386: Chapter 100: Return, O Come_2 386: Chapter 100: Return, O Come_2 “…”
Xie Xuanyi had no desire to bother with this mood-spoiling guy.
Lord Lu seemed extremely concerned about his cultivation.
But.
That made sense.
How many lies this guy had told, Xie Xuanyi couldn’t count.
But there was one thing Xie Xuanyi was certain of, Lu Yuzhen was telling the truth.
He wished to reach the pinnacle as soon as possible.
It was obvious he regarded himself as “Prince Jiangning”; the reason he so hoped for Xie Xuanyi’s successful cultivation was to one day harvest the karma of the Undying Spring from him.
“If it were you who had died, I wouldn’t have watched for so long.”
Xie Xuanyi spoke faintly.
“Oh, well thank you for that.”
Lu Yuzhen said with a smile, “If I die, no one needs to mourn for me.
To die quietly, without anyone noticing, would be the greatest fortune.”
Xie Xuanyi suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
This Paper Taoist was indeed a rarity.
Shaking his head, he lowered his gaze and reflected, feeling a surge of complex emotions in his heart.
This battle to slay the dragon, in terms of excitement and intensity,
Looking back over the past thousand years,
It could easily rank within the top three…
But the only witnesses to this battle were himself and Lu Yuzhen.
Qing Li was a pure-blood True Dragon from several years past.
Emperor Qi, a genius mad emperor.
Such a battle between these two should have been recorded in ancient history, yet in the end, they were reduced to “silent” rubble.
In his previous life,
Xie Xuanyi had sought to challenge everywhere, visiting door to door, defeating all enemies in the world.
The reason for that,
On one hand, was to revive the reputation of the Da Sui Sword Palace.
On the other hand, of course, was the spirit of youth – which sword cultivator wouldn’t want to be known by everyone in the world?
And who really wished to die a pitiful death, unnoticed by all?
In a fleeting moment of absurdity, the Great Yue Kingdom was destroyed.
And Qing Li.
He was simply in the wrong era as well.
Such a tragedy has now finally drawn to an end.
Xie Xuanyi felt regret for Qing Li.
“Don’t indulge in such sorrow.”
Lu Yuzhen, seeing that Xie Xuanyi’s expression was off, scoffed teasingly, “You’ve attained enlightenment twice and plucked the Divine Fruit; you’ve made a fortune this time, aren’t you satisfied?”
“If it could exchange for Qing Li’s reincarnation, I would give up this Divine Fruit.”
Xie Xuanyi spoke coldly.
“Alright, alright, my bad.”
Lu Yuzhen, feeling he was in the wrong, asked helplessly, “Let’s talk about the important matters.
What are you planning to do with the souls of the Great Yue Kingdom?”
Xie Xuanyi looked towards the distance.
The Heavenly Dao descended, and the Great Yue Kingdom reappeared in the world.
At this moment,
This dark, destroyed ancient country, was once again welcoming the light, truly a vision of Holy Light…
Yet this overdue light was a disaster.
Nine million souls dwelling in the void, due to the Ruyi Dao’s Stealing Heaven and Changing Day, were preserved.
Now with Emperor Qi dead and his Dao dissipated, the Heavenly Dao descending anew,
They were to meet Destruction.
Unless…
A new “Grotto Heaven” was willing to accept them.
Of course, if just any Grotto Heaven sacrificed itself, it wouldn’t actually change the outcome.
Because those souls had already died, only surviving so far because of the Ruyi Dao.
Even if they entered a Grotto Heaven, without the Ruyi Dao, they couldn’t be preserved.
“What do you mean?”
Xie Xuanyi furrowed his brow, feeling an ominous premonition.
“These lost souls will soon fall into Silent Annihilation.”
Lu Yuzhen spoke lightly, “This is a substantial amount of ‘willingness’ to refine; by doing so, one can accumulate quite a bit of karma.”
“A leopard can’t change its spots.”
Xie Xuanyi stared at Lord Lu, his tone icy, “Aren’t you afraid of being tainted by karma?”
“I know you’ve always looked down on these Demon Sect methods.”
Lu Yuzhen smiled leisurely, “But I have never claimed to be a gentleman of virtue, and the Paperman Sect is rooted in the South Border.
In a few more years, I suppose I will be called the ‘Chief of Demons’…”
This statement was not the slightest bit false.
In the past, the cleansing of demons in the South Border was handled by the Various Holy Lands, united in suppressing Yin Mountain, the Hehuan Sect, and the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
It seems that in the next demon cleansing,
the Various Holy Lands will have a headache not because of the Three Great Sects, but because of the Paperman Sect.
“Xie Xuanyi, I have previously promised you to transfer all these soul spirits to you.”
“If you are willing to shelter the soul spirits with the Undying Spring and draw upon their willingness, I am ready to hand over this fortuitous opportunity.”
“But if you insist on a ‘woman’s mercy’ and simply send them to liberation…”
As he said this,
Lu Yuzhen lifted an eyebrow, leaving the rest unsaid.
He would not stand idly by.
These soul spirits, if Xie Xuanyi didn’t want them, he would take them!
So many soul spirits, refined together, what great fortune would that be?!
“You offer these soul spirits in the hopes of hastening my refinement of the Undying Spring to Great Success…”
Xie Xuanyi fixated on Lu Yuzhen, slowly beginning to speak.
Lord Lu did not deny it but said with a beam, “Of course, that is so.”
It was an overt conspiracy.
Someone of Xie Xuanyi’s disposition, even knowing that someone is waiting to harvest the consequences, would not give up cultivation.
Sooner or later, there will be a day when he reaches the summit.
“Rumble.”
At this moment, thunderous tremors erupted from the fire clouds above.
Enveloped by Holy Light, Black Evil was destroyed, and through the cracks in the void, many lost souls…
These soul spirits, like fireflies, converged and swept towards Xie Xuanyi.
After the dispersion of the True Dragon Law, these soul spirits dissipated much faster under the scorching sun.
Through the Heart Lake, Xie Xuanyi could hear the lamenting cries of the soul spirits.
He felt somewhat empathetic and also hesitant.
Taking a deep breath, he found himself in a moral dilemma.
Just as he was conflicted,
Xie Xuanyi suddenly recalled the Ruyi Fish that Qing Li had given him before parting.
“Wait.”
He shifted his gaze to Lu Yuzhen and said, “What if I don’t use the ‘Ruyi Dao Rules’ to evolve the Divine Fruit?”
Lu Yuzhen’s smile slightly stiffened.
He also noticed the Ruyi Fish in Xie Xuanyi’s palm.
“What do you want to do?”
Lord Lu frowned.
“Emperor Qi used the Ruyi Dao Rules to shield destiny and replaced the Heavenly Dao of his Lifebound Cave Heaven with the Ruyi Dao…”
Xie Xuanyi raised his palm.
He gazed at the fish in his palm and gently said, “The Path of Wishing resonates with the willing power of the people of Great Yue Kingdom.
A thousand years ago, Emperor Qi betrayed the trust of his subjects and led them to the altar, sowing the cause.
Now…
if the Ruyi Dao Rules can provide a haven for these soul spirits, then it would be repayment of the consequence.”
“Xie Xuanyi, do you realize how great the fortune before our eyes is?”
Lu Yuzhen’s eyes widened, “Even if you save them with the Ruyi Dao Rules, in the end, they are still going to die.”
“Everyone will die.”
Xie Xuanyi said nonchalantly, “Isn’t that what you said before?
Since everyone will die, it doesn’t matter.”
“You keep this Ruyi Dao, even if you don’t turn it into the Divine Fruit, isn’t it better to keep it…
rather than using it up?”
Lu Yuzhen was getting anxious.
He was reasonable enough.
He had gone to great lengths and meticulously planned this dragon-slaying battle.
Ultimately, at the cost of the Pure White Saint’s severed arm, he captured this strand of Ruyi Dao Rules…
Even though it was ultimately intercepted by Qing Li.
But Lu Yuzhen was not irritated.
The reason was simple, this strand of Ruyi Dao Rules, in the end, reached Xie Xuanyi’s hands, and it was still “one of their own.” If Xie Xuanyi condensed it into the “Divine Fruit” and consumed it, sculpting a top-tier Divine Embryo, he would also be one step closer to the Yang God Realm.
But now.
Xie Xuanyi wanted to use the Ruyi Dao Rules to shelter the soul spirits of Great Yue Kingdom, which did not align with Lu Yuzhen’s intention.
Two opportunities canceled each other out.
Xie Xuanyi won’t benefit—
Nor will he.
If it ends up this way, how many more years will he have to wait for this fellow to achieve Yang God!
“Fortune indeed excites the heart.”
Xie Xuanyi looked into Lu Yuzhen’s eyes and calmly said, “But Xie cares more about ‘karma.’ Many years ago, my teacher told me that some opportunities should not be tainted…
Since the Ruyi Dao Rules couldn’t save Qing Li, then I will not eat the Divine Fruit they become.
If I really steel my heart to refine the soul spirits of Great Yue Country, then I am not the Da Sui Sword Immortal.
I would be just like you, a fiend of the South Border.”
“Lord Lu, let me ask you.”
“If you consider me as a ’cause and effect’…”
“Do you really wish this cause and effect to grow twisted?”