Remember the Kindness; Remember the Hatred! . . .
They were all familiar with the name Jin Nu, a renowned cultivator who belonged to the second generation of disciples at Saint Sunlight Sect. Though his potential and experience had confined him to the ranks just below the top ten disciples of his sect, he still stood among the twenty most exceptional second-generation disciples.
Jin Nu possessed extraordinary skills with the sword. However, despite his talent, Saint Sunlight Sect didn't hold him in high regard, primarily because of his penchant for violence. He derived the greatest pleasure in life from a single stroke that ended another's life.
While it was not unusual for a cultivator to eliminate their rivals in the Qing-Yun Realm, Jin Nu's brazenness set him apart. He incessantly boasted about his recent kills and the number of lives he had taken. This did not sit well with Saint Sunlight Sect, as they sought to portray themselves as a righteous faction, despite their actual malevolent nature.
High-ranking members of Saint Sunlight Sect had chastised Jin Nu in front of other sects, yet it was an act devoid of true consequences. He had never faced any meaningful retribution.
Jin Nu remained unrepentant and continued to kill at his whim.
However, this time, when he aimed to take another life, he met his own end.
Xiao Mufei's devastating, full-power strike descended upon him with unrelenting force, tearing him asunder.
Saint Sunlight Sect had dispatched a formidable disciple this time, with Jin Nu even willing to sacrifice himself to complete the mission. It was a substantial loss for powerful sects like Saint Sunlight Sect to let go of such a promising figure.
Jin Nu's reputation was well-deserved. He demonstrated remarkable skill, shattering three layers of Cold Moon Palace disciples' defenses with a single attack. He even managed to create an opening to assassinate Cha Eun Xiao, had it not been for Fang Dalong's unwavering loyalty and integrity.
Within a matter of seconds, his sword claimed the lives of thirty-six third and fourth-generation disciples of Cold Moon Palace, including Fang Dalong.
Cha Eun Xiao sat there, his gaze fixed on Fang Dalong's lifeless body, his mind a blank canvas.
[Fang Dalong died!]
[For me!]
[Had he not intervened, I would have met my end.]
Cha Eun Xiao, a seasoned cultivator with the knowledge of a Dao Origin Stage master, the enigmatic martial art East-rising Purple Qi, and an assortment of invaluable dan beads, recognized that none of these could have shielded him from the imminent peril.
He had harbored a deep-seated resentment against Cold Moon Palace for the injustices suffered in his previous life. However, the disciples of Cold Moon Palace had shown an unswerving commitment to protect him, despite the enmity between them.
Ignoring the hatred and joining Cold Moon Palace to elevate it to new heights would betray his initial principles. Disregarding the kindness and persisting in combatting Cold Moon Palace, thereby ushering its annihilation, would belie his conscience.
He grappled with this profound dilemma, leaving him in a state of profound confusion and contradiction.
After a protracted silence, he closed his eyes and sighed, his voice a whisper, "Dalong, I will avenge you. I will bring utter destruction upon Saint Sunlight Sect in your name. I will do it not just for you but because it is the best I can do in your memory."
With that, he rose to his feet, a calm resolve in his demeanor.
[Indeed, the Qing-Yun Realm remains the world I recall. People act in their self-interest, resorting to violence without provocation, even causing the deaths of countless innocent souls over a trivial dispute.]
[This is the martial world.]
[This is the Qing-Yun Realm.]
[Only the blade renders judgment. Power is paramount.]
[If I lack the strength, I will either face my own demise or compel others to perish in my stead.]
…
Of the one hundred and seventy Cold Moon Palace disciples who had entered the Dark Pine Forest, only thirty-six survived.
Including Cha Eun Xiao, there remained a mere one hundred and thirty-five souls still standing.
They returned to the road, the disciples wearied and subdued. Xiao Mufei, on the other hand, simmered with pent-up fury, akin to a volcano on the brink of eruption, his demeanor charged with seething rage.
"More will come," he snarled. "Let them. I'll show them no mercy. None shall escape my wrath!" His eyes smoldered with a profound hatred.
Cha Eun Xiao, mindful of their perilous situation, sought information. "Elder Xiao, I have a question. Among the six sects who have been hunting the elusive fish alongside us, which six were the leaders? And what is their cultivation level?" he inquired.
Xiao Mufei clenched his teeth in frustration. "Sun Sky Palace, led by Qin Changge, who recently advanced to the second level of the Dao Origin Stage. Saint Starlight Sect, under the leadership of Tian Weijian, who also recently attained the second level of the Dao Origin Stage within the Polar Ice River..."
He proceeded to list the names of the six individuals, leaders of the other six sects.
Their journey had been marred by more than a dozen assassination attempts. Three of these had been orchestrated by Saint Sunlight Sect, two by Saint Starlight Sect, while the rest were the machinations of the remaining sects.
In essence, the culpability lay with all six sects. Cha Eun Xiao committed the names to memory, understanding that these six individuals, who had led their respective teams in the Polar Ice River, were likely the masterminds behind these nefarious plots.
It was these six who had set the malicious wheels in motion.
With Fang Dalong's memory etched in his heart, Cha Eun Xiao harbored a thirst for retribution. He aimed to remember the individuals who had orchestrated this tragedy and settle the score for his fallen comrade.
Xiao Mufei, fully cognizant of Cha Eun Xiao's intentions, neither interceded nor objected. He merely provided the names.
They continued their journey, with Fang Dalong's earthly remains reduced to ashes and contained in an urn, resting within a box mounted on Xiao Mufei's back.
An eight chi tall, robust man now occupied a box measuring merely half a chi in width.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but ponder whether Fang Dalong, had he been aware of his final resting place, would have felt wronged by the constriction of his physical form.