The excruciating pain of extracting the bone—how did the young Emperor endure it?
Ye Fan's cheeks flushed with shame and embarrassment. However, the cultivators around him didn't notice his predicament, allowing him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Chu Nannan, despite her turmoil, reached out her delicate hand and touched the Heavenly Emperor Mirror.
Immediately, the heart-wrenching pain surged through her.
In an instant, Chu Nannan's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but let out a light groan.
She managed to endure it, biting her lip to suppress the pain.
In her heart, she murmured, "This is just thirty percent of the pain, and it's already like this. How did you endure it back then?"
Many of the female cultivators couldn't help but shed tears.
This was only a third of the pain, and it already caused the powerful Empress to change color, finding it unbearable.
The full extent of the pain must have been terrifying, especially since the Emperor was only fifteen at the time.
...
Chu Yang extracted the Supreme Bone from his body.
Then, he used his fingers like sharp blades and made a cut on Chu Nannan's chest.
A wound of just the right size appeared.
Chu Yang embedded the Supreme Bone into Chu Nannan's body.
Although the method was rough, the effect was evident.
The Supreme Bone quickly integrated with Chu Nannan's body, and soon, her soul began to accept it as well.
Before long, Chu Nannan's cheeks started to regain color.
...
"So, this is the truth."
Chu Nannan, looking lost, touched her chest. She could feel the Supreme Bone emitting a radiant glow inside her.
There had always been a small scar on her chest, which she had thought was a birthmark and never gave it much thought.
But she never imagined that the scar had such an origin.
The expressions of everyone grew more serious.
Having seen the truth, they dared to confirm their suspicions.
Before this, they would never have believed that someone would give away a Supreme Bone, a divine object that could elevate them to unimaginable heights.
It turned out that the Emperor, whom they remembered as ruthless and sinful, had sacrificed his promising future for his sister in his youth.
All just to bring his sister back to life.
To give her the chance to embark on a path of cultivation and experience the wonders of life.
...
Chu Yang, though weak, felt immense joy seeing Nannan gradually recover. The previous suffering was worth it.
He looked at the white-robed elder and said, "Senior, I, Chu Yang, do not like to owe others, nor do I want others to owe me."
"Today, I give you a naturally supreme, exceptionally talented disciple. You must take good care of her and not let her suffer even a bit."
"Otherwise, I, Chu Yang, will not spare you, no matter where you hide, in heaven or earth!"
Chu Yang tried to make his voice as threatening as possible, but his extreme exhaustion made it sound weak.
The white-robed elder's expression softened. Even someone who had seen the world's vicissitudes and viewed life and death with indifference couldn't help but be moved at this moment.
His aged face showed signs of approval and regret.
"What you are doing is not worth it."
"If you were in her place, at the brink of death, needing the Supreme Bone to save your life, would she do the same and give it to you without hesitation?"
The old man pondered for a moment and then asked softly.
Chu Yang smiled gently and shook his head, speaking softly, "That doesn't matter."
"If that day ever comes and our roles are reversed, I wouldn't want her to endure the heart-wrenching pain of extracting the Supreme Bone for me."
"Whether it's worth it or not isn't important."
"What's important is that as her brother, I must protect her. That's just a normal thing for a brother to do."
"How could I let my sister endure such pain?"
Silence.
After a long pause, the white-robed elder looked at the boy slumped on the ground, his heart heavy with emotion.
"What a pity. A young man as loyal and righteous as you should have had a much better future."
"My original power was severely damaged during the ancient war against the external enemies, and now I need it to teach my disciples. Otherwise, I could have used some of my power to help you repair your shattered foundation and get through this ordeal."
"Perhaps, after today, you two will never see each other again. Is there anything you want to say to her?"
Chu Yang pondered for a moment before finally saying, "Tell her to forget about her incompetent brother."
With those words, Chu Yang's eyelids grew heavy. He looked deeply at Chu Nannan in his arms.
The white-robed elder sighed deeply, took Chu Nannan, and left this world, ascending to the Immortal Realm.
The Immortal Realm was filled with fragrance, abundant with celestial energy, and vibrant with birds and flowers, like a paradise.
It was a world countless cultivators longed for.
And Chu Nannan's life unfolded bit by bit in the Immortal Realm.
Chu Yang had reached his limit.
He took the scroll of the "Book of Mountains and Rivers" from his chest and held it in his hand, staring at it with a complex expression.
"My parents' blood feud... How can I avenge it? Will I have a chance to seek revenge?"
He whispered as softly as a mosquito, and then he fell unconscious.
...
"The Emperor never told Chu Di about that blood feud."
"Perhaps the Emperor didn't want his sister to carry such a heavy burden of hatred."
The cultivators outside the Heavenly Emperor Realm all showed signs of emotion. The atmosphere among them turned somber.
Chu Nannan had also collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with endless regret and bitterness.
"Why? Why did you endure all this alone?"
"Later, when you wanted the Supreme Bone, if you had told me the truth, how could I not give it to you? It was your Supreme Bone, after all!"
Chu Nannan couldn't hold back any longer. Tears streamed down her face like a flood breaking a dam.
Her delicate face turned pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
The hatred she had accumulated for so long completely collapsed at that moment.
Chu Nannan felt that all her past actions were absurd. Her brother had done so much for her, how could he ever harm her?
Why hadn't she realized this before?
Everything she had now was because of her brother, because of the boy in the mirror, that she could possess.
Without Chu Yang's sacrifice, she would have been dead long ago. The Supreme Bone wouldn't have existed, and even her master and the legacy she held were all because of Chu Yang's efforts.
But in the end, how did she repay him?
She conspired with other cultivators, betrayed him, and took advantage of his weakest moment, causing him to end up in such a state.
Scenes from the past played like a movie in Chu Nannan's mind.
"The Emperor is ruthless and oppressive, unworthy of being my brother! From today, I, Chu Nannan, sever all ties with the Emperor and stand against him! I will join the army against the heavens and eliminate this great demon to bring justice to the world!"
"The Emperor is in seclusion. This is a rare opportunity. Brother Nie and I will open the gates of the Heavenly Court from within. We will coordinate from the inside and outside to kill the Emperor!"
...