Chapter 271: Reclaiming the Golden Dragon – Flowers and Leaves Growing Together in Symbiosis

The golden dragon across from him emitted low roars from time to time, while Liu Yi had also pushed his strength to its limit. With blood-red eyes fixed on the golden dragon before him, six beams of light of different colors swirled around the black sword. Liu Yi was well aware that he must defeat this golden dragon at all costs; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to see Pangu, let alone speak of Pangu’s tears.
At this thought, Liu Yi’s heart was filled with joy and hope. Though the golden dragon before him was extremely powerful, if he could defeat it, he would be able to see Pangu. And the Otherworldly Flower only needed one last tear to lift the curse. What kind of feeling would that be? The thought made Liu Yi even more excited.
Just as Liu Yi was lost in thought, the golden dragon began to move. As it circled in the air, the white snow fell faster and the wind blew more violently, turning the entire space silver-white in an instant. The intense storm mixed with the snow made Liu Yi’s vision blurry.
At the same time, an ice ball was shot out from the golden dragon’s mouth, surrounded by purplish-red flames, heading straight for Liu Yi’s body. Without hesitation, Liu Yi flipped his right hand, and the black sword left a trail of light in the snowy world. With a loud shout, a beam of black light shot forth, surrounded by six beams of light of different colors.
With a loud crash, the beam of light collided with the ice ball fired by the golden dragon, like a thunderbolt falling from the heavens, turning the sky dark. But this wasn’t the end. As the massive ice ball continued to move violently, purple flames mixed with blue-white lightning shot out from different angles and directions.
Red light flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes as he tightly gripped the hilt of the black sword. Six beams of light swirled around the long sword. As he spun around, he raised the sword, and as it descended, the six beams of light shot out instantly, transforming into six dragon shadows that, with roars, devoured the purple flames and lightning fired by the golden dragon.
With another roar from the golden dragon, its entire body soared into the sky, and white snow covered everything around it in an instant. Liu Yi turned his right hand, and the black sword returned to its sheath with a clanging sound. Looking at the golden dragon disappearing into the sky, he said to himself, “Trying to run?” As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his right hand into a claw shape. At the same time, countless streams of black energy rapidly gathered in space, resembling thin threads that were drawn into his hand.
The snowy world collapsed instantly, replaced by endless darkness. The black energy swirled around him, and a smile slowly appeared on Liu Yi’s face. This was a skill he had acquired after gaining dark power—Dark Space.

Liu Yi’s Dark Space is a power only true demons can possess. He can use his dark energy to create his own dark world in a short time, where he is the true Demon King, able to control everything with immense power. Of course, after creating this world, Liu Yi also loses a considerable amount of mental energy.

Surrounded by black mist, the world seemed to be sinking into chaos, back to the beginning when everything was simple. The hurricanes in the darkness became gentle, and the falling snow disappeared without a trace. In the darkness, the most prominent sights were Liu Yi’s floating white hair and the golden dragon soaring in the air.

Liu Yi tightly gripped the sword in his left hand and said coldly, “Let’s see where you can run.” In the darkness, his long robe was swept up again, his white hair fluttering chaotically. High above, the golden dragon’s gaze was no longer arrogant; instead, it was filled with fear—a long-forgotten sensation: death. For the first time, it faced the Lord of the Demon Realm, and all it could do was flee or resist.

Indeed, the golden dragon seemed unwilling to be trapped in this dark world. It opened its mouth wide and sent several bolts of multicolored lightning toward the top of the Dark Space, seemingly trying to make a final stand and break free from this darkness. Here, it could only sense death and fear.

But those white lightning bolts vanished like a river flowing into the sea. After a brief flash, there was no sound left in the darkness. Looking at the golden dragon circling in the air, Liu Yi smiled coldly, “You have no choice. If you obey now, perhaps everything will become easier. Otherwise… this sword will become your grave.” Although Liu Yi hadn’t heard the golden dragon speak from the beginning, he knew that such a divine dragon, after thousands of years of cultivation, could definitely understand his meaning.

Sure enough, as soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, the golden dragon’s body floated in the air for a while, seemingly calmer, but only for a short time. Then it let out a deafening roar, its blood-red eyes fixing on Liu Yi once again. In an instant, a blue-white light radiated from around its body.

In the entire Dark Space, the most visible figure was the golden dragon, but the most mysterious and powerful being here was the enigmatic Shadow Demon Lord, Liu Yi. Since the formation of the Dark Space, Liu Yi’s entire body seemed to have melted into the darkness, with only faint traces of his presence visible, as if they had substance.

The golden dragon unleashed its power again. As it circled, the blue-white light spread out to both sides. At the same time, two beams of light left its body. Along with the flashing blue and white lights, several white bolts of electricity appeared out of nowhere, illuminating everything around the golden dragon. At the same time, the sound of a phoenix’s cry rang out, and with the intensity of the blue and white lights, two golden phoenixes suddenly appeared in the air.

A sharp cry rang out, and the golden phoenix fluttered its massive wings, unleashing scorching flames that burned everything in the dark space. With the appearance of the two phoenixes, they quickly began to spin around the golden dragon. As their speed increased, the black space was illuminated by the flames like daylight, and the surrounding air seemed to be roasted, emitting a burnt smell.

Yet, when the flames reached three feet in front of Liu Yi, they suddenly stopped, as if encountering an invisible barrier, unable to move forward an inch. Looking at the golden dragon circling in the air, Liu Yi’s expression remained unchanged, but his voice was as cold as ice as he spoke slowly, word by word, “Is this your power? The divine dragon that guards the Sky Realm?” The moment Liu Yi finished speaking, the two phoenixes emitted two shadows each, carrying intense flames that seemed determined to melt everything, shooting straight toward Liu Yi…

Liu Yi moved slightly, and with a swish, his black long sword emerged from its sheath once again. He gripped it tightly with his right hand and raised it high at an angle. As the black sword light flashed, several dragon roars were heard, and six divine dragons of different colors suddenly appeared on the black ground beneath Liu Yi. These six dragons coiled around, guarding Liu Yi’s body from six different directions.

At the same time the six divine dragons appeared, the shadows emitted by the two phoenixes collided. Without any sound, the fierce flames vanished as if evaporated. Then Liu Yi shouted, “Transform.” As soon as the word left his mouth, he flipped his right hand, causing the black sword blade to spin and create beautiful sword patterns in the air. At the same time, a blue-white dragon rushed straight into the sword blade.

Instantly, a layer of blue-white mist surrounded the black sword blade. As the mist appeared on the blade, the flames, which had been three feet away from Liu Yi, seemed to encounter their natural enemy and quickly extinguished. By the center of the space, Liu Yi smiled coldly and said, “This is true dominance.” After saying that, the black sword blade flipped again, and as the sword patterns continued, dozens of sword afterimages, along with the blue-white mist, stretched out dramatically—tens of feet long—and reflected light, sweeping toward the two phoenixes circling in the air.

The blue-white ice river carried a chilling aura, as if freezing time and everything in its path. As this aura reached them, two mournful cries were heard, and the flames were instantly extinguished. The two golden phoenixes turned into wisps of smoke and disappeared into the black space. With another swish, Liu Yi’s black long sword returned to its sheath.

Gradually, the entire black space became simpler and clearer. The golden dragon circling in the air emitted blood-red light from its eyes, staring at the figure in the darkness—Liu Yi. At this moment, Liu Yi’s figure also became clearer in the darkness. His white hair was faintly visible, his body slightly bent, his right hand firmly gripping the sword hilt, always ready to draw the sword at any moment.

The sorrowful wind, like souls abandoned in darkness, let out pained moans as it passed through Liu Yi’s black robe. Slowly, Liu Yi raised his head. His blood-red eyes, filled with sorrow and power, stared at the golden dragon circling in the sky. Liu Yi’s voice gradually came through as he said, “It’s time to end this. Because of me, you must disappear.” As soon as he finished speaking, the space beneath Liu Yi was swiftly swept by a hurricane. Countless dark energies gathered around him. At the same time, Liu Yi’s body jolted upward as he leaped into the air. As he aligned himself parallel to the golden dragon, a red glow flashed in his eyes. He gripped his sword with his right hand and said, “If the ‘Four Sorrowful Styles’ represent the sorrow of a sword, and if this sorrow has persisted for seven thousand years, then shouldn’t it end now? Or perhaps I can turn this sorrow into power and deliver the fatal blow to you.” The black figure stopped spinning in the air. At the moment it reached parallel alignment, Liu Yi moved his right hand slightly. With a swish, his long sword drew forth. A black light seemed to become a new horizon, intersecting with the golden dragon’s body. At the same time, Liu Yi’s body turned into a blur, piercing through the dragon’s body with the sword’s light.

Without stopping after executing the first move, Liu Yi’s black sword continued to spin. Five black sword beams, ending at Liu Yi’s blurred figure behind the golden dragon, rushed forward swiftly. With each flash, a divine dragon appeared. The five black shadows instantly pierced through the golden dragon’s body. With a clear clang, followed by the sound of metal clashing, Liu Yi’s black sword returned to his waist. Meanwhile, Liu Yi’s figure behind the golden dragon slowly stood upright, while the other Liu Yi in front gradually disappeared.

Everything happened so suddenly, yet it seemed entirely inevitable. Liu Yi slowly turned around, gripping his black sword with his right hand as he rose to his full height. With a mournful cry from the golden dragon, a burst of golden light surged forth. The dragon’s body slowly vanished, eventually turning into a wisp of golden mist that flew straight into Liu Yi’s black sword.

The dark space returned to calm. The vast world was left with only Liu Yi’s solitary figure. A hurricane swept through, causing his white hair to flutter gently. Then, the surrounding dark energies gradually split apart, spread out, thinned, and merged with the air around him. In the blink of an eye, the world around him returned to normal—sunny skies, blue seas, auspicious clouds, all filled with a sense of good fortune, as if the fierce battle had never taken place.

Liu Yi slowly tied his sword to his waist, then habitually grasped it with his left hand, murmuring to himself, “Only the last Wild Dragon remains…” Gazing at the setting sun in the distance, he was filled with awe. The thousand-year fate, driven by time, was finally coming to an end.

Looking up at the sky, Liu Yi shouted loudly, “Pangu, come out…” His voice lingered for a long time, echoing at the edge of the sky, repeating his words over and over.

At that moment, a purple lightning bolt descended from the clear sky. The bolt ignited a celestial fire that rushed straight toward Liu Yi below with astonishing speed—far beyond what a flying fire stone could achieve. As the purple lightning appeared, Liu Yi abruptly raised his head. In that instant, a red glow flashed in his eyes, followed by a cold smile.

With a whoosh, a black sword beam shot out silently toward the celestial fire. As the beam passed, the flames in the sky seemed to be cut in two as if they were tangible. What was meant to fall on Liu Yi’s body split apart and landed on either side of him.

His left hand still held the black long sword at his waist, while his right hand hung naturally. The entire process of drawing and sheathing the sword—complete with the brief flash of black light—happened in just one motion, without even a sound. Then, with his body turned slightly, Liu Yi spoke in a cold voice, “Pangu, come out. All these years have passed—do you still need to hide?” His voice carried far, echoing through the clouds and lingering for a long time. As the words repeated, a hurricane gradually arose, and the surrounding space changed once again—though this time it wasn’t Liu Yi’s dark space. The deep blue sky was quickly enveloped by gray clouds, with thunder rumbling in the distance…

As the thunder grew louder, a white lightning bolt split the sky. After it disappeared, a giant appeared before Liu Yi. His white battle robes were wrapped in silver armor, and his right hand held a mighty axe. His deep gaze fixed on Liu Yi as he spoke in a calm yet low voice, “You’ve finally come.” Liu Yi looked at the giant and smiled coldly, “Pangu, stop pretending. Haven’t you been waiting for me all along? Haven’t you always wanted to kill me? Haven’t you always wanted to prove that you’re the strongest god in the world? For these reasons, you’ve done anything—greed, selfishness, every human emotion—you possess them all.” For some reason, Pangu’s sudden appearance seemed to remind Liu Yi of many things. Under such thoughts, he couldn’t analyze his own emotions and simply voiced what came to mind.

It turned out that the giant standing before Liu Yi was none other than the god who created the world—Pangu, the ruler of the divine realm seven thousand years ago and the supreme god of all deities. Yet now, he no longer exuded the same majesty as before. His distant gaze held endless sorrow, and even though he held the mighty axe, he lacked any aura of a king.

On the other hand, Liu Yi wore black clothes, his white hair flying, with a black long sword at his waist. His movements were effortless, his eyes filled with the intensity of a avenger, his bitterness hidden beneath the signs of age. The pain of seven thousand years of reincarnation and resentment merged completely into each other’s emotions at that moment of eye contact.

Occasional gray-space hurricanes swept through, and once the dust settled, sighs became especially clear, as if expressing the helplessness of the world. Faced with the true demon’s questions, Pangu continued, “It’s all in the past. All causes and effects were already determined; it’s not something I can change at will.” Pangu’s words were brief, yet they seemed to hold deep mysteries, beyond comprehension.

Looking at the expressionless Pangu before him, Liu Yi seemed even angrier. He shouted, “Laughable… Is this your explanation? Karma? You’re a god! Do you even believe in that? Can’t you control everything? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll threaten your position? Don’t you want to kill me?” “Seven thousand years have passed, and now you’re talking to me about karma? Do you think you’re pitiful? Where is that goddess? The goddess of the divine realm—what about the tragic fate you created for her? Three lives, three ages, endless cycles—all determined by your words. Is this really your explanation?” Liu Yi’s voice grew louder and louder until it turned into a roar… In the silence, Liu Yi’s questions could still be heard in the distance. But now, Pangu’s giant head was lowered, silent and speechless, becoming quiet under Liu Yi’s accusations. And so, time passed in silence, unknown for how long.

Suddenly, there was a faint “tick” sound. Then, Liu Yi felt a faint red glow emanating from around his body. Within that glow, a bright red, illusory flower floated in the air. As the “tick” sound faded, the flower before Liu Yi finally sprouted its ninth tender green leaf.

Surprise, shock—various emotions surged through Liu Yi’s mind. The nine drops of tears representing the nine kinds of suffering finally gathered together, and the curse of the flower was instantly lifted. The flower and its leaves once again grew together in Liu Yi’s hands…