Chapter 3076: The Road To Redemption (5)
Ning Yue took a step closer, her form radiating a soft, compelling light. "Think. If it were any other person—if they possessed your power, endured the tragedies you have, lost the people you loved—what would they become? They would likely have descended into madness long ago. They would live for nothing but blind, reckless revenge, throwing themselves at their enemies again and again until they were utterly destroyed."
Her voice grew stronger, filled with conviction. "But you, Big Brother Yun, despite your thirst for revenge, despite the pain that must eat at you every day, you have always kept your head clear. You have always focused on growing stronger, on building foundations, on protecting those you still could. You have walked a razor’s edge, balancing your humanity with the immense power growing within you."
She shook her head slowly, her expression one of absolute certainty. "In my eyes, what happened was not because you were not cautious enough. It was because you are fighting against all odds. You are fighting against a fate that was set in motion eons before you were born. You are facing enemies who have spent countless lifetimes perfecting their schemes, who wield power on a scale that defies comprehension."
Ning Yue’s words were not meant to comfort; they were meant to illuminate the truth. "Nian Shi did not defeat you because you were weak-willed. He defeated you because he exploited the one thing you could never plan for: your own heart. Your love for your family, your grief for your loss—these are not weaknesses. They are what make you you. They are what separate you from a cold, calculating god like him. He used the very strength of your character as a weapon against you. That is not a failure of caution; it is a testament to how deeply you care."
She finished, her gaze unwavering. "You are not fighting a fair battle. You are challenging the inevitable. And the fact that you are still here, that your spirit still fights even now, is a miracle in itself. So, please, do not blame yourself for falling in a battle that was stacked against you from the very beginning. Instead, focus on the fact that you have been given a second chance. That we are here, together, in the heart of it all. And that the war is not over."
Long Yi nodded in solemn agreement. "The young miss speaks wisdom. The past is written. Our grief will remain, but it must fuel our resolve, not cripple it. Your path forward is the only one that matters now."
Yun Lintian stood silently, Ning Yue’s words echoing in the core of his being. The corrosive guilt did not vanish, but it was... reframed. She was right. He had always been cautious. He had prepared countless countermeasures. His failure was not one of negligence, but of being pitted against an opponent who had transcended mere strategy, an opponent who could weaponize the very essence of his soul.
He had been fighting fate itself. And against fate, mere caution was never enough. You needed something more. You needed a sanctuary. You needed a guide. You needed a truth hidden in plain sight.
He took a deep, steadying breath, the first one he felt he had taken since his defeat. The weight was still there, but it felt different now. It was no longer the crushing burden of failure, but the heavy mantle of a second chance—a chance bought with the blood of those he loved, and offered by the sister who had been his destiny all along.
He looked at Ning Yue, then at Long Yi, his eyes finally clearing of their despair, replaced by a renewed, hardened resolve.
"Then... what do we do now?"
Yun Lintian instinctively took a step forward.
Clang!
A harsh, metallic sound echoed in the serene space. The movement was abruptly halted. He looked down, a fresh wave of shock washing over him. He had forgotten.
Though he stood here in this spiritual sanctuary, the reality of his physical body was starkly different. Ethereal, glowing chains—the Chains of Primordial Order forged by the Creator herself—were still wrapped tightly around his wrists, ankles, and torso, visible even in this spiritual reflection.
He pulled against them, but they didn’t budge. They were not physical objects to be broken by force; they were manifestations of a supreme law, designed to suppress and control the very concept of power within him.
A flicker of frustration crossed his features. How could he fight, how could he even move, bound like this?
Ning Yue watched him, her expression filled with a deep, sorrowful love. She glided forward, her steps silent on the non-existent ground. She came to a stop directly in front of him, her gaze soft yet unwavering.
"Leave it to me, Big Brother Yun," she said, her voice a gentle whisper that held the weight of inevitability.
Before he could question her, she raised her hand and placed her palm flat against his chest, right over his spiritual heart.
The moment her hand made contact, a profound warmth spread from her touch, flooding into his being. It was not the heat of fire, but the gentle, life-giving warmth of the first sunrise, the comforting heat of a mother’s embrace. It was the pure, unadulterated essence of the World Tree and the fragment of the Creator’s soul that was her core.
Simultaneously, the magnificent World Tree behind her began to glow with intense, vibrant light. Its leaves rustled though there was no wind, a sound like a thousand gentle voices singing in harmony.
A torrent of emerald-green energy, thick with the essence of life, creation, and fundamental order, flowed from the tree and enveloped Yun Lintian in a brilliant cocoon of light.
The effect on the chains was immediate and astonishing.
They didn’t shatter. They didn’t break. That would have been impossible, even for this power. Instead, they loosened. They were still there, still visible, but they no longer held him in a vice-like grip. He could move his arms, his legs; he was no longer a statue of trapped will.
But that was only the beginning.
The gentle, overwhelming aura pouring into him from Ning Yue and the World Tree did not just affect the chains. It flowed into the very core of his spiritual form, mending the fractures left by Nian Shi’s invasion, soothing the agony of his erased memories, and nourishing his depleted soul.
And then, something even more miraculous happened...