"If you truly wish to avenge Xiao Fan, then you should all end your own lives!" the Empress of the Jade Pool hissed with venom.
Leng Ruoxue, Wen Yaxian, Huo Ling'er, and Long Xiaoxiao, who had just arrived, were instantly paralyzed by her words. Their bodies stiffened, their lips trembled, and their faces turned pale. They stood there, motionless, as each word from the Empress pierced their hearts like daggers.
Had it not been for their combined efforts in setting up the Immortal Execution Array, Xiao Fan wouldn't have been driven to such a desperate state of seeking death. In the end, each of them bore an inescapable responsibility. If Xiao Fan were to truly disappear from existence, it would be because they had driven him to his death.
The thought of Xiao Fan's heartbroken and death-seeking demeanor from before gnawed at them like a swarm of ants, causing unbearable pain.
Pain and regret overwhelmed their minds.
"No! No! No!" Leng Ruoxue was the first to lose control, clutching her head and crying out in anguish.
Wen Yaxian and Huo Ling'er were on the brink of losing control as well.
Even Long Xiaoxiao, who had been struggling to maintain her composure, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching roar, shaking the heavens. Her eyes turned blood-red, and the terrifying aura surrounding her intensified.
If her master was gone, what reason did she have to remain sane?
Xuanwei looked at Xiao Fan, who had become little more than a living corpse, and sighed softly. A mixture of emotions welled up in her heart—if only her memories had returned sooner, perhaps none of this tragedy would have occurred.
Seeing the deep regret etched on the faces of those around her, the Empress of the Jade Pool burst into wild laughter, finding immense satisfaction in their despair.
"In fact, you should all be thanking me!" she sneered. "If it weren't for me using the Haotian Mirror to sustain Xiao Fan's last thread of consciousness, he would have long since ceased to exist! Hahaha..."
Her voice dripped with schadenfreude.
However, what the Empress of the Jade Pool didn't expect was that all her words did nothing to quench Gongsun Yarou's thirst for vengeance.
With a voice filled with bloodlust, Gongsun Yarou said, "Yao Xi, don't worry. After I kill you, I'll take care of the other five as well, and then I'll end my own life!"
"Anyone who had a hand in Xiao Fan's death won't escape my wrath!"
Gongsun Yarou's eyes were dark, bloodshot, and brimming with a terrifying killing intent. No one doubted the truth of her words—Gongsun Yarou was clearly beyond reason. The only thought left in her mind was revenge for Xiao Fan.
The Empress of the Jade Pool narrowed her eyes and stared at Gongsun Yarou with a wary gaze. Dealing with a madwoman like Gongsun Yarou was indeed troublesome. In her prime, she wouldn't have feared Gongsun Yarou, but now, severely weakened as she was, being entangled by this lunatic could truly spell her doom.
She couldn't afford to die—not until she found her husband's soul.
The Empress of the Jade Pool then turned to the Divine Empress Xuanwei, reminding her, "Xiao Fan isn't dead yet! Are you really going to just stand by and do nothing, without even trying to find a solution?"
This reminder snapped Leng Ruoxue and the others out of their stupor. Yes, as long as the Haotian Mirror continued to sustain Xiao Fan's last thread of consciousness, he was still alive. If they could find a way to save him during this time, perhaps all might not be lost.
Seeing that her words had hit their mark, the Empress of the Jade Pool turned her gaze back to Gongsun Yarou, who was still glaring daggers at her.
"You don't want to end up in a stalemate with me, only to have Xiao Fan fall into their hands, do you?" she taunted, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She was confident in her position now. She knew these people all too well. Once she understood what truly mattered to them, manipulating them was a simple task.
Sure enough, Gongsun Yarou's murderous aura began to dissipate, and her gaze became more focused and calm. However, this didn't mean she had decided to let the Empress of the Jade Pool or the other five Empresses off the hook. She simply had more pressing matters to attend to.
She needed to find a way to save Xiao Fan and ensure that he would ultimately belong to her, so she had to endure for now.
In truth, Xuanwei had already been contemplating ways to save Xiao Fan, even without the Empress of the Jade Pool's reminder. To do so, she needed to fully understand everything about Xiao Fan. She had a nagging feeling that it had been far too easy to trap Xiao Fan in the Immortal Execution Array, as if he hadn't resisted at all. There might be more to the story, and uncovering it could lead to a way to save him.
Thus, she decided to continue using the Haotian Mirror to trace Xiao Fan's life experiences. However, she had no intention of using the "Reflection of the Heavens" method again, which allowed everyone to see the images. There was always a risk of something embarrassing being revealed. After all, Xiao Fan was her master, and she had to respect his privacy.
So, she planned to view the memories alone.
When the others saw that Xuanwei intended to watch the memories by herself, they were momentarily stunned.
Did the Divine Empress really not intend to let them see too?
The thought of this made them restless. After all, they had been watching for so long, and suddenly being cut off was as frustrating as an unsneezed sneeze!
Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and respectfully called out, "Divine Empress Xuanwei, might we assist in finding a way to save Xiao Fan as well?"
"We misunderstood Xiao Fan in the past. He has always borne the sins alone to save the world—he is a true hero!"
"Now, we wish to contribute to saving him!"
These words resonated with the crowd, who silently applauded the speaker. What a brilliant excuse! Rather than expressing curiosity, they framed it as a desire to help, making them appear so reasonable.
Even though they knew they couldn't be of much help, their primary motive was indeed curiosity. They wanted to uncover the true story behind Xiao Fan's transformation into the Ghostly Demon Emperor.
Despite the Haotian Mirror recognizing Xiao Fan, there were still lingering doubts until the full truth was revealed. But they couldn't just say that outright.
Now, however, their request seemed perfectly legitimate, allowing them to continue watching Xiao Fan's later experiences and discovering the true reasons behind his transformation.
Soon, countless people began clamoring to help find a way to save Xiao Fan.
In reality, even if these people hadn't spoken up, Leng Ruoxue and the others were already on the verge of losing their patience. It was clear that the Divine Empress couldn't watch alone—it was simply not going to happen!
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8