The anger in Qian Renxue's chest seemed to be doused with a bucket of ice water, instantly freezing and transforming into a deeper, more piercing chill. Looking into Xuan Ming's calm, almost empty eyes, she felt that all her anger and questions had hit nothing but emptiness, powerless and laughable.
"You ate...?" Qian Renxue repeated the two words, her voice filled with an incredulous sense of absurdity. " Xuan Ming, do you think I'm in the mood to discuss this with you right now?"
She took a few steps forward, her high heels clicking crisply and coldly on the polished floor, shattering the suffocating "coziness" of the restaurant.
" Gu Yuena told me you would Destruction humanity." Qian Renxue forced herself to calm down, her gaze sharply fixed on Xuan Ming. "Tell me, is that true? You helped her build this empire, introduced Soul Tool, maintained peace... If you're ultimately going to destroy all of this with your own hands, then what's the point of everything you're doing now?!"
"Meaning?" Xuan Ming finally put down his napkin, leaned back slightly in his chair, and calmly met Qian Renxue's furious gaze. "Do I need to explain the meaning of what I'm doing to you?"
There was no madness or fanaticism in those eyes, only a deep, unfathomable calm that sent chills down your spine.
"This empire is her empire." He tilted his head slightly and gestured to Bibi Dong with his eyes. "While she is still the empress, let it operate according to her wishes, so that she can be a little more at ease, that's all."
Whether it exists or not makes no difference to me. Just like the food on this table, whether I eat it or not makes no difference to me.
The coldness in those words sent a chill down Qian Renxue's spine. She finally realized that Gu Yuena might not have been lying to her.
The man before me thinks in ways that defy common sense. He can help Bibi Dong build something, or destroy it in an instant; it all depends on his "mood," or his so-called "promise" and "choice."
"And what about me?" Qian Renxue's voice trembled with a despair she herself didn't even realize. She pointed at Bibi Dong, "What about you and her... what are you now? Where do you place me?!"
This is the deepest thorn in her heart, an unhealable wound, the root cause of her feeling betrayed and abandoned by the whole world.
Bibi Dong sighed softly at this moment, and finally spoke, her voice carrying a calm that Qian Renxue had never heard before, a calm mixed with weariness and a certain resolute determination. " Qian Renxue, I've said it before, this is between him and me."
"What happened between us?" Qian Renxue suddenly turned to Bibi Dong, her golden eyes filled with bloodshot veins and hatred. "You are my mother!"
Bibi Dong looked at her, her expression momentarily complex, but quickly returned to its usual calm. "So what?"
She gently picked up her glass, took a sip, and said, "I've never acknowledged it, and you've never considered me your mother. So why use that title to question me now?"
Qian Renxue frozen in place, looking at the "couple" in front of her. One was as cold as ice, and the other as calm as water. They were like a separate entity, completely isolating her from them.
Anger, resentment, resentment, and a sense of loneliness as if abandoned by the whole world overwhelmed her like a tide.
She looked at Xuan Ming and asked, word by word, "So, your Fourth Trial, Severing Romantic Ties... how do you intend to sever ties with me?"
Xuan Ming slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a huge shadow in the candlelight, almost completely enveloping Qian Renxue.
He didn't answer her question. Instead, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. An invisible, suffocating sense of oppression instantly spread out.
He leaned slightly closer to Qian Renxue's ear and, in a low, dangerous voice that only the two of them could hear, slowly asked:
How do you want me to end things?
Xuan Ming's deep voice echoed in her ears, carrying a cold, almost cruel, playful tone. His breath brushed against Qian Renxue's earlobe, but only made her feel a bone-chilling cold.
Qian Renxue abruptly raised her head, her golden eyes burning with despair and a desperate, reckless madness. She stared directly into Xuan Ming Ming's icy blue pupils, which were inches away from her own, and retorted sharply:
"Kill me? Is it only by killing me that you two can finally be a family again, and that I, this eyesore, will be gone?!"
She practically screamed those words, carrying over twenty years of pent-up grievances, anger, and resentment.
Xuan Ming looked at the shattered light in her eyes, a barely perceptible ripple flashing deep within his icy blue pupils, but it was quickly covered by an even deeper indifference. He straightened up, looking down at her, a cold, almost cruel smile curving his lips.
"That's the idea," he said, his voice eerily calm. "After all, Bibi Dong killed Qian Xunji."
These words were like Startling Thunder from a clear sky, instantly exploding in Qian Renxue's mind!
"... What?" The madness and anger on her face froze instantly, turning into utter shock and bewilderment.
She subconsciously glanced at Bibi Dong sitting there, hoping to see denial, anger, or any expression on her face that could refute her statement.
However, Bibi Dong simply looked back at her calmly, her purple-gold eyes showing no ripples, no denial, no explanation, only a silence that was almost tacit agreement.
It's true...
The truth that she had vaguely suspected deep down, but had never dared to or wanted to confirm... was actually true!
Her father, Qian Xunji, was really killed by Bibi Dong... her mother...?!
In an instant, Qian Renxue felt her world completely collapse.
The things that had sustained her all along—her vague longing for her father, the yearning for maternal love perhaps hidden Bibi Dong, and even her search for the meaning of her own existence—all shattered and became absurd and laughable at this moment.
Seeing her momentarily lost in thought, as if her soul had been ripped away, a fleeting pang of pity flashed in Xuan Ming's eyes, but it was immediately replaced by a deeper resolve. He knew he had to take drastic measures, he had to push her away completely, to the safe side, to the opposite side of hatred.
"Buzz--"
With a soft hum, the Blood Spear, Entanglement in crimson aura and killing intent, appeared out of thin air in Xuan Ming's hand. Without the slightest hesitation, the cold spearhead was already pressed against Qian Renxue's slender and fragile neck. The sharp chill instantly pierced through her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
"And I," Xuan Ming's voice was filled with undisguised mockery, as if he were evaluating an insignificant object, "Killing you now would be a way of reuniting you and your daughter, wouldn't it?"
Qian Renxue stood there stiffly, the coldness on her neck and the huge emptiness spreading in her heart making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She looked at Xuan Ming, at the light she once considered the only thing she wanted to grasp, which was now pushing her into the abyss in the cruelest way.
"You..." She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"Unfortunately," Xuan Ming's voice was as cold as a knife, carrying a merciless blow, "You are too weak. So weak... you don't even deserve to die by my hand."
You don't even have the right to stand before me and question me.
Before he could finish speaking, Xuan Ming clenched his left fist and, without warning, slammed it hard into Qian Renxue's flat stomach!
"Puff--!"
An indescribable, terrifying force erupted instantly. Qian Renxue didn't even have time to scream before she was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing through the restaurant's heavy wooden door and slamming heavily onto the cold stone floor outside, accompanied by flying wood chips!
Chapter 409 The Fourth Test Completed
"Cough... Ouch!"
Intense pain instantly swept through her body. Qian Renxue curled up on the ground, feeling as if her internal organs had shifted and her bones were breaking inch by inch. A mouthful of blood gushed out uncontrollably, staining the stone slab beneath her red.
She struggled to lift her head, but her vision was blurred. She could only see a blurry figure appear in front of her like Gui Mei.
Xuan Ming looked down at her disheveled state, his eyes devoid of any pity. He raised his foot and ruthlessly stomped on her back!
"Click..."
A sickening cracking sound faintly rang out, and Qian Renxue let out a painful groan, feeling as if her spine was about to be broken! The immense humiliation and pain almost made her faint.
"Go back to your Angel Temple." Xuan Ming's voice came from above, cold and ruthless. "Want revenge? Fine. Come find me after you become a god."
After saying that, he withdrew his foot and then kicked Qian Renxue hard in the side!
"Ugh--!"
An irresistible force surged forth, and Qian Renxue, like a ball, transformed into a golden streak of light, flying uncontrollably towards the top of Pope's Mountain, towards the Angel Temple. She finally crashed heavily onto the plaza in front of the temple, raising a cloud of dust, and completely lost consciousness.
After doing all this, Xuan Ming stood quietly in the same spot, looking in the direction where Qian Renxue had disappeared, remaining silent.
The Blood Spear had long since vanished, and the fierce killing intent around him instantly receded, leaving only a deep, indescribable loneliness.
Bibi Dong had somehow appeared beside him, quietly watching him, her purplish-gold eyes filled with complex emotions. She didn't speak, but simply gently took his slightly cold hand in hers.
She knew it all too well.
It's clear how complex Xuan Ming's feelings for Qian Renxue are.
In those years in Heaven Dou City, two psychologically unstable children struggled in a quagmire of power, intrigue, and mutual probing.
Qian Renxue was one of the few people with whom he had a deep connection during that dark period of his life.
They were enemies, watchers, and perhaps... also, in a distorted sense, the only "friends" who could understand each other's situation.
They might be angry with each other, scheme against each other, and when angry they might want to strangle each other, but they never really thought of taking each other's lives.
Xuan Ming has been tormenting Qian Renxue in his own way, and Qian Renxue has been determined to conquer Xuan Ming. Their twisted and special relationship is difficult for outsiders to understand.
But now, Xuan Ming has severed all of this with his own hands in the most cruel and decisive way.
He didn't want to hurt her, not in the past, and not now.
But right now, this is the only solution he can think of.
Cut off the tangled threads of affection, block all possibilities of ambiguity, and drive her to the extreme of hatred.
At least this way, Qian Renxue can hate him with a clear conscience, without having to struggle painfully with the abnormal relationship between the three of them, and without having to think about those "what ifs" that will never have a result.
Pure hatred, sometimes, is more likely to keep people alive than complex and unspoken love.
Qian Renxue's figure disappeared like a bird with broken wings in the direction of the Pope's Mountain, leaving only the cold stone bricks on the square and a pool of glaring bloodstains.
Xuan Ming stood quietly in place, the night wind ruffling the black hair on his forehead, but unable to dispel the deep loneliness that permeated him. He slowly withdrew his gaze, and in the depths of his icy blue eyes, something seemed to shatter, or something seemed to be completely Ice Seal.
Bibi Dong stood beside him, gently holding his hand, conveying silent warmth and support. She could feel the coldness of his fingertips and the slight trembling, but she said nothing, only holding his hand tighter.
Just then, a silver figure silently emerged from the shadows within the hall.
Gu Yuena.
Her silver-purple eyes gazed silently at Xuan Ming's retreating figure, her expression incredibly complex, containing shock, heartache, realization, and a hint of... indescribable unease.
She misjudged Xuan Ming's resolve once again.
She initially thought he was merely expressing his dissatisfaction through passive resistance, that he was running away from the situation. She believed that by pressuring Qian Renxue, she was helping him break the deadlock.
But now she realized that everything she had done might have been part of his plan. He deliberately delayed and showed resistance, perhaps... waiting for her to lose her temper and force Qian Renxue to his presence.
Only then could he end it all himself in this most cruel and thorough way.
He wasn't running away; he was strategizing. He was using the most decisive method to sever all ties that might make him hesitate or soften his heart.
The Xuan Ming before me is completely different from the Xuan Ming of the past, who, though stubborn and ruthless, still retained a sliver of principle and warmth deep within his heart.
Under immense pressure, the constant scheming, probing, and the feeling of being manipulated by an invisible hand ultimately changed him completely. He became more ruthless, more decisive, and more... willing to pay any price.
Gu Yuena felt a pang of heartache, for Xuan Ming's current state and for the pain he was enduring.
She couldn't imagine how much pain he must have felt, having pushed away, trampled on, and almost killed Qian Renxue —a person with whom he had a complex entanglement and who, in a sense, was a special mark on his past—in such a cruel way.
That cannot be concealed by mere superficial indifference.
But she couldn't say anything.
They cannot offer comfort, inquire, or even show the slightest understanding or pity.
Because she knew that Xuan Ming didn't need these things. He had chosen this path and was prepared to bear all the pain and sins alone.
Any form of comfort would be a desecration to him, only tearing apart his forced composure and causing him even more pain.
Some roads, once embarked upon, offer no turning back.
Gu Yuena ultimately said nothing. She simply stood there quietly, like another silent statue, bathed in the cool moonlight alongside Xuan Ming and Bibi Dong, sharing this heavy and silent end.
The night breeze carried the scent of distant mountains and vegetation, but it could not dispel the thick, oppressive atmosphere and sorrow that permeated the three of them.
" The Fourth Trial should be considered complete, right?"
Xuan Ming spoke, but it was unclear who he was asking.
Almost the instant his words fell, as if in response to his words, a gentle yet supremely majestic golden beam of light suddenly pierced through the clouds and precisely enveloped Xuan Ming!
The light wasn't dazzling; instead, it carried a warm, pure aura, contrasting sharply with the lingering, chilling aura around Xuan Ming. Within the light lay pure and vast divine Divine Power, and a clear intention:
[ The Sea God Nine Trials, Fourth Trial: Severing Romantic Ties and achieving mental clarity. Passed.]
[Reward: One God-Given Soul Ring, increasing the age of all Soul Ring by 50,000 years.]
Golden light, like mercury spilling onto the ground, rapidly merged into Xuan Ming's body. Beneath his feet, one Soul Ring after another flashed uncontrollably—
The already terrifying combination has now undergone a complete transformation! The red Soul Ring, representing the limit, has become even deeper and richer in color, as if it has been imbued with the sedimentation and power of countless years, and the pressure it exudes has caused the surrounding air to freeze!
The lifespan of all Soul Ring was forcibly increased by 50,000 years at this moment! This is an improvement that would drive any Soul Master mad!
However, there was no joy on Xuan Ming's face. He didn't even bother to carefully sense the surging power within his body. He merely glanced indifferently at the even more terrifying Soul Ring Configuration beneath his feet, then turned around and walked silently into the depths of the Pope's Palace, leaving the golden light and the two silent women behind.
He needed a quiet place to absorb this God-Given Soul Ring.
Bibi Dong and Gu Yuena watched his departing figure without stopping him. They knew that any words would be superfluous at this moment.
Chapter 410, Fifth Trial: Reshaping Order
Time slipped away quietly in the silence of cultivation, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Deep within the Pope's Palace, in a secret chamber sealed by a powerful barrier.
Xuan Ming sat cross-legged, his body enveloped in a pure white halo. The halo was not dazzling, but it carried a strange power that soothed the soul and purified all things, completely different from the murderous aura of the Blood Spear and the domineering majesty of the Abyssal Dragon Emperor.