Sacrifice

The voice in her head didn't answer, but Sang Ying had already keenly sensed His emotions.

Yes, He is the Heavenly Dao of this world.

"When did you find me?" the voice asked again after a moment of silence.

He did not deny his own existence; after all, in His view, Sang Ying now had no other choice.

"I don't know when I discovered it. Perhaps I was already suspicious when you started talking to me. After all, my other sword only developed sentience later, unlike you, who is so eloquent from the moment you appeared." Sang Ying looked at the flames rising from the ground in front of her. Even though she was scorched by the flames, she felt a chill rising from her heart.

The chill almost froze her completely.

So, is what Gu Huaiwei said true? Did Heavenly Dao create the Child of Heavenly Destiny only to have them die for Him?

Sang Ying felt she shouldn't think this way, but Heavenly Dao's current actions forced her to make such a guess.

"I know what you're thinking. This world has existed for far too long, and I have been born for far too long. You may not be able to sense it, but I have already begun my journey towards extinction." The still somewhat immature voice uttered such profound words, which gave Sang Ying goosebumps.

If the Heavenly Dao is about to perish, is there any possibility that this world can survive?

Jiang Zhuoxue Sang Ying staring blankly at the sea of fire for a long time, Jiang Zhuoxue was about to reach out to pat her when a wisp of green smoke drifted out of the Dragon Abyss Sword.

At that moment, the scorching heat of the flames disappeared, and the shaking of the underground city ceased. Jiang Zhuoxue's outstretched hand stopped halfway, and the rumbling sounds coming from beneath her feet also vanished.

Time seemed to stand still.

Sang Ying and the wisp of smoke, however, were detached from this still space.

The green smoke, which is the Heavenly Dao, said, "You don't need to worry about this world. After you jump into the flames, this world will continue to operate smoothly. And after I obtain your power, I will be able to nurture a new Heavenly Dao."

The Heavenly Dao will not exist forever; where there is extinction, there will be birth.

The new Heavenly Dao is often more powerful than the old one, and it brings new vitality to this world.

"I am too old, which is why no cultivator in the Lower Realm has been able to ascend in recent years, because I am too weak to create Ascension Heavenly Tribulation. Your birth will be an opportunity for me and this world. All chaos will be stopped by you, and a new order will be born from destruction. When the new Heavenly Dao can stand alone, the cultivators in the Lower Realm will have the opportunity to ascend."

Sang Ying looked at him coldly. "Why do you think I would sacrifice myself? I don't consider myself a kind and selfless person."

"No, you are." Of course, He entrusted the salvation of the world to the female cultivator before Him because He knew what kind of person she was.

The Heavenly Dao was absolutely certain. "For the sake of the people and matters you care about, you will agree. It is precisely because you are such a selfless person at heart that you will become the Child of Heavenly Destiny. Who is the Child of Heavenly Destiny is not decided by me, but by them themselves."

So Gu Huaiwei made a mistake from the very beginning.

He thought that by changing Sang Ying 'Sang Ying fate and transferring her fortune and experiences onto Su Fuyun, he could save her from death. But in reality, Sang Ying's fate was never determined by her destiny, but by herself.

"What were those scenes I dreamed about when I became an apprentice?" Sang Ying asked.

The Heavenly Dao, "That wasn't something I did. It was just that the world realized something was wrong and was actively trying to save itself. It transmitted its predictions of what would happen into your mind, making you think that the world was a book, but in reality, you will never become the crazy and desperate girl in the book."

"Perhaps you've forgotten, but our first meeting wasn't today, but many years ago. Back then, you were just a child, with your parents still by your side. You practiced your sword on the mountaintop every day, even though you didn't yet understand what Sword Intent."

"I sensed the purity in your soul, so I came to test you, to see if you were the one chosen by the world. I transformed into a Demon Beast and approached you when you were still young, and asked you, 'What would you do if the sun disappeared from this world?'"

"You said, then I'll transform into the sun..."

The words of the Heavenly Dao seemed to unlock Sang Ying's long-sealed memories. In a daze, she saw a little girl with features very similar to hers, holding a sword taller than herself, answering a cat-beast on the ground in a childish voice, "Then I will become the sun and never set."

"So, this path was entirely your own choice." As Heavenly Dao's words fell, the scenery around Sang Ying changed once again.

The underground city before her suddenly transformed into a camp for cultivators and Human Race, and the sandstorm was now far more powerful than before.

Almost all Nascent Soul at the Nascent Soul stage and above went to the front line to struggle against the storm. Behind them, the Ice Dragon Cang Lian lay on the ground, seemingly on the verge of death. Green Vine, withering from losing too much water, weakly draped her vines over him, trying to use her last bit of strength to shield her friend from the sunlight.

She saw that the once peaceful, Endless Sea had turned blood red, and all the sea Demon Beast that had not escaped were dead, with the seawater constantly emitting a fishy stench.

The scales of the Jin Liner sisters dried up and curled up, and the Beast God Bai Ze transformed into his beast form, letting out a final roar at the wind and sand before him.

The sandstorm was instantly forced back ten feet, and Bai Ze transformed back into its small beast form, falling into a deep sleep. It's unknown how many years it will take to recover before it awakens again.

Finally, there are Sang Ying's parents.

Sang Zheng's hair had turned mostly white, his aura had fallen below the Golden Core, and his face looked deathly pale.

He had lived for many years and could still walk in public as a middle-aged man because of his high cultivation level and long lifespan. However, Sang Zheng's cultivation level had now fallen below the Golden Core, and the lifespan of the Foundation Establishment Realm was not enough to make up for the extra years he had lived.

Wen Miaoshu stayed by her dao companion's side, constantly feeding him longevity pills. If she slowed down even slightly, a strand of Sang Zheng's hair would turn white.

At this moment, Wen Miaoshu was clearly not in much better condition than Sang Zheng. Her clothes were tattered, and Sang Ying had never seen her mother look so disheveled.

Countless faces, both familiar and unfamiliar, were filled with despair. Whether Human Race or Demon Race, they were all giving their last strength to resist the sandstorm.

One of the girls fell to the ground, Sang Ying quickly recognized the face— Song Jiaojiao from the Flowing Light Sword Sect. Lying next to her was her senior brother, with whom she had already become dao companion.

"What do I have to do? Just jump down, right?" The scene freezes on the moment Song Jiaojiao closes her eyes, and Sang Ying finally resigns herself to her fate.

"Yes," Heavenly Dao replied, "You just need to jump, and I'll take care of the rest."

As soon as she finished speaking, the scene before her eyes returned to the underground city. The turmoil continued, and sand and gravel fell from above.

The firelight illuminated Sang Ying's face, revealing an unprecedented vitality.

"Sang Ying!" Someone called her from behind, the call seeming to come from across a long time.

Sang Ying glanced back, mouthed something to Jiang Zhuoxue, and then tilted her head back and fell down.

The sparks that flew up made Jiang Zhuoxue's heart tremble as she followed closely behind, and the flames quickly engulfed the blue figure, leaving not a trace.

Facing the blazing fire, he gave a wry smile, "You're always so impatient, never giving me a chance to gossip."

He dropped the Image-Retaining Stone he was holding, hoping that someone would find it and tell the others where he and Sang Ying had gone.

Then, he too jumped into the flames and vanished from the world...