Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

Chapter 562 Suicide by Love or Mutual Destruction?

Why must the faith of the common people be the source of power? The system, witnessing this vast scene, couldn't help but ask this question. Although it could mobilize the power of will, it seemed to have never deeply considered its essence.

The divine sword's intent resonated, carrying a serene and profound wisdom that transcended eternity: "Because we must become the beacon of hope, not the kindling to be lit; because man is bound to freedom throughout his life, and to faith in life and death."

The beacon fire shines on its own, guiding the way, gathering more light, and illuminating the darkness further away; while firewood will eventually burn out and turn to ash.

The same applies to faith. True faith is a spiritual flame that can be passed down and strengthened on its own. It empowers people rather than merely draining them.

True strength is never an external gift, but rather stems from inner awakening and perseverance, and from unwavering commitment to a certain belief until death.

[So, the one who can truly destroy the Demon Lord is the common people? And you... were born from the faith of the common people?] The system seemed to understand something.

"Yes, and no." The divine sword's intent was far-reaching. "I am the vessel, the opportunity, the 'form' formed by the beliefs of the common people at a specific moment and under specific circumstances. What truly eradicates the evil is always the indomitable will of the common people themselves to do good, to be righteous, and to pursue a clear world—my existence is merely to gather and manifest this scattered will, giving it the form and sharpness to cut through the filth and darkness."

Therefore, there are only vague records of "Huang Ji" in ancient books, but no one has been able to find it and claim it as their own.

Because it is not a powerful weapon for people to fight over and use to dominate, but the ultimate shield to protect all living beings and respond to prayers—therefore, only those who put the well-being of all living beings first and are of one mind with all people can have their thoughts become a guide to "find" this "heart sword" that originally came from them in this darkest hour.

"Then, what about you?" For the first time, the divine sword's will turned to the system with pure curiosity. "How were you born? I have traversed countless ages and glimpsed countless world laws, but I have never seen such a strange life form as yours."

"Me? I was born from the power of will! The power of will is the most powerful energy in the universe!" The system's electronic voice exuded a sense of pride.

It paused, as if announcing a supreme law: "If you are determined to become truly powerful, you must firmly believe in and deeply understand this statement—belief can change everything!"

"Is that so?" The divine sword chuckled almost imperceptibly.

May all beings in the world achieve their aspirations and have their wishes fulfilled!

------

As the demonic clouds dissipated and the sky darkened, Min Xiao, realizing the situation was dire, had already fled.

Now, as he wanders among the broken walls and ruins, his demonic energy is chaotic and disordered. His once unpredictable and enigmatic demeanor is now replaced by a panic that he could not conceal in time.

His steps appeared relaxed, but his fingertips twitched slightly involuntarily, revealing that his inner peace was far from what it seemed.

My anxiety suddenly surged to its peak when I stepped into the cavern that had been torn open by a tremendous force and my eyes fell on the familiar figure leaning against the rock wall.

Qu Yanhui was clearly not in good condition.

His skin was already pale, but now it was so pale it was almost transparent, like a glass lamp about to burn out its soul oil. Even his lips, which were usually pale, were unusually bright red, making them stand out. They were like a withered plum blossom suddenly blooming in the snow, with a kind of desolate and eerie beauty.

Zhou Yuan was also there. He seemed to have been lying in wait for a long time, specifically to seize leverage over his rival. He and Qu Yanhui were in a tense standoff.

Upon seeing Min Xiao appear, he immediately seemed to have found his pillar of support, raising his hand aggressively towards the person leaning against the wall, his voice hoarse with excitement:

"My lord! I have long warned you that this villain is wicked and cannot be trusted! How could he not have been behind all these events today?!"

His words were resolute, his eyes piercing; his confident demeanor suggested he had been watching the whole thing closely. Truly, hatred lasts longer than love.

Now that things have come to this, and seeing the situation deteriorating, the last vestiges of hope and restlessness in Min Xiao's heart strangely subsided, replaced by a sense of weariness that bordered on resignation.

He raised his hand irritably, his long, slender fingers running through his hair and rubbing it, as if Zhou Yuan was bothering him with some trivial matter.

"I know."

His voice was flat, as if he were recounting old news unrelated to himself, "I know, I not only know that he instigated those demonic cultivators to rebel, but I also know that he helped those guys find the whereabouts of the divine sword."

These words conveyed a sense of nonchalant indifference, as if knowing there was no way to reverse the situation.

Upon hearing this, the cave fell silent for a moment.

"???"

Zhou Yuan was dumbfounded, all his righteous words stuck in his throat, his face filled with disbelief and absurdity, his mind filled with question marks.

He opened his mouth, trying to discern a hint of sarcasm or impending rage from Min Xiao's calm and expressionless face, but there was nothing there, only a bottomless pool of water.

In the end, all he could utter was a dry, hoarse question:

"My lord! He... he has completely ruined the Demon Clan's grand plan!"

Min Xiao's expression remained calm, but a barely perceptible hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes: "Obviously."

Zhou Yuanyou was still unwilling to accept it, and almost cried out in anguish, "He never truly loved you! From beginning to end, he only took advantage of your power and trust! His heart is despicable!"

“That’s not quite right,” Min Xiao chuckled softly, his laughter carrying an indescribable complexity of emotions. “There should be some… at least some.” His tone seemed to carry a hint of stubborn defense, whether he was speaking to Zhou Yuan or comforting himself was unclear.

Zhou Yuan felt a surge of turbid air rise to his chest, almost making him vomit blood—even in this state, how could you possibly see that he still had genuine feelings?! He truly couldn't understand how these demons could have such a distorted understanding of the word "love"!

"He..." Zhou Yuan was about to speak again.

Min Xiao interrupted him, speaking casually as if he were saying that the weather was bad today, with an almost shameless protectiveness: "He just made a mistake that everyone makes."

It was entirely his fault today.

How could he not know that Qu Yanhui was no good person? From the day he chose to keep him by his side, Min Xiao was prepared to turn a deaf ear and tolerate all his darkness and scheming.

If he wants him, he must accept the thorn in his bone and the poison in his heart as well.

Looking at the unmistakable demonic features on Min Xiao's body, and then looking down at his own human hands, Zhou Yuan was instantly overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of absurdity and sorrow—all those who had devoted themselves to the great cause of the demon race had, in the end, been reduced to the status of a "traitor to humanity"!

A grand ambition and great empire were destroyed by a... a demon lord whose mind was clouded by love!

All plans were ruined by Min Xiao, who was obsessed with love!

"Fine! So one of you is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit, right?!"

Zhou Yuan laughed in extreme anger, his voice trembling with rage, pointing at the two of them and cursing them without thinking.

"You two are complete lunatics! Just wait here! Wait for those righteous cultivators to storm in and tear you to pieces! Crush your bones and scatter your ashes! At that time, your corpses will be mixed together, indistinguishable from one another, truly becoming a pair of star-crossed lovers! Min Xiao, I @￥*&……you will die a horrible death!"

As he cursed loudly, Zhou Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran up from the soles of his feet.

He moved his feet silently, trying to take advantage of the chaos to quietly retreat and escape this place of trouble.

However, he was a step too slow.

With a muffled "thud" as a sharp blade pierced flesh, Zhou Yuan's body suddenly froze.

He looked down in disbelief as a sharp claw covered in fine, dark scales pierced his chest from behind, precisely crushing his still-beating heart.

Warm, fishy-smelling liquid surged up his throat. He opened his mouth, and mouthfuls of blood spilled out uncontrollably, staining his chin and front of his shirt red.

The scene before him quickly blurred and dimmed, and all the unfinished accusations and curses were completely annihilated into silence as life passed away—he had already foreseen his own end when he witnessed Min Xiao so undisguisedly protecting Qu Yanhui.

Min Xiao withdrew his bloodied hand expressionlessly, his fingertips still dripping with sticky scarlet blood.

He raised his hand and casually licked the blood from his fingertips, a gesture that carried a primal and cruel elegance.

Then, he turned his head and looked at Qu Yanhui, who remained silent, a bright yet tinged smile curving his lips.

"Did you hear that?" His voice was low, carrying a strange, blood-tinged intimacy. "He said... our bodies will shatter, intertwined, indistinguishable from one another..."

Qu Yanhui finally raised his head, and a rare, faint yet clearly visible smile bloomed on his extremely pale face, though the smile did not reach his eyes: "To perish together? That's not a bad ending. However," he paused slightly, his disgust undisguised, "if I have to be mixed with your mangled body, I would rather be abandoned in the wilderness and fed to wild dogs."

Upon hearing this, Min Xiao didn't get angry but laughed instead, raising an eyebrow with a hint of cynicism: "A dog?" He chuckled softly, his voice hoarse, "Aren't I one? Wagging my tail and begging for mercy, biting my master and then turning on him... Is there any wild dog in this world more despicable than me?"

He took a step forward, his shadow looming like a mountain, slowly closing in. "Qu Yan Hui, I wantonly trampled on the dignity of all living beings, wove lies to deceive the world, and betrayed my own kind just to survive... Every single one of my crimes is heinous."

His gaze was fixed on Qu Yanhui, with an almost obsessive inquiry, "But, only with you... have I ever let you down in the slightest?"

Qu Yanhui lowered his eyelashes, the thick shadows obscuring the turbulent emotions in his eyes. He let out a cryptic laugh, a laugh that sounded both self-mocking and sarcastic: "I've always been this kind of ungrateful, heartless scoundrel. Didn't you... already know that?" He raised his eyes again, his gaze cold and sharp as a blade, piercing Min Xiao. "Why... why haven't you killed me yet?"

Min Xiao did not answer the question directly, but stared at him and asked instead, "Do you think... my indulgence and protection of you, even at the cost of going to the Yellow Springs with you... in your human race's logic, can be considered... 'favoritism'?"

Qu Yanhui pressed her bloodless lips tightly together, remaining silent as a rock, refusing to give any response.

Min Xiao's lips curled up, and he said again, "You were waiting for me?"

"Yes, I'm waiting to kill you."

Qu Yanhui spoke, her voice hoarse and dry.

Min Xiao wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the empty cave, carrying a strange hint of smugness.

He took another step forward, the two now almost touching. He leaned down, his shadow completely enveloping Qu Yanhui, his tone carrying a cruel tenderness that seemed to know everything: "Clearly, you yourself are already exhausted and nearing the end... yet you still stay here... waiting for me?"

Qu Yanhui met those unfathomable, stubborn eyes filled with emotions he couldn't understand or respond to. He paused slightly, then turned his head away, squeezing out three words between his teeth, with his usual coldness and aloofness: "Crazy." Want to die? Fine! He'll grant his wish!

An intensely hot power suddenly erupted from Qu Yanhui's body. It was not ordinary demonic energy or spiritual power, but a burning origin of life itself, the last and most blazing radiance of her consciousness before it decided to dissipate from the world.

This power was so domineering and so scorching, as if it would ignite the surrounding air. It was completely opposite to his usual cold and gloomy impression. It turned out that... such a cold person actually had a passion deep in his heart that was enough to burn everything.

The vitality of demons is indeed tenacious and resilient, far exceeding that of ordinary people.

But if one harbors a death wish and extinguishes one's ego, it is only a matter of a moment.

A sharp, dull pain, as if it could tear one's soul apart, instantly swept through his body, but Min Xiao seemed oblivious, not even flinching.

He simply gazed intently at the face before him, which appeared even paler and more beautiful in the intense light, as if trying to etch this moment into eternity.

He lowered his head, with an almost pious yet desperate gesture, and covered those blood-stained lips, the source of his bitterness.

This kiss was no longer the stumbling, possessive, and aggressive biting of the past, nor was it a superficial imitation.

His movements were so careful, so gentle and tender, as if he were touching a fragile, rare treasure, carrying a sense of final tenderness and farewell, as if he were at the end of his rope.

A thick, pungent smell of blood filled the air, mixed with an indescribable bitterness that came from the burning away of life.

Qu Yanhui closed his eyes, unable to discern the nature of Min Xiao's escaping emotions, which were so intense they made him uncomfortable.

Min Xiao slightly parted his lips, his dark red demonic eyes reflecting Qu Yan Hui's tightly closed eyes and trembling eyelashes. His voice was terribly hoarse.

Your lips... taste bitter.

Is this the taste of blood? Or... the legendary taste of love itself?

He had heard that love in the world is always a mixture of sweetness and bitterness, and even... the bitterness far outweighs the sweetness.

People say that love is a bitter cup of wine, a poison to quench thirst.

But what does it matter? What does it matter... At least for this moment, he kissed him.

If only there truly existed a purgatory beyond the six realms of reincarnation and all the myriad worlds.

Min Xiao thought to himself, his thoughts wandering aimlessly.

Beings like them, with blood on their hands and burdened with sins, deserve to be cast into the deepest hell, to suffer the eternal flames of karma and atone for their sins.

Perhaps only that blazing, pure flame, capable of burning away all filth, could allow the two of them to transcend this inevitable death in another form.

At that time, amidst the boundless sea of ​​fire and countless sinful souls, he would be accompanied only by him, and he would have only him to rely on.

At that time, their souls will be enveloped, entangled, twisted, and merged by the flames, becoming indistinguishable from one another, each containing the other, achieving a symbiosis and eternity in another sense amidst eternal pain and entanglement.

He once said that if Qu Yanhui dared to betray him, he would never let him go.

See, he finally... did it.

See, that's how it's done!