Chapter 43: Making a Grand Vow

The sun set toward the west, drawing ever closer to the appointed hour.

Chen Ye, who had long prepared an escape route, felt a touch of anxiety, while Miss Hongyu remained perfectly calm, as if she cared nothing for her own life or death.

This demeanor surprised Chen Ye greatly.

He had seen many people in their final moments and had even killed with his own hands in this life.

Yet someone as calm as her was rare indeed.

"Miss truly cares not at all for her own life or death," Chen Ye remarked with a sigh.

Miss Hongyu said, "My life has had no meaning to begin with. Had little Stone not survived, I would have ended my own life years ago. I suppose that demon lord saw this and deliberately spared little Stone's life, forcing me to raise her, forcing me to want to save her, so I could not bear to die."

Chen Ye comforted her, "Why be so pessimistic? You were previously controlled by evil men, having no choice in the matter."

Miss Hongyu smiled bitterly, "Even killing one's own younger brothers and sisters with one's own hands, watching them be refined into pills with one's own eyes, and then being forced to eat them with one's own mouth? Besides those siblings, to escape death, I also caused harm to many in the palace."

"If not for myself, why would I have implicated those children? Ultimately, it was because I still did not wish to die. Even so, can one truly claim to have had no choice? Since I could not choose to die rather than yield, how can I deceive myself into believing I have no guilt in my heart?"

Chen Ye had no words to reply.

He had never experienced such torment and could not lightly pass judgment on right and wrong.

Entangled karma is sin; perhaps in her view, only her own death could perfectly resolve this karmic debt.

Miss Hongyu looked toward the distance, where Blue Stone, still unaware of what was happening, was digging out a bird's nest, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Though my life was short, at least I let little Stone live happily. All sins rest upon me; once I am dead, she can live on in place of me and my other brothers and sisters."

Chen Ye finally understood that from the very beginning, she had never intended to survive.

For Miss Hongyu, those past sins were like torture, tormenting her at every moment; only because she saw no hope did she persist like a walking corpse.

Now that she could see a glimmer of hope, she instead wished to be freed as soon as possible.

The sun was about to sink completely below the horizon, its afterglow fading, when a series of lights flared around Miss Hongyu, and a look of pain appeared on her face. In the distance, Blue Stone, still digging out the bird's nest, let out a scream of agony and nearly fell to the ground.

That old demon lord intended to spare neither of them; even if he could only possess one, he would kill both sisters.

Chen Ye sighed; in the end, he did not wait for Su Chunyi's sword light, but instead waited for the old demon lord's possession.

Miss Hongyu said without hesitation, "Do it."

Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Chen Ye placed a talisman into her hand, then grabbed the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, shaking it with force.

Yin winds rose from all directions, accompanied by the wailing of ghosts and the howling of wolves.

The formation arranged over several days activated; Blue Stone, still unaware of what was happening, had already fainted. The evil curse runes on her body, like countless butterflies, peeled away completely and flew toward Miss Hongyu.

Chen Ye's calculations had not missed a single detail; the curse was broken and transferred in one seamless motion.

As the evil curses on Blue Stone were lifted, half of Miss Hongyu's face changed expression; her features twisted into a snarl as she glared at Chen Ye and let out a low roar: "Which young upstart?! Dare to ruin my good work? I will flay your skin and pull out your tendons..."

According to the plan, Chen Ye should now activate a secret technique to pull the soul of Elder Elder Tian Wu from his physical body.

As long as the old demon lord's soul could be drawn out, just like Monk Ku'e, it could be firmly imprisoned, allowing Miss Hongyu to live.

At this moment, she should still be able to maintain her own consciousness; she only needed to hold on for a while, just a brief moment, and everything would turn around.

Unfortunately, a ball of black flame ignited in her palm; her flesh and skin instantly turned black, and that evil flame, which could use flesh and blood as fuel, consumed her entire body in an instant.

The Blood-Burning Curse Talisman; this was a talisman Chen Ye had obtained from Monk Ku'e.

It was not particularly good, far inferior to Su Chunyi's sword talisman, but burning a mortal's body took only a moment.

Originally, this talisman was meant as a last resort for mutual destruction; it had been clearly agreed not to use it until the very end.

But Miss Hongyu did not wait for the final moment; perhaps she had already grown tired of waiting.

The black flames turned flesh and blood to ash; at once, Elder Elder Tian Wu's soul, now without a body to cling to, became a complete wandering ghost.

Looking at his appearance, emaciated like a skeleton, it was clear his lifespan was nearly exhausted; indeed, the power of his soul was not even as great as Monk Ku'e's.

Possession failed; the body prepared for so long had been completely burned away, and Elder Elder Tian Wu let out a venomous roar.

He raised his hand to cast a spell.

Even as a lone wandering ghost, a cultivator at the Profound Penetration realm still possessed the strength to fight; even a single move could still take Chen Ye's life.

But Chen Ye was faster than Elder Elder Tian Wu.

At the moment Miss Hongyu activated the talisman, Chen Ye had already unleashed that final sword talisman.

Brilliant sword light sliced into the old demon lord's soul, instantly cleaving it in two, the break resembling shattered glass. The formless soul was turned into fragments by the sword light, unable to cast any spells ever again.

Chen Ye did not stop; seven sword lights shot forth from the sword case on his back, piercing the remaining remnants without holding anything back.

Even so, these remnants still struggled to wriggle, as if attempting to rejoin.

Without hesitation, Chen Ye shook the Ten Thousand Souls Banner again; a fleshy mass flew out, transformed into ghost fire, and collided with Elder Elder Tian Wu's remaining soul, sending a sky full of flames erupting upward.

Amidst the piercing wails came Monk Ku'e's frantic shout: "Die! Die with me!"

Chen Ye ultimately used the common function of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner: tormenting a soul until it lost its sanity, then releasing it so it would mistake Elder Elder Tian Wu for its enemy, naturally forcing it to exhaust itself in mutual destruction with that foe.

As for that flesh ball, it was a temporary body crafted by Hearing Mo Ci over several days; it was of little use, but sufficient for Monk Ku'e to use as fuel to burn himself and Elder Elder Tian Wu together.

The two vicious demon lords became entangled; flames consumed flesh and blood, burned the soul, and finally shattered completely.

Chen Ye shook the Ten Thousand Souls Banner; countless resentful souls surged out, completely devouring the remains, leaving not the slightest possibility of rebirth.

After thoroughly dealing with Elder Elder Tian Wu, Chen Ye looked elsewhere; Miss Hongyu's soul was floating above the body that had already turned to ash.

Chen Ye said, "Enter my Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and there is still a sliver of hope for life."

Miss Hongyu glanced only once at the sleeping Blue Stone, then shook her head and said to Chen Ye, "Thank you, Daoist, for your compassion, but I must go to keep my other brothers and sisters company."

A gust of wind blew; the ashes of the body scattered, and Miss Hongyu's soul also dissolved into the wind.

Chen Ye remained silent for a long time until Hearing Mo Ci's voice reached his ears: "Wicked disciple, how long will you wallow in despair?"

Chen Ye suddenly came to his senses, shook his head, and said, "Master need not worry; I am merely somewhat moved."

Hearing Mo Ci cursed, "Moved my foot! You've known that girl for only a few days, never even slept with her; what does she have to do with you? In this world, there are many far more miserable than her. If she herself does not wish to live, no one can save her."

Chen Ye shook his head again and said, "Master misunderstands; since she was determined to seek death, I naturally will not blame myself."

Hearing Mo Ci asked in confusion, "Truly? Then why are you staring blankly?"

"I was just thinking, if someone in the future is also covered in sins but does not wish to die, what should be done? Should nothing happen, or should I help them sever their karmic ties?"

"Wicked disciple, are you implying it is your master?!"

Hearing Mo Ci felt Chen Ye was cursing himself; who else but him was covered in sins yet unwilling to die?

He had expected Chen Ye to make excuses as usual, but this time, Chen Ye nodded and admitted: "Master has indeed committed many sins, but I am not referring only to you. How many people in the world have committed sins? Two beggars on the verge of starvation fighting over a bun; the one who wins survives. Does that count as murder?

"This Princess was controlled by a Demon Lord since childhood; she killed only because she did not wish to die. Does that make her utterly wicked? Master, you too became a Demon Lord because your entire family was slaughtered, and you had to survive.

"Just like me back then; had I not feared you would kill me to practice your arts, I would not have bowed my head and become a little Demon Lord. Fortunately, you did not force me to kill people, so I can face Miss Su with a clear conscience. What if you had forced me to kill? If I killed an innocent person to save my life, would I be forced to atone only with my death?

"Then I'm afraid I could not agree."

Hearing Mo Ci pondered for a moment and asked: "What exactly is this wicked disciple talking about?"

Chen Ye said: "Seeking life is an instinct, but seeking life cannot serve as an excuse to harm the innocent. Should there not be a method to measure right and wrong, allowing those covered in sins to atone?"

Since crossing over, this was the first time Chen Ye had contemplated such a profound question.

Those whose crimes do not warrant death should have other punishments, not merely simple death. Mortals have laws, but laws are not without flaws, and mortal laws cannot reach cultivators.

Even the famous orthodox sects have their own rules, and their standards of right and wrong differ.

But there must be a standard; one cannot simply ignore things because they are difficult to define.

Innocent victims should also have a chance to start over, even a chance to take revenge with their own hands, rather than simply drifting away with the wind.

Chen Ye could not help but recall the *Sutra of the Fundamental Vows of Ksitigarbha* in his hand. When the Six Realms of Reincarnation were established, perhaps it was to give all beings a chance to start anew. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha made the vow that he would not become a Buddha until the hells were empty, likely intending to give these resentful souls a chance to reform.

Hearing Mo Ci merely sneered coldly: "What does it matter to you? A small cultivator in the Qi Sea Realm, an ant among ants. Is this a problem for you to think about?"

Chen Ye retorted: "Master, is it not common for young people to have lofty ambitions? Perhaps when I have wasted hundreds of years and death is imminent, my sharpness will be worn away, but what harm is there in thinking about it now? If I do not establish this great vow, how will I know my ambition is for immortality? I not only aspire to immortality; I also intend to draw a path for heaven and earth, so that in the future, mortals and cultivators must follow my rules."

After all, he was a transmigrator; he could not cultivate to become an immortal while this world remained exactly as it was, not changing in the slightest because of him. Merely adding a name to the list of Immortal Lords and Demon Lords would be far too boring.

To think of becoming an immortal while still in the Qi Sea Realm, and not even satisfied with that, wanting all cultivators in the world to be subject to his control.

Chen Ye was now like someone holding an unhatched egg and imagining himself the richest man in the world; he knew it was unrealistic, but he could not help but think it.

Hearing Mo Ci roared: "Arrogant and ignorant! Furthermore, you wicked disciple are again betraying your master and destroying your ancestors! Do you think I cannot hear it?"

Chen Ye laughed heartily and quickly changed the subject, saying: "Master, pack up the things; let us go."

Hearing Mo Ci was not truly angry; this wicked disciple had betrayed his master and destroyed his ancestors so many times that he was used to it. Seeing that Chen Ye was no longer depressed, he asked: "Where are we going? Were you not waiting for your Miss Su?"

"She will find me; whether we wait here or not does not matter. Although Princess Hongyu and that Demon Lord perished together, is there not still a little Demon Lord roaming free? Everyone else is dead; why should he alone be allowed to live?

"I am in a bad mood; I must eliminate evil to the very end!"