Chapter 114: The Devil's Oath

  That red-clothed person was Shen Bailong, who had left the Fantian Boundary and flown back to Mount Kunlun on his sword. He finally arrived at the foot of the mountain after several days, only to find that he was a step too late. Xuan Xiao and Su Yao had already joined forces with Xuanyu and Wangshu to form a sword pillar, and their sect had taken flight. The Heavenly Light of Kunlun was out of reach, and Shen Bailong's swordsmanship was not enough to catch up. Fortunately, the Qionghua Sect had only risen for two or three days, and the spiritual energy of the sword pillar was still strong, but it would be difficult to lift such a large mountain peak quickly. Shen Bailong made a swift decision and chased after them on his sword, and indeed, he saw a huge black shadow in the clouds within half a day. The black shadow was slowly moving upwards, with many rocks and soil falling from the gaps in the clouds, clearly the mountain peak that had been hastily torn out of Mount Kunlun, where the Qionghua Sect was located!

  Shen Bailian's heart was filled with joy, and he urged the Spring Water under his feet to move even faster. In an instant, the sword light beneath his feet carried him out of the clouds and landed on a jade stone platform at the summit of the Qinghua Sect. The platform had a huge stone sword inserted in its center, with four stone straps connecting the hilt to the four corners of the platform. Shen Bailian had spent over ten years cultivating on Mount Kunlun, and he was familiar with every blade of grass, every tree, every house, and every room in the mountain. At a glance, he recognized that this was the Sword Platform in front of the sect's entrance.

  He turned around to take a look at the Qionghua Sect's mountain gate, which he had not entered or exited for over ten years. Thirty-eight years ago, he was brought into the Qionghua Sect by Qingyang and Chongguang, and it was from here that he walked through, still remembering himself as a young boy full of yearning and admiration for the nine-zhang-high jade stone gate, completely unaware of the hardships of the world. Nineteen years ago, he left in a hurry, and from then on, he was no longer the Qionghua disciple who had been cultivating with a pure heart and proper demeanor, leaving behind only a sad past event in the world. Now, he has returned again...

  Who would have thought that what I saw was a scene of utter devastation!

  On the collapsed half of the Jade Stone Mountain Gate, the five characters "Kunlun Qionghua Pai" were barely visible with only the two characters "Kunlun" remaining. The rest had been reduced to a pile of broken stones. The once ever-spring Kunlun Qionghua Sect no longer existed, leaving behind a desolate scene of ice and snow stretching for thousands of miles.

  Behind the stone gate, in the center of the square, the thousand-year-old statue of the Nine Heavens Xuanwu Goddess lay on the ground, with no one paying attention to it. The pool made of jade stones was frozen with murky spring water, and under the ice and snow, you could vaguely see withered grass and broken branches. Under the broken walls and ruins, there were rows of corpses that had long been frozen stiff, even their Taoist robes had become hard as stone...

  What was once a paradise for humans has now become an icy realm of death!

  The cold wind was biting, mixed with countless tiny ice crystals, falling on the vast white land, falling on those pale faces that were either still in shock or staring blankly into space, never melting. These Qinghua disciples probably dreamed of bathing in heavenly light and becoming immortal until their dying day.

  Shen Bailian stepped on the icy snow, slowly walking up the stone steps, across the square, to the front of Qionghua Palace. He had once been here with a heart full of anxiety and expectation when he joined the Qionghua Sect, had watched Taiching rise to the position of leader with pride and satisfaction, had received teachings here, and had shouldered various responsibilities. The past was still vivid in his mind, but the illusions had dissipated, leaving only a piece of broken tile and rubble before his eyes. The Qionghua Palace, which people used to look up to and dare not make loud noises in front of its gate, had also become just one of the countless ruins, with no difference from other temples.

  He walked forward in a daze, suddenly feeling something hard under his feet. He looked down to see that the huge plaque of the Qinghua Palace had been broken into two halves at some point, with one half being trampled under his foot. The plaque, which was once high above and had been passed by countless generations of leaders and talented disciples, had also fallen to such a state, wasn't it a testament to the current fate of the Qinghua Sect?

  A cold laugh suddenly echoed in this desolate snowy land, filled with sarcasm and ridicule. Shen Baiying was stunned for a long time before realizing that the laughter came from his own mouth. He looked around at the vast desolate land, and a wave of sorrow suddenly surged up in his heart. Ah, how ridiculous, this is what the Qionghua Sect calls their long-cherished wish, this is the result of the sect's flying immortals, Taicheng, Qingyang, Chongguang, Zonglian, are you watching from heaven?

  Suddenly, a deafening crash shook the air, and the sound seemed to come from afar, yet it reverberated clearly throughout the sky above Qionghua Sect. The tremors were so intense that they seemed to shake even the ice crystals floating in the air and the heavens above. Shen Bailian stumbled, stretched out her hand to grasp a tilting stone pillar, and looked up towards the horizon.

  Only the eastern half of the sky was already dyed with a bright color by the sword light, two blue and red lights intertwined like two dragons that lived and died together, straight into the dome, below which other colorful lights flashed from time to time, and there were faint sounds coming from afar, apparently the situation under the sword pillar was not calm. Just at this moment, at the end of the sword pillar, a bundle or two of golden light suddenly fell from the gradually lowering cloud seam, like silk and mist, changing unpredictably, gradually connecting into a large piece, unfolding like silk, bringing a touch of sacred beauty to the vast sky.

  That is... Kunlun Heavenly Light!

  Shen Bailian suddenly came to, and with a burst of energy, she leapt onto the Chunshui sword and flew towards the direction of the Sword Pillar. Rushing through the wind, she quickly arrived at the Juanyun Platform, where a small lotus stone platform hung suspended on the edge of the cliff, like a candle holder, supporting the radiant light beam of the Sword Pillar. The clear light was filled with the sound of golden bells ringing incessantly in her ears, and spiritual energy overflowed everywhere, indicating that the battle was intense.

  Shen Bailian knew that it was Xuan Xiao, Su Yao and Yun Tianhe who had rushed to stop them, and they were fighting fiercely. Looking up at the golden light getting closer and closer, she felt a sense of urgency in her heart, and hurriedly rushed up the stone steps. Just as she stepped onto the stone platform, she heard a cold shout, and looked up to see Xuan Xiao's face stern with anger, his sword slashing down towards Murong Ziyun. The Xihe Sword emitted a deafening roar, and the lotus platform was filled with a brilliant red light that engulfed everything in an instant!

  "Violet!!"

  Suddenly, the red light dissipated, and the sword pillar disappeared in an instant. Only two clanging sounds were heard, and the Xī Hé and Wàng Shū swords fell to the ground, with a dull patch on the blade, no longer shining. The residual shadows of the twin swords held by Xuán Xiāo and Shù Yáo also dissipated into a wisp of light mist in the air. Shen Bai Lian hastily looked towards Mù Róng Zǐ Yīng, seeing that he was still standing upright on the spot, although somewhat disheveled but without any life-threatening injuries, only looking bewildered, seemingly unaware of what had happened. He let out a sigh of relief and was about to step forward when suddenly a powerful pressure descended from the sky, enveloping him all around, forcing him to be unable to move an inch. Shen Bai Lian's mind was thrown into chaos, and cold sweat poured down his face.

  "Who dares to stop me?!"

  In the silence, only a loud shout from Xuan Xiao was heard. He and Su Yao were both pale, apparently also locked down by that pressure, but his eyebrows and eyes still showed fierce pride and arrogance, without a hint of fear.

  Suddenly, a beautiful melody echoed in the air, like the sound of a zither or a pipa, like the clear and melodious sound of a flute. The music lingered around people's ears. In mid-air, a golden light slowly descended, and from within the light, a slender and elegant figure gradually appeared. The woman was surrounded by a halo of light, her face blurry and unclear, but her attire was magnificent and extraordinary, with an air of nobility and grandeur, as if she were formed from celestial energy itself.

  After a long time, a voice sounded above the crowd: "I am the Nine Heavens Xuan Nü under the Heavenly Emperor, entrusted to convey the divine decree." The sound was pleasant and moving, surpassing silk and bamboo music, but it contained a solemn and majestic tone that made people involuntarily feel reverence.

  The Primordial Lady of the Nine Heavens!

  Several people were shocked. Su Yao's facial muscles twitched, and the usual solemn face was difficult to conceal the excitement: "Nine Heavens Xuan Nu...". Her lips moved for a long time before she continued, "Finally... finally... Qionghua Sect has risen to Kunlun Tian Guangxia, our sect's thousand-year-old wish, finally achieved in my hands!" At this point, she was already overcome with emotion, her voice trembling and unable to continue speaking, but her eyes shone brightly, her face filled with uncontrollable joy.

  "Ignorance! Deluded hearts enter the devil's lair, foolishly thinking of ascending to immortality." The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden spoke in a cold and icy tone, causing Su Xiang to shudder all over, her face filled with incredulity as she stared at her. The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden continued in a chilly voice: "By the Emperor's decree, the Qinghua Sect has committed unforgivable crimes against heaven, and shall be punished by heavenly fire, cast down to earth, and its disciples thrown into the East Sea Vortex, imprisoned for a thousand years!"

  Soft golden light gently spilled onto the small lotus stone platform, but there was no longer a hint of joy in anyone's heart. Whether it was Su Yao with her pale face, Xuan Xiao with his eyes wide with astonishment, or Yun Tianhe, Murong Ziying, and Han Qingxian who were all bewildered and at a loss, they all listened intently to the cold words of Jiu Tian Xuan Nu, their faces gradually changing.

  Shen Bailian's gaze turned to the man in white, with long hair scattered, not far away, and his heart was filled with emotions. He saw that the surprise on Xuanyue's face gradually faded, but the arrogance in his eyes grew stronger. Suddenly, a loud laugh broke through the high-and-mighty declaration of Jiutian Xuannü: "What heavenly way, what divine will? All are just nonsense! My life is controlled by myself alone, I want to become an immortal, and no one can stop me!" As soon as his cold words fell, the sword hummed, and the light on the Xuhao Sword suddenly jumped up like flames, flying out in an instant, piercing through Jiutian Xuannü's shadow. But the golden shadow only shook lightly and returned to its original state, revealing that it was just an illusion.

  "Xuan Xiao, your crimes are deep and numerous, yet you still intend to defy the will of Heaven?!" The icy voice of the Ninth Heaven's Mystical Lady finally revealed a hint of anger.

  "Heaven's will?" Xuan Xiao coldly smiled and retorted, "The vast heavens are above, I respect and fear them! But if you want me to take the orders of the divine realm as heaven's will, and be controlled by the divine realm, that is a fantasy! You divine realm won't let me become an immortal? Haha, fine, fine!" He suddenly raised his head to gaze at the gray sky above, his eyes bursting with an unusual aura, each word striking the hearts of the crowd like a golden stone, stirring up waves and ripples. "I, Xuan Xiao, swear on my life, if the heavens abandon me, I... will... become... a demon!!!"

  Everyone was shocked and changed color.

  "Rumble——!!!!!"

  A deafening roar suddenly shook the heavens, and in an instant, the light of Kunlun was extinguished. The high vault of heaven, unknown how far away from Mount Kunlun, was left with only the extreme arrogance of Xuan Xiao's cold smile, which reverberated back and forth between the flowing clouds and lightning, almost to the point of madness.