A purple light emerged from the Heavenly Destruction Forbidden Formation. Out of the circular formation appeared a terrifying dragon with a pure white hue. Its massive face stared sharply at Luo Han, emanating a powerful aura of hostility.
Below, Luo Han felt a surge of dread. Yet, he did not remain passive. His body lifted into the air as he spread both arms wide, merging the golden light within him with the eleven pillars he had constructed. From the tip of each pillar, golden light radiated outward, forming a circular barrier that covered each pillar, creating a shield with a convex surface above it.
This caused the dragon created by Feng Jian to dive forward, releasing an icy breath from its mouth. Feng Jian watched the scene unfold before him. However, he soon realized that his body was growing weaker by the second. "This time, I'm truly going to die. But that doesn't matter. As long as I can reincarnate, I will avenge myself on Luo Han. And I will meet Jin Yu again."
The dragon continued to batter Luo Han's defense relentlessly, causing him to vomit blood while still holding his arms aloft, desperately maintaining the formation he had created. The circular formation above, crafted by Feng Jian, emitted a purple light that empowered the dragon exponentially. But this came at a dire cost, draining Feng Jian's lifeblood with every passing second.
Eventually, Luo Han's entire formation began to crack. His war-god form faltered, causing him to slip and collapse. The dragon easily penetrated the barrier formed by the eleven pillars. However, a faint smile tugged at Luo Han's lips. He rose to his feet, positioning himself at the center of the pillars he had erected.
A white glow spread from the ground where Luo Han stood, revealing a floor formation with intricate patterns that began to light up. Moments later, red beams shot out from the eleven pillars, trapping the dragon within.
Feng Jian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Damn it! This is a reversal formation. Luo Han has been baiting me all along, using my own formation against me."
He tried to summon his inner power, but it was in vain. Not a single spark of energy responded. Feng Jian had poured everything into this formation—his soul essence and divine consciousness, both crucial for one's survival.
When one's soul essence fuses with a formation, and the creator fails to reclaim it, that very essence becomes a double-edged sword. "I refuse to just sit here and accept defeat."
Meanwhile, within the eleven-pillar formation, Luo Han wiped the blood from his lips, a triumphant smile playing on his face as he looked at the dragon now shackled by his golden beams. His hands moved with agility. "Eleven Pillars of Hell's Reversal Formation. Destroy!"
The dragon roared furiously, creating powerful gusts that shook their surroundings. Feng Jian couldn't fathom what would happen to the universe if this immense force was unleashed. He knew one thing: he had to escape quickly if he wanted to survive.
As he prepared to flee, his body suddenly froze. Turning around, he was met with the dragon's face inches from his own. "Damn it! I'm really going to die here."
Right after he uttered those words, a lightning bolt struck Feng Jian's body, a sign of the forbidden power he had dared to use. For anyone who borrows power from the heavens must be prepared to pay the price. Feng Jian's body was now beyond recognition.
His face was marred with deep cuts, and crimson liquid stained his garments. Standing upright became an impossible task. "Jin Yu, even if I die here, I would still be grateful. At least we will be reborn together. Jin Yu, don't be afraid. I will accompany you in the darkness. There's no place where I can't find you."
Despite the excruciating pain—his bones cracking, his skin peeling away, and his internal organs on the brink of exploding—Feng Jian clenched his fists. He forced himself to stand and faced the dragon head-on. "I created you to destroy Luo Han. But if today you turn against me..." he paused, summoning a six-meter-tall monster silhouette behind him. "I will not die alone!" With a speed as swift as lightning, Feng Jian darted toward Luo Han, pursued by the dragon.
The heavenly flames and hellish ice from the dragon's breath collided with Feng Jian, obliterating Luo Han and his eleven pillars. The resulting explosion was far more catastrophic than when the Eye of the God was activated. Three nearby planets in the human realm were shattered, their fragments scattered into the endless abyss.
This time, life truly came to an end. And cruelly, Feng Jian could still feel his body being torn into countless pieces. As his fragmented body floated downward, his eyes stared blankly ahead, his mouth too stiff to move. But tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, speaking volumes until they disappeared into the unknown. "This is the end. The end of my centuries-long struggle alongside the war god. I, who once crushed my enemies, am now crushed by my own kin." His eyes slowly closed, his body feeling lighter and colder, as though he were freezing into an eternal peace.
His thoughts drifted back to the moments in his subconscious realm with Jin Yu in the flower garden. When Jin Yu released her embrace, she gazed at Feng Jian with a smile that never faded. "Jian'er, I have nothing left to offer you. The bull-headed demon is the last thing I can give you in this life. I'm sorry if, after this, darkness will always follow you in your reincarnation. Jian'er, I had no other choice. I couldn't let your soul be destroyed forever. With demonic power, though it sounds cruel, it can also strengthen one's spiritual core. Only with that power can I be with you in every lifetime."
Feng Jian smiled bitterly, blood still trickling from his lips. "You never abandoned me. Whether demon or sinner, it doesn't matter to me. But our shared vengeance must still be fulfilled."
Unbeknownst to Feng Jian, Luo Han descended from above, wielding the Death Mace, now transformed into a small dagger. His body was in no better shape than Feng Jian's—broken and barely recognizable. But with all his might, he managed to stab Feng Jian's heart, causing thick blood to pour out.
Even as his body was torn to shreds, Feng Jian could only watch helplessly as his soul slowly drifted away, his body shattered from the earlier explosion.
Barely clinging to life, Luo Han refused to accept defeat. He used his divine consciousness to extract the pagoda that had fused with Feng Jian's body. Feng Jian's disembodied soul could only watch in horror.
"No, no, don't touch Jin Yu! Don't do anything to that pagoda!" Feng Jian screamed and tried to attack Luo Han, but as a mere soul with no strength, his efforts were futile.
With ruthless intent, Luo Han struck the pagoda with his mace, sending it flying at an incredible speed into the void. It was unclear where it would land in the vast cosmos.
Once again, Feng Jian had to witness his beloved being torn from him, powerless to stop it. The emptiness he felt was all too real, having lost Jin Yu countless times in a single battle.
"Luo Han, I will carry this grudge beyond death. No matter how many times I must reincarnate, you will be my target for vengeance. Even if you're already dead, I will drag you back from the afterlife just to kill you again, thousands of times over." Feng Jian spoke calmly, devoid of emotion, as his soul's light dissipated into the wind.
Forever, Feng Jian would never find peace until his oath was fulfilled. Even in death, he would bear an immense burden and suffering.
***
One day, on the bridge of the underworld — a place where souls choose either to reincarnate or remain waiting for the heavenly gates to open — a man dressed in white hanfu roamed with a look of confusion.
His hair was as white as snow, and throughout the day, he wandered back and forth or simply sat under the Life Tree, a massive tree with a trunk reaching 30 meters in diameter, its leaves casting shade over the entire lake before it.
From a portal nearby, a figure dressed in black emerged. It was Xu Ming, the guardian deity of the underworld. Born before the underworld itself, he was tasked with overseeing and managing this realm.
Xu Ming clasped his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the soul named Feng Jian, who had been aimlessly lingering ever since his arrival. With a masked face that covered his eyes, Xu Ming let out a long sigh before stepping forward to approach the confused soul.
Yes, the man in white was Feng Jian. He had been here for years but had never been granted reincarnation. This puzzled Xu Ming as well. He was the one who determined the fate of each soul in this realm, but Feng Jian repeatedly refused to reincarnate, opting instead to wait for the heavenly gate to open.
Lost in thought as he watched the moon's reflection on the lake, Feng Jian could sense someone sitting beside him. Without even looking, he knew it was Xu Ming, the only one who continuously visited him. "No matter how many times you come, it won't change my decision. I will remain here, waiting for the heavenly gate to open."
"I understand. But don't you want to be like them? The other souls who get to start a new life out there," Xu Ming said, gazing ahead. There, streams of white lights lined up, awaiting their fate before entering the portal of rebirth.
"A new life, you say? I don't even know what kind of life I had before. I've been wandering in emptiness and void for years. Do you think it's pleasant to live with sealed memories?"
"So, are you blaming me?" Xu Ming replied calmly. "I don't even know why your memories were sealed. But in some cases, this happens because someone might have broken worldly rules in their past life. Or perhaps they couldn't find peace in death, carrying unresolved grudges and intense anger."
For a moment, Feng Jian fell silent. No matter how hard he tried to remember, his mind remained shrouded in darkness. "This darkness... I've always wanted to escape it. There must be something significant that caused my memories to be sealed. But one thing I do know — if life is that tormenting, I'd rather go straight to the heavenly gate."
"You know, the gods might regret creating someone like you."
Xu Ming's words struck a nerve, prompting Feng Jian to turn towards him. "Are you mocking me?"
Xu Ming slowly shook his head, meeting Feng Jian's gaze. "Do you know why the gods created humans? It was to foster individuals who are resilient and strong under any circumstances. The presence of great humans is to eradicate darkness from the world. You already know that the world out there is never entirely at peace. Light and darkness, day and night — they coexist as part of natural law, creating balance. Yet darkness always finds a way to dominate. And when that happens, there's only one answer: destruction."
Feng Jian remained silent, absorbing Xu Ming's words. He picked up a few pebbles and tossed them into the lake. "I don't understand."
"Aren't you curious why your memories are sealed? Why you're trapped in this darkness? You yourself said you want to escape this emptiness. So why don't you take the first step?" Xu Ming's tone turned firm as he continued, "If you can't dispel the darkness in others, at least dispel the darkness within yourself. I won't stop you if you choose not to reincarnate and wish to go straight to the heavenly gate. But based on your case, I can conclude that your journey is not yet complete. Heaven never accepts souls still tethered to worldly affairs."