In this state, he would become a part of the Dao itself, or rather, an incarnation of the Dao.
Since all of his actions were deemed reasonable, no matter what he did, he would never leave behind any karmic ties.
Li Yuan lowered his arm, placed one hand behind his back, and slowly approached Gorman.
As the core of all this karma, all he needed to do now was completely erase her to end it, but he did not want to settle this matter so easily.
The reason was simple—death, to Gorman, was nothing short of a blessing.
If he let her die so easily, Li Yuan would not allow it. Carrying so much karmic debt and threads of karmic ties, she had to pay a corresponding price.
After a brief moment of thought, he flew forward to stand before Gorman, looking at the black miasma on her body that had almost solidified into physical form.
With a wave of his hand, he released the suppression of the laws of heaven and earth on her and asked calmly.
“Do you have even a single shred of regret for everything you have done in your life?”
Gorman, having regained her freedom, moved her head slightly. Under the influence of Li Yuan's Daoist charm, the power of karma around her was briefly isolated. As her fear receded, she gradually regained her original sanity.
Facing his question, she nodded quite naturally.
“Hmm, why should I regret it? All of this was for vengeance. They destroyed my country, and I am merely doing the same to them.”
“Among the people you killed, the vast majority were innocent. They did not even know of your so-called vengeance. Even so—when you slaughtered them, did you never hesitate?”
Gorman showed a rare look of confusion, but this confusion was not directed at Li Yuan, but at the question itself.
“Why should I hesitate? Vengeance is vengeance. As long as it serves my vengeance, it doesn't matter how many people die.”
“Even if it is meaningless slaughter?”
“Of course. But it wasn't meaningless slaughter.”
As if remembering something delightful, a twisted smile surfaced on Gorman's face once more.
“For example, those Imperial personnel I killed a few days ago—they were excellent tools. Because of them, the high-level professionals in the royal capital were completely scattered, which made my plan go much smoother.”
“And also, when I'm in a bad mood, I use special methods to kill ordinary people who don't catch my eye. I get so happy when I watch their bodies twist and dissolve.”
She spoke faster and faster, growing increasingly enthusiastic, as if she had an endless stream of stories she wanted to share.
Li Yuan became a silent listener, quietly listening to Gorman's self-account. This harmonious scene naturally aroused the curiosity of Hogg and Venus, who were standing not far away.
Although they felt that whatever Li Yuan did was right, it did not stop them from feeling puzzled by this scene.
After all, both of them could hear Gorman's voice loud and clear. Even Venus could not help but frown slightly, looking as if she found it hard to accept.
Hogg was much calmer. Though he felt angry at Gorman's actions, he also believed that Mr. Li would surely give her the end she deserved.
After a long while, Gorman finally finished her confession. In the end, still wanting more, she sighed to Li Yuan.
“What a pity you destroyed the Abyssal Rift. Otherwise, I could have had some more fun with the nobles here. Their reactions right before death are far more interesting than those of commoners.”
With her confession over, Li Yuan had decided her destination.
He looked up at Gorman, let out a soft sigh, and shook his head with a trace of regret.
“Your sins should not have been judged by me, but you chose to forge the karma between us with your own hands. Were it not for this, I would not have wanted to get involved in these matters... What a pity...”
Amidst his sigh, Li Yuan raised his palm once more.
Within his palm, a golden Daoist charm flowed slowly like water and smoke, wrapping around his body before gradually rising into the air.
Gradually, the Daoist charm around him grew denser, and the anomalies of heaven and earth manifested once more.
First, a speck of gold slowly emerged from the deep firmament, flickering like the glow of a firefly, yet resembling the first ray of dawn.
A breath later, a second speck of gold appeared, then a third, a fourth...
As these golden ripples multiplied, they covered the entire sky in just a few short seconds, far more grand and shocking than the previous simultaneous appearance of the sun and moon.
Then, they began to flow slowly like a running river.
Flowing from the beginning of all things toward the end of all creation.
Within the long river, riding upon the waves, countless images floated up and down, bringing a soul-penetrating tremor and spiritual baptism to all things in the world—
These images recorded the footprints left in time by all living things in this world.
Some saw the birth of life at the dawn of time when chaos had yet to divide, while others saw the formation of the very first magic in the world.
Some saw the fall of the gods, while others saw the birth of new deities.
Some saw sages who had long since passed, while others saw heroes on the verge of falling.
Furthermore, everyone recorded by time saw their own birth, growth, and everything they had experienced in life at this very moment...
Countless people began to kneel and pray. When facing something that was no longer within human comprehension—or something they should not even attempt to understand—emptying their minds was the wisest choice.
For the moment the River of Time manifested, many intelligent lifeforms fainted on the spot.
High in the sky, Li Yuan slightly raised his left hand. The golden Daoist charm slowly gathered, condensing into a simple, ancient book.
With a clench of his right hand, the power of karma transformed into a golden brush.
The pages of the book flipped open, with only two names recorded on them that had long been forgotten by time. Next... he would write the third.
Time as the book, karma as the brush.
This was his lifebound magic treasure—【Record of Return to the Void】.
Anything recorded in this book, no matter who or what it was, would have all traces of its existence forcibly erased from the River of Time, including its karma.
It was as if someone had used a pair of scissors to directly snip off and discard the branch recording that entity from the River of Time.
But just as Li Yuan was about to write her name, he suddenly remembered something. The brush in his hand vanished, and looking down at Venus, he spoke softly.
“May I borrow your sword?”
His voice was extremely soft, yet it transmitted directly into Venus's mind. She hurriedly looked down at the sword clutched tightly in her hand and quickly offered it up with both hands. However, she appeared rather clumsy at this moment. Just as she was about to fly forward, the sword had already gently slipped from her hands and appeared in Li Yuan's grasp the next second.
Taking a step through the air, he instantly appeared in front of Gorman and slowly drove the sword into her chest, piercing right through her.
The pain made Gorman frown. Her gaze toward Li Yuan held a faint trace of confusion—though it felt reasonable, she still did not understand.
She seemed to be waiting for Li Yuan to give her a reason—any reason would be acceptable.
But she received no reason, only his soft sigh.
“This pain is the only thing that will accompany you in the time to come, and it is also the only thing you will be able to feel. Consider it my last remaining mercy to you.”
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