Volume Four: The Mountain Banner’s Yearning — Chapter 121

The young man’s expression was one of stubborn pleading as he looked at the illusion of the old man before him. "I beg you, you saved me once before—please, I beg you, save A-Jin."

Qingsong remained smiling throughout. "No destiny has yet reached its end. The Sea God remains the Sea God, but the Lady Sovereign is no longer the Lady Sovereign."

What did that mean?

As Xiao Ze finished speaking these words, the immortal shadow suddenly dissipated. He caught sight of fragments amidst the purple flowing light, though he could not tell what those crystalline shards were.

He desperately fought to calm his racing heart.

*The Sea God remains the Sea God, the Lady Sovereign is no longer the Lady Sovereign.*

*The Sea God remains the Sea God...*

*The Sea God...*

A sudden realization dawned on the young man’s face. Xiao Ze knew he was Geng Yuan, not Huai Gui; that meant he had not perished that day.

He could not help but recall what the Demon God had said back then: "The divine seal of the Nine Profound Emperor..."

Could it be...?

He pulled up his sleeve, and the gruesome scars on his arm instantly vanished. In their place, translucent, pale blue shark scales began to grow.

He was Geng Yuan.

The young man closed his eyes, his heart continuously summoning the Cangyuan Bow.

He opened his divine consciousness. His sea of consciousness was vast, boundless, and desolate. Yet, as he ventured deeper, scenes began to emerge—his past, from childhood until he met Jin Li. He saw a man dressed in immortal robes and a crown, holding a long sword, his brows and eyes as clear and bright as the harvest moon. The mark upon his forehead and the holy light behind him were dazzling.

That was the Nine Profound Emperor, Jing Ye.

It was the first time he had seen such a radiant celestial god among the crowds of the South Sea in his youth.

Then... the scene flickered.

He saw... A-Jin...

What was the connection between A-Jin and the Nine Profound Emperor?

He saw A-Jin dressed in wedding robes, her hand held by the Nine Profound Emperor. The two, a perfect match, stepped onto the Blue Phoenix Cloud Bird together, sailing toward the sacred realm that radiated holy light.

A-Jin was the Empress...

His eyes were filled with shock.

These memories were not his own, yet they appeared within his consciousness at this moment. Was this also Xiao Ze’s doing?

He stepped into the crowd, watching the two bow to the Three Realms and Four Continents before their figures dissipated amidst a shower of flowers.

He saw the joy and radiance in the young woman’s eyes.

How could they have married? Had the Nine Profound Emperor not long ago proclaimed to the world that he would have only one wife in this life?

Could that beloved wife be A-Jin?

Then, countless images drifted past.

He could not grasp those fading memories.

But then, he saw the young woman standing between the demonic and the divine, her expression sorrowful, tears in her eyes. She said something, then swung her long sword. A crimson, blood-red line appeared on her neck; the blood spilled down, staining her slender throat. Her body suddenly emitted a golden light, and her primordial spirit slowly dissipated, transforming into the golden shackles that trapped the Demon God. The Demon God was dragged beneath the Weak Water. For the first time, he saw a man who had once been as bright and pure as the moon weep with such profound grief.

Filled with guilt and endless remorse, the man held the person who had long since ceased to breathe, as if trying to embed her into his own body. It was a sight that inspired both awe and a hollow, lingering sorrow.

At that moment, the golden light faded completely, and the girl vanished with it, turning into immortal dust between heaven and earth.

The light in that man’s eyes died instantly...

Then... who was the A-Jin of today?

The Nine Profound Emperor had traveled the Four Seas and Eight Desolations for over ten thousand years. He had scoured the Four Seas and searched the Eight Desolations, desperately seeking the dissipated soul of A-Jin. Even if it was only a negligible fragment, even if he could never piece them together, he searched nonetheless.

Geng Yuan’s eyes were filled with sadness.

Seeing the Nine Profound Emperor again, the man who was once like light and moon was now white-haired and aged. He poured all his power into Mount Tianyu, channeling the waters of the Heavenly Pool to irrigate the land, finally filling the war-ravaged mountain with spiritual energy until it became lush and beautiful once more.

He carefully placed A-Jin’s incomplete soul into the Heavenly Pool and stayed by her side, year after year, century after century. As his divine power exhausted itself, the once-handsome man became withered and old.

He stayed with her, his eyes filled with tenderness, recounting the day’s trivial events over and over again... as if she had never left.

Finally, under his painstaking care, the Blue-Feathered Phoenix cultivated a primordial spirit. He went to Qingqiu and entrusted that faint spirit to the people there. Afterward, the aged, white-haired man departed.

He never returned to Qingqiu, nor did he return to the Sacred Heavenly Realm, nor did he go back to Mount Tianyu.

Filled with confusion, the young man watched as the Emperor, in a forest reeking of demonic energy, fought desperately to protect the last remnant of purity.

It was merely a small wooden hut with a sign that read "One Lives Alone."

There, pear blossoms fell in soft rustles, peach blossoms glowed with heat, and lotus flowers bloomed in abundance.

It was very beautiful.

The white-haired old man finally smiled as he transformed himself into a barrier, perishing outside that solitary dwelling.

The dissipating immortal dust turned into a dream.

The young man watched the scenes flash by again and again.

He went neither to Tianyu nor to visit his little phoenix, nor did he return to the Sacred Heavenly Realm. Instead, he met a bleak end outside a mundane little hut, reliving his self-woven dream over and over...

Perhaps it was love, or perhaps it was guilt...

Many images crashed together, forming an immortal shadow. The shadow slowly opened its eyes: Jing Ye, the Nine Profound Emperor.

His expression was compassionate. He did not speak, but as he slowly raised his hand, he saw the Cangyuan Bow in the Nine Profound Emperor’s grip.

Why? Why were these memories and scenes in his sea of consciousness? What was his relationship to Jing Ye?

Jing Ye looked at him: "Thank you."

Then he vanished. Everything returned to calm, and he was left holding the Cangyuan Bow.

He snapped his eyes open, looking at the woman amidst the purple light in the distance.

He rose abruptly. Suddenly, time began to flow again; everything started to move. A massive vortex surged in the sky, and amidst the howling wind and churning clouds, sea waves rose violently. The water, like a giant dragon, surged toward the Lotus of World Destruction.

Jin Li suddenly regained her senses, as if waking from a dream. She slowly raised her hand; the jade token lying in her palm pulsed with spiritual light. It was smooth and warm. She looked at the token, her red eyes brimming with tears that fell instantly...

She was Jin Li, the Empress of Lianchuan, the Empress of the Nine Profound Realm...

Yun Xiang had been pulverized into dust...

The young man’s possessive love, the divine punishment he had endured for her, the Shark Demon he had awakened...

And the celestial god, bright as the moon and wind, in the Sacred Realm...

Her eyes were filled with remorse—an overwhelming, suffocating remorse. For the water dragon currently surging violently toward the Lotus of World Destruction, the young man’s robes fluttered, and a massive bow and arrow behind him were poised to strike; he seemed to possess the power to destroy the world.

The primordial spirits of the comrades from all directions were gathering their strength to stop the blooming of the Lotus of World Destruction.

Jin Li, her eyes red, commanded: "Gods, return to your positions!"

She raised her hand, and suddenly, a pair of magnificent blue phoenix wings rose behind her.

She opened the Kunlun Mirror in her hand; the enormous mirror unfolded amidst golden light, blocking the purple glow of the Lotus of World Destruction.

"Cangyuan of Ten Thousand Laws, Kunlun enters the heavens—Seal!"

The blue wings behind her slowly faded. She opened her palm, pressed her fingers together, and poured all her immortal power into the mirror.

At this moment, the water dragon had already shattered the purple flowing light, and the young man stepped upon the dragon, rushing toward her.

Geng Yuan shouted: "A-Jin!"

Jin Li did not look at him. Behind him was the Cangyuan Bow; he could not get even an inch closer to the girl. Yet, at that very moment, the girl turned her head, her expression one of shock, her eyes wide. "Ye Ming!"

The young man turned his head as well. A roar descended from the sky. He began to feel dazed, as if everything were a dream. Amidst the howling wind, the massive, hideous, purple-spotted Shark Demon opened its blood-red maw and roared. When the Shark Demon charged at Ye Ming’s primordial spirit with insane speed, fear took root in his heart—a chilling, bone-deep terror. He felt as if he could already foresee what was about to happen.

Geng Yuan suddenly awoke, rushing with frantic speed to intercept the demon.

But it was too late. Everything was too late.

Ye Ming’s primordial spirit was shattered and pierced by the Shark Demon.

At that moment, the surrounding water dragons seemed to lose control, going berserk and crashing desperately into the Kunlun Mirror.

The girl watched with her own eyes as the Shark Demon, awakened by the young man, pierced Ye Ming’s spirit. She saw Ye Ming’s final smile.

But Ye Ming did not even have a chance to struggle.

Immediately after, the surrounding water dragons began attacking the celestial gods on the perimeter.

Jin Li could not pull back her hand; she could only watch, helplessly watch the madness of the water dragons.

*Geng Zibie!*

Her eye sockets were blood-red, and her eyes burned with hatred. She wanted to kill the young man before her right now.

*Stop! Everyone, stop!*

*It wasn’t supposed to be like this! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!*

The young man became flustered. His eyes held nothing but fear and shock. His hand, gripping his black sword, began to tremble.

He tried desperately to stop it, but everything was the exact opposite of what he had intended.

He turned his head and saw a water dragon lunging toward Jin Li.

His heart skipped a beat.

The girl saw the young man rushing toward her, holding his black sword.

He really intended to kill her.

How dare he!

But the young man plunged into the golden light, his arm brushing against hers. Suddenly, the young man’s sword pierced through the space behind her, and the water dragon shattered and vanished in an instant.

Yet, there was only shock in the girl’s eyes.

Her hand, gripping her long sword, began to tremble. She seemed to feel the warmth of the young man on her hand.

It was... the young man’s blood.

The Xuan Yin Sword, covered in blue profound spirit fire, had pierced through the young man’s body.

The young man no longer felt any pain; he only felt the shock and hatred in the girl’s red eyes.

Her tears were clear and crystalline, flowing down her fair cheeks.

She was crying.

The sword in the young man’s hand fell; at that moment, he didn't even have the strength to hold it.

He tried to force a comforting smile, but the moment his lips moved, blood surged from his mouth.

*A-Jin, don’t cry, I’m here.*

But even the strength to make a sound had vanished.

The young man slowly lowered his eyes to look at the sword in the girl’s hand that had pierced him. The sword was freezing cold—even though it burned with fire, it was still so cold.

His tears fell, instantly turning into red pearls. He choked out: "W-why?"

The girl suddenly withdrew her long sword, and the young man’s body collapsed, unsupported.

The golden light held them up. He looked up, his blood-red eyes brimming with disbelief, sorrow, and despair.

The girl’s expression was indifferent and icy, her voice cold to the extreme: "Geng Zibie, today, everything between us is thoroughly over."

She remembered.

She knew.

So that was it—she believed he had deceived her?

His eyes were filled with endless sorrow. "You remembered. You really remembered after all."

He had thought of this possibility long ago: if one day she remembered everything, then everything between them would end. She would only hate him—she would hate him forever!

"Why did you lie to me? Why did you go to such lengths, changing your identity just to get close to me!"

He lowered his eyes and listened quietly.

"Geng Zibie, I used to think you weren’t bad. You saved the common people. I thought as long as you were Huai Gui, you would let go of your hatred. But you have been using me from the very beginning!"

No, he hadn’t. He hadn’t.

The young man looked up in despair, his eyes cold and empty, devoid of any further emotion.

"If I were Huai Gui, would you love me then?"

The girl did not answer.

The young man suffered again, coughing up blood.

The girl did not even look at him. She turned, retracting the Kunlun Mirror and the Lotus of World Destruction.

Heaven and earth were in ruins.

She paid him no more heed. She turned away and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, let us return."

The young man raised his hand, reaching out in his obsession, wanting to grab her fluttering sash, but he could not reach it no matter how he tried. He spoke in a trembling voice, looking pitiful, his tone filled with pleading: "You said... you said you would never leave me again! You said it!"

The girl glanced back. "You are not worth it."

The young man fell in the wind, his red blood staining his clothes. He collapsed into a pool of blood, watching as the deity before him turned into clouds and mist, vanishing from his sight.

In the end, she never once looked back at him.