuan Zhen.

  That wave of heat came straight on, blowing the full head of black hair that Xuan Zhen had combed over his shoulder into disarray, but he himself stood unmoving, forcing himself to calm down and say: "The Xuan Zhen you see now is no longer a disciple of the Qionghua Sect, nor is he your great senior brother."

  Xuan Xiao's eyes stared intently at him, the surprise and disbelief in his eyes gradually turning into a disappointment that could not be concealed. He heard him say with a cold face: "Xuan Zhen Shixiong, now that our sect is at the critical moment of ascending to immortality, you... actually want to betray Qionghua at this time?!"

  A loud noise suddenly came from the bright light of the sword pillar, and Xuanzhen looked in the direction of the sound. It was the two swords, Xihe and Sword, that had sensed the anger in their master's heart, and they were buzzing and vibrating incessantly. The blades were surrounded by many flames, like vines or silk ribbons, dancing around the sword body with gleaming teeth.

  "Betrayal?" Xuan Zhen smiled bleakly, shifting his gaze to the ground and said softly, "Heh... I've already lost sight of which side I belong to, so what's the point in talking about betrayal?"

  "No need to say more!" Xuan Xiao swung his sleeve fiercely and said coldly, "Since that's the case, why have you come here? Could it be that you want to take advantage of the fact that no one is around to destroy the sword pillar and lend a helping hand to those evil creatures?" As he spoke, he took a light step forward, precisely blocking the path between the two swords and Xuan Zhen. His cold eyes stared tightly at him, his fingers also grasping the sword's hilt, his defensive intentions clear as day.

  Seeing the person he once held dear display this defensive posture, Xuan Zhen's heart couldn't help but ache. This pain was like a thousand ants gnawing at his internal organs, and it was even more profound than the regret he felt after mistakenly killing those fellow disciples that day. However, the painful expression only flashed in his eyes for an instant before transforming into an unfathomable, deep black color. Xuan Zhen merely lowered his eyelids and said calmly, "I came here solely to decline Cloud Tianqing's invitation; I'm here to persuade you to give up."

  "Yun Tianqing?" Xuan Xiao was taken aback, and his eyebrows furrowed even more, making his expression even more solemn. "He really doesn't know right from wrong, to actually be with you..." Just as he said this, he suddenly stopped, and the eyes that looked over were filled with warning and vigilance, but also still held a hint of hesitation.

  Xuan Zhen smiled slightly and continued, "To actually join forces with a traitor like me, isn't that being reckless? But he did it out of good intentions, not wanting to see the demon realm and the Qionghua sect clash again, nor did he want to see any more disciples die for this futile thousand-year-old vow!"

  "Nonsense!" Xuan Xiao's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, with an inexplicable anger in his eyes. "If it weren't for him instigating a few days ago, how would Su Yu suddenly say those absurd things to me? Now he's even swayed you... Hmph! The blood feud of our sect's deceased disciples has yet to be avenged, and the wish of Fei Xian remains unfulfilled. You two are so lacking in ambition, unwilling to take responsibility for your original duties! I, Xuan Xiao, have a clear mind - I must avenge Qing Hua Sect, and with my dual swords, reach the heavens, achieve immortality, and make this life worthwhile!"

  At this moment, Xuan Zhen couldn't help but sigh softly: "Forget it, you've always been stubborn and once your mind is made up, no one can change it. Since even Su Yu and Yun Tianqing can't persuade you, I'll naturally have to return empty-handed this time. I just hope you won't be like Shifu and the other elders, with nothing in their eyes but the dream of ascending to immortality, not even caring about the means they use..."

  Xuan Xiao's eyebrows locked again, his cold eyes scanned over like lightning, and he questioned: "What do you mean by 'no means to an end'? Xuan Zhen Shixiong, I respect you as our elder brother, but that doesn't mean you can insult our deceased master at will!"

  Xuan Zhen smiled coldly: "You only think that the Master and the three Elders valued your and Su Yu's talents, so they entrusted you with the Xihe and Wangshu twin swords? The painstaking efforts of three generations of the Qionghua people were used to forge the twin swords, and it just so happens that you and Su Yu are two people with excellent talents who coincidentally have yang and yin destinies?"

  Xuan Xiao's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated: "You're saying..."

  "Do you still remember the day we first met, that piece of white jade that suddenly emitted light?" Xuan Zhen asked softly, his eyes flashing slightly as he looked towards the night color that couldn't be dispersed below the lotus platform. Under the strong sword pillar's radiance, everything around had become blurry and unclear. Xuan Xiao, his junior brother... weren't his eyes also obscured by this sword light, unable to see anything else except for the Qinghua Sect's flying immortal's long-cherished wish and hatred?

  "Are you referring to... Ling Guang Jade?" Xuan Xiao was taken aback for a moment before his face lit up with realization, and he reached into his sleeve. When he opened his palm again, it was already holding a round piece of beautiful jade, on which were carved seaweed patterns, emitting a soft white glow in the dark night, looking very lustrous and clean.

  Xuan Zhen recognized it at a glance, this was the strange jade he got from Tai Qing Zhen Ren when he went down the mountain many years ago. When his master temporarily gave him the jade, he said that Ling Guang Miao Yu was a rare thing, and among the numerous treasures of the Qiong Hua Sect, there were only two such precious jades. After returning to the mountain, the jade was taken back by Tai Qing, and later given to Xuan Xiao and Su Yu, the two double sword hosts, in order to make it easier for them to enter the forbidden area. But the original use of this jade when he brought it down the mountain, I'm afraid the person in front of him didn't know at all?

  He thought of old affairs and his face was full of mockery, but in Xuán Xiāo's eyes, there were a few more guesses.

  Xuan Xiao also stared at the spiritual light and jade in his palm, but after looking for a long time, he didn't notice anything unusual. He couldn't help but ask: "What's special about this jade?"

  Xuan Zhen smiled: "If you say it's precious, that's fine, but there's one use that no other jade can compare to." As he spoke, he slightly raised his chin, meeting Xuan Xiao's puzzled gaze, and slowly explained, "This piece of jade will emit a brilliant light when it encounters someone with extremely strong yin-yang energy in their fate. It's very eye-catching even during the day, and at night, it's comparable to the sun and moon. Didn't you see it that day?"

  Xuan Xiao's face turned even darker, his body emitting an intense icy aura as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat and couldn't swallow or spit it out. He finally spoke in a low voice: "So, when you befriended me back then, it wasn't like you said, just a coincidence, but rather to bring me under the control of the Qionghua Sect?" As he finished speaking, a hint of sadness flashed across his eyes, causing Xuan Xiao to pause in surprise.

  But he had made up his mind to get the demon realm out of the Qionghua Sect, and put an end to this battle between immortals and demons. For now, he could only harden his heart and say: "Those past events, I've long forgotten. The only thing I remember clearly is what my master said when I left the mountain: 'Xuan Zhen, if you find someone with extremely strong yin and yang in their destiny, no matter whether they are willing or not, you must bring them back to the Qionghua Sect!' At that time, I still followed the sect's orders unconditionally. Now, however, I've come to realize that the Qionghua Sect wants to create a sword pillar and ascend as a whole sect, so they need to find a pair of male and female hosts for the swords. But whether those two people are willing to be the hosts or not, and whether they will suffer after cultivating together with the swords, is just a minor detail." He paused for a moment, then looked at Xuan Xiao with a sly smile: "It's just that back then, you seemed to admire the path of cultivation so much. I didn't even need to use force; all I had to do was go along with it, and you would have entered the Qionghua Sect and become my master's disciple. This is probably also fate."

  Xuan Xiao's face turned iron-green, and he said coldly: "What about Su Yu? Is she also like me, deceived by you to come to this place?"

  Xuan Zhen smiled lightly, with a hint of bitterness, and said: "You're quite fond of her. Su Yu... both I and our Master owe her a great debt. She was originally an ordinary girl from a small town in the south, not as talented as she is now, but she had a loving father by her side, which was much better than being alone and helpless on the mountain. However, our Master told her a huge lie to get her to come with us to Kunlun Mountain, saying that he had cured her father's illness, and out of gratitude for saving her father, she naturally agreed... but what she didn't know was that the medicine our Master gave her father wasn't some miraculous cure, just an ordinary elixir to prolong his life. That uncle of hers... has probably been buried in the earth for five or six years now..."

  "What did you say?!"

  Xuan Zhen had not finished speaking when a cry of surprise from behind interrupted him. Before he could turn around, he saw a look of astonishment on Xuan Xiao's face, and then a snow-white figure appeared in front of him, grabbing his arm and crying out: "Master brother, you just... mentioned my father... what happened to him?"

  It seemed to have sensed the arrival of another host, and the sword pillar made a clear sound again. The Wanshu Sword was surging with blue light waves, causing the sword light to flicker several times, casting an uncertain glow on Su Yu's face, which was as delicate as jade. Her skin appeared almost transparent, making her look even more fragile. However, her bright eyes were clearer than usual, filled with a mix of distrust, sadness, and depression, making Xuan Zhen involuntarily want to turn his head away, unwilling to face those sorrowful eyes again.

  Xuan Zhen only felt that the hands on his arm were getting colder and colder, and he could still feel a chill through the layer of clothing. His heart skipped a beat as he thought to himself: "Has Su Yu also become icy cold? The influence of the twin swords on their host is actually so strong?"

  "Master Xuanzhen, you said my father... has already died? Why? Didn't he take the spiritual medicine that Master brought back? Didn't Master say that Father would live to be a hundred years old? Why did Father die? Tell me..." Along with the mournful voice like a cuckoo's cry, there was also an uncontrollable tremble, which was transmitted to him through the hands tightly grasping his arm.

  Xuan Zhen reluctantly turned his head to look at his younger sister, and facing her tear-stained face, he couldn't even utter a harsh word. The Su Yu in front of him had already withered away and could no longer withstand any blows.

  Suddenly a strong force came from the side, and it was Xuan Xiao who rushed to the front of the two. He grasped Su Yu's wrist and pulled her behind him, turning his head to say in a low voice: "Su Yu, come to your senses, this person in front of you is no longer our Big Brother!"

  Xuan Zhen's face turned bitter and astringent as he smiled wryly, muttering: "Could it be that you didn't believe a single word of what I just said?"

  "Believe or not, what's the use now?" Xuan Xiao said coldly. "I only know that I and Su Yu together wielded the Xihe and Wangshu twin swords, even risking our lives to cultivate this extremely yang and fierce or extremely yin and cold Dao technique. Now it's hard to turn back! In my life, I've never given up on a single word. Since we've walked this path, we must cultivate until we become immortals!" His voice grew even colder as he flung his sleeve and said, "You don't want to join me in avenging our master or cultivating together, then don't try to persuade me anymore. From now on, I'll act as if you never existed, this older brother of mine!"

  "You don't care about yourself, but have you asked if Su Yu is willing to go crazy with you?" Having already expected that things would end up like this, facing Xuan Xiao's expressionless face, Xuan Zhen furrowed his brow, but didn't get angry, and instead calmly asked, his eyes looking past Xuan Xiao at the elegant woman behind him.

  Su Yu's whole body trembled, wanting to speak but stopping herself, her eyes filled with hesitation as she looked back.

  Xuan Xiao's anger intensified as he gazed at the person before him: "Enough! Su Yu and I cultivate together, our yin and yang energies complementing each other. What could possibly go wrong? You don't need to spout such ominous words. Leave here immediately! From now on, Xuan Xiao and you are severed in both affection and righteousness. If we meet again, I will surely slay this traitor with my sword!"

  The words had barely fallen when a loud explosion was heard, and the sword pillar began to shake violently. In the bright light of the sword, the Xī Hé sword trembled violently, its tip slowly tilting towards Xuán Zhèn. The flames that were originally swirling around the blade suddenly converged into a single stream, accompanied by intense heat waves, like a fire dragon rushing forward.

  Xuan Zhen was caught off guard, and by the time he wanted to draw his sword to block it, it was already too late. Xuan Xiao on the side looked stunned, seemingly never having thought that Xihe would break free from his control and launch such an attack. A burst of chaotic sounds could be heard, sparks flying everywhere, as the fire dragon had pierced through Xuan Zhen's chest in an instant!

  On the lotus platform, only a loud shout was left: "Master brother——"