"No!"
Outside the Haotian Mirror, the Dragon Empress Long Xiaoxiao's emotions had completely collapsed.
"Stop! Master, Xiaoxiao has already forgiven you! Please, don't come any closer!"
Long Xiaoxiao cried out desperately, her eyes filled with fear and dread. She was terrified that her master, Xiao Fan, would suffer more harm. However, no matter how loudly she screamed, the Xiao Fan in the mirror did not stop his advance.
Watching Xiao Fan, battered and bloodied, Long Xiaoxiao pleaded in a nearly begging tone, "Master, please... don't come any closer..."
But this did nothing to halt Xiao Fan's progress. Even now, he moved his broken body forward inch by inch.
"Ah!" Long Xiaoxiao's face was drenched in tears. Seeing Xiao Fan continue to suffer and endure such torment, she frantically charged toward the Haotian Mirror in the sky.
Yet before she could get far, her body froze in place, her expression becoming wooden and numb.
She suddenly realized...
Everything she was seeing now was merely what she had not witnessed in the past. And it was all long gone.
She was powerless to change anything now.
No matter what she did, it was all meaningless.
Long Xiaoxiao stared at the Haotian Mirror in a daze. She watched Xiao Fan's figure, his body completely unrecognizable, every part of him a bloody mess. Trembling, she clutched her chest tightly.
So this was what it felt like to have a heart cut to pieces, to have your guts torn apart...
The pain was unimaginable.
What was pain?
Long Xiaoxiao had once thought being abandoned by her master, Xiao Fan, was the greatest pain she could endure in her lifetime. But now, she truly understood what it meant to feel pain that pierced the heart, pain that seeped into the bones...
At this moment, her soul felt as if it had been thoroughly tortured and torn apart.
"Ah! Ahh! Ahhhh!!!"
Long Xiaoxiao screamed in agony, wishing more than anything to go back to that time and tell her master Xiao Fan to stay away, to not get hurt anymore...
Her eyes were bloodshot, tears pouring like a fountain.
What had she done?
What had she been doing for thousands of years?
Her master was willing to sacrifice everything for her. And she...
She had been ignorant of it all, living each day filled with hatred and resentment towards her master.
Now, how could she ever face him again?
"Ah! Ahh! Ahhhh..."
Long Xiaoxiao clutched her head in agony, her spirit completely broken.
Watching Long Xiaoxiao's current state, the Demon Empress Gongsun Yarou sighed.
She had thought she would feel immense satisfaction seeing Long Xiaoxiao collapse. But now that she witnessed it, her heart felt unexpectedly empty.
If she was already in such a state now, what would happen when she saw everything Xiao Fan had done for her?
Gongsun Yarou's feelings were suddenly very conflicted.
Looking at Xiao Fan, now a living dead man in the Primordial Emperor City, she muttered bitterly, "Xiao Fan, you really are a sinful demon! Seeing you like this, you have no idea how relieved I feel!"
"If you don't die, my hatred will never be quenched!"
Long Guang, watching the Dragon Empress, was deeply worried. If Long Xiaoxiao went mad and collapsed completely, the Dragon Clan would be doomed.
To revive the Dragon Clan and avoid being hated by the world, they needed to disassociate from past wrongdoings. The best way was to align themselves under the leadership of Long Xiaoxiao, the Dragon Empress, who had once been a victim. If the entire Dragon Clan fell under her command, they would be seen as righteous, distancing themselves from past stains.
Even the bystanders watching were filled with mixed emotions. No matter how much the Netherworld Demon Emperor Xiao Fan had sinned, he had given everything for his disciple, Long Xiaoxiao.
Which master would go to such lengths, even sacrificing their life for their disciple?
This wasn't the first time Xiao Fan had acted this way. He had done the same for other disciples, willing to risk his life. Moreover, he not only acted this way for his disciples but also possessed a compassionate heart towards the world.
Such character left everyone feeling ashamed. How did Xiao Fan become the Netherworld Demon Emperor, a scourge upon the world?
People grew more curious.
The Northern Empress Leng Ruoxue and the Flame Empress Huo Ling'er watched Long Xiaoxiao's collapse with complex feelings. As fellow sufferers, they forgot their past grievances with Long Xiaoxiao and felt deep sympathy for her current plight.
Finally, the Taiyin Empress Wen Yaxian couldn't bear to see Long Xiaoxiao's breakdown any longer. She used her Taiyin energy to help ease Long Xiaoxiao's oppressive emotions.
Barely recovering, Long Xiaoxiao continued to cry, looking at Xiao Fan in the Haotian Mirror, still crawling forward.
She muttered, "Master, please, don't crawl any further..."
Above, the Jade Pool Empress frowned.
It seemed the Dragon Empress had completely sided with Xiao Fan, the so-called demon.
Xiao Fan had once again surprised her.
The Jade Pool Empress's face darkened. She wanted to see just how many more 'surprises' Xiao Fan had in store.
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
Xiao Fan finally reached the edge of the blood pool where Long Xiaoxiao lay.
His hand weakly reached into the pool, blood dripping from his arm.
Suddenly, Long Xiaoxiao, who had been motionless, opened her blood-red eyes.
Her gaze was filled with primal ferocity, much like when she had lost consciousness in the valley with Xiao Fan.
Radiating violent energy, Long Xiaoxiao frantically tore at the chains binding her.
The Dragon Clan elders were surprised, not expecting her to resist now. However, her essence was depleted, and she posed no real threat.
Meanwhile, Gongsun Yarou was filled with worry. She hadn't expected the Dragon Clan to have sealed all exits, preventing the demon army from attacking. Things seemed to be different from her predictions.
Concerned, she wondered how Xiao Fan was doing. She feared he already thought her unreliable.
At that moment, Gongsun Yarou noticed a large group of Dragon Clan warriors heading towards the secret realm's entrance. She quickly hid.