Chapter 267: The Choice Between Life and Death, Choosing Fate within Fate

Everything was black—pure darkness in this void where nothing could be seen. There was no sky, no direction; only endless darkness filled this space. Yet, within it, several blue figures sensed a growing sense of fear—Liu Yi’s sword.

Time passed slowly, and fear only intensified in their hearts. Liu Yi’s sword, like the death god of darkness, drew closer, inflicting pain upon their bodies.

Beside the blue figures, Lan Ren grew uneasy. While staying alert to his surroundings, he asked the blue figures, “Brother, are we going to die here? Is there no way out?” Of course, the anxious blue figures wanted to escape, but faced with Lan Ren’s question, they felt helpless. Indeed, this was something they hadn’t anticipated—this desperate situation was beyond their expectations. Their unease could no longer be concealed. After a long while, they still hadn’t answered him.

At that moment, Su Shao, who was next to Lan Ren, suddenly said, “This black space is actually a small world. Its power has enveloped everything around it, so the power of the Illusion Realm is useless here. If we want to leave, I think… there is still a way.” Su Shao’s words gave everyone a glimmer of hope. Lan Ren quickly asked, “What’s your plan?” Su Shao seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps the power of the ‘Heavenly Chapter’ can’t break through it, but my power is different from that of the ‘Heavenly Chapter.’ I can use necromantic power to create an exit in the darkness and get us out. But we must act quickly—very quickly. No matter where I create the exit, Liu Yi will discover it soon. Whether we can escape then depends on how fast we are.” Su Shao explained clearly, but everyone had different thoughts. If what he said was true, the few of them might not be able to escape. So as soon as he finished speaking, the four rulers gathered around him, realizing that staying too far away might mean they wouldn’t be able to get out.

Lan Ren replied, “Great! That’s wonderful. Then start now.” Su Shao nodded and paused for a moment, seemingly thinking. Just then, Liu Yi’s icy voice echoed through the darkness like a demonic blade, saying, “Very good. Really good, Su Shao. Do you think what you’re doing is worth it? If you create an opening in this dark space, you’ll be the last one to leave. Do you really think it’s worth it?” Liu Yi’s words were cold and full of sarcasm, but everyone understood—to create an opening here, Su Shao had to keep channeling power. So once everyone else left and no one continued to channel power to keep the necromantic force active, he would be trapped in this darkness forever or killed by Liu Yi.

Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Su Shao’s expression didn’t change much. Clearly, he had already thought this through; if it weren’t for Liu Yi bringing it up, it seemed he didn’t want to tell anyone. Lan Ren, standing beside him, seemed moved and asked doubtfully, “Does he mean you must stay here?” Su Shao nodded but suddenly laughed. There was no longer any boldness or straightforwardness in his smile—it was filled with sorrow. He continued, “It’s okay. I can stay here alone. You can go. Your brother will be fine too. Leave this place and never come back. You’re no match for him.” Clearly, Su Shao now seemed to understand more than he did before, having learned a lot from that selfless dedication.

Lan Ren suddenly shook his head and said, “No.” For some reason, as if without even thinking, those two words came out of his mouth.

At that moment, black air currents gathered in the black space, forming a vortex-like shape not far from everyone. As the vortex kept swirling, a black figure slowly appeared before their eyes. Just by looking at that black shadow, they knew it was the Death God of darkness—Liu Yi.

The black shadow, the black sword, the flowing long hair, and the blood-red eyes all conveyed a sense of fear from the darkness. The moment Liu Yi stopped moving, Lan Ying shouted, “Release it!” Instantly, twelve white light balls formed around Liu Yi, attacking him from different angles and positions.

With several “puff” sounds, the twelve white light balls struck the black shadow. This was Lan Ying’s “Heavenly Chapter,” yet it remained as mysterious as the darkness itself, delivering an unacceptable result for Lan Ying. The twelve blade-like light balls collided with each other as they entered Liu Yi’s black shadow, as if the shadow had no substance at all.

Then, as Lan Ying retracted his “Heavenly Chapter,” Liu Yi’s cold voice sounded again, laced with sarcasm, “What surprised me is that you’re also so naive. This black space can create new bodies for me at any time. Do you really think you can hurt me?” At that moment, Lan Ying seemed to have collapsed and shouted at Su Shao, “Use your power to create a gap! I need to get out of here!” His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. Meanwhile, Lan Ren stared at her brother with disbelief in her beautiful eyes.

Although she loved her brother deeply and was willing to do anything for him, in that instant, she wavered. If her brother left with her, Su Shao would die here. Liu Yi wouldn’t let go of this enemy. Though Lan Ren didn’t like Su Shao, after so much time together, she had grown accustomed to his presence. If he left suddenly, she found herself unaccustomed to it.

At the same time, Liu Yi’s voice came through the darkness once again, coldly saying, “Fine, Lan Ying, my emperor, I’ll give you one chance to choose—either leave or stay.” Clearly, Liu Yi now controlled the situation entirely with his own strength. He didn’t want Lan Ying to go, but another thought made him abandon his original plan. With his current power, he wasn’t afraid of Lan Ying, but there was someone else he had to be wary of—Su Shao. Simply put, Lan Ying didn’t understand this black space. Creating such a world required immense power, and the cost was unimaginable. So, if Lan Ying thought carefully and calmly, he would soon find a flaw here, even without sacrificing Su Shao. But at this point, Lan Ying was already in disarray and didn’t have the mental capacity to think further.

As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, Lan Ren insisted, “Brother, no—we can’t leave Su Shao here.” For some reason, although Lan Ren had once had an image of a man in her mind, she now couldn’t recall his face either. The choice before her made her reckless.

Lan Ying shook his head, glanced at Su Shao, then at Lan Ren, and said, “Don’t you understand? If he doesn’t open the exit, we’ll die here. Do you want to see your brother die here? Hurry and tell him to open the exit.” Lan Ying no longer cared about his promises. All he wanted now was to leave. Besides, Liu Yi had made it clear—that as long as Su Shao could open this space, they could go.

At that moment, Liu Yi’s voice came through the black shadow once more, saying, “Lan Ying, what are you still thinking about? You should understand that here, I can kill you at any time. Even with the protection of the ‘Heavenly Chapter,’ it can’t withstand the sharpness of the Demon Sword. This is my last chance for you.” Lan Ying shouted, “Fine, Demon Lord, remember your words. As long as I get out, I won’t spare you.” Liu Yi’s voice came through the black shadow again, “You were supposed to die here, but suddenly I don’t want to kill you. So, what you said is exactly what I want to say too. Your departure today, whether in heaven or on earth, will be your last struggle. Liu Yi won’t wait for you anymore. Get ready to face the sharpness of the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ Sword.” Clearly, Liu Yi’s words reflected his feelings at that moment. Finally, having inherited the power of the true demon and possessing a heart of darkness, he no longer needed to hide deliberately. It was time for him to decide his own path.

Liu Yi’s words were cold and devoid of emotion, each one piercing Lan Ying’s heart like a sharp sword. As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, Lan Ying’s eyes darted rapidly. Finally, his right hand flipped, and as it spun quickly, a large sword appeared before everyone’s eyes. But at the same time, the blade of the sword was already pressed against Su Shao’s neck.

Everything happened too suddenly and too fast, leaving no time for preparation. Even someone like Su Shao, with his high level of cultivation, never expected Lan Ying to attack him out of nowhere. At the same time, Lan Ren was surprised; she quickly grabbed Lan Ying’s arm and asked, “Brother, what are you doing?” In fact, Lan Ren was smart—she could tell his intentions the moment he drew his long sword. She just hadn’t reacted yet. As soon as Lan Ren asked, Lan Ying replied coldly, “Sister, I have no choice. If he doesn’t create an opening, none of us can leave.” Then she glanced at Su Shao.

Su Shao’s eyes held an emotion that was hard to detect. Perhaps that emotion was only meant for someone else. Finally, Su Shao turned his gaze to Lan Ren and said, “Your brother is right. If I don’t create an opening, everyone might die here.” Lan Ren shook her head violently and asked urgently, “What about you?” The moment she asked, Su Shao’s eyes became empty. Yes, what about him? With that thought, Su Shao swiftly swung his long sword, blocking Lan Ying’s blade with a clang. Then he slowly withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, “I shouldn’t have continued to exist in the first place. After all this time, I don’t even know what I am. I’m really tired. If I can help you leave this time, even if I die, it doesn’t matter.” Lan Ren suddenly became emotional. For some reason, Su Shao’s words made her feel sad. Yes, he had always been by her side, but she had overlooked something. It wasn’t until today, when he was about to leave, that she noticed his presence. For a moment, she had so much to say but couldn’t find the words. All she wanted was to stop him from leaving.

But at this point, Su Shao seemed to have made up his mind. He stared at Liu Yi’s black figure in the distance, smiling coldly, then took a few steps forward. Suddenly, his long sword spun rapidly and flew from his hand, plunging into the ground with a sharp sound. At the same time, it seemed as if Su Shao was muttering something.

As soon as Su Shao’s sword hit the ground, four green discs appeared rapidly around it. Green light shot out from those discs, and within that light, undead creatures rose from the ground, emitting mournful cries, before rushing upward to the highest point.

Su Shao’s hands continuously emitted powerful spiritual energy. The green aura drove those four green discs to spin rapidly around his sword. As the light condensed and green radiance spread, a green gate appeared in the black space.

While maintaining the existence of that light, Su Shao shouted to those behind him, “You can leave now.” The first to react to Su Shao’s words were Lan Ying and the four monarchs. Without hesitation, Lan Ying moved and entered the green light portal. He knew that in this dark space, it was his only way out. As he left, Lan Ying’s voice floated in the darkness: “Demon Monarch, with you there is no me; our struggle will never end.” In the darkness, Liu Yi shook his head, seemingly sighing. Lan Ying was right—they were destined from birth, and only one of them could survive. After this ordeal, Liu Yi would pursue Lan Ying as the ruler of the Demon Realm.

After Lan Ying left, it was the four monarchs of the Netherworld’s turn. The black space had filled them with too much fear. At that moment, Su Shao opened the portal of this space. Without further thought, they followed Lan Ying out of this terrifying place. In an instant, only Lan Bian and Su Shao, who was still maintaining the portal, remained. There was also a pair of blood-red eyes in the distant darkness.

After a while, Lan Bian remained motionless, as if standing there in a daze. Su Shao finally couldn’t hold back and said, “You should leave quickly. I won’t be able to hold on much longer.” Yet, Lan Bian showed no reaction.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but it seemed extremely long in this black space. Finally, Lan Bian regained his composure, shook his head, and said, “I’m leaving. Can you come out?” Su Shao shook his head, paused for a moment, and said, “Someone must stay to support this portal. In other words, one person must remain. You should leave now.” No matter whether the situation became easier or more complicated, Su Shao always wanted Lan Bian to leave. From the day they met, this girl had brought so much change to him. It was that feeling that transformed Su Shao into who he is today and enabled him to defeat the Nine Nether Demons, becoming the new Demon God.

But for some reason, Lan Bian still stood there in a daze, seemingly having forgotten the fear in this black space. As she was lost in thought, Liu Yi’s voice came from the darkness: “Lan Bian, you killed a genius. Normally, I shouldn’t spare you, but since Su Shao is willing to sacrifice himself, I’ll let only one of you two live. Choose for yourself.” Although Liu Yi said this, he had other plans in mind; otherwise, he wouldn’t have let Lan Ying go and kept Su Shao.

Hearing Liu Yi’s cold voice, Lan Bian seemed to regain some clarity. She rushed to Su Shao’s side and said urgently, “You leave. I’ll hold the portal.” Her voice was urgent but firm. As soon as she spoke, she sent her powerful vital energy into the green light.

Su Shao looked at Lan Ren, shook his head, and said, “I won’t leave. You go. If you stay in this dark space or die, then in that chaotic world, I too will have no reason to live, understand? I’m not afraid of your brother; he can’t threaten me. If I don’t want to open the portal, no one can force me.” Lan Ren listened while nodding, but the long-suppressed emotions gradually filled her eyes with tears. At this critical moment of life and death, her brother had abandoned her, while the one who stayed was this stranger yet familiar person. Suddenly, Lan Ren’s vision blurred. All this time, why? To serve her brother, to kill for him, to sacrifice everything for him. But today’s events made Lan Ren’s heart waver—was everything in the past really wrong?

Su Shao’s voice came again, saying, “Go find your brother. I’m just a stranger passing by. After some time, you’ll forget me.”

Lan Ren shook her head, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to speak. Finally, after a moment, her face returned to its normal expression, as if she had made up her mind in the darkness. She said to Su Shao, “You’re not at fault. You shouldn’t die. It was my brother who made the mistake, so it’s my duty to bear it. Let me stay here.” Su Shao shook his head, looked at Lan Ren, and said softly, “Don’t you understand yet? As I am now, I have no way back. Having been by your side all this time, being able to see you every day—I have no regrets. I’m not afraid even of death. But… if I leave here and go to a world without you, wouldn’t that be too lonely? I can live, but it’s not as good as dying.” At that moment, Liu Yi’s dark figure spoke again with a cold voice, “I can keep you both alive.”