Chapter 204: So, You Deliberately Abandoned Senior Sister Luo Xue?

"Elder, is there some misunderstanding between us?"

At this moment, Yan Xiaohu forced a calm expression as he spoke.

The old man ignored Yan Xiaohu's words entirely, only curling his lips into a sneering, mocking smile.

He turned his head to one side and spoke lazily: "Du Kui, are you joking with me? If you've already poisoned them, why spend three Jipin spirit stones to hire me? You could've handled it yourself."

At these words, both men instantly widened their eyes, filled with disbelief.

Then, a figure clad in black robes slowly stepped out from beside the formation.

As the figure slowly removed his hood, a familiar face was revealed before them.

The man was none other than the top senior disciple of Golden Sun Peak—Du Kui.

His eyes now were cold, devoid of any warmth, utterly unlike his usual gentle and friendly demeanor.

"Du… Du Senior Brother—"

Both spoke in disbelief.

"W-why?" Zhou Qing's voice trembled, hoarse with emotion, his gaze locked on Du Kui, still unable to believe it.

The Du Senior Brother who had once reached out to help him in his darkest hour, who had even seen him off before his journey, now stood opposite him, ready to kill them both.

His mind was a chaotic mess—he couldn't understand, couldn't make sense of it.

Regaining his composure, Yan Xiaohu's eyes burned with rage as he lunged forward, his body radiating intense killing intent and fury.

He never imagined that Du Kui, whom he had always called Senior Brother, would meticulously set this trap, collude with a Soul Transformation elder, drive them into this life-or-death corner, and even cowardly poison the fourth brother!

Du Kui silently watched the two, his eyes filled with pain and guilt.

Then he turned to the elder and explained: "You don't understand—my junior brother has already slain two Nascent Soul experts who had barely begun to grasp the embryonic form of their own realms. I had no choice but to be cautious."

Upon hearing this, the elder's eyes flickered with surprise; his previously careless expression turned serious.

He re-examined Zhou Qing, clearly astonished that this young man at the late Nascent Soul stage had such an astonishing record.

"Then you're certainly cautious—poison first, trap them with a formation, then spend such a fortune to hire me. Fine, I'll act now. Afterward, I still have to go to Spirit Skull Mountain!"

With that, the elder raised his hand, gathering spiritual power, preparing to strike.

At that moment, Du Kui suddenly reached out and stopped him.

"What are you doing? Having second thoughts?" The elder frowned, his eyes filled with confusion and displeasure.

Du Kui gently shook his head. "I want to kill them myself. Just have you cover my back."

The elder's face twisted with a strange expression as he frowned again, teasing: "You Easterners really are strange. This isn't a feud—it's a love affair, isn't it? I get it, I get it!"

The elder seemed to have imagined something, letting out a lewd chuckle before stepping back a few paces, ready to watch how Du Kui would act.

Du Kui bowed in thanks to the elder, then turned sharply, a long blue sword suddenly appearing in his hand—its blade slender, gleaming with cold light, aimed directly at Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

Seeing this, Yan Xiaohu gripped his greatsword tightly, eyes blazing red as if spitting fire, immediately shielding Zhou Qing behind him.

"Du Kui, you traitor! Why are you doing this?!" Yan Xiaohu roared.

Du Kui looked at the two, his gaze lingering deeply on Zhou Qing, his eyes flickering with pain and struggle as he choked out: "Junior brothers, I'm truly sorry. I didn't want this. I really didn't."

Zhou Qing, forcing himself upright despite his agonizing pain, stared straight at Du Kui and demanded: "Was someone forcing you? Or did something happen?"

He still clung to a sliver of hope—that Du Senior Brother was merely coerced, not acting of his own will.

Perhaps they could still help him somehow.

Du Kui slowly shook his head, two trails of tears rolling down his cheeks.

"No one forced me. But why did you kill Sima Yaoji? It had nothing to do with you." His voice carried a hint of accusation.

Hearing this, Yan Xiaohu's rage flared even higher, his chest heaving as he shouted: "So what? Did Luo Xue Senior Sister deserve to die? Was it wrong for us to avenge her? Was it wrong for us to pull you out of your despair?"

Du Kui's eyes burned red, tears glistening in his eyes as he shouted, voice trembling with emotion: "No, you're not wrong—and neither am I. The fault lies in this world. The Dao is heartless. I just want to go further!"

Du Kui's voice carried a hint of madness, as if controlled by some obsession. After speaking, his aura abruptly shifted—a suffocating, despairing realm-spirit surged outward violently.

Instantly, the two were engulfed, as if trapped in an endless dark world.

No one could be seen, but the emotions of despair and regret spread like poisonous mist, nearly suffocating Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu.

Even now, they felt overwhelming disgust for life, wanting nothing more than to draw their blades and cut themselves down.

Pain, guilt, anguish, and regret—all these bleak emotions intertwined in the thickening darkness, threatening to swallow them whole.

Yan Xiaohu trembled violently, weeping uncontrollably, as if a thousand ants gnawed at his heart, past memories buried deep within him now magnified beyond endurance.

As if countless sharp knives were slicing his heart, again and again.

He slowly raised his greatsword toward himself, wanting to end it all, to free himself—but his eyes flickered with fierce struggle.

Then, in the next instant, Zhou Qing appeared behind him, grabbing the sword, pouring spiritual power into it—Yan Xiaohu suddenly snapped back to clarity.

Looking back, he felt a wave of chilling dread.

Zhou Qing, however, stared silently at Du Kui's twisted shadow in the darkness.

He slowly closed his eyes, as if truly sensing something.

At this moment, he seemed to understand.

"So, at Spirit Skull Mountain, you didn't lack the power to save Luo Xue Senior Sister—you… deliberately let her die!"

At these words, the darkness's torment doubled. Beside him, Yan Xiaohu stared in utter disbelief.

After a long silence, Du Kui's voice echoed from the darkness: "I used this endless suffering as a catalyst to enter the Realm of Descent. What do you think of it?"

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, his expression unreadable, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He spoke slowly: "Cruel enough. So after I killed Sima Yaoji and pulled you out of your despair, I actually shattered the realm you'd cultivated."

Upon hearing this, the darkness around Du Kui violently rippled.

Countless black currents intertwined and clashed, emitting low, thunderous roars—but within moments, the disturbance calmed, everything returning to stillness.

Du Kui's voice came from deep within the darkness, strained and hoarse from long-suppressed emotion.

"I swear, I never thought of this before. She wasn't just my junior sister—she was my childhood companion."

"I poured everything into being good to Xue'er. For her, I risked my life countless times."

"But the moment I sensed something was wrong with Master Gao, I realized something: only by becoming stronger could I protect, could I resist."

Du Kui's voice trembled as it echoed through the darkness, the suppressed emotions finally breaking free.

Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu's expressions changed instantly.

Of course—as someone close to him, how could he not have noticed Master Gao had been replaced?

From that moment, the belief he had clung to had already begun to crumble.

"You might not believe this, but Master Gao… my master… is a spy for the Cangyan Dao Palace!"

Du Kui's voice, heavy with complex emotion, echoed again.

"On one side is the master who guided me onto the path of cultivation. On the other is the sect I grew up in, the one I hold as my life. How am I supposed to choose?"

Du Kui's voice rose sharply, filled with agony and torment.

It was the helplessness of being toyed with by fate.

Loyalty or betrayal?

Family or righteousness?

He struggled endlessly between the two.

Zhou Qing was stunned.

He had thought Du Kui had discovered Master Gao had been possessed.

"So I must reach Soul Transformation. I must become stronger!" Du Kui suddenly screamed upward, voice filled with endless struggle and resentment.

"When I decided, someday, to sacrifice Xue'er… do you know how much pain that caused me? I truly loved Xue'er. To the end, I couldn't even tell what was real and what was fake."

As he spoke, Du Kui completely lost control, laughing and crying at once—his laughter hollow with sorrow, his cries drowning in despair, his entire being seemingly plunged into madness.

"At Spirit Skull Mountain, Xue'er burned her essence to use a forbidden technique, sacrificing herself to hold back Sima Yaoji so I could escape."

"I looked back every step I took—each step felt like ten thousand steel needles piercing my heart. That moment was the most painful decision of my life!"

Du Kui continued, his voice thick with sobs.

Zhou Qing's face darkened with fury and contempt: "I feel sorry for Luo Senior Sister. If she were still alive and knew the truth, I wonder if she'd regret her sacrifice."

At this moment, Zhou Qing's voice trembled slightly—his body shaking with rage at Du Kui's actions.

He felt Luo Xue's sacrifice was utterly worthless—that such genuine emotion had been so trampled upon.

Du Kui fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "Perhaps. But there's no second chance in this world."

His tone carried a faint, barely noticeable guilt—but mostly, it was stubborn, unyielding obsession.

"Disgusting!" Yan Xiaohu, finally understanding everything, glared wide-eyed, spat fiercely, and roared in fury.

At this moment, he finally understood what a wolf in sheep's clothing truly meant.

He had always revered Du Kui as a senior brother—never imagining the man was so hypocritical and cruel.

Du Kui, however, acted as if he heard nothing, continuing: "I don't want to kill you. You're my junior brothers. But my realm still needs one final piece. Once complete, I'll leap straight into Soul Transformation."

At this moment, his voice had lost its earlier madness and agony, replaced by a chilling calm—calm enough to terrify.

"My original plan was to slowly cultivate within this despair and suffering, then break through and personally seek revenge on Sima Yaoji. But you broke this cycle. You planted this seed—you must bear its fruit."

Here, his voice turned cold and absolute.

"When I personally end you, when I repay kindness with betrayal, I'll feel even greater pain, despair, and confusion—until… I break through."

Du Kui's words revealed a mad obsession—he had lost all reason in his pursuit of breakthrough.

Hearing this, the two felt their hair stand on end. The once loyal, emotionally deep Du Kui had become utterly alien and terrifying.

At this moment, Zhou Qing finally understood why Du Kui had warned him before leaving: "Don't trust anyone—not even yourself."

Back then, he had already been laying the groundwork for this betrayal.

"Junior brothers, may you walk well."

After Du Kui finished speaking, a dozen twisted figures, radiating thick despair, suddenly emerged from the darkness.

These figures clawed and howled with chilling screams, charging wildly toward the two of them.

Yan Xiaohu gasped in terror and shouted urgently: "Brother Four, I'll hold them off—run now!"

As he spoke, his Nascent Soul amplified, his aura surging instantly to Nascent Soul Mid-Stage; then, swinging his great blade, he charged forward without hesitation.

Zhou Qing let out a heavy sigh, watching Yan Xiaohu's back, when suddenly a scroll appeared in his hand.

"This world isn't nearly as beautiful as I imagined."

…

Lin Jin, the patriarch of the insignificant Crimson Flame Sect in the southern region of Lingyun Prefecture, already possessed Nascent Soul Early-Stage cultivation.

The battle at Canglan Mountain left countless sects in the Eastern Region severely weakened, their vitality dwindling day by day.

Such a rare opportunity—of course, like others, he came to profit from it.

Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse; the five famed sects of the Eastern Region had deep foundations—he dared not provoke them lightly.

But small sects like his own Crimson Flame Sect became the perfect "prey" in this chaotic situation.

During that time, he plundered resources everywhere using his skills and strength, amassing more than enough wealth.

But too many came—some he couldn't afford to antagonize, and certain sects' protective arrays were nearly impossible to breach.

Until one day, a young man appeared at his door and bluntly offered to hire him, an outsider, to kill someone—for an astonishing reward: three Jipin spirit stones.

His first instinct was to kill the young man outright and claim the three Jipin spirit stones for himself.

After all, the Eastern Region was in chaos now; one more death wouldn't draw notice.

Sensing his murderous intent, the young man produced a token of a Taiqingmen core disciple.

After careful consideration, he had no choice but to suppress his killing intent—attacking a core disciple would bring him catastrophic trouble.

In the end, he agreed to the young man's deal.

As agreed, the other side would notify him when the time came.

But he never expected to wait nearly two years.

Until a month ago, Lin Jin received another message from Du Kui.

Especially upon learning this mission involved fratricide among sect members, he felt a fierce surge of interest.

And if he secretly recorded it with an image stone, he might leverage it endlessly for more resources in the future.

Thinking of this, he adjusted the ingeniously concealed image stone on his shoulder, a faint smirk of satisfaction crossing his face.

Then he slowly withdrew the Jipin spirit stone given as down payment, examined it closely, and let out a cold snort.

"You're just a child—you have no idea what it means to be a Nascent Soul cultivator. I've eaten more salt in my life than you've walked miles. Good thing I kept my wits." Lin Jin muttered to himself.

The poison coating it was extraordinary—it wouldn't activate quickly, and a typical Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't detect it.

"This kid's ruthless. He hires someone to do his dirty work, then tries to silence them—careful, thorough. If he reaches Nascent Soul, his future is limitless."

After pocketing the spirit stone, Lin Jin turned his gaze back to the black mist below—when suddenly, a deafening cry pierced the sky.

From within the mist, a colossal Jin Chida suddenly burst forth.

Its body was wreathed in golden flames, radiating a terrifying, scorching heat.

Its wings spread wide, each feather like a sharp sword, gleaming with metallic luster.

At the feather tips, mysterious runes swirled—the marks of time and power intertwined.

Its enormous eyes, like twin blazing suns, fixed on him with piercing intensity.

Lin Jin's face turned ashen—he froze in place.

Why had a Jin Chida of such noble bloodline suddenly appeared below?

Was it the fallen Spirit Severing Beast Emperor of Lingku Mountain?

Soon, he noticed the Jin Chida's razor-sharp talons gripping a round-faced, small-eyed Nascent Soul Early-Stage youth, then flinging him violently out of the array.

Below, the thick black mist parted—Du Kui lay sprawled on the ground, drenched in blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You were poisoned! What kind of technique is this?!" Du Kui cried in terror.

Zhou Qing calmly shifted his gaze from Lin Jin to Du Kui.

Don't forget—I'm a Level One Array Master. This tiny array can't hold me.

Every flaw was visible at a glance.

And when I used the 【Sudden Enlightenment Scroll】, I fully mastered the 【Emperor's Radiance Scripture】.

Its power was staggering—capable of battling a Soul Transformation cultivator.

Zhou Qing stared coldly at Du Kui, then let out another deafening cry, like rolling thunder.

With a single beat of his wings, he summoned a gale, surging forward like a golden torrent straight at Du Kui.

"Five Jipin spirit stones!" Du Kui shouted desperately at Lin Jin, raising his sword, channeling all his spiritual power to block the charge.

Lin Jin finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes locked on the Jin Chida—first disbelief flashed in his pupils, then greed ignited instantly.

"This is a transformation technique! Such an astonishing divine art—if it were mine…" His throat bobbed as he swallowed, eyes blazing with uncontainable excitement.

The next instant, emerald-green light flared in his eyes; as he stepped forward, thick green mist erupted from his feet, spreading across the entire array.

Within the mist, countless venomous snakes hissed shrilly, their cries piercing and ghastly.

Then, a dense swarm of snakes slithered out, their triangular heads raised high, cold, unblinking eyes fixed on Zhou Qing, ready to strike.

"Such divine art wasted in your hands is a crime. Today, it's mine!"

Lin Jin laughed wildly, then rapidly formed hand seals—the ink-green mist thickened, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to tremble.

The number of snakes multiplied geometrically; the next moment, wings sprouted, and they swarmed en masse toward the Jin Chida.

This was his Poison Realm!

To break through to Soul Transformation, he risked his life, sealing himself for over three hundred years in a pitch-black poison cavern, enduring countless life-and-death trials.

He nearly turned into a wisp of poison smoke to earn this hard-won realm.

Shiiiiim! Shiiiiim! Shiiiiim!

Zhou Qing's Jin Chida form dodged Du Kui's sword qi with ease; seeing Lin Jin charge with the swarm of snakes, he let out a cold snort.

Du Kui might be cunning, but his strength was limited—especially his half-baked realm, which meant nothing against Zhou Qing's vastly superior spiritual sense.

This outsider, the Nascent Soul cultivator, was the real threat.

And he needed to end this quickly—his stored spiritual power was finite compared to a true Soul Transformation cultivator's.

With the Eastern Region swarming with factions and hidden currents, if someone else seized the advantage, trouble would follow.

"Good spicy stick!" Zhou Qing roared with laughter, beating his wings and summoning a powerful golden hurricane that met the flood of venomous snakes head-on.

Instantly, the hurricane tore through the snakes, shredding them into fragments.

Ink-green blood sprayed through the air, reeking of poison.

Du Kui leapt forward immediately—after all his preparations, this unexpected turn had come.

Now he had no retreat—he had to fight with all his strength, joining Lin Jin to subdue Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing spun sharply, his wings slamming down toward him with blinding speed.

A deafening clang rang out, like a great bell tolling.

Du Kui was blasted backward, arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

His sword nearly slipped from his grip; his palms split open, blood streaming down the hilt.

He stared in shock at Zhou Qing's golden feathers.

Such incredible defense!

Lin Jin, now close, gave Zhou Qing no chance to strike Du Kui again—his hands moved rapidly, forming seals as a colossal nine-headed serpent materialized.

All nine heads opened their maws, spewing torrents of ink-green venom, reeking of poison, roaring toward the Jin Chida.

Zhou Qing dodged at blinding speed, flapping his wings to whip up gales that redirected some venom toward Du Kui.

Du Kui staggered back, coughing violently, face twisted in agony, too terrified to approach.

The path of cultivation holds no beauty—wasting a lifetime, all one seeks is "profit."

Life is a game of chess—once the piece is placed, no regrets.

Please vote for Zhang Yue!

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(End of Chapter)