Sang Feiwan couldn’t help but realize the usefulness of the system for the first time.
What's this? Like finding a gem in a pile of rubbish?
Sang Feiwan looked at Fu Yuhao, who had fainted on the ground, hesitating whether to finish him off. Just then, a dazzling purple spiritual pillar suddenly burst from the southeast sky, soaring into the clouds like a shocking rainbow. The surrounding trees and flowers were affected by the spiritual power, instantly turning into powder and exploding.
Even though Sang Feiwan was in a tall building, he was pushed back three steps by the powerful spiritual force. He raised his sleeve to shield himself from the flying debris, feeling a sharp pain all over his body. When the turmoil subsided, he saw that the location of the explosion was exactly where the dungeon was!
"This is bad, Fu Yujin must have discovered something!"
Seeing this, Sang Feiwan’s face changed slightly. Without caring about Fu Yuhao, he immediately rushed down from the Stargazing Tower and hurried towards the direction of the dungeon.
The system quickly fluttered its invisible wings and followed, anxiously saying, 【Hey, wait for me, wait for me! I want to go too!】
It loves watching people fight!
Sang Feiwan had familiarized himself with the route to the Imperial Palace, so he wouldn’t get lost. However, when he hastily arrived near the dungeon and saw the scene in front of him, he couldn't help but be shocked and even doubted if he was in the wrong place.
The dungeon was originally built beneath an abandoned Buddhist temple, but something had happened here, leaving only ruins. The surrounding area was in ruins, and the temple had been blasted into pieces. Guards on the ground were groaning in pain. They had been affected by the spiritual force earlier, their internal organs shattered, bleeding from all seven orifices, and were on the brink of death.
In the middle of the ground was a huge pit, revealing the hidden dungeon. Looking down, he saw several figures entangled in a fierce battle, their movements so fast that only afterimages could be seen. Sang Feiwan stared at the entrance of the pit for a long time, only to see Emperor Fu Yujin surrounded by several cultivators including Hua Qinyi. The two sides clashed with their spiritual powers, causing a powerful shockwave that destroyed walls and scattered bricks, making it impossible for others to get close.
"Fu Yujin! You practice evil techniques to forcibly extract the inner core, unworthy of being an emperor! If we don’t eliminate you today, the entire Cloud Realm will be in danger!"
The oldest True Immortal of Kunlun Cave, who was a powerhouse at the third level of the Tian Yan Realm, was evenly matched with Fu Yujin. However, when he used his spiritual power to form a long sword and attacked, Fu Yujin easily blocked it with a palm.
True Immortal Yuanshen’s face changed slightly, "How is this possible?!"
Fu Yujin sneered, his eyes coldly staring at them, mocking and disdainful, "Under the Tian Yan Realm, you are all ants! I have reached the half-Tian Shen realm, how can you easily hurt me!"
After speaking, he exerted force from his palm, his spiritual power was almost black, as if he had gone mad. He grabbed the True Immortal’s sword and broke it, then struck him with a palm.
"Puff!"
The True Immortal, unable to match his strength, was hit and spat out blood, with black air lingering around his chest, suffering in pain. Seeing this, Hua Qinyi quickly released her white ribbon to bind Fu Yujin’s limbs, momentarily trapping him. Si Wujiu began to summon poisonous insects and snakes, the ground around them suddenly filled with poisonous creatures, quickly crawling towards Fu Yujin.
Hua Qinyi was shocked and screamed, "Si Wujiu! You despicable bastard! Who let you summon these disgusting things!"
She saw those poisonous creatures crawling past her feet, making her scalp numb. Si Wujiu also looked grim, his corpse soldiers were outside, and he couldn’t match Fu Yujin’s spiritual power, so he could only use such vicious means, "What are you afraid of! I won’t let them bite you!"
The white ribbon was woven from the tendons of a dragon, extremely tough. Fu Yujin couldn’t break free for a while. The other cultivators immediately gathered their spiritual power and attacked Fu Yujin's face, chest, waist, and forehead. However, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around Fu Yujin, preventing them from getting close.
The spiritual powers in the air repelled each other, forming a sticky bond. For a while, none of them could move or escape, only gritting their teeth and secretly competing in spiritual power to see who was stronger.
At this moment, Sang Feiwan had just arrived at the dungeon. The pit was several meters deep, so he naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to jump down. Instead, he used his spiritual power to form stone steps and walked down. He searched everywhere but couldn’t find Baili Duyue, so he had no choice but to check here. Unexpectedly, he saw the ground filled with poisonous creatures, and Fu Yujin was trapped by several cultivators.
Sang Feiwan stood still, shocked by the scene before him, hesitating whether to intervene.
Is it inappropriate not to take action now?
But if he goes over and fails, what should he do if he gets killed?
Just as Sang Feiwan was undecided, Hua Qinyi spotted him and hurriedly shouted, "Sang Feiwan! Hurry! Use your sword to stab his Shen Que acupoint!"
The white ribbon was already starting to break, making a cracking sound.
Fu Yujin’s face darkened, his black spiritual power surged, obviously about to break free. If he escapes, everyone here would probably die.
Sang Feiwan, seeing this, finally stopped hesitating. Frowning, he infused his sword with spiritual power and aimed at Fu Yujin's abdomen, fiercely stabbing. A cold light flashed, the sword broke through the barrier and entered Fu Yujin’s body, making him groan in pain. However, when the sword tip was only half an inch into Fu Yujin's abdomen, it became difficult to pierce further, as if encountering an obstacle.
Sang Feiwan was pushed back by this powerful spiritual force, feeling pain as if his flesh was being scraped by a steel knife. He gritted his teeth silently, infused the sword with more spiritual power, and forced the sword closer, penetrating a few more inches.
Feeling the pain, Fu Yujin coldly gritted his teeth and said, "Overestimating your abilities!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Sang Feiwan saw Fu Yujin's aura suddenly surge, the white ribbon on his clothes shattering in the air like drifting snow, and the poisonous creatures summoned by Si Wujiu instantly turned into ashes. Everyone was blasted away by this tremendous force, crashing into the wall and spitting out blood.
Sang Feiwan was no exception. He felt his vision darken, a ringing in his ears, a sweet and fishy taste in his throat, and a huge boulder pressing on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
Fu Yujin broke free from his bindings, looked down at the sword in his abdomen, and then emotionlessly gripped the blood-stained blade, pulling it out with a clang and throwing it away.
Knowing that Sang Feiwan was Baili Duyue's partner, Fu Yujin stepped forward with a menacing presence and a dangerous tone, saying, "Sang Feiwan, in all these years, you are the second to dare to harm me. I originally didn’t want to kill you, but just like that wild seed Baili Duyue, you must be eliminated!"
Sang Feiwan couldn't move anyway. Hearing Fu Yujin insult Baili Duyue, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled, "The Emperor assassinated Baili Qingdu and forcibly took his wife, claiming her as his own. Isn’t it ridiculous to call him a wild seed? If we’re talking about it, you might be the real illegitimate child!"
"You're asking for death!"
Fu Yujin was provoked and furious, gathering his spiritual power in his palm and slashing towards Sang Feiwan's head.
Sang Feiwan, with internal injuries and nowhere to dodge, instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for the pain and death to come. However, at this moment, he suddenly heard a swift wind in his ear, followed by the sound of something heavy landing. The expected pain did not come.
...What's going on?
Sang Feiwan cautiously opened his eyes, subconsciously looking into the distance, only to see a familiar figure fighting with Fu Yujin. Dressed in red, with frosty hair, it was Baili Duyue, which startled him.
Baili Duyue was seriously injured before, having difficulty even standing, but now he was evenly matched with Fu Yujin, presumably because he had taken the elixir and the Snow Soul Bead. But three hours were not enough for him to refine those two beads or break through to a higher realm. How did he force his way out?!
Sang Feiwan struggled to get up from the ground and was about to warn Baili Duyue to be careful, but due to his severe injuries, he fell back down.
Clearly, Fu Yujin hadn’t expected Baili Duyue to suddenly appear. With the sword in his palm, he stabbed out like a gust of wind and sarcastically said, "You're lucky!"
Baili Duyue dodged and also used his spiritual sword to fight back. For some reason, his eyes were bloodshot, his frosty hair flying, his handsome features shadowed in the dark dungeon, and his movements were as fast as lightning, filled with a chilling killing intent.
Fu Yujin thought Baili Duyue was only at the first level of the Tian Yan Realm, at most the second level, and would have no resistance against him. However, after exchanging over a hundred moves, neither had the upper hand.
Fu Yujin's injuries were severe, and he couldn’t delay any longer. He could only switch from the sword to his palm, and clashed fiercely with Baili Duyue in the air, loudly asking, "You were clearly only at the first level of the Tian Yan Realm before. How did your cultivation suddenly increase?!"
Baili Duyue remained silent, staring at him emotionlessly. After a moment, a cold smile slowly appeared on his lips, mocking, "You'll find out when you're dead!"
Fu Yujin didn't understand why Baili Duyue was smiling at first but quickly realized something was wrong. As their palms clashed in mid-air, Fu Yujin’s power had been depleted in the previous fight. He tried to retract his attack but was surprised to find that his palm seemed to be stuck to Baili Duyue's and he couldn't pull it back, with his spiritual power uncontrollably leaking out.
Fu Yujin's face changed dramatically, "Baili Duyue! You want to die together?!"
If they continued to fight like this, they would both exhaust their spiritual power, and they would suffer backlash and their spirits would be damaged. Baili Duyue, this madman! "Kill a thousand enemies, hurt yourself eight hundred", trying to drag him to death!
Baili Duyue just laughed softly, splattering the pale cheeks with crimson blood, his eyes dark and mad, "I'm not afraid of death. Fu Yujin, you've been the Supreme Emperor for so many years, are you afraid of death too?!"
Fu Yujin's spiritual power was a dark purple, showing signs of demonic possession.
Baili Duyue’s spiritual power was a dark purple mixed with a faint blue light. Obviously, he hadn't had time to refine the Snow Soul Bead, and if they continued to fight, they might both end up in a disastrous state.
Seeing this, Sang Feiwan somehow found the strength to stand up from the ground. Among the ruins, he found the sword of mutual destruction, and unsteadily walked behind Fu Yujin. Gathering the last bit of his spiritual power, he fiercely stabbed into Fu Yujin’s back—
"Stab-!"
It was the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through fabric and piercing flesh. Thick blood dripped down the sword's edge, quickly winding into a river.
Sang Feiwan knew that as long as Fu Yujin's Dantian was destroyed, the opponent would naturally lose. He endured the backlash of the spiritual energy around him, and with a pale face, he pushed the sword forward with difficulty, only missing the last bit of distance.
Fu Yujin was stimulated by the pain and became furious. Although he could not move, the spiritual power around his body was suddenly released. Before Sang Feiwan had time to pierce his Dantian, he was shaken away by the force several meters away and spat out a mouthful of blood.
When Baili Duyue saw this, the crazy smile on his face suddenly froze for a moment and slowly disappeared, his eyes were as gloomy as muddy water.
Fu Yujin seemed to sense his change in mood and also laughed, blood oozing from his lips and his abdomen severely injured, but he still laughed wildly and hatefully, "Baili Duyue, I killed your father back then and now I've injured your partner. Even if I die today, having dragged him is worth it!"
Baili Duyue said nothing, and the spiritual energy in his palms was frantically precipitating, already in a chaotic state.
Fu Yujin seemed to have discovered something, and whispered maliciously: "Baili Duyue, you are as pitiful as your father, and you are both abandoned by others."
"Don't believe him!”
Sang Feiwan thought that this damn Fu Yujin and his son were indeed shameless in the same vein. He couldn’t stand up from the ground and could only cover his heart with a pale face, difficulty saying to Baili Duyue:
"Your father, your mother has never been unfaithful to your father. Fu Yujinho forcibly took your mother. It was him, Fu Yujin, who was the one abandoned by others…”
"It's not because your mother doesn't want to see you, but it's because Yujin is threatening her with your life, so she can only live in humiliation..."
"Duyue, you are not a person with nothing, and your father has never been abandoned by your mother..."
Sang Feiwan wanted to tell Baili Duyue that aside from the illusory original work, everything he got in this life was real. The love of his parents is real, and so is his love. Fu Yujin and his son are cold-blooded monsters. They never treat others sincerely, so how can they win the sincerity of others?
This time, his confusion turned into anger, and he roared with a sullen face: "Shut up! Shut up!"
Fu Yujin's face was stern, and he was considered a handsome young man. Now he was staring at Baili Duyue, and said angrily like a madman: "Your mother was originally pleased with me back then, but it was your father who bewitched her! I gave her the greatest gifts in the world! Give her the supreme dignity and splendor in her clothes, and the beauty of the Cloud Realm in all directions, how can she be powerful with Baili Qingdu?!"
"Baili Qingdu deserves to die! Damn it!"
The more Fu Yujin talked, the more excited he became. However, at this moment, he felt a sudden chill in his abdomen, as if something penetrated him, then slowly turned over, stabbing his inner elixir to pieces.
"..."
The sound of holding on to the embers suddenly stopped, and the air fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of sharp weapons jabbing in the flesh.
He lowered his head in shock, only to see a bloody sword edge emerging from his abdomen. The inner elixir was damaged, and his spiritual power was leaking. A steady stream of purple light was rapidly dispersing from the wound. In contrast with his gray and pale face.
He had already been hit by two swords, so this last stab easily shattered his Dantian.
When Baili Duyue saw that Fu Yujin's spiritual power was dissipated, he immediately closed his palm forcefully and cut off the spiritual power that the two of them had just been fighting in a stalemate. At the same time, he also suffered a backlash from the spiritual energy. He was knocked back a few steps and spit out a large mouthful of blood.
For some reason, Fu Yujin managed to stand without falling down. He clenched his fingertips into claws, thinking that the person stabbing the sword was Sang Feiwan. He was so filled with hatred that he turned around and was about to strike out with his palm. However, he was caught off guard and faced a pair of almond-shaped eyes full of hatred and tears. His palm turned stiff in mid-air——
The person who stabbed the sword was not Sang Feiwan, but the Empress.
Or maybe her name is Qian Jiangyue, and she has never wanted the status of Imperial Empress.
Qian Jiangyue grasped the hilt of the sword tightly with both hands, and pierced Fu Yujin's Dantian, shattering his inner core. Just like when Baili Qingdu was tortured to death, she was extremely painful and resentful.
Fu Yujin didn't expect it to be her. His face was stunned and in disbelief, and he slowly uttered two words: "Jiang... Jiangyue?”
"Swoosh—!"
His palm hung in the air, lifting and falling repeatedly as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, unable to land.
Despite her being naturally weak with no spiritual power, any slightly stronger man could easily kill her.
Qian Jiangyue said nothing, her eyes red as she took two steps back, then pulled the long sword from Fu Yujin with a muffled groan. Her right hand weakly dropped to her side, blood dripping from the blade, and said with a shaky voice:
"You have already killed my husband, I won’t... let you kill my child..."
Fu Yujin, hearing her call Baili Qingdu her husband, he stumbled forward, his eyes filled with pain and confusion, "Jiangyue... My years of affection... How could you not forget Baili Qingdu?!"
Qian Jiangyue continued to shake her head, blood trickling from her lips. She had risked her life to stab Fu Yujin, her internal organs already shattered, barely standing, clutching her heart and said, "Fu Yujin, your heart has always been selfish... Why... why defile love..."
"Jiangyue..."
Fu Yujin seemed to have forgotten his own injuries. He stumbled forward, reaching out with his blood-stained hand, seemingly trying to grasp Qian Jiangyue.
"I... I have never betrayed you..."
As his strength faded and his steps faltered, he slowly fell to the ground, unable to support himself any longer. As he spoke, blood gushed from his throat,
"I... was deceived by Fuli... I thought... I thought that scripture was copied by her... the Snow Soul Pearl was taken by her..."
"After learning the truth... I immediately stripped her of her Empress title... and took you into the palace..."
"Jiangyue... I truly repent... why... why won't you give me another chance..."
With his beauty preserved by immortal techniques, Fu Yujin lay battered on the ground, his face unchanged, as if he were still the admired young master of the Cloud Realm, capturing the hearts of countless immortal women.
But Qian Jiangyue knew that, no matter how attractive someone might be on the outside, it's just skin deep. If that person is worthy of her love, whether liked or not, she would never debase herself like this.
Just like Baili Qingdu back then, handsome and admired by many immortal beauties. But even if he didn’t love those women, he would never mistreat them or take them for granted.
Fu Yujin's high-sounding words could only deceive himself...
Qian Jiangyue, with her last breath, slowly slid down against the wall, her once black hair gradually turning frosty white. Her purple dress was mesmerizing, exactly like the woman in Baili Duyue's painting.
When Fu Yuhao woke up and hurried to the dungeon, the scene before him was just as described. His eyes were dazed and somewhat incredulous. First, he looked at the people lying lifeless on the ground, then at Fu Yujin who had succumbed to his injuries from the sword, and finally at the long sword in Qian Jiangyue's hand—
The "Together to the End" sword.
The only spiritual sword in Cloud Realm capable of severely injuring a powerful Tian Yan realm expert.
Fu Yuhao's voice was strained, "Mother Empress...?"
He approached in a daze, his lips trembling as if about to cry, reaching out to grip Qian Jiangyue's shoulders and desperately channeling his spiritual energy into her. After a long while, he managed to utter a sentence with difficulty, "Mother... Father... Father..."
He wanted to ask, who exactly killed his father?
But he couldn't ask, and didn't dare to.
Qian Jiangyue's consciousness was foggy. Hearing someone call her Mother, she mustered the strength from somewhere and slowly opened her eyes, "Duyue... Is it Duyue?"
Fu Yuhao paused.
Seeing Qian Jiangyue open her eyes, she finally recognized Fu Yuhao. With whatever strength she had left, she suddenly pushed Fu Yuhao away, falling to the ground herself, shaking her head repeatedly, "Mother? No... I am not your Mother..."
"How could I, how could I bear a child for the enemy?"
Qian Jiangyue, with tears in her eyes, spoke an unbelievable truth in Fu Yuhao's shocked expression, "Your mother is Fuli... Empress Fuli... She was banished to the cold palace... Begged me to spare your life... And raised you as her own..."
"Your mother is in the cold palace... She was dethroned by Fu Yujin... and has been imprisoned there for over twenty years... I am not your mother... I am not your mother..."
"You are not my child... My child is only Duyue... My husband is Qingdu... Baili Qingdu..."
At the brink of death, Qian Jiangyue's mind was muddled. With the spiritual energy Fu Yuhao had transferred to her, she struggled to stand up, searching the ruins for a crimson figure. Finally, she fixed her gaze on the equally shocked Baili Duyue.
Seeing this, Qian Jiangyue suddenly became quiet.
She staggered step by step to Baili Duyue and then fell down due to exhaustion.
They had similar faces, and the same frosty long hair.
Trembling, Qian Jiangyue reached out to touch Baili Duyue's cheek, tears falling, blood also coughed up from her throat, she spoke intermittently, "Duyue... Mother can finally... finally go to see your father..."
Baili Duyue instinctively caught her frail form, still in shock and at a loss for words.
Qian Jiangyue's breathing suddenly became rapid, but she still smiled, "Duyue... You... You've grown up... You are taller than your mother now..."
"Mother heard... Your painting skills are unparalleled in Cloud Realm... Mother is truly proud..."
Despite the blood and tears on Qian Jiangyue's face, she still showed pride. She choked down the blood in her throat, her voice faint, "You will surely... surely be a modest gentleman like your father... Pure as white jade... Mother couldn’t accompany you as you grew up... Don’t blame mother..."
In her last moment, she tightened her grip on Baili Duyue's hand, very tightly, her fingertips turning blue and white, "Mother loves your father... and loves you...so much…"
The words Qian Jiangyue had kept hidden for half her life seemed to be just this sentence. But fate played tricks on her and never let her have her wish.
Her devoted husband couldn't accompany her through the rest of her life, and her son couldn't grow up to be a noble gentleman, only to sink deeper and deeper into despair and danger, immersed in a decade of fear.
No return once you fall into the ruins, since entering this place, nothing could be undone...
Baili Duyue, still in shock, looked down and saw that Qian Jiangyue had already passed away. Fu Yuhao seemed to have lost his soul, standing dumbly in place, and finally knelt down, hugging his head in confusion with red eyes.
He seemed to want to cry but couldn't.
Thinking of this scene before him, Sang Feiwan suddenly remembered a sentence Qian Jiangyue had said to him when they left the dungeon:
"People who do wicked things will never have a good ending."
Fuli was like this, Fu Yuhao was like this, and Fu Yujin was also like this…
At that time, the forces of the four domains had already breached the gates of the Imperial Capital. Sang Feiwan lay on the ground, his strength depleted. The last thing he saw was the Twelve Guards led by Cangdu rushing in with the forces of the four domains. Then everything went black, and he lost consciousness.
….
He slept for a very, very long time...
So long that when he woke up again, he felt like he was still in a dream.
For some reason, Sang Feiwan found himself chained.
"..."
Sang Feiwan had just woken up, his internal organs still aching, and his mind was a bit muddled. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the bright yellow canopy above his head, then felt the luxurious silk cushion beneath him, thinking he had returned to Cangdu.
But the rooms in Cangdu were not decorated like this.
Sang Feiwan couldn’t remember what had happened recently. Frowning, he tried to sit up, but as soon as he moved, he heard a soft "clank" by his ear, and his body stiffened involuntarily.
"?"
What was that sound?
Subconsciously, Sang Feiwan looked down and saw that his hands were chained with a delicate golden chain, the other end of which was tied to the foot of the bed, making a loud noise when moved, very secure.
"..."
Sang Feiwan widened his eyes in disbelief, wondering if he was hallucinating. To make sure he wasn't dreaming, he even slapped himself hard, and his face stung with pain.
Well, it wasn't a dream.
Feeling uneasy for no reason, and with his injuries not fully healed and movement restricted, Sang Feiwan couldn't do anything. Even his throat felt dry and sore, and he couldn't utter a single word.
This is unbelievable!
In his urgency, Sang Feiwan could only call out to the system: "System! System!"
A large diamond popped out in response and said reluctantly: 【Ah, why? I was still sleeping~】
Sang Feiwan gestured to the chain on his hand: "Can you see this? Look!"
The system leaned closer, glanced drowsily, and said: 【I see, it's gold, so what?】
What's with the Victorian vibes?
Sang Feiwan choked: "It's not about whether it's gold or not!"
The system scratched its head in distress: 【Gold is already good, do you want one made of diamond?】
Who would use a diamond to make a chain?
Frustrated, Sang Feiwan found that he couldn’t communicate with it: "What happened during the time I was unconscious? Why... why am I chained here?!"
Just as the system was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by the rustle of palace maids bowing: "Greetings, Emperor."
The system was startled: 【Oh, someone's here, I have to go.】
With that, it disappeared.
Hearing the word "Emperor" outside the door, Sang Feiwan's heart suddenly sank, shocked. What happened? He had clearly seen Fu Yujin dying before he fainted. How could he appear here again?!
Did Fu Yujin die, and Fu Yuhao became the Emperor?
What about Baili Duyue?
This was not good news for Sang Feiwan. Hearing the noise of the door being pushed open, he had no choice but to lie back down and feign sleep, planning to see the situation first.
Inside the hall, incense burned in a censer, and blue smoke curled up. Through the hanging gauze, he could vaguely see a tall figure stepping in from the outer room and slowly approaching the bed. The hem of the man's robe brushed the carpet, making a slight friction sound, like the rhythm before the arrival of the god of death.
Sang Feiwan's heart pounded, feeling extremely nervous.
Trying to restrain himself, he finally couldn't resist and took a peek through the canopy. He saw a man in a crimson robe, with frost-like long hair, and familiar eyebrows and eyes. His gaze froze on the spot—
Baili Duyue?
How could he be the Emperor?
Sang Feiwan widened his eyes in shock, his mind blank, forgetting even to pretend to sleep. So when Baili Duyue lifted the curtain with his sleeve, he saw Sang Feiwan had already awakened and was staring at him in surprise.
Seeing this, Baili Duyue's steps paused imperceptibly. He quietly sat down beside the bed, his crimson robe brushing past with a cold silk feel. He didn’t seem surprised at all by Sang Feiwan's waking up:
"You finally woke up…"
His deep voice echoed in the empty hall, making it even more silent.
Sang Feiwan tried to speak: "Duyue...?"
His voice couldn't come out, he could only make lip movements, but it was clear enough for Baili Duyue to understand.
Or not just Duyue, but also the Emperor,
The only god-level expert in the four domains…