Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Shi Tianhao looked at Xiao Yan and nodded his head. “Big Senior, you have made great advancements in your cultivation of the Netherworld Sea. Still, try and be careful.”
As he said that, Shi Tianhao flipped his palm open and used the Secret Spirit Sea Key that Lin Feng had given him. One purple and one red ray of light shot into the sky, opening the door to the Spirit Sea.
Then, he left the Netherworld Sea for the Spirit Sea along with his Great Heavenly Wheel.
After Shi Tianhao had relinquished control of the wave, it became even more violent and ferocious. However, it ceased to grow in strength.
The Evil Soul’s power dropped too as its master had left him.
The Emperor of the Dead had left the Netherworld Sea. The aura around Yan Xinghe started to fall.
Barraged by the ferocious wave, Yan Xinghe, who attempted to block Xiao Yan, was severely injured too. He became dim.
Surrounded by the power of the Netherworld Sea, Yan Xinghe’s powers were heavily constricted. Not only was Yan Xinghe unable to leave the Netherworld Sea like the Emperor of the Dead, the Life and Death Netherworld Dao Fruit that cultivated him too was weakened as it was separated from its source across different worlds.
Under Xiao Yan’s telepathic control, the wave gradually calmed. While the Netherworld Sea still showed an apocalyptic scene, the destructive scene just now had disappeared.
Now, the many calamities of the Netherworld Sea surrounded and barraged the Void Storm.
The terrifying tear that joined the Netherworld Sea and the Void Sea together no longer expanded. Instead, it started to shrink and became smaller and smaller.
The power of the Netherworld Sea started to heal the damages it had inflicted on itself. In this process, the many calamities of the Netherworld Sea disappeared into the black void.
As the Void Storm that had entered the Netherworld Sea gradually disappeared, the huge tear slowly healed as well until it was gone.
Catastrophe no longer revealed his true form. Once again, it was cloaked with a layer of red light. The red pillar emerged once more in the Netherworld Sea.
After experiencing that huge battle, the area around the red pillar was reduced to nothing. The violent Netherworld Sea needed time to heal.
The location where everyone once was, which referred to the ring world around Catastrophe, appeared to have stopped existing.
As time and space changed, the round world had completely disappeared like the worlds in the Netherworld Sea. There was only a bubble-like dimension that was located close to the red light pillar.
This world was the first of the many worlds in the Netherworld Sea. It was where Wen Chiyang fell.
Xiao Yan stepped into this world and noticed a Life and Death Netherworld Dao Fruit and Yan Xinghe’s silhouette.
The black and white Life and Death Netherworld Dao Fruit spun and Yan Xinghe went from the black side of it to its white. Then, he stepped out from the Fruit.
At this moment, the aura around Yan Xinghe had weakened greatly. While the wave had ceased, he was still severely injured. If the wave had not retreated, he would have died instantly.
Even so, despite his rebirth through the Dao Fruit, he was still extremely weak. The Life and Death Netherworld Dao Fruit that cultivated him split open and disappeared.
Without the Dao Fruit, Yan Xinghe was like a tree with no root. While he still existed in this world, he was not far away from disappearing completely, unless the Emperor of the Dead could make another Dao Fruit to cultivate him.
At this moment, the Emperor of the Dead had left the Spirit Sea. Yan Xinghe’s fate was sealed.
However, he did not appear frustrated or upset. Instead, he looked exceptionally peaceful. His only liberation was complete destruction.
In this world inside the Netherworld Sea, a few emotions crossed Yan Xinghe’s calm face. He looked around him and his gaze flashed as if he was thinking of something.
Xiao Yan looked at him and said, “You are right, this was where Wen Chiyang resided in the Netherworld Sea.”
Yan Xinghe looked at him and said, “The Xuan Dou Holy Man told me.”
His voice was eternal and gentle, like running water. There was no warmth nor coldness. It was devoid of all emotion.
Xiao Yan frowned slightly. In today’s world, very few people knew the Emperor of the Dead by his former Daoist title. Few records were made. The first time Xiao Yan heard the term ‘Xuan Dou Holy Man’ was from a direct disciple of the Emperor of the Dead, Xu Anda.
In reality, very few people knew that the Emperor of the Dead was formally known as Emperor Dou during his reign.
However, it was no surprise that those who were in the same generation as the Emperor of the Dead, such as the second leader of the Great Void Sect, Yan Xinghe, would know his Daoist title.
Xiao Yan placed his hands behind his back and said casually, “You really suck at choosing your emperor.”
Yan Xinghe shook his head and said, “Xia Fangyu abandoned the Emperor of Extremity for the Cloud Demons. This was not something I expected. It is my mistake and I have created trouble for the Divine Lands.”
He talked only about Emperor Xia and not the Emperor of the Dead. There was not much to say about the latter.
Xiao Yan looked at him and narrowed his eyes. He said, “Oh, it means that had Emperor Xiao went after the Emperor of Extremity, there would be no problem?”
Yan Xinghe said, “Senior Wen is dead. There’s no point feeling sad for him.”
He paused for a while and then continued, “When he returns from the Netherworld Sea, I hope he knew to take into consideration the big picture.”
Xiao Yan snorted and looked at Yan Xinghe before saying, “Everyone says that people speak kind words before they die. It appears that there are exceptions to everything.”
Yan Xinghe’s face was calm as he replied, “The Divine Lands is more important than anything else, including Senior Wen, Xia Fangyu or even me.”
“When Senior Wen was still alive, he could control Xia Fangyu, the Cloud Demons, and me. When he was gone, no one knew what the Cloud Demons would do.”
Xiao Yan looked at him coldly and said, “In terms of hatred, Wen Chiyang had killed many demons. Do you think that the demons would accept his relatives, or kill them?”
Yan Xinghe said calmly, “When Senior Wen left Mount Baiyun, I tried to persuade him many times against it. He did not listen.”
Xiao Yan frowned and the iciness in his eyes disappeared. He looked at Yan Xinghe and his gaze became calmer. However, he also sensed danger.
After a long while, Xiao Yan said slowly, “Other than their beef with Emperor Xia, the Cloud Demons never bothered anyone else.”
“Like the Phoenix Tribe, the Divine Parasol Tree Tribe, the Qilin Tribe, the Xie Zhi Tribe and many other demons, they rarely bothered us humans since the Primordial Age. Even if they did, it was because we went after them first.”
“When the two sides faced each other during the Antiquity Age, many demons decided not to fight even though the Holy Demonic Emperor ordered them to do so.”
Yan Xinghe appeared to have understood his intentions. He said, “Demons will be demons.”
Xiao Yan looked at him and said nothing. His gaze became sharper.
Yan Xinghe did not appear to notice that. He continued, “Perhaps the Cloud Demon would choose to rely on other demons, or maybe she won’t. However, I don’t wish to entrust the fate of the Divine Lands onto her choice.”
He looked at Xiao Yan and said, “Had I known that Senior Wen did not actually fall in battle and had cultivated the Netherworld Sea and returned to the Divine Lands, I may have made a different decision. However, it is not because I am scared of Senior Wen or because I trust the Cloud Demon.”
“This is because the Divine Lands gained more from the presence of Senior Wen than Xia Fangyu.”
“However, at that point in time, the cooperation between my sect and Xia Fangyu was more useful to the Divine Lands than the untrustworthy Cloud Demon.”
Yan Xinghe’s tone was calm. “Under the pre-condition that I knew nothing about the situation of Wen Chiyang, my decision would not change no matter how many times I was presented with the options. However, I regret not doing what I promised Senior Wen before his death.”
When Xiao Yan heard this, his mouth twitched into a half-smile. “So you are saying that you feel bad for lying to Chi Yang Holy Man, but you don’t regret what you have done.”
Yan Xinghe said matter-of-factly, “Why will I regret? I don’t think I have done anything wrong.”
Xiao Yan looked at him with an odd gaze and said, “If the Chi Yang Holy Man did not leave Mount Baiyun, but he chased you away instead, what do you think would have happened?”
Yan Xinghe fell silent.
After Wen Chiyang left Mount Baiyun, the Great Void Sect did not do anything. However, there was much internal conflict.
Then, Wen Chiyang’s collaboration with the Cloud Demon was controversial. However, he also had many supporters. If Wen Chiyang wanted to chase away Yan Xinghe and his supporters, it would not be difficult. The Supreme Heavenly Mirror would have likely remained neutral.
Furthermore, the Supreme Heavenly Mirror had yet to recover. Even if it sided with Yan Xinghe, Wen Chiyang would still be the winner.
However, if the conflict reached that level, the Great Void Sect would be irreparably divided.
In the end, Wen Chiyang decided to exile himself to stop the conflict. He promised that he would still take part in the War of the Two Worlds.
After a long pause, Yan Xinghe said, “Senior Wen would not do that. In his heart, the Divine Lands was the most important thing. This is something that everyone in my sect believes in. He made a wrong decision with regard to the Cloud Demon.”
Xiao Yan chuckled coldly, “You’re right. He was concerned about the Great Void Sect and its many disciples. Hence, when he battled against the Emperor of Extremity, he requested for you not to use the Supreme Heavenly Mirror to find the Cloud Demon for Emperor Xia. He did not even ask for protection from you that would have driven you and Emperor Xia apart.”
“Would your relationship with Emperor Xiao really have worsened if you did not find the Cloud Demon? I doubt so too. How could Emperor Xia be sure that the Supreme Heavenly Mirror could even find the Cloud Demon after that battle with its powers? While he loved his sons and daughters, would Emperor Xia really go against the Great Void Sect? If you want to cover it up, it’s always possible.”
Yan Xinghe did not deny. He nodded his head and said, “A demon is always a demon. It’s best to eliminate all possible threats.”
Xiao Yan looked at him and said, “Fire and ice do not belong in the same furnace. There’s nothing we can discuss. You don’t seem to be someone who likes idle talk, but you also don’t care about others’ opinions. So why did you tell me so much?”
