214: Chapter 213 What you've said isn't my weakness!

The final figure watched as Xia Jin actually broke free from the trial of Greed, a flash of surprise crossing its eyes.

"I didn't expect you to actually be able to withstand the previous two trials of Despair and Greed." Its voice was still exactly the same as Xia Jin's, yet it carried an indescribable sense of dissonance. "However, this is as far as you go!"

"By now, cracks should have appeared in your soul. This trial of Passion is one you cannot pass!"

Xia Jin's gaze became incomparably sharp, and a chilling killing intent surged from him toward the heavens.

He did not speak.

Or rather, he didn't want to say a single word to this disgusting thing.

He raised his right hand, and white flames instantly swept out, clawing directly toward the figure's head!

However, just like at the beginning, this strike of his still had no effect.

The figure didn't even dodge, maintaining that eerie smile while quietly watching him.

"It's useless. As I said, we exist within your heart. You cannot kill your own heart."

Xia Jin withdrew his palm, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Right then, the figure's body suddenly erupted with light, instantly enveloping Xia Jin within it.

"This time, you will understand what true Passion is."

Xia Jin felt the scene before him twist and change once more. When he could see his surroundings clearly again, he was already in a fairyland filled with the songs of birds and the scent of flowers.

But Xia Jin's gaze fell on what was ahead.

There, dozens of graceful figures were slowly walking toward him.

It was a group of peerless beauties.

Indeed, whether in terms of appearance or figure, they were beauties one could find no fault with.

Some were charming, some pure, some noble, some cold and elegant, some gentle, some naive... all kinds of styles and temperaments, as if all the beautiful women in the world had gathered here.

Every single one possessed a beauty that could topple cities and nations.

Every single one was enough to drive the men of the world wild.

Furthermore, the gazes these beauties directed at Xia Jin were all filled with deep affection.

However, Xia Jin glanced at the group of beauties and laughed.

That smile carried thirty percent mockery and seventy percent disdain.

"Hmph!" He gave a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over the slowly approaching peerless beauties without a single ripple in his eyes. "Only to this extent?"

"You might not know, but what this King cares about least is this kind of feminine beauty. If you want to seduce this King with beauty, you've miscalculated!"

Xia Jin's words seemed to affect the group of distinct beauties; they stopped, looking at Xia Jin with a hint of resentment in their eyes.

Yet at that moment, an ethereal voice reached Xia Jin's ears.

"This is only the beginning. Passion is not Lust."

"You will experience it soon enough."

"What the hell!?" Xia Jin's expression suddenly changed!

Because he discovered that those so-called peerless beauties actually vanished along with the voice.

The peach forest remained, the stream remained, and the falling petals remained.

But those figures enough to move any man's heart had disappeared without a trace, as if they had never appeared.

In their place was a single figure.

She stood deep within the peach forest, amidst the petals drifting through the air.

A plain white dress, hair like a flowing waterfall, and that face that Xia Jin was incomparably familiar with.

Leng Yuexi.

She stood there quietly, just as she always had.

Only, her eyes were filled with endless sorrow and... disappointment.

"Husband..." she spoke softly, her voice like a spring breeze, yet it made Xia Jin's heart tighten suddenly. "Have you... abandoned me?"

Xia Jin opened his mouth, only to find that he actually couldn't speak.

"I waited for you for a long, long time." Leng Yuexi lowered her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly. "But you never came."

"I..."

Just as Xia Jin was about to speak, he found the surrounding space twisting again.

Leng Yuexi's figure vanished.

In her place was another figure.

Su Xuanji.

She stood by the stream, barefoot, looking down at her own reflection in the water. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her clear eyes already wet with tears.

"Xia Jin..." Her voice carried a hint of disappointment. "You promised to protect me... but that day... why didn't you show up that day?"

Xia Jin's hands clenched unconsciously, and his breathing became rapid.

He knew this was an illusion.

He knew all of this was fake.

However,

Why?

Why did it hurt so much?

The surrounding scenes began to change frantically; every image was of someone he cared about.

"No..."

Xia Jin's body was trembling slightly. His Dao Heart, which had always been as firm as iron, was currently suffering a heavy blow.

Pain.

It was too painful.

It was even more painful than watching them die with his own eyes in the illusion of Despair earlier.

Because here, he was still alive, yet because of his "absence," they were forced to endure endless suffering.

"Passion..."

Xia Jin murmured to himself, finally understanding the meaning behind that figure's words.

Passion was never about simple feminine beauty.

Emotion is concern, it is a bond, it is those figures engraved in the deepest part of one's heart.

Desire is longing, it is reluctance to let go, it is the obsession to protect them and accompany them.

These things were more fatal than any beauty.

Because these were what he truly cared about.

Just then, that ethereal voice rang out again:

"Do you see? This is your Passion."

"Your concern for them, your reluctance to leave them, your responsibility toward them... all of this constitutes your weakness."

"You can ignore any beauty, and you can resist any temptation."

"But, can you cut them out of your life?"

"Can you let them go?"

"If you cannot, then..."

"You will never be able to walk out of this trial."

"No!! You're wrong!!" Xia Jin suddenly looked up, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. "What you mentioned are not this King's weaknesses, but the Sharp Weapons this King will use to tear apart your trial of Passion!"

...

Meanwhile, in the outside world.

Fan Wujiu and Zhan Wuji had gathered together once again.

Only this time, the two were looking at each other in bewilderment.

"I didn't expect this Xia Jin to go and brave that Demon Cave so quickly." Fan Wujiu held his wine cup, his brow furrowing slightly without him realizing it. "I thought he would listen to my advice and wait until he was one hundred percent certain before considering it."

Zhan Wuji sat opposite him and looked up, gazing toward those distant islands with a somewhat complicated look in his eyes.

"Now I somewhat believe what you said."

"Perhaps this Xia Jin really is stronger than me."

"Not just in terms of strength, but more so that kind of indomitable Heart-Nature."

He paused, then took a sudden, large gulp of wine.

"I... am not as good as him."

Fan Wujiu was quite surprised to hear this. "Hmph! It's rare to see a fellow like you personally admit to being inferior to someone else. Even back then with Jian Wuxin, you weren't willing to admit he was stronger."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Wuji's expression became somewhat strange.

"Jian Wuxin? Although he was very strong and could even suppress me, in a battle of life and death, the one who would lose would only be him."

"His life has been too smooth." Zhan Wuji's gaze became profound. "Born of noble status, gifted with extraordinary talent, becoming famous at a young age—it's been smooth sailing all the way. He has never experienced true Despair, never tasted true failure."

"Therefore, once he suffers a setback, it will be a devastating blow to him."

Fan Wujiu was silent for a moment, then nodded. "That makes sense."

Zhan Wuji set down his wine cup and stood up, looking into the distance.

"Perhaps..." His voice carried a bit of emotion. "It's also time for me to go and brave that Demon Cave."

Fan Wujiu's eyes flashed with surprise. "Hmm? I didn't expect you to have such a thought as well. It seems this Brother Xia has had a great influence on you."

Zhan Wuji didn't speak, just quietly looked into the distance.

After a long while, he finally turned around and said to Fan Wujiu with a smile:

"Over these years, we have all enjoyed this comfortable life too much."

"We've forgotten our original intentions."

"After I finish this period of secluded cultivation, I will also head to the Demon Cave."

Fan Wujiu looked at his old friend and suddenly smiled as well.

In that smile, there was anticipation and also a hint of stirring Battle Intent.

"Good." He raised his wine cup. "Then I'll wait to see what kind of self you can bring back from that Demon Cave."