"What is he planning?"
The Elders craned their necks, their eyes widening in shock as they watched Qin Yi unleash his full power in the sky, surpassing the limits of human capability.
They were stunned. This technique bore a faint resemblance to the Sword God's style, yet it seemed as though Qin Yi had fused himself with the Sword God, reaching an unimaginable realm.
Suddenly, they realized that the Sect Lord hadn't fallen into madness at all; his mind was remarkably clear.
"The Sect Lord remains lucid," Dugu Yuyun murmured, his expression shifting from astonishment to doubt. "He hasn't succumbed to madness as we feared."
This defied all their expectations. No cultivator who had stepped into the emotional tribulation without mastering the Cultivation's Way could possibly maintain such serene composure as Qin Yi displayed.
For this situation to arise, either Qin Yi had already transcended his emotional tribulation or he had never truly immersed himself in it to begin with.
Which of these two reasons was the truth remained a mystery to them. They couldn't understand, nor could they be certain. The only certainty was that the Sect Lord's current state was beyond their comprehension.
Within the Divine Demon Well, in a distorted pocket of space:
Yellow sand filled the sky, the heavens twisted, and relentless gales swept across the desolate landscape, whipping up dust and sand.
This desolate realm knew no seasons, only the relentless cycle of harsh natural phenomena.
Yet amidst this desolation, a vibrant oasis thrived: lush forests teeming with life, clear rivers flowing through fragrant meadows, and wildflowers blooming in profusion.
Beside a gentle stream, a woman in a pink dress sat cross-legged, her face serene and peaceful.
"Time has no meaning in this realm. After all this time, can you ever leave, my dear?"
Suddenly, Chang Hao's face materialized in the stream, his voice echoing across the distorted landscape.
He had transformed his own Jin-Qi-Shen (Essence, Energy, and Soul) into this world, leaving neither his physical body nor his soul intact.
"Old Daoist, demons are no different from you; they, too, possess realms of cultivation."
"Entering the world and transcending it, they share a profound harmony."
An Yi's expression remained serene as she smiled faintly.
"My time with Chang Yi allowed me to experience a different life, a life that was both wondrous and captivating."
"But just as Dao Practitioners seek the Dao, achieve it, and then forget it, this is an inevitable step on the path of life. Demons are no different."
After a pause, An Yi gazed down at Chang Hao's reflection in the stream.
"You ask if I can move past this love?"
"How absurd! This was a love born for the Dao, and it will die for the Dao. What difficulty could there be in letting go?"
Chang Hao remained silent, sighing inwardly, yet unable to refute her words.
'Born for the Dao, die for the Dao.'
He had originally intended to strike down the woman before him with a single sword strike. But then he noticed the look in her eyes, a gaze deeply immersed in love, a divine devotion that could sacrifice her very being. It was both awe-inspiring and deeply moving.
Yet beyond this self-sacrifice, he also glimpsed a hint of transcendence.
'When love reaches its peak, separation becomes inevitable.'
This woman had already prepared herself to leave.
Therefore, Chang Hao sheathed his sword and transformed himself into a boundary realm, sealing her within. He granted Qin Yi a chance, and this woman a chance as well.
This was a variable. Even now, Chang Hao couldn't be sure whether he would regret this decision in the future.
"You've already reached the Tenth Layer of the Self-Sacrifice Realm, and your cultivation surpasses even Chang Yi."
"After breaking free, your cultivation has indeed advanced rapidly. However..."
"What a pity!"
Chang Hao sighed, his reflection rippling in the stream.
"What's there to regret, Old Daoist? Didn't you say I still have time?" An Yi smiled faintly.
"I should thank you for helping me transcend this mortal attachment and attain the Immortal's Dao. Otherwise, reaching this stage would have been impossibly difficult."
Her eyes remained gentle and serene, yet one couldn't help but lament the absence of love, a subtle hint of cold indifference born from severing emotional ties.
"Good, good, good."
"Now, he will surely ascend to the supreme Immortal's Dao!" Chang Hao nodded, the ripples on the water surface dissipating until he vanished completely before An Yi.
He knew she had truly transcended. Unlike his own feigned Dao, this woman had attained genuine enlightenment through her experiences.
Beside the stream, perched on a rock, An Yi gazed down at the water, her expression tranquil and composed, yet radiating an icy solitude.
"The word 'love' is a cruel affliction."
"To possess, then lose, the experience leaves a profound mark."
"But..."
"In this lifetime, I doubt I'll ever encounter someone as shameless as him again," An Yi murmured, a faint smile playing on her lips. Yet the chilling detachment emanating from her intensified, gradually merging with the natural world around her.
Harmony of Heaven and Man, this was the true Dao, the Dao of this world, the fundamental law.
Having transcended this path and gained profound insights, she was poised to ascend to the Demon Immortal realm.
She had made her decision: there was no turning back on this path.
'The Immortal Sect bows, forsaking the mortal realm, striving solely for immortality!'
Before the gate of the Dao, how many would linger for love, harboring hope and unwavering resolve?
Just as in her previous life on Earth, amidst illness, hardship, and tribulation, how many could maintain their love? How many could uphold their true nature, unburdened by worldly concerns and untouched by mortal taint?
Seeking advantage and avoiding harm, this was the nature of both humans and immortals, the true Dao.
Brutally harsh, yet undeniably real!
An Yi had relinquished everything. She had become an immortal. Even if they met again, they would be strangers, the most familiar of strangers.
This was her transformation, utterly genuine. This was the path she had chosen, one she would uphold and continue to walk.
Gradually, an immeasurable amount of time passed in this realm. The aura emanating from An Yi had grown formidable, reaching the Eleventh Layer of the Reaching the Dao realm. Her cultivation had fully stabilized. Seated there, devoid of Demonic Qi, she resembled a celestial maiden isolated from the world, dignified and elegant, her surroundings permeated by a powerful presence.
"He's coming! I can sense his Sword Intent!"
At that moment, Chang Hao suddenly materialized in the stream.
"Perfect timing, Old Daoist. I must thank you," An Yi said with a smile.
"Ruthless and emotionless, excellent! Your ascension to immortality in this lifetime is now beyond doubt."
"I can rest easy now, Old Daoist!"
"Sacrificing oneself to the Dao, it was worth it!" Chang Hao roared with laughter.
In the next instant, the Minor World began to rumble and tremble violently.
A razor-sharp Sword Intent tore a rift through the sky, leaving Chang Hao wide-eyed with shock before he burst into triumphant laughter.
"Excellent! Truly astonishing talent!"
"Such overwhelming power!"
Sword Qi surged into the world, cleaving through it in the blink of an eye, accompanied by a piercing roar:
"Chang Hao!"
The two words echoed endlessly, sweeping across the Minor World. Gradually, the Sword Intent intensified, coalescing into a phantom-like figure that materialized in mid-air.
Above Mount Shu, Qin Yi stood, Cangsheng in hand, speaking calmly to the Elder disciples below, who gaped in awe.
"This sword... I wield the southern reaches of the human realm as its hilt, the northernmost point as its blade, and the distance between north and south as its body."
"A single strike is all it takes to pierce Chang Hao's Suppression Realm!"
"Its name: Cangsheng. Its might: Cangsheng. Its momentum: Cangsheng!"
The voice boomed across the world, echoing through the realms. As the sound reverberated,
Buzzing!
In the Mortal Realm, from south to north, mountains, forests, roads, rivers, everything trembled as if its soul were being extracted and forged into a colossal sword.
Then, Qin Yi gripped the sword and thrust it forward.
His target: the Divine Demon Well.
In that instant, the void surrounding the Divine Demon Well cracked and shattered, and Chang Hao's Suppression Realm was cleaved open.
One sword, Cangsheng!
(End of Chapter)
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