A similar scene was unfolding on Canghai Immortal Island.
Even between the two azure dragons, a rift had formed.
The Little Azure Dragon questioned his elder brother.
“Brother, you just agreed to his terms like that?”
Ao Tian simply replied with a question of his own. “What else could I do?”
Ao Ba, the Little Azure Dragon, spoke with an agitated tone, trying to persuade him. “Have you forgotten what you told me? Our North Sea demon race was sealed here by the immortals of the Heavens. Do you really think Xu Xian is being kind? Do you truly believe he wants to lead us to the Heavens to become immortals? This ascension is nothing but a trap!”
“I know!” Ao Tian remained calm.
“Then why did you agree to it?”
Ao Tian stopped, looked back, and stared at his brother. With a mix of helplessness and indifference, he asked, “Do we even have a choice?”
Ao Ba was stunned.
Ao Tian continued, “Can you defeat him?”
Ao Ba was left speechless.
Could he defeat him?
The answer was undoubtedly no.
But...
He argued, “We should find the Phantom Beast Venerable. Even if we can’t beat him, it certainly can.”
The Phantom Beast Venerable was trapped in the deep sea and had never revealed its true form to the world. Ao Ba was certain that it could suppress Xu Xian.
Even if it couldn't win,
It could at least put up a fight.
They had to try, rather than just accepting their fate like this.
Ao Tian heartlessly shattered his brother's delusion. “He already said he would go.”
“How is that possible?”
“If you don’t believe me, you can make the trip yourself.”
“This...”
Ao Tian didn't explain further and walked away.
“This is the destiny of our North Sea race. Long ago, our ancestors fought against heaven and lost, barely surviving with their lives. Today, the reckoning has come again. This is fate; there is no escaping it.”
“At least he has been merciful enough to only target those above the ninth stage.”
“Even if you and I die in the Heavens, we will have fulfilled our duty to our people.”
“It is time for all of this to end...”
Ao Ba stood rooted to the spot, watching Ao Tian leave. Only the echoes of his brother's words lingered in his ears.
The War of Heaven-Slaying?
That was a long, long time ago, before he was even born...
...
“That was a long, long time ago, when I was still young...”
On Qianqiu Immortal Island, at the residence of the Tushan Immortal Fox, the Nine-Tailed Immortal Fox reminisced about the past, recounting a history that had long been forgotten by the world.
Sitting before her was the Leader of the Sword Dao, the number one person in the mortal world—Xu Xian!
After the projection vanished, Xu Xian had come uninvited to visit Immortal Tu. In a small courtyard, at a stone table, with a cup of celestial dew, a girl told an ancient tale.
She said to Xu Xian, “Exactly how long ago it was, even I can no longer remember clearly. In the entire Tushan, I am the only one left who still remembers those events. In fact, in the entire North Sea, leaving aside that Phantom Venerable, only the eight of us know. Even the Little Azure Dragon is unaware. The rest have long since died, returned to the dust in this foreign land...”
Xu Xian took a small sip of celestial dew and replied, “My master mentioned this to me before he passed.”
Tu Sisi swirled the jade cup in her hand and smiled. “He wasn't around back then. What he knew doesn't really count.”
“Oh? I would like to hear the details,” Xu Xian said.
Tu Sisi arched an eyebrow. “I told you, I don’t remember clearly. It was too long ago.”
She only knew,
In that battle, mortal spirits took up blades, intending to wage war against the heavens.
From above the sky,
Several pillars of golden light descended, manifesting as divine generals.
They drew their swords,
And carried out a great slaughter of the mortal realm.
The powerhouses of the mortal world all fell, and the descendants of those races were driven out of the Central Plains and exiled to the North Sea.
A brand was placed upon them, forbidding their true forms from ever stepping onto land for the rest of time.
The demons of the North Sea,
Were also stripped of their chance to achieve immortality.
Hundreds of thousands of years had passed...
The beings exiled back then had long since lived and died in this deep sea, but their bloodlines remained, passed down through generations.
Back then,
The spiritual energy in the North Sea was extremely weak, and there was constant internal strife. Cultivation was incredibly difficult.
The only reason she and the other seven were still alive,
Was because,
They possessed exceptional talent and were fortunate enough to reach the Saint Realm before their lifespans were exhausted. Furthermore, due to the North Sea shackles, they were hidden from the Heavenly Dao, so no lightning tribulations ever fell.
Thus, they had lived until the present day.
“I’m telling you all this to let you know that you don't need to worry. The few of us have lived long enough. Rather than staying in this North Sea, living in a daze, occasionally waking and occasionally sleeping, it is better to follow your lead. We will knock at the Sky Gate once more and fight against the Heavens one last time. To settle the unfinished business of our ancestors—even if we die, it will be worth it!”
Tu Sisi spoke to Xu Xian with a slightly playful tone.
Xu Xian slowly processed her words.
Long, long ago, they had ascended to the Heavens because they were enticed by the Twilight Emperor.
Now, long, long after, they were ascending because they were forced by him.
Thinking of it this way,
These North Sea demons were quite pitiful.
Their lives were never their own.
But Xu Xian had no choice. He could have humanity and show mercy, but what about them?
Sometimes,
The kindness of a soft-hearted fool is also a sharp sword, and it doesn't stab outsiders—it only stabs one's own people.
Seeing that Xu Xian remained silent, Tu Sisi didn't mind. Instead, she looked up at the sky and asked with a hint of curiosity:
“Tell me, what exactly is up there?”
“...And what kind of world—what mountains and seas—lie beyond?”
Xu Xian remained silent.
Tu Sisi turned her head to look at him. “Do you know?”
Xu Xian pondered for a moment before finally shaking his head.
A trace of suspicion flickered in Tu Sisi's eyes. “If you don't know, how do you dare to lead them there?”
Xu Xian didn't hide anything and gave a bitter smile. “It is precisely because I don't know that I must lead them there.”
“I don’t follow.”
Xu Xian felt a bit helpless. “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to come back, and I’m afraid that I will die.”
Once Xu Xian said that, Tu Sisi understood everything.
“I see!”
She analyzed his words. “You’re afraid that you’ll die just like your master and senior brother, and that your everlasting lamp will go out. Then, the events of four hundred years ago would repeat themselves.”
Xu Xian took a sip of celestial nectar, offering a silent confirmation.
Tu Sisi sighed with emotion. “It really hasn't been easy for you... This is for the best. From now on, aside from the Wendao Sword Sect, there will be no more ninth stage experts in Fanzhou. For a very long time, it will be peaceful. That time will also be enough for the North Sea demons to establish themselves in the Central Plains.”
Xu Xian agreed with Tu Sisi's analysis and slightly raised an eyebrow. “In that case, I suppose I’ve done something good.”
“You can certainly think of it that way,” Tu Sisi laughed.
Xu Xian set his cup on the table and spoke slowly. “I won’t hide it from you, Senior. This journey will be even more perilous than the War of Heaven-Slaying long ago.”
“Oh?” Tu Sisi still seemed indifferent.
Xu Xian continued, “Therefore, you don't have to go.”
A flash of surprise crossed Tu Sisi's deep eyes.
This was an answer that was both unexpected and yet made sense.
She stared straight at the young man and asked in succession:
“Because of Kongkong?”
“Not entirely.”
“Because of your master?”
“Not exactly.”
“Because you cheated me out of one of my tails?”
With the old matter brought up again, Xu Xian felt a bit awkward, but he still shook his head.
Tu Sisi thought about it and realized it made sense. When it came to the affairs of the world and the plans for all living beings, how could Xu Xian be so frivolous?
He was never an indecisive or simple-minded fellow.
Thoughtfully, she continued to ask, “Then what is the reason?”
Xu Xian stopped being cryptic and said, “Four hundred years ago, when the whole world marched against the Wendao Sword Sect, you were the only one who stepped forward to protect us.”
Tu Sisi tilted her head. “Just for that?”
Xu Xian looked her in the eye. “Is that not enough?”
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