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Dominance alone does not constitute the King's Way. The King's Way is a majestic and overwhelming path, a path of awe-inspiring authority that compels all beings to submit.
It is a path of willing surrender, not forced compliance!
Qin Yi's single sword strike severed the Lord of the Moon-Worshipping Sect, leaving Lin Qing'er behind him utterly stunned.
"Who are you?!"
"You may call me Martial Uncle!" Qin Yi replied with a faint smile, flicking his finger once more.
Clang!
As if propelled by Qin Yi's finger, the colossal sword pivoted in an instant, slashing through the void toward the Water Demon Beast.
Splat!
In an instant, all eight heads of the beast were severed.
Lin Qing'er watched the scene unfold before her, her heart pounding with shock. Just how powerful was this unfamiliar man who claimed to be her Martial Uncle?
"I knew your father," Qin Yi explained. "That's why I've come to help you."
Qin Yi took a step forward, his figure reappearing beside Lin Qing'er in an instant.
She froze, having no memory of her father whatsoever.
"Then perhaps you know Dugu Yuyun?"
Upon hearing this name, once intimately familiar yet now a painful echo of her past, Lin Qing'er fell silent.
Dugu Yuyun was a quintessential practitioner of the Cultivation's Way. He had achieved his Forgetting the Dao precisely because of her, ultimately Reaching the Dao and taking that final, transcendent step.
"It seems I've touched a sore spot," Qin Yi remarked with a faint smile.
Before them, the eight-headed Water Demon Beast crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar, sending a massive spray of water into the air. Yet neither of them was touched; a faint luminous barrier kept the deluge at bay.
"As practitioners of the Cultivation's Way, we must experience the mortal world. But the mortal world is also the Dao. To truly transcend, one must be both a Dao Practitioner and one who has Forgotten the Dao."
"He has his story, you have yours, and I have mine."
"Every person's life is an endless, unfinishable tale. Isn't that fascinating?"
Qin Yi's words made Lin Qing'er look up.
"Whatever the outcome, we accept it. On our future journey, we're bound to encounter even more people and experiences."
"Life is long. Why not be more tolerant?"
Lin Qing'er smiled. "Martial Uncle, you have your own stories too."
"My stories are the most numerous, and they'll only increase in the future!"
"Would Qing'er be interested in joining me to see what unfolds?" Qin Yi asked.
"I'm afraid I can't."
The water surface rose again. The Water Demon Beast, whose eight heads had been severed by a single sword strike, reappeared before them. What made their expressions tighten was that this time, the creature was even larger than before, and its severed heads had inexplicably regenerated.
"Against the Water Undead, the Water Demon Beast is invincible in water."
"Martial Uncle, I'm afraid I'll have to seal it myself!"
With a sigh and a resolute expression, Lin Qing'er declared.
Qin Yi frowned, equally astonished by the Water Demon Beast before them.
He knew his own strength intimately. Every strike from Cang Sheng's blade represented the pinnacle of power in this realm. Yet such a strike had failed to cut down the creature—worse, it hadn't even left a scratch on the mindless beast. The moment its body touched water, it would instantly heal, rendering it eternally undead, much like the legendary Ancestor of the Styx from primordial myths.
"Once I seal the Water Demon Beast, Ling'er, I'll entrust her care to you," Lin Qing'er said.
"No need to rush," Qin Yi said, his voice resolute. "Since it thrives on water, I'll simply drain this lake."
He extended his right hand, poised to grasp at the void, ready to reconstitute his sword body and drain the lake dry.
"It's futile," Lin Qing'er said, shaking her head. "The Water Demon Beast is a water-element Ancient Demonic Beast. It spews lake water endlessly, making it virtually indestructible. Even the ancient goddess Nuwa could only seal it away."
"And as Descendants of Nuwa, we are its natural counter."
The Jade Ruyi in her hand glowed, already gathering power for the sealing ritual.
Qin Yi fell silent, knowing she spoke the truth. From the beginning, countless torrents of water had surged onto the land, yet the lake's water level hadn't diminished even slightly.
"Moreover," Lin Qing'er continued, "with Ling'er's birth, my own time is growing short."
"Let me end this once and for all!"
In her final moment, Lin Qing'er erupted in a dazzling light, her entire body gradually dissolving into a sky-filling radiance. This light then coalesced into massive boulders that plummeted swiftly toward the Water Demon Beast below.
Gradually, the Water Demon Beast's colossal form was crushed under the weight of the falling rocks, and the lake surface finally stilled. In its place stood a massive statue.
"Qing'er..." Qin Yi murmured.
Gazing at the colossal statue of Lin Qing'er before him, he was at a loss for words.
Unlike his experiences in the Pirate or Naruto Worlds, in this realm, he had felt an overwhelming surge of emotions and lived through a tapestry of relationships. Friendship and love had both touched him deeply.
It was as if he had shed his regal sharpness, transforming into an ordinary man living out a mortal life.
Yet these experiences, which had seemed so profound, were now fading into the distance after he had Reached the Dao.
His mindset had undergone a profound transformation since entering the Immortal Realm. He had matured, gaining the ability to face the world and all its affairs with equanimity.
After one last lingering look at Lin Qing'er's statue, Qin Yi turned and vanished into the void.
The Nanzhao Kingdom had been saved. The Witch Queen revealed her true form as a descendant of Nuwa, a sight witnessed by many, sparking nationwide uproar. Calls to "kill the Witch Queen and (exterminate the demons and evil spirits)" spread like wildfire daily.
Yet, what puzzled everyone was that the Witch Queen never reappeared after that day, and the Cult Leader of Bai Yue vanished as well.
Meanwhile, within the Nanzhao Kingdom's imperial palace:
Li Xiaoyao, having traveled back through time, Wine Sword Immortal Situ Zhong, and Granny were desperately protecting Zhao Ling'er as they fought their way out through a Bai Yue Cult ambush.
The Bai Yue Cult's influence in Miao Land was comparable to Mount Shu's standing in the Central Plains martial arts world. The cult boasted numerous formidable experts, even the Wine Sword Immortal found it difficult to confront them directly and was forced to retreat first.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the entire Nanzhao Kingdom's imperial palace began to tremble and resonate with a deep hum.
A razor-sharp Sword Intent surged forth, radiating in all directions with overwhelming force.
Simultaneously, invisible Sword Qi erupted ahead of Li Xiaoyao and his companions, instantly clearing away the Bai Yue cultists who had been blocking their path.
Immediately afterward, a figure in a green robe strode forward. As he passed, one by one, the Bai Yue cultists' swords and sabers twisted out of their control, slicing off their own heads in a gruesome spectacle.
The Sword Intent permeated the air, shaking the very heavens.
Li Xiaoyao and his group froze in place, their faces tense.
"Who is he?" Li Xiaoyao asked solemnly, his gaze fixed on the newcomer.
Even with his current strength, he felt his entire body trembling before this newcomer. Glancing sideways at the Wine Sword Immortal beside him, he was even more shocked to see the old drunkard trembling as well.
The green-robed figure advanced in a few swift steps, then leaned down to gaze at Zhao Ling'er, cradled in Granny's arms.
"You must be Ling'er?"
"Yes, I'm Ling'er. Who are you, Elder Brother?"
Zhao Ling'er seemed oblivious to the earth-shattering Sword Intent, curiously asking, "Big brother?"
Qin Yi froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Alright, then I'll be your big brother."
He reached out and gently pinched Ling'er's chubby cheeks, his mood unusually good at seeing this little fairy from the Immortal Realm.
Beside him, the Wine Sword Immortal lowered his head, avoiding the gaze of the green-robed figure.
"Situ Zhong, I didn't expect to find you here too."
Qin Yi turned his head, a playful smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at the latter.
Under the astonished gazes of Li Xiaoyao and the others, the formidable Wine Sword Immortal, Situ Zhong, suddenly looked like a child caught misbehaving. He scratched the back of his head and awkwardly stammered, "Senior Martial Uncle! What a coincidence!"
"Senior Martial Uncle?!" Li Xiaoyao's jaw nearly dropped.
(End of Chapter)