With a few sharp sounds, the sword was unsheathed. Chu Yanchuan removed the barrier outside the Demon Seal. Jing Feirong raised his hand and pinched the seal to take the totem above the seal into his palm. Without the suppression of the totem, the Demon Seal began to shake violently. A faint roar came from the depths of the demon world. Yu Cang turned his head and looked at Jing Feiyun, saying, “Third Prince, please go back to the Heavenly Palace to mobilize troops.”
Once the Demon Seal was opened, the entire Demon Realm would lose its most powerful suppression technique, and demons would rise up in droves, intending to help Chi Tuo. Jing Feiyun glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave the Withered Swamp.
He had just stepped out of the barrier when the ground shook violently. Jing Feiyun kneeled on one knee unsteadily. Looking back, he saw red flames reaching the sky. The Demon Seal had been opened, and the evil demon Chi Tuo, who had been suppressed for ten thousand years, was about to escape. Only the handcuffs under his feet held him back, making a harsh sound as they rubbed against him.
“A bunch of… lunatics!” Jing Feiyun gritted his teeth, stood up, and headed towards heaven without looking back.
Chu Yanchuan, Yu Cang, and Hei Wuchang stood in a triangle, setting up a seal to surround Chi Tuo. Jing Feirong flew up and attacked Chi Tuo’s chest with a sword. The holy sword had his thousand-year cultivation, which intertwined with the sword spirit and illuminated Jing Feirong’s cold face. When they were close, Jing Feirong and Chi Tuo’s eyes met. Chi Tuo did not avoid it at all, but slowly raised the corners of his lips, smiled very strangely, and his red pupils flashed slightly.
Jing Feirong’s expression suddenly changed, and he looked down. When the tip of the sword pierced Chi Tuo’s chest, it sank into a chaotic paleness. An irresistible force came from the blade, directly dragging him into the unknown chaos.
Something seemed to whistle past his ears, and Jing Feirong suddenly opened his eyes and found himself lying on the bed in the bedchamber.
“Your Highness?” A person slowly sat up beside him. Jing Feirong turned around and saw that it was Chu Yanchuan, who looked like he had just woken up.
“What…” Jing Feirong touched his head, a little confused. “What are we…”
“What’s wrong?” Chu Yanchuan stroked his cheek and asked with concern, “Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”
“No… no…” Jing Feirong didn’t know whether he was denying his discomfort or denying the current situation. He hurriedly got off the bed and shook his head desperately.
It’s fake. He was clearly in the Withered Swamp. How could he suddenly return to the bedchamber? It’s fake.
Jing Feirong looked down at his empty hands, feeling uneasy. He wanted to find the Holy Sword, but he looked around but could not sense the existence of the Holy Sword.
“Your Highness…”
Jing Feirong raised his head with his eyes wide open. Chu Yanchuan’s voice was extremely gentle, a tone he had never used before. His expression was also unfamiliar. He came forward and climbed onto Jing Feirong’s shoulders. His cold face was tinged with an almost enchanting look. His eyes were gentle. He leaned on Jing Feirong like a boneless person, raised his head and touched his chin with his lips, and asked, “What is Your Highness looking for?”
“Nothing, nothing…” Jing Feirong felt something was wrong—he felt a little dizzy, and her thoughts were not clear, so he could only hug him subconsciously. Chu Yanchuan’s clothes were scattered, his waist was hot and soft, and the faint heat sprayed on Jing Feirong’s neck, which was about to burn.
“Let’s sleep a little longer.” Chu Yanchuan’s fingertips slid down Jing Feirong’s cheek all the way to his lower abdomen, and the touch was sharp, like a crawling snake. Jing Feirong’s vision was blurred, and he couldn’t see clearly even if he tried to open his eyes. He only heard Chu Yanchuan’s soft voice: “Alright? Feirong…”
His consciousness returned in an instant. Jing Feirong pushed him away, his eyes clear, and coldly said, “Get lost!”
Chu Yanchuan had never called him by his name but always called him “Your Highness the Fifth Prince” and “Your Highness”—Jing Feirong would never forget that.
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince is indeed smart.” Chu Yanchuan smiled charmingly, and his expression gradually changed, transforming into Chi Tuo’s original form. The surrounding scene also collapsed and turned into the scene inside the Demon Seal that Jing Feirong had seen before.
“You lured me into the illusion just to delay time.” Jing Feirong said calmly.
“Yes.” Chi Tuo smiled sinisterly. “Without you, the only black dragon, what can the others do to me?”
Jing Feirong stared at him, “If I destroy the illusion directly, your soul will also be lost. I will not care about the consequences this time, you can give it a try.”
But he was not completely sure. He didn’t know how many demon spirits and cultivation levels Chi Tuo had invested in this illusion. It would cost a huge amount of cultivation to destroy the illusion, so Jing Feirong could not act rashly.
“Regardless of the consequences… are you serious?” Chi Tuo suddenly pointed to a certain place and said, “You don’t even care about this?”
Jing Feirong looked in the direction he pointed and saw a faint red light flickering not far away, with a faint blue light swirling around it. Jing Feirong’s breathing stagnated—that was half of his dragon vein and one soul and one spirit of his father’s.
He went forward to grab it without hesitation. Just when he was about to touch it, the dragon vein and the soul suddenly disappeared. Jing Feirong’s heart was pounding. Chi Tuo’s voice came from behind, saying, “Do you all really think that Yu Linyun’s soul can be safe and sound in the seal?”
Jing Feirong just stared blankly at the empty darkness in front of him. He almost didn’t dare to listen any further.
“Do you know what the soul of the ancient God tastes like…” Chi Tuo’s voice was empty and sinister. “Do you know how hard he struggled when I swallowed that soul and spirit…”
Jing Feirong trembled all over and covered his ears, muttering absentmindedly, “Stop talking… shut up… shut up…”
“If you kill me today, your father will never be resurrected again. Jing Feirong, you must think it through.”
“Shut up! Shut up, ah——！”
Jing Feirong screamed hysterically, his eyes were bloodshot, and dark dragon scales burst out from his neck. Suddenly, a dazzling light flashed, and the holy sword came looking for its master, landing accurately in Jing Feirong’s hands. Jing Feirong was on the verge of collapse, almost unable to think, and swung his sword and turned to cut towards Chi Tuo, but when the sword was about to touch the opponent, it stopped abruptly——
Yu Linyun was standing in front of him, his purple pupils were like ice, and his gaze was calm.
“Father…” Jing Feirong opened his mouth slightly. It was the first time he and Yu Linyun stood face-to-face, and the first time he looked into his father’s eyes. Tears were about to fall, and Jing Feirong’s voice was trembling. “Father… is what he said true?”
Yu Linyun just looked at him without saying a word. Jing Feirong took a step closer to him in a trance, wanting to reach out and touch him, but Yu Linyun stepped back. They always maintained this distance until Jing Feirong dared not move forward anymore, for he was afraid that Yu Linyun would disappear.
“How?” Chi Tuo’s voice came from all directions, with a cold smile: “If I am alive, Yu Linyun may be able to revive. If I die, he will really die too.”
“How do you choose?” Chi Tuo asked cruelly, “How do you choose?”
Choosing again… Again… Seven thousand years ago, the Heavenly Emperor asked Chu Yanchuan to choose between the Six Realms and the Fifth Prince. Chu Yanchuan made a choice, and Yu Linyun also made a choice… Now he has to make a choice too—if Chi Tuo lives, the Six Realms will be in trouble. If Chi Tuo dies, his father will no longer be able to live.
“Why… on what basis…” Jing Feirong dropped his hands helplessly, the tip of his sword hitting the ground. He looked at Yu Linyun’s face, tears rolling down his cheeks, and asked in tears, “Why does everyone have to make a choice…”
He didn’t want to choose. He would rather make himself the only option and trade himself for peace for the world and for his father’s life.
“I won’t choose… I won’t choose.” Jing Feirong raised his hand and put the holy sword to his throat, choking and saying, “I will exchange myself.”
Use all the dragon spirits to exchange for Chi Tuo’s death. If his father’s soul is still left in Chi Tuo’s body, his elder brother will definitely be able to find it. His father might even be able to… He finally understood Chu Yanchuan and Yu Linyun’s state of mind seven thousand years ago. Only by sacrificing himself can he truly have a clear conscience.
Jing Feirong closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks—he had no regrets, he just couldn’t bear to leave, couldn’t bear to leave his brothers and sisters, couldn’t bear to leave… couldn’t bear to leave his Dijun.
Tonight was too busy, and he hadn’t said goodbye to Dijun yet.
The holy sword trembled, unwilling to hurt its master. Jing Feirong was about to use his strength to kill himself and disperse his spirit, but someone suddenly approached from behind. Jing Feirong’s tearful eyes were gently covered, and a familiar cold fragrance came. Chu Yanchuan’s voice was clear and calm, like a spring surging in the void.
“Your Highness, don’t cry. Everything is just your inner demon. Don’t be afraid. I will choose for you.”
