Back in Blood River Valley, by the cliff's edge, before the Bodhi tree, while they played Go on the withered wood chessboard, Song Qianji had heard Wuxiang speak of this seed and his insane, terrifying plan.
He just never expected that the seed would end up in He Qingqing's hands.
When she revealed her Domain, letting the withered roots of the Sky-Supporting Tree spread across the snowfield, this battle was no longer a dispute between the Celestial Alliance and Thousand Canals, much less a matter of temporary gains and losses, successes and failures.
Everyone had reached a moment where they had to make a choice for the world's destiny.
"Alliance Leader He, we are willing!" someone suddenly shouted from among the Celestial Alliance cultivators. "We were all oppressed in our respective sects. That we have our current cultivation and status in the Celestial Alliance is all thanks to your promotion. There's nothing worth clinging to in this rotten world! I am willing to offer up my cultivation and follow the Alliance Leader to a new world!"
The most fanatical group of followers had already begun swearing oaths to the heavens.
Urged on by their cries, more cultivators finally snapped out of their shock.
"We can't agree to this! If she becomes the creator god, she'll decide who lives and who dies, who achieves the Dao and who doesn't. How would we be any different from the slaves at her feet? Can we still be called cultivators?"
"How can one's own cultivation be offered up and transferred? It's unheard of! There must be something wrong with her Ascension Pills. She's had this plan all along, treating us as nothing but nourishment! Such madness and cruelty will only harm everyone, harm the entire world! You must not yield!"
The disciples of the Celestial Sound Sect were enraged upon hearing this. "Insolence! How dare you disrespect the Sect Master!"
More people were at a complete loss, looking around for which way the wind was blowing like headless flies.
The Celestial Alliance, which had been unprecedentedly united just moments ago, disintegrated in an instant.
"Something's wrong with the Ascension Pills? Sect Master Yuan, how exactly did Sect Master Xu Yun die that day?!" an elder from the Huawel Sect demanded. "And where did Alliance Leader He's explosive increase in cultivation come from?"
Yuan Qingshi's heart tightened. Facing countless suspicious gazes, he felt as if he could see the words "betrayer of master and sect" on their faces. A chill ran through him, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
They had already come this far. If He Qingqing's plan failed, his own reputation would be ruined, and his master... wouldn't his master have died in vain?
A surge of malevolent energy rushed to his heart. When he came to his senses, the sword in his hand had already thrust forward.
He heard himself roar, suppressing the dissent, "The Alliance Leader has given an order! Anyone who dares to disobey shall be executed for their crime!"
He Qingqing put away the Sky-Supporting Tree seed and began to play "Ambush from All Sides" again, muttering to herself, "There's no such thing as a free elixir in this world."
Amidst the chaos in the Celestial Alliance, an extremely sharp zither sound rang out, like countless sharp swords stabbing down from the sky.
Those cultivators who were unwilling to submit cried out in pain. At first, their heads spun, their ears rang, and their qi and blood roiled.
Then, they were submerged in the zither's music, as if walking into a blizzard. Lost and disoriented, their expressions gradually became vacant.
Meng Heze stood on the walls of Thousand Canals, watching the sky change. The continuous mountain range of snow shook under the sonic vibrations, and a massive avalanche erupted.
"So she opened this passage to use her zither music to activate the power of the Ascension Pills, control the Celestial Alliance cultivators, and absorb their cultivation! How vicious!"
Ji Chen's expression was also grave. "Anyone who has taken an Ascension Pill will be used by He Qingqing if they indulge in the zither music and their minds waver. Her power is skyrocketing. Senior Brother Song is in danger."
Song Qianji's tiny figure rose and fell among the waves of snow, appearing and disappearing, causing the people of Thousand Canals to worry so much that they began to shout, wanting to offer their lives for King Song.
Zhou Xiaoyun and Ji Xing could only lead the city defense team to maintain order, wanting to both cry and laugh.
"The other side is practicing a demonic method, but King Song isn't. Everyone, stay alive and live a good life. Don't talk about dying."
"Stop shouting! The snowfield is at the end of the continent. King Song can't hear you."
Wei Zhenyu suddenly said, "Since this passage is already open, I have an idea."
"What a coincidence, I have an idea too," said Meng Heze.
Though he clearly hadn't heard the others' plans, Ji Chen also said:
"This idea is crazy, but I like it. A spatial passage is also a type of spatial array. On the Three Lives Stone, my favorite thing was to snatch other people's arrays and use them myself."
"Good! Then the three of us will tear a hole in the sky today and rescue Senior Brother Song back to Thousand Canals!" Meng Heze declared.
Wei Zhenyu had already obtained the Inexhaustible Fire, a powerful tool for incinerating all things and breaking through barriers.
Meng Heze had practiced the Blood Sea Divine Art on the Three Lives Stone and was familiar with the flaws and weaknesses in He Qingqing's cultivation method.
In his past life, Ji Chen had specialized in researching unorthodox arrays and had made many bold attempts.
The three of them flew towards the sky.
...
Even without seeing the reaction of the Celestial Alliance, Song Qianji could guess what was happening on the other side of the world.
He flicked his sleeve, holding the Seven Wonders Zither in one arm and stroking the strings with the other.
"Since everything began with the Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune, let it end here."
Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!
Three heavy notes, like three sword beams, broke through the siege.
This was the second time he had played the Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune. The first time was to suppress Chaos, not for slaughter. This time, however, his killing intent was on full display.
Sword beams flew from between the zither strings, carving a path through the wind and snow.
Song Qianji trod on the waves of snow, like a small boat crossing a raging sea, and charged forward.
He Qingqing's zither music faltered slightly. She rose, zither in hand, dodging Song Qianji's pursuit from behind. "You can't win. You are only one person. How can you defeat these tens of thousands?"
"Everyone, guard your minds! Don't listen to the zither music from the sky!" Chen Hongzhu led the cultivators of the small Huawel Sect into the poisonous fog forest, waking the Celestial Alliance cultivators one by one. Those who couldn't be woken were knocked unconscious on the spot.
But they were short-handed, and their progress was slow.
In this moment of anxiety, another zither melody suddenly drifted over.
This music was serene and gentle, like a bright moon rising over the mountain pass, or light petals chasing the flowing water.
It did not entangle and fight with He Qingqing's music, competing to see which could overpower the other. Instead, like sunlight melting ice and snow, or a spring breeze smoothing the clouds, it gradually dissolved the violent, demonic sound.
"It's her," Chen Hongzhu murmured.
The Twin Beauties of Celestial Sound finally faced each other with their zithers.
They had the most beautiful faces in the world and walked the most treacherous paths. Was this beauty and talent a gift from fate, or a curse?
The gentle melody gained the upper hand. Blown by the spring breeze in the tune, the members of the Celestial Alliance gradually regained their clarity.
They didn't know who was playing, only that the sound came from Thousand Canals.
"It's the master of sound from Thousand Canals who has broken He Qingqing's Heavenly Sound Art!"
"What piece is being played?"
"I only heard that it's a piece written by King Song, called 'Flower, Moon, and Falling Clouds.' Everyone in Thousand Canals can hum it."
The power of the eighteen red beads stopped growing. He Qingqing gradually felt her strength failing. Taking a deep breath, she shouted:
"Your zither strings were damaged back in Blood River Valley. Stop trying to hold on!"
The Nine Heavens Resonating Zither, already pushed to its limit, surged with even greater power. All seven strings of the Seven Wonders Zither snapped.
Song Qianji let out a muffled grunt, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Unmoved, his expression unchanging, seven sword shadows rose behind him.
The body of the Seven Wonders Zither expanded dramatically and flew into the sky.
Wuying, Chunqiu, Qie Zhu, Duchuan, Yueque, Evil Slayer, and Truth-Breaking all emerged, positioning themselves horizontally across the zither's body.
The seven swords became strings, vibrating with Song Qianji's will.
The Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune truly became a song of slaughter.
Sword qi crisscrossed, rolling up waves of snow that crashed towards He Qingqing.
Song Qianji spat out another mouthful of blood, but then he saw a golden light descend from the sky.
The power of faith and vows from the millions of people in Thousand Canals was being directly channeled into him through that passage.
"How is this possible?!" He Qingqing was shocked.
The passage she had opened had been breached. As she suffered the backlash, she was struck by the sword qi.
The eighteen red beads shattered, falling from the sky.
Crack!
The Nine Heavens Resonating Zither snapped in the middle.
He Qingqing's slender body was flung away, blood gushing wildly, drawing a long arc in the air.
Suddenly, her body sank, pulled by a powerful suction into the fierce wind above the Ice-Cracking Abyss.
Grievously injured, He Qingqing used all her strength to break free from the fierce wind and stood on the edge of the cliff.
Just then, on the other side, the "Flower, Moon, and Falling Clouds" tune ended, and the world returned to silence.
The members of the Celestial Alliance were now completely awake. Discovering their cultivation had plummeted, they trembled with a mixture of hatred and rage.
"This demoness is truly terrifying! King Song, kill her quickly!"
"We can't let her live!"
"You can't fly across the Ice-Cracking Abyss. Turn back. Give me the Sky-Supporting Tree seed." Song Qianji descended from the sky, walking step by step towards the cliff.
He Qingqing's green dress was stained with blood, her pearl coronet shattered, her three thousand black silks flying in the wind.
She looked up. "Turn back? Ha. In life, I was worshipped by thousands; in death, I am condemned by all. Who wants to just fade away?"
Hearing her laugh, the Celestial Alliance cultivators felt a wave of lingering fear. Cowed by her presence, they dared not speak again.
For a time, the snow swirled chaotically, and the world was silent.
"In my life, I have braved mountains of daggers and climbed the highest peaks. It's just a pity that I fell short at the final step. Hate me, fear me as you will, but none of you are qualified to judge me!"
He Qingqing took out the Sky-Supporting Tree seed, leaped backward, and plunged into the fierce wind.
"Miss He!" Song Qianji flew forward.
At that critical moment, his seven swords were embedded in the zither as strings. He had only the Spilled Water Sword in his hand.
The short sword flew out, its hilt hooking onto the pendant at her waist. Song Qianji grabbed the blade with his left hand and barely caught the edge of the cliff with his right. His entire body hung in the air, all his spirit qi focused on resisting the suction from the wind.
He wished he could subdue this sword at once, but it refused to obey him.
The blade cut into his palm. Warm blood flowed out, dripping onto He Qingqing's cheek.
Song Qianji shouted, "Grab the hilt!"
In the pitch-black abyss, where no light could reach and no one could see, He Qingqing's lips suddenly curled into a smile.
"All these years following my master, I've heard many old stories. This is the Sword God's 'Spilled Water Sword,' a blade for slaying kin and killing old friends. Spilled water can't be gathered, and karma is settled. I owed you much and never repaid you."
Her smile was desolate, like shattering glass. "Senior Brother Song, don't save me this time. Can you remember me... Never mind. You can't distinguish between beauty and ugliness; you see a lovely face as nothing but white bones. How could you remember?"
Song Qianji shook his head, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. The violent, fierce wind made his whole body tremble.
He Qingqing said something else, her voice too soft. Song Qianji's ears were filled with the roar of the wind, and he didn't hear a single word.
He Qingqing cut the cord of her pendant. Her green dress fell backward, like a butterfly flying into a sea of fire.
A red shadow flew out from the gale, brushing past Song Qianji's cheek.
Song Qianji instinctively reached out to grab it and felt something warm land in his hand.
It was a pulsing seed.
The person who owned it had not destroyed it at the last moment, but instead sent it free from the abyss's pull.
"Miss He!" Song Qianji shouted at the top of his lungs.
The Ice-Cracking Abyss swallowed everything, leaving not a single echo.
The Spilled Water Sword let out a clear cry. A green light flashed across its blade, carrying him out of the fierce wind of the Ice-Cracking Abyss.
So this sword had to be awakened with its wielder's blood.
Spilled water truly could not be gathered.
Song Qianji staggered slightly, steadying himself with the Spilled Water Sword.
The battlefield was a wreck, the snowfield riddled with holes. The music of the Wind and Snow Array Entry Tune seemed to still linger between heaven and earth.
When he wrote this piece, it was only about a difficult life, a desperate pursuit, and a tragic end.
A little girl had used it to ascend to the heavens, and from then on, she had rushed headlong towards her destiny without a second thought.
Was the ending of every story determined from the very beginning?
The blood-red seed was still in his palm, pulsing in time with his own heartbeat.
The universe is vast, and the grass and trees are green.
Even if you are a peerless hero, revered by all and at the height of your power, even if you can kill your way across a hundred and eight thousand li, you cannot save a heart that would rather die than repent.
The earth trembled slightly. A vast humming sound came from a distant place. On the horizon, a cloud of dust suddenly rose, and Song Qianji focused his gaze—
It wasn't dust. That which blotted out the sky and sun, stretching as far as the eye could see, was the simultaneous emergence of ten thousand sword shadows.
At the end of the continent, someone had drawn their sword.
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