Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 284 - 159: Heart Soars High, Status Lowly

Chapter 284: Chapter 159: Heart Soars High, Status Lowly

Zhou Ying had always been stuck in a daze, aimlessly wandering like a walking dead. But in this moment, her vacant eyes suddenly lit up with brightness!

"I cannot die! I must become strong, I must be able to break free from all shackles; if Brother Zhou Yan cannot face this, then I will bear it all for him!

I can no longer be weak, because if I am weak, if I give up on myself, who will care? If Brother Zhou Yan sees this, he will only look down on me, or pity me! But is that what I want? No!

I swear, if there comes a day... I must create a different world, a world that is no longer so cruel! I want to let my beloved choose their own love, to let all lovers in the world ultimately be together..."

These were the vows resounding in Zhou Ying’s heart.

Her gaze suddenly became more determined than ever before, as if she had seen a bright dawn.

Upon regaining her consciousness, she lightly pulled away her father’s hand that was supporting her.

"Father."

Zhou Ying suddenly spoke.

Her voice, for the first time, carried such force.

So much so that many people were watching her in surprise at this moment.

"Ying’er."

Zhou Han’s body shuddered, looking at Zhou Ying with some shocking uncertainty.

For he realized that he could no longer see through Zhou Ying, as if in that instant, she had undergone some kind of transformation.

"Father, if you really love me, do not interfere with me, and do not make things difficult... Father, you should understand."

After Zhou Ying spoke, she took a step forward.

"Zhou Ying, what are you trying to do?!"

Zhou Yuntian suddenly stepped forward, watching Zhou Ying with some caution.

"Nothing, just that I no longer wish to be with you," Zhou Ying said, tired yet resolute.

Zhou Qianqian, who had always been numb, now looked at her with surprise, her gaze showing an unusual expression for the first time.

"You... don’t you know there’s still a time when you need to take action?"

Zhou Taiting’s face turned slightly cold as he spoke sternly.

"So what if there is? Humph, I am not anyone’s Void Body! Nor am I someone’s Ding Furnace; I am a real person with a self! Now, in this Despair Abyss, I’ve felt an immense sense of despair, enough to connect with the Heavenly Dao.

I have decided, I will seek Enlightenment here.

Brother Zhou Yan still has some life left, but not enough to threaten you all. I will leave him a drop of original bloodline.

If you don’t agree, I will activate the Heavenly Sword Eye of the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body, and we will all go down together."

"Count me in!"

Zhou Gucheng finally stopped opposing and suddenly stepped out.

His appearance immediately changed the atmosphere of the scene.

"Have you been pretending all along?" Zhou Taiting’s complexion finally changed, and the Ancient Evil Spirit was also somewhat uncertain.

"Indeed! I could never forget the cultivation the Young Master has granted me in this lifetime. The Young Master has suffered too much; I only wanted to kill him, but not truly wish to end his life. As for the awakening will of the Ancestor, sorry to disappoint, but it has already been extinguished by me!"

Zhou Gucheng revealed a shocking secret.

He disclosed this secret with an air of indifference, seemingly completely unconcerned about any consequences.

At this moment, Zhou Ying’s delicate body began to tremble slightly.

Zhou Qianqian also moved silently, stepping out to stand beside Zhou Gucheng.

Zhou Gucheng’s cold and determined face, due to her step, finally gained a touch of warmth.

"Are you all rebelling?"

Cailing Fairy looked at the trio of Zhou Gucheng with a cold gaze, her eyes filled with a chilling intent to kill.

Clearly, she had not anticipated that things would turn out this way, yet they had indeed happened.

...

In the Purple Flame Void, Zhou Yan silently watched this scene, his mindset unchanging.

What the eyes see may not always be the truth.

Similarly, the future that can be foreseen may not necessarily be what will come to pass.

This scene might be real, and if it is real, then they have shown true consideration for him, Zhou Yan.

But what if this is all fake? What if it is to force out the last of his life... to save them or has some other scheming purpose?

Then what?

By that time, he would have fallen into the trap of the enemy’s strategist.

Despite the fact that in that instant, Zhou Yan could feel that Zhou Ying’s change didn’t seem to be fake, he no longer trusted anyone.

"Just like Elder Wan said, just like his Master said, what does it matter if these people die?"

Zhou Yan’s heart had grown much colder, and he’d realized it himself. But this was the Heartless Dao.

He continued to watch with indifference.

Outside, in the Despair Abyss, on the path of White Bones,

The Cailing Fairy sneered, "You think that this will save Zhou Yan? Do you think he will be grateful? He will hate you, hate your manipulations!"

"So what?" Zhou Ying sneered back, seemingly resigned to her fate.

"As long as I wholeheartedly serve the young master, even if he misunderstands me, insults me, or even kills me, what of it? My life, Zhou Gucheng’s life, has always belonged to the young master. Even if the Ancestor Thunder of the Zhou Family wishes to seize my will, it won’t be possible!"

Zhou Gucheng’s voice was cold and detached.

"Being understood or misunderstood doesn’t matter. When Brother Zhou Yan was misunderstood, weren’t there many times like that? If we can accompany him even once without being understood, dying without regrets, who can say the Zhou Family is heartless? Who can say the Zhou Family lives only for the strong Sword Dao, heartless and soulless?"

Zhou Qianqian finally spoke.

It was the first sentence she had spoken in a long time.

Her voice was as pleasant as ever, but now, it held endless sorrow and pain.

As if she feared that once she spoke, she would no longer be able to hide such sorrow.

Qian Xi and the others silently watched this scene with faces of surprise and uncertainty.

On Huangfu Zhan’s side, Huangfu Jing was just staring blankly, while Huangfu Zhan appeared thoughtful.

His thick eyebrows furrowed, showing that he had not yet made his difficult choice.

He was a decisive man, usually straightforward in his decisions, but now he seemed hesitant.

Behind him, Hu Yidao and others wore faces of suspicion and perplexity, watching this scene with puzzled eyes.

They probably couldn’t have imagined that this most united group would start infighting at this moment.

"I kindly warned you, yet this is the result. Zhou Ying, Zhou Gucheng, Zhou Qianqian, anyone else who wishes to rebel, to follow Zhou Yan, step forward. Since you don’t want to be pawns, you might as well die."

The Ancient Evil Spirit’s face became twisted, appearing as a ’Ding Furnace’ with its own will—though far from becoming a Void Body, at best it was just a ’puppet’, a ’servant’ that Gu Yan had harvested and cultivated.

But now, it was arrogant, not taking most people here seriously.

"If you could kill me, you would have done it by now! And you think I’m afraid to activate the Heavenly Sword Eye of the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body? Although with my power, I can’t truly activate it, but if I burn my own soul, that’s enough.

I have endured too much, and rather than suffer more pain, I’m willing to offer my unworthy body as a glimmer of hope for Brother Zhou Yan’s life."

Zhou Ying said with a sneer.

The next moment, her eyes began to bleed.

The bright red blood, real and shocking, was a chilling sight.

It was a clear sign of a suicidal move.

"Wait!" the Cailing Fairy suddenly changed color and shouted sharply.

"It’s impressive! You turn against us here, catching us almost off guard. But you are too naive! Do you think we didn’t foresee such an outcome?"

The Ancient Evil Spirit spoke in a somber tone.

Its toad-like facial skin twitched uncontrollably as if preparing for something.

The next moment, a light appeared beside it, a very unusual light.

From within this light emerged a pair of sisters and several individuals Zhou Ying and the others would never have expected.

"Xiao Linlin, Xiao Chan’er... you..." Zhou Ying’s pretty face showed disbelief, but then she seemed to understand something, and her body trembled.

"Zhou Momo, Zhou Xian..." Zhou Qianqian’s voice contained disbelief, but then it quieted down, the reality being incontrovertible, and no words were necessary.

"Pan Yuming, Yang Qingtan... I should have guessed it was you. To think that after I taught you the Cultivation Method, you would..."

Zhou Gucheng pointed at the two, his finger trembling.

These six people now stood revealed, each emitting a formidable aura.

Especially Yang Qingtan, whose indifferent gaze just sweeps over Zhou Gucheng, making him feel as if he was being watched by Zhou Yan himself.

"As a Void Body selected by that mysterious inheritance, Yang Qingtan, like Zhou Yan, shares the ’Same Origin.’ This ’Origin,’ like that of the Nine Origin Reincarnation, is the same ’Origin.’ What this means, I’m not sure.

But I do know, replacing Zhou Yan with Yang Qingtan will ensure there are no genealogical restraints or backlash."

"As for your help? Our nurturing of Zhou Yuntian was only superficial. The true target for seizing the body was Yang Qingtan, you see? As for Zhou Yuntian, by harnessing this opportunity, he could also directly annihilate Ji Tianxu’s inheritance, combining several inheritances at once. That’s the true foundation of the Heavenly Destiny project!"

"You won’t remember anything about this affair involving the Despair Abyss once you leave it; that’s the reason why no one returns from here. Because those who leave don’t recall ever entering.

Of course, if I’m saying this, it means I have entered before and know the situation here, which also suggests I have a way to solve ’Amnesia,’ but I will not tell you, I won’t let you know."

"Zhou Ying, you are merely tools used to test the waters. Once out of here, you will still be a woman who lives in pain, uncertainty, and hesitance every day—too cowardly to strive, yet ironically ambitious, merely a lowlife. This is your destiny, your fate for your entire life."

The Ancient Evil Spirit said coldly and heartlessly, his words stinging Zhou Ying painfully.