Rain Fell in a Furious Torrent of Darkness (Part Two)

You Su suddenly turned around.

The lightning flashed again, illuminating his face ashen.

He hesitated as he looked at the endless, surging Evil Tide beneath the tree.

Should we go back now to save Ji Xueruo and keep her away from that eerie giant serpent that should have died thousands of years ago?

Or should we rush off the island without hesitation to end this insane trial as soon as possible and save everyone's lives?

He had been wielding the Ink Pine Sword, cutting his way to this point, but his arms were becoming increasingly numb. The Mystic Qi in his spiritual platform had been constantly squeezed out since the struggle for the Three Yuan Purple Gold began, and his body was truly exhausted.

But he never considered retreating. He pressed on tirelessly only to save the lives of those who trusted him, not to quickly establish his identity as the treasure hunter.

It was as if this was his responsibility, and he chose to accept it.

His goal from the beginning of Chuyun City was actually very simple: to protect the few people around him.

But later, without realizing it, things developed in a way that exceeded his expectations. He became a god among men, and also the source of evil.

Although he always believed his activities within the Evil Warding Department were a facade, he couldn't deny that he genuinely felt he was the savior, that saving the world was an inescapable mission. Whether by choice or by force, he seemed destined to face his current predicament.

Should one follow their own original intention to save those they cherish, or submit to fate and become the great savior?

When he was an unknown Sword Cultivator in Chuyun City, he longed to one day witness the pinnacle of the world. But after actually leaving, he missed the self who knew nothing in that small city. Perhaps it would be best if he could never see again, at least then he wouldn't have to face such a difficult choice.

So many expectant eyes were fixed on him, hoping and trusting that he could bring the legacy out and end this farce. But if he were to turn back now to save Ji Xueruo, he knew very well that even he would find it difficult to get through this increasingly dense Evil Tide. He was not afraid of evil spirits, but he was by no means a tireless iron man.

When he returns to Three Yuan Mountain, carrying the hopes of everyone, how will they look at him? And how will Ji Xueruo view him?

You Su couldn't quite make sense of it; for the first time, he felt that his heart was just as tired as his body.

But time was slipping away, and he had to make a decision as soon as possible.

Just when he was extremely anxious and conflicted, he suddenly saw a somewhat familiar face.

Amidst the Evil Tide, one person stood still, silently watching him in the tree. The expressionless Evil Puppet flowed past his shoulders like waves cut through reefs.

That was actually the deceased Huang Xi.

But You Su also knew very well that this was not Huang Xi, because that simple and honest cultivator from the Western Wilderness Continent would not have shown such an arrogant look.

He was looking up, yet it felt as if he were looking down at you, as if the eyes looking at you weren't from under the tree, but from the sky.

"They are in dire straits," Huang Xi said with a smile.

You Su knew who 'they' referred to.

You Su took a deep breath. "Where is she?"

"On the verge of death," Huang Xi replied with a smile.

Upon hearing these four words, You Su felt a jolt in his heart. Standing on the tree trunk, he felt his feet sink and he was about to fall.

"Even the most powerful Divine Beast cannot live for more than five thousand years. The Qi Snake was once the most recognized demon by the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor, but it was also sealed here by the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor himself. The ancestor of the snake clan was not actually the Qi Snake, but the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor."

Because the Qi Snake wanted to defy the heavens and cooperate with the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons to transform itself into the legendary dragon, the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor discovered its ambition and forcibly used its bloodline to create a race, with the aim of dividing the power within its bloodline.

Therefore, the snake race has never had males since its inception. The records of male offspring in their own history books are false information left by the Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor, with the purpose of covering up this race that should not exist. In fact, they have always relied on the blood of the Qi Snake in the Snake Blood Pool to continue their lineage.

The power of the Qi Snake gradually weakened with the flow of its bloodline, and it only survived to this day by using forbidden techniques. The arrival of that little snake awakened it; with the passing of the Immortal Ancestor, the seal on its body began to loosen. The blood of this little snake is very special; now it must reclaim its own bloodline and restart its grand plan to transform from a snake into a dragon."

Huang Xi spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice seemingly possessing a magical power that gently dispelled You Su's extreme anxiety, allowing You Su to listen to his entire story without realizing it.

"Do you want to go back and save her?" Huang Xi's smile remained unchanged, even growing wider.

You Su was clearly in a hurry, but he just couldn't take a step, as if this body didn't belong to him.

"But even if you go back, you can't save her. You can't kill that snake. So I suggest you don't hesitate any longer, keep going out of the island, save their lives, and you can also get the Heavenly Awakening Spiritual Light that everyone dreams of."

People will recognize your great deeds, and you will gain both fame and fortune. This will be the perfect start to your life. You will be the most prominent figure in the entire Five Continents, and then you will rapidly grow to lead the cultivators of the Five Continents to annihilate the Evil God, becoming a saint comparable to the five great immortal ancestors."

Huang Xi's words were incredibly persuasive; his description was brief, yet it seemed to make You Su truly see that perfect future.

You Su remained silent; the storm on the Secluded Island was so fierce that it stung one's face.

"Let me go."

Like sparks fading in the rain, those three words escaped You Su's lips.

Huang Xi's smile faded, and his expression became somewhat serious.

You can't save her.

"Let me go!" You Su roared, and a muffled rumble of thunder echoed in the sky.

"Many people want you to live. Even if you don't do it to save them, you should still live. You can't survive being caught between the Qi Snake and the Evil Tide. Have you ever considered that perhaps even she doesn't want to see you turn back?"

Huang Xi was still trying to dissuade You Su.

The cold rain felt like marbles hitting You Su's face, but he could no longer feel the pain. He felt an unprecedented agitation, yet also an unusual calm.

"I'll save her! I can save her! Let me go!"

Huang Xi shook his head. "You can't do it."

His voice was so confident, as if he had seen through everything about You Su and therefore had no doubt about his weakness.

You Su didn't reply. He simply took off his sunglasses, revealing two black holes beneath them that seemed to absorb all light, deep and cold.

This was the first time You Su had shown his most unique side to someone so unreservedly; he had been wearing the cloak of blindness for far too long.

He didn't know why he hadn't told anyone that he could actually see in this state, not even his closest junior sisters, senior sisters, and Mistress, who would never have despised him even though they knew he was a monster.

But he didn't say anything, partly because he was enjoying the perk of being mistaken for blind even though he wasn't; the other part was entirely subconscious. He didn't actually enjoy spying; it was more like an instinctive avoidance of something.

"These eyes like to see things they shouldn't... they should just go blind..."

You Su recalled this vague phrase from the depths of his memory. He remembered it a few days ago on the night he killed Ming Dao and fell into a coma, but he quickly forgot it, just like he had remembered it before.

And just now, when I was hesitating, that sentence came back to me.

You Su finally understood why he had subconsciously not wanted to tell others that he could see: he knew that someone had deliberately blinded him, deliberately prevented him from seeing the world.

Blind people don't walk any 'path' other than their own; they only follow the paths that have already been laid out. Some people wish that he, being blind, would become a blind person.

When he inexplicably gained the ability to see, he realized he must never reveal this secret. It was a window that God had quietly opened for him, and he dared not let anyone know. He didn't want to cause trouble for himself, nor did he want to harm those close to him. Therefore, 'seeing' became a secret that he dared not speak of even more than God himself.

But now he took off his glasses, as if to show Huang Xi his determination.

"You can't do it." Huang Xi shook his head.

His pupils seemed to move slightly, and You Su, who was staring directly at him, seemed to be in another world, with images accompanied by sounds appearing before his eyes.

Those were people struggling in the turmoil, enduring the rampage of mad serpents and Evil Tide. The blind man who single-handedly charged into the Evil Tide with his legacy became their last hope, passed down through generations.

Ji Xueruo Humanoid Transformation a pure white serpent, was bound and coiled by the Qi Snake, her life gradually being strangled. Her beautiful serpentine eyes only looked in the direction You Su had left. You Su vaguely seemed to hear the words "Go," the voice as soft as a drifting breeze.

Even if you could do it, so what? Nobody wants you to turn back. Don't go against everyone's wishes.

Huang Xi opened his arms, and his voice became louder:

"Your elders, loved ones, and friends all expect you to leave this world with a legacy. You are the protagonist of the world, and they will be overjoyed by your success. Put those thoughts aside and head off the island."

"Shut up!!"

You Su screamed hysterically, "Isn't this what you wanted to see! You wanted me to go down this path! This path that's completely opposite to the life I should have taken!!"

Huang Xi stood frozen in place, as if the swirling storm was centered on him.

He looked at the boy's eyes, now free of sunglasses, and suddenly smiled again:

"Neither the Evil Tide nor the Qi Snake is under my control. Someone wants to manipulate your destiny, but there will always be a day when you go against the true will of Heavenly Dao. You will face this choice sooner or later; I'm not forcing you. I'm giving you this final piece of advice: move forward and don't look back. Whether it's you or those you love, you only have one life."

You Su gripped the Ink Pine Sword tightly, as if trying to embed it into his own flesh.

He has faced numerous hardships and obstacles along the way, but he has always managed to turn danger into safety. Inexplicable fortuitous opportunity and inescapable responsibilities have all been bestowed upon him in the end.

The journey from an unknown blind child in a small town to where he is today is an unimaginable experience. And as long as he continues to carry on the tradition beyond the island, his life will reach its most crucial climax.

Ji Xueruo's death would be a trivial regret. She was different from his junior and senior sisters, and they hadn't even had a defined relationship. So many other women were waiting for his return; he didn't need to defy his fate for Ji Xueruo.

The future is set in stone and looks bright, You Su doesn't want it.

He then realized that before today, everything had been pushing him forward, as if an invisible hand was guiding him into a series of major events, where he would play a crucial role.

But today, on this overseas fairy island beyond the Five Continents, You Su used these eyes to perceive that invisible giant hand.

Will I die?

"He can't see into this place, and from now on, he will never be able to see into you again," Huang Xi replied with a smile, her tone brimming with detached confidence.

You Su remained silent for a moment, then gathered his loose long hair and tied it behind his head, just as he had done when he made up his mind in front of True Man Ling.

A flash of lightning illuminated his face, revealing a cold, stern expression like that of a young god.

"Can I leave now?" You Su asked.

"Of course." Huang Xi gestured, like a host seeing a guest off.

You Su made a move to leap down from the tree, but Huang Xi called him back:

"If I may ask, did you turn back this time to fight against the dictates of fate, or simply to save that little white snake?"

You Su pursed her lips, her sword trembling slightly, her voice like a clear spring. "We have them all."

A hint of doubt flashed in Huang Xi's eyes, but he quickly understood and asked again:

"You're just going to run there to save her like that?"

You Su turned around, about to ask a question, but Huang Xi preemptively spoke, laughing:

"The Evil Tide are beyond my control, as are the Qi Snake, because they do not belong to this island. However, there are still many things on this island that are under my control."

He then clapped his hands, You Su immediately felt an unusual tremor coming from underground.

In the blink of an eye, the ground suddenly cracked open, and a giant rat covered in scales with flickering flames in its mouth burst forth from the earth.

It opened its blood-red maw and roared, scattering the surrounding Evil Tide. The flames brewing in its mouth seemed to be cursing this rainy day that it hated most.

"Let's ride it; we should still make it in time."

Huang Xi suddenly spoke loudly, and as soon as he finished speaking, You Su felt that her legs were out of her control, and she inexplicably jumped off the tree trunk in an awkward manner.

Just then, Fire Armadillo rushed to his feet, and he landed steadily on the Fire Armadillo's hard head armor.

This behemoth possessed unimaginable speed, You Su had to immediately grab onto its armor plates to avoid being flung away. However, before he could even turn back for one last look at Huang Xi, he had already passed through countless mountains.

Huang Xi, who remained where he was, simply watched the direction You Su had gone with a complicated expression. He smiled and stroked his beard, only to realize with a start that this body had no beard at all.

He chuckled to himself, looking at the overcast sky, feeling an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

"Who says the protagonist of a story has to be a rebellious madman? I think this devoted lover isn't so bad either..."