107: Heroes don't shed tears, they only shed blood

【 Human Realm · Sin Ranch · Blackrock City Lord's Mansion · Blood Sacrifice Array 】

Crimson light, like viscous blood, completely submerged the entire altar.

In the air, countless wailing souls were pulled and torn apart by an invisible force of law.

They transformed into the purest resentful energy, surging madly towards the center of the altar, to the gate of ending that was slowly opening.

The aura seeping from the crack of the gate was not purely “ending” and “deathly silence.”

Instead, it was mixed with a hint of even more ancient, more savage, terrifying divine might, filled with greed and a desire to devour!

Chen Yuan stood alone, like a drawn sword.

Opposite him was the City Lord of Blackrock City, dressed in luxurious clothes, with a sickly, fanatical smile on his face.

“You have finally arrived.”

The City Lord spread his arms, as if welcoming a long-lost old friend, yet his tone was full of the playful mockery of a cat toying with a mouse.

“—Human Emperor.”

“My master has… been waiting for you for a long time.”

Chen Yuan’s pupils constricted slightly.

Master?

Not the God of Gluttony? Nor the Lord of the End?

“Whose dog are you?”

His voice was so cold it held no warmth.

“Dog?”

The City Lord seemed to have heard the funniest joke, clutching his stomach and laughing exaggeratedly.

“Hahaha! No, no, no, Human Emperor, you misunderstand. I am not anyone’s ‘dog.’”

He slowly straightened up, and in his murky eyes, there flickered an arrogance and indifference, belonging to a god, utterly unsuited to him.

“I am the most perfect ‘vessel’ for ‘master’ to descend into this world!”

“As for my master…”

A look of fanatical worship appeared on the City Lord’s face.

“He is an existence far more ancient and greater than those useless beings in the Temple of All Evils who only know how to scheme against each other!”

“He is the true ruler who will soon break the ridiculous shackles of 【Gods Not Descending to the Mortal Realm】 and reign over this ‘pasture’!”

“And this gate of ending is the ‘backdoor’ that ‘master’ prepared for himself!”

“The return of the Lord of the End has attracted the attention of all gods. No one would have thought that the real show would unfold here!”

The City Lord’s words, like bolts of lightning, continuously struck Chen Yuan’s mind!

He finally understood!

This was a shocking deception that targeted everyone from the very beginning!

An unknown ancient god, taking advantage of the Lord of the End’s disappearance, quietly stole a portion of the authority of “ending,” and used it as a “key” to try to bypass the restrictions of world laws and descend his true body into the Human Realm!

Once he succeeded, the entire Human Realm would completely become his personal “dinner plate”!

“Wishful thinking!”

Chen Yuan roared, no longer wasting words!

Although the seal within him suppressed ninety-nine percent of his power.

That supreme battle intent belonging to the Human Emperor, however, erupted at this moment!

Clang—!

The Holy Sword 【Wei】 let out a clear sword cry, and three-colored light flowed over the sword body!

“Just with you, a useless being who hasn’t even reached the Demon Transformation Realm?”

The City Lord curled his lips in disdain, not even bothering to act himself.

He simply snapped his fingers lightly.

“Kill him.”

In an instant, from the shadows around the altar.

Dozens of “Blood Sacrifice Guards” clad in blood-red heavy armor and wielding Soul-Reaping Blades darted out!

Each of them possessed strength comparable to the peak of the “Demon Transformation Realm”!

“Chen Yuan, be careful!”

The Sword Spirit Wei’s voice was filled with solemnity.

“Fight!”

Chen Yuan’s answer was only one word!

Facing the enemies surging like a tide, he did not flinch in the slightest!

His figure advanced instead of retreating, like a swift bird flying against the current!

“Sword of Sorrow · Tears of the Departed!”

The holy sword in his hand let out a mournful cry, like weeping and lamenting!

Visible gray ripples, filled with endless “sorrow,” instantly spread out from him as the center!

Those Blood Sacrifice Guards who bore the brunt of it suddenly froze in their movements!

In their minds, uncontrollably, the most sorrowful and painful memories of their lives appeared!

Some remembered their sacrificed wives and children.

Some remembered their parents who died tragically under the butchers’ knives of evil god followers.

The “evil aura” that should have been numb, actually paused for a moment in the face of this extreme “sorrow”!

Their eyes were no longer purely numb, but held a hint of struggle.

“Now!”

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Yuan’s eyes!

His sword stance suddenly changed!

From “sorrow” to “anger”!

“Sword of Wrath · Burning Heaven Fire!”

On the blade of the Holy Sword 【Wei】, blazing crimson flames ignited!

That was not mortal fire, but the “Fire of Humanity” ignited by the purest “wrath”!

It was wrath against this unjust heavenly dao!

It was wrath against the suffering of all beings!

It was monstrous fury against gods who regarded human lives as mere weeds!

“Slash!”

A ten-zhang long flame sword light swept out!

Those Blood Sacrifice Guards, still immersed in “sorrow” and unable to extricate themselves, had no time to make any effective defense!

They were cut in half by this sword light filled with the will of “destruction”!

Their bodies, along with their sturdy blood-red heavy armor, let out agonizing wails under the burning of this “Fire of Humanity,” finally turning into a handful of ashes!

Just two sword strikes!

Dozens of Demon Transformation Realm experts had all fallen!

If this feat were to spread, it would be enough to shake the entire Human Realm!

However, there was no joy on Chen Yuan’s face.

Because he knew that the real battle had just begun.

“Oh? A bit interesting.”

A hint of interest finally appeared on the City Lord’s face.

“To be able to integrate ‘emotions’ into the Way of the Sword. As expected of the Human Emperor who once made humanity briefly glorious.”

“It’s just a pity…”

A cruel arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Your era has long passed!”

As his voice fell.

His body suddenly underwent a bizarre transformation!

His skin began to resemble dry tree bark.

Behind him, eight blood-red segmented limbs, like those of a spider and covered in barbs, extended out!

A terrifying aura, far surpassing the “Evil Lord Realm,” erupted from his body!

“Let me show you the true power that ‘master’ has bestowed upon me!”

Boom—!

The City Lord’s figure instantly vanished from its spot!

The next second, he appeared behind Chen Yuan as if teleporting!

Those eight blood-red segmented limbs, like eight of the sharpest “divine weapons,” brought with them sonic booms that tore through the air, sealing all of Chen Yuan’s escape routes from all directions!

Too fast!

So fast that even Chen Yuan’s battle-hardened nerves could only barely catch a fleeting afterimage!

“Sword of Joy · Mirror Flower, Water Moon!”

Just at this critical moment!

The holy sword in Chen Yuan’s hand suddenly bloomed with a dazzling, seven-colored halo, like a dream or an illusion!

The City Lord’s attack, which was certain to succeed, directly pierced through Chen Yuan’s “body,” hitting nothing!

“Illusion?”

The City Lord was slightly stunned.

The real Chen Yuan had already appeared dozens of meters away from him.

His face was a little pale.

In that instant, he used the power of the “Sword of Joy” to create a perfect illusion filled with “happiness” and “joy.”

This allowed him to deceive the City Lord’s perception and narrowly dodge that fatal blow.

“A good tactic.”

The City Lord slowly turned around, his inhuman compound eyes filled with mockery.

“But the same trick won’t work on me a second time.”

“Moreover…”

He looked up at the gate of ending, which was already one-third open, and the smile on his face became even more sinister.

“Do you really think you still have time to waste here with me?”

“Every second you waste here, thousands of souls are swallowed by this grand array!”

“Listen…”

The City Lord spread his arms, listening with a look of ecstasy to the increasingly dense wails in the air.

“They are crying, they are shouting, they are despairing…”

“And all of this is because of your ‘incompetence,’ Human Emperor!”

“If you were a little stronger, a little more decisive, perhaps you could have saved them, couldn’t you?”

These heart-piercing words, like poisoned daggers, fiercely stabbed into Chen Yuan’s heart!

He could feel the blade of the Holy Sword 【Wei】 trembling slightly.

That was the sword spirit maiden feeling sorrow for the innocent souls that had perished.

“You deserve to die!”

Killing intent boiled in Chen Yuan’s eyes!

He no longer held back, pouring all the remaining power in his body into the holy sword!

“Three Souls United · Dawn of Humanity!”

Sorrow, wrath, joy!

Three completely different emotional powers, at this moment, perfectly merged together!

On the blade of the Holy Sword 【Wei】, an unprecedented, dazzling light bloomed!

That light was not blinding, not scorching.

Yet it was filled with a power capable of piercing through endless darkness, a power called “hope”!

This was the light belonging to “humanity”!

“Slash!!!”

A sword light that defied description suddenly lit up!

It seemed to become the only color in this blood-red world!

The smile on the City Lord’s face froze for the first time.

From that sword light, he felt a terrifying power capable of threatening his “divine soul”!

“Impossible!”

He roared, and his eight blood-red segmented limbs intertwined in front of him, forming the strongest “divine barrier”!

Boom—!!!

The sword light and the barrier collided with a thunderous crash!

A terrifying energy storm instantly swept across the entire altar!

The ground of the altar was forcibly scraped away by a layer!

The dust settled.

Chen Yuan knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, his face as pale as paper.

That sword strike had almost drained all his power.

And opposite him.

Although the City Lord looked somewhat disheveled, with fine cracks covering his eight segmented limbs.

He had, after all, blocked the blow!

“It’s over.”

The City Lord shook his slightly numb arm and walked towards Chen Yuan, step by step.

“I have to admit, you are indeed very strong. Unfortunately…”

“You were born in the wrong era.”

He raised his sharp segmented limb high, aiming it at Chen Yuan’s head.

“Farewell, last of the Great Emperors.”

However, just as he was about to deliver the fatal blow.

His movement suddenly paused.

He looked at the center of the altar with some surprise and uncertainty.

That was supposed to be the core hub providing energy for the gate of ending.

For some reason, the energy supply suddenly became extremely unstable!

“What’s going on?!”

The City Lord’s expression changed again.

Chen Yuan also forced himself to support his body and looked in that direction.

He saw that in the most concentrated area of the blood-red light.

A huge “heart” constructed by countless runes and chains was violently beating!

And at the core of the heart, a petite figure of a girl, riddled with countless energy conduits, was faintly visible!

Her body was so weak, so transparent.

As if a gust of wind could scatter her.

But from her body emanated an aura that Chen Yuan found incredibly familiar and incredibly heartbreaking!

That aura was so pure, so resilient!

Just like that snow lotus flower that quietly bloomed in the ruins of war a hundred thousand years ago… Boom—!!!

Chen Yuan’s mind was as if struck by billions of thunderbolts simultaneously!

His body trembled violently, uncontrollably!

That beautiful face, which he had sealed away for a hundred thousand years, and even thought he had long forgotten.

At this moment, it appeared before his eyes with incredible clarity!

“Master…”

A faint call, like a dream whisper, spanned a hundred thousand years and softly came from the core of that “heart.”

“Ning… Xue…?”

Chen Yuan’s lips trembled, uttering a name that even he himself couldn’t believe.

Ye Ningxue!

His eldest disciple, whom he had personally taken in a hundred thousand years ago!

She was the sole orphan entrusted to him by his best friend who died in battle!

She was his family, whom he had sworn to protect with his life!

Hadn’t she already perished in the final battle of the Heaven-Slaying War, self-detonating her divine soul to cover his retreat, and taking several evil gods with her?

Why… why was she here?!

Why had she become the… core of this Blood Sacrifice Array?!

“Haha… Hahahaha!”

The City Lord, seeing Chen Yuan’s distraught and almost collapsed appearance, burst into maniacal laughter again!

“It seems you remember!”

“That’s right! It’s her! Your most beloved little disciple!”

“She didn’t completely die back then. Her divine soul was merely shattered, falling into suspended animation.”

“‘Master’ discovered her ancient and rare ‘Innate Dao Fetus’ and placed her here.”

“Using the ‘life essence’ of a million lives from Blackrock City, he nurtured her for a full hundred thousand years!”

“She is the true ‘power generator’ of this city!”

“And now…”

A supremely cruel smile appeared on the City Lord’s face.

“Her ‘life origin’ accumulated over a hundred thousand years is about to become the… final sacrifice for opening the gate of ending and welcoming ‘master’s’ descent!”

“No… no!!!”

Chen Yuan let out a heart-wrenching roar!

An unprecedented regret and pain, like the most venomous curse, instantly engulfed all his reason!

He was wrong!

He was wrong from the very beginning!

He thought he was bearing the fate of humanity.

But he couldn’t even protect the person closest to him!

He let her endure a hundred thousand years of torment in this dark and desolate place!

“Ah ah ah ah ah!!!”

Chen Yuan’s eyes instantly turned blood-red!

He charged at the City Lord like a madman!

However, at this moment, he was already at the end of his rope.

While the City Lord was at the peak of his power!

Bang—!

With just one strike!

Chen Yuan was violently sent flying, like a kite with a broken string!

His body crashed through the altar’s railing, falling heavily onto the cold ground.

Pfft—!

A mouthful of fresh blood gushed out.

The Holy Sword 【Wei】 in his hand let out an unbearable wail, its blade covered in cracks.

“It’s over.”

The City Lord looked down at him from above, as if watching an ant about to be crushed to death.

Chen Yuan struggled, trying to get up from the ground.

But his injuries were too severe.

His consciousness began to blur.

Before his eyes, he seemed to see a hundred thousand years ago again.

The little girl who always followed behind him, with two braided pigtails, sweetly calling him “Master.”

“Master, Master, when I grow up, I’ll marry you, okay?”

“…Nonsense.”

“Master, Master, this sword was forged by me for you from extraterrestrial meteorite iron. Please give it a name, okay?”

“…Let’s call it ‘Ningyuan.’”

“Master, Master! Look how well I’ve practiced this move, ‘Falling Snow, Traceless’?”

“Master, after we drive away those bad immortals, will you take me to eat candied hawthorns from that shop in the south of the city, okay…”

“…”

“Ningxue…”

“I’m sorry…”

Chen Yuan reached out, trying in vain to grasp that small figure that was drifting further and further away from him.

“I’m sorry…”

“It was I… who failed… to protect you…”

“I’m sorry… my human compatriots…”

“I… once again…”

“—Lost…”

A hot tear of a hero silently slid from the corner of his eye.

His hand fell limply.

Consciousness was about to sink into endless darkness.