At that moment, time and space in the arena collapsed. Not only that, but some mysterious sealing forces between heaven and earth began to vanish bit by bit. Yet, the life imprints remained unaffected.
Ye Xuan looked at the woman in purple, refraining from acting because he knew he couldn’t defeat her.
So far, the strength displayed by this woman could only be described as terrifying.
Her power surpassed his current understanding.
It could be said that without the appearance of the Great Dao Pen Master, the Dao Sect had no chance against her.
Not far away, the woman in purple watched as everything around her crumbled. She opened her right hand, her fair jade-like hand gently swaying, a faint smile on her face. “This is the sealing power left by the Great Dao Pen Master…”
Ye Xuan glanced around, frowning, his heart filled with doubt.
Would the Great Dao Pen Master really not intervene?
If this Place of Return were destroyed, the order of the Dao Sect in this universe would cease to exist. The universe would descend into endless chaos, with consequences too dire for him to contemplate.
As if sensing Ye Xuan’s thoughts, the woman in purple turned to him, smiling. “Are you wondering why the Great Dao Pen Master hasn’t stopped me?”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “Indeed, I’m puzzled. I don’t believe he’s simply testing me.”
The woman in purple smiled. “Do you know why he doesn’t stop me?”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Please enlighten me.”
She chuckled lightly, her smile relaxed. “It’s not that he won’t stop me, but that he’s currently too occupied to manage this universe. Otherwise, who would dare come here to break the Place of Return?”
She blinked, then said seriously, “If it were one-on-one, I actually couldn’t beat him.”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Your goal is to destroy the Place of Return and dismantle the order of the Dao Sect he established?”
The woman nodded slightly. “That’s just part of it.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “What’s the other reason?”
She smiled lightly, glancing around before saying, “Do you know how many astonishingly talented and terrifying powerhouses are buried in this Place of Return? So many, from all eras. If I revive them, they’ll serve me. Moreover, I can control this Place of Return, and from then on…”
She looked at Ye Xuan, her lips curving slightly. “Those who believe in me shall gain eternal life.”
Those who believe in me shall gain eternal life.
Hearing her words, Ye Xuan’s expression grew grave.
This woman didn’t want to destroy the Place of Return; she wanted to claim it.
If she succeeded, as she said, those who believed in her would never die.
Ye Xuan glanced at her, not expecting this to be her true goal.
She looked at the endless life imprints in the distance, smiling. “I must say, the Great Dao Pen Master is a remarkable figure. The Place of Return he created perfectly addresses many issues, like population control. I have to admit, without population control, this universe would face serious problems. Resources and spiritual energy are finite. Uncontrolled population growth would overcrowd countless universes, deplete spiritual energy, and ultimately destroy them. This Place of Return acts as a reincarnation point. One group lives, another dies, and those who die are reborn through reincarnation…”
She shook her head with a smile. “It’s perfect.”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “As you said, if this reincarnation point vanishes, the endless universes will fall into chaos and ruin…”
The woman turned to him. “What’s that to me?”
Ye Xuan was stunned.
She smiled. “I’ve cultivated my whole life, not to save all beings. I follow the Dao for myself. Beyond me, the life or death of others is none of my concern.”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
She gave a light smile, looking at the fading sealing forces, and said, “Young Master Ye, do you think I’m selfish?”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “You are selfish, but that’s not wrong, and I’m in no position to judge. Everyone has their own way of living. Who isn’t driven by self-interest, pride, selfishness, or vanity?”
She glanced at him, smiled, and was about to speak when a woman suddenly rushed over.
It was Dao Ling, arriving in haste.
Dao Ling unleashed a terrifying force, charging at the woman in purple. The powerful energy swept through, utterly daunting.
But then, Ye Xuan stepped in front of Dao Ling. Seeing him, she stopped.
Looking at the anxious Dao Ling, Ye Xuan shook his head slightly.
Dao Ling clenched her fists, eyes blazing with fury. “If this place is destroyed, billions of lives across the universe will perish, and countless planes will face eternal ruin.”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “You can’t beat her.”
Dao Ling stared at him. “Even if I die, I must stop her.”
With that, she charged at the woman in purple.
Ye Xuan sighed softly.
Facing her, Dao Ling didn’t dare underestimate her opponent. She unleashed all her power, a force like a raging flood, capable of crushing everything.
Dao Ling’s strength was formidable, and Ye Xuan felt an invisible pressure.
In the distance, the woman in purple remained calm. As Dao Ling neared, she pointed with two fingers.
Boom!
With that gesture, Dao Ling was frozen in place, unable to move. The terrifying force and aura around her vanished instantly, as if they’d never existed.
Dao Ling stood rooted, her face full of disbelief.
At that moment, she realised the vast gap between them.
They weren’t even on the same level.
The woman glanced at Dao Ling and smiled. “Miss Dao Ling, even ants cling to life. Seeking death disrespects life, understand?”
Dao Ling glared at her. “Who are you?”
The woman smiled, not answering, and turned to the life imprints, chuckling. “Young Master Ye, if you don’t stop me, this universe will truly descend into endless chaos.”
Ye Xuan looked at her, silent.
Stop her?
Of course he could.
It was just a matter of speaking.
The woman gently tucked a strand of hair behind her forehead and smiled. “I understand your concern, Young Master Ye. You’re afraid—afraid of becoming the true Backer King.”
She stepped closer, smiling. “You want to rely on yourself, but reality is cruel. If you rely on yourself now, you can only watch helplessly as everything unfolds before you, powerless.”
Ye Xuan met her gaze and smiled. “Do you want me to stop you, or not?”
She shrugged, smiling. “Young Master Ye, I don’t care. The key is you. If you speak, your Dao heart will shatter. If it shatters, you’ll only ever be the Backer King, never the Sword Master of the World. You…”
Ye Xuan shook his head, laughing, cutting her off. “You think I care?”
She looked at him, her smile fading.
He stared back, smiling. “You think I care about that? All my life, I’ve relied on my father or my sister. If I don’t rely on them now, does that mean I’m not the Backer King?”
Her expression returned to normal, and she smiled slightly. “So, Young Master Ye, you’re going to stop me.”
Ye Xuan stepped forward, looking at the woman inches away, and smiled. “I’ll stop you. What will you do?”
She blinked. “In all these years, you’re the first to speak to me like this.”
He smiled lightly, glancing at the nearly destroyed Place of Return, and said softly, “Before this, I was struggling, hesitating. As you said, I want to be someone who relies on himself, not on my father or sister forever. I want the world to have another Sword Master, not a Backer King. I want, in countless years, when people recall this era, they remember the Sword Master, not the Backer King. So, when you started destroying this Place of Return, I didn’t want to stop you. I wanted to experience despair, to feel that powerlessness, then rise up and build my own order through my own strength, restoring peace. But…”
He turned to her. “But the cost is the universe falling into endless chaos, with countless lives lost. The Great Dao Pen Master once said my vision is small, and he wasn’t wrong. Perhaps because of my father’s influence, I’m often selfish, thinking only of myself. If sacrificing countless lives is the price for another Sword Master… I think that’s a bit ridiculous. So…”
He took a deep breath, as if relieved, and smiled. “I know calling for help will shatter my Dao heart, but what does it matter?”
She looked at him, smiling confidently. “Then call. I want to see who in this world, besides the Great Dao Pen Master, can harm me.”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared. He stared at her. “Qing’er, guard the order of this universe for me.”
Boom!
The Qingxuan Sword trembled violently, a sword cry soaring into the starry depths.
The next moment, the sky above the woman split open, and a sword descended straight down.
The Sword of the Dao!
But at that moment, Ye Xuan’s sword aura plummeted, and his cultivation aura dropped catastrophically…
His Dao heart shattered.
