Chapter 1384: Unblemished

The young Qilin blinked and asked, "What is it?"

Jiang Fan patted the grave beside him, a complex emotion appearing in his eyes.

"I used to be saddened and heartbroken by Ling Shu's death, once overwhelmed by regret."

"But was that because of the depth of my feelings for Ling Shu?"

"No, it wasn't."

"At that time, our bond was far from deep enough to cause such profound heartbreak."

"The reason I was sad..."

Jiang Fan lowered his head, glancing at the Nascent Soul in his dantian, feeling a faint ache emanating from it.

A deep understanding dawned in his eyes.

"In reality, it was because I couldn't accept the loss of those around me."

"I was afraid of being left with eternal regret."

"My efforts to marry Xu Youran, risking my life by testing poison to save Fairy Yunshang, and fighting the demon race to the death for the Nine Sects' land—all of it was to avoid leaving any regrets in life."

"I don't possess the grand compassion of a saint to protect everything."

"Everything I did was actually for myself, to ensure I had no regrets."

His eyes grew increasingly bright, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

"To leave no regrets—that is the path I have always been on!"

"Therefore, when I chose the path of guardianship, my heart hesitated."

"Because that was not my path."

At this moment, his heart felt lighter than ever before.

It was as if the mist obscuring his heart had completely vanished.

He retrieved the Heaven-Shattering Pearl again, a smile gracing his lips.

Without hesitation, he placed it in his mouth, then swallowed it gently, murmuring:

"Come."

"My Flawless Path!"

As the Heaven-Shattering Pearl entered his body, Jiang Fan's already refined Seven Aperture Nascent Soul cultivation naturally broke through.

The Eighth Aperture finally opened!

He had finally reached one of the most feared realms for Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

Eight Aperture Nascent Soul!

Jiang Fan didn't have time to savor the greatly increased power of his Nascent Soul.

His heart became exceptionally restless.

An uncontrollable surge of madness began to spread within him.

He was about to enter a state of frenzy.

"Young Qilin, quickly leave, don't come near me for now!"

While still conscious, Jiang Fan urgently spoke.

The young Qilin, both worried and scared, hugged Jiang Fan's head once before teleporting away.

By this time, Jiang Fan's eyes were gradually turning red.

The clarity in his gaze was replaced by traces of madness.

He slowly stood up, staggering, and wandered aimlessly.

He occasionally looked up at the sky, then down at his feet, murmuring disjointedly:

"People often say that life is full of disappointments, much like the moon is often waning and rarely full."

"But who decided that? Why can't everything go as wished? Why must life have regrets? Why must there always be separation and death?"

"My time is short, only a glimmer of life remains. Why should I still be so concerned about so many things?"

"I want everything to go as wished; I want to live the rest of my life without regrets."

"If it's not perfect, I'd rather destroy it!"

At this moment, he completely succumbed to madness.

An indescribable aura of madness emanated from his body, spreading all around him.

Ling Shu's lone grave, with its damaged tombstone, exploded without warning, leveling the ground.

The withered flowers surrounding the tombstone all shriveled up.

Jiang Fan stepped onto the grass.

Wherever he walked, the withered grass decayed into mud.

Herds of cattle and sheep were swept by the madness; they ran away in panic. Only a lame old ox suddenly let out a tragic cry as its bones, starting from the broken leg, cracked inch by inch before exploding into a mist of blood.

Even the white clouds flowing across the sky… Anything imperfect was utterly destroyed.

Deep within Jiang Fan's mind.

From the peak of the Ancient Void Tree, whose top was unseen, a hoarse voice drifted:

"He actually embarked on the Flawless Path."

"Life is long; how can one leave no regrets at all?"

"Even gods sigh endlessly within the long river of time."

Hundred Flowers Valley.

Peach blossoms bloomed, and butterflies fluttered.

Beneath a peach tree, Priest Lingyin was holding a brush, writing with a faint smile on her lips.

Suddenly.

She sensed something, and her smile abruptly vanished.

The brush in her hand was slammed onto the table, splashing ink that ruined the calligraphy she had meticulously written.

Her peerless face, usually devoid of joy or sorrow, actually showed a hint of anger.

"How could he follow the Flawless Path?"

"Flawless, flawless... Demon Moon killed so many humans in Jie Shan, which is a flaw in his heart."

"Sooner or later, he will kill Demon Moon to appease the spirits of Jie Shan and mend that flaw!"

"Who taught him to walk this path?"

Her beautiful eyes shifted, looking towards Jiang Fan's direction, filled with both anger and helplessness.

Taicang Great State.

Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

The Grand Sacrificial Libation stood in the air, hands behind his back, gazing towards the continent.

His brow slightly furrowed:

"To reach the end of this path, one would surely need the means to reverse time."

"Whose life is without regrets?"

"If there are truly regrets, how can they be mended without reversing time?"

Just then.

From the island of Divine Weapon State, intense spatial fluctuations erupted.

Two burly men, bare-chested with dark red skin, carried a pitch-black, ten-foot-long giant sword towards him.

"By our master's command, we deliver the supreme spirit sword ordered by the Grand Sacrificial Libation."

The Grand Sacrificial Libation withdrew his gaze, letting it fall upon the black greatsword.

His eyes gleamed with surprise as he remarked, "No wonder your master anticipated this; he used that extraterrestrial meteorite to forge a spirit artifact."

The original agreement was for a month.

However, it was delayed for several days beyond expectation.

This was the first time that formidable artifact refiner had ever been late.

"Our master said this might be his last time forging a supreme spirit sword, and since it was at the Grand Sacrificial Libation's request, he used that mysterious meteorite for its creation."

"Our master also said that this meteorite inherently contains malevolent properties, and those who cannot control it should not use it, lest they suffer a backlash."

The Grand Sacrificial Libation nodded slightly: "Indeed, it is a malevolent sword."

"But that is not important."

"If a righteous person uses a malevolent technique, the malevolent technique also becomes righteous."

"If a wicked person uses a righteous technique, the righteous technique also becomes wicked."

"A sword is merely a tool; whether it is righteous or evil depends on the wielder."

The two men set down the black sword, clasped their hands, and took their leave.

The Grand Sacrificial Libation closed his eyes, sensing the black sword, and said: "It lacks a sword spirit."

"This sword is highly malevolent; only a vengeful spirit could withstand its power."

"Finding a suitable sword spirit won't be easy."

Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

Fairy Yunshang wiped away a trace of fragrant sweat, withdrew her divine ability, and said, "Xiao Yun, let's end our sparring here for today."

"Take your time to digest what you've learned; it will benefit your cultivation."

Nangong Xiaoyun smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Sister Yunshang."

As she watched Fairy Yunshang depart, the smile on Nangong Xiaoyun's face faded, replaced by a hint of guilt and complexity.

Suddenly, she seemed to sense something.

Her eyes flickered, and she quickly returned to her secret chamber.

After closing the stone door, she set up a soundproofing barrier.

Only then did she carefully take out a piece of wood carved with intricate patterns from her embrace.

It was a rare Soul Nurturing Wood.

This was a precious spiritual wood used for nourishing souls.

At this moment, a fist-sized soul spiraled out from the wood.

Upon closer inspection, it was astonishingly Chen Jing's soul!