Facing the fierce glares from Leng Ruoxue and the others, Xuanwei felt a surge of frustration.
She snapped, "If you knew it would come to this, why did you act as you did in the first place?"
"Now you feel regret? Now you want to make amends? Don't you think that's a bit naive?"
"Frankly, none of you deserve to be by Xiao Fan's side ever again!"
Xuanwei's voice was filled with righteous anger, as she felt deeply that Xiao Fan was unworthy of such treatment.
In her eyes, the regret and guilt displayed by Leng Ruoxue and the others seemed hollow, more driven by selfish desires and jealousy than genuine remorse. She didn't believe for a second that they were ignorant of Xiao Fan's nature—anyone with eyes could see that Xiao Fan had never blamed them.
They weren't seeking Xiao Fan's forgiveness; they were simply trying to manipulate his kindness for their own ends. From the beginning, they had only thought about themselves.
In this moment, Xuanwei suddenly understood why Xiao Fan hadn't put up any resistance when he was trapped in the Immortal Execution Array. Xiao Fan had been through so much suffering and torment—he was simply exhausted.
Perhaps all Xiao Fan wanted now was a moment of peace, but Leng Ruoxue and the others seemed determined to deny him even that.
If Xiao Fan were truly revived, how would he choose between all these people who had once been so important to him? Wouldn't that only bring him more pain and difficulty?
How could they not understand something so simple?
It was clear to Xuanwei that Leng Ruoxue and the others were incredibly selfish, never once considering Xiao Fan's feelings.
As expected, Leng Ruoxue, enraged by Xuanwei's scolding, retorted, "It's not up to you to decide who deserves to be by Xiao Fan's side. What makes you think you're any more deserving?"
Before Xuanwei could respond, Huo Ling'er chimed in, "What right do you have to speak to us like this? Are you not also responsible for Xiao Fan's current state?"
Long Xiaoxiao, her emotions heavy, remained silent, reflecting on her past mistakes. She had once harbored hatred for her master, believing he had abandoned her, only to realize now how terribly wrong she had been. All she wanted now was a way to save her master and atone for her mistakes. If Xuanwei denied her that chance, she wasn't sure she could keep herself from going mad.
Gongsun Yarou, staring intently at Xuanwei with a dark expression, said nothing, but her intentions were clear: if Xuanwei planned to keep things hidden and watch the memories alone, she wouldn't stand for it.
As the tension in the air thickened, Wen Yaxian stepped forward to mediate.
She spoke softly to Xuanwei, "Divine Empress, the priority now is to find a way to save Xiao Fan. If we've done anything wrong before, I apologize here and now."
"Please, for the greater good, allow us to contribute as well. After all, the more people there are, the greater the chance we might find a solution."
"I promise, once we find a way to save Xiao Fan, I'll leave immediately and never trouble him again."
As she spoke, Wen Yaxian's expression grew somber, and her tone took on a note of sadness. All she wanted was to find a way to save Xiao Fan and make up for her past mistakes. Even if it meant never seeing him again, she would accept it without complaint.
Xuanwei's anger softened slightly upon hearing Wen Yaxian's words. Of all the people here, Wen Yaxian was the only one who seemed somewhat reasonable.
After a moment of contemplation, Xuanwei realized that having more people involved might indeed be beneficial. Watching the memories alone might lead to missing some crucial detail. To be safe, it was better to let them watch as well.
Having made her decision, Xuanwei addressed Wen Yaxian, "Very well, I'll allow you to watch—on your behalf."
With that, Xuanwei activated the Haotian Mirror, projecting the images above the Primal Emperor City. This time, she limited the scope of the projection to only those around the city, but these people were mostly from the coalition forces that had come to fight the Ghostly Demon Emperor, Xiao Fan. Most were either esteemed figures within their sects or highly ranked elders.
As the images appeared, those watching were filled with excitement, feeling fortunate to witness the true story behind Xiao Fan's transformation into the Ghostly Demon Emperor.
Seeing the Haotian Mirror display the memories once more, the Empress of the Jade Pool couldn't help but smile faintly. From the beginning, she had done nothing to intervene, instead deliberately minimizing her presence. She knew all too well that Leng Ruoxue and the others wouldn't allow Xuanwei to watch alone. All she needed to do was subtly guide the situation, and the rest would take care of itself.
Indeed, she had succeeded.
The Empress of the Jade Pool fixed her gaze on the scenes unfolding in the Haotian Mirror, not wanting to miss a single detail. Once the Immortal Realm was destroyed and Xiao Fan left it, she would be able to use the Haotian Mirror to trace his steps back to her husband.
The thought of finally seeing her husband's face again after thousands of years filled her with nervous excitement. She could hardly contain her emotions, knowing she would soon see him again through the Haotian Mirror.
However, the thought of potentially witnessing Xiao Fan killing her husband filled her with rage. But as long as she could find the Soul Nourishing Bottle that held her husband's soul, she would have a way to resurrect him. The pain she felt now would only be temporary.
In contrast, Xiao Fan's chances of being rescued were slim to none. When she had controlled the Haotian Mirror earlier, she had sensed that Xiao Fan had no desire to live—he had completely resigned himself to death. Xuanwei and the others were simply wasting their time, clinging to the faintest hope of saving him.
The Empress of the Jade Pool felt immense satisfaction at the thought.
Looking at Xiao Fan within the Primal Emperor City, she sneered inwardly, "Xiao Fan, no matter how misunderstood you were or how many secrets you hid, you dared to kill my husband and imprison his soul. For that, you deserve to die!"
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8