Daoist Daoxuan raised his head and looked toward the gray figure suspended in midair through eyes blurred with tears.
Wan Jianyi—the man he had envied and admired all his life.
Wan Jianyi looked at him and shook his head.
"The one I saved wasn't you."
He gazed at Daoist Daoxuan's remorseful face, his voice hoarse. "The one I saved was my friend, who once practiced the sword with me, vanquished demons with me, and sang over wine with me."
"It was Daoxuan, who once gave up everything to protect the Green Cloud Sect."
Daoxuan could no longer hold back his tears.
He let out a cry of anguish, fell to his knees, and wept uncontrollably.
Everyone present watched Daoist Daoxuan kneeling and sobbing, their hearts tangled with conflicting emotions.
His cries echoed across the ruins, filled with regret and sorrow.
Daoist Daoxuan knelt on the ground, washing away his sins with his tears.
The chiefs of the Green Cloud Sect's various peaks watched him in silence, their expressions complicated.
There was no schadenfreude in their hearts, only sighs and rueful emotion.
Once, the man before them had been an insurmountable mountain in their eyes, a leader who had guided the Green Cloud Sect to the pinnacle of the righteous path.
But now, devoured by his inner demon, he had become a pitiable man who had personally cast everything he swore to protect into the abyss.
The corruption of power, the lure of strength, and the jealousy and fear in his heart had ultimately driven this legendary figure to madness.
After a long while, his sobs gradually faded.
Daoist Daoxuan rose from the ground and wiped away his tears. His cloudy eyes had grown clear and resolute.
It was as if, in that moment, he had let go of everything.
He