The commotion caused by the seal at Wangye startled the righteous forces considerably. The white tower, which suppressed the demonic beings, hung in the sky, towering into the clouds.
Even under the blazing sun, the flame at the tip of the tower was dazzlingly bright. However, now that light had drastically diminished, and the demonic aura below surged, causing the balance to shift. From a distance, it looked like a tiny firefly struggling to stay alight amidst an impending darkness.
The righteous cultivators stationed in the wilderness to exterminate demons felt the urgency of the situation and acted without delay. As soon as the fox fire that prevented their approach subsided, they immediately surrounded the demon's location.
But before they could close in, a fierce burst of white light erupted from the scorched earth. This light shot up into the sky, carrying with it a fierce gale and immense pressure, breaking through the righteous forces' arrangements and rushing towards the tower at Wangye.
The righteous cultivators immediately gave chase, attempting to intercept it.
Yu Yi lay prone on the thick back of the nine-tailed fox, almost buried in its soft fur. One of its tails lifted and wrapped around her waist, securing her in place and preventing her from moving.
The strong winds were blocked by the fox's fluffy tail, and her vision was obscured by the fur. Yu Yi could only hear the sharp whistle of the fox as it cut through the air, along with the system's mutterings, "Well, the master has finally fulfilled his wish of becoming Yi's mount. You're faster and more majestic than Crane Senior Brother."
Crane Senior Brother, shrunk by Yu Yi and tucked into her pouch, poked out a tiny bird head, sensing the speed that far surpassed its own.
Perhaps instinctively aware of the potential threat to its position, it stretched its neck to peck at Yu Yi's hand, chirping incessantly, as if it wanted to tear off the talisman on its body and pull her off the fox to place her on its own back.
Yu Yi pinched its beak with two fingers and said helplessly, "Stop it, he won't take your place."
Crane Senior Brother, reassured by her promise, finally calmed down.
In the blink of an eye, the nine-tailed fox traversed a hundred miles. Xue Chenjing's heart fire had returned to a significant extent, allowing him to wield the power of an ancient great demon. The righteous forces' resistance was nothing more than a minor obstacle to him.
The white shadow with a flaming tail tip shot through the layers of barriers above Wangye like a whistling arrow, piercing into the tower.
The demonic beings below the tower sensed the aura of their former lord and grew even more violent. They had once faithfully followed him, accompanying him in battles north and south, traversing thousands of miles of rivers and mountains. But they were betrayed and sealed under the tower by his heart fire power for thousands of years, suppressed and unable to see the light of day.
Over the millennia, their loyalty had transformed into overwhelming fury and resentment, even surpassing the demons' instinctive submission to strength. They shrieked and roared, wanting to avenge themselves on their former lord and unleash the hatred accumulated over a thousand years onto the land.
As soon as Xue Chenjing's figure entered the tower, it was entangled by the boiling demonic aura below. Countless demonic figures piled up at the base of the tower, stretching their twisted limbs to grab his body and drag him into the abyss.
The fox fire at the tip of the nine-tailed fox's tail burned some of the demons, but it couldn't make them retreat.
Before Xue Chenjing was dragged down by the relentless demonic aura, his figure brushed past the tower's peak, and he tossed Yu Yi into the highest level of the white tower. Along with her, the bodies of the Xue Couple were also sent inside.
"Xue Chenjing!" Yu Yi rushed to the window, trying to grab him.
The nine-tailed fox's body was almost completely wrapped in black aura, crouching on the tower's eaves. Its claws scraped the tiles, causing them to clatter down. As the fox's back straightened, its fur faded, transforming into a human form.
Before the fox form completely disappeared, he plucked a tuft of fox fur and turned it into a robe to cover his body.
Xue Chenjing casually tore away the black aura wrapped around his neck, revealing a glaring red mark.
Seeing this, Yu Yi immediately summoned the Green Bamboo Sword and slashed at the black aura surrounding him.
Xue Chenjing, however, suddenly caught her sword blade with his hand. His throat emitted a series of clicking sounds as he reset the broken bones, his voice still somewhat hoarse as he said, "Don't worry, after all, they were suppressed by my heart fire for so many years. Now, bearing their resentment and fury is only fair."
In just these few words, numerous wounds appeared on his body, inflicted by the demonic claws within the black aura. The fox fur transformed into a white robe, now stained with bright red bloodstains.
Yu Yi retracted the Green Bamboo Sword, her fingertips pinching the sword flame, trying to tear away the black aura surrounding him and pull him into the tower. Frustrated, she said, "Being deprived of your heart fire wasn't your choice, nor was sealing them under the tower. There's no such thing as fairness! Get in here now!"
"But Yi, what should I do? This world is full of ugliness, yet there are still a few lovely spots. Just for those few lovely things, I don't want to destroy it, nor do I want them to destroy it."
He caught Yu Yi's hand and kissed her fingertips. "You've collected so many maps of landscapes. I know you want to see the beauty of this world. I also hope that what you see is beauty, not scorched earth."
The demonic aura rolled violently, the overwhelming resentment causing the tower to frost over. Yu Yi, inside the tower, could feel the spine-chilling hatred. If she let him be dragged down, he would be torn apart.
Perhaps he had the ability to heal and wouldn't die easily, but repeated torment would only lead to unbearable suffering.
Yu Yi held onto his hand tightly, shaking her head. "No, no." She wanted to say something more forceful, but she also understood that there were many innocent people in the world. Once the demons, filled with resentment, were unleashed, war would erupt, and the trampled would not only be the mountains and rivers.
She didn't love this world that much. She had once asked him to pity the innocent, not to act based on likes or dislikes, to know what was right and what was wrong, because that was the education she had received.
Rationally, she knew she should let him go to quell the demonic fury, but her heart tightened at the thought of letting him bear the demonic wrath alone.
Xue Chenjing glanced at the elderly couple snuggling together, his eyes glistening with tears. "Yi, my parents are gone. They were the only ones who accepted me in this life. They cared for me, but I made them sad and ultimately cost them their lives."
“Humans value a peaceful burial. They were troubled by me in life, and in death, I also want them to be buried in a beautiful, auspicious place, peacefully entering the cycle of reincarnation.”
Yu Yi looked at the scene faintly reflected in his eyes, her grip loosening.
Wrapped in black aura, Xue Chenjing fell from the tower.
In an instant, his white robe was soaked in blood, and then he disappeared into the demonic shadows.
Yu Yi stared at the frenzied demons below for a long time, then turned back into the tower. The highest level of the tower was only a small space, with a tiny flame hanging at the center.
The flame swayed unsteadily but still stubbornly glowed.
Yu Yi didn't want to imagine what was happening below the tower or listen to the demons' angry roars. She desperately wanted to find something to do to distract herself.
She laid the elderly couple flat, cleaned the bloodstains on their bodies, carefully tidied their clothes, and combed their hair. After finishing everything, she took out two cloaks from her storage bag and gently covered them.
Yu Yi summoned the Green Bamboo Sword, the long sword hanging in front of her. She reached out to grasp the hilt, and the patterns on her forehead lit up simultaneously.
In her previous life, she had only hoped to complete the system's tasks and return home as soon as possible. Now, she hoped that the heavenly order would be maintained, that demons would have their rightful place, that the virtuous could be verified by heaven, and that ordinary people would not be implicated.
He wanted her to see only beauty, and she also wanted his parents to rest in the auspicious place he wished for.
She grasped the sword handle, and the Chasing Spring Sword Technique naturally surfaced in her mind. It was only then that she realized the ninth sword of the sword technique wasn't a separate sword but was hidden within the sword, present in every move and every strike since the moment she grasped the sword.
The heart of compassion didn't require a broad mind or great love; it lay in not forgetting the innate sympathy that everyone possesses while wielding the sword.
Yu Yi stood on the soaring eaves of the tower, holding the sword and slashing down twice. The thunder and fire sword spirit flew out from her sword tip like splitting mountains and seas, creating a gap in the tangled demonic aura below.
In the deepest part of the dark mist, a crimson figure stood.
She leaped downward.
Flames and lightning tore through the lingering demons, revealing the person plummeting behind them. Just like that day at sea, her fluttering skirt was gilded with the sunset's glow as she fell toward him.
Xue Chenjing, just as he had then, spread his arms, wanting to catch her.
This time, his sunset landed in his embrace.
Lightning and swordfire briefly scattered the demons around him. Yu Yi descended on a gust of spiritual wind, landing lightly on him. She glanced at the deep, bone-exposing bite wounds on his body. With so many injuries, no matter how powerful his regenerative abilities were, he couldn't recover from them all.
Yu Yi knelt on his waist, not daring to sit fully.
Xue Chenjing stretched out his hands, wanting to hold her, tears in his eyes, his voice choked with emotion. "Yi..."
Before he could finish, Yu Yi asked, "System, what's the affection level now?"
Xue Chenjing's eyes widened in shock, and the tears on his lashes suddenly slid down, mixing with the blood on his face and flowing into his hairline.
The system, suddenly addressed, reflexively replied, "Responding to the host, the affection level of the target is currently..." It stared at the number that jumped to completion at the last moment, excitedly saying, "One hundred percent!"
Only after reporting did it realize who had just asked it, and it let out a panicked squawk. "Ahhh, did I hear wrong? Was that you asking about the affection level, Master? I could have sworn it was Yi asking me!"
Unfortunately, neither Xue Chenjing nor Yu Yi had time to pay attention to it now.
Yu Yi smiled, the joy spreading from the corners of her eyes and lips, beautiful beyond compare. She gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, raising the blade high, its tip hovering above his heart. She said, "Ah Qiu, you really do love me so much."
The tip of the sword pressed down, piercing through his clothes and into his heart.
Yu Yi said, "I also want to love you well."
