At this moment, Chen Zhan, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Dongfang Xiaotian in the air, was extremely anxious. He used all his strength and pushed his power to the limit. Finally, he knocked the peerless demon king down with a single palm strike.
Chen Nan's mother returned anxiously and called out to Chen Nan, "Quickly, quickly give this to her. This is an elixir that your father obtained in an ancient immortal's ruins when he traveled the world."
As if grasping at a lifeline, Chen Nan quickly took the fragrant, crystal-clear pill, chewed it, and forcibly fed the elixir mixed with blood into Yu Xin's mouth.
Although the elixir left behind by the ancient immortals possessed the power to seize the essence of heaven and earth, it still could not save Yu Xin's life. After all, she was injured by the unparalleled demonic power of the evil man Dongfang Xiaotian. The Ten Heaven-Splitting Strikes were incredibly powerful, and if it weren't for the formidable power sealed within her by her master, she would probably have been reduced to ashes by now.
No matter how Ren Chennan called out to her, Yu Xin did not open her eyes again. She lay quietly in Chennan's arms, her expression peaceful, as if she had fulfilled her wish and had no regrets.
"Yu Xin..." Chen Nan cried out in anguish.
The chrysanthemums in the courtyard were sent flying by the fierce energy, their white petals fluttering and scattering in the air like tears, as if the fallen flowers were weeping.
Thinking of all the good things Yu Xin had done, Chen Nan was heartbroken, and those warm memories from the past flooded his mind.
"My name is Yuxin. I was found by my master in a flower bush on a rainy night."
...
The faint words seemed to still linger in the courtyard.
"You said... if anyone wanted to kill me, unless... they had to step over your dead body. I was so... moved when I heard that. From childhood to adulthood... I only had my master as family... no parents... no playmates... no friends, I was so lonely! Since meeting you... I've been so happy. Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen treat me like... their own daughter. I'm so blessed because I finally have a... home. You... are my closest... my dearest person. I've already lost my master, I... can't lose... you too. I'd rather... die myself than let you... live on, cough..."
"These past two years... I've been truly happy. You brought me out of the mountains and introduced me to... a whole new world. Am I... silly? I often... make fools of myself, and I don't understand anything... It's you who patiently explains things to me. Every day with you... I feel so happy. Actually, I really don't want to leave you... I just want to be with you every day... watching the sunrise, watching the sunset, living a simple and peaceful life..."
Finally, in Chen Nan's ears, Yu Xin's unfinished words echoed repeatedly: "When you... grow old, will you still remember... a girl named Yu Xin..."
"Yu Xin... I don't want you to die... I want you to live happily forever..." Chen Nan screamed like a madman, "Why?! You cruel God, why are you so cruel?! Give me back Yu Xin's life?!"
"Fate? Fate! Why? Why! I just wanted to live a simple life with the one I love... why all this?!" Chen Nan cried out in a hoarse voice, "If there truly is an all-powerful being who controls everything, I curse you, I curse you to be controlled by others, I curse you to vanish into nothingness sooner or later!"
The curses of grief and indignation reverberated like rolling thunder throughout the Chen residence.
Looking at Yu Xin's pale face, Chen's mother couldn't help but shed tears. Looking at Chen Nan's seemingly insane appearance, her heart ached.
Chen Nan suppressed his grief, staring at Dongfang Xiaotian, who had been struck down from the sky by his father not far away. His eyes were bloodshot, and an overwhelming hatred surged within him. He gently placed Yu Xin on the ground and charged forward like a madman, roaring, "Dongfang Xiaotian, you owe me Yu Xin's life!"
Chen's mother was extremely anxious. Although Dongfang Xiaotian was seriously injured and lying on the ground, this peerless demon king was definitely not someone Chen Nan could deal with at this moment.
Chen Nan was no longer listening to any of the advice. As he ran, he gathered his inner strength, and the true energy within his body seemed to boil. A blazing golden light emanated from his body, many times stronger than usual.
Anger often unleashes a person's potential, and Chen Nan was undoubtedly experiencing this at that moment. His overwhelming grief and negative emotions made the power within him incredibly violent.
However, the intense golden light was mixed with wisps of black energy, as if the flames of the underworld were swirling around his body, a sign of demonic possession.
Although Dongfang Xiaotian was knocked down by Chen Zhan, Chen Zhan dared not be careless in the slightest and kept a close eye on this peerless demon king. Seeing Chen Nan rushing forward, he quickly swooped down from the sky, grabbed Chen Nan from a distance, and said, "Although he is seriously injured, he is still far beyond your ability to deal with."
Dongfang Xiaotian slowly got up, his eyes flashing with a ferocious light like a wild beast. Finally, he laughed coldly, "Haha... One of you is dead... That's not enough, you will all die!" In his delirious state, he only had killing in his mind and had long lost the ability to think.
Chen Nan stared at the executioner who had brutally killed Yu Xin, his teeth practically grinding to powder.
"Father, I beg you, let me go! If I can't kill him with my own hands, I'd rather die!"
At this moment, Chen Nan's eyes were bloodshot, and the intense golden light around his body was rapidly turning black and dimming. This was a sign of demonic transformation. He was extremely saddened, and the stimulation was driving him to the brink of demonic possession.
Chen Zhan knew that if he didn't vent the overwhelming hatred in his heart at this moment, his life would be ruined, and he would most likely suffer a qi deviation, losing all his skills and becoming physically disabled.
"Okay, go ahead."
Chen Nan roared, "Dongfang Xiaotian, you die!" His hair flew wildly, his anger raging, and the golden light on his body completely disappeared, replaced by rolling demonic energy.
Chen Nan's mother was frantic and shouted at Chen Zhan, "This child is going berserk! You have to think of something! Stop him! How could he possibly be a match for that demon king!"
Chen Zhan said, "Don't worry, I have a way." As he spoke, Chen Zhan waved his palms in the air, and rows of golden palm shadows flashed in the air. Finally, they turned into a blazing golden light and rushed towards Chen Nan. A tremendous force surged into Chen Nan's body in an instant.
At this moment, Chen Nan felt a warm sensation all over his body, and a surging power gathered throughout his body like countless streams flowing into the sea. At this moment, he felt as if he had become a giant, as if he had become the incarnation of a god or demon, with a feeling that all living beings were in his grasp.
Chen Zhan transferred half of his power into Chen Nan's body from a distance, demonstrating just how powerful Chen Zhan was. In an instant, he elevated Chen Nan's cultivation to a level that every martial artist dreams of.
The black light around Chen Nan's body completely disappeared, and the blazing golden light once again enveloped his body. He pounced on Dongfang Xiaotian like an angry lion.
Sword energy surged and crackled in the Chen Mansion's martial arts arena, dazzling sword light illuminating the night sky and soaring dozens of meters into the air. Chen Nan, as if possessed, launched a frenzied attack on the Demon King.
A fierce wind howled through the training ground, filled with murderous intent, and a tragic atmosphere permeated the entire Chen Mansion.
Although Dongfang Xiaotian possessed unparalleled skill, he had already been severely injured by Chen Zhan and could no longer contend with Chen Nan, who had lost his rationality and was fighting desperately. In just a short while, he was covered in blood.
Chen Nan's mother was still a little worried and asked Chen Zhan, "Will this child be alright?"
Chen Zhan nodded, then shook his head, and said, "He's not in danger now. I've poured half of my power into him, establishing a special connection between us. Our energies resonate with each other, and I can use him to severely injure Dongfang Xiaotian at any time. However, I'm worried about his future. He's suffered a great upheaval today, and the seed of evil has taken deep root in his heart. I fear that one day his inner world will become utterly dark."
Chen Nan's mother shook her head and said, "No, this child is very kind. He won't become like that. Besides, his cultivation has stagnated, so it's impossible for him to become a demon."
"Perhaps. However, he can definitely recover his cultivation level on his own, otherwise he wouldn't deserve the surname Chen."
This was a frenzied battle. A master of evil arts was repeatedly and severely injured by a crazed junior, his blood spurting out! Chen Nan seemed to be possessed, completely abandoning the use of techniques, and in the end, he actually wrestled with Dongfang Xiaotian, tearing at him savagely.
The battle had lost its original meaning; the tide had turned completely against them. The Demon King's old and new wounds flared up simultaneously, making him unable to resist. Chen Nan twisted one of his arms and tore it off, blood spurting out and spraying everywhere. The blood wave stained Chen Nan from head to toe, making his face contorted in a ferocious expression, truly like a bloodthirsty demon, looking even more like the Demon King than Dongfang Xiaotian.
Chen Nan, waving Dongfang Xiaotian's arm, shouted irrationally, "Give me back Yu Xin's life! Give me back Yu Xin's life..."
Chen's mother was somewhat shocked, and said in a trembling voice, "This child..."
Chen Zhan sighed, "Although it's cruel, it's the only way to draw out the demonic fire in his heart. One hundred and fifty years ago, when Dongfang Xiaotian roamed the world, he indiscriminately killed innocent people. Perhaps this is his retribution."
At this moment, Chen Nan had already torn off Dongfang Xiaotian's other arm. He waved the Demon King's two arms with both hands and roared to the sky: "You damned God, give me back my Yu Xin's life..." The shrill voice rolled and pounded in the night sky.
What followed could only be described as extremely bloody and cruel. The Demon King had his limbs torn off by Chen Nan and was tortured beyond recognition.
At this moment, Chen Zhan withdrew the power he had previously injected into Chen Nan's body. As that overwhelming power disappeared, Chen Nan collapsed to the ground. However, he still couldn't calm down. He stared fiercely at Dongfang Xiaotian, repeatedly chanting, "Give me back Yu Xin's life..."
At this moment, Dongfang Xiaotian had regained his senses and was no longer in a daze. He laughed bitterly, "Heh heh, I never thought I'd have a day like this. Life is unpredictable!"
Chen Zhan said, "The world is unpredictable. One hundred and fifty years ago, you commanded the wind and rain, dominating an era, but one hundred and fifty years later, you have met a miserable end. You should not continue to stay in this world; you should have ascended to immortality long ago."
"Haha, perhaps this is retribution. I have no regrets about losing to you; your skill is truly unparalleled. If I'm not mistaken, the technique you cultivate is that martial art..."
Chen Zhan interrupted him, saying, "It's good that you know; there's no need to say it aloud."
Dongfang Xiaotian's mangled body throbbed with pain as he glanced deeply at Chen Nan, who lay on the ground not far away, and said, "The demonic seed in your son has taken deep root. If things go smoothly in the future, that's fine, but once... hehe..."
Chen Zhan glanced at Chen Nan, whose reason was clouded by hatred, and sighed, "Everyone's path is different, and no one can see the future clearly." Then his voice turned cold as he said, "Dongfang Xiaotian, I know you've come to kill me. Although you mistakenly killed that poor, adorable child in a state of mental derangement, you must still be held responsible for your actions. Today, I will use your life to defy fate and save that child!"
Upon hearing this, Chen's mother's previously gloomy face instantly brightened. Chen Nan, also regaining his senses, exclaimed excitedly, "Father, is what you said true? Yu Xin... she can come back to life?"
"I'm only 10% sure, the chances are slim."
Chen Nan, seemingly insane, cried out, "Father, you must save Yu Xin! If it's possible to exchange my life for hers, I'm willing to give my life for hers!"
Enduring excruciating pain, Dongfang Xiaotian forced a bitter laugh and said, "Your skill is indeed extraordinary; you've even mastered this legendary forbidden technique. Fine, I'm willing to act as your catalyst and see just how you defy fate."
Chen Zhan turned to look at his wife and said, "Gather everyone in the manor and make them stay away from the residence. Under no circumstances should they step within a ten-mile radius without my message."
"This..." Chen's mother hesitated. She believed in her husband's abilities and knew that he was incredibly resourceful, but this time it seemed that danger was about to occur, and she was a little worried.
"Take Chen Nan with you and leave. In half an hour, everything here may be gone."
Chen's mother hesitated, but ultimately said nothing. She gathered everyone in the mansion and ordered them to retreat several miles away. Finally, she pulled Chen Nan along and left as well.
Chen Nan knew he couldn't help his father at all, and as he left, he only called out, "Father..."
Half an hour later, a rumble of thunder echoed over the Chen residence, and streaks of lightning flashed across the sky. The once peaceful night sky was suddenly filled with terrifying thunder, and the huge flashes of lightning illuminated the entire sky above the Chen residence, as if the Thunder God had appeared in the world.
The astonishing phenomenon left the people of Chen Mansion, several miles away, speechless. The lightning and thunder were not natural occurrences; the lightning had been summoned by a single person. Amidst the rumbling thunder and flashing lightning, a figure, both godlike and demonic, stood proudly in the air—none other than Chen Zhan.
A dazzling bolt of lightning struck the middle-aged man in the air, who looked like a god or demon, causing the people from the Chen family who were watching from afar to gasp in surprise.
However, contrary to their expectations, Chen Zhan did not suffer the torment of the lightning tribulation. Brilliant lightning bolts converged from all directions in front of him, making him appear like a golden-armored war god. He waved both palms, conjuring a golden wave of light in the air. The wave surged continuously, eventually forming a golden vortex, towards which all the lightning bolts rushed.
Endless lightning swirled through the vortex, transforming into a dazzling, holy radiance that surged into Chen Zhan's body. This vast power of heaven and earth was actually absorbed by Chen Zhan. The thunder was deafening, and lightning crackled in the sky. Chen Zhan's left hand reached down into the void, and he pulled up the four-limbed Dongfang Xiaotian from afar, casting beams of intense holy light into the Demon King's body.
Dongfang Xiaotian exclaimed, "Chen Zhan, your skill is truly extraordinary! It's unbelievable! I never imagined I would one day become a vessel for someone else to create life energy, haha..."
At this moment, Yu Xin, who was originally lying on the ground, slowly floated up and rose into the sky.
The intense, holy light was poured into Dongfang Xiaotian's body. After passing through his body, it was no longer fierce, but turned into a soft white light that flowed towards Yu Xin.
At this moment, Chen Zhan suddenly shouted, "Return to Heaven!"
A thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and earth, and a massive bolt of lightning, stretching from the clouds to the ground, appeared in the sky, causing people several miles away to temporarily lose their hearing and experience a buzzing sound in their ears.
Chen Nan's mother was horrified, exclaiming, "Heavenly lightning! This isn't ordinary lightning; it's heavenly lightning! Defying the heavens and taking a life will incur divine punishment!"
With a deafening roar, another bolt of lightning struck down from the sky. Chen Zhan raised his palm to parry, and his solidified sword energy, stretching for tens of feet, redirected the massive lightning bolt that pierced through heaven and earth in another direction.
One bolt of lightning after another struck, turning the Chen Mansion into ruins in the blink of an eye. Nine enormous bolts of lightning, piercing the heavens and earth, circled around Chen Zhan. The intense light was blinding, and thunder roared continuously, its devastation filling the entire world.
"May the wandering souls and demons of this world shield me from divine punishment, and guide those lost souls back!"
In the blinding flashes of lightning, no one knew what was happening; outsiders couldn't see clearly at all, only that nine bolts of heavenly lightning were relentlessly bombarding the area. The intense lightning shone like ten suns in the sky, engulfing the entire Chen Mansion in its electric light.
This continued for half an hour before the nine bolts of lightning gradually subsided, and the night sky slowly returned to calm. The Chen Mansion had completely vanished from the ground, as if it had never existed at all. The ground itself had sunk seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters) from the impact of the lightning. Fortunately, the Chen Mansion was the only manor nearby; otherwise, any neighbors would have been caught in the crossfire.
Although Chen Zhan showed signs of fatigue, he was unharmed, demonstrating his unparalleled divine power. Dongfang Xiaotian, under the bombardment of nine heavenly lightning bolts, took the brunt of the lightning strikes in place of Yu Xin, his body shattered to pieces, his soul scattered, leaving no trace of his remains.
When the Chen family members arrived, Yu Xin was put down from the air by Chen Zhan. She had already opened her eyes and looked very confused. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. She had actually come back to life!
Chen Nan was overwhelmed with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, tears silently streaming down his face. He had thought he was forever separated from his loved ones, that he would be forever filled with resentment, that he would spend his life in sorrow. Yet, in just half an hour, fate had once again taken a turn for the worse, and everything had changed. A tremendous joy filled Chen Nan's heart. Overwhelmed by this extreme joy and sorrow, he lost control of his emotions. His steps faltered, and he stumbled forward, gently supporting Yu Xin's frail body.
"Yuxin..." he choked up, unable to say a word.
"Chen Nan..." Yu Xin had already woken up and was sure that she was not dreaming. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Through life-and-death trials, they were willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other... At this moment, silence speaks louder than words, and a feeling called "happiness" lingers between them.
But in just a moment, Yu Xin's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and a mouthful of blood gushed from her mouth.
I wonder if we'll ever be able to watch the sunrise together again... or watch the sunset together...
Ten days later, Yu Xin was sent to an ancient immortal site in the Kunlun Mountains.
Under the gloomy sky, a light rain slanted down with the wind, and the colorful flowers withered in an instant, petals scattering in all directions...
Yu Xin's meridians were severed, and her internal organs were shattered. Jing Chenzhan defied fate and temporarily restored her meridians and healed her internal organs. But all of this was like a bubble, only lasting for a short time; sooner or later, her meridians would rupture and her organs would shatter again.
With no other options available, Chen Zhan recalled the ancient immortal ruins he had discovered during his travels. Perhaps only by recuperating in that spiritually rich paradise could Yu Xin possibly escape her demise and fully recover. After passing on a healing manual to Yu Xin, he escorted her into the ancient immortal ruins—the Valley of a Hundred Flowers.
Yu Xin turned back again and again with each step, her haggard face, her poignant figure, her sorrowful last glance... until she disappeared into the depths of Hundred Flowers Valley.
At that moment, Chen Nan had a thousand words in his heart. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He reached out and grabbed hard, as if trying to hold onto the departing figure, but what could he grasp besides air? His fingernails pierced his palm, and drops of blood dripped to the ground.
He was in pain, he was in real pain, but it wasn't his hands that were hurting; it was his heart that was bleeding at that moment!
"Don't be sad, don't be upset. The Valley of a Hundred Flowers is filled with spiritual energy; I will surely be resurrected... Goodbye, until we meet again!"
"Goodbye, see you again!" "Goodbye, see you again!" "Goodbye, see you again!"... These words kept echoing in Chen Nan's ears.
A deafening thunderclap resounded above Hundred Flowers Valley, and a bolt of lightning shot down from the gray sky. Chen Zhan flew through the air, circling Hundred Flowers Valley and striking it with one hundred and eight palms, fully activating the restrictions left behind by the ancient immortals and completely sealing off Hundred Flowers Valley!