Chapter 1280: The Dao of the Firmament

So... on Gu Yin Cliff, Water Ghost wasn't truly unable to defeat Jiang Buyi.

It was just that in a one-on-one fight, he would have had to achieve Sainthood or pay an enormous price to take him down, all while revealing his identity as Yu Mo.

In the end, the gain would only be killing one person and obtaining half of a Ban Sheng position.

That was it!

But by drawing him into the game...

He exploited the timing: the great momentum building, chaos erupting, and the vortex arriving;

He exploited the terrain: the deep-sea forbidden barriers, the Xu Kong Island exile rules, forcing everyone into a state with no Ban Sheng capabilities;

He exploited human factors: using the King of Hell's hand to eliminate Jiang Buyi, using Jiang Buyi's chaos to unsettle the Sheng Shen Hall, and taking advantage of the distracted attention of those in the Sheng Shen Hall to secretly complete his ultimate goal.

In this way, Water Ghost not only eliminated Jiang Buyi and tricked the King of Hell, but also wiped out the entire Sheng Shen Hall in one fell swoop.

Finally, what he obtained were three Ban Sheng positions?

"Good scheming!"

"What a damn clever plan!"

On the dragon's head, watching beneath the Profound Meaning of the Water Ink World, where Rao Yaoyao trembled in the confines of the water ink lines, and a Ban Sheng position floated above her head, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart once again.

He was experiencing anew the ruthlessness of Water Ghost, who believed in settling grudges overnight but never letting them drag into the new year.

"Those who enter the game sink like into the deep sea; just as they try to crawl out, they're dragged back down. Even a Ban Sheng struggling will drown... Now, that's what you call 'Water Ghost'?"

"Of course, he could pull off all this mainly because of my contribution—my efforts were huge!"

Xu Xiaoshou began calculating about the Ban Sheng positions in Water Ghost's hands.

Would this grudge-holding man with the golden beast mask willingly give him one? Or would he have to ask for it himself? Or maybe get Ba Zun An to step in?

He had both merit and hardship to claim, after all!

Xu Xiaoshou thought Water Ghost's appetite was too big.

Snatching three Ban Sheng positions in one go—was he planning to make all those starving Tai Xu in the Saint Slaves achieve Sainthood at once?

But even then, he dared to target Rao Yaoyao from the Rao family, one of the five Great Saint Emperor clans?

Earlier in the Abyss of Depravity, Xu Xiaoshou had considered sparing Rao Keai's life and not going too far. Only when he realized it was impossible did he let his second true self take Rao Keai to their doom together. Yet Water Ghost was even more merciless in crushing the flower, without any hesitation or mess.

"What are you doing?!"

Amid the crowd's gaze, hearing Rao Yaoyao's cries of agony and seeing the Ban Sheng position rise from her head, Yan Wuse raged... and spat blood.

He recalled his own earlier ordeal.

Water Ghost—could he really want Rao Yaoyao's Ban Sheng position too?

Did he dare to take it?

Did he have the life to take it?

"This is obvious. I've said all I needed to say. After the confession comes the harvest."

"Not just Rao Yaoyao—now, you can go too."

Water Ghost gripped the Yu Hai God Halberd, using water-based powers to pin Rao Yaoyao in place, forcing her will to offer up the Ban Sheng position.

At the same time, he turned to Yan Wuse, signaling that he could depart.

"You..."

"How about it? Feeling attached, unwilling to die?"

Water Ghost smiled. "Want me to send you on your way, Yan Wuse?"

The torrential rain poured down, and Xu Kong Island echoed with noise.

No one expected that in the midst of this confession, Water Ghost's killing intent would suddenly arise.

But thinking about it... it made sense.

This was just a straightforward transaction, after all.

The confession was the confession, no matter how complex the game—there comes a time when it's done.

Since one side had fulfilled their promise, how could they not get something in return? Otherwise, they'd just be a total fool.

Yan Wuse originally had no attachments.

But now, Water Ghost's words hit home—he couldn't bear to see Rao Yaoyao suffer the same "treatment" as himself.

This young girl had grown up right before his eyes.

She had just achieved Sainthood today, and one could say her life's journey was only just beginning.

Young people are different from old ones, after all!

"Give her a chance..."

Yan Wuse knew it was impossible, but he couldn't help saying it. "This emperor can give up anything. Use my life to exchange for hers..."

"Your life already bought my confession, and I've already paid the stakes for this equal transaction in advance, Yan Wuse. Are you the type to break your word?"

Water Ghost cut him off sharply.

Yan Wuse's already weakened face turned even paler.

At this moment, he had nothing left to offer as an exchange—not even his life was his own anymore.

"Enough, Yan Wuse. You're not some savior."

"Your self-proclaimed justice can't save the world's disasters, and fundamentally, you don't have that ability."

"If I were you, I'd stop right here. Say any more, and even I'd find it annoying!"

Water Ghost glanced at him coldly, not pausing his actions.

Accompanied by Rao Yaoyao's cries, the Ban Sheng position slowly emerged from her head and fully floated into the air.

Here it comes!

Xu Xiaoshou's heart tightened.

He could see the cold glint in Water Ghost's eyes.

Though most of the Xu Kong Island scheme was his doing, Xu Xiaoshou knew full well he never had the power to directly confront a Ban Sheng—it was all about stalling, pulling strings, and using others as weapons.

Naturally, he lacked the means to end it all and forcibly stop the island's events. But Water Ghost could!

And he really dared to!

He could even strike directly at Rao Yaoyao!

"Water... Yu Mo! Have you gone mad? Do you even know what you're doing?"

Yan Wuse watched as the person before him raised the Yu Hai God Halberd and couldn't help shouting.

Water Ghost grew annoyed, sneered, and glanced dismissively:

"Yan Wuse, are you truly foolish or just pretending to be naive?"

"Really think I lack the courage to face anything beyond Ban Sheng?"

"As long as someone comes down from the Heavenly Ladder, I wouldn't dare act and would just surrender?"

"If so, why would I need to escape my cage and leave Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain?"

Yan Wuse's pupils dilated.

This guy... he intended to oppose a Saint Emperor?

He must be insane!

But Water Ghost was right—if he lacked the courage and trump cards to face a Saint Emperor, and if Ba Zun An didn't either...

How would they dare to resurface?

How would they dare to so easily show themselves, set up this Xu Kong Island scheme, and harvest Ban Sheng positions?

"Urghhhh—"

In the water ink lines, Rao Yaoyao's body convulsed, her screams unending, her pitiful state heart-wrenching to hear and tear-inducing to see.

Yan Wuse suddenly closed his eyes.

His mind flashed through scenes at lightning speed...

There was the girl on the sacred mountain, dancing gracefully amid falling osmanthus and floral scents;

There was her in the council hall, plucking golden osmanthus to make pastries and showing off her cooking skills;

There was her under the Nine Sacrificial Osmanthus, sweating profusely, clutching her long sword with a stubborn expression...

So many memories!

It wasn't just about Rao Yaoyao.

It was even more about the bright future Yan Wuse had imagined—the beautiful scenes that every family and household on the Sheng Shen Continent should have.

The light of spiritual refinement couldn't illuminate the entire continent, but at least, before dying, he should preserve this beauty, right?

Yan Wuse opened his eyes, filled with pain, a mix of helplessness and complexity:

"Sorry, I have to be a villain this time..."

He was greedy.

His life needed to save one more person.

With a hiss, in the pouring rain, it was as if something ignited on Yan Wuse, flames flickering as they rose.

He had lit his own destiny, his future, his entire lifespan!

At this moment, Yan Wuse no longer held any hope of survival—he had abandoned that long ago.

But what he wanted was Rao Yaoyao's future; it couldn't remain just a dream!

"Sacred Image, Light of Spiritual Refinement!"

He shouted to the sky, his dying eyes reflecting a dazzling golden glow in a final burst. Behind him emerged a massive, purely radiant sun, shining overhead and dispelling the gloom and chill brought by the rain.

At this point, Yan Wuse's realm had fallen to Tai Xu, his state extremely weak.

To even make a move, he had to summon his own Sacred Image.

—This image, meant for nurturing the next generation, had now become his own light.

"Water Ghost, stop now. Don't anger those above!"

The dying Light of Spiritual Refinement endured the agony of his body's decay, sighing softly as he suddenly struck.

From his palm flew the nine supreme divine artifacts: the Feng Yuan Spear!

This was Yan Wuse's final trump card!

As long as the Feng Yuan Spear could strike Water Ghost, even if just grazing his skin, everything related to the path of spiritual refinement would be sealed.

With Water Ghost's abilities sealed, the water ink world and its lines would cease to exist.

Thus, Rao Yaoyao could escape.

He himself would surely fall!

But the freed Rao Yaoyao should seize that moment to break free from the drowning trap and escape the "dead sea," right?

The spear thrust forward, aimed straight at the skull.

Water Ghost tilted his head slightly, and the spear tip grazed past his ear.

Even a trace of its edge tore at him, but his ear transformed into water droplets, evading the attack before reforming.

The world fell silent.

Yan Wuse's spear missed!

He was so weak, while Water Ghost remained perfectly preserved.

He had to bear the pain of summoning the Sacred Image and sacrificing himself, whereas Water Ghost, ever the cunning schemer, was always on guard against the unknown...

This strike, filled with noble intentions, was never going to hit, so how could it create a miracle?

"I knew you'd play the villain."

Under the golden beast mask, Water Ghost's lips curved as his left hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly.

"Black Heaven Immortal."

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

All over Yan Wuse's body—where the rain had touched, which was everywhere—countless holes burst open.

Ink-black blood snakes pierced through his body, scattering in all directions before returning to stab back in.

Before the eyes of everyone on Xu Kong Island,

The flying ink formed a budding black water lily on Yan Wuse's body.

Finally, the flower bloomed fully...

But Yan Wuse's body had been pierced into nothingness.

Not a trace of flesh or blood remained; it was all scattered into dust.

Like that light—formless in arrival, substanceless in departure, sometimes dazzling, sometimes warm, leaving beauty behind but never carrying away the regrets of the world.

"Old Yan..."

On the ruins of the Sin One Hall, the hidden guests in their red robes all showed grief in their eyes. They understood Old Yan's choice and had foreseen his fate.

But when this moment truly arrived...

How could they accept it?

This was the Light of Spiritual Refinement that had once nurtured an entire era, trying to dispel the darkness across the continent!

He hadn't fulfilled his dream yet...

He hadn't brought the absolute justice that most in the Sheng Shen Hall dreamed of...

He was gone.

"Old Yan!"

"Yan Wuse!"

"Emperor Yan! Safe travels—"

In the drenching rain, countless people reddened their eyes, stepping forward and crying out toward the fading Sacred Image of the Light of Spiritual Refinement.

This scene even moved Xu Xiaoshou on the dragon's head.

Jiang Buyi died, and he felt no sorrow at all—good riddance!

But Yan Wuse's death weighed heavily on his heart. Though their stances differed, he could understand Yan Wuse.

Xu Xiaoshou furrowed his brows, gripping the dragon's horn and lowering his head.

"Long Bao, why am I feeling a bit sad?"

The Demon Emperor Black Dragon shook its head, emotionless: "The fall of a saint brings sadness to people. You'll get used to it. This isn't just a little dragon fight; it's a struggle for the Great Dao."

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned for a moment, his sadness fading somewhat.

That's right!

One general's success is built on ten thousand bones.

The battle for the Dao must involve blood.

Water Ghost had already said as much.

Not just him—all the high-level people he'd met with some experience, like Sang Lao, Ba Zun An, and even Long Bao...

The indifference to life in their eyes probably came from witnessing the essence of this world and enduring countless such "cruel" things.

"Stances, life, freedom..."

Xu Xiaoshou fell into deep thought.

He felt he had become quite cold-blooded, a far cry from his old self at Tian Sang Spirit Palace. Now, he began to question himself:

If the cruelty of the Great Dao struggle fell upon him or those around him, could he bear it?

Bit by bit, it disintegrated.

Like the world's hopes shattering piece by piece.

The spiritual refiners on the outer island sank into sorrow, while the ghost beasts on the inner island entered a frenzy—many had been captured by Yan Wuse himself.

At this moment, they wished they had more hands and feet to applaud even louder!

"Ah..."

"World, farewell..."

As Yan Wuse's body disintegrated, his spirit, will, and soul were all forcibly merged into the breaking Sacred Image. He exhausted his strength, shouting through the void and the Dao principles, as if trying to send his voice from Xu Kong Island to the Sheng Shen Continent, into Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain:

"Dao! Qiong! Cang!"

Directly invoking a saint's name was the ultimate disrespect!

But it could also alert a Ban Sheng!

Yan Wuse knew how formidable Dao Xiaozi was.

He must have calculated this situation. As long as his true name was invoked, he would sense that something major had happened on Xu Kong Island.

Striking Water Ghost with the Feng Yuan Spear was a long shot—Yan Wuse hadn't expected success. But this trump card wasn't meant to wound; it was guaranteed to draw attention.

An overt strike with the spear, a covert call to the saint.

That was Yan Wuse's real purpose, something he'd learned from Xu Xiaoshou's open schemes.

In his defeated state, he could do nothing else, not even save Rao Yaoyao...

Yan Wuse admitted that since arriving on Xu Kong Island, he had underestimated everyone.

Including Ba Zun An, Water Ghost, Xu Xiaoshou... and so on.

He regretted it.

He didn't regret it.

Since he couldn't do it, let Dao Xiaozi handle it.

"Life always has a moment when it reaches its end."

"Let the withering of the Light of Spiritual Refinement raise the banner of justice and awaken those dreaming in Gui Zhe!"

Water Ghost had been holding back his final hand.

He seized the Feng Yuan Spear the moment it lost its bloodline connection and claimed it for himself.

He could use either that spear or the Yu Hai God Halberd to strike the Sacred Image, and Yan Wuse would have no chance of revival!

But seeing Old Yan ignite everything to shout the saint's name, Water Ghost halted all actions and sighed with downcast eyes:

"Why go this far? He's already here."

As the Sacred Image shattered and life reached its final moment,

The scenes Yan Wuse could see were fading...

But he caught sight of a figure appearing where the Zhen Xu Monument had fallen after being knocked away by Xu Xiaoshou.

He no longer hid, no longer waited.

He stepped out openly, a smile on his face.

Yan Wuse cried and laughed; he could no longer speak.

He wanted to say: "Don't let everyone in the Sheng Shen Hall repeat my tragedy. Make them all wake up—Saint Slaves are not easy to deal with."

He wanted to say: "Beware of Xu Xiaoshou; he's more terrifying than Water Ghost. Water Ghost is today's nightmare, but Xu Xiaoshou is tomorrow's demon."

He wanted to say: "Everything I couldn't accomplish, the darkness I couldn't dispel—it's all up to you now."

He wanted to say so much more...

The Light of Spiritual Refinement had many regrets, but he couldn't say a word.

In that moment, he saw Dao Qiong Cang nod gently to him and bow in respect, honoring his choices completely.

No words were needed.

It was worth a thousand.

Yes, he was Dao Qiong Cang; I don't need to say more—he foresees everything...

As Yan Wuse closed his eyes for the last time, he saw Water Ghost under the golden beast mask lower his head and raise his spear in salute.

He saw many familiar spiritual refiners on Xu Kong Island pounding their chests, weeping, and standing solemnly.

He also saw the ghost beasts from the mirror world clawing at the barrier membrane, baring their teeth and celebrating wildly.

He hadn't understood why the inner island hadn't broken its seal even after Tian Ji Shen Shi's self-destruction.

But with Dao Qiong Cang there, Yan Wuse felt at peace.

It should be fine!

This was a young man who could put one's mind at ease!

In the very end, Yan Wuse saw the Demon Emperor Black Dragon high in the sky and the bewildered gaze from the winged black demon berserker giant on its head.

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

As the Sacred Image shattered, Yan Wuse's mind flashed back to the moment in the Abyss of Depravity when he blocked Xu Xiaoshou.

Wasn't that also a guide to death?

Perhaps you were right; the Three Images Prison is a safe zone.

"Life in this world..."