Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: Forging Eternal Suffering

  "Rumble——!!!!!"

  In an instant, a thunderclap shattered the clouds that had been gently floating around the Volcano Stage, and in the high ninth heaven, the Kunlun heavenly light that had been circulating for millions of years was extinguished in the blink of an eye, turning into nothingness.

  It was as if millions of lamps went out simultaneously in front of everyone, and the golden light disappeared from the sky overnight. The dark clouds that covered the sky were stirred by the wind into a huge vortex, hanging low over people's heads, like a giant eye in the sky, quietly gazing at the people on the Cloud Volume Platform.

  The thunder on the horizon still echoes in my ears, but on the rolling cloud platform, there is a dead silence, with only a few high and low breaths, proving that several hearts cannot be calm.

  "A gust of wind swept in, the shadow of Jiutian Xuan Nu flickered uncertainly in the wind. She raised her head to look at the sky, seemingly also shocked by the strange phenomenon before her eyes. Her majestic voice had a hint of astonishment, 'The heavens are moved, Xuanyue, your guilt is deep, do not be obstinate and unenlightened!'"

  A cold snort echoed out, gradually becoming a series of intermittent, mocking laughs.

  "Hmph, the Way of Heaven?... What a wonderful Way of Heaven!"

  The man standing at the corner of the lotus stone platform looked up at the gradually lowering whirlpool in the sky, as if he was deeply staring into the eyes of the so-called heaven. The tall and slender figure stood upright in the bleak wind, his wide sleeves fluttering and making a rustling sound, entwining with his scattered black hair, but he didn't care at all, only carrying a hint of coldness, resentment, and sadness, quietly, quietly gazing up at the sky.

  Can heaven see through the pain in his heart?

  In the dim light, those eyes that seemed to fly like a phoenix appeared to be carrying the flames of the nine hells burning fiercely, shining brightly to an unimaginable degree. The vermilion mark between his eyebrows had already burst into three narrow red scars, like a blazing red lotus, blooming on his proud forehead.

  Finally, he spoke again, his voice cold and detached, with a hint of hatred, like a sharp sword, fiercely piercing the gods floating in mid-air, who thought they were high above, piercing their so-called heavenly way.

  "...Penglai State avoided the world and was established, my father and mother had always been kind to the people, never made mistakes, but were brutally murdered by treacherous officials and traitorous sons. My younger sister was only sixteen years old, yet she also ended up with a mutilated corpse! I suffered national hatred and family resentment, in the midst of a desperate life, where is justice?!"

  "...I have gone through hardships, entered the Qinghua sect, and am willing to reverse my body's meridians to cultivate this Heart Method of Yangyan. When I lost my hope, with a burning heart, where is the Heavenly Way?!"

  "...Qionghua's thousand-year-old wish was ruined by a single mistake, I supported the sword pillar and went mad, but Qionghua abandoned me without a care, locking me in a dark and endless prison. I was sealed in solid ice for 19 years, with no one to ask about my fate... Where is justice?!"

  "What is the principle of all things having a cause, what is the law of all things following the chain of causation! It is established through cultivation and destroyed by it, a life of hardship and suffering far surpasses joy, isn't this just the fate that Heaven has given me? If one says that Heaven has virtue, why hasn't it even granted me a bit of kindness? Such heavenly principles... Ha ha, what's the use of such heavenly principles?"

  The sound was mournful and piercing, every word cutting to the heart. The increasingly hoarse voice was filled with infinite indignation and infinite questioning, directly accusing the heavens. Even the high and mighty Ninth Heaven's Xuannü was intimidated by Xuán Yǎo's aura, and for a moment, she had nothing to say.

  However, on the lotus stone platform, Shen Bailian was in a different state of mind.

  Xuanxiao Shidi...

  He gazed at the man's face, which seemed to be a mixture of pleasure and pain, and in his heart, there was a voice questioning: Shen Bailong, if you had known from the beginning that your careless words would push this young man onto the path of cultivation, ultimately leading him to be feared by the divine realm and abandoned by the heavens, would you still have deliberately befriended him at Qinglong Town? Would you still have put on a hypocritical face in front of him? You had intentionally told Su Yu the truth, luring her to escape with her sword, causing him to be sealed in ice for nineteen years all alone in the forbidden land. Not nineteen days, not nineteen months, but nineteen whole years! Now, do you still want to watch as he is punished by heaven once again and imprisoned for another thousand years?

  No, this time it absolutely can't...

  Shen Bailian gazed steadily at the person's profile, but her heart gradually calmed down.

  He has made up his mind.

  On the rolling cloud platform, Xuan Xiao's majestic demeanor was fully displayed as he stood proudly with his head held high and chest out, like a treasured sword unsheathed. The auspicious clouds floating in front of him shone brightly together with him, while the whirlpools of air currents rising slowly from the sky above hung over his head, adding an air of grandeur to this proud figure.

  He coldly swept his gaze over the crowd on stage, his eyes without a hint of fluctuation, as if even the Nine Heavens Mystical Lady had not been seen by him. In the midst of the raging wind, his murmured voice was surprisingly clear and entered everyone's ears: "The heavens are not benevolent... The heavens are not benevolent! What fear does I, Xuan Xiao, have?" He seemed to be asking himself in a low tone, his lips suddenly curling up into an extremely cold and arrogant smile, with an unusual gleam in his eyes. "I, Xuan Xiao——what fear do I have?"

  The cold and stern voice had just fallen when a strong aura suddenly rose from the stone platform, shooting straight up into the sky. Everyone was shocked, and then they realized that the aura came from Xuanyue's body. Looking at him again, his expression was pale and his heart was racing.

  Only to see that the person's forehead had three vermilion marks as red as blood, almost dripping down, set against those eyes that showed a crazed state and emitted a faint red glow, making it even more terrifying. However, Xuan Xiao just stood there, coldly laughing to himself, seemingly completely unaware of his own transformation. Xu Yao, who was closest to Xuan Xiao, saw him in this state and was shocked pale, if not for the restraint left on her by the Ninth Heaven's Mystical Lady, she would have already retreated three steps, wishing to get as far away from him as possible.

  Crack! Crack!

  A few low rumbles, as if something was bursting inch by inch in the air, followed by a "whoosh" sound. On that slender figure, a red flame over a foot long suddenly appeared out of thin air. The flames danced back and forth with the wind, yet never left his body for an instant, nor did they harm his skin in the slightest, as if they were one with Xuan Xiao himself. Suddenly, a red glow flashed on Xihe's sword, and it let out a deafening roar. Several tongues of flame burst forth from it, connecting with the flames surrounding Xuan Xiao, greatly increasing their intensity.

  In mid-air, the figure of Jiutian Xuan Nü shook violently, and the floating golden light also suddenly dimmed. She exclaimed: "Xuan Xiao, you!" Her voice trembled, clearly greatly shocked, completely different from her previous calm dignity.

  Xuan Xiao coldly smiled without stopping, suddenly taking a step forward, stretching out his hand to grasp the hilt of Xihe's sword. The sound of Xihe's sword rang out clearly, and in an instant, a brilliant red light burst forth, as if the sword itself had come to life, knowing that it was once again connected to its master's true power, seeming to be extremely delighted.

  Shen Bailian and others were all stunned, a thought surging in their hearts: Xuan Xiao... how could he move?

  At the time of Jiutian Xuan Nu's descent, she exerted her mighty pressure to suppress everyone. Later, when Emperor Tian issued a warning to the people of Qionghua, he personally used his divine power to seal Su Xiaoyao and Xuan Xiao, rendering them unable to resist. Although Xuan Xiao and Su Xiaoyao were among the best in the mortal realm's cultivation world, they found it difficult to contend with the immortal gods. Unexpectedly, at this moment, a surge of resentment in Xuan Xiao's heart propelled his powers forward, allowing him to break free from the seal. The "crackling" sound everyone heard earlier was clearly the noise he made when breaking the seal.

  The Nine Heavens Xuan Nü never thought that a mortal could achieve such a feat, and at this moment she was both shocked and enraged: "Xuan Xiao, spare your life for now, but in the future you will surely be a source of trouble!"

  Xuan Xiao looked up at her, his expression as if he was looking down on an ant, and burst out laughing: "Not bad! If I can't become a fairy, then I'll become a demon! I advise you to get rid of me quickly, otherwise after I become a demon, I will definitely go to the realm of the gods and flatten it, to avenge today's humiliation!"

  "Rumble——!!!"

  Another deafening roar, followed by a bolt of lightning that suddenly struck the lotus stone platform, causing the entire platform to shake violently. The sound of shattering rocks was heard, and everyone looked down to see that the original Tai Chi diagram on the stone platform had slowly cracked open, revealing a huge gap, like a long snake, ugly and sprawling across the ground.

  "Xuan Xiao, your heart demon has formed, even the Heavenly Way cannot tolerate you. If you do not repent for your past mistakes, I fear that soon you will lose your soul and dissipate into nothingness. I advise you to take care of yourself!" The Ninth Heaven Xuan Nu shouted angrily.

  His face was filled with an air of arrogance, but it all turned cold and cruel. He gazed up at the sky, where a massive whirlpool in the heavens was spinning faster and faster, as if all the clouds in the sky had transformed into countless streams of air within the whirlpool. Amidst the flowing clouds, dazzling lightning flashed from time to time, like dragons, snakes, or sharp blades, but more like flowers that bloomed and withered in an instant, bursting forth and disappearing across the entire sky.

  After a long time, another heartbreaking and urgent voice suddenly sounded on the lotus platform: "Big brother, don't do this anymore. Why must you keep fighting and insist on becoming an immortal? Meng Li, Huai Shuo, Xuan Ji... I've already lost so many friends, I don't want to lose you too, big brother..."

  Xuan Xiao turned his head, looking at the young man standing opposite him, who was supporting Han Qingxian. The flashing lightning reflected in Yun Tianhe's clear eyes, as if it were a never-ending hope. When Yun Tianhe saw Xuan Xiao's unmoved expression, he mustered up his courage and said: "Big brother, stop!" Xuan Xiao only silently stared at him, his eyes obscure and unclear.

  Murong Ziyin noticed something was off about him and stepped forward, blocking Cloud Heavens River and Han Qinglian behind her. She reached out to grasp the hilt of his sword: "Heavens River is right, Master Xuanxiao, it's not too late to turn back now."

  "Going back?" Xuan Xiao said in a low voice, seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling.

  "Not bad, you..."

  Murong Ziyin hadn't finished speaking when Su Yao interrupted her in a low voice, "Enough, Ziyin!" She glanced at Xuanyue with a gloomy expression and said quietly, "No need to persuade him anymore. Once he makes up his mind, it will never change. Moreover, I have committed such a great mistake with him that it's no longer something you can control. I'm willing to accept the punishment, as for Xuanyue... everything is up to the gods' disposal. Now that the Qionghua faction is about to fall, you should quickly leave here and return to the ground."

  " Sect Master..." Murong Ziyin looked at Su Yao in surprise.

  Su Yao shook her head slightly and said in a low voice, "The destruction of the Qionghua Sect is at our hands, and we have no face to meet the ancestors. In the past, I was jealous of your talent and didn't let you practice advanced immortal techniques. It was my short-sightedness..." As she spoke, she suddenly reached into her sleeve and took out a jade ring with all her might, trembling as she handed it to Murong Ziyun. "This Lingguang Miao Jade is the key to opening the forbidden land. On the day our sect ascended, I used up all my strength to leave the forbidden land and the Sword Mausoleum in the body of Mount Kunlun. Who would have thought that this move would really come true today... The secret techniques of our sect are all in the forbidden land. Ziyun, the task of reviving the Qionghua Sect will be left to you from now on..."

  "Seal the gate!" Murong Ziyin was greatly shocked.

  Su Yao smiled slightly, turned her head to look at Xuan Xiao, and let out a soft sigh. The golden light surrounding her suddenly burst into radiance, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into one of the countless golden lights that shot up from the mountains of the Qinghua Sect, disappearing into the eastern horizon like a shooting star.

  The whirlpool in the sky has almost reached the lotus stone platform, and the swirling air currents have blown the robes of the people on the platform into a fluttering mess, while the flashing lightning bolts are also closing in, weaving together into a dense giant net.

  Xuan Xiao coldly smiled to himself, not fearing in the slightest as he withdrew his gaze from the horizon: "Heh... am I the only one left once again?" The laughter contained a hint of self-mockery, but ultimately transformed into unwavering determination. "Even if I'm alone, even if I'm against the heavens, what is there for Xuan Xiao to fear?"

  "Boom——"

  A flash of lightning struck from the sky in an instant.