The Sword Named No Way Out Chapter 101

Chapter 101

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Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!

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Xu Shuangce realized something. “Is that ball of light Xuan Jinghe’s goodwill towards the Ghost Crown Prince?”

“Not just that,” Gong Wei said. “More precisely, it’s Xuan Jinghe’s strong desire for Qu Xie to survive at this moment. Qu Xie has collected this emotion – it’s a preemptive measure, ruthlessly cunning.”

Yuchi Rui was a bit puzzled. “Preemptive measure?”

Gong Wei pointed to the silver light that Qu Xie had collected into his sleeve. “Do you know how powerful a person’s dying wish can be? It’s the strongest and most sincere emotion at the brink of life and death. It can be said to be the most powerful ‘thought’ in a person’s life. If Qu Xie finds the right opportunity in the future and forcibly injects these ‘thoughts’ into Xuan Jinghe’s mind again, the intensity is enough to disturb Xuan Jinghe’s senses and even shake his Dao heart.”

—Shake the Dao heart.

Xu Shuangce suddenly remembered something and said, “Is this related to the Ghost Crown Prince’s escape from the seal later on?”

“That’s right. After the War of Annihilation, the Ghost Crown Prince was sealed under the Yellow Springs for thousands of years. Every day, he would listen to the teachings of the gods of the Western Border for an hour from afar, showing respect for his teacher and the Dao. Therefore, one year during the Lantern Festival, Xuan Jinghe felt that he had remorse in his heart and agreed to temporarily release him from the chaos for one day.”

“Who would have thought that as soon as the Ghost Crown Prince was freed, he immediately changed his face and subdued Xuan Jinghe, locking him in the blood pool in the temple and planting the deadly Blood Mandalas.”

“These events were all later recounted by Xuan Jinghe,” Gong Wei paused for a moment, his tone becoming somewhat cold. “But don’t you find it strange?”

“The god of the Western Border is so resolute and decisive, ruling over the Guiyuan with an iron fist, making decisive decisions and enforcing prohibitions. For thousands of years, not even half a glance has been spared for the Ghost Crown Prince. How could Xuan Jinghe, with such a heart of stone, suddenly one day, as if losing his mind, feel sorry for the Ghost Crown Prince and even agree to let him out for the Lantern Festival? As a result, one mistake led to eternal regret, and he ultimately ended up throwing himself off the rebirth platform?”

Yuchi Rui finally understood. “So, these emotions…”

“Yeah,” Gong Wei said with a heavy tone. “Xuan Jinghe probably never imagined that his goodwill towards Qu Xie, even if he were to sacrifice himself to let Qu Xie live, would become the source of all his future hardships.”

“…” At this moment, Xuan Jinghe moved and came back to his senses, sitting up and pressing his temples. “I… just now…”

Qu Xie, full of concern, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xuan Jinghe naturally didn’t know what was wrong, feeling groggy and unable to speak.

Just then, Zhao Zhaoyuan had a seizure, waking up from unconsciousness, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood as he struggled to his feet. He looked up and saw Xuan Jinghe not far away, his face suddenly turning pale.

“What are you… also…”

Xuan Jinghe waved his hand to indicate that Qu Xie was fine, then walked up, grabbing Zhao Zhaoyuan’s collar and hoarsely asked, “Where is the explosive buried?”

As soon as Zhao Zhaoyuan heard the word “explosive,” his whole body trembled violently. “What are you… trying to do? You can’t do this! My Zhao family’s century-old foundation, we still have disciples alive at the mansion—”

Xuan Jinghe emphasized his tone, repeating, “Where is the explosive buried?”

Zhao Zhaoyuan almost screamed, “You can’t do this! I’m willing to go to the Immortal Alliance with you and confess. Let’s go tonight. As long as the reinforcements from the Immortal Alliance arrive in Guicheng tomorrow, there’s still a chance! There’s still a chance!!”

“There’s no Immortal Alliance anymore,” Xuan Jinghe said lightly. “I already sent a warning signal to Mount Dai through the transmission array, but there was no response from the Immortal Alliance.”

Zhao Zhaoyuan’s sharp scream abruptly stopped as he realized the terrifying implication behind these words, and a chilling sensation shot from his heart to the top of his head.

—How could there be no response if there were still survivors in the Immortal Alliance?

“It’s impossible… even the Immortal Alliance…” Zhao Zhaoyuan pushed Xuan Jinghe away and tried to stand up. “You’re lying to me about blowing up Guicheng?! No, I’ll wait for the Immortal Alliance’s reinforcements to arrive tomorrow. I must wait for the Immortal Alliance’s reinforcements to arrive!!”

Slap!

Xuan Jinghe slapped Zhao Zhaoyuan hard across the face, causing blood to spurt from his mouth and nose.

“I won’t take any risks to let the tide of undead cross the mountain tonight and reach Yangzhou.”

Xuan Jinghe exerted force to lift Zhao Zhaoyuan, who was like a dead dog, from the ground, each word chilling to the bone. “If you don’t lead me to ignite the explosives, I will go to your remaining disciples. Didn’t you say there were still people alive in the Zhao Mansion? I’ll bring them down one by one, cut their tongues, chop off their hands, flay them alive. I don’t believe I can’t find someone begging for a quick death.”

As a person, Xuan Jinghe was cold-hearted and ruthless, and he meant what he said.

Zhao Zhaoyuan looked at Xuan Jinghe, his lips trembling, his legs trembling so much he couldn’t stand, and Xuan Jinghe pushed him forcefully against the wall. “Why aren’t you leaving yet!”

The secret passages established by the prominent families were no less than underground fortresses. Zhao Zhaoyuan, severely injured, stumbled several times, almost falling to the ground each time. Xuan Jinghe quickly grabbed him, infused him with spiritual energy, and reluctantly forced him to continue forward.

After passing through countless twists and turns in the complex underground passages, a faint smell of gunpowder gradually filled the air, and Qu Xie, with his keen senses, raised an eyebrow slightly.

They were close.

Sure enough, after passing through another underground checkpoint, the path suddenly opened up.

Before them was a dug-out underground dome, extremely high and deep, pitch-black and impossible to see the top. Surrounding it was a spacious area with a diameter as large as half a schoolyard, and the walls in all directions had hundreds of concentric grooves carved into them, filled with solidified black oil, resembling a spiraling black dragon leading straight to the highest point of the dome.

Xuan Jinghe casually took down a torch from the wall and shone it upwards.

As expected, at the highest point of the dome, a metal net was suspended in mid-air, supporting countless stacked cloth bags. Many bags still had black powder on them, emitting a strong smell of gunpowder.

A thousand-pound explosive.

Once the oil on the wall was ignited, flames would immediately spiral upwards like a roaring fire dragon, quickly burning along the grooves to the top of the dome, igniting all the gunpowder behind the iron net. The entire Guicheng would turn into ashes in an instant.

“We don’t… we don’t need to do this…” Zhao Zhaoyuan collapsed on the ground, unwilling to accept his fate in despair. “If the Immortal Alliance’s reinforcements arrive at dawn, if other noble families send people to rescue… the plague may not reach Yangzhou tonight. There may still be a chance, there may still be a chance…”

Xuan Jinghe remained silent, dragging him to the wall like dragging a dead dog, removing his outer robe, and firmly binding one of his hands to the iron ring on the wall where the torch was hung.

The end of the white silk ribbon embroidered with a small golden laurel leaf – the golden laurel leaf had always been the emblem of the Iron Sect Master family, suddenly turned into a brilliant golden light, tightly suspending Zhao Zhaoyuan’s hand on the iron ring like a steel cable, preventing him from taking a single step.

“I’ll escort you out of the city,” Xuan Jinghe turned to Qu Xie, his voice hoarse and calm. “Then I’ll come back to ignite the explosives.”

“Why?! Why can he leave?!” Zhao Zhaoyuan thought everyone was going to die, but unexpectedly, Qu Xie, this soft and weak mortal, could survive. He suddenly went mad under the intense stimulation. “Why let him go?! Are there no survivors left in the Zhao Mansion?! My family’s disciples are also innocent!”

Xuan Jinghe ignored him, holding Qu Xie’s hand and walking away.

“Why do you want to die but drag me along?! Why do you want to sacrifice yourself but drag me along?! Xuan Jinghe, Xuan Jinghe!!” Zhao Zhaoyuan struggled desperately at the wall, his sharp screams sounding nothing like those of a living person. “Don’t be so cruel! It’s not easy for you to cultivate yourself, you are a great master! As long as you’re willing to escape, maybe you can ascend in the future! Xuan Jinghe!!…”

The hoarse howls grew fainter and farther away.

Qu Xie stole a glance at Xuan Jinghe from the corner of his eye and sighed silently. After a moment, he said softly, “….Sect Master Xuan, what he said actually makes sense.”

Xuan Jinghe held a torch in one hand and pulled Qu Xie with the other, walking and saying lightly, “Which sentence?” 

“As long as you’re willing to survive, you’ll definitely have the opportunity to glimpse the Great Dao in the future, with boundless prospects, even ascending to immortality…” 

“Ascending,” Xuan Jinghe chuckled coldly. 

Throughout history, everyone sought the Great Dao, everyone sought ascension. Countless cultivators had sacrificed everything, but none had ever openly and mockingly uttered these words like Xuan Jinghe did. 

In the flickering firelight, there was an unmistakable chill in Xuan Jinghe’s eyes. “If I can’t even be an upright mortal, what’s the point of ascending to godhood?” 

Qu Xie’s steps faltered for a moment. 

Just then, Xuan Jinghe stepped over a stone step, looking at the deep tunnel ahead. “The exit is just ahead.” 

They absolutely couldn’t leave through this tunnel at this moment. Qu Xie’s mind raced, about to open his mouth to try various temptations, when suddenly Xuan Jinghe’s steps halted, abruptly turning to look behind him.

In the direction they had come from, the underground dome filled with oil and explosives had disappeared into the darkness, and the surroundings were as quiet as if everything had frozen, except for a sudden, faint—

Crack.

Xuan Jinghe suddenly realized something. “Not good.”

Before the words could hit the ground, he flew out like an arrow released from a bow, with Qu Xie following closely behind. In an instant, they traversed countless stone thresholds and forks, rushing straight into the vast underground space—

Zhao Zhaoyuan was nowhere to be seen.

On the iron ring attached to the wall, the segment of cloth that bound him was still there, now hanging with a bloody severed hand, teeth marks still visible at the wrist.

How desperate must a person be to bite off their own hand?

Xuan Jinghe shouted, “Stay here and don’t move!” Then, like a gust of wind, he rushed out the door. Just around the corner, Zhao Zhaoyuan’s clothes flashed by.

At a time like this, what could he possibly do?!

A deeply ominous feeling surged through Xuan Jinghe’s heart in an instant, but it was already too late.

Despite his severe injuries and self-inflicted severed wrist, Zhao Zhaoyuan, driven by excruciating pain, had erupted with his last breath of life, sprinting hundreds of feet along the dark tunnel. Xuan Jinghe almost grabbed the hem of his clothes several times but missed, narrowly escaping each time. He shouted in a stern voice, “Stop!”

With all his strength, Zhao Zhaoyuan threw himself forward!

At the end of the tunnel was a stone door. Zhao Zhaoyuan soared towards it, like a desperate gambler, roaring as he slammed the mechanism beside the stone door!

Boom!

The tunnel echoed with thunderous noises. Xuan Jinghe abruptly halted, feeling the ground beneath him tremble slightly.

“No one can destroy my Zhao family… No one,” Zhao Zhaoyuan gasped as he collapsed against the stone wall, like a desperate lunatic. He chuckled bitterly, “Xuan Jinghe, you wanted to die with honor, didn’t you? Go to h*ll!”

“You—”

“Die! All of you go to h*ll!”

Before Xuan Jinghe could utter a rebuke, Zhao Zhaoyuan laughed three times, then slammed his head against the wall, instantly splattering his brains!

Thump!

The body fell to the ground, but amidst the increasingly deafening rumbling, the noise no longer mattered.

The heavy stone door slowly opened, and a cold, bloody wind from the Zhao family’s backyard swept in. Then, the long and short wails began, and countless decaying figures appeared outside the door, flooding into the tunnel like a tide.

It was a horde of zombies!

Roar—

Roar—

Xuan Jinghe trembled and took a step back, then turned and dashed towards the explosives depot, leaving the eager undead behind. Ignoring everything else, he shouted, “Qu Xie! Run!”

They were just a few hundred feet away now, and the explosives depot was within reach. Qu Xie could already hear the commotion coming from outside. “What’s happening…” His expression changed dramatically when he saw the approaching horde of zombies not far behind Xuan Jinghe.

Xuan Jinghe grabbed him and shouted, “Run! I’ll send you out now!”

Qu Xie panicked. “But what about you?! How will you come back later?!”

Xuan Jinghe didn’t reply, abruptly stopping in his tracks.

At the end of the tunnel ahead, a familiar and terrifying roar grew closer. Then, a massive figure emerged from the darkness—it was Zhao Zhaoyuan, now a monstrous zombie.

The mechanism that Zhao Zhaoyuan had pulled with all his might before his death hadn’t just opened a stone door; it had opened all the secret doors connecting the tunnel to the outside world.

He had died with such force that all the zombies in the Zhao mansion were drawn to him, flooding into the tunnel!

Caught between a rock and a hard place, with enemies closing in from both ends, Xuan Jinghe took a step back. He caught a glimpse of the countless zombies behind him, now reaching the bend in the tunnel.

And not far ahead, Zhao Zhaoyuan fixed his yellowed eyes on Xuan Jinghe, his massive body surging forward like an arrow!

Xuan Jinghe had no choice. He pulled Qu Xie behind him, drew his sword with a clang, and sparks flew as it struck the giant zombie’s armored chest.

The armor on Zhao Zhaoyuan, now a zombie, was a Daoist treasure, and even when Xuan Jinghe wasn’t injured, it was difficult to cut through. Now, in his weakened state, his lightning-fast strikes left only dense white marks on the metal.

But the zombie, driven mad by the scent of blood and flesh so close at hand, swung its massive hands wildly in the air, steadily advancing in the narrow passage. Xuan Jinghe and Qu Xie were forced to retreat step by step, and Xuan Jinghe glimpsed the countless zombies from behind crawling into the bend in the tunnel—

Clang!

Xuan Jinghe held back the giant zombie’s fist with his sword, his right hand wound tearing open instantly, gushing blood. He turned to Qu Xie and shouted, “When I tell you to run, you run immediately!” 

Qu Xie anxiously asked, “But what about you?!” 

Xuan Jinghe’s roar was resounding and deafening, “I said run!!”

Just at that moment, a large group of shadowy figures surged behind them, with the foremost undead already eagerly grabbing at Qu Xie’s clothes.

The response from Xuan Jinghe was nothing short of peak performance. Leveraging the momentum, he suddenly leaped into the air, kicking the giant corpse heavily backward with one foot while using the other to step on the wall, spinning mid-air. His sword swept out like lightning, clearing out dozens of the leading undead with a single stroke!

The entire row of undead bodies were decapitated, and dozens of headless corpses fell backward, blocking the surge of undead that followed.

Immediately after, Xuan Jinghe landed gracefully, but before he could steady himself, he countered the iron fist of the Zhao family’s patriarch descending upon him. With a crisp sound of bones breaking, the rotten blood basin of the patriarch descended upon him, and Xuan Jinghe gritted his teeth, thrusting his sword upwards, piercing the giant corpse’s forehead.

A waterfall of black blood cascaded down as the sword pierced through the giant corpse’s head!

Without looking back, Xuan Jinghe shouted, “Run!”

Qu Xie’s pupils contracted.

The Zhao family patriarch, a generation’s hero, finally met his end. The colossal body collapsed like a mountain, firmly pinning Xuan Jinghe beneath.

Almost simultaneously, the undead behind them trampled over the remains of their brethren, scrambling to climb up. Soon, the passageway was blocked again!

From Xuan Jinghe’s perspective, lying close to the ground, all he could see was countless pairs of undead feet closing in on him. With his left arm completely shattered, his internal organs crushed as if turned into pulp, and his throat filled with scalding blood, he attempted to pull out his sword. However, the blade was stuck in the skull of the Zhao family patriarch, and try as he might, he couldn’t dislodge it. He gritted his teeth, trying to push himself out from under the giant corpse, only to realize that his right leg was completely numb.

“Wu—”

“Roar!”

The chests of the undead heaved as they emitted eerie howls. The foremost undead bent down, its dull, blackened face appearing in Xuan Jinghe’s line of sight, reaching out eagerly to grab him—

At that moment, a dagger plunged downward into its skull, the handle twisting as brain matter splattered, and with a kick, the undead was sent flying. Then, with force, Qu Xie pulled Xuan Jinghe out from under the patriarch’s corpse.

It was Qu Xie!

Xuan Jinghe gasped, but before he could even utter Qu Xie’s name, a mouthful of hot blood sprayed out from his mouth. Qu Xie gazed deeply at him, strange glints flashing in the depths of his eyes, and without hesitation, he covered Xuan Jinghe’s body with a black object, completely shielding him from head to toe.

In the blink of an eye, Xuan Jinghe realized what it was—the lock armor cut from the Zhao family patriarch’s body.

With one hand pulling Xuan Jinghe and the other arm shielding him like an iron clamp, Qu Xie whispered, “Let’s go!”

Xuan Jinghe felt himself being half-carried, half-thrown into the midst of the undead.

Countless black and decaying claws reached out from all directions, but they were all blocked by the lock armor, unable to touch Xuan Jinghe’s face or body underneath the armor plates. However, while the lock armor could withstand the scratching of the undead, it couldn’t block out the surrounding sounds. Amidst the sharp screams, Xuan Jinghe could distinctly hear the urgent tearing and gnashing sounds, as well as Qu Xie’s painful, heavy breathing.

Qu Xie’s steps were fast and decisive, his body half-protecting Xuan Jinghe as they swiftly advanced, like a black dagger cutting through the sea of undead, disregarding the muddy blood underfoot with every step.

It felt like they had endured a lifetime, yet it also seemed like it had only been a moment—using their flesh and blood, they broke through the passage packed with undead, sprinting dozens of yards before plunging into the spacious dome filled with explosives just moments ago!

Both of them fell to the ground, and without hesitation, Xuan Jinghe struck backward, causing the stone wall to collapse, sealing the entrance tightly. The horde of undead that followed were all blocked outside the tunnel.

“Roar—” “Roar—”

The undead slowly pounded on the stone, roaring lowly in frustration, gathering more and more in the narrow passage like a tide.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Half-kneeling on the ground, Xuan Jinghe’s hands trembled violently as he lifted Qu Xie, holding him tightly in his arms. The sturdy upper body of the young man was covered in wounds, with many deep enough to reveal bone. A large piece of flesh, bloody and torn, was even missing from his side, and his internal organs were almost spilling out, held in place only by his hand, which was clenched tightly due to the pain, with even the knuckles bulging with veins.

“It’s okay… It’s okay.” Qu Xie wheezed hoarsely, as if trying to laugh, but blood kept flowing from the corners of his mouth. “I’m… I’m sorry. I know we can’t escape anymore. I don’t want to live alone…”

“It’s all right.” Xuan Jinghe trembled, closing his eyes and repeating hoarsely, “It’s all right.”

Their foreheads touched, and at the same time, there was a series of increasingly powerful tremors coming from outside—Boom!

Boom!!

More and more undead gathered behind the collapsed stone, working tirelessly together. Every slap and impact made the pile of rocks spew more smoke, and countless small pieces of debris fell like rain.

The pile of rocks was on the verge of collapse and couldn’t hold much longer.

Gritting his teeth, Xuan Jinghe helped Qu Xie, drenched in blood, to his feet. Supporting each other, they made their way to the edge of the stone wall and took down the torches for illumination.

Right in front of them, in the deep groove on the wall, the solidified oil spiraled upward, leading directly to the pile of explosives piled up in the middle of the dome.

“Is death terrifying?” Qu Xie asked softly.

Xuan Jinghe may have never been as miserable in his life as he was now, but his silhouette, illuminated by the torch, was calm and upright, like a deity capable of subduing all demons and ghosts, deep in the blood-soaked underground passage, in the midst of a field of corpses.

“It’s not terrifying. Life and death are common occurrences in the world,” he replied slowly. “The greatest fulfillment in life lies in dying with dignity.”

Qu Xie smiled and grasped the hand holding the torch, saying softly, “In that case, I am willing to die with Sect Master Xuan.”

He tilted the torch downward, and together, they ignited the trench filled with oil.

The fire blazed up, swirling up the stone groove in circles, instantly illuminating the entire empty dome, magnificent like a roaring fire dragon!

“Cough, cough, cough…” Qu Xie choked on blood and knelt to the ground, immediately embraced tightly by Xuan Jinghe. He grabbed Xuan Jinghe’s arm with his hand, coughing and smiling intermittently, “Sect Master Xuan, if I could meet you in the next life…”

“I know.” The hand pressing on his back trembled violently, but the voice was steady. “No need to say it, I know.”

“Do you really know?”

“I…”

Qu Xuan interrupted him, breathing heavily, and smiled as he asked, word by word, “If we were to meet again in the next life, would you truly be willing to exercise disciplinary responsibility over me?”

—He finally asked this question.

The trap laid silently since their first meeting, now completely revealed in its grim and sinister nature.

“…I promise you.” Xuan Jinghe’s throat felt like it was filled with a bitter lump, each word trembling with suppressed emotion. “As long as we can meet in the next life.”

In the instant his words were spoken, even time and space seemed to freeze.

Immediately, the power of the heavens descended, turning into a dazzling blood-red thread of light. One end was tied to Qu Xie’s left wrist, and the other end was tied to the joint of Xuan Jinghe’s ring finger, bursting into an invisible, overwhelming light!

It was the most terrifying thread of destiny between heaven and earth.

Xuan Jinghe, as a mortal, willingly married the god, accepting the three lifetimes of marriage contract. From this moment on, he truly stepped into an irreversible fate.

“Why?!” Yuchi Rui was shocked beyond measure. “He only mentioned exercising authority, and he didn’t even mention the words ‘marriage contract’!”

Xu Shuangce reminded, “But the Ghost Crown Prince did.”

“When?!”

“On the ship.”

Yuchi Rui suddenly realized, recalling the conversation between the Ghost Crown Prince and Xuan Jinghe when they first met on the ship, the late-night conversation between the two on the ship—

“If you had a strict teacher to guide you, you wouldn’t have turned out as reckless as you are now. Perhaps you could have achieved something on the path of cultivation.”

“Or if I had a wife to restrain me, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“—Lord Iron Sect Master, would you be willing to exercise authority over me?”

“The Ghost Crown Prince is a god, and every word he says has the power to change the laws of cause and effect in the world,” Gong Wei said coldly. “From the first meeting, he had already clearly bestowed this divine decree upon Xuan Jinghe, to ‘exercise authority’ over him. It’s not the master who will restrain him, it’s the wife.”

“But Xuan Jinghe couldn’t possibly understand. He didn’t realize that at the moment of their first meeting, he had already obtained the most terrifying thing in this world—the heart of the Ghost Crown Prince.”

Qu Xie chuckled under his breath.

The fire dragon whirled upward, swiftly approaching the explosives at the top. The dancing flames cast countless eerie shadows on the surrounding stone walls. Qu Xie sat on the ground, burying his face in Xuan Jinghe’s neck. His smile became less and less restrained, almost shaking his shoulders with laughter. He couldn’t wait to see Xuan Jinghe’s reaction when he heard the next words.

“Did you really just agree to that, Sect Master Xuan?” He turned his head to look at Xuan Jinghe, teasingly saying, “Actually, I…”

Crack.

He suddenly heard the sound of flesh tearing apart, and his whole body stiffened. Then, he looked down in disbelief.

He saw Xuan Jinghe kneeling on the ground, one hand reaching into his own chest, and from the flesh, he pulled out a crystal clear, extremely brilliant pearl—the legendary Golden Core of a Grand Master in the Immortalization realm.

The intense pain was beyond imagination. Xuan Jinghe, trembling, pressed the Golden Core against Qu Xie’s chest and exerted all his strength, suddenly crushing it!

All his spiritual power surged out, engulfing Qu Xie’s entire body.

The flesh began to regenerate, the poisonous blood dissipated, and all wounds healed rapidly. Qu Xie’s human body was restored as if reborn, and then millions of Golden Cores suddenly turned into a barrier, enveloping the two of them, shining brightly and indestructible.

“Golden Core… until the last moment… I don’t want to…”

Qu Xie was completely frozen in place, hearing Xuan Jinghe’s last words whispered in his ear with his last bit of strength, “I really… like you… to live on…”

At this moment, the fire dragon spiraled to the top.

The thousands of pounds of explosives were detonated, and the world was annihilated in an instant!

Outside the Golden Core barrier, the violent explosion turned the world into a void pale.

In the scorching and intense light that could burn one’s eyes, Xuan Jinghe silently fell forward, landing in Qu Xie’s arms.

“… What did you say?” Qu Xie opened his mouth, his voice as if it wasn’t his own, “What did you just say?”

But Xuan Jinghe was already dead.

“What did you say you liked? What did you mean?” Qu Xie pinched his chin, trying to wake him up, his voice trembling and incoherent, a mixture of sudden anger and confusion. “Wake up! Iron Sect Master! Xuan Jinghe!!”

“Xuan Jinghe!!—”

The Ghost Crown Prince’s roar descended into the Nine Abyss, and in that rage, all his divine power roared out like a flood, sweeping through heaven and earth in an instant!

All three realms suddenly stopped.

Then, time rewound forcibly.

The explosion rapidly contracted, the city walls returned to their original state, the thousands of shattered pieces in the air turned back into houses, and the flesh that had already evaporated in flames turned into piles of bones, pouring like rain on the streets.

In the Zhao Mansion, at the city gate, deep in the mountains… countless undead fell to the ground at the same time, and all souls returned to the underworld.

The plague no longer spread, turning into countless black streams of light that flew back from all directions into the Ghost Crown Prince’s sleeve.

Deep in the underground passage, time reversed, and a perfect and flawless Golden Core slowly returned to Xuan Jinghe’s body.

The still heart in his chest resumed beating, all his severe injuries disappeared, a faint blush appeared on his pale face, and he quietly slept in the Ghost Crown Prince’s arms.

As if all the thrilling battles and desperate farewells had never happened.

Only the red thread on his left ring finger joint, shining faintly in the dim light, silently testified to everything unknown.

The Ghost Crown Prince held Xuan Jinghe’s hand with one hand, interlocking their fingers, palms pressed together. He knelt on the ground with his head bowed, his chest emitting intermittent, hoarse laughter, then the laughter became more and more frantic, more and more violent, until it erupted into bursts of faint golden divine blood!

“Time reversal… a divine taboo of the gods.” Gong Wei murmured, “He’s truly insane.”

Xu Shuangce’s hand had been hovering over Gong Wei’s head since just now, asking, “But isn’t time reversal something you can’t do?

Gong Wei shook his head, “No, it’s impossible. It’s only possible for a god after they reach adulthood. Because this spell not only covers the entire city of Guicheng but also forcibly rewinds the time of the entire human world, the Guiyuan, and even the Heavenly Realm, effectively reorganizing the entire history of the three realms. It’s a true taboo against the heavens…”

Gong Wei’s gaze fell on the divine blood continuously spraying out of the Ghost Crown Prince, feeling somewhat complicated. “But it’s necessary. Only by doing this can Qu Xie completely conceal the explosion that occurred in Guicheng, and even you and I in the Heavenly Realm would have no knowledge of it.”

The explosion never happened, so the merit of Xuan Jinghe sacrificing himself along with the plague naturally no longer exists. Thus, Gong Wei, who was far away in the heavenly realm, would not notice the Iron Sect Master in the mortal world.

As long as Gong Wei remained unaware, the fate of Xuan Jinghe would be completely in the hands of the Ghost Crown Prince, with no possibility of seeking help.

“—However,” Gong Wei raised an eyebrow mockingly, saying, “I finally understand why the Ghost Crown Prince was so eager to incite Ying Kai to launch the War of Annihilation nine thousand years ago.”

“Why?” Yuchi Rui asked in confusion.

Gong Wei’s smirk deepened, his eyes revealing undisguised schadenfreude. “Because he was about to be severely punished by divine retribution. If he didn’t act quickly and decisively, how could he regain his divine power?”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a muffled sound in the sky.

A thunderous bolt struck the underground passage, hitting the back of the Ghost Crown Prince squarely!

The scene was magnificent, as if unseen heavenly forces were wielding lightning whips, one after another lashing towards Qu Xie. However, he seemed completely indifferent to the intense pain caused by the divine punishment. He swept up Xuan Jinghe, facing the torrential flow of bright electric current, rushed out of the underground passage, and soared into the sky, heading towards the vast mountains and forests.

Boom!

Boom!!

Boom—

The thunder roared like a dancing dragon, with lightning poles connecting heaven and earth. The valley under Qu Xie’s feet collapsed amidst the thunder and lightning, turning the primeval forest into a vast expanse of scorched earth, and the mountains and ridges into countless ravines.

Until the last bolt of thunder, when the sun and moon lost their radiance, and Qu Xie’s flesh and blood splattered all over!

He spat out a mouthful of hot blood, kneeling in mid-air.

Below him, the rushing river flowed vigorously, rushing towards the distant plains.

Qu Xie gasped for breath violently, finally lifted his head, still holding Xuan Jinghe in one hand, and with the other hand raised, a boat appeared magically at the ferry crossing.

Gently placing Xuan Jinghe on the bow of the boat, he pulled a few strands of milky-white light from his forehead — these were all memories related to “Young Master Qu” in Xuan Jinghe’s mind.

When he woke up, he would forget everything that happened in Guicheng, including the frivolous kiss in the deep mountains and lakes, and the young man who promised a marriage contract in the depths of the underground passage.

“I will let you live,” Qu Xie leaned over the bow of the boat, staring at him with a gaze so tender that it was chilling, as if whispering cruelly in his ear.

“I want you to repeat that sentence to me in person again. I want you to start fulfilling your vows in this life of Iron Sect Master Xuan Jinghe.”

His cold lips, stained with blood, kissed Xuan Jinghe’s forehead, then he stood up and retreated. The sky above the river tore open, revealing a passage to the underworld, and in the distance, there was a faint roar of the Yellow Spring River.

Qu Xie looked straight at Xuan Jinghe, and then disappeared into the doorway.

Not far away, in the void, Xu Shuangce seemed to suddenly think of a certain method. He grabbed Gong Wei’s hand. “Follow me.”

Gong Wei naturally followed him wherever he went, while Yuchi Rui hurriedly followed behind. The three of them followed Qu Xie and quickly entered the portal leading to the underworld!

With a loud rumble from above, the roaring Yellow Spring River rushed down, and in an instant, they arrived at the deepest part of the underworld.

Xu Shuangce looked around, as expected—

They had finally left the scene from nine thousand years ago in the mortal world and returned to the current timeline. The eighteen-year-old Peaceful Prince died suddenly late at night, but his soul could not reincarnate. Instead, following the red thread on his left ring finger, he came to the underworld, unaware and unconscious, to fulfill the three-life marriage contract he had promised.

Everything was settled, but it hadn’t completely settled yet. There was still one last chance to save—

Yuchi Rui’s eyes sharpened. “There!”

Not far away, amidst the surging Yellow Springs River, a familiar slender figure was floating unsteadily, engulfed by the swift current, rapidly falling towards the depths of h*ll!

A smirk tugged at the corner of Gong Wei’s lips. “Not so fast.” Then, he swiftly drew No Way Out from Xu Shuangce’s waist and chased after him like lightning.

The surging Yellow Springs River automatically parted to the left and right, revealing a deep path straight to the heart of the earth. At the end of it was a vast expanse of turbid yellow space.

That was the immense prison at the heart of the earth, sealing away the Ghost Crown Prince, the realm of chaos. 

Qu Xie was rising from the ground, smiling with outstretched arms, his black robe billowing. 

“Master,” he rasped softly. 

The soul of Xuan Jinghe remained unaware, only the thread of fate in his hand burst into a bloody light, pulling him swiftly into the embrace of the Ghost Crown Prince – 

At that moment, Gong Wei descended like a god from afar, raising No Way Out sword light in the rapidly contracting pupils of the Ghost Crown Prince! 

There was no sound, yet it was like the roar of creation. 

The thread of fate was severed by Gong Wei’s stroke, disappearing silently into the void! 

Though he should have been unconscious, as the red thread vanished, Xuan Jinghe’s translucent face seemed to show a hint of relief as he slowly tilted backwards. 

Xu Shuangce arrived at that moment, lifting the soul in his hand. 

The red thread on the Ghost Crown Prince’s left wrist suddenly burst, shattering into countless points of light, disappearing without a trace. 

“…” His right hand tightly gripped his left wrist, veins bulging on the back of his hand, hoarsely uttering two words: “Gong…Wei…” 

Gong Wei didn’t look back. “Xu Bai, hurry, take Xuan Jinghe to the reincarnation platform!” 

Xu Shuangce nodded silently, one hand holding Xuan Jinghe, the other accurately grabbing the drifting Yuchi Rui, then turned and hurried along the path they came from. 

At the deepest part of h*ll, only Qu Xie and Gong Wei remained. 

The two brothers born of the Heavenly Dao stood facing each other across the realm of chaos, their gazes locked, staring at each other’s similar faces. 

“Why the rush to strike?” Gong Wei raised his chin slightly, mocking, “Because you also foresaw that Xuan Jinghe would definitely ascend in the next life?” 

Qu Xie was still half a head taller than Gong Wei. The years of separation were only a momentary thing for him, and his handsome yet eerie face showed no change, except for the more ferocious gleam in his eyes. “So what if he ascends? Can you ensure that he will live smoothly until he achieves enlightenment in his next life?”

Gong Wei, “I can.”

Qu Xie seemed to hear a ridiculous joke, “Do you underestimate me so much?”

Gong Wei stared at him and said word by word, “I advise you not to use the same old tricks again.”

“After Xuan Jinghe reincarnates, I will send a supreme god to reside in the mortal realm, watching him day and night, witnessing his cultivation from foundation building to great enlightenment, until he ascends again with complete merits.” Gong Wei emphasized, his voice light but fierce, “Xuan Jinghe is not yours, Qu Xie. Your delusions are destined to be nothing but a pipe dream. Believe it or not, just wait and see.”

Bang!

Qu Xie slammed his hands heavily on the seal barrier, his eyes filled with cold, bloody light. “Go ahead and send someone. Send the entire heavenly realm to his side, send all your gods to stop me. Do you dare to bet, Gong Wei?”

“…”

The air seemed to freeze inch by inch. Gong Wei stared directly at Qu Xie, and after a while, he suddenly lifted the corners of his lips, despite showing no hint of a smile in his eyes. “There’s something I haven’t told you yet…”

He leaned forward, almost pressing against the barrier, and whispered softly, “I’m about to come of age too.”

Qu Xie squinted his eyes.

“Soon, you won’t be the only adult deity in the Three Realms, Qu Xie. The heavenly realm is my territory, the mortal realm is my domain, and you are destined to be the underling I crush into the abyss. From now on, I am the only true god in this world.”

Gong Wei stared up at Qu Xie from below, his gaze colder than ever, and the crimson pupils flashed with a chilling light. “If you dare to laid a finger on anyone I care about, I will make you leave that hand behind as the price.”

Tension hung in the air, on the verge of eruption.

Both saw the ferocious reflection of themselves in each other’s eyes. After a long time, Qu Xie raised the corners of his lips, took a step back, and said in a magnificent yet cold tone, “Then, come and try, my little brother.”

Gong Wei sneered and turned away.

The Yellow Springs River merged behind him, turning into vast waves that sealed off the massive prison deep below.

H*ll’s abyss, boundless darkness, completely engulfed the last trace of the Ghost Crown Prince’s once supreme existence.

***

Many years later, in the mortal realm.

Punishment Hall of the Immortal Alliance.

Clatter!

Two dice made urgent sounds as they rolled inside a cup, then with a crisp snap, they landed heavily on the table.

The handsome and dashing Alliance Leader personally pressed down on the bamboo tube and looked solemnly at the young man sitting across from him. “Odd.”

“…”

The young man, dressed in white robes, with a handsome face and an indescribable expression on his face, finally spoke up under the unwavering gaze of the lord, “Even.”

The Alliance Leader lifted the bamboo tube himself, revealing a five and a six.

“I win!” The Alliance Leader stood up with a bang, “With sincerity, even stone can be opened. Now you must agree to my condition! From now on, you must not call me ‘master’, you must call me by name. Do you understand?”

There was a suffocating silence all around. After a long time, the young man finally said with difficulty, “Master, I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand, you just need to know that there’s no mortal in this world worthy of being called ‘Master’ by you. Anyone addressed as ‘Master’ by you is destined for misfortune.” The Alliance Leader raised a finger solemnly, saying, “Remember, I, your leader, am named Wang Cai, with the nickname Duojin*, and the title ‘Always Wins in Gambling’. From now on, you can call me Ah Cai or Duojin, got it, my Jing?”
*lots of gold

“…”

The young man covered his face with one hand, unable to speak under the lord’s earnest gaze. After a long while, he finally said with difficulty, “…Master Duojin, can you let me go back to do my homework, please?”

“Why are you being so distant, Jing Jing? How many years have we known each other? Haven’t I treated you like my own child all these years? I raised you from infancy to this age, with painstaking care, hard work, and dedication. Even when you were a baby and spat up milk, I got up in the middle of the night to burp you… Ah Jing, why are you in such a hurry? Slow down when you run, be careful not to fall! Jing Jing——”

Master Duojin stopped in disappointment, sighing, “It must be the rebellious phase. Raising a child is really not easy.”

Suddenly, a dazzling light flashed behind him.

Then, a cold voice sounded from above, “Let Jing Jing go, can you? Let Jing Jing be himself?”

Alliance Leader Wang Duojin turned around, “Oh, it’s Gong Xiaowei!”

Gong Wei’s avatar appeared in mid-air, looking like he had just woken up, with a tired expression on his face.

At this moment, his physical body should be in the heavenly realm, but his avatar seemed to have grown taller than before, at least he wouldn’t drag his robe on the ground when wearing Xu Shuangce’s cloak.

“Ah Cai,” Gong Wei leaned against his forehead with one hand, his expression extremely complicated, “Don’t forget how I spent three days and three nights, sacrificing myself to please Xu Shuangce, just to make him promise that as long as you come down to the mortal realm to guard Xuan Jinghe and ensure his safe growth, he will exempt you from the debt of four hundred and thirty million taels of gold.”

Alliance Leader Wang Duojin: “…”

“Xuan Jinghe must successfully return to his position as the Western Boundary’s supreme god before that blood-written IOU of yours can be invalidated. Do you understand?”

The leader of the Immortal Alliance, Wang Duojin, the illustrious God of Wealth from the heavenly realm, descended to the mortal realm.

Handsome, elegant, charming, and charismatic, the two keywords that describe him from head to toe are simply: have money.

Throughout his many years as the alliance leader, he never received a single penny as salary; instead, he showered the world with money like rain, causing all the cultivators from the various sects to wish they could kneel down and call him “dad” upon seeing him.

Despite being such an extravagant leader, he only accepted one disciple under his wing, raising him as if he were a treasure, always afraid of dropping him or letting him melt away. It’s said that every morning, the leader would bathe and burn incense, devoutly praying to the heavens, “Jing, please grow up and ascend quickly, but please don’t die. If you accidentally die again, I’ll hang myself with three feet of white silk in front of Xu Shuangce’s door and follow you!”

“Is there anything Xu Shuangce is dissatisfied with?” Having personally raised Xuan Jinghe for so many years, the God of Wealth had developed deep feelings for him. Upon hearing this, he immediately became displeased, “For so many years, not to mention the Ghost Crown Prince, not even a single mosquito had the chance to bite our Jing Jing!”

“But Xu Bai wants you to re-cultivate Jing Jing… to cultivate Xuan Jinghe into the supreme god of the Western Boundary. If he ascends as the God of Gambling in the future, how do you plan to explain it to Xu Bai?” Gong Wei asked.

The God of Wealth evidently hadn’t considered this point and was immediately at a loss, “Ah, is it really that serious? I only played mahjong with him a few times.”

“It’s very serious,” Gong Wei said seriously, “Xu Bai said that if we accidentally turn Xuan Jinghe into a pawn, how will we live in the future? What if we open a chess and card room in the heavenly realm? What then?”

The God of Wealth: “…”

Gong Wei: “…”

Both fell into silence simultaneously, imagining the scene of Xuan Jinghe, the Supreme God of the Western Boundary, and the Ghost Crown Prince, dominating both sides of the law, sheltering the rapidly expanding chess and card rooms, and finally opening gambling dens that spread throughout the three realms, even to the underworld of the Yellow Springs, causing ghosts to die from excitement.

“…We’ll incur heavenly condemnation,” Gong Wei soberly concluded.

The God of Wealth struggled to resist temptation and swallowed hard, “No, if we incur heavenly condemnation, that’s one thing, but how can I bear to let my beloved Jing Jing be struck by lightning?”

Gong Wei looked at him slowly, “?”

The God of Wealth quickly changed the subject, “Anyway, Ying Kai and Changsheng will be here soon. It’s just right that we’re missing one person. Do you want to stay and play a round?”

Ying Kai, reincarnated first as a delicate little princess who accidentally stabbed herself to death, then as someone who foolishly ate mushrooms and poisoned himself to death, then as someone who was hit by a meteorite while walking… After dying in various complicated ways more than a dozen times, he finally reincarnated as a cultivator.

The God of Wealth treated Ying Kai as a treasure and immediately developed him into his pawn. This was also the only pawn tacitly approved by Xu Shuangce—after all, a man who had ended the world twice, all the immortals in the heavenly realm earnestly hoped that Ying Kai could develop some normal interests and hobbies; as long as he didn’t study military strategy, he could do whatever he wanted.

As for Yuchi Rui, his card skills were too poor; he was basically here to donate money.

Gong Wei, who hadn’t played mahjong for more than ten years since the God of Wealth descended to the mortal realm, felt tempted and rubbed his hands in place for a while. Finally, his reason overcame his desire, “No, my physical body is still in bed holding hands with Xu Bai and sleeping. I promised to wake up and kiss him later. What if he discovers that my avatar sneaked down to play mahjong? How would that be good?”

The hall fell silent.

The God of Wealth searched every corner, front and back, top and bottom, before coughing and cautiously saying, “Don’t worry, he won’t find out. That Xu fellow’s sour face isn’t here.”

“…”

Gong Wei remained silent for a moment before whispering, “You’re too much, Ah Cai. You can slander Xu Bai in any way you want, but how can you bear to slander his face?”

The God of Wealth immediately made a “shh” gesture.

Both of them were trembling with fear, and the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

After a full fifteen minutes of silence, the God of Wealth finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, “Very well, he’s really not here.”

Gong Wei happily rubbed his hands together, “Come on, set up the table. Today, I must make Changsheng lose his pants. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my senior brother; I miss him so much. I hope he can sit above my seat today…”

A hint of chill suddenly descended silently.

Immediately after, a tall and slender figure appeared in the void, wearing white armor with golden edges and a black outer robe. He gently placed his hand on Gong Wei’s shoulder from behind and spoke softly, one word at a time:

“Gong Zhiyu.”

Gong Wei: “…”

God of Wealth: “…”

The scene froze instantly, and the air became as quiet as death.

Xu Shuangce stood behind them, his hands resting on Gong Wei’s stiff shoulders, and he said gently to the God of Wealth, “Jing Jing* can be cherished, but Jing Jing** can’t, understand?”
* refers to Xuan Jinghe
** Mirror

“….” The God of Wealth’s teeth chattered as he nodded vigorously.

With a bit of force, Xu Shuangce hoisted Gong Wei onto his shoulder, about to leave but then remembered something. He turned back and kindly reminded, “But if you can’t defeat the Ghost Crown Prince, it’s best not to love Jing Jing casually. Do you remember?”

The God of Wealth: “…………”

With Gong Wei slung over his shoulder, Xu Shuangce left, leaving the God of Wealth blankly staring ahead. After a while, a loud sound echoed from a distance—smack!

Gong Wei exclaimed, “Xu Bai, you’re going too far! I’m all grown up, and you’re still hitting me—”

Xu Shuangce calmly said, “It’s nothing. You just forgot how you sacrificed yourself for three days and three nights last time. Let me remind you.”

Gong Wei felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

The next second, there came the sound of Gong Wei struggling and wailing in the distance, “Xu Bai, I was wrong! Please let me down! I won’t dare to do it again next time—”

Inside the Chengshu Palace, it was dead silent.

The God of Wealth stood still, his mouth twitching slightly.

“…Do I really have to be able to defeat the Ghost Crown Prince?” After a while, he said, on the verge of tears, “I’m a god after all. If I go back and meditate for three thousand years, will it still be enough?”

***

With a light creak, the young man in white pushed open the two doors of the hall and returned to his own chamber.

The morning light streamed through the window lattice, casting a gentle glow on his clean and slender cheek. His features were calm, resembling cold stars, and his black hair flowed loosely, cascading over the edge of his garment.

Everyone knew that the current leader’s only disciple had an incredibly auspicious destiny, with a rare strength in his birth horoscope. He was destined to be free from illness, disasters, obstacles, and difficulties throughout his life. His spiritual veins were extremely pure, and he was also born with a natural Golden core never seen in thousands of years.

The gift of the Golden core was unparalleled and supreme, an unimaginable privilege even for gods descending to earth.

After much thought, the only possibility everyone could come up with was that this baby had saved the entire Three Realms at least hundreds of times in his past life.

However, even though he was showered with love and high expectations from all the sects since childhood, the youth did not live a luxurious life, nor did he have a retinue of servants. On the contrary, his daily life was very simple.

The spacious and elegant chamber had rows of neatly arranged scrolls on the bookshelf. By the window table, there were inkstones, brushes, and ancient jade qin, with no other decorations.

As the youth entered the room, he suddenly caught sight of something from the corner of his eye, causing him to pause.

Following his gaze, he saw a mercury mirror lying on the corner of the table near the guqin, seemingly left behind inadvertently by someone.

Was it the attendant who came in to clean the room in the morning?

The young man picked up the palm-sized mirror, seeing its outdated style and lack of intricate craftsmanship, he knew it wasn’t a valuable item. Perhaps it was left behind by the attendant accidentally, he thought to ask the others about it during the evening class.

With that in mind, he casually straightened his clothes in front of the mirror, then stood it up by the window and turned to the bookshelf to find his unfinished homework. Sitting at the desk, he carefully studied for a while, then closed his eyes to meditate.

The distant call of birds echoed from the valley outside the window, and the room was very quiet, with only the young man’s calm and long breaths audible.

A hand emerged from the mirror, and then, as if the void had torn open, a figure silently emerged, stepping onto the floor of the room.

The black robe embroidered with intricate spider lilies, as if blood had congealed into them, were both dazzling and eerie.

It was the Ghost Crown Prince.

He walked forward unhurriedly, his steps so light that they made no sound, until he stood behind the young man, bending down to whisper softly in his ear:

“Xuan Jinghe?”

The young man suddenly opened his eyes, turning around in astonishment.

With a clear sound, the Ghost Crown Prince snapped his fingers in front of the young man’s eyes.

A silver halo flew out from his sleeve, so fast that it was like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, it entered the young man’s forehead.

In an instant, the young man’s mind went blank, forgetting even to speak.

Countless strong emotions buried by time surged up like sand from the bottom of the sea, quickly overwhelming all his consciousness—

“I just want you to live, live a long and peaceful life…”

“…As long as in the next life… we can meet again…”

Misfortunes and farewells.

How many desperate and intense emotions were like reflections on the bottom of deep waters, shattered into countless pieces when he tried to grasp them again, turning into a vast blankness.

In the bedroom of the Chengshu Palace, Xuan Jinghe opened his eyes, staring blankly at the Ghost Crown Prince.

He couldn’t remember what had just happened, but the immense sadness and nostalgia still lingered in his heart. After a long while, he opened his mouth in confusion and hoarsely said, “You are…”

The Ghost Crown Prince reached out and grasped his cold hand:

“I am your old friend.”

“…Old friend,” Xuan Jinghe murmured.

Outside the window, the sky was clear and boundless. Footsteps echoed outside the door, and the voice of the God of Wealth approached from afar: “Jing, are you in the room? Don’t study anymore, let’s go out and play… “

In the depths of the Ghost Crown Prince’ eyes, there was a hidden heat that outsiders could hardly perceive. He bent down to whisper in Xuan Jinghe’s ear, pressing a kiss on his cold temple.

I am the ghoul who gazes at you from the abyss, I am the demon from which you cannot escape in reincarnation.

I will follow you from the highest heavens to the depths of the underworld, like a shadow to its form, like a festering sore to its bone; until you once again, as the legends tell, appear before me in a grand celebration, dressed in finery, to marry me in the depths of h*ll.

“You are my eternal delusion,” whispered the Ghost Crown Prince.

He stood up, smiling as he gazed at Xuan Jinghe, stepping back until he disappeared silently into the mirror.

There were no traces left in the air, only the bewildered and pale face of the young man reflected in the mirror.

At this moment, outside the palace, the sky stretched endlessly, vast and boundless.

No one noticed the gathering clouds at the edge of the sky, and the storm brewing behind the clouds, ready to unleash at any moment.

The madness of love and desire twisted to its limit, eventually transformed into the jaws of h*ll, devouring the vast world and descending upon the unsuspecting youth—

That was the treacherous abyss that had stared behind Xuan Jinghe for nine thousand years.

That was the heart of the Ghost Crown Prince.

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