Chapter 529: Purification Domain, Memories Return

When this pure power came into contact with the Hun Dun Power on Helian Chen, a shocking scene occurred.

The originally violent and unruly purple-black energy fluctuated violently as if it had encountered a natural enemy. Those Hun Dun Powers were not forcibly suppressed, but rather began to "sober up" under the influence of this pure and inclusive purification, as if slowly waking from an endless nightmare.

"What... what kind of power is this?" Helian Chen looked at the changes in his body in shock; the purple-black light was fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Even more surprisingly, as the Hun Dun Power was purified, Helian Chen's appearance also began to undergo subtle changes. That face, distorted beyond recognition by a thousand years of hatred, actually began to slowly return to its original appearance. Deep wrinkles were smoothing out, ferocious expressions were softening, and even those eyes filled with resentment were shedding their purple-black glow bit by bit.

Lin Xuan and the other two quietly maintained the Purification Domain, without any intention to attack. They knew deeply that Helian Chen was currently experiencing an intense internal struggle, and any external interference could be counterproductive.

Surrounded by this pure power, some long-buried memories began to emerge in Helian Chen's mind.

It was spring a thousand years ago, and Taijizi, young and vigorous, had established the prototype of the Tianji Sect on a mountain peak rich in Spirit Qi. At that time, his eyes were bright, filled with longing for the future and a thirst for the Dao of the Cultivation World. He built the sect's structures brick by brick, planted spirit herbs with his own hands, and designed the inheritance of techniques.

"One day, the Tianji Sect will become a beacon for the Cultivation World, guiding the way for all cultivators who pursue the Dao." The young Taijizi stood on the mountain peak and made a grand vow to the rising sun.

Next to emerge was the scene of his first time taking on a disciple. A youth with ordinary aptitude but a pure and kind heart knelt before Taijizi, looking longingly at this cultivator who had already become somewhat famous.

"Master, this disciple is willing to follow you for life and learn the true path of cultivation." Although the youth's voice was immature, it was filled with determination.

Taijizi smiled gently, personally helping the youth up, his eyes full of compassion: "The path of cultivation is long and arduous, but as long as you keep kindness in your heart, you will eventually see the light. I will teach you everything I know, but more importantly, you must remember the original intention of a cultivator."

What a warm smile that was, like a spring breeze capable of melting all the solid ice in a person's heart.

"No... these memories..." Helian Chen clutched his head in pain, his body trembling violently. Those beautiful memories formed a sharp contrast with his thousand years of anger and hatred, throwing his heart into unprecedented chaos.

But the torrent of memories did not stop.

The next scene to emerge was the critical moment when the Tianji Sect faced life and death. Other sects had united to besiege them, the disciples had suffered heavy casualties, and the entire sect was in jeopardy. But Taijizi did not despair, nor was he angry; he still maintained that composure and calmness.

"Fellow sect members," Taijizi stood in the center of the assembly hall and said to the remaining disciples, "The path of cultivation is inherently full of trials. Today's crisis may be the very thing that tempers our will. No matter the final outcome, we must maintain the integrity of a cultivator and not lose our original intention because of the pressure from external enemies."

Even in the most desperate moments, Taijizi was still lighting a beacon in the hearts of his disciples. He did not choose hatred, nor did he choose revenge, but instead thought about how to resolve the crisis and how to protect innocent lives.

The most painful memory emerged afterward—it was the night Taijizi made the decision to split his personality.

In the meditation room late at night, Taijizi sat alone on a prayer mat with an ancient bronze mirror in front of him. Reflected in the mirror was his weary and pained face, those eyes that were always bright now dim and lusterless.

"Perhaps... perhaps some extreme measures are truly needed to protect the Tianji Sect and protect the innocent disciples." Taijizi gently stroked his chest, seemingly making a difficult decision, "But I cannot let this darkness pollute the original intention of a cultivator. If someone must bear these sins, then let it be me."

He slowly closed his eyes and began to perform an unprecedented Secret Technique. As the incantations changed, his body began to tremble, and beads of sweat the size of beans seeped from his forehead. The pain of this personality split was like tearing his soul alive into two halves.

"Remember," Taijizi said to the other self about to be born in the mirror, "no matter what you do in the future, no matter what path you take, do not forget our initial goal—to protect the innocent and uphold justice. It is just that... we have chosen different methods."

The image in the mirror began to distort, and a purple-black light appeared in those eyes for the first time. Helian Chen was born then, carrying all of Taijizi's anger, despair, and unwillingness.

"You will become my shadow," Taijizi said weakly, "bearing the sins I cannot bear. But please remember, even in the darkest moments, keep a seed of light."

This was the truth. Helian Chen was never an evil existence; he was merely the other side split off by Taijizi to protect the sect and the disciples. The anger, hatred, and despair he carried originally belonged to Taijizi, but Taijizi was unwilling to let these negative emotions pollute the original intention of a cultivator, so he transferred them all to the split personality.

"Master... why... why did you do this?" Helian Chen's tears fell like rain; for the first time in a thousand years, he shed tears. He finally understood the meaning of his existence, and finally understood Taijizi's helplessness and pain back then.

"You left all the light for the main body and gave all the darkness to me... You made me bear this pain, not because you hated me, but because you cherished the disciples and did not want them to see the despair in your heart..."

The surrounding Purification Domain still gently enveloped Helian Chen, without any forced power, just quietly giving him space to think and feel. Lin Xuan, Xiao Yuan, and Muerxiu did not speak either; they knew deeply that what Helian Chen needed at this moment was not persuasion, but understanding and time.

The Hun Dun Power continued to weaken, and Helian Chen's appearance grew closer and closer to Taijizi's likeness. That face, originally distorted by hatred, was now filled with pain and remorse.

"These past thousand years... what have I done?" Helian Chen looked at his own hands, stained with the blood of the innocent, "I said it was for justice, for saving the common people, but in reality... I was just venting the resentment in my heart..."

He began to question everything he had done over the past thousand years. Those killings he considered "liberation," those destructions he viewed as "purification," appeared so ridiculous and cruel in the face of the true memories.

"The original intention for Master creating me was to protect the Tianji Sect and the disciples when necessary."