Chapter 405: Fallen and Reborn

As Jiyue finished speaking, he lightly waved his hand behind him, and a translucent, iridescent blue teleportation portal appeared out of nowhere. The mere act of this gesture, with powerful void elements rapidly converging, was enough to demonstrate the immense power of this soul projection from the Carefree Daoist Lord. Even some top-tier powerhouses who had just achieved godhood might not possess his level of mastery over void energy.

“This teleportation portal behind me has been set to a fixed coordinate,” the Daoist Lord said. “It will remain active for seven days. You, your teammates, or anyone else can attempt to pass through it, provided they are not afraid of death. Beyond this gate lies the real world.”

As the Daoist Lord spoke, he suddenly waved his hand lightly behind Xu Yang, simultaneously opening a path leading to a crimson abyss of purgatory. The vibrant blue represented the Gate of Life leading to the real world, while the purplish-red light behind Xu Yang symbolized the ultimate punishment of eternal damnation to the underworld.

At the same time, the spatial law power that had bound Wushuang and Xiaohua slowly ascended, hovering above this space.

“State your answer: one lives, one dies.”

Xu Yang gently closed his eyes.

Shura did not give any response. Everyone understood that at this moment, the fate of the two girls rested solely on Xu Yang’s words. However, no one could change the rules of this game.

“I said that this time in the illusory world, no one would be able to harm Xiaohua, not in the slightest!”

“Therefore, my answer is: leave Xiaohua.”

Perhaps it was an illusion, but for a fleeting moment, Xu Yang seemed to sense a tremor from the wraith. Perhaps Xu Yang’s answer had shocked the Carefree Daoist Lord’s soul projection.

Xiaohua cried out in agony, shaking her head. She absolutely did not want Xu Yang’s answer to be her, because if he did that, she would not only lose Wushuang but also condemn Xu Yang to a lifetime of suffering.

“No! Young Master,” she pleaded, “I am just your maid, I am not worth this.”

Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes, and with a gentle smile, he shook his head at Xiaohua. “I owe you too much. In my heart, you’ve never just been a servant, but one of the most important people to me, like family! Originally, I could have given you a better life, but now, I’m sorry, Xiaohua, I can’t.”

The restraints on Xiaohua were released, and she slowly floated to the ground. At the same time, Wushuang’s fate had also been sealed.

“The game is over! Face judgment.”

The wraith gently waved its hand. Under Wushuang’s feet, all power instantly vanished, and she began to freefall, plummeting towards the purplish-red hellish purgatory below.

“Shura,” the wraith said, “the task of getting them back is yours. We shall meet again.”

“What! Xu Yang, what are you doing? Don’t! If you die here, everything will be over!”

Xu Yang laughed, as if a great weight had been lifted from him. If he were to abandon Wushuang like this, then death would be the best reward for him. As he spoke, Xu Yang transformed into a streak of light and shot towards Wushuang, who was falling into the depths of the purgatory. He gently embraced her from behind.

“A-Yang, why are you so foolish?”

“Silly girl,” he replied, “how could I abandon you? I promised to take you with me out of this world. If I can’t do that, then let our souls be buried here forever. No matter what the future holds, I will always be by your side.”

And so, the two of them plunged into the bottomless depths of the purgatory...

“Bastard, you’ve ruined my successor.”

The soul of Shura, drawing power from the glow of the Shura Sword stuck in the ground, emitted an incredibly powerful aura. Meanwhile, the Empress, leading the others, arrived at the location one after another. However, when they saw the lone Shura Sword stuck in the ground and the powerful soul of Shura confronting the wraith Jiyue, everyone was utterly stunned.

Only the Daoist Lord’s soul projection, who had orchestrated all of this, seemed to be in a state of inexplicable bewilderment. “You… you truly gave me a third answer…”

“Daoist Lord,” Shura declared, “it seems the long-standing grudge between us will be settled in battle today.”

The Daoist Lord’s soul projection chuckled coldly and lightly waved his hand. “Let’s stop here. This is merely a game. How can it be our final battlefield? If you still wish to continue, I am ready when you are.”

The Daoist Lord vanished instantly, transforming into a streak of light. Before leaving, however, he took Xiaohua with him, away from everyone’s sight. His direction of departure was unmistakably the vibrant blue teleportation portal behind them.

“Oh my god, what on earth is going on?” Long Kun exclaimed. “What happened? Where are Boss and Wushuang?”

Long Kun, his face pale with shock, stared incredulously at everything around him. In fact, the lone Shura Sword stuck in the ground already spoke volumes. More importantly, the Empress found that she had also lost track of Xu Yang’s aura, and Wushuang’s as well.

Shura let out a helpless sigh. “This was Xu Yang’s fated choice. Wushuang was his ultimate answer. Xu Yang saved Xiaohua from that fellow’s grasp, but chose to descend into the netherworld with Wushuang.”

“What did you say?”

Everyone froze in place. The Empress, without a moment’s hesitation, was about to rush into the netherworld to help them both, but at that instant, she was blocked by Shura’s aura. Normally, Shura’s current state would prevent him from interfering with anyone else. However, a portion of the demonic source power within the Empress was also part of the Shura lineage’s strength, which allowed for the interference of Shura’s soul.

“Don’t get too agitated,” Shura explained. “You should be very clear about Xu Yang’s strength; it’s not easy for him to get into trouble. More importantly, even if you go down now and find him, you wouldn’t be able to help him in any way. The netherworld purgatory is simply not something at your level can touch.

“In my opinion,” Shura continued, “if Xu Yang and Wushuang successfully enter the purgatory space, it might not necessarily be a bad thing for him. That place is not covered by the Three Yuan Laws; it belongs to an entirely separate space-time. If they can survive in there, they will have another chance to return to the real world. In that place, free from the limitations of the Three Yuan Rules, they will also be free from the Carefree Daoist Lord’s schemes and control. This means Xu Yang will regain his peak power state, and all his suppressed energy and abilities from the Three Yuan World can be restored and used!”

Upon hearing Shura’s explanation, everyone’s restless hearts gradually calmed down. After all, most of them had now recovered their original memories, and they knew perfectly well what kind of existence Xu Yang was in the real world. He was a peak existence whose strength alone could repel the million-strong army of Northern Jin!

“Senior Shura, what should we do next?”

Shura looked at Long Kun and the rest of the team. “It seems your entire team has arrived. Given that, you should wait here quietly for seven days and seven nights. If Xu Yang and Wushuang do not return safely within seven days, then you should first return to the real world and await my news. Whether they live or die, I will give you an explanation.”