Chapter 207: The Heart of Murder – Demons Reign, Swords Rule

The fish said to the water, “You can’t see my tears because I’m in the water.” The water replied, “I can feel your tears because you’re in my heart!”
There is a kind of longing called yearning, and a kind of love called fairy tale.
That longing is written in stories because it can never happen, and that love appears in fairy tales because it doesn’t exist in reality. Yet, such love stories are nine parts imagination and one part reality—but that one part of reality can shatter ten parts of love…
…
As the dragon shadow appeared with the power to destroy everything, all the red ghost shadows were once again shattered into pieces of snowflakes that fell to the ground. But Liu Yi did not stop. His target was not these ghost shadows; his real goal was the guardian ahead, whom he intended to destroy.
Liu Yi’s 12th-level technique, “Lanerfina Qing,” provided him with an endless supply of formidable true energy. Once again, he channeled that powerful true energy into “Sorrowful Dream” and summoned the Dragon Flame. As the purplish-red light flashed, an intense heat radiated from Liu Yi’s body around his sword, condensing like a tangible force that distorted and warped the space around him.
Seizing the opportunity at the moment of using “Formless,” Liu Yi moved swiftly, creating a gust of cold wind. Then, he stopped three zhang away from the guardian. As Liu Yi stopped and retracted his sword, the purplish-red light arced across the guardian’s body before disappearing.
Liu Yi had no confidence in killing this guardian. Needless to say, like those ghost shadows, it was fearless—even if shattered, it might still survive. Therefore, Liu Yi specifically summoned the most formidable Dragon Flame, hoping to use its intense heat to melt and eliminate the guardian.
As the purplish-red light appeared on the guardian’s body, the intense heat spread rapidly around it, burning the surrounding air and distorting the space. As the Dragon Flame’s fierce heat spread, the guardian’s entire body began to crumble. Then, under the influence of that heat, the snowflakes that had fallen instantly melted into water and then turned into air, disappearing without a trace…
Normally, with Liu Yi’s powerful true energy, using two techniques in a row should not be a problem. But from the beginning to now, his sword had been drawn countless times. Especially after using the highly energy-consuming “Sorrowful Four Forms,” followed by the fierce “Formless,” and then summoning the Dragon Flame with his strong true energy, his cultivation technique, which could already hardly reach the 13th level, was now struggling to sustain itself. As he used advanced sword techniques continuously, his breathing became rapid, and he felt a hint of fatigue.
Watching the red guardian melt into water and evaporate into air, Liu Yi felt slightly relieved. The Dragon Flame’s heat was extremely fierce. Now that the guardian was completely destroyed, it would surely not revive. After thinking this, Liu Yi seemed to shed a weight off his heart and walked over to Ye Luobaihua.

Ye Luobaihua, with an injury on her leg, managed to stand up. Seeing Liu Yi’s somewhat pale face, she asked in her pleasant voice, “You’re very tired, right?”
Liu Yi smiled gently and replied, “It’s fine. My mental technique is amazing; it can help me recover in just a short while.” What Liu Yi said was true. One of the wonders of ‘Lanerfina Qing’ was its ability to constantly absorb the chaotic energy in space and turn it into its own, thereby continuously enhancing one’s vital energy. Even though Liu Yi felt tired now, he would surely recover within half an hour.
Ye Luobaihua nodded, then looked around, seemingly puzzled. “I feel so strange. Do you think… that guardian is really dead?”
Liu Yi also glanced around. The blood-red light reflected off the snowflakes, which were falling rapidly. At the same time, cold winds blew everywhere, bringing feelings of sorrow, loneliness, and indifference. Liu Yi frowned and said, “That can’t be right. With the power of Dragon Flame, everything can be melted—not to mention ice and fire; even rocks can be melted. And we clearly saw that guardian turn into water and evaporate into the air, disappearing completely…”
Ye Luobaihua nodded and continued, “Yes, but if that’s the case, then if the guardian of this prison is dead, everything here should have disappeared. Why… why hasn’t anything changed? And I feel really uneasy.”
Liu Yi pondered for a while before saying, “If… the guardian isn’t dead, then everything can be explained, right?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Luobaihua’s body trembled slightly as she asked urgently, “Are you saying that guardian wasn’t killed?”
Just as Liu Yi was about to speak, that eerie, ghostly voice came from somewhere again, mixed with the cold wind and blood-red flowers, making things even more terrifying. The voice said, “Do you think I’ll die? This entire world is me. Because there’s a world, there’s me. I can appear in any form, while you only have one choice… to end everything and sleep forever here or die in your dreams.”
After all, this was a nightmare Ye Luobaihua had had before. Now trapped in it with no way to wake up, she naturally felt scared. She glanced at Liu Yi and asked, “It really isn’t dead. What should we do?”
Liu Yi instinctively gripped his sword with his left hand, scanning the surroundings carefully, and said slowly, “Change what can be changed, accept what can’t. Be ourselves and rely on ourselves.”
Ye Luobaihua listened to his words, seemingly deep in thought, and remained silent. Just then, that eerie, unpleasant voice came from all directions again. “Very well, then I’ll force you to accept what you can’t change.” After that, the voice seemed to be carried away by the cold wind, and there was no sound left. Everything returned to its previous abnormal state.

The cold wind grew increasingly fierce, disheveling Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua’s hair. Red snowflakes also began to fall everywhere in chaotic patterns. That sense of loneliness, indifference, and eeriness struck them once again. The space in the distance started to warp, as if everything was setting the stage for what was about to happen. A terrifying feeling overwhelmed Liu Yi—something born from years of experience, the calm before a storm that made it hard to breathe.

Liu Yi gripped the hilt of his sword, “Sorrowful Dream,” even tighter with his left hand. Turning to Ye Luobaihua, he said, “Be careful. I feel… this time is very dangerous.”

Ye Luobaihua looked around, sensing something strange about the surroundings but seeing no danger. She asked casually, “How do you know?”

“Intuition,” Liu Yi replied while observing their surroundings.

Just as he finished speaking, something eerie happened. The cold wind became violent, and the snow on the ground rose into countless whirlwinds. Red whirlwinds mixed with the snowflakes, spinning rapidly before suddenly stopping. In an instant, Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua could hardly believe their eyes—the whirlwinds had turned into red ghostly figures.

In an instant, the entire space was filled with thousands of red ghostly figures wielding long swords, approaching Liu Yi without any expression on their faces. When the view shifted to the sky, the two solitary figures below saw a sea of ghostly figures in the snow. Liu Yi was shocked and thought to himself, “Ten ghostly figures were already so troublesome just now. How can we deal with thousands of them? Even if we’re not killed right away, even if these ghosts don’t revive, we’ll still die from exhaustion here.”

Ye Luobaihua turned her right hand slightly and, with her left hand, drew out the ethereal “Floating Like” sword. Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua slowly retreated. At this point, even if they were skilled fighters, how could they deal with these endless immortal ghosts? Even if their vital energy ran out, it would be impossible to escape.

As she retreated, Ye Luobaihua said to Liu Yi, “It seems we’re in big trouble.” Her voice carried a hint of fear.

Liu Yi also retreated while saying, “Be brave. Since we have to face this, stop thinking about fear. It’s unnecessary—indeed, it’s a burden.”

Suddenly, Liu Yi stopped and turned back quickly because he noticed something even more terrifying—they had no way out. The high wall behind them seemed to move in an instant. What was once a distant barrier was now right in front of them. Liu Yi reached out and touched it, finding it solid. Shocked, he said, “This is all orchestrated by that guardian.”

At that moment, Ye Luobaihua also sensed another problem—there was a wall stretching to the horizon behind them, leaving no room to retreat. Meanwhile, the ghostly figures ahead seemed to know they couldn’t back away and kept approaching in rows. Though they moved slowly, more ghosts rose from the ground wherever they passed. Gradually, Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua were surrounded in an arc by these ghosts.

Ye Luobaihua’s expression was no longer tense at all; instead, it had become much more relaxed. Meanwhile, Liu Yi remained motionless, simply watching as those ghostly figures gradually approached. He was thinking of a way—fighting head-on would only exhaust both him and Ye Luobaihua, leaving them unable to escape this place. But what other method could there be to make those ghostly figures disappear and kill that guardian?

Ye Luobaihua looked at the ghostly figures before her and gently shook her head, saying, “I will definitely become myself again.” Those sudden words startled Liu Yi.

Liu Yi asked Ye Luobaihua, “What? Don’t you want to be trapped in this world?”

Ye Luobaihua replied, “If one spends their entire life wearing a mask of hypocrisy, what’s the point? What joy can there be? Even if she isn’t harmed, her heart will remain cold forever, unable to feel warmth. Perhaps she harms herself even more.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Yes, it’s good that you think this way. Hypocrisy will never bring happiness, for it’s all an illusion. But even one percent of truth can become beautiful, for it represents acceptance.”

Ye Luobaihua continued, still staring at the ghostly figures, “I still have to thank you. You’ve taught me so much. Maybe I need to be brave.”

Liu Yi didn’t speak, only nodded. At that moment, that shrill voice came again, saying, “Brave? Truth? Acceptance? You no longer have the right to choose. Here, I am the world; I am fate. You all will die. Your realization isn’t too late, but sadly… you’re in a dream, in my world.” The voice was unpleasant, but it finally carried a hint of emotion—emotion that seemed to carry a trace of anger.

A flash of light appeared in Liu Yi’s mind, and an idea struck him. What that voice had said suddenly gave him hope. It claimed to be fate, to be the world. If that was true, then he could treat it as a world. If it was the world, then he could split heaven and earth and destroy this world. With his bold reasoning, a slim hope emerged before him.

Liu Yi instinctively gripped the sword in his hand. To split heaven and earth, he needed to gather immense true energy—more precisely, to activate the “Heart of Murder” at the thirteenth level of “Lanerfina Qing” and summon the Four Divine Dragons. Although Liu Yi’s true energy was somewhat depleted, this method still held hope. But… the strongest true energy locked away would also be broken free, becoming uncontrollable. He might then fall into the path of darkness, never to recover, becoming a murderous demon king.

Ye Luobaihua saw that Liu Yi seemed deep in thought but gave no response. Curious, she asked, “What are you thinking? Will we die here?” Her voice was beautiful. Speaking of death, she seemed calmer, without the fear from before.

Liu Yi looked at Ye Luo Baihua and then said, “Perhaps I have a way. We won’t die so soon. Since it was my pursuit of restoring my eyes that dragged you into this, it’s my responsibility to protect you.” By now, Liu Yi had decided to break free from the iceencapsulation within him and use the powerful true energy of the thirteenth-level ‘Lanerfina Qing’ to kill this guardian. Though it was a hopeless attempt, he had to try—it was the only way to avoid complete despair.

Liu Yi paused for a moment before adding, “In a bit, I’ll use my strongest true energy to create a gap in this world. When I’m done, you must run over as fast as you can. No matter what happens, don’t stop or look back. Remember, as long as you leave here, you’ll be safe.” His plan was to prevent himself from falling into the path of darkness when activating the thirteenth-level magic. Rather than becoming a mindless killing demon king, he preferred to remain trapped in this dream forever.

Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Ye Luo Baihua suddenly grew anxious. For some reason, she could remain calm in the face of death, but his words filled her with fear. Was he asking her to leave alone? Ye Luo Baihua hurriedly said, “No, we came in together, so we must leave together.”

Liu Yi gazed at the ever-growing red ghostly figures moving ahead, gave a bitter smile, and said, “This world is full of helplessness. How can one have both fish and bear paws? Since we have no other choice, we must prepare for the worst. It’s my fault that dragged you here, so I must take responsibility for my actions. This is all I can do. Leave now. Find a way to wake up. This place isn’t yours.”

Ye Luo Baihua seemed agitated, her expression shifting slightly as she said, “No, it’s not your fault. I volunteered for this.”

Those words struck Liu Yi like thunder from the heavens, exploding in his mind with a loud boom. They felt so familiar, yet so painful to hear—filled with sorrow, helplessness, and perhaps even cruelty. Ye Luo Baihua’s words reminded him of July, the woman who had once been willing to give everything for him—a woman without regret, always supporting him. But where was she now? Even though he couldn’t love her, as death neared, Liu Yi’s heart was filled with regretful pain, all because of those words—“I volunteered for this.”

Liu Yi regained his composure and said, “No, you have to listen to me. Leave this place, leave this dream, and return to reality.”

Ye Luo Baihua looked at Liu Yi, her gaze firm as she replied, “No.” That single word carried countless meanings, expressing that her decision was unchangeable.

Liu Yi glanced at Ye Luo Baihua and said nothing more. He seemed to understand that refusal, so he didn’t insist. He had made another decision—no matter what happened next, he would get Ye Luo Baihua out of here.

Liu Yi held his long sword, pointing his right finger at the sky. In an instant, the wind grew cold and snow began to fall. With a surge of heroic spirit, he shouted loudly to the sky, “Very well! You claim to be this world, you claim to be fate itself. Then today, Liu Yi will split heaven and earth apart! There is only one kind of fate, but countless outcomes are possible. Let me accept what you say cannot be changed, and let me see whether fate can truly control all living beings!” His words were bold and magnificent, echoing through heaven and earth, striking deep into hearts. Thousands of ghostly figures immediately stopped moving, as if under some kind of pressure. At that moment, as they watched Liu Yi with his sword in hand, a hurricane arose, accompanied by red demonic energy from the sky, pressing down upon them. It swirled around Liu Yi like a vortex, as if the entire sky had changed for him. With the infusion of the 13th-level ‘Lanerfina Qing’ spiritual energy, Liu Yi’s eyes flashed red, his white hair fluttered wildly, and his black robes billowed. In that instant, the oppressive atmosphere gave the impression of “with my sword pointing at heaven and earth, I control fate itself.”

Ye Luo Baihua was somewhat confused by the powerful hurricane. Watching Liu Yi’s actions, a strange light appeared in her eyes. Then, as if she remembered something, she suddenly said to Liu Yi, “You have broken free from the frozen spiritual energy.” Naturally, Liu Yi’s momentum was unprecedented. Ye Luo Baihua had a vague memory of something similar on that day in the arena, but it wasn’t as intense as now.

Hearing Ye Luo Baihua’s words, Liu Yi did not reply. At that moment, the sense of killing that surged in his heart left him with no other thoughts. His slightly red eyes turned blood red. His black leather coat, along with his disheveled white hair, fluttered wildly, while dark red light emanated from his body, devouring everything around it. Without Liu Yi, in this world, demons reigned supreme, and swords embodied his will, overlooking all that lay before him.

Part 5, Volume 14: The Wandering Path of the Mortal World