"cough... cough..."
"cough... cough...",
"LI YUEHUA, EVERYTHING YOU ARE TODAY IS BECAUSE OF THIS EMPEROR! I TOOK YOU IN, HELPED YOU, AND MADE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO STEP INTO THE HEAVENLY REALMS!"
"THIS EMPEROR TREATED YOU SO WELL, YET YOU DERE TO REPAY MY KINDNESS WITH BETRAYAL!", the young man roared furiously with bloodshot eyes.
Sitting on the mighty Nine Sword Throne in the grand Golden Hall was a handsome young man clad in crimson and white robes who sputtered blood with every cough. His face contorted as he glared at the group of breathtakingly beautiful women beneath him.
The young woman, with flawless features and pale skin, met his gaze with cold indifference.
"Ye Chen, indeed, you saved me and nurtured me, but so what? Do I have to owe you for that, be grateful to you and worship you?"
"Don't you remember crushing the Falling Star Empire? Don't you remember slaughtering its Emperor without mercy?"
"Did you ever consider the consequences back then?!"
"Cough...cough...hmph! Why would I care about some mere ant?" Ye Chen replied, his voice filled with arrogance.
"I am the Sword Emperor of Purple Heavens, a genius among geniuses! He was just a peak Avatar Formation Realm cultivator when I killed him. Back then I had just stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm, and he still was helpless against this Emperor!"
Tears welled in her beautiful eyes as memories flooded back. "After you destroyed the empire, the people were defenseless against the invading demon clan. They slaughtered everyone, they did not even spare the innocent children. The imperial family was powerless. It was only thanks to the sacrifice of my protector and maid that I escaped to the Azure Hollow Continent."
"I was helpless for years, but you know what fueled me? My burning desire for revenge! Every day, I dreamed of your death, but I was weak. How could I possibly defeat someone who could defeat opponents across major realms?"
"Then, a year later, fate brought us face-to-face again. I thought you would recognize me and kill me instantly. But... as luck would have it, you didn't."
"I realized it. It was heaven's will and thankfully, your disgusting ways had not changed a bit. That's when I vowed to the heavens to bring you down!"
"After that not only did you take me in, you even helped me get powerful, and provided me valuable resources that helped me in cultivation."
As Ye Chen boiled with rage, he scanned the women before him. Each face ignited a memory.
There was Bai Lanxing, the sole survivor of the destroyed Heavenly Medicine Valley. He had saved her from the vicious assassins of the Shadow Serpent Clan. Ruyu, the outcast of the Ming Dynasty. He recognized her talent, helped her unlock her hidden potential, and watched her transform into a formidable cultivator. Shy yet playful Qinghe, blessed with a rare Yin Physique. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, they were trapped in a secret realm. A desperate act of survival made them unify their yin and yang which was a precious memory to him.
There was Yuting, the genius of the Heavenly Dawn Academy, once his student, now blossomed into one of his most cherished lovers. Even his beloved Huanfeng, Cailan, Shanshui... Tianying, Feihong ... all of them stood united against him, their eyes filled with contempt and hatred.
The weight of their collective betrayal pressed down on his heart heavily. Every woman he had loved, now seemed to stand against him. Blood dripped from his clenched teeth as Ye Chen clawed his way onto the Nine Sword Throne. Fury burned in his gaze as he surveyed the women before him.
A violent fit of cough splattered blood across his robes, but his fighting spirit remained intact. He would not give in. Never. He would crush his enemies once more, just as he had always done. He will ascend to the Celestial Realm and overcome this peril.
With an arrogant snarl, he channeled the Samsara Sword Sutra. A tremor pulsed through the Nine Sword Palace, activating the Grand Sword Formation. Nine colossal swords appeared in the sky. This was the power of a sword cultivator that had touched the peak, the Quintessence.
A domineering sword intent erupted from Ye Chen. A vortex of raw power where countless laws converged within him. Ye Chen was almost at the doors of the mythical Celestial Realm.
"Oh...no...", Panic flickered in Li Yuehua's eyes, but quickly vanished. "Did you honestly think I would let you break through...? Sister Shui NOW!!!", she shouted lunging backwards.
"Kachang!"
A sickening piercing sound echoed as the mystical vortex surrounding Ye Chen diminished.
"Cough...Cough..." A choked cough escaped Ye Chen as he stared down at the Heavenly Frost Dragon Spear piercing his heart.
His gaze fell upon Shui Yuhan, the Azure Frost Empress. As the chilling energy of the spear began to freeze him, he asked, "You too?"
"Why wouldn't I?" she countered, her voice laced with icy coldness. "Thousand years ago, you abandoned us, the disciples of the Heavenly Rivers Sect, to our fate. Now, face the same fate yourself."
A maniacal laughter erupted from Ye Chen. "HAHAHA..." If he was going down, he would not go alone. With the resolve of a madman, he channeled his remaining energy, causing a surge of spiritual power that sent shivers down the spine of every woman present.
The Grand Formation collapsed on itself, as the colossal swords came down crashing to the palace. In a desperate attempt for survival, the women threw up a wall of protective barriers and artifacts, most of which were gifts from Ye Chen himself.
With a final, horrifying roar, Ye Chen ignited his remaining cultivation, triggering a horrifying explosion that leveled the entire area. A blinding flash engulfed him, as his vision warped and twisted. When the light finally faded, only the ruins of the once glorious Nine Sword Palace remained.
Thus, the life of the Sword Emperor of the Purple Heavens, the master of the Nine Sword Palace, Ye Chen, came to an end with a spectacular bang.
***
In some corners of the Outer Court Disciple area of the Crimson Cloud Sect.
As the blinding white light filled Ye Chen's vision, he felt his consciousness fading into nothingness but a nagging annoyance lingered. A sharp pain still throbbed in his chest. Realizing something strange was happening he snapped his eyes wide open only to get surprised.
Wasn't he dead?
There he was struggling on the ground, battered and bruised. He noticed the underlings of the young master Wang with a vicious grin on their faces mocking his helpless self.
How did he know who were these guys? He was sure, he never met them in his life before. Where was his palace? Where was the Heavenly Frost Dragon Spear that pierced him?
Noticing a steel sword was jammed near his heart, he instantly became alert. A wave of murderous killing intent erupted from him, freezing the thugs on the spot. He took the sword out, as he quickly went through his memories.
It seemed he had been taken over the body of a young cultivator named Ye Chen after the original self had died. He had the same name as him and bore an uncanny resemblance to his past younger self. But the similarities ended there. This Ye Chen was a mere outer disciple of this Crimson Cloud Sect and his cultivation base was nonexistent compared to his former self.
'But so what', he still had his memory intact and remembered countless ways to transform a waste into a prodigy.
"Hahaha...after all the betrayal and schemes, this Emperor is alive...."
As a burst of wild laughter erupted from Ye Chen The sound sent shivers down the spines of the thugs, collapsing them onto their knees in terror.
"Looks like the heavens have not forsaken this Emperor after all," he declared, his voice thick with amusement.
Taking the sword around from his chest, he twirled it around. It was an ordinary steel sword, nothing like the one he was used to wielding, but he remembered the days he had started his cultivation journey with something similar. This triggered a long-forgotten memory from his deep unconsciousness. He remembered his roots.
Noticing this bloodied scene, the leader of the group, the one responsible for the old 'Ye Chen's demise, paled. He was sure that he had finished him off but all of a sudden the dead body in front of him came alive. He was too afraid even to think.
"Consider yourselves lucky," Ye Chen said with an arrogant tone. "This emperor is in a good mood right now...so I'll grant you a painless death."
He walked towards the leader slowly, like a predator eyeing its helpless prey. With a swift movement, he swung his sword.
"Plop"
As a brilliant arc of golden crimson light flashed, the leader's head rolled onto the ground.
"Scram,"
The remaining people of the group scrambled away, with the fear of a lifetime etched on their souls.