The 80th Extraordinary Chapter of Ice and Fire (Below)

  Opening my eyes, it was still that not-too-big-not-too-small ice room. The reluctant voice in the dream still echoed in my ears, but in front of me, there was no longer the woman who stood proudly wearing the uniform of the sect leader as she had on that day.

  "Hmph... He sneered, secretly telling himself in his heart, Xuan Xiao, Xuan Xiao, who would have thought that by now, you'd be relying on endless memories to get through these unbearable days?"

  "If you must blame and resent, then go ahead and resent Yun Tianqing and Su Yu! If they hadn't escaped with the Wanhua Sword, how would you have ended up in this predicament?"

  The words that Xiu Yao spat out that day still lingered in his mind, echoing in his ears and resonating in his brain. He slowly raised his eyes, gazing at the vast emptiness in front of him, separated by a thick layer of ice, everything was so blurry.

  Yun Tianqing, Su Yu... They took the Wangshu sword and traveled far away, afraid that they had long forgotten that they still had an older brother waiting here, suffering from the scorching sun's heartache day and night?

  The eyes that were once as sharp and slender as a phoenix in flight gradually deepened, exuding threads of resentment. Those two people, who had been his most trusted friends, the source of happiness and beautiful memories in his life, the young heroes who had danced with swords on the Sword Dance Platform, cultivating immortality and practicing swordsmanship together, now only left behind a desolate scene in this forbidden land...

  I, Xuan Xiao, how did I end up in this state?! A deep pain flashed across the pale and handsome face in the ice, the shock of being frozen had long been erased by the silence of day after day, leaving only a desolate expression between his deeply furrowed brows, like a scar, although faint but indelibly etched there.

  He took a last look at the ice room, and finally slowly closed his eyes, his eyelids covering the despair and unwillingness in those cold eyes, as well as that hint of... confusion.

  His life was made by Taoism and destroyed by Taoism, is this right or wrong?

  In the East Sea, five thousand miles further east, there is a mountain surrounded by a circular sea. The seawater there is as black as ink and colder than ice, which is said to be the location of the Nether Sea. In the depths of the sea, the ordinary people's fairy mountain is his hometown, Penglai.

  Penglai, although located in the harsh lands of the far east, has a different atmosphere within. Not to mention the sun, moon, mountains and rivers, it is also a place where all four seasons are like spring, with beautiful scenery. There is also a small country within its borders, where everyone lives in peace and contentment, enjoying their own happiness. The Xun family was the royal family of this land of bliss, and he was born into the most orthodox branch of this clan.

  Heng was named by his father with the meaning of upholding justice, and he had understood the profound implication since childhood. Occasionally, when gazing at the vast expanse of the dark sea, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to reach the other side of the ocean one day.

  But the dark sea has no wind yet huge waves are hundreds of feet high, and there are even giant monsters like Kunpeng inside. They block the footprints of mortals who come to visit, but also isolate the people of Penglai from the mundane world. If one wants to go overseas for a visit, how easy is it?

  Time flies like a white horse passing through a crevice, and it's gone in the blink of an eye. He grew from a child to a young man, and that wish in his heart also gradually matured with him. His father and the palace people only knew he loved practicing sword fighting by the sea, but they didn't know that every time he cut through the salty waves, he had an irrepressible longing for that unknown world in his heart.

  The opportunity came sooner than he had imagined, and it was more sudden and unexpected. When he saw his uncle from a side branch of the clan kill his father and mother on the throne with a sword, he realized that even the beauty that ordinary people admired in the world could not compare to the desires that grew freely in one's heart. Even if one were a genius favored by heaven, or the best swordsman in the clan, the prince who had once been high above would ultimately end up fleeing overseas.

  The wooden boat, which he had carefully carved with his own hands since childhood, was pushed into the waves and drifted towards an unknown realm. He finally came to know the hardships beyond the Penglai Cave Heaven's sun and moon. In the cold wind, when he endured hunger and starvation, in the stormy waves, when he marched forward with his sword, he had already made a silent vow in his heart that he would never be as miserable as he was today. One day, he would stand on the clouds, gazing down at the world!

  Perhaps it was the blessing of heaven that the small boat, broken and fragmented in the endless waves, was pushed by the seawater onto another island. From the day he woke up, he began to practice his family's swordsmanship diligently. Every time he went out wearing a white robe, he would return drenched with seawater. Finally, one day, relying on the sword in his hand, he managed to block the seawater from seeping through, and his sword skills had made some progress.

  He thought this was the pinnacle of strength, but after traveling in Jianghu for only a short period of time, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were. Ordinary martial arts, how can they compare to the power that wields the sword and shocks the heavens? Riding horses in Jianghu, how can it compare to riding the wind and clouds, and being carefree?

  That night, he finally saw from afar across the sea that a mortal body could also comprehend the creation of heaven and earth, displaying such great magical powers. Even someone as indifferent as him couldn't suppress the hint of joy in his heart, and even urged the fisherman to hurry up and dock the boat so he could take a look at this so-called immortal. However, when he stepped onto the sandy shore, what he saw was the immortal being subdued by humans.

  Disappointment, perhaps there is some. But more of it, however, is a kind of inexplicable palpitation.

  He had thought that the person who had unleashed such a heavenly and earth-shaking divine technique was a majestic and awe-inspiring deity, but unexpectedly it was a man of utmost elegance. Even though he was lying on the gravel in a sorry state, he couldn't hide his ethereal and elegant demeanor, his pale yet extremely handsome face under the sword light, his eyes that were still warm and gentle like jade even when facing danger, and his black hair that was spread out on the ground like silk and stained with sand grains. All of these brought an air of elegance that made one's eyes widen in surprise and unable to look away.

  He saved the man and, as he had wished, made friends with him. He learned that the man's name was Xuán Zhèn, a disciple of the Kunlun Mountains' Xiān Mén Pài, and he gained his gratitude and even trust. After finding out the exact location of the Qióng Huá Pài, he parted ways with the man without hesitation, for in his heart he knew that one day they would meet again.

  From east to west, he walked through the most prosperous cities in the Central Plains and also crossed the vast deserts of the Western Regions. When resting at the foot of Kunlun Mountains, he once met a merchant caravan, where a slender young man riding a camel was particularly eye-catching. With a gentle and weak appearance, he got drunk in the midst of carriages and horses, to the point that a local strongman started a fight with him.

  He had never seen such an unbridled and arrogant monkey, watching the young man spinning a large Han with one hand while laughing and swiping his own wine jug from the table with the other, instantly igniting a inexplicable anger.

  I thought that after this, you would go your own way on the sunny road, and I would cross my own single-plank bridge. Who knew that when I entered the so-called Fairy Mountain in town, I would run into that young man again? The young man was drunk and even pretended to be familiar with him, but he just ignored him and continued walking up the mountain path, thinking to himself that such a lazy person could only deal with ordinary villagers, and if they encountered a monster in the mountains, they would hide back in town and not bother me.

  But who would have thought that this young man, although he only knew a few fancy punches and kicks, was actually quite clever. Every time he took advantage of the fact that the monster was on its last breath, he would rush to finish it off with his palm, gaining an advantage. In the end, he even managed to arrive at the mountain gate together with him. He had been secretly angry in his heart, so he deliberately tripped the young man as he rushed towards the mountain gate, and only when he saw the young man fall flat on his face did the anger in his heart dissipate slightly.

  When he entered the trial, he originally wanted to go alone, but that young man this time left a heart and pulled himself in. Fortunately, he still won slightly in the end, took the lead out of the Mustache Fantasy, and became a senior brother. Facing the young man's eyes staring at him, he frowned and hummed coldly, but his heart was very pleased.

  That young man's name is Yun Tianqing.

  In the fourth month of entry, just before breaking through the third heavy boundary, Master Taiching Zhenren returned from outside and brought back a fellow sister. It was also during that time when he once again heard news about Xuanzhen from someone else's mouth.

  That day, Yun Tianqing's monkey was chattering non-stop beside him, complaining about the various hardships of cultivation, which made his heart feel very annoyed. Just at this time, Shuixi, the master sister from the door, arrived in a hurry with a young girl, and said...

  The howling of the gibbon stopped. He secretly let out a sigh of relief, but when he glanced sideways, he saw that the gibbon was staring blankly at the young girl, having lost its soul.

  Yun Tianqing, that young man, was again being his usual self. When he was in the mountains, he had seen him flirting shamelessly with a woman from the Western Regions. Now, seeing this new junior sister Su Yu's beautiful appearance, he fell into his old habits again. He hurriedly scolded her a few times, but was instead labeled as "doting on beauty" by that mischievous creature, truly helpless to the extreme.

  Su Xi seemed to find it amusing and casually mentioned a few words to Su Yu, saying that there was another senior brother in the sect who was extremely kind-hearted, but had not returned after going down the mountain to travel. He could only wait until next time to pay his respects. Unexpectedly, Su Yu revealed her first faint smile since arriving here, saying that she had already met that person at the foot of the mountain and had received great kindness from him.

  When he heard the name of Xuanyin from Su Yu's mouth, he finally knew that the senior brother under the door of Taichu True Man, whom he had never asked about before, was actually the person he met on the beach that day.

  The second time he met that person was in Si Fan Valley. He thought that the steady and square great master would not be punished to enter this kind of place, but unexpectedly, as soon as that person returned, he angered Master and ended up with a ten-day reflection.

  He had specially practiced in Jianwuping for half a day, and he still hoped to see that person's astonished expression!

  But when Su Xiang pulled out a package of pastries and stuffed it into his own arms, for some reason, he agreed to take it to Si Fan Valley. When he saw the person's slender figure under the moonlight in Si Fan Valley, that thread of anger had vanished without a trace.

  After a long conversation under the moonlight, he indeed received the Xian sword from his master, and as soon as he held it in his hand, it let out a loud cry. The red light illuminated the entire Qinghua Palace, reflecting the joyful faces of his master and three elders. He was also extremely delighted. But who would have thought that the first command given by his master, Taiching Zhenren, after bestowing him with the Xian sword, was to kill a demon beside his senior brother on the spot.

  The heat wave rolled in, accompanied by fierce flames that struck the Sword Dance Platform. Who would have thought that Xī Hé's sword was such a divine and powerful instrument? Only with his third-level boundary power could he wield it to unleash such great strength! He stood suspended in mid-air, his heart filled with surprise and an uncontrollable joy. However, as his gaze fell upon the person on the ground with a lost expression, his joy suddenly stagnated. Just as he was about to shout "Shī Xiōng", his true energy surged up unexpectedly. A scorching heat also burst forth from the hilt of Xī Hé's sword and into his palm. From then on, everything became unknown to him.

  When he woke up, the Xuanhe Sword was taken back by Zong Lian Shibo. The Taichu True Man comforted him, saying that after a few more days of cultivation, the immortal sword would be returned to him. This wait turned out to be three years.

  Three years later, Xihe returned to his hands, but at the same time, another important task also fell on himself. In order to fulfill the thousand-year-old wish of Qionghua Sect's bathing in heavenly light and becoming an immortal, Master ordered him and Su Yu to practice together, and separately passed on to them the superior Taoist skills of extreme yang and extreme yin, and bestowed upon them the Lingguang Moyu, allowing the two to enter the forbidden land for cultivation.

  The man and the sword were indeed an extraordinary match, and from that day on, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, leaving many of his fellow disciples in the dust. His heart's desire was to one day join forces with Su Yu to wield the Twin Swords and conquer the Demon Realm, fulfilling a dream that had gone unfulfilled for thousands of years within the Qinghua Sect. But fate is unpredictable, and if only he knew what lay ahead...

  Everything seemed like a nightmare, in the blink of an eye, the battle between immortals and demons broke out. The master was killed by the Lord of the Demon Realm right before their eyes, and the senior brother fell into the demon realm with an uncertain fate. Xu Yu and Yun Tianqing were disheartened by this scene, and a sense of fear arose in their hearts. In an instant, only he was left to resist this catastrophe with all his might under the Taicheng Gate.

  Another quarrel with Su Yu and Yun Tianqing, a sentence "woman's benevolence" slipped out of his mouth, causing Su Yu's face to turn pale in an instant. Yun Tianqing's disapproving gaze as he left made him even more anxious. And that very night, his long-lost senior brother appeared.

  He was naturally overjoyed in his heart, and the sorrow of his master's death was also alleviated by that person's death. But the joy of that moment turned into a chill in an instant.

  He actually said he would never return to Qunhua Pai again.

  Ridiculous, pitiful! Wasn't it because of him that I embarked on this path of cultivation in the first place? Why did he give up first? Isn't that laughable? And yet, isn't it even more pathetic that I'm still yearning for his return and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me?

  Obviously resentful, but when Xi and Sword struck uncontrollably at that person, why did he himself become so unwilling, so painful?

  He left as quietly as he came, looking at the bloodstained ground, was it guilt or hatred that stirred in his heart?

  Entangled in all sorts, it's hard to understand. The surrounding situation is even more unpredictable, as if overnight, the world has changed, Yun Tianqing took Su Yu away with him and also stole the Wangshu sword from the Lotus Platform. He struggled to wield the Xihua sword to support the sword pillar, but ultimately led to Yang Yan's heart being devoured, almost dying in the pain of reversed meridians.

  The sword pillar was destroyed, and the demon world also lost control. In the end, Qionghua's thousand-year-old wish still became a moon in the water, a flower in the mirror, but he himself became the greatest sacrifice among them!

  He opened his eyes and saw a red glow flashing before him.

  It was still that small ice room, the Xuanhe sword was right in front of him but he couldn't touch it. Perhaps sensing the complex emotions filling his chest, a wave of red light surged over the blade, illuminating the countless icicles in the room and refracting into bright lights. But as the light grew brighter, his heart only grew colder.

  He did have hatred, he hated Yun Tianqing and Su Yu, hated that they had escaped together, leaving him in such a miserable state. He hated Su Yao for taking the opportunity to seal herself within this ice pillar, causing him to lose his freedom. But what he hated most was... that person. He hated how that person had left without even looking back when he needed him the most.

  What else can he do besides hate?