Chapter 272: The Great Sorcerer – Seven Thousand Karmic Paths Already Determined
A gentle breeze blows, light rain drizzles; longing repeats again and again. Snowflakes fly in the air, mountains rise ten thousand feet high, and the Milky Way stretches for thousands of feet. Demons have no hearts, gods have no love. White cranes return westward, between the blue heavens and the netherworld—utter despair in the vastness of heaven and earth…
That year, that day—the intertwined fates destined a love story.
A beautiful beginning, an sad ending.
The sudden appearance of the otherworldly flowers stunned Liu Yi. The last tear was Pangu’s tear. In Liu Yi’s mind, this tear should have been the most elusive. Yet what happened next shocked him for a moment. Then, Liu Yi raised his head and looked at Pangu before him.
The giant’s resolute face twitched from time to time, his eyes slightly moist. The sudden change made Liu Yi shout loudly, “What? Even you have moments of regret?” Of course, even at the ends of the earth, Liu Yi already knew that Pangu’s tear was one of remorse. Though what happened was sudden, he still couldn’t help but shout in outrage.
The giant still remained silent. Liu Yi, unable to hold back any longer, flipped his right hand. With a whoosh, his black long sword was drawn, and a fleeting shadow appeared. In just an instant, Liu Yi was already in front of Pangu. The black blade stirred up a gust of wind, which suddenly stopped an inch away from Pangu’s forehead.
The wind from the blade lifted several strands of Pangu’s black hair. Liu Yi’s expression turned even angrier. “What? Do you want to die?” Pangu slowly raised his head. His sorrowful eyes were blurred. Seeing Liu Yi’s resolute face, he let out another deep sigh, as if coming from the distant horizon—profound and long-lasting, filled with regret and sorrow. Then Pangu said, “Kill me.”
Pangu’s words shocked Liu Yi. In his imagination, this enemy destined by fate could never say such things. Thousands of years ago, Pangu had been domineering, selfish, and heartless, wanting to get rid of him and casting a vicious curse on the celestial maiden to destroy their true love. Now, Pangu suddenly said such words—how could Liu Yi not be shocked?
But in the blink of an eye, Liu Yi’s expression returned to normal. His gaze turned fierce as he said coldly, word by word, “Fine. Since you want to die, I’ll fulfill your wish.” He raised his right hand, and the black blade descended without warning, without any sign.
The life and death of the giant Pangu suddenly became so fragile. Whether he lived or died depended entirely on Liu Yi’s decision. Yet, judging from Liu Yi’s expression and actions, there seemed no room for doubt. It seemed Pangu had been waiting for this moment all along. As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, he closed his eyes.
Just as the black sword descended, a pale yellow golden light suddenly burst forth from Pangu’s forehead and Liu Yi’s sword. With the sudden appearance of that pale yellow light, Liu Yi felt an indescribable sense of comfort around him. Amidst this comfort, he was unknowingly pushed backward by a tremendous force.
As the yellow light grew stronger, Liu Yi’s eyes suddenly blurred. Everything around him was covered by that yellow light at the same time, and his body was pushed back dozens of feet by the light, far away from Pangu’s body. This sudden change not only shocked Liu Yi but also restored Pangu to normal. He quickly opened his eyes and blurted out, “The Great Wise One.” As soon as Pangu spoke, a white light suddenly appeared between Liu Yi and Pangu, expanding continuously until it formed a wall-sized barrier between them. At that moment, a calm voice came from within the white light: “True Demon, you cannot kill him.” Though calm, the voice was deep and powerful, impossible to defy. Hearing that voice, Liu Yi seemed to recall something deep in his memory but couldn’t remember where he had heard it. Without hesitation, he said coldly, “Why… It’s been seven thousand years. I’ve been waiting for this day. Anyway, I must kill him.” The white light kept expanding and contracting repeatedly. After Liu Yi answered, the voice came from the light again: “Have you forgotten that you yourself were born from Pangu’s heart demon? If you kill Pangu, you too will disappear.” Hearing the voice from the white light, Liu Yi was stunned. Yes, the voice was right—he indeed was born from Pangu’s heart demon. If Pangu died, he would also vanish. But how did it know? A red glow flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes as he asked coldly, “Who are you? How do you know these things?” The white light continued to expand and contract, and then the calm voice came from within: “I am just a wandering observer. Long ago, the gods called me the Great Wise One.” After saying that, the Great Wise One continued, “True Demon, everything is already in the past. Pangu has repented. Why do you persist in pressing him?” Hearing the Great Wise One’s words, Liu Yi asked emotionlessly, “I’m pressing him? What has he done? Doesn’t he deserve punishment? The curse of the celestial maiden, the escape of the prodigy—does he think he can be so selfish just because he’s a creator god?” “What have I done? What I want is simple, but what about him? If you knew, I think he no longer deserves to be a god.” By this point, Liu Yi’s expression had become extremely ugly. Unnoticed, dark currents began swirling in the yellow space, circling around Liu Yi from time to time. The white light wall kept expanding and contracting, and then a kind voice came through again: “Yes, I already know everything he’s done. But he has already received his due punishment.” Hearing that, Liu Yi roared, “What is his due punishment?” The voice came from the white light once more: “Endless regret and the suffering of reincarnation.” “What?” At this point, Liu Yi could no longer contain his shock and blurted out in surprise.
The white light continued to answer, “Yes, just as you saw and felt with that tear earlier, he is now filled with remorse. If you kill him, he might be happier. Of course, he is no longer the supreme god of the heavens; a new messenger has taken his place, and he… will fall to the mortal world, cycling through rebirths out of remorse.” Listening to the voice before him, Liu Yi once again looked through the white light at Pangu across from him. Indeed, as he heard those words, Pangu’s eyes were filled with sorrow, seemingly signaling the beginning of another story…
At that moment, the voice in the white light spoke again, “Go, Pangu, and continue your cultivation.” As soon as those words were spoken, the yellow light beneath Pangu’s feet seemed to split open, and at the same time, Pangu’s massive body transformed into a blue beam of light, falling downward before disappearing.
Stunned by what had happened so suddenly, Liu Yi stood frozen. Seven thousand years of resentment vanished in an instant. He shouted, “Where has he gone? What have you done to him?” The familiar voice came from the white light again, saying, “In the mortal world… just like you, he will suffer the pain of reincarnation.” After confirming Pangu’s whereabouts, Liu Yi suddenly froze. Was it over? Just like that? Suddenly, Liu Yi pointed his long sword at the white light. At the same time, dark energy gathered around him, swirling around the black sword. Liu Yi said coldly, “How dare you dominate everything…” There was no change within the white light, and the voice remained calm and serene, saying, “No, no one dominates anyone; everything happens naturally…” Hearing the words of the great sage, Liu Yi became confused. Looking at the Lotus Flower that had been floating beside him, he asked, “If no one dominates, then what is this? Isn’t it all prearranged?” After saying that, he pointed at the Lotus Flower and questioned the great sage before him.
The white light continued to flicker, and then the voice inside spoke again, “That is not fate; it is merely a test. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to do it.” Hearing the voice in the white light, Liu Yi grew even more confused. Yes, this wasn’t fate. If he didn’t want to, he didn’t have to do it. So what was it then? Looking at the red flower floating beside him, Liu Yi suddenly remembered something and asked the great sage, “What about her? The celestial maiden? What will happen to her?” The voice of the great sage came through, saying, “As you wish. She can return to the divine realm, free from the suffering of reincarnation that lasts for thousands of years.” The voice remained as calm as before, devoid of any emotional tone.
Listening to the words of the Great Sage, Liu Yi asked with some disbelief, “Is this true?” This time, the Great Sage did not answer Liu Yi’s question immediately but paused for a moment before continuing, “Yes, but… the curse of the Lotus of the Other Shore has been lifted, and you must now fulfill your promise from before.” Hearing the Great Sage’s words, Liu Yi hesitated for a while, seemingly thinking of something. Unconsciously, sadness appeared in his eyes as he said to the Great Sage, “May I see her one last time?” Inside the white light ahead, no sound came out. After Liu Yi asked, the white light flickered, its glow trembling, and a figure appeared before him. Without needing to identify her, that familiar figure, that long-lost face, made Liu Yi immediately recognize that the person before him was his beloved—the Heavenly Maiden.
White clouds surrounded them, a fire phoenix circled above, a gentle breeze stirred the falling flowers, and the sound of the River of Heaven flowed softly, reaching his ears. At that moment, the Heavenly Maiden wore a white silk dress, with white lotus petals drifting slowly around her. She gazed at the distant starry sky, her clear eyes seemingly lost in thought. Seeing this, Liu Yi could no longer hold back and stepped forward, reaching out his hand…
But at the same time, the scene before him trembled, and then a white light enveloped everything. The figure of the Heavenly Maiden disappeared, and the Great Sage’s voice came again, saying, “The Heavenly Maiden has returned to the divine realm and forgotten you.” Hearing the Great Sage’s words, Liu Yi suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. Every word seemed like a blade piercing through his heart. His former lover would no longer remember him. Suddenly, Liu Yi felt that nothing mattered anymore. Neither the beginning nor the end held any meaning for him; that love was over.
Then, the voice from within the white light spoke again, “True Demon, your suffering over three lifetimes is over. The oath of the Lotus of the Other Shore was a punishment for your killings. The Heavenly Maiden has returned to the divine realm, while you will fall into the demonic realm.” The voice paused for a moment. Liu Yi said nothing, and then the Great Sage’s voice came again, saying, “Besides this, the demonic realm will appear as the fifth world in this space, and you will be its eternal master… Do you have anything else to say?” Looking at the flickering white light before him, Liu Yi shook his head. Suddenly, his mind went blank. Everything seemed unreal, unimportant. A thousand years of love and the curse of reincarnated suffering seemed to have lost their meaning. Suddenly, Liu Yi thought of July, of Ye Luobaihua, of Lan Yuchen, whose fate was uncertain. He would be sealed in the demonic realm from now on—what about them? What would these women who once loved him deeply do now?
Slowly, Liu Yi sheathed his long sword and asked the Great Sage before him, “What about them?” The Great Sage’s voice came again, “July and Baihua will ascend to the divine realm and stay by my side…”
Listening to the words of the Great Sage, Liu Yi nodded in satisfaction. Everything was over; a thousand years of events vanished in an instant. Facing the white light before him, Liu Yi said, “I have no more problems.” The Great Sage’s voice paused for a moment, then the white light flickered continuously. Soon, the figure of a celestial maiden appeared before Liu Yi, and her voice continued, “Take one last look at the one you love, and leave your words.” The celestial maiden still gazed at the distant galaxy. Seeing her white robes, Liu Yi suddenly smiled, then shook his head helplessly and said, “If she remembers me in her memories, she will be sad. So please, don’t think of me…” As he spoke, tears of sorrow once again fell from the corners of his eyes.
The yellow light gradually faded, and the space beneath Liu Yi’s feet cracked. Then, his entire body plummeted rapidly. The surrounding space became illusory and unreal, with a sense of emptiness enveloping the True Demon’s consciousness. Unconsciously, Liu Yi slowly closed his eyes, and the world once again fell silent. Watching Liu Yi fall, the Great Sage’s voice rang out, “The five realms will be redivided, and your story has just begun…” Under the night sky, the Eternal City was brightly lit. Outside the hall, a red-haired girl looked up at the sky. As a blue meteor fell, she innocently asked the old man beside her, “Grandpa, when will the Demon Lord return?” The old man shook his head and said, “Grandpa doesn’t know either. Go ask Uncle Wolf. Ever since Bai Hua left in July, everything here has been managed by the Wolf King…” In the Demon Realm—the Eternal City, thousands of miles away, atop icy peaks, inside a cave, the air was bitterly cold. Blue crystals reflected everything around them. On an ice bed lay a middle-aged man in black clothes with white hair. He had a handsome face, his eyes tightly closed, with a long black sword lying beside him. The entire ice bed was surrounded by a yellow light barrier. The man in black was none other than Liu Yi, who had been sealed in the Demon Realm by the Great Sage.
Beside the bed, a petite figure sat quietly, watching the person lying there. The girl smiled and said, “Just like this, quietly. I’ll stay with you, day after day. Chen Xing will never leave. I believe that one day, you will wake up.” Under the deep blue night sky, a gentle breeze blew, and countless petals fell from the Milky Way. Auspicious energy drifted around. The celestial maiden seemed forever lonely, watching the blue meteor falling in the sky. A voice echoed in her ears, “If she remembers me in her memories, she will be sad. So please, don’t think of me.” The celestial maiden stood there for a moment before suddenly asking the maid beside her, “Qing Xuan, did you hear someone speaking?” The maid shook her head and replied, “My lady, I didn’t hear anything.” With a hint of confusion, the celestial maiden continued to tilt her head and listen carefully. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past her, and the purple bell around her waist emitted a clear ringing sound…
The True Demon would forever remain trapped in the Demon Realm, never to wake again. The celestial maiden returned to the Divine Realm, forgetting the past. Bai Hua and July joined the Divine Realm, following the Great Sage. Lan Yu Chen Xing stayed by Liu Yi’s side.
In fact, this bond was like a play—two people were merely props, and the ending had long been predetermined…