Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

30. Sudden

Duan Xingchen listened to every word Liu Xunkong said.

When the words "Kill me" reached his ears, Duan Xingchen felt a sudden pang of fear. The pale, thin face of the man in front of him came into view, and the hand holding the strange talisman was trembling slightly.

Killing is easy.

A sword, a knife—it couldn't be easier.

However, all the people Duan Xingchen killed in her life were evil cultivators who used the essence, blood, and souls of others as a lure, greedily sacrificing the lives of all things in the world to strengthen themselves through their wicked ways. Therefore, although she hesitated when she swung her sword, she had a clear conscience.

However, when Liu Xun Kong, a half-immortal of the demonic path, took the initiative to express his willingness to die, Duan Xing Chen resisted immediately.

"Why...why?" she asked, puzzled.

“Because this is the only way to leave here—” Liu Xunkong stared patiently at Duan Xingchen, his brows furrowed with exhaustion, yet he seemed utterly unafraid of his impending death: “This Five-Jeweled Exquisite Pagoda is formed from my fragmented divine consciousness and memories. The me standing here now is that fragmented divine consciousness. Once this divine consciousness is destroyed, this pagoda, and all the memories associated with it, will vanish into thin air.”

"Unfortunately, I cannot use this talisman myself, or rather, I am merely a wisp of divine consciousness, without spiritual essence, and therefore unable to activate this talisman."

Duan Xingchen lowered his head, staring intently at the talisman in his hand inscribed with strange characters, his expression shifting several times.

Will you die after using this?

“I am already dead.” Liu Xun Kong frowned, then looked at Duan Xing Chen’s expression, and a few knowing lights flashed in his empty eyes: “Miss, you don’t need to worry too much. I am just a fragment of Liu Xun Kong’s divine consciousness. The real Liu Xun Kong is already dead. Your actions are not murder.”

"Besides—"

He closed his eyes, seemingly a little tired, and sat down cross-legged.

His long gray robe trailed on the ground. He casually waved it, dispersing some of the thick fog that was obscuring his view, and then smiled with relief: "Having stayed here for so long, it's time to come to an end."

Liu Xunkong opened his eyes, looked up at Duan Xingchen in front of him, and gave a faint smile: "Miss, please."

……

Although Liu Xunkong said those words—

However, Duan Xingchen still did not choose to act immediately.

She looked at the thin Liu Xun Kong with pity... Although it was only a remnant of consciousness, it was still a part of the past Liu Xun Kong.

Liu Xun Kong's life, at least the period that Duan Xingchen knew about, was filled with pain and sorrow. She could probably understand the person in front of her, because if she had the chance, she would also do her best to revive the brother who was not related to her by blood.

Duan Xingchen understood that feeling of being willing to give everything for one's loved ones.

So she didn't rush to act, but instead asked, "Although it might be a bit impolite to ask this, may I ask—after you woke up... how did things go between you and Qu Wenxue?"

"Xue'er..."

When Qu Wenxue was mentioned, Liu Xunkong's expression darkened.

He changed his sitting position, but still felt somewhat uncomfortable, so he returned to his original cross-legged sitting position.

Liu Xunkong took a breath and turned his gaze back to Duan Xingchen: "Young lady, do you want to know what happened next?"

Duan Xingchen was taken aback, hesitated for a few seconds, and then nodded, saying, "I want to."

"……All right."

Liu Xunkong remained silent for a long time, and when he finally spoke, his words seemed to be unorganized, and he swallowed them back.

His distressed expression suggested he was struggling with how to recount that past to Duan Xingchen.

In the end, he forced a smile and said in a cold tone as if he were telling someone else's story, "After that, I left the Five-Jade Pagoda. When I went to the outside world, hundreds of years had passed. Everything had changed, and the temple from back then had become a wasteland."

“I’m trying to find Xue’er’s whereabouts. I believe she should still be alive… No… Even if she’s dead, I have to find her, even if all I see is a corpse—I don’t think I’ll be too shocked if I see her corpse, since I’ve already seen it once.”

"But before I set out to find Xue'er... my appearance already posed a great threat to the three great heavens."

"Because I inherited the legacy of one of the twenty-one ultimates, the impermanence of life and death, I was resurrected from the brink of death, but the price was that I completely fell into the demonic path."

At this point, Liu Xunkong suddenly gave a bitter laugh and shook his head: "My uncontrollable demonic energy was sensed by the leaders of the major sects in the three heavenly domains. In an instant, I became the number one enemy of the three heavenly domains. Because the righteous sects would not allow a demon that could threaten them to continue to exist in this world. No one understands this better than me."

Because he was once a leading figure of a prestigious and upright sect, he understood what those people were thinking.

I know it better than anyone else.

"I didn't even have time to go out and search for Xue'er's whereabouts before the three heavenly domains held a grand demon-slaying ceremony, all for the purpose of completely destroying me, who had fallen into the demonic path."

"So I fled... I had no other choice but to flee... I kept fleeing, from the Extreme Heaven Domain to the Desolate Heaven Domain, then from the Desolate Heaven Domain back to the Extreme Heaven Domain, then I was forced to go to the Kun Heaven Domain, and finally I was driven back to the Extreme Heaven Domain."

"There's no escaping it after all."

He sighed helplessly.

"I still remember that day. It was pouring rain, and the leaders of all the major sects were determined to surround and kill me on the top of the cliff. I didn't want to kill anyone. I killed people before for Xue'er. If it were for myself, I wouldn't have killed so many... I didn't want to lay a hand on them, especially since some of them were my old friends."

“I tried to explain to them, but they wouldn’t listen. They kept bringing down spells and magical artifacts on me. I had no choice but to fight back.”

"I don't want to die, because I haven't found Xue'er yet."

"Fortunately, I found Xue'er before I was surrounded and killed."

"To be precise, it was Xue'er who found me."

Duan Xingchen's eyes lit up, her expression one of utter astonishment: "How...how is she?"

Liu Xunkong couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

"She...she's fine."

"She is really good. When I saw her again, she was no longer haunted by the demonic energy she had when she was resurrected. She seemed to have broken free from the entanglement of the demonic path."

"She became a saintess of the prestigious sects, a symbol of purity and innocence, practically the head of those sects..."

"Therefore she must exorcise demons, therefore she must uphold righteousness..."

"That day, she stood mercilessly in the wind, clad in jet-black armor, holding a sky-piercing spear, and walked towards me with imposing grandeur. Her face was expressionless; it was as if she didn't recognize me..."

"I called her name, but she didn't answer; she just walked towards me..."

"Then--"

Liu Xunkong pointed to his heart, and Duan Xingchen only then noticed that the area around Liu Xunkong's heart seemed to have sunken inwards a bit.

"He thrust the spear here."

"After that, this mausoleum came into being, this tower came into being, and I came into being as I am today."

That's the story.

That's it.

Qu Wenxue killed Liu Xunkong for the second time.

When Liu Xunkong said this, his tone was unusually calm, as if he were telling a story that did not belong to him.

It was as if she was deliberately hiding her feelings.

……

After hearing Liu Xunkong's words, Duan Xingchen was deeply moved and could not calm down for a long time.

She remained silent for a long time, as if she was thinking of some words of comfort, but she couldn't say anything at all.

"girl……"

Liu Xunkong understood the reason for Duan Xingchen's silence and smiled with relief.

"Hurry up, I've been stuck in this memory for far too long... there's no need to keep thinking about it."

"This memory... you should settle it yourself, young lady."

"By me..."

Duan Xingchen held the talisman, looked at Liu Xunkong who had already closed his eyes, and slowly took a step forward.

If this is for the sake of ending...

Duan Xingchen's eyes were filled with reluctance, and her expression showed a hint of panic.

She felt great sympathy for Liu Xunkong, and this sympathy grew stronger as she got closer to him.

—This is to free Liu Xunkong's remaining consciousness.

She advised herself and came to Liu Xun Kong, to this gaunt man.

He extended the talisman and took a deep breath.

"Don't hesitate, this is liberation."

Liu Xunkong closed his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face, as if he were quite relieved.

Duan Xingchen swallowed, then slowly raised the talisman, channeled his internal energy, and pressed it against Liu Xunkong's forehead.

The next second—

The talisman was imprinted on Liu Xunkong's forehead.

……

No.

That is impossible.

A streak of red light flashed by, piercing the thick fog and shattering the tranquility, and with a sharp whooshing sound, it completely pierced the talisman in Duan Xingchen's hand.

Sizzle sizzle—

A sharp, piercing sound emanated from the blazing talisman. Duan Xingchen was so frightened that he immediately threw the talisman away, then stared in astonishment as the talisman transformed into terrifying demonic energy.

"Humans are indeed foolish and inferior creatures."

A girl's slightly immature yet incredibly arrogant voice rang in my ears.

Duan Xingchen paused; she clearly recognized the voice.

"Senior Sister Lin Yuan?!"

Just as she was astonished by the person who shouldn't have been there, she suddenly discovered that Liu Xunkong, who was sitting cross-legged in front of her, had suddenly transformed into a black gust of wind, roaring and charging towards her.

at the same time--

His robust body stood before Duan Xingchen like a mountain, and a dragon and tiger talisman appeared in his hand, firmly grasping the black yin wind.

Duan Xingchen recognized the figure from behind; the bandages wrapped around his upper body were the ones he had personally tied for him not long ago.