Volume IV: Yearning for the Mountain Banners, Chapter 120

Jin Li looked up at the person who dared to use innocent civilians as leverage against her. Rage surged within her; this death-seeking fool had chosen the wrong target.

The young man, bolstered by the spiritual energy Jin Li had channeled into him, began to recover some color. Gripping her hand tightly, he slowly stood up. Despite his battered state, he positioned himself in front of her, his gaze chilling. His pitch-black eyes slowly bled into a crimson hue, reminiscent of the Demon God of old.

Those eyes once held neither sorrow nor joy, looking upon the world as if it were filled with the most insignificant ants, brimming with disdain and contempt. But now, those eyes burned with fury and killing intent.

Jin Li watched his back, then stepped to his side. The figure atop the city gate sneered, "The Lady Sovereign’s grace remains undiminished, though I wonder if you still have the strength to fight?"

Her expression was indifferent, though the fire in her heart had already begun to consume her.

"Look at these people," she retorted. "Are these not the very beings you claim the Lady Sovereign wishes to protect? If you want to live, release them at once."

What Jin Li hated most in this life was being threatened.

The man burst into manic laughter. "The Lady Sovereign’s words truly frighten me. But what shall we do? Do you still wish to save these people?"

As he spoke, the soul-energy binding Si Mu suddenly vanished. He plummeted straight down. Jin Li’s heart tightened, her hands reaching out to catch him, but just as he neared the ground, his body was abruptly yanked back. She saw the scars marring the boy’s face, his complexion deathly pale.

"What do you want?"

"Hahahaha! Isn't this fun?"

Seeing the man’s rampant arrogance, the young man beside her could no longer contain himself. His Sword Art of Supreme Tranquility surged forward like a tidal wave toward the enemy. Alas, the moment it was about to strike, the man provocatively shoved the hostages directly into the path of the sword tide. Geng Yuan’s hand froze mid-motion, barely stopping in time.

"It seems our little Immortal Lord is quite impatient."

Jin Li observed the man’s growing arrogance and the inescapable net of traps spread across the surrounding ramparts. This strategy of luring the tiger from the mountain and trapping the guest was executed with cunning precision. Yet, she did not see the tawny-skinned boy. Had he not returned? Or perhaps…

"Lady Sovereign, can we talk properly now?"

The girl’s clear, beautiful face was stained with droplets of blood. A smile curled at the corners of her lips—chilling and bewitching. For this creature who knew nothing of hierarchy or honor, she felt only impatience and disgust.

"What are you? Do you think you are worthy of speaking to me?" She stepped forward and slowly raised her right hand. "You have provoked the wrong person, you ignorant wretch."

As the words left her lips, agonizing shrieks erupted from the surrounding walls. Blue flames spread across the demonic creatures, burying them in a sea of fire in an instant. The figure on the gate watched in silence; though Jin Li could not see his expression, she knew he was beginning to panic.

She glanced sideways at the young man. He nodded in understanding and vanished, concealing his form. The man’s attention was entirely fixed on the city walls, utterly oblivious to the boy’s departure.

At that moment, Jin Li rose on the wind, her body wreathed in a pale blue celestial glow. Squinting her eyes, she swung her long sword, cleaving directly into the firmament. The golden talisman array covering the sky shattered.

The girl turned slowly. With a resounding crack, all the illusions vanished in an instant. As the array dissolved, the true state of the long street was revealed. It was a river of blood, littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers, scarred everywhere by the traces of dark sorcery. The sight shocked her, and the fire in her heart could no longer be suppressed.

Jin Li spoke in a hoarse voice, unleashing the full force of her primordial spirit, pressing down on the man until he could barely draw breath.

"They are but mortals. Why harm the innocent?"

"Mortals? Mortals are no more than ants, lowly and pathetic..."

"Oh? Lowly? You use divine power to bully those who have no power to fight back, all to bolster your own strength, and yet you mock them as lowly?"

The man gripped his trump card tightly. "This is their duty! This is their fate!"

Jin Li looked back, her eyes slowly lifting, filled with cold malice, her rims reddened. "Do you know what your own fate will be?"

The man in black panicked but forced a veneer of composure. "You intend to kill me? Look at these people. If I die, they die with me."

Hovering in the air, she held her long sword in her left hand and slowly raised it, pointing at him. "Speak! Who do you serve? The Celestial Clan? Or the God Clan?"

This man could not only use the Weak Water Array at will but was also proficient in every manner of talisman formation. He created puppets and mutated demonic beasts, yet despite the scale of his puppet army, there had been no word from the realms above. She could find no other explanation; the only possibility was that he was intimately familiar with both clans. Perhaps those above were behind him.

He let out a sinister laugh. "Does the Lady Sovereign think that sealing the Demon God grants you peace of mind? If the Demon God sleeps, will the Six Realms be stable? You are wrong! The Demon Lord shall return and lead the Demon Realm to unify the Six Realms!"

He grew increasingly frantic, then flipped his hand to reveal something. Before Jin Li could see it clearly, the object emitted a purplish-red glow. Jin Li looked at the bound people and, joining her fingers in a seal, rescued them.

Instantly, the purplish-red light engulfed her. Her vision blurred, and she vaguely perceived it to be a lotus—a crystal lotus. Suddenly, she saw the young man’s sword tide pierce the man in black, but upon touching the purplish-red light, the sword energy was ground into dust.

Nothing could approach her anymore. Nothing.

Jin Li watched the purple streams of light surrounding her. When she lightly touched one, it was sharp as a blade; blood immediately welled from her fingertips. The blood stained her hand, and suddenly, the sharp light tore through her clothes, her arms, her knees, forcing her to sink to one knee in agony.

What was this? It was an artifact of the God Clan. But how could a divine relic be here?

Jin Li joined her fingers, and a golden wheel appeared, colliding with the light, only to be shredded into powder in an instant.

It was the World-Ending Lotus.

The World-Ending Lotus! The very relic forged by the Nine-Mystic Emperor himself! This lotus had been created to deal with the demonic armies for the sake of the Six Realms' peace. Once activated, the light would expand until everything within its reach was annihilated.

She was currently at the center of the World-Ending Lotus. She looked up and saw, just as she feared, the sky turned gloomy, with only a single lotus radiating purple soul-energy hanging inverted in the air. Within that purple aura floated the essence of demonic spirits.

The World-Ending Lotus had already endured too much during the Great War. If this continued, it would rupture, and the long-suppressed demonic spirits within would scatter across the Three Realms and Four Continents, plunging them into a living hell.

She stared into the heart of the lotus. Only by entering the heart of the destruction could she stop it from consuming everything.

Her hand clutching the sword trembled slightly. She stared into the lotus heart, as if seeing the ancient Great War, when the Six Realms were a chaotic void without a breath of life.

She could not bear it.

The divine mark on her forehead began to shift; the golden sigil was now edged with a faint, pale blue. As an immortal cultivator, she was bound to prioritize the lives of all under heaven.

Her expression was forlorn. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, and she sheathed her sword.

"Ah-Jin!"

She paused and opened her eyes. She felt the blood in her body surging in reverse, and her heart began to ache so violently that she could barely breathe. The only thing she regretted was the young man. The boy whose eyes were always filled with her, the boy who fought by her side.

She composed herself, looked back, and smiled at the corners of her lips. "Ah-Yuan, if you wish to wait for me, you might have to wait a hundred years." Perhaps ten thousand, she thought, her voice choking. "If you do not wish to wait... then do not."

The young man’s expression was one of panic, terror, and horror. Hearing her words, he began to crumble, tears gushing from his eyes. How could it end like this again? It was not supposed to end like this. He had already taken her destiny upon himself; why was fate unchanged? Why!

He screamed, "Jin Li! Whatever you are doing, stop! I beg you, stop!" He could not bear the pain of losing her again! He could not!

"Jin Li! There must be a way! I beg you, don't do this! Don't do it!"

Was there a way? There must be. But it seemed the goal of these people was simply to claim her life.

She closed her eyes and whispered, "By my Phoenix Decree, will the gods assist me?"

No sooner had she spoken than golden holy light erupted between heaven and earth. Beneath the purple lotus, the golden light halted the spread of the purple radiance. Jin Li opened her eyes; her robes transformed into a celestial gown of golden thread and clouds, her ribbons dancing in the air. Behind her, the holy light shone.

At that moment, a unified, solemn, and majestic voice resounded through the air.

"The gods acknowledge the decree."

Ten celestial spirits manifested around her. They possessed benevolent features, draped in holy light and wielding divine artifacts.

Si Nian and the others desperately held back the collapsing Geng Yuan. His voice had turned hoarse, his eyes bloodshot. How could he endure Jin Li leaving him once more? How could she!

He saw the God of Time and shouted, "God of Time! I beg you, save Ah-Jin! All you gods and buddhas! I beg you!"

He struggled violently. As Jin Li channeled her magic again, he shoved those holding him aside. Ah-Jin was deceiving him; she had not sent him away to save them, but to keep him far from this war.

"Ah-Jin!"

He lunged toward the purple light, utterly disregarding the consequences!

At that moment, Ye Ming abruptly restrained him. Looking at the broken young man, Ye Ming’s expression was profoundly complex. Perhaps from the very beginning, using the power of time carried a corresponding price. And that price was that, no matter when or where, the young man would eventually lose his beloved.

Jin Li looked at the young man one last time, her tears refusing to obey. She whispered, "Ah-Yuan, wait for me."

Then, the gods collectively channeled their power. The golden holy light shone brilliantly in the sky, dispersing all the dark clouds.

"Jin Li!"

The power of the World-Ending Lotus was not to be underestimated. The golden holy light collided with the purple radiance, followed by a piercing roar that echoed through the heavens.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent. The World-Ending Lotus ceased its rotation. Everything that was being corroded stood still. Everything froze. Everything had come to a standstill.

Someone lightly tapped the young man on the shoulder. He stiffened and turned to see Xiao Ze.

Xiao Ze, with his flowing white hair and gaunt frame. He had seen him in the images left by his master at Bu-Zhao Mountain. He was Master Qing-Song, the master of Huai-Gui, the one who had saved Geng Yuan.

His features were kind, his air ethereal. Everything around them was frozen, leaving only him with consciousness.

"...Mas...Master."

Xiao Ze smiled lightly. "The Sea God may call this old man Qing-Song."

It was him—the one who had saved him all those years ago!