Chapter 1332: Lichen, I Admit My Mistakes...
Chapter 1332: Chapter 1332: Lichen, I Admit My Mistakes...
The Demons are those who stand tall between heaven and earth.
During ancient times, the demon race once dominated the world; every True Spirit of the race had its mission.
Just as the mission of the Immemorial Thunder Dragon was to wield thunder for the Heavenly Dao.
And like the mission of the Immemorial Fire Phoenix was to wield fire for all beings.
At that time, the world did not have the Fu Li race.
However, unexpectedly, heaven and earth reversed positions, causing the demon race to lose authority, and the Dao Soul Clans ascended to high heaven.
From then on, the demon race fell into the shadow of the world, and the Dao Soul Clans rose to the light side of the world. Those who wished to resist this were cursed by heaven and earth, burdened with black fortune, inviting disaster.
Some demons chose to compromise with destiny after breaking their heads and bleeding.
But there were also demons who refused to sink into oblivion, rising in rebellion, thus forming the special group known as the [Fu Li]!
The world thinks Nieli is the cursed Fu Li, and thus believes Fu Li came first, followed by Nieli, like the debate of the chicken and the egg; yet they don’t know that before the reversal, heaven and earth were originally a world of reversed cause.
In terms of the causal sequence of the Three Worlds, first came the [Li Clan], followed by Fu Li.
Li, means beauty. The sun and moon shine beautifully in the sky, the valleys and plants flourish beautifully on earth. Beauty signifies attachment, the Li Clan originally should have lived attached to the sun and moon, but they betrayed them, stole a nation, and called themselves ancestors, thus they’re the Li Clan, originating the Sect of SoleFlame from the Ground.
The initial Fu Li had no specific demon form, nor could be considered a unified organization. It was more like a slogan used for uprising; any rebel could identify as a [Supporter of Fu Li].
To support heaven’s fall, and leave the invader’s heart!
The word Li in Fu Li differs from that of the Li Clan; it’s not an attachment to anyone but a synonym for fire!
Li signifies the spirit of fire! Supporters of Fu Li took it upon themselves to spread the fire of revolution, aiming not to reform all beings but to change destiny!
At that time, Fu Li’s lineage varied and was scattered throughout the world, without considering origin or place, born simply to resist a chaotic world, yet they never grasped the essentials, and their actions all ended in failure.
They wished to support heaven’s fall but were suppressed by heaven and earth.
They hoped to leave the invader’s heart but were cleared by the enemies.
The long journey, the piled white bones, every curve was a tragic song. Yet the victor’s histories never praised the courage of the defeated, and the word Fu Li ultimately became taboo in the world, with even a few words not preserved. Those who knew kept silent, and the ignorant were unaware of what Fu Li was.
Until one day, the Zi Dou Immortal Domain was established!
The Spiritual Valley ripened a million times, and for the first time, the all living beings triumphed!
Scattered across heaven and earth, the Fu Li for the first time had a unified organization, a unified ideology, and even obtained a unified bloodline!
The term Fu Li was no longer limited to a slogan but truly became a bloodline, a race, an honor!
It symbolized the unyielding, the highest recognition for those who practiced their ideals!
Even among the demon race of the Ape Clan, who shared the same lineage as the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign, many transformed into Fu Li after dying in battle, taking pride in it.
Royal authority and bloodline are not extolled by the Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators!
Born as heroes, die as spirits; that is the hymn of the Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators!
Fu Li is considered the most distinguished demon in the Zi Dou Immortal Domain, unrelated to bloodline or authority but stemming from genuine respect from all living beings!
Temporary interests might only last a moment, but public interests are eternal!
Those who battle for all living beings shall never be forgotten by them!
Thereafter, the Fu Li race became the overseers of the Zi Dou Immortal Domain, bearing the responsibility of saving the world, rescuing calamities from within, defending against enemies from without. During this time, people exclaimed: Wherever there is danger, there lies Fu Li.
Even if the apocalypse descends, as long as the living beings see Fu Li, they will not despair.
The self-interested cannot understand: what do Fu Li live for?
Aren’t they afraid of death?!
Why must they go against the world that seeks profit, never benefiting themselves, solely benefiting others?
Isn’t it foolish?
Isn’t it laughable?
Aren’t they aware that those who attempt to break rules rarely meet a good end?
The public-minded answer: For those unfinished struggles! For those unrealized justice! For those beings trampled upon by worldly dictates! For those heroes who endeavor all their lives! Fu Li never scorned becoming kings; they only wished to be the shield of all beings!
This was the brightest moment for the Fu Li race, across all heavens and myriad worlds, leaving countless fierce images of Fu Li, many spread their wings of flame, yet none regretted it!
But later, even the Zi Dou Immortal Domain fell...
A great number of Fu Li died in the War for the Realm, a few chose to move to the Dreamland Realm, yet they also successively perished.
Fu Li, despised by heaven and earth, finally faced extinction.
Those high above wished to put an end to the story of Fu Li, yet the will of resistance in the world, like embers in the ashes, could never truly die out!
The unspeakable is the Dao, the unattainable is destiny, the undying is not the form, but... the will!
Supporters of Fu Li are not birds, they’re merely the embodiment of the unyielding souls of all beings! Heaven and earth may destroy their form but cannot erase their spirit! Today a Fu Li dies, tomorrow there will be hundreds of thousands of Fu Li born, passed down through generations, forever unextinguished! Their cries will eventually penetrate the barriers of heaven and earth, allowing the slumbering beings to hear: Wings only exist in the heart! The fire was never extinguished! The savior is none but oneself!
Thus, after endless years passed, the will of the Fu Li that was meant to cease, finally rekindled in the successor!
When a butterfly flutters its wings, its rebellious will eventually transforms into the soil for the rebirth of the Fu Li flame!
The old Fu Li dies, the new Fu Li lives!
One fire spreads, countless fires emerge!
The above words reflect Ning Fan’s latest understanding of the Fu Li Demon Bloodline.
Through his experiences and gains in the Huaiwo Realm, nourished by the rich essence of the Ziwei Demon Monarch, Ning Fan successfully cultivated the Ancient Demon Spirit bloodline and awakened the demon spirit talent of Fu Li Swallowing, though he concealed this with lies.
The reason he chose Fu Li as the main demon spirit was because he understood the essence of the Fu Li race!
His demon blood is exceedingly miscellaneous, yet as long as he harbors the Fu Li will, any power can perfectly match with Fu Li, becoming Fu Li!
There will never be any other demon blood more compatible with his power and more aligned with his will.
There will never be any other demon blood more suitable to use in the struggle against destiny!
Especially his demon spirit talent—Fu Li Swallowing!
This is a talent divine skill that can only be used nine times, the limitation is considerable, yet the power is immeasurable!
After devouring the Ziwei Demon Monarch, Ning Fan learned the opponent’s Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blade, gaining much insight from it.
The effect of the Ziwei Supreme Emperor Blade can specifically eradicate all Reverse Saints, for every enemy, one kills revealed.
Ning Fan’s Fu Li Swallowing has a similar effect, but instead of targeting Reverse Saints, it targets destiny and the slaves of fate.
Even when facing the Destiny God桑, Ning Fan has the potential to shake it nine times, offering abundant room for maneuver.
When besieged by the slaves of fate, Ning Fan can also use this technique for self-defense, ignoring defenses, injuring or even killing invaders! The more damage inflicted, the greater the benefits gained! The word "swallow" reflects plundering the opponent and refining oneself. Clearly, Ning Fan is not satisfied with just swallowing one Ziwei, but having tasted sweetness, he aims to devour more supreme beings blocking his path...
The specific damage effect depends on the difference in Taoist practice between both parties. If the opponent is a true Reverse Saint, Ning Fan, at his current level, wouldn’t be able to kill them with just this technique; at most, he could inflict slight injury...
It seems the damage is not substantial, but once this matter spreads, it is enough to overthrow the understanding of all living beings!
The second step has achieved the possibility of breaking the fourth step’s defense! The value of this technique speaks for itself, even the Desolate Saint would be wary at the sight of it.
You may curse Mount Wansheng for being malicious, but cannot say they are naive. Even if the Saints do not know Ning Fan’s specific trump card, they dare not inadvertently involve themselves in his karma, demonstrating how alert the Saints are.
The Great Honored Zhanqing dares to face the karma of the Primeval Immortal Emperor directly, yet is unwilling to confront Ning Fan at this time, also vaguely sensing danger, undeniably sensitive.
The Zi Clan, however, lacks this sensitivity!
Through the might of Ning Fan’s finger, the Quasi-Saints of the Zi Clan can sense Ning Fan’s strength, yet cannot comprehend where the boundary of this power lies.
At this moment, Ning Fan stands amid myriad flames, surrounded by the momentum of all living beings, his power immeasurable, gazing down at the world like an Ancient Saint!
With a thought, the long night transforms! He blurs the boundary between life and death, allowing the lights of the living and the departed to gather here.
All beings become the Northern Dipper! He gathers the lights of all beings, spreading them in the night sky, resembling a burning galaxy.
The "galaxies" form an array, yet subtly align with the mystery of the Red Peony Star Number, so that the fire of all beings continues unabated, connecting in momentum, forming an ocean-like power.
This is not the might of immortals, but the might of humans!
The power of humans can be strong or weak, weak is scattered like sand, united is a fire devouring the prairie, differing only in whether the will of all beings can be twisted together into one rope.
In a mere instant, Ning Fan makes the summoned lights "understand" their individual aspirations, with a united will: Irrelevant to origin, indifferent to source! We gather here with one common wish, which is to settle the evil deeds of the Zi Clan!
So, endless lights converge into Ning Fan’s finger, forming a flame capable of burning through the Immortal Dome, blazing like the sun!
With this finger, Ning Fan uses the Fu Li Gui Xu Finger, but not in its original form, instead, refining it with his own insights, improving the technique.
Not deploying his own mana to perform this technique, but achieving it through the power of all beings.
The power of one is limited, while the power of the masses is infinite! This insight, infused into the divine skill by Ning Fan, awakened the Immortal Spirit talent Materialization Freedom Technique, elevating and transforming the Gui Xu Finger on the level of will.
The greatest good resembles water, where water is the path, and more so, all beings!
Therefore, water can carry a boat, or overturn it!
Therefore, the river flows into the sea, eventually forming an ocean-like momentum!
Because the technique harnesses the power of all beings, its grand momentum far exceeds the limits of individual power, like an ocean, measureless!
On terms of sheer momentum, even the divine skills of the Desolate Saint cannot compare!
Yet, at present, only the momentum appears impressive...
According to Ning Fan’s assessment, the power of this finger currently equates to an ordinary strike of a Four or Five Epochs Primordial Saint, not exceptionally strong; yet it’s sufficient for handling a group of Second Step Quasi-Saints, but requires incorporating more technique in the method used...
One could ask, why does the light of all beings integrated into this finger fall short in fierceness and magnitude.
Most of them are related to the karma with the Zi Clan, an audience limited, not mobilizing the broadest masses.
Most who come are driven by personal vendettas, many have not awakened the ambition to support the heavens, thus unable to fully manifest the power of this finger.
But, no matter.
The awakening and transformation of Fu Li is never rushed.
Where power falls short, skill compensates.
Ning Fan suddenly remembered the list of ultimate techniques from the Liangyi Sect he had seen before; among them was a divine skill called the ’Three Eras Fire Origin Technique’.
This technique, his master never taught.
But it’s fine, if there is no textbook, then I’ll compile one myself.
At this moment, having opened the ’Materialization Freedom Technique’, his Dao Enlightenment rose to unprecedented levels, making it easy to self-create a style of the Three Eras Fire Origin Technique using the ’Black Demon Technique’ as the foundation.
As long as you understand, you can create!
The Purple Dou Demon Monarch’s Great Transformation Freedom Technique has similar capabilities, able to mimic Saint-level flames such as the ’Chi Ming Holy Fire’, ’Tao Spirit Holy Fire’, ’Reincarnation Holy Fire’, ’Spring and Autumn Holy Fire’, and ’Heavenly Desolate Holy Fire’.
Ning Fan’s Materialization Freedom Technique, derived from and surpassing Purple Dou, is certainly a notch above!
Thus, when a finger falls, the power of Three Eras Fire Origin is inherently held within!
The fire of Three Eras can burn not only the ’present’, but also the ’past’ and the ’future’!
That’s what makes it the Three Eras!
Such fire can be called the fire of the Saints!
Saint Fire is its form!
Fire of All Living Beings is its intent!
The world seems about to be pierced through by the fiery shadows of fingers, emitting an unbearable buzzing sound. Mountains, rivers, the momentum of heaven and earth in this moment lost their color, actually being crushed by the momentum of men!
Bringing mountains to bow, rivers to yield!
Making all oppression disappear in smoke!
Making all tyrannical power turn to ash!
This, then, is the fire of all living beings!
Everyone like Zi Xiao, all with cultivations from the Era of Decline, had never seen such a terrifying scene; their fear of Ning Fan instantly skyrocketed unprecedentedly, surpassing Emotion Control by countless times!
If they could perceive the true power of this finger, they wouldn’t be frightened to death, but merely scared half to death. Unfortunately... they lack this insight.
"Is this really the Fuli Gui Xu Finger? No, absolutely not! The ancient scriptures never mentioned Fuli techniques having the grandeur of the Immortal Emperor Reincarnation Finger!"
"Attack together! Otherwise, we’re all going to die!"
In the face of life and death, no one dared to hold back. Everyone immediately used their trump cards, showing just how intimidated they were by Ning Fan!
What exactly is trading basic attacks for ultimate skills? Here it is.
Ning Fan didn’t even use his own mana, yet the opposition had to go all out.
Zi Xiao Ancestor: "Two Elements Lodging Shadow Array, activate! King’s Decree, open! I will sit at the center of the formation, fellow Daoists, lend me your strength with haste!"
Purple Bone Quasi-Saint: "Immortal Companion Daoist, Twelve Seals, release! Twelve Bone Witches appear!"
Mixed Heaven Quasi-Saint: "Reverse Sea Sword Seal, release! Mixed Kun Saint Technique, Sword Rune Technique, Mahamaya Infinite Form!"
Combined Ape Quasi-Saint: "Ancient Fox Soul, Soul Fusion! Joyful Union Sacred Skill, Nine-tailed Bone Scraping Blade!"
War Sky Quasi-Saint: "Fighting Saint Technique, Extreme Heavenly Earth Formation!"
Dou Yun Quasi-Saint: "Sky-reaching Banner, summon heaven and earth Nieli shadows, protect my demon body!"
Si Kong Realm: "Stone Soldier Remnant Formation, activate! Heavenly Sound Art, open! Welcome Venerable Deer into the formation to vanquish demons!"
Hidden South Mountain: "Thunder Sorrow Pearl, summon Ancient Thunder Dragon Soul! Water Reversal Bead, summon Reversed Sea Water Dragon Soul! Hidden Spirit Pearl, summon Netherworld Stone Dragon Soul! Use these two pearls to counterfeit the device, complete the lacking count of the small Five Spirit Pearls! When unity is achieved, all methods and wishes follow my intent! Those who comply thrive, those who oppose perish!"
It’s undeniable that the foundation of the Zi Clan is truly profound; any Quasi-Saint casually trained in the Saint Techniques possesses combat power that rivals Ancient Quasi-Saints.
As allies of the Zi Clan, Si Kong Realm and Hidden South Mountain also possess strong trump cards in hand, each with well-deserved reputations.
Being the Clan Leader, Zi Xiao holds a complete Saintly Array Map, also has the King’s Decree of the Immortal Emperor’s royal lineage for protection, so his skills are undeniably extravagant.
Thus, eight Quasi-Saints hold the formation defense, each exhausting their methods, along with various Immortal Emperors, Immortal Kings, and Immortal Venerables providing assistance.
Moreover, everyone in the Zi Clan burdened with evil karma wishing to survive joined the ranks fighting to protect the formation!
Exhausting the entire clan’s power just to fend off Ning Fan’s single finger!
Briefly, the holy light of the formation clashed with the burning shadows of the finger; judging by the scene alone, it surprisingly matched Ning Fan’s finger evenly, equally matched in strength.
The Saintly Array Map can seize the creation of heaven and earth, each stroke of formation patterns wriggle like living creatures, each beam of formation light surrounded by ancient scripture of the Saints!
The glow of Saint Techniques flowed around each of the eight Quasi-Saints, forming an unbreakable web of Dao traces together with the Array Map. Zi Xiao’s King’s Decree hung before the formation, golden light intertwined into a "forbidden" character, capable of locking all external forces.
"Two Elements Lodging Shadow Array, huh..."
Ning Fan’s eyes flickered with Azure Spike, seeing through the cause and effect of this formation.
The reason this Array Map is powerful is that it belonged to a certain heaven-defying Demon Crane from the Liangyi Sect...
The old formation looks quite complete, but its potential is limited; moreover, since the bearer of the array is merely the likes of Zi Xiao, it cannot fully exert the formation’s complete power.
The level of formation light could barely withstand the shadows of the finger for one era but is insufficient to defend against all three eras.
"I’m sorry..."
Ning Fan’s apology wasn’t directed at the Zi Clan, but to the former master of this formation.
Crack, crack, crack.
The formation light clearly blocked Ning Fan’s finger shadow, yet inexplicably, cracks suddenly appeared within it.
The cracks kept spreading, disregarding the rules of the formation map, like water seeping through rock, expanding from point to surface, rushing from the past and future into the present.
"How is this possible! Didn’t we just block it!"
Zi Xiao’s expression changed drastically, seemingly unable to comprehend the scene before him.
Fighting for his life, he even disregarded the ultimate ideal of cultivating Saint Corpse Demons. With a ruthless heart, he abruptly cut off the Corpse Nourishing Array and forcibly activated the Two Elements Lodging Shadow Array on Ten Thousand Immortal Ridge, only seeking self-preservation.
The price was truly too great, yet still couldn’t defend against it...
The same expression appeared on others’ faces as well; fighting for survival, everyone more or less used their trump card, paying a hefty price.
The outcome, however...
"This is... the Three Eras Fire Origin Technique!" Only Dou Yun Quasi-Saint vaguely saw the way.
He was the present Zi Clan’s highest adept in Fiery Eyes of Golden Flame, and because of this, his eyes could see more!
He could see, but could do nothing.
Could only watch helplessly as the formation light shattered, powerless to change anything before him, and then along with all the Zi Clan cultivators, he was hit by that heavenly finger shadow.
Blazing flames instantly surged toward everything between mountains and seas!
Burning toward all demon souls, Spirits, True Spirits filled with evil karma, carrying the might of Slaying Punishment, inescapable and unavoidable!
Yet not burning toward any innocents, the scene indescribably strange...
This was not the fire of violence, but the fire of vengeance! Those unrelated to the cause and effect would not be implicated!
If connected by cause and effect, all fires would burn the body, unable to extinguish, the Taoist decline, life force dispersing, step by step toward death, returning to the Lost World Palace!
This is precisely the killing effect of the Gui Xu Zhi!
The Gui Xu Zhi devours everything from Zi Xiao and others, everyone tries to mend a fence after the sheep have gone, extinguishing the flames on themselves, but it’s all in vain.
Struck directly by a blow comparable to the primordial Saints of four or five epochs, how is it so easily remedied? Everyone feels their consciousness dimming, exhausting all their means, only slightly slowing the speed of life force’s draining...
Between life and death, every living being’s nature differs.
The previous moment Zi Xiao was still complacent, at this moment, tears of helplessness and unwillingness fell. No one knew that deep in the heart of the high-ranking Clan Leader lay a fragility.
"Why..."
"Why have I sacrificed so much, yet still can’t do anything..."
"This can’t be, I absolutely don’t believe it!"
At this moment, Zi Xiao recalls the helplessness faced against Emotion Control.
To avoid repeating past mistakes, he abandoned his bottom line, abandoned emotion, used any means, without familial recognition, leading the Zi Clan to "revival."
Clearly, he had grown stronger, but when facing a great enemy, he couldn’t even resist a single finger from them...
Thus, everything he sacrificed in his life, what significance did it hold...
"Damn it! This is the Zi Clan’s cause and effect! It’s unrelated to us! Senior, spare us!"
Sikong Realm and Hidden South Mountain were merely foreigners, unwilling to perish because of the Zi Clan’s calamity.
They desperately begged for mercy, but received no response from Ning Fan.
Yet they didn’t know, if truly unconnected by cause and effect, these flames of vengeance wouldn’t precisely target them...
This intent to kill didn’t stem from Ning Fan’s mercilessness, but from the reckoning of all living beings!
It’s not that it doesn’t get repaid, just that the time hasn’t arrived.
Now with the Dream Master re-emerging in the world, all living beings now have a shelter, a beacon, a voice to cry out!
Sworn to clear the world’s demon mists!
Sworn to reclaim everything lost!
On the surface, Ning Fan’s finger is an attack covering the entire Zi Clan territory, enough to destroy all life within it; in reality, the finger contains the wonder of cause and effect, only extinguishing evil karma, not destroying the innocent. The specifics of who is killed are left to the determination of the sentient beings.
He is not an involved party, having not suffered others’ bitterness, not advising others’ virtue.
Who is guilty, who is innocent, let the victims identify one by one.
"Completely no match at all..."
"Today might indeed be the day of the Zi Clan’s extinction..."
"I’ve made too many mistakes in my life, ending like this may be deserved... Unfortunately, until the end, I haven’t found the answer."
Unlike other sinners, Dou Yun Quasi-Saint was rather calm.
He has no fear of life and death, only because his emotions had long been stripped away during the Chaos of Emotion Control, leaving only a few.
Because of this, he can no longer find his original intention, regain his self, nor empathize with anything.
The things he once cared about have long been forgotten, beyond recollection, as if a huge void has formed deep within his heart. The only clear memory is his determination when wielding sword toward the opponent during the Chaos of Emotion Control, and the humiliation of being stepped into the dust by the opponent.
[Oh? Do you have the courage to wield swords against me? But if I extinguish your blood courage and magnify your void, what will you choose then...]
[Your choice, is it to flee... Ultimately, only this degree of obsession... Ha, the emotions that all beings pride themselves on are indeed worthless in the face of void. All things with emotions, they are illusions...]
Thus spoke the Emotion Control at that time.
Back then, Dou Yun seemed to want to refute something, but in the end, he forgot the words he wanted to say, abandoned the sword, and fled in confusion.
Why did he, at that time, dare to rush towards the invincible Great Honored Emotion Control with such a weak body?
He seems to have lost many things in that great battle, but cannot recall what he lost...
Only a final obsession remains: I must become stronger! At any cost, I must become stronger!
Yet he cannot remember why he wants to become stronger, which is laughable...
Looking back now, his journey to become strong seems itself to be a joke...
The strong stay strong, the weak remain weak.
The strong are born to reside in the high heavens, needing only a finger to defeat heroes and break their courage...
Someone like Ning Fan, born to reside in the high heavens, is the protagonist of the world.
And someone like him, insignificant in the mortal world, is ultimately part of the defeated group, death is nothing more than an inevitable topic for the defeated, fundamentally a form of return, a form of relief, a survival of the fittest, a redemption.
Hence he feels bored...
Ah, Purple Mansion, once again you have hit the mark...
The Zi Clan indeed, has no future...
And I similarly do not believe the Zi Clan can have a future.
Even the Immortal Emperor can be eradicated, the Immortal Domain is not eternal, how could we, the royal family of a fallen nation, persist in the world... that’s just wishful thinking.
Even so, I long to become stronger, long to find an answer, but still cannot find it...
Dou Yun slowly closed his eyes, cutting off his five senses, calmly awaiting death.
Yet in the moment of letting go, suddenly his heart trembled, his Fiery Eyes seemed to observe some fragments of the future.
Those were fragments he had never been able to observe before!
Those belonged to the future of the Zi Clan!
No matter how he observed in the past, he could not see the future of the Zi Clan, the future for the Zi Clan was only defeat, only destruction, only ruins, only universal contempt.
If the heavens want to destroy it, they must first make it mad, Dou Yun knew well the many evils committed by the Zi Clan, also knew that these evil deeds would eventually bear a price.
But at this moment, he observed a future totally different from before!
The future of the Zi Clan showed change, seemingly gaining rebirth from destruction!
Moreover, in that piece of future, he saw an old woman tending a grave, which he couldn’t let go of, couldn’t look away from.
"Who is... that..."
Unable to look away, he could not avert his gaze!
A lifetime of dead emotions seemed to revive at this moment, making him desperately want to know the identity of that old woman!
This body is consumed by fierce flames, unable to extinguish, death is inevitable.
But before death, he longs to obtain an answer, not want to die without understanding!
"The Zi Clan clearly has no future, only destruction, now the Supreme has come to destroy the Zi Clan, which is the best evidence. But why, amidst the roaring flames, do I see the future of the Zi Clan..."
"Is it an illusion? Or reality? Or has the future time-space changed decisively due to this event..."
"I want to see more!"
"I want to go to the future!"
"Shattered Star!"
Dou Yun Quasi-Saint’s left eye flickered with nine Demon Stars, nine stars converging into one, unexpectedly forming the phantom shadow of a Daoist Skill Star.
After that... he decisively shattered this nearly precious Daoist Skill Star!
The vast collapsing force directly caused serious damage to his left eye, blood flowed from his eye, yet he was indifferent.
Death in an instant, the cultivations and injuries are trivial, only this answer must be known, otherwise death is restless!
"I want to see the future clearly!"
"I want to die in the future!"
"Blood Ignition!"
"Sky-reaching Banner! Protect my path forward!"
Having accepted death, the Quasi-Saint Dou Yun born a new obsession at this moment. Letting the fires burn his body, he concentrated all his strength, urging the Holy-grade Spiritual Armor Sky-reaching Banner, attempting to tear through the order of time and space, heading towards the distant future.
His Taoist practice had not yet attained the realm of piercing through time and space, but having the Sky-reaching Banner in hand gave this endeavor a sliver of possibility.
"So, it’s... him." As he watched the Quasi-Saint Dou Yun trying to head directly into the future, a flash of azure light flickered in Ning Fan’s eyes, understanding a certain strand of causality.
He could prevent Dou Yun from heading to the future, but he held back.
[Lichen, you realize your mistake...]
[Clan Leader, please forgive... please grant me a release...]
In a daze, Ning Fan recalled a certain past event, and ultimately sighed.
Evil people hold obsessions too...
Yet evil people are not worthy of sympathy.
But if this piece of evil could be met with another punishment even more cruel than death, Ning Fan wouldn’t mind watching how it played out.
"Those with no regret can become Fu Li; those with regret can become Nieli. Is this the rule set by Master Zidou... Perhaps in his view, death is merely a journey to return to the Lost World Palace, not the heaviest punishment. For some, it might even be a form of release, hence the term ’send’ a person to death. Compared to death, Master Zidou seems to value repaying karma more, and the so-called Nieli is not meant to forgive criminals, but to compensate the victims... Only after repaying karmic debts from all lifetimes’ reincarnations, can a Nieli be granted a death..."
Ning Fan’s original intent was to punish evil deeds with the Fire of All Living Beings while igniting the aspiration in more people to support the heavens, transforming more Fu Li.
Unexpectedly, the next entity transformed was not a Fu Li, but a Nieli...
He originally thought only convicted Fu Li could transform into Nieli, but now it seemed Nieli could indeed exist independently.
What exactly the Quasi-Saint Dou Yun would experience traveling to the future was unknown.
This person’s death was inevitable, but that he could transform into Nieli through the calamity of death might still be something to ponder...
Ning Fan did not stop Dou Yun from heading to the future, and simultaneously observed it.
He was omnipresent, even in the future Dou Yun intended to reach.
Dou Yun could not escape.
The other party had no intention to escape either.
But others couldn’t think so.
Seeing Dou Yun harnessed the power of the Sky-reaching Banner to open a passage to the future of the Zi Clan’s time and space, Zi Xiao and others saw hope of survival at this moment, each wanting to escape with Dou Yun.
But none succeeded, all were blocked by Ning Fan.
"Why! Why are you partial only to Dou Yun! How is that scoundrel different from us! Why do you let him go!" Zi Xiao and others cried out in anger, denouncing Ning Fan’s unfairness.
"?"
Facing everyone’s inquiries, Ning Fan simply showed misunderstanding, ignoring them.
These people must have gone mad, otherwise, they would never say such insane words.
Alternatively, these people might have already gone mad during the Chaos of Emotion Control...
Not just Dou Yun, many surviving Zi Clan cultivators had their emotions reversed to some extent during the Emotion Control Chaos, altering their personalities, driving them to madness, which was one of the reasons the Zi Clan took an extremist path later.
But even if they were mentally ill, lawbreakers still had to be punished.
This was the Purple Star Immortal Law.
...
"Is this really the Zi Clan..."
With the protection of the Holy-grade Sky-reaching Banner, the Quasi-Saint Dou Yun tore through the boundaries of time and space, briefly arriving at the Zi Clan of the future.
Before his arrival, his gaze was fixated on an elderly woman sweeping a grave.
But when he truly arrived at the future Zi Clan, he was captivated by everything here, unable to look away.
Unlike the Zi Clan burned by Ning Fan in one strike, the future Zi Clan had no blazing fires, nor the starlight of the Ten Billion Star River Realm, only the orderly buildings, bustling crowds.
A group of children, talking and laughing, seemed to be on their way to school, including members of the Ape Tribe, ordinary Demon race, and even mortals.
Yet they did not allow ethnic differences to create barriers, but got along normally.
Not just these children, but more people, more races, lived harmoniously in the future Zi Clan.
This was unimaginable under Zi Xiao’s rule of the Zi Clan!
But this scene inexplicably felt familiar to Dou Yun, as if such scenes didn’t just exist in the future, but also in his forgotten past, in the earliest Zi Clan...
But he couldn’t recall, couldn’t recall that past, only remembered Zi Xiao’s caste policies...
The harmonious scene among all beings made Dou Yun feel estranged; the healthy and ruddy smiles of the weak mortals even shocked him.
Shouldn’t the faces of mortals be sallow from malnutrition? As the lowest class of the world, the group most oppressed, why could they survive healthily...
Who is protecting these weak ones?
Zi Clan!
How could it be!
The Zi Clan is not such an idealized thing, but a nearly emotionless war machine!
Born only for war!
Born only for the victors!
That is the Zi Clan Dou Yun knows, not this one in front of him!
Dou Yun endured the burning pain within his body, reaching out, wanting to touch everything in this world.
But his hand passed through everything, unable to touch, unable to interfere with the cause and effect of this world.
"Unable to interfere with the cause and effect of this world..."
Dou Yun frowned, increasingly feeling that everything in front of him was unreal.
Did he really go to the future...
Or perhaps, everything he sees now is just a dream, a hallucination before death...
"Whatever, be it real or hallucination, I do not care. I just want to know, who is that person..."
So he walked towards the woman sweeping the grave.
Yet a few steps away, he stopped, inexplicably afraid to move forward.
Very afraid.
Very afraid of seeing that person’s face.
But why be afraid?
Decisive and ruthless as I am, not even fearing death, why fear this frail old woman in front of me...
Still, I am willing to do anything to see clearly who that person is...
But why are my feet afraid to move forward...
Is it homesickness?
Or am I just afraid to see the disappointed eyes of that person...
Life was rapidly slipping away, and Dou Yun knew he did not have much time left.
So after repeatedly hesitating, he finally summoned the courage to move forward again.
But before he could touch the old woman, she sensed something, suddenly turning around.
Her face full of wrinkles seemed etched with the hardships of life, yet the gentle light in her eyes held a power that brought tears to one’s eyes.
"I remember now..."
"She is mother! She is...my mother!"
"Zhanqing! Zhanqing! I killed you, I want to kill you!"
The obsession was like a key, finally unlocking sealed memories.
He finally remembered why he dared to charge at Zhanqing when he was weak!
It was not recklessness, nor was he foolish enough to confront the Great Honored Zhanqing with flesh and blood...
He just wanted to retrieve his mother’s blood-stained head from beneath Zhanqing’s feet...
His mother was a hero who died protecting the clan, but he was not...
He was a villain who forgot his origins, which was why he feared seeing his mother’s disappointed face.
[Yun’er, when you grow up, be a person of integrity. Mother does not require you to be without guilt before heaven and earth, the Purple Dou, but everything you do must be without guilt to your own heart. You must be a good person.]
[Mother, what is a good person? Is it to do many good deeds?]
[Not hurting others makes you a good person.]
[Then yesterday I messed up a bird’s nest, the day before I fed a butterfly to ants, and the day before that, I let goldfish bask in the sun...so am I not a good person...I’m sorry, Mother...]
[You...sigh, you will understand in the future. Good and bad are not determined by you, but by all living things. In this world, no one can be flawless, anyone will make mistakes, and the more things you do, the more mistakes you could make, yet in the hearts of people, there is always a balance...]
[Mother, I don’t understand, but I will strive to be a good person! Without guilt before heaven, the Purple Dou, and you, Mother!]
I’m sorry, Mother! I did not achieve it, I achieved nothing...
I have guilt before heaven, guilt before the Purple Dou, and more, guilt towards you...
I am an incorrigible villain, I have disgraced your heroism, and I am even more guilty to my ancestors!
Tears don’t easily fall from a man, let alone a devil.
But in this moment, Dou Yun wept, overwhelmed with guilt, knelt before the old woman, incessantly kowtowed, pleading for her forgiveness.
Alas, the old woman before him couldn’t see him, like travelers crossing paths through time, unable to meet.
"Strange, just now... was there a wind..."
"But the Rebel Venerable said, there should be no wind at this grave, if there’s a gust, then Li Chen has returned..."
"Yun’er, is it you, have you returned..."
"The Rebel Venerable said, you are still in the cycle of rebirth battling evil, to repay past sins, it is a journey with no end, always accompanied by death and destruction, possibly falling into confusion... Mother knows, Mother knows, it’s your sin, your karma, what you should repay...but, if you’re tired, come home. Mother will always be here waiting, even if it’s just a gust, a cloud returning..."
Tears blurred Dou Yun’s eyes, mixed with blood from his left eye.
At this moment, he finally saw the name on the tombstone.
[Li Chen’s Grave].
This is not a mirage.
This is the real future he exists in.
He carries sins and blaze, yet he died with remorse, thus allowed by heaven and earth, to transform into a Nieli after death, to repay karmic sins.
This is his karma.
He is willing to repay, willing to endure all pain and suffering.
It’s for making amends to those harmed, and to repay Ning Fan’s kindness.
His eyes evolved at this moment of death, faintly perceiving cause and effect.
So he could see.
His mother, who had already died in battle, returned to the world as a Fuli because of Ning Fan’s enlightenment!
The grace of saving his mother, Dou Yun vowed to repay with his life!
Karma to repay, kindness to acknowledge! His life shall not end here; mere death is not enough to repay all his wrongs!
"Henceforth in this world, there will be no Dou Yun, only Li Chen."
"I am a sinner against heaven and earth, undeserving of sympathy, unworthy of forgiveness, yet... I must amend something..."
"Only thus can I deserve a granted death."
"Only thus can I face my mother, meet Ning Fan!"
Li Chen, understood his wrongs!
Willing to enter the mountain of blades and sea of fire, until the last flame extinguished, is no regret!
Hawk-like cry!
A Nieli’s cry echoed from the future Zi Clan, piercing the sky, yet no one heard.
Dou Yun transformed into a Nieli, holding the Qitian Banner, once again tore through the spacetime cycle, rushing into the chaotic stream of time.
Thus in the distant past of the Dreamland Realm, an unknown Nieli appeared, drawn into world conflicts time and again.
Not for supporting heaven’s fall.
Not to seek a rogue’s heart.
Only to amend wrongs, to allow those harmed by Dou Yun to have another chance at life, another possibility.
Countless battles, countless traversing of time and space, leading to his divine sense becoming confused, eventually falling into bewilderment.
Only this obsession remains, unerasable.
Li Chen, understood his wrongs.
He must atone, but knows not how much is needed, perhaps he has long repaid, or perhaps it is never to be repaid...
Until after endless ages, finally, someone pushed open the dust-sealed gate of the Dark Luck Sect.
When that young man arrived before him, the wind-battered Li Chen sensed the end of the journey.
Could he finally... face death calmly...
[Li Chen... has understood his wrongs...]
[Please, the main race... transform my remains... grant me release...]
Now, do I have the right to turn into a gust, a cloud, to see mother...
Could I have repaid Ning Fan’s karmic kindness a millionth part...
Don’t know...
But I’m so tired... just want to go home.
Mother, your child is home...
If there’s a next life, I will surely adhere to mother’s teachings, I must be a good person, never letting mother be disappointed again...