Xie Qingrong had always felt that his junior brother turning out like this was, at least in part, his own responsibility.
Among the four great immortal sects, aside from Zixiao Sect, the others were gradually shifting toward clan-like structures. Rufeng Sect was no exception—most of its elders shared the same surname. Thus, Luo Yi, as the sect master’s only son yet born without cultivation talent, bore pressures unimaginable to most. All the more so when there was also an outstanding adopted senior brother raised since childhood by the sect master and his wife.
Because of Luo Yi’s “waste” constitution, it was nearly certain that the heir would be Xie Qingrong.
Naturally, everyone either fawned on or admired Xie Qingrong, while showing disdain—or outright ignoring—Luo Yi, until he was treated as if he didn’t even exist.
But Xie Qingrong never wanted it that way. At first, he had truly intended to support his junior brother, to repay the kindness of his master and mistress.
He treated Luo Yi as his own younger brother, giving him endless patience and care. That was why, when their mistress secretly taught him puppet arts, he knew about it and supported it.
For someone of the immortal sects, having a skill to fall back on, to forge a unique path and protect oneself—that was a good thing.
And when he discovered Luo Yi’s talent in formations, he sought out all sorts of formation texts for him to study.
But then their mistress met with disaster. He had been there at the time, too weak to help. Because she had always treated him well, he regarded her as a mother. He blamed himself for not realizing earlier that she had strayed into demonic arts.
With her last strength, she had clutched his hand, saying: “Qingrong, Luo Yi cannot protect himself. You are his most beloved senior brother. Take this as my plea, and my debt to you in this life—protect your junior brother. Protect him all his life, keep him safe and well.”
Xie Qingrong nodded over and over again through his tears, watching his Master’s wife die before his very eyes, yet unable to tell Luo Yi the truth. Little Luo Yi only thought his mother had been killed by demons, crying and calling for her. From then on, Xie Qingrong looked after him, as though from that moment onward, only the two of them brothers could depend on each other.
Once, by accident, his eyes were injured, leaving him blind. Others thought he didn’t mind, but in truth he often lay awake at night, uneasy, because he too felt fear—afraid that after losing his sight, he would grow weak, unable to become strong again. If so, then who would protect Luo Yi?
So he trained harder than before his blindness, until blindness ceased to be an obstacle. Yet during that time, he neglected the changes happening in Luo Yi.
Luo Yi’s puppetry suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds. He thought Luo Yi had finally stopped being reckless and chosen instead to work hard, to study diligently, so he was glad to help him. But who would have thought Luo Yi gradually became violent, ruthless—though he hid it well before him, how could he possibly not notice?
If it were only a change in temperament, it would be one thing. But whenever he saw the focused gleam in Luo Yi’s eyes when studying, he was always reminded of his Master’s wife who had fallen into demonic ways.
Rufeng Sect began to show signs of trouble. Xie Qingrong secretly investigated, his unease growing. Just then the Void Spirit Secret Realm was about to open, and he had no choice but to leave.
Before leaving, he went to see Luo Yi. Luo Yi was still as clingy as ever, utterly obedient in front of him. He was poring over a book.
“What kind of puppetry is this? It actually requires an Immaculate Immortal Sprout?”
“It can increase a puppet’s spirituality, only the Immaculate Immortal Sprout is too rare. I plan to give up on it.” Luo Yi said, then suddenly changed the topic. “Senior brother, when you come back, how about we spar? I want to see how my puppetry compares to an excellent sword cultivator like you.”
Xie Qingrong was surprised. His little junior had never before asked to spar. But he never refused any of Luo Yi’s requests.
“Alright. Be good and wait for me to come back.” Xie Qingrong replied casually, inwardly thinking that the Void Spirit Secret Realm might indeed contain an Immaculate Immortal Sprout. He would look for one and bring it back to make his little junior happy.
But Luo Yi fixed his gaze on him and said softly, “Let’s make a bet. If I win, then from now on senior brother can only stay with me.”
He’d heard this often when they were children—especially when Luo Yi said it to Baili Jingzhan.
Xie Qingrong suddenly laughed. Though Luo Yi had grown, he was still childish at heart. Reaching out, he ruffled Luo Yi’s hair. “Haven’t I always been with you in Rufeng Sect?”
“Even if you leave Rufeng Sect, you must still stay with me,” Luo Yi said. The words sounded like a spoiled child’s demand, but to Xie Qingrong’s ears, they carried a faint chill.
“You mean you want to go down the mountain for training?” Xie Qingrong asked.
“Mhm. I want senior brother always by my side to protect me.” Luo Yi answered earnestly.
Xie Qingrong laughed again. “Even without a wager, if you go down the mountain, how could I not follow to protect you?”
“No. There has to be a bet. What if senior brother suddenly doesn’t want to anymore?” Luo Yi said.
Treating it like humoring a child, Xie Qingrong nodded. “Alright, alright, a bet. But what if you lose?”
Luo Yi grinned mischievously. “Then we fight again. Until I win.”
Xie Qingrong answered with another “Alright, alright,” and finally left.
But when he returned, the world had already turned upside down. His little junior’s misdeeds had been covered up, because Rufeng Sect couldn’t afford the shame.
The sect elders wanted to hunt Luo Yi down and kill him. The sect master, however, still couldn’t quite let go of his son. He hoped Xie Qingrong would first capture him and bring him back for questioning, and only then decide what to do. Perhaps the sect master still harbored a shred of hope—hoping Luo Yi had merely been controlled, for no living witness had ever seen Luo Yi truly kill, and none knew he had already fallen.
In Linxun Town, the moment Xie Qingrong saw Luo Yi, he knew there was no path of return left. They fought a battle. Luo Yi won. Xie Qingrong was captured, turned into a living puppet, and carried at Luo Yi’s side ever since.
He knew Luo Yi was using his puppets to harm the people of Linxun Town. He had to stop him, could not allow more sins to be committed. So he risked his life to split his soul, sending part of it to seek help, and once again encountered the others.
He had planned to save the townsfolk, then set out alone in search of his junior, so as not to drag anyone else in. But he never imagined that Luo Yi had all along been hiding among them under the identity of Wu Hongxi, and in a moment of carelessness, he was once again seized.
When he was utterly helpless, he then heard of the calamity at the Spirit Gathering Formation.
He knew that if Luo Yi was allowed to continue, Jingzhan and the others would surely meet disaster, and the people of Linxun Town would not escape calamity either.
It was his fault—for failing to raise his junior properly, for failing to harden his heart when he needed to make choices. Everything was his fault, and he had to make amends.
So…
“Impossible! You’re lying—how could senior brother possibly be in there!” Luo Yi shouted in disbelief. He thought they were tricking him into leaving. Yet the hand holding the jade figurine trembled.
The cracks on the little jade figure deepened, and even the surrounding puppets began to grow visibly unstable.
Jingzhan immediately rushed over, pressing his hand on the formation’s runes. In an instant, a red, vine-like glow seeped out from the ground, twining around Jingzhan’s fingers. It was their bond, allowing them to sense each other. They had forged it playfully during a past training trip when they encountered something amusing. Before, as long as they were in the same city, they could sense each other. Now, only at such close distance could it be felt—showing just how weak Xie Qingrong’s soul had become.
“Qingrong!” Jingzhan shouted, clawing deep marks into the ground.
Suddenly, someone charged past behind him. Gu Baiqing was about to strike, but froze the moment he saw the look on Luo Yi’s face.
Luo Yi shoved Jingzhan aside, throwing himself down on the ground, as if trying to sense something.
His face was utterly pale.
“It’s a soul-split… Xie Qingrong, you actually split your soul just to stop me?!”
A soul-split… and then another split?
Theoretically possible—but in practice, it was tantamount to courting death.
And now, wasn’t Xie Qingrong indeed using his very life to stop Luo Yi’s sins?
Luo Yi was shocked and furious, slamming his palm hard against the ground. A blinding light burst forth, and a phantom was dragged out of the earth—it was Xie Qingrong.
Xie Qingrong’s figure was already so faint as to be nearly transparent, and completely without consciousness.
Luo Yi seemed to want to pull Xie Qingrong’s split soul back, but it was already locked by the Spirit Gathering Formation and could not return.
“What’s going on? Save him!” Jingzhan had seen earlier that Luo Yi seemed to have a way, so he held back his temper. But as the seconds ticked by, he couldn’t restrain himself anymore.
Luo Yi’s face gradually turned ashen, his pupils trembling, his whole body frozen as he stared at the phantom.
Jingzhan had no means himself, so he turned toward Gu Baiqing—the strongest in cultivation—and Mo Xuanli—the one with the most ideas.
But one was desperately trying to absorb spiritual energy, the other lowering his head to alter the formation.
Their faces were so grim they were almost ugly. Neither of them looked at Xie Qingrong.
Jingzhan understood. They had no way either. The only thing they could do was calmly make use of the chance Xie Qingrong had created for them, and not waste his life.
But for Jingzhan, how could he possibly accept it? Xie Qingrong was his best brother in this lifetime. Apart from his elder brother, the one closest to him was Xie Qingrong. How could he allow Xie Qingrong to die here for the sake of this little beast?
He had wanted them to travel the world together, side by side.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. Their bond had not yet broken. Perhaps he could use that…
Jingzhan abruptly sat down, closed his eyes, and began to channel his soul’s vitality through the bond—intending to tie his life to Xie Qingrong’s, so that together they could burn themselves to suppress the formation.
Luo Yi watched from the side, his face twisted with unwillingness, almost feral—but he no longer dared act.
But Gu Baiqing suddenly shouted “Three Bean!” and the beast came barreling over, knocking Jingzhan aside.
“What are you doing!” Jingzhan roared.
“It’s useless. One sacrifice isn’t enough, and you want to die too? Xie Qingrong would never want to see that. Don’t let his death be in vain,” Gu Baiqing said coldly. If it were of use, he would not have stood in the way of their brotherhood. But in truth, there was no saving Xie Qingrong.
Gu Baiqing was even more frustrated. He had thought the ending could be changed, yet it turned out the same after all.
“Master, Xie Qingrong’s soul won’t last much longer. When the Spirit Gathering Formation collapses—”
“If you won’t listen to me, then don’t call me Master,” Gu Baiqing said, somewhat angry. Watching Xie Qingrong sacrifice himself gave him a realization—the power of this Spirit Gathering Formation was far greater than he had imagined from the novels he once read. Even with Xie Qingrong burning his soul’s vitality, it only suppressed it by two or three tenths. The rest, even if they patched the formation with supplementary arrays, was a drop in the bucket. They absolutely could not let Mo Xuanli take the risk.
“…Alright.” Mo Xuanli suddenly spoke. “I’ll listen to Master.”
Gu Baiqing let out a tight breath, tense to the extreme, and lifted his gaze toward Xie Qingrong not far away.
How cruel—waiting for Xie Qingrong’s soul to scatter, waiting for the crucial moment.
Suddenly, the little jade figurine shattered. Perhaps the remnant vitality lodged inside it had been drawn into the Spirit Gathering Formation. For an instant, Xie Qingrong’s phantom regained clarity.
“Stop crying. You look ugly.”
A familiar voice rang out. Jingzhan, kneeling on the ground with his head bowed, jerked his head up. He saw the phantom of Xie Qingrong wearing a faint smile, his clear eyes gazing at him.
“Xie Qingrong, think of a way. I have no way, even Xuanli and the others have no way. You… think again, just think, if there’s anything, we’ll shoulder it together!” Jingzhan’s voice rose into a roar, but the roar was broken with sobs of helplessness.
“Forgive me for troubling you… maybe we could have borne it together, but at the time, I could think of nothing else. And doing this… eases my heart a little. After all, it’s my fault…” His voice trailed, and he turned his eyes to Luo Yi before him.
At those words, Luo Yi—who had stood in a daze—shuddered all over.
Unknowingly, his hand had once again clasped that of his main body, like a frightened child clutching an adult for courage.
“…I’m sorry.” Suddenly, Xie Qingrong said.
Luo Yi stared at him, completely stunned.
“You’re insane!” Jingzhan shouted. “What are you apologizing for! What do you have to be sorry to him for? If not for him, you wouldn’t have—”
Xie Qingrong gave a bitter smile, and only looked at Luo Yi. “Back then, I learned the truth of master’s wife’s death, but hid it from you. Later, I didn’t take proper care of you, let you live such a wretched life. It was my failing that led you down this path. Don’t blame your senior brother. If there is a next life, and I meet you again, I will teach you properly.”
“Senior brother…” Luo Yi whispered in a daze.
After apologizing, Xie Qingrong’s expression hardened, turning stern and solemn—as he always had when punishing disciples who erred, never showing mercy in the moment, even if afterward he would secretly bring the best medicines to visit them.
“Junior brother, stop now. Don’t keep going astray. Go back with my companions and confess what the demons set you to do. Whatever the outcome—life or death—it is yours to bear. If you still try to flee, you cannot escape being hunted down. That should have been my hand to strike…”
Luo Yi gradually came to himself, glaring viciously at Xie Qingrong. “Righteousness above family, is it? Just like that d*mned old man! Even if it’s wrong, couldn’t you be wrong together with me? Shouldn’t you stand on my side?”
Xie Qingrong looked at him with a desolate smile, raising his hand as though to stroke this willful youth, but in the end he no longer had the strength to lift it.
The phantom wavered again.
“Xie Qingrong!” Jingzhan cried out.
But Xie Qingrong’s figure was irreversibly fading. His life truly was about to end.
Luo Yi’s pupils contracted sharply. He lunged forward to grab him—but his hand passed straight through.
His senior brother was about to be gone.
His great senior brother was about to vanish from this world.
Leaving behind only a living corpse of a puppet for him.
In that instant, time seemed to stop. Countless scenes of being with Xie Qingrong in the Rufeng Sect flashed through Luo Yi’s mind.
That gentle smile, the warm gaze, the caring concern, the protection that disregarded life and death…
It was all Xie Qingrong…
Was he really about to lose it all, truly about to… have nothing left?
A world without Senior Brother… was too cold, too dark, too terrifying.
Suddenly, Luo Yi’s pupils shrank. Forming a seal with his hands, he muttered under his breath.
I won’t allow you to disappear… I won’t…
Even if it costs me everything.
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