Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 479 - 125: Illusion? Truth?

Chapter 479: Chapter 125: Illusion? Truth?

"Jiu Que, if one day, you find that I have made a mistake, I hope you won’t be angry. The shackles of fate make many things beyond our control. No matter what, no matter life or death, I, Zhou Yan, will remember you, my loyal subordinate, in this life."

Zhou Yan suddenly said.

His words changed the expression of the Netherworld Queen and made her pause.

And his words also made the Netherworld Nine Soul Envoy pause, but he didn’t think too much about it. Rather, he thought it might just be something that the Hall Master and Lord Envoy hadn’t told him yet.

No matter what, nothing could compare to the warmth in his heart from Zhou Yan’s words of concern for his life and death, so he spoke with firm conviction, "My King, rest assured, this life, the next life, and even the life after that, I, Jiu Que, will always regard you as the true King. Apart from the Hall Master, only you, my King, deserve this distinction. As for being beyond one’s control, I, Jiu Que, understand this too. We Netherworld beings, who among us hasn’t been led by circumstances to become a part of the Netherworld? My King, go ahead without worries and take good care of yourself. In the Netherworld Heavenly Road, I might not be able to help you, but I will surely protect the exit and won’t let anyone breach or plot against it."

The Netherworld Nine Soul Envoy felt warmth in his heart again. He had never known what ’emotion’ was, but at that moment, he sensed that his heated eyes seemed to produce a moist, warm sensation.

Zhou Yan heaved a resigned sigh, the sound of helplessness. The world’s horrors far exceeded his expectations.

He never wanted to consider the Sword Burial Ancestor Star a complicated place, but it was incredibly complex.

He also never wanted to feel so powerless and desperate, but reality was always so cruel.

He turned around once more and walked towards the distant, confusing and glaring skyline.

He opened his heart, embracing the endless temptations, the lure of entering the Netherworld Heavenly Road.

When his guard was down, those temptations unfolded like illusions before him.

It was a heart-stricken strategy, enticing everything within his heart.

Revealing all his secrets to his eyes alone, while no one else could see, know, or ever understand.

...

The Netherworld Queen watched Zhou Yan’s lonely figure disappear, her eyes brimming with tears, as if suddenly about to lose something again, her heart filled with indescribable sorrow.

And the Netherworld Nine Soul Envoy stared blankly into the distance.

Amidst the glaring Netherworld light column, Zhou Yan’s figure seemed so solitary, so alone, like a naturally solitary king destined to be accompanied only by solitude forever.

"Jiu Que, we have battled for so many years, and I suddenly find that this cooperation of ours is so memorable," the Netherworld Queen said reflectively.

"Could it be anything but memorable?"

The Netherworld Nine Soul Envoy still thought the Netherworld Queen was attracted by Zhou Yan’s charm, so he spoke subtly,

After saying this, he saw that Zhou Yan’s figure had vanished, and the light from the Netherworld Heavenly Road gradually dispersed and faded. He then suppressed all his emotions and said, "It’s all meaningless to say anything now. Just guard the Netherworld Heavenly Road exit well. Only you and I know about the exit. Others don’t even know there is one. We must be very alert if the King fails to seize the Yuan Ci Secret Realm."

"Indeed."

The Netherworld Queen had many things to say, but she couldn’t speak to this pitiful soul who thought he had plotted against others when in fact, he was the one being plotted against.

Besides, this being didn’t understand feelings or anything of the sort. He was purely from the Netherworld, and also an enemy, so she could say nothing.

Her maid, Jingtian, had also returned to take care of Little Xue and was not around.

Thus, she had a heavy heart with no one to confide in.

...

The force of light pierced deep into his heart, and immediately Zhou Yan saw many people he had long missed.

The first to appear was Lingqing.

Her body was somewhat swollen, appearing as if about to rot, and very tragic, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, unchanged.

She looked at Zhou Yan with a sad gaze, her voice filled with misery and helplessness: "Husband, Qing’er is in the Heavenly Heart Secret Realm, you must come. The child is about to be born, and this time Qing’er won’t let her commit suicide prematurely!

When Qing’er discovered that Nian Nian harbored suicidal intentions, she exhausted all her efforts to save half of her Lifebound Essence Blood to preserve part of her vitality. Thankfully, she has finally recovered.

To celebrate her rebirth, and because Qing’er greatly misses her husband, Qing’er has renamed her ’Sisi.’ Do you like this name?

Husband, Sisi even has great talents now. However, Qing’er is trapped in the Heavenly Heart Secret Realm and can’t come out to find you..."

She was speaking when suddenly, a black hole appeared in the universe, instantly devouring Lingqing. Her words abruptly stopped, like a snapped guitar string.

Zhou Yan knew deep down that this was an illusion, but why did it feel so real?

Nian Nian?

Sisi?

Zhou Sisi, is it?

Zhou Yan sighed with a wry smile, murmuring to himself, "Heaven and Earth, fate... Deep in my heart, I know this is an illusion, but why must you make this illusion so realistic? Is this the will of the Heavenly Dao on the Netherworld Heavenly Road, intending to make me submit to the Heavenly Dao because of my loved ones?"

Zhou Yan murmured to himself.

He knew that Heaven and Earth did not care about his words.

He also realized that those cultivators who madly rushed to the Netherworld Heavenly Road, most of them must have also seen the mysteries and outcomes hidden deep within their hearts.

Here, it seemed that all the perplexities in his heart were about to be resolved, all the puzzling mysteries would be unveiled.

He thought to himself, and immediately, a second layer of the illusion appeared.

In the image, there was an ancient forest.

Inside the forest, trees reached into the skies, each one as massive as the Optimus Prime, and a person under those giant ancient trees resembled an ant in their vastness.

Yet, under those ancient trees, there was a group of people, people who had been missing for a long time.

"Yan’er, are you still alive? Your mother and I have always been worried about you, but we can’t leave the Heavenly Punishment Forest now. In the Heavenly Punishment Forest, the Fire Demon Clan wants to devour the Primordial Soul of Li Wuheng Xuanzhe to forge it into a Soul Guide for the Holy Artifact Soul. We are facing great troubles. Feng Lingzhu seems a bit off, there appears to be an ancient will awakening in her bloodline. If it’s something good, then all is well, but if it’s invaded by the Outer Heaven Netherworld, then it’s not good.

Furthermore, unfortunately, I have to tell you that Qi Meng... fell in a battle against the Fire Demon Clan. Don’t be sad, we have avenged her, killing the Young Master of that Fire Demon..."

"Now, Father has also cultivated the Supreme Forget Love Swordsmanship and condensed the Supreme Sword Body..."

Father’s voice carried a mix of vicissitude and fatigue, yet powerfully resilient, his entire demeanor elegant yet profound, his presence ethereal.

Yet, Zhou Yan could not see clearly because a huge wave surged by, and that scene completely vanished, like a bubble being crushed instantly, just disappeared so suddenly.

Zhou Yan was shaken to his core, almost unable to believe any of it was real, yet deep down, a voice seemed to say, these things are real, they are real.

Another scene appeared. It was a crystal coffin.

In front of the coffin, a man was speaking something indistinct.

But the woman in the crystal coffin, Gu Xi, was shedding tears.

She was thinking in her heart, "Brother Zhou Yan, Xi’er is powerless, not only unable to help you, but also causing you to fall into such pain. Xi’er really wants to just die, but Xi’er doesn’t even have the ability to die.

Brother Zhou Yan, you must be careful. There’s a huge conspiracy, Brother Zhou Yan, you must not make any more sacrifices for Xi’er, because the outcome has already been determined, and it can’t be changed!"

"Brother Zhou Yan, your love for Xi’er, though Xi’er is but a residual soul, can fully feel it. Every word you say, Xi’er can hear.

Xi’er has never regretted loving you, but Xi’er regrets letting Brother Zhou Yan love her, because Xi’er isn’t worthy.

If possible... Xi’er wishes she had never known Brother Zhou Yan."

Brother Zhou Yan, you must be careful of this terrible conspiracy, this conspiracy is that—"

Gu Xi lay in the crystal coffin, but lots were spoken in her heart.

These words, Zhou Yan had never heard before, but this time, in such an illusion, he heard them.

Yet, why were these words, at the most crucial moment, cut off?

Gu Xi’s words at that crucial moment were suddenly severed. As if by a flash of Sword Light, with a "swoosh," slicing through heaven and earth, severing time and space, and all the words that should have followed were killed.

The image shattered, like an ancient array suddenly collapsed, vanishing into nothingness.

Suddenly, between heaven and earth, there was a wind, the wind mournful, lamenting.

The chilling wind was bone-piercing, and Zhou Yan suddenly felt a chill throughout his body, this cold feeling uncontrollably making him shiver.

A dark and cold screen of light suddenly enveloped him, the world suddenly changed, and the next moment, Zhou Yan felt as if he had appeared in the depths of the universe.

Around him was the cold and pitch-black starry sky, endless emptiness and loneliness, enough to drive one insane.

In this space, everywhere was darkness and emptiness.

But in this space, there was a little girl wandering aimlessly, dressed in a red floral padded jacket, her body exuding immense and invincible Netherworld Power. The Netherworld Power continuously circulating with the darkness of this world formed a balance, as if achieving Unity of Heaven and Man with this cold and dark universe.

Her padded jacket was covered with dust and mud, and there were also some small holes from wear. Through the torn areas, one could see her bare pink baby skin.

She kept wandering in the void, seemingly searching for something, but never finding it.

"Father King... where are you? Don’t you want Yanyan anymore? Yanyan finally understands, it’s not that Father King didn’t want Mother Queen, but the whole world has deceived Yanyan. Yanyan regrets so much, regrets so much..."

(The internet was disconnected yesterday; making up with two more updates, further updates today will follow.)