Seeing that her sharp rebuke left the Confucian scholar speechless and the others avoiding her gaze, the Northern Empress Leng Ruoxue calmed down a bit.
After a moment of contemplation, she spoke firmly, "I know you all think my master, Xiao Fan, is a villain of the worst kind. I used to think the same."
"But so far, everything we've seen is not what we thought."
"My master Xiao Fan silently shouldered all the sins for us disciples to survive."
At this point, Leng Ruoxue's eyes were filled with tears.
She continued tearfully, "You may call me impulsive or irrational, but I firmly believe my master Xiao Fan is innocent, and there is another side to these crimes!"
"I am willing to stake my life on it!"
"Rather than this endless stalemate, let's continue watching to see if Xiao Fan is truly a demon!"
"If my master Xiao Fan has indeed fallen to the demonic path and committed those heinous crimes, I, the Northern Empress, will die with him to atone for our sins!"
Leng Ruoxue's genuine emotions and earnest words moved even the Confucian scholar who had been silenced by her earlier.
He couldn't help but wonder why she had to be so confrontational if she could speak so reasonably.
The others, too, were moved by her speech. Though they found it hard to believe that the crimes of the Nether Demon Emperor Xiao Fan were mere misunderstandings, Leng Ruoxue's willingness to stake her life was compelling.
After all, she wasn't making an unreasonable request.
If the Haotian Mirror revealed Xiao Fan's true guilt, she would have no ground to stand on.
Rather than continuing this deadlock, it made sense to seek the truth.
Leng Ruoxue's words were not only for everyone present but also aimed at the Jade Pool Empress, giving her a way out.
Of course, this needed the cooperation of the Lunar Yin Empress Wen Yaxian and the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er.
They, too, were unwilling to be outdone. If Leng Ruoxue could stake her life, so could they.
"No one wants to back down," thought Huo Ling'er. "If Leng Ruoxue can stake her life, then so can I."
"I, the Heavenly Fire Empress, stake my life. If my master Xiao Fan has truly committed those heinous crimes, I will die with him to atone for our sins!"
"I, the Lunar Yin Empress, also stake my life. If my master Xiao Fan has committed those heinous crimes, I will die with him to atone for our sins!"
Their statements were also meant for the Jade Pool Empress.
Having faced multiple setbacks, the Jade Pool Empress had lost her earlier arrogance. Seeing a graceful exit presented to her, she chose not to maintain her hard stance.
"Very well, I will make sure you all die convinced!" she huffed.
With that, she activated the Haotian Mirror to continue displaying Xiao Fan's memories.
The Lunar Yin Empress Wen Yaxian and the Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er moved to Leng Ruoxue's side. Wen Yaxian continued helping Leng Ruoxue restore her cultivation, while Huo Ling'er, impressed by Leng Ruoxue's breaking of the stalemate, wanted to extend her friendship.
However, Leng Ruoxue paid her no attention, leaving Huo Ling'er frustrated and irritated.
Were it not for their current alliance, Huo Ling'er would have challenged her to a fight.
She also realized that although they were currently allies, this might not always be the case.
After all, Xiao Fan could only belong to one person, and none of them were willing to share him. At least, she wasn't.
It was evident that Leng Ruoxue felt the same.
So, despite appearing united, there was an underlying competition among them.
But these thoughts were for the future. The immediate concern was revealing the truth and rescuing Xiao Fan.
The three of them gazed at the Haotian Mirror, convinced of Xiao Fan's innocence.
The Dragon Empress, though watching the mirror with a cold expression, had her hand over her heart, feeling a faint pain at the thought of revisiting the moment Xiao Fan left her for that demoness.
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
Amid the ruins of the palace, the survivors gathered after the disaster.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty..." Royal family members and ministers led soldiers to surround the scene.
Realizing that the disaster was related to the Heavenly Fire, some royal members quickly gathered the surviving soldiers to investigate the truth.
The royal family of the Heavenly Fire Kingdom mostly possessed fire attributes, practicing fire-based techniques.
Those who were far enough had only suffered minor injuries, including the young prince, Huo Yang.
"Father!" Seeing the corpse of the Fire Emperor, the young Huo Yang ran over.
Though still young, he understood many things due to his royal upbringing.
Seeing his father's lifeless body, his eyes were filled with fear and despair.
Trembling, he asked Xiao Fan, "Master Xiao, what happened to my father?"
Looking into Huo Yang's innocent eyes, Xiao Fan felt his heart ache.
Xiao Fan looked up at the sky, knowing what Huo Yang wanted to hear.
But the truth had already happened, and no lies could change it.
Someone had to tell Huo Yang the cruel reality.
Xiao Fan, regaining his composure, looked at Huo Yang with eyes as dull as ash. "Dead. Your father is dead."
"No! My father is the greatest man in the world; he can't be dead!"
The young Huo Yang threw himself onto the Fire Emperor's body, shaking him. "Father, wake up! It's Yang'er! Father, wake up!"
Watching this, Xiao Fan felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
The Fire Emperor was the only elder who had given him warmth aside from his biological parents.
He had regarded the Fire Emperor as his family.
His pain at this moment was no less than Huo Yang's.
But he had more important things to attend to.
Xiao Fan noticed that the surrounding soldiers had him surrounded.
The royal family and ministers were watching him closely.
Indeed, the Fire Emperor and the Fire Dance King had died in the Heavenly Fire's explosion, while he had survived.
It would be suspicious if no one questioned it.
"Xiao Fan, explain what happened. Why did the Heavenly Fire go out of control? How did the Emperor and the Fire Dance King die?"
The speaker was an elder of the Heavenly Fire royal family, whom the Fire Emperor addressed as uncle.
His tone was interrogative, eyes sharp as an eagle's, fixed on Xiao Fan.
Xiao Fan sighed, glancing at the Fire Emperor's body and the tearful Huo Yang.
If he told the truth, whether they believed it or not, the royal family might turn against Huo Ling'er and Huo Yang.
As long as the Fire Emperor's reputation remained intact, his influence and the support of his direct descendants would protect them.
With this in mind, Xiao Fan made his decision.
The Fire Emperor had given him everything he had.
Today, he would repay it all, fulfilling the Fire Emperor's kindness.
"It was my mistake that led to this disaster."
"I tried to break through my bottleneck using the Heavenly Fire, but it went out of control, killing the Emperor and the Fire Dance King who tried to stop it."
"All the blame lies with me," Xiao Fan said heavily.
Huo Yang, with tear-filled eyes, stared at Xiao Fan in disbelief.