Chapter 218 - Big Brother, I Don't Want to Die!
Back in the Ancestral Temple, the millions of demons fell silent. They had heard the Divine Dawn Empress' proclamation and the thunderous roars coming from the streets of the Heavenly Realm.
It was clear that the words of the Divine Dawn Empress had struck a deep chord in the hearts of the masses, overpowering the Demon Continent with sheer aura in a masterful stroke of psychological warfare!
The silence of millions of demons was witnessed by all—the Violet Emperor, the four Demon Emperors, and the three devils from the Endless Netherworld, they all saw it!
The Violet Emperor and hundreds of officials from the Violet Sky Immortal Empire watched coldly as four of the Nine Divine Guards unmasked themselves.
Wei Feng, the Prime Minister of Violet Sky, said with a dark expression, “The moment their families are saved, they rush to show themselves. Do they really think they can fully control their four Empires?”
“Having been followers of Divine Dawn for so long, they would have stood up even if their families weren’t saved,” the Violet Emperor said indifferently.
“I never thought these four old fools would have such a strong belief in Divine Dawn,” Wei Feng sneered.
“To plead for the common folk, such a noble act. What’s a few of our people's deaths in comparison?” the Violet Emperor spoke in a low voice.
“Your Majesty?” Wei Feng was slightly startled. “You seem worried?”
The Violet Emperor let out a slow breath and shook his head. “No need to worry. Once we've chosen this path, looking back is but an abyss. If they are noble, we are vile. Let's play our parts well.”
With a cold chuckle, he continued, “Doesn’t matter anymore. In the end, when the Heavenly Realm falls and the other four great Immortal Empires are reshuffled, I, as the sole Emperor of the Divine Continent, can write the history myself. I’ll blacken these pieces of trash into the annals. You were born by divine decree? I’ll have future generations curse you as being born of a demon!
“Whoever holds the pen of history, holds the mandate of heaven!”
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Elsewhere, in a dark underground palace, the War Princess with black hair and red eyes also listened to the Divine Dawn Empress' declaration of war through a window, her eyes shining faintly. She couldn’t help but extend her bright red tongue, stretching it so long it could even touch her ear.
"So beautiful," she murmured.
“If the princess wishes, we can leave her alive,” a man in a black robe said with a smile.
“Hmm, maybe as a little maid. Keep her.” The War Princess smiled faintly. “I always love tender girls. Their blood is the most delicious.”
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BOOM BOOM BOOM! Back in the Divine Dawn Palace, tens of thousands of dense, blood-red lightning snakes intertwined around the grand hall. The palace had turned into a thunder pool!
The Nine Divine Guards, the Supreme Marshal, Sword Saint Sun, Nangong Xi, Zhao Xuanjian, and other human powerhouses were stunned in front of the palace.
"What in the world are they doing in there?" Su Lianlian, her cheeks glowing hotter, asked the Supreme Marshal, listening to those odd noises coming from inside. As she spoke, the palace trembled like a leaf in the wind, the ground cracking like an old man's back.
The Supreme Marshal, feeling like his heart was being squeezed through a lemon squeezer, gritted his teeth and spat, "How the hell should I know!"
"Boy, our girl sure is feisty. Starting a war and then pampering her man to boost the spirits," Zhao Xuanjian said, his eyes wide as saucers.
"I'll pamper your father!" The Supreme Marshal, red as a beet, choked him in a fit of rage.
The crowd couldn't help but snicker.
"Supreme Marshal, a grown girl's gotta get hitched. They're a match made in heaven, truly admirable," Nangong Xi consoled.
"Get hitched? Why don't you three go get hitched?" Sword Saint Sun rubbed his temples like he was trying to wipe away a bad dream.
"Erm..." Su Lianlian quickly interjected, "Leave me out of this, I'm not even thirty yet, still a spring chicken."
Nangong Xi thought for a moment, then bit her lip. "Our people aren't yet safe, we're too humble to forget the nation's woes, always putting state affairs first."
"Bah, look at that fifteen-year-old." You Yue couldn't help but blush with shame.
Here was this fifteen-year-old, leading the human race to war against demons and pretenders, then starting another battlefield right on the dragon throne, while the over-thirties stood outside just listening.
In this era, it was normal to have kids at this age. But still, this was way too young.
At the palace gate, there were two critters. One, a dark creature with long horns and deep blue eyes, not quite a cat, not quite a dog. And a little white tiger, looking mighty as can be.
"Look! This is what we've been growing secretly!" Red Moon suddenly blurted.
"Mamma mia!" Blue Star's face turned as red as a cherry, hastily trying to muzzle that blockhead.
"Heh." The little white tiger gave them a glance.
"You're called Pomelo?" Blue Star tried to change the subject.
"Scram." The little white tiger lifted its head, not in the mood to bother with them.
"Hey! We're trying to be polite here, and you get all huffy?" Blue Star got riled up, "What’s with the act? Your master's about to bawl."
"Heh, let's see who cries," the little white tiger snorted.
"Huh?"
About half an hour later, the two beasts and the group of elders outside felt something odd.
"Something wrong?"
The little white tiger's expression changed, the King character on its forehead wrinkling, its eyes shifting.
"Ha, our brother's won big!" Blue Star was laughing when suddenly its face changed too. "What's going on?"
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Inside the palace, atop the dragon throne, wild lightning danced around the two figures.
"Yun Xiao, it's time for you to start anew," Chen Xi said softly, gazing at him. Her eyes were half-closed, her face flushed red as if she was about to faint.
"What do you mean?" Yun Xiao looked down at her, his voice as calm as a summer lake.
"I need your strength to slay demons. You recover quickly. Once I conquer the Demon Continent and eradicate the demons, the Empire, the glory, everything will be yours. Help me rebuild the human world, protect the people in my stead," she said, her voice faltering.
"And where will you go?" Yun Xiao asked.
Her gaze was distant, lost. "I'll end my life at the Sword Dao Monument, joining those who've been sacrificed..."
"What if we win? Must you still end your life?" Yun Xiao frowned slightly.
"Victory or not, there are always sacrifices. Eternal Joy has already cost a million lives... these are my sins..." Her head lowered, sorrow palpable, her delicate frame trembling.
"Nonsense, this isn't your fault," Yun Xiao moved closer, whispering earnestly, "Remember our ranking on the Ascension Board? You lost to me. Without my consent, you can't die."
Chen Xi shook her head, her eyes dimming. "No, death is my destiny. I must die."
"For heaven's sake! Are you sick in the head?" Yun Xiao said, exasperated. Despite his scolding, she remained lost in her distant gaze. After a while, her eyes grew more intense, a determination emerging.
"You've absorbed so much of my Yin Void power. It's time you return it..." As Chen Xi spoke, Yun Xiao could feel his Yang Void power being drawn from him, bridging towards her.
"Return it, my foot. Rest, and stop this death-seeking nonsense," Yun Xiao said. Her words only strengthened Yun Xiao's resolve. He said no more, suddenly channeling the Primordial Void Technique. The magic power in his Dantian swirled like a blazing sun, drawing the vast power from her body like moths to a flame.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! Chen Xi couldn't absorb a single bit of Yun Xiao's power. Instead, her own sacred power poured out like a dam had burst.
In just an instant, the magic power in Yun Xiao's Dantian surged! Another leap in strength was on the horizon!
Chen Xi's face, still crowned with the nine-bead diadem, changed dramatically. "You! What the..." Her eyes went wide with shock.
"You made a blunder," Yun Xiao said calmly.
"No! This can’t be!" Her face suddenly frosted over with cold fury. A wave of murderous intent surged from her eyes!
"You can't escape this. It's inevitable," Yun Xiao declared.
"Ignorant mortal, how dare you defy my destiny!" Her eyes blazed with blood-red lightning, anger and divine wrath pouring forth.
"Why are you so mad? Can't you just start over?" Yun Xiao was baffled. Her rage was beyond his expectations.
"Born of a heavenly decree, descended to protect humanity, and you dare disrupt my fate?" She lunged, her nails digging into his flesh as lightning seared down! Luckily, most of her power was already swallowed up by Yun Xiao; otherwise, she might have snapped his neck right there!
"Have you gone mad? Turning on me like this?" Yun Xiao called out in surprise. She was actually trying to kill him! He was utterly dumbfounded. A conversation would have sufficed, why resort to murder?
SLAP! Unable to kill Yun Xiao, she instead slapped him across the face. Her eyes turned strange, a mix of confusion and fury, her beautiful face contorting! She glared at Yun Xiao, her red lips parting to utter a solemn chant. "Primordial Mother of the Dao, savior of the suffering, dispeller of calamity, protector of the Dao in the human world!"
This chant echoed endlessly in Yun Xiao's ears, nearly driving him insane. Then, she seemed to freeze, her face stern and imposing, staring intently at Yun Xiao, repeating the chant over and over. "Primordial Mother of the Dao, savior of the suffering..."
"Never mind, just rest," Yun Xiao said. She was behaving too bizarrely. And he, not understanding the situation, continued to draw on the Primordial Void Technique to absorb her power. During this process, tears streamed down her eyes, looking at Yun Xiao with immense sorrow and fury.
"Why the tears now..." Yun Xiao was on the verge of madness. It was one thing to have an equal struggle, but now she was crying, tugging at his heartstrings. But he was powerless to stop it!
"Dispelling calamity..." she murmured through tears.
BANG! Suddenly, the grand doors of the palace burst open with a crack, and a little white tiger charged in.
"Ignorant mortals, daring to harm the savior of the suffering!" The little white tiger roared, transforming into a streak of white light, and slammed into Chen Xi's delicate body.
With that collision, they were forcefully separated. This abrupt interruption of their cultivation sent unruly power surging through Yun Xiao. Blood spurted from his mouth, his flesh torn asunder, the pain driving him to his limit. And the girl was in the same state!
"What!" Yun Xiao's mind went blank.
"Yun Xiao..." She suddenly called out, her voice filled with utter confusion and fear.
"I'm here!" Yun Xiao stood up, only to see her floating in the air, like a kite with its string cut.
HUM! Behind her, the Primordial Bell opened, turning into a swirling vortex adorned with countless runes.
These runes vaguely formed words—
「Primordial Mother of the Dao, Primordial Immortal Ancestor, Ancestor of the Human Race, Diviner of the Universe, Embodiment of the Arcane, Holder of the Dual Forces of Sun and Moon, Shaper of the Ultimate Reality. Sitting upon the throne, with four majestic heads and eight mighty arms, saving all beings!」
As the vortex appeared, Chen Xi's eyes lost their human spark again, and she resumed her chant. Then, she drifted towards the vortex!
This sight tore at Yun Xiao's heart.
"Quick! Kill her!" Blue Star's voice, frantic to the extreme, suddenly rang in Yun Xiao's ears.
"What did you say?" Yun Xiao glared at Blue Star, then reached out to grab her.
The vortex emanated a power beyond the mortal realm, pulling Yun Xiao along with it.
"She's the Primordial Immortal Ancestor's incarnation of transcending calamity! If you don't kill her now, your path to Immortal Dao is doomed! Kill her to preserve her consciousness from this life, or she'll truly vanish, reduced to a mere thought in the Dao!" Blue Star was almost spitting blood in his urgency.
"Kill! Brother! Kill her now!" Red Moon howled.
"Kill..." Half of her body was already swallowed by the vortex!
What incarnation of transcending calamity? What thought of the Dao? Yun Xiao's heart was convulsing. What was happening...? He grasped his Sword Soul tightly, his eyes trembling as he gazed at the girl, lost in her chant.
"Primordial Mother of the Dao, savior of the suffering..."
"Chen Xi!" Yun Xiao's throat burned as he called her name.
At that moment, her chanting lips quivered slightly, her eyes opening a fraction, whispering, "Big Brother, I don't want to die..."
Yun Xiao's heart shattered.
"Kill her!" Blue Star shouted, near fainting as Chen Xi was about to vanish into the vortex.
Chen Xi didn't want to die! But to save her, Yun Xiao had to kill her!
Yun Xiao bit his lip, crying out in anguish, and thrust his sword through her heart! "Ugh..." With that strike, his eyes turned bloodshot, his strength drained, collapsing to the ground with a thud. Before him, the girl's eyes dimmed forever.
"No! No!" The vortex wailed, shrinking to a walnut-sized white bell that fell to the ground, its light fading. And the girl's lifeless body fell from the air.
Yun Xiao, trembling, caught her in his arms.
"Can we meet again..." In her last moments, Chen Xi tugged at Yun Xiao's clothes, but before he could answer, her delicate hand fell. Her beautiful eyes slowly closed.
"We can! We can!" Yun Xiao screamed with all his might. Could she hear him? No one knew. Since his parents passed, he hadn't felt such torment. His feelings for Lady Hua Lian were more guilt and pity, after all, he had used her. But this girl in his arms, she was different.
Before Yun Xiao could take another look at her, her body transformed into a wisp of blue smoke and vanished! Finally, she solidified into a white crystal in his hands.
"That's great!" Seeing the white crystal, Blue Star let out a sigh of relief and burst into joyful laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" Yun Xiao brought it closer to his eyes.
"You don't want her to die, right? Well, she's not dead!" Blue Star said, lips curled.
"Not dead? She's turned into a stone..." Yun Xiao's eyes were red.
"Exactly! That means she's alive!" Blue Star said with certainty.
"..." Yun Xiao was stunned. He took a deep breath and sat on the steps in front of the dragon throne.
The Supreme Marshal and the others were still outside, clueless about what had happened inside, not daring to enter.
Yun Xiao had to ask them to wait a bit longer! He calmed his emotions, carefully cradling the white crystal, then asked Blue Star, "What exactly happened? Explain it to me!"
"I didn't expect she was the Primordial Immortal Ancestor's incarnation of transcending calamity! I thought she was just a lucky girl who received a small part of the Primordial Immortal Ancestor's teachings..." Blue Star said somewhat incredulously.
"What's an incarnation of transcending calamity?" Yun Xiao asked.
"It's like a reincarnation! You could say she is the Primordial Immortal Ancestor, well, a part of her," Blue Star explained.
"She's the Primordial Immortal Ancestor?" Yun Xiao felt a bit relieved, thinking that if she was that, she probably wouldn't die...
"Sort of, but not entirely... Frankly, an incarnation of transcending calamity of the Primordial Immortal Ancestor shouldn’t fall in love or cause karma in the mortal world. That's why I didn't think of it before. Maybe because you're the Creator Immortal, she unconsciously broke her vows!" Blue Star mused.
"You're something else, Brother! She once waited outside your door for eons, and you ignored her. Now, right after your rebirth, you got together with her. Back then, she admired you so much, wanted to call you 'Brother,' but you insisted on being called 'Master.'" Red Moon chuckled mischievously.
"..." Yun Xiao was speechless. His heart was aching, and these two were rambling on?
"What exactly is this incarnation of transcending calamity?" Yun Xiao looked at the crystal in his hand.
"Hmm... How do I explain this in a simple way." Blue Star said, scratching its head. "Back when you were a mortal Emperor, you know all those stories you read about a Hero or Chosen One appearing when the world faces a dire threat? She's basically that.
"The Primordial Immortal Ancestor is the ancestor of humanity. So, she naturally protects all humans. Just like the words she chanted. When humans in certain realms face calamity from foreign threats, she uses the Heavenly Decree Curse to split her body. She reincarnates in that realm to overcome the calamity, descending to the mortal world to dispel misfortune and protect humanity. I thought it was odd how much this girl resembled her, turns out she really is her!"
"That's possible?" Yun Xiao was bewildered.
"Not many know this. But it can't escape our eyes." Blue Star chuckled.
Yun Xiao pondered, "This is good, right? How does it conflict with me? I'm also fighting for humanity."
The matter of being the Creator Immortal seemed too distant for him, and he had no grudge against the Primordial Immortal Ancestor. Hearing that she, the ancestral deity of humanity, had reincarnated herself to protect humans, he even felt a fondness for her, because of Chen Xi.
"But it conflicts greatly with you! You were about to drain her power, breaking the Heavenly Decree Curse, shattering her destiny. Her incarnation would have been reabsorbed, and once that happened, the Primordial Immortal Ancestor would know of your existence. You'd be gone! Forget about becoming the Creator Immortal... And, once the incarnation is reabsorbed, her consciousness would be absorbed by the Primordial Immortal Ancestor, becoming one in a billion. Then she'd truly be gone," Blue Star explained calmly.
Chen XI returning to the Primordial Immortal Ancestor was the same as death!
"Brother, now you see why she was always seeking death? It's the destiny bound by the Heavenly Decree Curse. All incarnations of the Primordial Immortal Ancestor, after completing their mission, will find various reasons to end their lives and return to the source. Even if you had incapacitated her, as long as the calamity facing humanity is resolved, she'd only do one thing in her life—commit suicide. You can't stop her from dying," Blue Star said, his lips curling.
Unless one completely restrained Chen Xi, making her immobile, it was impossible to stop someone destined to die.
"What about now?" Yun Xiao asked, holding the white crystal.
"The Heavenly Decree Curse is broken, and you killed her before solving the calamity facing humanity. It means a failed relief. Uncommon for the Primordial Immortal Ancestor, but it happens occasionally. Even if she reincarnates again, it'll take fifteen years for the next Divine Dawn to be born. Besides, once you resolve the crisis here, she won't intervene... In short, she has many incarnations, all automatic, you get it?" Blue Star explained.
"And then? How does she become alive?" Yun Xiao asked.
"That's easy. This is called a Calamity Transcending Crystal, her memory storage. You just need to find another incarnation, and I can help you insert this crystal into it, awakening her consciousness," Blue Star smiled.
"Then you can continue playing the lover game with the Primordial Immortal Ancestor in secret, Creator!" Red Moon said with a mischievous grin.
"This is so complicated..." Yun Xiao felt heavy-hearted. How was he supposed to know when he would encounter another incarnation of transcending calamity?
"This is her only chance to live," Blue Star sighed. "You got emotionally involved with her, so your path as the Creator Immortal is bound to get tangled with the Primordial Immortal Ancestor."
".." Yun Xiao fell silent.
"Accept your fate. To attain enlightenment by killing your wife, that's the path to heaven," Blue Star said gravely, patting Yun Xiao’s arm.
"Get lost," Yun Xiao was still far from calm.
"To remake yourself as the Creator Immortal, you'll eventually have to devour the Primordial Immortal Ancestor! It's a ruthless path. And let me tell you, she's destined to die, and you must pierce her heart with a sword, just like today, because she is a traitor! The mastermind who set the plan in motion to divide and conquer you!" Blue Star declared coldly.
"Evil! Vile! Devious woman! Spurned and then lashing out in fury," Red Moon sighed. "Creator, if you had accepted her earlier, it wouldn't have come to this."
".." Yun Xiao didn't respond. His silence grew longer.
"What are you thinking about?" Blue Star asked.
"I'm pondering a question," Yun Xiao said.
"What's that?" Blue Star and Red Moon asked.
Yun Xiao looked towards the palace gates and said, "In this infinite universe called the Dao Realm, where many races coexist under a set of rules, our human ancestor personally reincarnates to protect and bless us... Isn't this Dao Realm fine as it is?"
"And then?" Blue Star's voice grew somber.
"What's it got to do with me? Why should I recreate myself as the Creator Immortal? To kill all the Six Ancestral Gods and rebuild the world order? Why rebuild when everything's fine?" Yun Xiao was confused.
"..." Blue Star and Red Moon fell into a deep silence.
"What do you think?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Brother," Blue Star pointed outside, "Divine Dawn is gone, the Primordial Array is broken, and you haven't absorbed much power. With both the Divine and Demon Continents at war, you should first think about how to protect your people."
"The Primordial Array is gone?" Yun Xiao picked up the now-dim white bell.
"So, don't you see?" Blue Star pursed his lips, "From the arrival of the heavenly energy, to the Great Merciful Tribulation shattering the Demon Continent's barriers, and now Divine Dawn's failed calamity relief, the disappearance of the Heavenly Realm's Primordial Array... all this indicates that you're just a variable, not a savior."
After hearing this, Yun Xiao held them in his embrace, sword in hand, looking out at the chaotic world. "Let's not jump to conclusions. We'll see as we go."
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