Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: The Storm Rages On

  The sky grew darker and more ominous, with strong gusts of cold wind blowing the dense clouds on the mountain peak towards the distance. The cliff above had gathered thick clouds at some point, pressing down on everyone's heads, making it hard for anyone to breathe.

  It seemed that only one voice was left between heaven and earth, slowly telling that past event, so soft, so clear, yet so sad.

  "...I was just an amnesiac youth when Elders Qingyang and Chongguang brought me back to the Quanhuapai sect. I was fortunate enough to be favored by Master Taiching and accepted as a disciple, learning from him with great enthusiasm and ambition, thinking that I would become a pillar of this esteemed immortal family in the future... but never did I imagine that one day, I would have to face such a fate!"

  Shen Bailian stared blankly at the group of Qinghua disciples below the cliff, their figures gradually becoming blurred and unclear in her fading line of sight, eventually merging into a hazy mass of blue and white.

  "I thought it was the benevolent uncle of my benefactor, but it turned out to be the murderer of my mother. I thought it was the kind and gentle wife of my benefactor, but she was actually the one who ordered the massacre of my people. Those who regard me with such hostility are actually my own kind! Is there anything more ridiculous or tragic than this in this world? Why did it have to happen to me?"

  Human tribe, demon tribe... what is right and what is evil? Am I Xuan Zhen or Shen Baiying?

  Deeply buried in his heart for over a decade, the obsession and sorrow spread throughout his desolate and barren heart, seeping into every pore, entwining his limbs, as if countless ghostly hands were dragging him down to the most forsaken depths... In this world, who else would truly feel pain and sadness for this person? Who was he in their eyes?

  The strong wind swept across the sky, overwhelming all the commotion in the world. The ubiquitous wind, free and stubborn, surged towards one end of the arched path on the cliff, converging on that solitary figure standing still. The black hair tied back at first suddenly broke free from its restraints, and a red ribbon vanished instantly into the rolling clouds below the cliff. Only the countless raven-black hairs flowed like silk in the air, and the person's face turned paler, as white as a cold jade stone. Those eyes, once soft and warm like a spring watered by warmth, now seemed to have transformed into a dried-up ancient well, exuding a hint of suppressed silence and loneliness.

  Little by little, a stroke at a time, as if an invisible hand was lightly tracing, on Shen Baiying's pale forehead, two red marks gradually spread out, like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, instantly bursting forth at the brow and eye corners, adding a touch of eerie beauty to that handsome face.

  A sudden commotion arose from below the cliff.

  "A demon... indeed a demon!" A young man standing behind Su Yao couldn't help but exclaim, his hand already unconsciously placed on the hilt of his sword at his waist. His words were laced with fear and hatred, "Master, Uncle Master, our ancestor was killed by this demon back then. Now we absolutely cannot be swayed by its demonic words... Ah, look, look into its eyes!"

  The crowd of Qinghua disciples followed his pointing hand and looked over, only to see that at the end of the corridor, a strand of hair like dark clouds floated scattered around Shen Bailian's cheek and in front of her face. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew her hair back, revealing her pale face completely to everyone's eyes, including those two gradually fading black pupils that had turned into two bright red dots!

  It was as if it had been dyed with fresh blood, exuding a sinister and eerie aura!

  Bathed in the gazes of shock, fear, disgust and hatred, Shen Bailian walked slowly down the corridor, lightly landing on a rock at the edge of the cliff. At this time, the sky was gradually darkening, with thick clouds covering the Rolling Clouds Platform, shrouding the purple speckled boundary below, also suppressing the spirits of the crowd. Occasionally, one or two flashes of lightning would cut through the black clouds, and all around would again return to a dull gloom. Only the ghostly face on the boundary outside the cliff still emitted a faint purple-black glow, illuminating the red figure below.

  Vibrant sleeves and hem fluttered in the air like a blood-red butterfly unfolding its wings, revealing fragile weakness amidst stunning beauty. He slowly lowered his head, meeting the pair of apathetic eyes on the ground, and said softly: "Look, Brother Xuan Xiao. Would you still acknowledge this Shen Bai Lian as your senior brother?"

  Xuan Xiao was taken aback for a moment, and before he could respond, a trembling voice came from beside him: "Impossible... Xuan Zhen, Elder Xuan Zhen died in the demon realm nineteen years ago, he is a heroic figure of my Qionghua Sect! And you, are just a demonic creature, how dare you impersonate the first disciple of the Taiching True Person of my Qionghua Sect? Do you think this will make you recognized? Don't be delusional!"

  Shen Bailian followed the sound and looked over, her calm gaze falling on the woman standing beside Xuan Zhen with a sword. Su Yao was intimidated by his blood-red eyes and took a step back, but still maintained a proud expression on her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, though her eyes involuntarily avoided him: "…My Qionghua Sect will never accept a demon!"

  "Hmph..." Shen Bailian shook her head with a bitter smile, "Su Yao Shimei, I didn't expect that after nineteen years, you've changed too..."

  Su Yao's eyes flickered slightly, and she pursed her lips without speaking.

  "I left and never thought of coming back. You don't have to worry, I haven't considered myself the leader of the Qinghua Sect since I abandoned the name 'Xuanzhen' nineteen years ago." Shen Bailian's words pierced through Su Xiaoyao's thoughts, a complex and inexplicable smile floating on her face. "When Taiching Zhenren died tragically, the three elders supported you in taking over, and you managed to bring the sect back from the brink of collapse. I can imagine how difficult it was for you, but now that the Qinghua Sect is so powerful, it's clear how much heart and soul you've put into it. Among Taiching Zhenren's six disciples, your talent wasn't exceptional, but in terms of ability, you're not inferior to anyone. Why think too much and delay your cultivation?"

  Su Yao's face changed, and she suddenly raised her head to look at him. Her eyes seemed to tremble slightly: "Shi..." The word "Shixiong" was about to come out of her mouth when she suddenly came to her senses and covered her mouth.

  "That's enough!"

  Suddenly, a loud shout came from Xuan Xiao's mouth. He swung his sleeve fiercely, as if to forcefully break the gaze between the two people. All he heard was him saying coldly: "Whether it is or not, it is no longer important to me now! I once made a vow with my own mouth, 'I, Xuan Xiao, and you are emotionally cut off and morally dead to each other. If we meet again one day, I will surely kill you, the traitor, under my sword!'". As if responding to what he said, the Xuhe Sword held tightly in Xuan Xiao's hand suddenly emitted a large red glow, with a burst of flames swirling around the sword, about to erupt.

  Shen Bailian looked at his cold and stern eyes, only to feel that the wound on her chest, which had healed many years ago, was aching again like it did nineteen years ago when she was pierced by the sword light.

  Seeing the hand that unconsciously touched his chest, Xuan Xiao's eyes became even more profound, as if his gaze was a knife. Shen Bai Lian had probably already been nailed to the ground by him. He stared fixedly at the long and slender hand with distinct joints pressing on the bright red collar, continuing coldly: "…Regardless of whether you are Xuan Zhen or Shen Bai Lian, I will now use your blood as a sacrifice to the gods!"

  Suddenly a flash of lightning illuminated the entire Cloud Platform, and a deafening crash shook the sky. A bolt of thunder struck the ground right between the two figures, sending dust flying everywhere and grass blades swirling wildly in all directions.

  In the dusty smoke, a red glow burst forth, and with a loud sword cry, a red sword tip pierced through the mountain rock like molten steel, bursting out of the dust and stirring up the surrounding air currents, shooting straight towards Shen Baiying's shoulder.

  A flash of blue light, followed by a loud clang. The Spring Water Sword had come out of its scabbard without waiting for its master's urging and spun around to block in front of Shen Baiying. A strong gust of wind blew, causing the colorful silk tassel hanging from the hilt to dance wildly in the air. Several strands accidentally whipped across Shen Baiying's face, instantly raising several red welts on her pale skin.

  Shen Bailian's eyes slightly condensed, and with a sudden movement, one hand formed a sword-like shape in front of his chest, while the other hand drew a circle in front of him. In an instant, a cyan-colored Taiji appeared in the air, and amidst the flashing light, the yin-yang fish rapidly rotated. The whistling sound grew louder, and on the flat ground, a whirlwind gradually formed, with Shen Bailian standing steadfastly at its center.

  Xuan Xiao saw this and his lips curled slightly, suddenly letting out a cold laugh: "It turns out that all these years you haven't wasted your Taoist skills, good, very good!" His eyes gradually shot out with an unusual divine light, even more intense than the Yang Yan on Xihe's sword. "Just now in the demon realm, I saw the power of the demon realm master, but it was really nothing compared to hearing about it. Fortunately, older brother, you won't disappoint me, fighting you will surely make my heart feel relieved and sweep away these years of emptiness and boredom..."

  Shen Bailian slightly shook her head and softly said: "Xuan Xiao, these years I have wronged you, I won't harm you."

  "Oh? Are you going to die with your neck stretched out, how boring is that?" Xuan Xiao heard this and the cold smile on his lips gradually faded away, but a strange color rose in his eyes. "You won't hurt me? Haha, truly the biggest joke under heaven, I, Xuan Zhen, was already hurt nineteen years ago, what kind of gentleman are you pretending to be now?"

  Separated by a barrier of wind, that person's expression became increasingly arrogant and domineering, with no resemblance to the cold but self-disciplined youth from many years ago. Shen Bailian stared blankly, feeling the pain in her heart growing more intense: "Xuan Xiao, younger brother..."

  "No need to say more, let's end this!" Xuan Xiao's face was cold and his eyes gleamed with an increasingly fierce madness. The sword in his hand resonated with its master, and the red light on it grew brighter and brighter.

  Just as Shen Bailian was about to respond, a faint voice suddenly came from an unknown place and entered his ear: "...Bailian, the blood feud between Qionghua and the demon realm cannot be resolved for many years. At this time, Xuansu is afraid that he has already gone mad. You only need to pretend to agree with him for a few sentences, entangle him, and wait for me and Tianhe to retrieve the Wangshu sword from the Palm Gate's hand. We will quickly retreat into the demon realm, and all this chaos can come to an abrupt end. Don't worry, I will accompany you myself and never regret it!"

  That voice was extremely familiar, with a hint of concern that was almost imperceptible in its coldness - it was Mu Rong Ziying's transmission. When Shen Baiyun heard his voice, it was as if he had suddenly seen a beam of light in the darkness, and felt comforted. However, when he heard the three words "Wang Shu Sword", he couldn't help but pause for a moment, his gaze following the direction behind Xuan Xiao, only to see that Su Yao had already led a group of disciples to retreat to the bottom of the cliff at some point, her hand holding a long sword with a blue glow, which seemed to be the very image of the Wang Shu Sword.

  It turned out that the Wàng Shū Sword had actually fallen into Su Yáo's hands! In Shen Bai Lian's heart, a thought suddenly flashed: Su Yáo was not a woman with a yin fate, how could she be the vessel for the Wàng Shū Sword? Moreover, although her internal energy was of a cold nature, it was greatly different from when Su Yu and the sword had cultivated together in the past. What was the explanation for this?

  "Don't hesitate any longer, the fate of Wuxia and Ling Sha are closely tied together. If you don't take it back, I fear for her life!" Murong Ziyin saw Shen Baiying standing motionless on the cliff and hastily transmitted another message.

  Shen Bailian's whole body shook, and she suddenly realized. It turned out that Wang Shu Sword had chosen Han Qingxuan as its host, no wonder it was already awake on the Cloud Heaven River in front of Kunlun Mountain, no wonder just now when she arrived, there was no sign of Han Qingxuan on the archway... Su Xiang could control Wang Shu, and it was actually relying on the spiritual power of another yin-ming woman!

  To clarify this point, he looked at Xuan Zhen and Su Yao's expressions, which were vastly different from before. Nineteen years ago, the Taichu True Person had sacrificed two disciples to capture the demon realm and elevate the Flying Immortal Sect. Would these two also become embroiled in a similar tragedy?

  Rumbling again, a burst of thunder sounded, and suddenly big raindrops poured down. The sky was filled with one strip after another of silver lines, as if a dense curtain had been drawn, separating the two people on the cliff.

  A misty vapor suddenly dispersed from his Xuan Xiao robe, and it turned out that the Yang Yan True Power in his body was circulating back and forth. The raindrops on him were evaporated in an instant. The dust on the cliff was washed away by the rain, and his handsome face flickered in the flashing lightning, those eyes reflected the red light of the Xihe Sword, like two fires burning in the dusk, never extinguished.

  His eyes remained fixed on the man opposite him, his gaze more intense than the sword light, as if it would swallow up the face that had haunted him for nineteen years. He was oblivious to everything around the cliff, seeing and hearing nothing. However, Shen Bailian remained attentive to the movements of Murong Ziyu and others on the archway, catching sight of the two figures rushing along the archway out of the corner of his eye. He reacted swiftly, grabbing the Spring Water Sword hanging in front of him, its blade slicing through the air with a clear ring, its semi-transparent body passing through the raindrops, slashing towards the white figure not far away.

  Xuan Xiao raised his sword and retreated, not angry but smiling: "Xuan Zhen, you really made your move... Then come on, the strong will be king, if I win, you..." The red sword that was swallowing flames suddenly flew out of his hand, stabbing straight at the sky, countless sword shadows appeared on the sword body, shooting rapidly towards the two people on the ground, in an instant, raindrops splashed everywhere, and grass stalks with mud flew up.

  With a few thuds, Shen Bailian only felt that her shoulder and calf suddenly became hot, followed by a severe pain that surged up. Turning her head to look, she saw that her clothes were torn and there were several more wounds on her body. The sword light of Xuan Xiao's extremely yang and fierce Taoist skill naturally carried strong yang flames, which not only inflicted sword wounds but also caused scorching pain when they struck the body.

  Shen Bailian hastily retreated several steps, waving his hand and pointing to the sky. The Qingyun sword emitted a blue glow as it flowed with spring water, and with a swift movement, he chased after the red sword in the air. Xuan Xiao, however, seemed completely unbothered, stretching out his palm and gently grasping at the void. A flame suddenly gathered in his palm, burning fiercely despite the raging wind and rain that seemed to have no effect on it. The golden flames suddenly exploded with a loud bang, shooting up several meters into the air. Several extremely long tongues of flame intertwined, forming a fire dragon that opened its bloody maw and charged towards Shen Bailian.

  Shen Bailian waved her hand and summoned several layers of wind walls to block in front of her. The fire dragon crashed into the wind wall, sparks splashing everywhere. Only the sound of rushing wind was heard continuously, but the wind wall dispersed a layer, and the fire dragon still did not disappear. It circled in mid-air for a while before crashing over again. Shen Bailian stretched out her palm to support the wind wall, gradually becoming unable to withstand it. Hurriedly, she extended another hand, combining the strength of both hands to barely keep the fire dragon outside the wind wall.

  Just then, a scorching breath swept past the back of his neck, and Xuan Xiao's arrogant voice sounded extremely close behind him: "Xuan Zhen, if I win, will you surrender to me?"

  Shen Bailian's face changed color, and she suddenly turned around. At this moment, a loud shout came from the bottom of the cliff: "With such a trivial Dao line, you dare to muddy the waters and fish in troubled waters. You are truly reckless!" Glancing over, she saw that Yun Tianhe had been slapped flying by Su Xiaoyao.

  His momentary distraction caused the wind wall behind him to become unstable, and the fire dragon let out a clear whistle. In an instant, the three layers of wind walls were crushed one after another. The sky shook with a loud rumble again, and a red light suddenly broke through the air and stabbed down, not deviating by a single hair, and in an instant it pierced through the red figure on the cliff.

  Shen Bailian only felt that the wind and rain sounds around her ears suddenly stopped, and the sky and earth were empty, even the crimson that was spreading from her chest to her clothes didn't seem glaring at all. In her field of vision, the only clear thing was the face within arm's reach, which was gradually changing from arrogance to panic.

  "Hyakkaryō!!!!!!"

  It seems like someone is calling out from a distance, is it Violet's voice? Why does it sound so sorrowful?

  He stared blankly at the sky above, raindrops hitting his face, dripping into his eyes, rendering everything blurry. His last bit of strength seemed to have left him, and the sky in front of him slowly sank, eventually becoming a void.