Chapter 851 - 849: The Cruel Truth
Truth?
What is the truth?
Darkness covers that abyss, and despite endless ages, people have yet to unravel their doubts.
So? What exactly is the truth?
Zi Ji does not know.
From a small mountain village, she emerged, moving forward unknowingly arriving outside Luo Feng Mountain.
Staring from afar...
The mountains here stretch endlessly, rising and falling, like coiling dragons, or perhaps like wild beasts in hibernation.
Some peaks stand as sharp as swords, upright, as if to pierce the sky, filled with a chilling aura.
Observing for a long while...
Suddenly, a snowflake drifted down, bustling, instantaneously covering the sky and earth, clashing with this gloomy world.
A streak of killing intention pierced through from the void.
Zi Ji stood resolute, retreating several steps to evade the attack.
But the snowflakes behind her continued to fall, unintentionally altering their trajectory, transforming into a towering figure, wielding a sharp sword to slash down.
"Fingers, charm, pluck flowers, asphyxiate..." sounds echoed around her.
Hush!
The snowflakes' speed intensified.
This is the realm of Qi Refinement, snow.
The attacker was a guardian of Luo Feng Mountain, clad in a white robe, graceful in stature, walking with swaying grace, appearing very charming.
Her exotic eyes momentarily glinted like snowflakes.
She approached from afar, a subtle smile on her lips: "You finally returned here."
Zi Ji remained silent, quietly observing her.
"The years did not cause you to lose your way; instead, they stirred the memories in your heart. Indeed, in this world, there is cause and effect," the woman whispered.
"Bai Xue!" Zi Ji uttered two words.
She recalled this person.
The year the emperor and empress gave birth to her, someone carried her back here, enraging the Nether Emperor, who issued a death order to execute her.
Bai Xue was among them.
"Is the reincarnation of the human world certain to be fraught with difficulties?" Bai Xue quietly asked.
"Yes!"
"Why come back?"
"To see."
"See what?"
"The truth."
"And if the truth is cruel?"
"No matter how cruel, I must see the truth."
"You will pay a price."
"I am willing," Zi Ji's gaze was unwavering.
Time has passed for too long.
No matter how much time has elapsed, she can still recall certain things: the protection of the Yuan Knight, the fall of the Yuan Clan, the destruction of Sky City.
And the uncertainty of her mother's life or death.
All these arose from that man.
Thus, she returned here regardless, seeking a truth, no matter how cruel that truth turned out to be.
"On the day you were born, a great snowstorm descended upon the Netherworld, enveloping the sky and earth. The first time you cried, thunder roared, shaking the heavens and earth. You opened your eyes to see this world that differed from what you imagined. Perhaps you felt disappointment, expectation, surprise, even despair..." Bai Xue spoke.
But?
How could a newborn baby witness these things?
It was clearly a paradox.
Bai Xue continued and said: "The empress said that your fate is fraught with misfortune, destined to suffer tribulations, and if you survive until that day, you'll change the destiny of the Netherworld."
Zi Ji remained calm.
To change the destiny of the Netherworld?
She had never considered it...
All she sought was a truth.
"Perhaps, that day has come, but... the catastrophe still exists, even if you wish to know the truth, you'll have to pay a price. Are you willing?" Bai Xue quietly looked at her.
"What price?"
"Life!" Bai Xue uttered two words.
Thud!
A streak of killing intention pierced from behind Zi Ji, pulling out a streak of blood.
Zi Ji's complexion turned ashen in an instant, instinctively turning back.
There was no one there.
This streak of killing intention was exceptionally terrifying, containing various powers—destruction, asphyxiation, piercing, devouring...
She wanted to counteract it, or perhaps use her cultivation, but she... could no longer do anything.
Her body and cultivation were suppressed, unable to move.
She slightly opened her mouth, then looked towards Bai Xue: "Liuli?"
Bai Xue nodded: "Yes!"
Bai Xue and Liuli were not only maids of the Nether Emperor but also guardians of Luo Feng Mountain. Their strength was overwhelming, seldom shown, but in the Netherworld, no one dared to underestimate them.
Now, the two women jointly attacked, one distracting Zi Ji's attention, the other launching a sneak attack from behind.
Boom!
The Yuan World self-revived, a black vortex blossomed like a flower bud, showering down a large measure of Divine Brilliance and power, protecting Zi Ji within it.
"Give up!" Another woman approached from the other side.
Seeing this, Zi Ji's face grew paler, her small figure trembling uncontrollably—another maid of the Nether Emperor, another guardian of Luo Feng Mountain.
She felt utterly despairing, filled with unwillingness.
In her slightly exotic eyes, tears began to flow...
She hadn't cried for a long time.
Ever since leaving Central Continent, her senior brother had constantly reminded her: "No crying, you've grown up."
Indeed!
Ever since that day, she hadn't cried.
But now, she couldn't hold back.
After years apart, returning here once more, she thought she could find a truth, but hadn't expected to be met with such cruel slaughter.
Is this what they call the truth?
The Nether Emperor remained resolute, sacrificing his own wife and children for the interests with the Divine Clan.
Not long ago, her elder brother had just departed, she couldn't even find his remains.
And now, it was her turn.
In that instant, Zi Ji thought of many things, her face grew desolate: "Is this your will? Or his will?"
"Not important." Bai Xue remained calm: "Do you have any last wish?"
"You know I've entered human reincarnation, and this time, joined a sect, I have a bunch of friends, and a senior brother—if I fall here, Luo Feng Mountain will surely face disaster," Zi Ji took a deep breath.
At this moment, her face was full of pride.
Her family was gone.
But she still had her senior brother!
Just thinking she might never see her senior brother again made her tear up.
The heavens were vast, the wind and snow had already stopped.
A gentle breeze blew in from afar, but... wasn't refreshing, dust bustling, mixed in, uncomfortable when breathing deeply.
Sand might get in when crying too.
She diligently tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the redder her eyes grew, like a little girl with swollen eyes from crying, filled with helplessness and sadness.
"Chen Pingping of the Human Clan?" Bai Xue asked.
"Yes!"
"He will die too."
"He won't die." Zi Ji glared at her: "My senior brother is invincible in the world, won't fall easily, my master is already on the way, waging war across the heavens."
Every time she mentioned her senior brother, master, or senior sister, her small cheeks were full of pride.
Bai Xue remained silent.
Liuli quietly walked over.
Another woman also approached Zi Ji...
Seeing her in that moment, Zi Ji's eyes sharply contracted, staring at her intensely: "You..."
An acquaintance.
A very familiar one.
She would never forget this woman, even in her dreams.
But the next moment, the woman fiercely stabbed a curved blade into Zi Ji's body, even the protection of the Yuan World was of no avail.
The woman was like an eerie presence in the dark, without a trace, without speed to speak of, in an instant, she could strike down strong foes.
The curved blade tore through Zi Ji.
She slowly opened her eyes, raspily speaking three words: "Long time no see."