I charged like a madman at Demon Emperor Wang Mang, my Yin and Yang Qi circulating to its absolute limit.
At that moment, my entire body felt like it was tearing apart.
But I didn't care; he had hurt Qing Dai, so I had to kill him.
Seeing me charge, the Demon Emperor panicked and struck Qing Dai with a palm.
"Bang!"
Qing Dai was sent flying by the palm strike.
I saw this, leaped into the air, and caught her midway:
"Qing Dai!"
"Don't, don't mind me. Hurry, hurry and kill him. This is my lifelong wish."
Qing Dai's soul had suffered severe damage, and her body was weak.
I also knew this was the best opportunity.
"Alright!"
I set Qing Dai down and looked at Wang Mang with fury.
He was now severely injured and on the verge of death.
But the berserk energy that had erupted earlier had swept through everyone.
There were not many capable fighters left around.
And he, too, had been repeatedly struck.
If not for his astonishing cultivation, his soul would have long since scattered.
Several fellow cultivators who still had the strength to fight, including Xiao Mei who had transformed into a white fox,
had already surged forward, intending to slay him.
However, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse; his cultivation was undeniable.
These fellow cultivators, who were only at the True Light, Mysterious Core, or even lower realms, were no match for him.
As a result, over a dozen people, including esteemed figures of the martial world, were killed.
Xiao Mei was lucky; she was merely injured by the sword qi and did not lose her life.
At this moment, I held the Ghost King Blade and moved forward.
"You should die."
I attacked rapidly. The surrounding cultivators, aware of his might, quickly retreated, making way for me.
Seeing me approach, Wang Mang raised his sword to block.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
After more than ten exchanges, his injuries were more severe than mine, and he had two vital points exposed.
He could only withstand about ten more moves before reaching his limit.
Finally, I circulated the Yin and Yang Qi again, concentrating all my energy.
"Heaven and Earth Without Limit, Heaven and Earth Without Law, Destroy!"
"Boom!"
This saber strike carried the will of all righteous paths and all people in the world.
The saber light raged, kicking up sand and stones.
The Yin and Yang power transformed into thirty meters of sword qi, cleaving downwards.
Wang Mang's face contorted in horror and fear at the sight.
He had nowhere to escape and could only roar:
"Ah!"
Amidst his roar, demonic energy surged to the heavens, and he raised his long sword to meet the attack head-on.
A black demonic sword qi charged forward.
"Rumbling..."
The sound was immense, and a violent gust of protective energy erupted.
Several cultivators within thirty meters were directly knocked unconscious, bleeding from their noses and mouths.
The ground cracked and split...
But this time, the severely injured Demon Emperor Wang Mang could no longer block.
With a "bang," under the terrifying Yin and Yang sword qi, he was sent flying backward.
The ripples of Taoist energy continued to surge like a storm.
Wang Mang tumbled across the ground.
Finally, he stopped a hundred meters away, having smashed through a large rock.
At this moment, my entire body throbbed with tearing pain, as if my muscles were snapping and my bones were cracking.
Yet, my will remained firm.
The fate of millennia, I would end it here.
I continued to walk forward with steady steps.
Some cultivators, dazed by the preceding violent energy, were only slowly getting back on their feet.
They could only watch as I, with my blade, went alone.
When I reached Demon Emperor Wang Mang, he was already on the verge of death, his body flickering, about to perish...
He was unable to rise and looked at me with immense unwillingness.
He had schemed for a thousand years, setting up formations here.
Cultivating his forces, the Underworld Sect and the Black Demon Sect, and hiding in this place of hidden Buddhas.
He intended to use this opportunity of the Taoist Alliance's campaign against demons to sacrifice everyone, seize destiny, and become a Ghost Immortal.
Alas, he encountered me, who had cultivated Yin and Yang Qi, and shattered his great demonic array.
He disrupted his sacrifice.
This, perhaps, was destiny.
Ten lifetimes ago, I died at his hands. Qing Dai sacrificed her life, planting a life curse, and sent me into reincarnation for ten lifetimes.
Now I have returned, and I will end all of this.
Before I could speak, I heard the Demon Emperor Wang Mang raspy voice:
"This Emperor, was so, so close, so close to succeeding..."
I looked at him coldly and spoke with icy calm:
"Evil cannot triumph over righteousness. Let me end all these karmic debts!"
With that, I raised the Ghost King Blade, black energy swirling, and deathly energy vibrating.
I slashed down.
"Bang!"
With a piercing explosion, Wang Mang, the emperor of a thousand years ago who became a Demon Emperor after death, perished into dust in his unwillingness.
At that instant, all the surviving members of the Taoist Alliance let out cheers of victory.
"Ah! We won!"
"We won!"
"The war against the demons was successful."
"Master, Senior Brother, we won!"
"..."
Many fellow cultivators, overcome with emotion, knelt and cheered.
I looked at the vanished Demon Emperor and let out a long sigh; we had finally succeeded.
But just then, Xiao Yao's voice rang out from behind me:
"Senior Brother Qin, hurry over here!"
Her voice was urgent and filled with panic.
Hearing her voice, I quickly turned around.
I saw a group of people and the remaining ghost soldiers surrounding Qing Dai.
Upon seeing this, my heart tightened, and I rushed over.
When I reached them, I found Qing Dai's body flickering in and out of existence.
It was certain that the clash with Demon Emperor Wang Mang earlier had struck a fatal blow to Qing Dai.
She was about to have her soul scatter.
"Qing Dai, Qing Dai..."
I dropped the Ghost King Blade, filled with dread.
Qing Dai, in my arms, smiled faintly:
"I, I might have to leave."
"No, no, I'm still here. You can't die, you mustn't die."
"..."
Tears began to flow uncontrollably. She had waited for me for two thousand years, and we had finally been together. Now she was about to scatter her soul, and I couldn't accept it.
"No, you cannot die. There is still a way. The life curse, I can sacrifice myself. Ten lifetimes of reincarnation, and we can still meet."
I suddenly remembered the life curse.
Ten lifetimes ago, Qing Dai had used the same method to keep me alive.
Now, I could use the same method.
And I had already done some research into the life curse.
I could sacrifice my life and then send Qing Dai for reincarnation.
With this thought, I didn't hesitate and grabbed the Ghost King Blade, preparing to stab it into my heart.
"Old Qin!"
"Don't!"
"..."
A chorus of voices spoke out.
My hand was caught by my Master.
"Master! You're stopping me too. I'll just lose my life, but my soul will remain.
If I don't do this, Qing Dai will scatter her soul."
I spoke with determination; what was my life worth compared to Qing Dai?
But Master shook his head:
"There is no need. I, as a Ghost Envoy now, possess the art of soul stabilization. I can ensure Miss Qing Dai's soul temporarily stabilizes."
As soon as he said this, the eighteen surviving Ghost Riders knelt on the ground:
"Please, Daoist Master, perform the ritual to save our Princess. We shall not fear death."
"Please, Daoist Master, perform the ritual to save our Princess. We shall not fear death."
"..."
Several demon souls, led by Chen Long, also pleaded.
I also repeatedly urged:
"Master, then don't hesitate."
But Master continued:
"However, after performing this ritual, Miss Qing Dai must return to the Underworld with me.
Because only within the Yin Pool of the Underworld can Miss Qing Dai's soul be completely stabilized.
But you also know that Miss Qing Dai is wanted by the Underworld.
And she has been wandering the human realm for two thousand years, which is a grave offense.
The time is too long, and she also injured the two Yin Commanders, Black and White Impermanence.
According to the laws of the Underworld.
If she descends with me, she might face eternal damnation, never to be reborn.
Even if she can reincarnate in the future, she might not be born as a human.
It is different from ten lifetimes ago.
You had no sins then, so you could reincarnate.
But Miss Qing Dai has committed crimes. If she descends, she certainly cannot reincarnate.
Using the life curse now will be of no avail.
Perhaps scattering her soul, in comparison, is less agonizing."
Master spoke the truth.
And I, filled with dread, kept looking at Qing Dai, debating whether to save Qing Dai, allowing her to enter the eighteen levels of hell and never be reborn.
In future reincarnations, she might not be human, perhaps an animal, or even a plant or insect.
Or should I let Qing Dai scatter her soul, leaving without pain?
The scene fell silent, the cheers of moments ago replaced by everyone watching me and Qing Dai.
But Qing Dai, on the verge of scattering her soul, spoke at this moment:
"Daoist Master Gu, I am willing to go to the Underworld.
I will bear my own sins.
That way, I will still have a chance to see Qin Ze again.
Even if it's for a hundred lifetimes, a thousand lifetimes, becoming a butterfly, I still want to fly to his side..."
As Qing Dai spoke these words, her eyes met mine, full of love.
I was so moved that my heart ached.
"Qing Dai! I will wait for you, I will definitely wait for you, a hundred lifetimes, a thousand lifetimes.
No, after I die, I will definitely come to the Underworld to find you."
I gently stroked her cold face.
But as soon as I finished speaking, before Qing Dai could reply, she trembled and her body became ethereal again.
"There's no time left, quickly get out of the way."
Master spoke.
Seeing that we had made our decision, he didn't hesitate.
He quickly took out a seal and pressed it onto Qing Dai's forehead.
Qing Dai's body stiffened, as if she had become a vegetative state.
Then, I heard Master's voice:
"Soul stabilization, spirit locking."
As he spoke, the seal on Qing Dai's forehead
suddenly extended numerous fine chains, binding Qing Dai tightly...