Blade Edge Gleaming with the Cold Light of a Hundred Lifetimes, Fingertip Bearing the Blood Bead of Redemption

On the other side of the battlefield.

The "Calamity of Ten Thousand Ages" could no longer be sustained and slowly dissipated, but the calamity clouds remained.

Qin Wangchuan fell from the sky, a metallic taste rising in his throat, which he then forced to swallow.

The price of frequently Borrowing Law accumulates silently; fine cracks seem to spread beneath every inch of his skin. Yet he stands ramrod straight, blood dripping from his sleeves and seeping into the scorched earth.

Qin Hongchen also dispelled his Dharma Manifestation, his face pale and his breathing disordered.

But the crimson in his eyes hadn't faded; instead, it burned even more intensely due to the excessive exertion.

The two stood ten feet apart, silently gazing at each other.

The air was so thick you could wring out a fishy smell.

"Why..." Qin Hongchen spoke first, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping, "I've done so much for the Lineage, why hasn't anyone stood up for me?"

He took a step forward, and the scorched earth beneath his feet crumbled.

"Clearly, she didn't do anything wrong..."

Another step.

"Everyone says I'm the hope of the Qin Clan, that I'll be the pillar of the future... But what happened when I knelt on the ground begging them?!"

They just looked at me... just stared at me! Completely unmoved!

Centuries of repression, countless days and nights of self-examination and resentment, found a breach in the dam at this moment.

It wasn't just an obsession with "her".

It is also an outburst of all the grievances caused by the denial of one's own value, the breaking of promises, and the disregard for one's pain.

"I hate it..."

Qin Hongchen laughed, a laugh more painful than tears. "I hate my Lineage, I hate those arrogant elders, I hate everyone who stood by and did nothing!"

The roar echoed across the wasteland, carrying with it a chilling sense of despair and resentment.

Qin Wangchuan listened quietly until the echo of the roar was torn apart by the wind.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calm to the point of being cruel.

"Sixth Brother".

"It's not good to dwell on the past."

"Even more unacceptable," Qin Wangchuan continued, his voice low but each word clear, "To knowingly believe in falsehoods."

"What do you know about me?!" Qin Hongchen was like a wild beast that had been completely enraged, and the string of reason snapped.

"She did do something wrong, but that's my problem!"

"It's none of your business! And it's certainly not your place to make decisions for me!"

"You, the weakest of them all, what right do you have to lecture me?!"

"Why should they interfere in my affairs?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped waiting for any response and pointed to the sky—

"Skylight Rift!"

Above the sky, the clouds suddenly tore apart, and the ray of light fell down once more.

Qin Wangchuan looked up at the destructive light descending from the sky. Although he was covered in blood, there was no panic in his eyes.

He raised his left hand, palm up, and whispered:

"The Slaughtering Dao Heavenly Scar"

Buzz--

A dark gloom suddenly appeared, as if a crack in the world itself had suddenly unfolded.

The sunlight fell, colliding head-on with it.

The moment they made contact, the light of day dimmed noticeably, yet it still managed to cleave the dark crack open!

Qin Wangchuan looked at the descending ray of sunlight, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

The difference in their levels is too great; even Saint Law are insufficient.

The burden of frequently Borrowing Law has reached its limit, and the feeling of disintegration from within the body is becoming increasingly clear.

But...

No refunds.

He took a deep breath, and the void behind him rippled once more, forcibly opening the illusory "Wheel of Fate" that carried endless causes and consequences.

"I Borrowing Law — the Slaughtering Dao Heavenly Scar."

Buzz!

An even stronger "Slaughtering Dao Heavenly Scar" appeared, its dark light flickering uncertainly, eventually barely extinguishing the heavenly light.

But the price was immediately apparent— Qin Wangchuan let out a muffled groan, and a trickle of blood uncontrollably spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Another wound appeared on his body, making him look like a piece of porcelain about to shatter, only held together by sheer willpower.

Qin Hongchen looked at his swaying yet still upright figure, at the glaring red at the corner of his mouth, and her hand, which was about to cast a spell again, trembled almost imperceptibly.

His lips moved, eventually culminating in a low, hoarse murmur:

"... Don't lend it anymore."

The voice trembled.

Qin Wangchuan heard it.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with his blood-stained sleeve, and then chuckled softly.

There was no mockery in that laughter, only a kind of weary composure.

"If you don't lend it," he looked at Qin Hongchen, his gaze clear, "How can I possibly be your enemy, Sixth Brother?"

Before he finished speaking, the Wheel of Fate behind him began to turn again.

I said--

Qin Hongchen roared, his voice booming, "Stop borrowing!!!"

His aura exploded, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards Qin Wangchuan at a speed that almost tore through space!

Qin Wangchuan saw the figure rushing towards him, and he saw the complex expression in Qin Hongchen's eyes, a mixture of pain and panic.

Although I saw it, there was no way to avoid it.

Bang!

Qin Hongchen instantly closed in, one hand pressing down hard on Qin Wangchuan's chest with overwhelming force, slamming him to the ground!

The scorched earth crumbled, and dust flew everywhere.

In his other hand, he already held a Dao Sword with its sharp edge fully exposed.

The sword tip was icy cold, firmly pressed against Qin Wangchuan's brow. If it went in just a fraction further, it would pierce his skull and annihilate his Divine Soul.

Qin Hongchen looked down at Qin Wangchuan beneath him, his eyes bloodshot, his breathing heavy, yet his hand gripping the sword was terrifyingly steady.

"Without you..."

His voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, or as if he were roaring at the void, "I can obtain the position of Divine Son! I can change my Lineage! I can save her! I can change all of this!!!"

The roar, carrying a century's worth of grievances, resentment, and bitterness, erupted completely at this moment.

The tip of the sword trembled slightly due to extreme emotion.

Then, Qin Hongchen sensed it.

The last vestige of resistance in Qin Wangchuan's body, which he had been holding down, seemed to have vanished.

It's not a state of utter exhaustion and collapse, but rather a deliberate act of giving up.

Qin Wangchuan lay on the ground, looking at his Sixth Brother above him, whose face was slightly ferocious due to emotional agitation. His eyes were calm, even... carrying a hint of indescribable complexity.

He held the sword so steadily, he didn't seem like someone who had lost their mind at all.

Qin Hongchen's sword instinctively moved forward half an inch, the tip piercing the skin, a spot of crimson blooming between Qin Wangchuan's brows.

"You think I wouldn't dare kill you?!" Qin Hongchen's voice was distorted with agitation.

A brief silence.

Only the howling wind sweeping across the wasteland and the heavy, uneven breathing of the two people could be heard.

Then, Qin Wangchuan spoke.

The sound was very soft, yet it clearly cut through the wind and reached Qin Hongchen's ears.

"Sixth Brother".

"You know perfectly well that even without me, you could never be the Divine Son."

The tip of the sword trembled almost imperceptibly.

Qin Wangchuan continued, each word like a pebble thrown into the turbulent lake of Qin Hongchen's heart:

"You say you hate me, hate your Lineage, hate your elders, hate everyone."

"But I can't see even a trace of hatred in your eyes."

"Only guilt, pain, and the desire for death as a release."

The wind, carrying wisps of smoke, swept past, and Qin Hongchen's breathing suddenly became heavy.

"If you have to hate someone, you should only hate one person—yourself for not being able to save her back then."

"It's because I'm not strong enough, I can't protect her, I wish I could help anyone."

Qin Wangchuan's voice was as flat as a ruler, measuring his century-long self-deception: "I know your plans—"

Even if it's fake, I'd still like to spend some time with it.

"Because you miss her so much."

Even knowing it was fake, I still greedily wanted to spend more time with her.

"But Sixth Brother, this is like drinking poison to quench thirst."

"What's fake will gradually become real if you spend too much time with it, and in the end, you'll be even more miserable."

"She's not coming back."

These words, one by one, pierced Qin Hongchen's heart.

Yes, of course he knew it was fake.

At first glance, she really looks like her, like her to the core.

If I had to describe it, it would be that it perfectly captures her appearance and spirit, bearing a 99% resemblance to her.

It was just that one crucial bit of "truth" that was missing.

That one point is called: Habit.

Every time she takes a step, she always leads with her left foot, like a little general charging into battle.

Only when startled will one instinctively step forward with their right leg first.

The woman... walked steadily, alternating left and right, without any flaws, yet without any soul.

When she eats, she always carefully tastes her favorite bite first, then sets it aside like a treasure, saving it for last with a smile on her face, and enjoys it with complete satisfaction.

And that woman... although I know what she likes to eat most, I don't have those habits.

There are many similar examples.

Those countless details, which he himself had never consciously remembered, had long since become ingrained in his bones and blood through countless days and nights of longing, becoming the only evidence to identify her.

Qin Hongchen knew clearly that this woman was not her.

Despite the striking resemblance, it is ultimately not her.

But he missed her so much.

Just as Qin Wangchuan said, even knowing it was a mirage, a poisoned chalice, he still greedily wanted to stay with that illusion a little longer.

Even just a moment longer would be worthwhile.

"She will come back..."

Qin Hongchen lowered the tip of his sword slightly, his voice hoarse, almost like a dream.

Qin Wangchuan looked at the self-deceiving glimmer in his eyes and gently shook his head.

She's not coming back.

Then, meeting Qin Hongchen's confused gaze, he uttered those words.

That phrase cleaved through a century of mist, severing all self-imposed bonds.

"Since she's not coming back, Sixth Brother— "

"Don't wait any longer."

Go find her.

Qin Wangchuan's voice was soft, yet it carried an inexplicable power, pulling Qin Hongchen out of that agonizing swamp called "waiting."

"Let's set off now."

Boom--!

These words exploded in my ears!

Qin Hongchen froze instantly, as if nailed to the spot by an invisible Principle, his blood seemingly freezing.

All the ferocity and rage on his face suddenly froze, like a cracked layer of ice.

Below, there was a barren expanse of frozen soil exposed to the intense sunlight.

Then, she stared blankly down at the sword in her hand that was pressed against her brother's brow, and then at Qin Wangchuan's calm yet all-knowing eyes.

It feels like... I was just abruptly dragged back to reality from a long and painful nightmare by those words.

But this stiffness lasted only a moment.

"You make it sound so easy..."

Qin Hongchen's voice suddenly rose, regaining its fierce edge, as he tried to use anger to cover up his momentary lapse in composure, "I am—!"

His words came to an abrupt end.

Because he saw Qin Wangchuan, who was lying on the ground, suddenly raise one hand.

Qin Hongchen's heart tightened, thinking he was about to resist or attack, and the sword in her hand instinctively thrust down—the tip of the sword was already pressed against his brow, a matter of life and death!

However, Qin Wangchuan raised his hand, but did not form any hand seals, cast any spells, or attack anyone.

He simply extended his index finger and gently touched... Qin Hongchen's brow with that blood- and dust-stained finger.

The sword was pressed against his brow, and his finger was also pressed against his brow.

The blade is imbued with the cold light of a hundred lifetimes, and the fingertips hold Blood Bead of redemption.

Then, Qin Wangchuan looked at him and said in a calm yet solemn tone, "I issue this command in the name of the Divine Son— "

"Your position as Dao Child, Qin Hongchen, is hereby revoked."