Chapter 157: The Truth Behind the Final Battle

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone on Jiangxin Island. No one had expected Nangong Yuexi to be so resolute, choosing to sever her own meridians and take her life.

"Chu Tianqing, I'll kill you!"

On Jiangxin Island, Nangong Qun, who was among the crowd, completely broke down. He ripped off the veil covering his face, grabbed a large saber, and charged forward, intending to leap into the canyon to fight Chu Tianqing to the death.

"Manor Master, calm down!" "Manor Master, don't be impulsive!"

The disciples of Divine Weapon Manor quickly swarmed him, restraining the enraged Nangong Qun. They understood how devastated Nangong Qun must be as a father, witnessing his only daughter die before his eyes. However, they could not let him throw his life away, especially since their opponent was Chu Tianqing, the Dragon King of Nine Rivers, ranked second on the Heavenly List.

Nangong Qun was held down firmly by the Divine Weapon Manor disciples.

On the other side, many disciples from the Mystic Maiden Palace were enraged. Those particularly close to Nangong Yuexi immediately drew their swords, but they were sharply reprimanded and stopped by Su Yunxiao, the Palace Master of Mystic Maiden Palace.

"Palace Master, Junior Sister Nangong was forced to her death!"

"That's right, Palace Master, are we just going to stand by and watch?"

Su Yunxiao's expression was grim. "Everyone calm down," she said. "This matter will not be left unresolved. We will certainly settle accounts with the Nine Rivers Alliance, but not now!"

At this moment, Jiangxin Island was in an uproar, filled with murmurs and discussions.

Meanwhile, in the canyon, Chu Tianqing on the boat seemed lost and helpless. Suddenly, he remembered something and shouted, "Quick, quick! The True Vitality Revitalization Pill! It's not too late!"

The True Vitality Revitalization Pill, the proud creation of Sage of Medicine Qi Miaoxuan, was a life-extending divine elixir renowned throughout the martial world. It was said to be capable of snatching a person from the grasp of Yama King. If taken in time, it could sustain a life for a month, even if the meridians were severed or if one was pierced through the heart by a blade. If, within that month, an enhanced version of the pill, the True Vitality Saint Pill, was consumed, it could revive the dead and regrow flesh on bones.

Not long ago, Zhuo Fanghua had been severely wounded by Ye Jinglan's saber, and it was a True Vitality Revitalization Pill that had kept her alive until now. Chu Tianqing had captured Nangong Yuexi precisely to force Ye Jinglan to hand over the True Vitality Saint Pill. Currently, only three True Vitality Revitalization Pills were known to exist in the world, and there were no True Vitality Saint Pills. Only the Sage of Medicine, Qi Miaoxuan, possessed them, but he had been killed, and all his belongings had vanished. The martial world widely believed that Ye Jinglan was responsible for Qi Miaoxuan's death.

At this moment, Chu Tianqing shouted towards Ye Jinglan, "Ye Jinglan, if you're afraid I'll ambush you, I can retreat to Jiangxin Island right now. Bring the True Vitality Revitalization Pill to save Nangong Yuexi. After you've prolonged her life, then we can fight again!"

Chu Tianqing's behavior was entirely consistent with his reputation in the martial world. Chu Tianqing and Ye Jinglan were fellow disciples from the same sect, extraordinary prodigies of equal standing. However, their personalities were completely different. Ye Jinglan acted domineeringly and preferred to let his saber do the talking, while Chu Tianqing was gentle, upright, principled, strict with himself, and lenient with others, earning him an excellent reputation in the martial world. It was expected by many that he would ask Ye Jinglan to save someone first, and no one suspected he would launch a sneak attack.

However, just as everyone expected Ye Jinglan to produce the True Vitality Revitalization Pill to save Nangong Yuexi, he stood motionless on Duanhun Cliff and calmly stated, "I don't have the True Vitality Revitalization Pill."

Chu Tianqing immediately became furious. "Ye Jinglan," he said, "I thought you were just arrogant and unreasonable, but I never imagined you've become so heartless and unfeeling! I can understand you not saving Fanghua, but Nangong Yuexi is your wife—how can you refuse to save her? How did you become like this? How can you face our master's spirit in heaven? He spent his life upholding justice and helping the weak. In the future... will you dare to face Master in the afterlife?"

Ye Jinglan gazed down at the large boat in the canyon. When his eyes fell upon Nangong Yuexi, there was not a trace of emotion in them, as if the deceased was someone entirely insignificant.

"Junior Brother, what if I told you that the True Vitality Revitalization Pill has never existed in this world? Would you believe me?"

Chu Tianqing angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I said there's never been a True Vitality Revitalization Pill or a True Vitality Saint Pill in this world; it's all a lie," Ye Jinglan said. "It was merely a joke Qi Miaoxuan played on the world. So, how could I produce a True Vitality Revitalization Pill or a True Vitality Saint Pill?"

On the deck, Chu Tianqing gripped his long spear, closed his eyes slightly, and sighed deeply. "Senior Brother... this is the last time I will call you Senior Brother. I never wanted to fight you to the death. Even before coming here today, I thought that as long as you produced the True Vitality Saint Pill and saved Fanghua, I would forgive you. If you want to dominate the martial world, I can admit defeat and let you achieve your goal. But... why? Why do you insist on forcing me? Why must it come to this...?"

A tremendous aura of spear intent erupted. In an instant, the formerly calm river water began to surge and roar, as if stirred violently by an invisible pair of giant hands. The river wind, drawn by this vast spear intent, swarmed and converged from all directions. The wind howled, each gust carrying a deadly aura. Where it blew, plants bent and snapped, and fish scattered in panic.

Ye Jinglan's eyes gleamed slightly, and he chuckled, "Junior Brother, it seems your Thirteenth Panlong Spear technique is almost complete. I'm really curious to see if you've made any progress in these past few years."

Chu Tianqing's long hair billowed, and his expression became extremely stern. He said coldly, "Seven years ago, you were not my match. Today, you are still not my match."

"I was going easy on you, my dear Junior Brother," Ye Jinglan said mockingly. "Your Senior Brother has gone through a lot of trouble for you. You could never beat me when we were young, yet seven years ago, you 'defeated' me. Only you would be foolish enough to believe it was real."

Ye Jinglan chuckled again and, without waiting for Chu Tianqing to speak, looked towards the large boat belonging to the Heavenly Saber Sect on the other side of the canyon. He called out, "Qi Miaoxuan, it's time for you to come out. If you don't show yourself soon, my naive Junior Brother here is really going to fight me."

As soon as Ye Jinglan spoke, a figure emerged from the cabin of that large boat. It was none other than Qi Miaoxuan, the Sage of Medicine, whom the martial world believed to be dead.

Instantly, Jiangxin Island erupted in an uproar. Among the Mystic Maiden Palace's contingent, Gu Chutong cried out in joyful surprise, "Brother... Qi Miaoxuan! It's really Qi Miaoxuan, he's alive!"

Gu Mo slightly frowned. He noticed that beside him, Yan Xianmei and Su Yunxiao both experienced a sudden shift in their emotional states the moment Qi Miaoxuan appeared. However, Yan Xianmei's reaction was unusual; unlike Su Yunxiao's panic, Yan Xianmei's initial reaction was joy, followed by panic.

Immediately, both Yan Xianmei and Su Yunxiao involuntarily stood up. Their faces were extremely pale, and Su Yunxiao gripped her sword hilt tightly.

At this moment, in the canyon, Chu Tianqing was bewildered. He looked at Qi Miaoxuan, then at Ye Jinglan. Even with his upright mind, he sensed that something was amiss. He said in a deep voice, "Ye Jinglan, what exactly are you up to?"

Ye Jinglan chuckled lightly. "My foolish Junior Brother, your Senior Brother has truly worried himself sick over you. Don't you understand yet? Qi Miaoxuan is right here; he's been by my side all along. There are no True Vitality Revitalization Pills in this world, let alone True Vitality Saint Pills. So, if anyone told you that someone who should have died was kept alive by a True Vitality Revitalization Pill, they were undoubtedly deceiving you!"

Chu Tianqing's face darkened significantly. He said in a low voice, "Ye Jinglan, don't even think about unsettling my mind!"

Ye Jinglan replied, "Junior Brother, do you truly not believe it, or are you simply unwilling to believe that the Zhuo Fanghua you deeply love has deceived you?"

Chu Tianqing's body tensed. "No, you can't trick me."

Ye Jinglan sighed. "Today, in front of all the martial heroes, I will explain everything clearly. If, after that, you still insist on fighting me, then your Senior Brother will guide you one more time.

"Seven years ago, there was no Heavenly Saber Sect or Nine Rivers Alliance in Qingzhou. There was only the Dao-Seeking Sect, which we, your Senior and Junior Brothers, created together. At that time, you were responsible for overall coordination, and I for expanding our territory. With our combined efforts, dominating the martial world was just a matter of time.

"But slowly, I began to feel that our Dao-Seeking Sect's development was being restricted, as if someone was secretly targeting and suppressing us. However, before I could investigate the mastermind... or, more accurately, when I knew who the mastermind was but hadn't found proof yet, Zhuo Fanghua appeared. Junior Brother, how can there be such a coincidence as instant love at first sight, immediately reciprocated, in this world? If there is, it's either infatuation based on looks or it serves another purpose. Similarly, I don't believe there can be a person in this world who is truly flawless and perfect. If there is, it must be an act."

Chu Tianqing clenched his fists tightly, remaining silent.

At this moment, martial artists from various sects on Jiangxin Island listened in silence. Ye Jinglan's tone was calm, but with his profound internal energy, his voice carried far, audible to everyone.

Ye Jinglan continued, "Zhuo Fanghua, the foremost beauty of Qingzhou, like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world, must have approached you with a purpose. It's just that back then, you were completely infatuated, and you wouldn't listen to anything I said. I understand; after all, even heroes struggle against the allure of beauty. Even later, I was swayed many times and almost fell into the trap, even though I knew it was a scheme.

"I had no choice but to leave. By doing so, I made the mastermind hesitant to directly act against you. So, I 'lost' to you. The world thought I was competing with you for Zhuo Fanghua, and perhaps Zhuo Fanghua herself believed that too. But in reality, Junior Brother, a 'honey trap,' if no genuine feelings are involved, is merely a clumsy, amateurish third-rate scheme riddled with flaws and lacking any skill.

"The Heavenly Saber Sect was established, and the Nine Rivers Alliance was also formed. The rift between us grew deeper, seemingly leading to an inevitable life-or-death duel. But I knew in my heart that it was all just someone else's plotting.

"Therefore, when Zhuo Fanghua appeared before me again that day and was conveniently 'accidentally' wounded by me, I realized the final phase of the scheme had arrived. However, at that time, I truly hadn't considered that the True Vitality Revitalization Pill was fake. So, I went to Qi Miaoxuan to ask for the True Vitality Saint Pill, only to stumble upon the massacre of Tingsong Manor, with the blame then being shifted onto me. However, the mastermind didn't seem very clever; they didn't even know how to 'finish the job.' They simply believed Qi Miaoxuan had committed suicide and buried him.

"In reality, Qi Miaoxuan was merely seeking refuge. I then dug him out of his grave and replaced him with another corpse. With Qi Miaoxuan's skills, it was easy for him to falsify his own body, so even if an autopsy was performed later, no issues would be found. And it was from Qi Miaoxuan that I learned the truth: that the True Vitality Revitalization Pill had never existed in this world."

At this moment, everyone involuntarily looked towards Qi Miaoxuan.

Qi Miaoxuan, standing at the bow of the boat, sighed faintly and declared loudly, "Fellow martial artists, I shall state clearly here today, as Sect Master Ye has said, there has never been a True Vitality Revitalization Pill or a True Vitality Saint Pill in this world. The reason I fabricated this lie was due to an old incident. As a healer, I can cure many illnesses and injuries, but I cannot cure illnesses of the heart. Back then, to comfort a martial artist friend who had lost his beloved, I invented the True Vitality Revitalization Pill and the True Vitality Saint Pill. As a result, the story spread throughout the martial world, leading everyone to believe it."

Qi Miaoxuan's personal admission that the True Vitality Revitalization Pill was fake immediately caused an uproar.

"Impossible!" Chu Tianqing exclaimed. "But... I clearly... I clearly saw Fanghua take the True Vitality Revitalization Pill and come back to life..."

Qi Miaoxuan said, "That only proves she never actually died."

"Impossible," Chu Tianqing retorted. "I couldn't have been mistaken. If it was feigned death, it wouldn't escape my notice!"

Meanwhile, on Jiangxin Island, Gu Chutong transmitted a message to Gu Mo, saying, "Brother, I suddenly remembered what happened at Zhengqi Manor."

Gu Mo nodded slightly. He too recalled that at Zhengqi Manor, White Shadow and his subordinates had hidden in coffins using a deep breathing technique, which even fooled him. He had been right beside the coffins and hadn't detected any heartbeats or breathing, leading him to believe that all inside were corpses. If such a technique could deceive him, then it should not be difficult to deceive Chu Tianqing.

At this moment, Qi Miaoxuan on the boat sighed and said, "Alliance Leader Chu, there are always some techniques in this world that can mimic death perfectly. For example, I can use a silver needle to enter a state of suspended animation, and no one would be able to detect that I'm merely feigning death. For instance, my sworn brother White Shadow also has a breath-holding technique called the 'Subtle Breath True Art,' which not only allows him to temporarily stop his heartbeat and breathing but also maintain activity simultaneously. If I'm not mistaken, Zhuo Fanghua used the Subtle Breath True Art."

Chu Tianqing said coldly, "What are you implying? Are you saying Fanghua is involved with White Shadow, that evil cultist? Who exactly is the mastermind? Is it White Shadow?"

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother, why continue deceiving yourself? There aren't many forces capable of instigating a life-or-death duel between us, and even fewer who could profit from it." As he spoke, Ye Jinglan looked towards the Mystic Maiden Palace's side and said coldly, "Grand Master Yuxu, Palace Master Su, how long do you two intend to hide before stepping forward and admitting the truth? Do you want me to ask Divine Physician Qi to awaken Nangong Yuexi and Zhuo Fanghua from the boat right now?"

In an instant, everyone looked towards the direction of the Mystic Maiden Palace. Yan Xianmei gripped the walking stick in her hand and gave it a slight shake. The stick shattered, revealing a longsword of extraordinary quality hidden within. She said calmly, "Given the circumstances, this old woman has nothing more to say. Sect Master Ye, a decisive battle will, after all, take place on Duanhun Cliff today."