I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

A crimson light spread from the Azure Lotus Sword, creeping up the hilt to Li Bai's arm, burning his skin wherever it touched. The voice within him grew louder, almost consuming his entire being. The illusion before him shifted again—he saw himself holding the blood-stained Azure Lotus Sword, standing in the palace square strewn with corpses, Yang Yuhuan in her wedding dress running towards him, the palace ablaze behind them. The scene was so real, so alluring, that his grip on the sword tightened. The sword vibrated more intensely, as if urging him to make a choice. Li Bai's breathing became heavy, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He swayed violently between the maddening temptation and his remaining reason, a blood-red halo beginning to appear at the edges of his vision.

"kill!"

A voice exploded from the depths of my heart, like a thunderclap splitting the chaos.

"Kill them! Take back everything that's yours!"

The illusion unfolds before my eyes, with every detail clearly visible.

Li Bai saw himself standing on a street in Chengdu, the Green Lotus Sword in his hand, its tip dripping blood. The two tattooed men were now a pile of mangled flesh, bones, entrails, and blood mingling and covering the entire sidewalk. Blood flowed along the curb, gurgling into the sewers. The air was thick with the stench of blood, mingling with the smoky aroma of barbecue stalls, creating a bizarre and nauseating smell. Passersby screamed and scattered in all directions; some fell to the ground, trampled, their cries of agony echoing through the air. Sirens wailed in the distance, and red and blue police lights flashed in the night.

He saw himself turn around and walk towards the black Santana.

The car door opened, and Yang Xiaohuan huddled in the back seat, trembling. She looked up, her face streaked with tears, her makeup ruined, her eyeliner smudged, leaving black marks on her cheeks. Her eyes were filled with fear, but as he reached out his hand, that fear slowly transformed into dependence, into…admiration.

"Li Bai..." she choked back tears and threw herself into his arms.

He could feel the warmth of her body, smell the lingering scent of gardenias in her hair, and hear her suppressed sobs against his chest. Her fingers gripped his clothes tightly, her nails almost digging into his skin.

"Take me away...please, take me away..."

Her voice was so fragile, so helpless.

A voice inside her was laughing maniacally: "See? This is what she truly wants! She needs you! She needs your power! Go! Go and kill all those who bullied her! Go and build a world of your own! A world where she is forever safe and forever happy!"

The illusion changes again.

This time, he stood in front of the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace.

The sky was an eerie dark red, like a blood-stained dusk. The palace was burning, its glazed tiles crackling and shattering in the flames. Thick smoke billowed, obscuring half the sky, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning wood, the stench of blood, and... a strange, almost peculiar, scent reminiscent of the embers of burnt sandalwood.

In the square in front of the palace, corpses were piled up like mountains.

The armor of the Imperial Guards reflected a dark red light in the firelight. Their corpses were piled up in various contorted positions, some still twitching, others already stiff. Blood pooled into streams, flowing down the white marble steps one by one, forming waterfalls of blood at the edges. In the center of the square, Gao Lishi's body was cleaved in two by a sword, his entrails spilling onto the ground. His eyes were still open, his pupils reflecting the burning palace.

Li Bai looked down and saw the Green Lotus Sword in his hand.

The sword had turned completely dark red, as if it had just been pulled from a pool of blood. Blood was still dripping from the tip, one drop, two drops, falling onto the white marble floor with a soft "tap, tap" sound. The lotus patterns on the sword writhed in the red light, as if they had come alive, the petals opening and closing as if breathing.

He looked up, gazing into the depths of the main hall.

Emperor Xuanzong slumped on his dragon throne, his robes disheveled and his crown askew. His face was filled with terror, his lips trembled, and he tried to speak but could not utter a sound. His fingers gripped the armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Yang Yuhuan stood beside the dragon throne.

She wore a bright red wedding gown, the phoenix embroidered in gold thread shimmering in the firelight. A phoenix crown adorned her head, its jeweled ornaments cascading down, swaying gently with her breath. Her face held no fear, only a…relieved peace. Her eyes looked at him, filled with a tenderness and…expectation he had never seen before.

She reached out her hand to him.

Her fingers were slender and fair, like jade carvings in the dark red firelight.

"Taibai..." Her voice was soft, yet it reached his ears clearly, "Take me away."

The voice deep within reached its climax: "Go! Take her hand! Kill that emperor! This world, this beauty, should rightfully be yours! You have power! You are a sword immortal! Why should you endure such humiliation? Why should you watch her fall into another's arms? Kill! Kill everyone who stands in your way!"

Li Bai stopped breathing.

He felt his heart pounding wildly, his blood surging through his veins like boiling magma. His hand gripping the sword trembled, not from fear, but from…excitement. A primal, violent excitement, a desire to destroy and possess everything.

A murderous intent surged from the depths of his heart, coiling around his reason like a venomous snake.

He wanted to kill someone.

He wanted to kill everyone who had hurt Yang Xiaohuan.

They wanted to kill everyone who had taken Yang Guifei from them.

I want to tear this world apart and reshape it according to my own will.

The Azure Lotus Sword vibrated more and more violently, the dark red light on its blade almost solidifying. He could feel the sword cheering, yearning, urging him to strike. With just one strike, he could shatter all the illusions before him, shatter those painful memories, and carve a path to "happiness."

He slowly raised his sword.

The sword tip pointed at Hanyuan Hall, and at Emperor Xuanzong of Tang on the dragon throne.

With just a wave.

if only……

Just then, a chilling sensation suddenly surged from the depths of my mind.

It didn't come from the outside, but from... himself.

It comes from that geological engineer who once wore black-rimmed glasses and a faded shirt, recording data from rock samples in the laboratory of Tianfu University of Technology.

"etc."

The voice was calm and rational, like the beeping of a sophisticated instrument in a laboratory.

"What are you doing?"

Li Bai's hand paused.

"You're fantasizing about solving everything with violence," the geologist's voice continued, as calm as if he were analyzing the chemical composition of a rock sample. "But can violence really solve problems, or will it only create more?"

The scene in the illusion began to change.

He saw that after he killed the two thugs, Yang Xiaohuan threw herself into his arms, but deep in her eyes lurked a trace of...fear. Not fear of the thugs, but fear of him. She looked at the pieces of flesh and blood on the ground, at the trampled pedestrians, at the flashing police lights in the distance, her body trembling slightly.

"Will she really be happy?" the geologist asked. "With a murderer? Living in constant fear, worrying about the police coming to her door, about revenge from her enemies, about losing control one day and killing her too?"

The scene changes again.

He saw Yang Yuhuan, dressed in her wedding gown, walking towards him after he had massacred the palace, but she paused as she passed the corpses. Her gaze swept over Gao Lishi's body, cleaved in two, over the twisted limbs of the imperial guards, and over Emperor Xuanzong's terrified face. A flicker of…reluctance flashed in her eyes.

"Will she really be happy?" The geologist's voice was like ice water. "Watching you kill so many people for her? Watching the palace burn, watching the world fall into turmoil because of your selfish desires? She was a kind woman. History records that she would face death calmly at Mawei Slope, not for herself, but to quell the mutiny, to... to save lives."

Li Bai's hands began to tremble.

It wasn't a trembling of excitement, but... a trembling of fear.

"And," the geologist's voice turned somber, "you know what's going to happen next."

The illusion shifted once more.

This time, what he saw was not Chengdu, not Chang'an, but... the entire world.

He saw An Lushan's iron cavalry break through Tongguan Pass, saw Luoyang fall, and saw Chang'an perish. He saw people fleeing in the flames of war, saw villages burned down, saw fields desolate, and saw corpses of the starving everywhere. He heard the cries of infants, the wails of the old, the screams of women, and the roars of soldiers.

He saw Mawei Slope.

Seeing the six armies remain stationary, seeing the angry faces of the soldiers, and seeing the knife in Chen Xuanli's hand.

He saw Yang Yuhuan standing in front of the Buddhist hall, glanced back at him, and then... wrapped a white silk ribbon around her neck.

"No!"

Li Bai roared out.

"Is this the ending you wanted?" The geologist's voice was as cold as iron. "You killed the emperor, you took the beauty, and then what? The world is in chaos, warlords are vying for power, the An Lushan Rebellion breaks out prematurely, or even more tragically. How many people will die? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Tens of millions? Will Yang Guifei survive? No, she will only die sooner, die more tragically, die in the chaos of war, die right in front of you."

"And you," the voice paused, "what will you become? A demon who slaughters all living beings for personal gain? A sinner who plunges the world into chaos? Your sword, your power, could have been used to protect, but you choose to use it to destroy?"

The Azure Lotus Sword in Li Bai's hand began to hum.

It wasn't an excited buzz, but... a painful buzz.

The dark red light on the sword began to fluctuate, like ripples on water. The writhing lotus patterns gradually stopped, and the petals ceased opening and closing. The drops of blood dripping from the sword tip became sparse, and finally... stopped.

"My sword..." Li Bai murmured.

"What is your sword?" the geologist asked. "Is it a tool for killing? Or a belief to uphold?"

Li Bai closed his eyes.

He recalled the words of the High Priest of the Western Mausoleum Kingdom when he handed him the Azure Lotus Sword in the Shu Mountain Secret Realm: "This sword is named Azure Lotus. It rises from the mud yet remains unstained, and is washed by clear ripples yet remains unblemished. It does not cut flesh and blood, but filth; it does not protect selfish desires, but clarity."

He recalled the first time he held this sword, the clear, pure sword intent he felt, as if it could cleanse all impurities.

He remembered his vow to use this sword to protect his loved ones and the principles in his heart.

But now...

He used this sword to fantasize about killing, about possession, about paving a selfish path with blood.

"I..." Li Bai opened his eyes, his eyes already wet.

The illusion before my eyes continues.

Yang Xiaohuan wept amidst pools of blood on the streets of Chengdu, while Yang Yuhuan reached out her hand before the burning palace. The figures of the two women overlapped and then separated in the flames and blood. They were both looking at him, their eyes filled with expectation and dependence, but even more so... pain.

They are in pain.

He suffers because of his obsession.

He was tormented by his madness.

Because his "love" brought them not happiness, but more disasters and tragedies.

Li Bai took a deep breath.

The air still reeked of blood, the smell of burning, and the scorching heat from that eerie, dark red glow. But he forced himself to calm down, using the rationality of a geologist analyzing rock samples and the objectivity of reading history books to examine everything before him.

"I understand," he said softly.

The voice was soft, yet like a clear spring, it broke through the barrier of the frantic screams in my heart.

"I understand your helplessness." He looked at Yang Xiaohuan in the illusion. "Your parents are seriously ill, you have nowhere else to turn, and you are forced to rely on Liu Han's group. The heartless words you said to me, the coldness in your eyes, were all an act for those thugs. The tears you shed when you turned away were the real ones."

Yang Xiaohuan's phantom trembled, and the fear in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of... relief.

"I understand your pain." He looked at Yang Yuhuan. "You were born into a noble family, yet you were not in control of your own destiny. You were chosen to enter the palace not because you craved power, but because your family needed you, because the imperial power needed you. Every day in the deep palace was an act, a performance of what a noble concubine should be like. The innocence and beauty in your heart were gradually worn away. In the end, you chose to die, not for yourself, but to... save others from dying."

The phantom of Yang Yuhuan watched him silently, tears streaming down her face.

"My love," Li Bai's voice became firm, "should not be your shackles."

He gripped the Azure Lotus Sword tightly.

The sword began to vibrate, but this time, the frequency of the vibration changed. It was no longer the frantic, bloodthirsty vibration, but a... clear and melodious vibration, like a lotus blooming in the morning dew.

The dark red light began to fade.

Like the tide receding, revealing the original color of the beach.

A bluish light surged from the depths of the sword, initially faint like a firefly, but quickly grew brighter and purer. The lotus patterns on the sword began to flow again, but no longer wriggling; instead, they stretched out, like a real lotus slowly blooming under the moonlight.

"My sword," Li Bai raised it, the tip pointing to his chest, "is not meant to create more tragedies."

He looked at the two women in the illusion and said in a deep voice, "My sword is for protection. To protect your smiles, to protect your peace, to protect... the lives you were meant to have, lives not controlled by fate."

"And if protection comes at a price," he paused, "that price should not be borne by you, nor by innocent people."

"I should take responsibility for this."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gripped the sword with both hands, turned the tip of the sword, and aimed it at his heart.

It's not really about stabbing in.

Instead, it targeted the burning, twisted fire of revenge and possession within its heart.

"cut!"

He gave a low shout and swung the Azure Lotus Sword down.

There was no sword light, no sword energy, no sound.

But everything in the illusion began to shatter.

Like a mirror struck by a hammer, cracks spread from the direction the sword tip pointed. The pools of blood on the streets of Chengdu, the burning palace, the mountains of corpses, Emperor Xuanzong on the dragon throne, the weeping Yang Xiaohuan, Yang Yuhuan reaching out her hand... everything shattered in the cracks, turning into countless fragments.

The fragments danced in the air, reflecting a bluish light, like a silent snowfall.

The roar in my heart turned into a shriek.

"No! You can't! That's your power! It's your desire! It's your truest instinct! Cut it off, and you'll be nothing! You'll become weak! You'll become pathetic! You'll lose them forever!"

Li Bai ignored it.

He closed his eyes, feeling the trajectory of the falling sword.

The sword didn't sever a physical object, but rather... an obsession.

It's the resentment I felt when I was stabbed to death in my past life.

It is the pain of watching Yang Yuhuan enter the palace in this life.

It is a sense of guilt and longing for Yang Xiaohuan that transcends life and death.

It's the madness to try to solve everything with violence.

It's that distorted illusion that possession equals love.

The sword fell.

It's very light.

Like a feather falling on the water.

But the burning flame in my heart... went out at that moment.

It didn't disappear completely, but rather... it transformed.

From a raging wildfire that consumed everything, it transformed into... a lamp.

A warm, bright lamp that can illuminate the way forward without burning others.

The violence, madness, and possessiveness within the flames were cleansed by the sword intent, leaving only the most essential element—love.

It is not possessive love, but protective love.

It is not love that demands, but love that gives.

It is not a destructive love, but a creative love.

Li Bai opened his eyes.

The illusion has been completely shattered.

He stood in pure white, surrounded by nothing but endless white. Beneath his feet was soft, cloud-like ground, almost imperceptible. The air was filled with a fresh scent, like that of a bamboo forest after rain. It was quiet, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat, steady and strong.

Holding the Azure Lotus Sword in my hand, the blade had completely regained its verdant color. The lotus patterns were clear and vibrant, flowing across the blade as if alive. The hilt felt warm to the touch, no longer scorching, but rather a… comforting warmth.

The voice in my heart disappeared.

They weren't wiped out, but rather... integrated.

It merged into his consciousness, became a part of him, but no longer held dominance, could no longer tempt him, and could no longer control him.

Li Bai felt a sense of clarity and emptiness in his heart.

The sky was like it had been washed with clear water—azure, clear, and without a single cloud.

His feelings for Yang Xiaohuan remained, as did his feelings for Yang Yuhuan, but they were no longer as heavy as before, no longer carrying the pain and obsession they once did. They had become...clear. Like a mountain stream, crystal clear, revealing the pebbles at the bottom, the swimming fish, and the reflected sky.

That feeling remains deep, even deeper than before.

But there is less prejudice and more understanding.

Less possession, more respect.

Less madness, more...compassion.

We have pity on their fate, pity on their lack of control over their own lives, and pity on their insignificance and powerlessness in the torrent of history.

His responsibility was not to forcibly pull them out of the torrent, but rather... to create a safe haven for them within the torrent, or to change the direction of the torrent.

"I understand," Li Bai said softly.

The sound echoed in the pure white space, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

"The word 'love' is not about severing it, but rather... bearing its weight."

"Take on the responsibility of love, take on the mission of protection, and take on the choices that must be made because of love, even if they are sometimes painful."

He raised his hand and looked at the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand.

The sword vibrated slightly, emitting a clear and melodious sword sound, as if in response to him.

"Thank you," Li Bai said to the sword, "for not letting me lose my way."

The sword rang out louder, its blue light swirling, and the lotus patterns on the blade emitted a soft halo.

Just then, the pure white space began to change.

The white surroundings were torn away like a curtain, revealing what lay behind. It wasn't the dark passageway from before, nor the bronze door, but... a new door.

This door is taller and heavier than the door to the tribulation of love.

The door frame was a dark gold, as if cast from pure gold, reflecting a cold and majestic light under a light source of unknown origin. The door panels were carved with intricate patterns—not lotus flowers, not entanglements of passion, but… dragons.

Nine five-clawed golden dragons coiled and intertwined, their heads held high, eyes wide open, whiskers flying, and scales clearly defined. They surrounded a huge, radiant sun, at the center of which was an intricate character for "Emperor," symbolizing imperial power.

The entire door exuded an invisible, heavy pressure.

Like mountains, like the sky, like the weight of an entire dynasty, all are concentrated in this door.

Just looking at it made Li Bai feel his knees go weak, his back feel cold, and his breathing become labored.

That was... the oppressive power of the emperor.

It is the supreme authority that has been built up over thousands of years by countless people kneeling in worship, countless people revering it, and countless people with their blood and lives.

Above the door, two large ancient seal characters slowly emerged:

**imperial power**.

Li Bai stood in front of the door, the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand humming once more.

But this time, the sound of the sword rang out with a hint of... vigilance.

Like a wild beast encountering its natural enemy.