97: Chapter 97 The Road That Must Be Traveled

She saw Ye Yuan drinking alone under the moon in the dead of night countless times.

He would mutter to himself, facing an empty wine glass across from him.

He spoke of his guilt toward Zhao Feng, his indignation at the corruption of the imperial court, and his confusion about the road ahead.

He was indecisive his whole life, yet when it came to protecting her, he never once hesitated.

Finally, she "saw" the conversation in the Sword Prison that determined the fate of Ye Yuan and Su Chen.

Ye Yuan's voice was calm and resolute.

He dissected his lifelong cultivation, his clear sword soul, and even the origin of his life, using it all as resources to reshape Su Chen's physical body.

From beginning to end, Ye Yuan knew how she felt about Su Chen.

Everything he did,

was done when he could not have the best of both worlds between righteousness and private affection.

It was to gamble on an uncertain future and find a reliable pillar of support for her, his daughter who was not his own.

And when Su Chen said the words, "I promise you," Ye Jingjun felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Su Chen was originally a powerful, carefree sword soul.

To put it bluntly,

with his cultivation, even if Ye Yuan and she were killed by the Penglai Sect and all the people of East Lai Prefecture were refined into demonic energy,

it would not have affected his ability to command the wind and rain in the Great Ning World in the slightest.

But right now,

Su Chen had agreed.

This meant that this mysterious sword soul had voluntarily given up his near-eternal life for a promise.

He had embarked on a dead-end path of burning himself to illuminate others.

And this path was paved for her.

She must walk it to the end.

The final scene of the memory,

was the smile Ye Yuan gave her from across endless space and time before he dissipated.

There was no regret, no sadness.

Only a calm sense of relief,

and a trace of apologetic tenderness that belonged to a father.

"Jingjun, I'm sorry, Daddy has lied to you for so many years."

"When Old Zhao got married, I was still laughing at him, wondering why we swordsmen, who are supposed to be carefree, would create things to hold ourselves back."

"I was never prepared to be a father."

"But Daddy wants to say this."

"Although you are not my own flesh and blood, Daddy has never regretted... being your father."

The power of the light orb dissipated, and the torrent of memories receded.

Ye Jingjun opened her eyes abruptly, gasping for air.

Her delicate body trembled violently; she could barely catch her breath.

It was not because of sadness, nor because of anger.

It was a numbness and suffocation caused by being ruthlessly crushed by a love and sacrifice so immense and heavy that it was unbearable.

The heroic death of her biological father, Zhao Feng.

The forbearance and ultimate, resolute sacrifice of her adoptive father, Ye Yuan.

And Su Chen.

The man she loved most, for her sake,

had nonchalantly taken on the short-lived power and heavy responsibility exchanged for eternal life.

All of this,

was like an invisible heavy hammer that smashed the world she had built over the past dozen years into pieces,

and then forcibly reshaped it amidst intense pain.

She was not Ye Yuan's biological daughter.

Su Chen was not an omnipotent master from outside the world.

He had paid an unimaginable price for her.

This seemingly peaceful world had long since rotted to its core.

It needed someone to overthrow it and rebuild it.

This was also the path she had to walk.

After a long time, Ye Jingjun slowly raised her head.

The tear stains on her face had not yet dried.

But in those eyes that were originally clear and even carried a bit of naive stubbornness, something had quietly vanished.

The thing that vanished is what people usually call innocence.

She raised her hand and wiped the tear stains from her face fiercely.

The Heartless Sword in her body also quietly transformed in an unpredictable direction.

Deep within her sword intent, besides the obsession for Su Chen that had long since sprouted and was now even more surging and fervent,

there was an even more resolute obsession.

The grand ambition to overthrow the corrupt Great Ning and return a peaceful world to the common people.

This was her karma.

It sprouted in the carriage heading to East Lai Prefecture and took root from what she saw and thought within the city of East Lai Prefecture.

Finally, catalyzed by Ye Yuan and Su Chen,

it bloomed completely.

As a sword cultivator, this would also become the second greatest obsession in her life.

The greatest obsession could only be realized after this one was achieved.

That was to obtain Su Chen.

To possess him completely and repay him.

Even if it meant defying the heavens, she would extend his life.

This obsession was like the most powerful catalyst.

Her aura began to climb steadily in the silence.

Fourth Realm Initial Stage, Fourth Realm Middle Stage...

Fifth Realm Middle Stage, Fifth Realm Peak...

Ye Jingjun's aura soared until it reached the level of a Sixth Realm martial artist before it stopped.

Moreover, it was not just her cultivation that had improved.

Her understanding of the sword had improved even more terrifyingly.

She stood up and walked to a simple bundle in the corner of the cave.

Inside were some sundries that Ye Yuan had prepared for her before he left.

When she escaped from the city of East Lai Prefecture, she had brought these things along.

She rummaged through it for a moment and took out a neatly folded set of clothes.

It was a bright red battle robe that clearly did not fit her usual style of dress.

The material was extremely exquisite, embroidered with intricate patterns.

It looked both dashing and imbued with an inviolable majesty.

Judging by the size, this garment was not originally suitable for her.

But coincidentally, when her sword heart underwent its second awakening just now, her body had also happened to undergo a second growth spurt.

She had transformed from a young swordswoman into a stunning Female Sword Immortal with a full chest and long legs.

Perhaps this garment was a gift Ye Yuan had prepared long ago, hoping she would wear it on some important occasion,

but he had never been able to give it to her personally.

Ye Jingjun did not hesitate at all, shedding her dust-stained plain white dress and changing into this fiery red battle robe.

Her figure was tall and straight, like a red plum blossom standing against the snow.

Her ink-black long hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and strands of hair brushed across her beautiful side profile in the wind.

Between the slits of the red robe, her two legs were straight and rounded.

It could be called the Creator's most perfect masterpiece.

The current Female Sword Immortal,

not only looked heroic but also possessed the softness and allure of a woman.

Her bright red lips contrasted with her red attire, possessing a heart-stopping, devastating beauty.

"Father, your dying wish, your daughter has accepted."

"And Master Su..."

"Since you have given up eternal life for me, I will use the rest of my life to accompany you in burning this filthy world to ashes."

Before the words had faded, the red robe fluttered, and the stunning woman had already vanished.

...

At the same time, the Penglai Immortal Sect.

This place had already turned into a living hell.

Su Chen hovered above the main peak, dressed in white, as pure as snow, without a speck of dust.

He had stopped.

He had truly stopped.

Even Su Chen himself did not expect that he would be so powerful now.

He had not even fully utilized the terrifying power that could split the heavens and crack the earth.

He had merely used his understanding of the Sword Dao to slightly draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Wherever his will moved, sword energy would spontaneously arise.