"Liu Jinghong, you've always tried to compete with Xu Yi, but you don't know that she has long reached heights you can't even imagine. Even if you stole her opportunities, without that steadfast Dao heart, you're destined for nothing."
The Heavenly Dao's words foretold Liu Jinghong's end, something she simply couldn't accept.
She shouted, repeatedly repeating one sentence, "I am the protagonist! I am the chosen one! I am the protagonist!"
The Heavenly Dao shook his head.
He had given Liu Jinghong a chance. If she had stopped setting foot on the Kyushu Continent thereafter, he would not have acted against her.
But now that Liu Jinghong had become entangled with the karma of the upper realm, he no longer needed to hold back. He directly reclaimed everything Liu Jinghong had gained on the Kyushu Continent.
Liu Jinghong had gone mad.
While the others present hadn't gone mad, they were still in a daze. Their gazes towards Xu Yi were filled with admiration and fervor, mingled with a touch of disbelief.
Especially those close to Xu Yi, only one thought occupied their minds.
Was Xu Yi this powerful?
They suddenly felt it was an honor to have befriended her.
Xu Yi, the person in question, felt the ambiguous gazes of everyone around her, her expression subtle.
She was proud of herself, yet she felt as if those great feats had been accomplished by another version of herself. She couldn't comfortably accept the gratitude everyone was now showing her.
"Xu Yi, you exchanged a promise for the secret method to open the Heavenly Stairs. Now, I will give you another promise. You can ask for anything, and I will fulfill it for you."
The Heavenly Dao looked at Xu Yi encouragingly.
Yes, the formation to open the Heavenly Stairs was obtained through a promise the Dean had made to Xu Yi.
Of course, Xu Yi didn't know the Dean's true identity. She simply wanted to exchange a formation with the Dean that could condense everyone's strength into one to counter the Demon King.
The Heavenly Stairs formation was an unexpected bonus.
Now, the Heavenly Dao, in front of everyone, gave Xu Yi another promise.
Xu Yi felt the temperature around her rise significantly.
She pondered for a moment, her gaze drifting towards the Demon King and the Demoness King.
The Heavenly Dao seemed to sense Xu Yi's thoughts, coughed lightly, and Xu Yi immediately understood. The Heavenly Dao was grateful to her but would not interfere in wars between races. After all, both the Demon and Fiend races were beings of the Kyushu Continent. While he favored humans, he couldn't be too biased.
The Demon King and the Demoness King, seeing Xu Yi's gaze move away, let out a sigh of relief, almost falling to their knees.
"I want my past memories back."
After a long period of contemplation, Xu Yi finally stated her condition.
Many people's mouths gaped in astonishment, their faces etched with urgency.
In their eyes, the Heavenly Dao's promise was worth almost as much as their own lives. Yet, Xu Yi used it to exchange for a memory that held no value.
Everyone sighed regretfully, wishing they could shake Xu Yi's body and make her retract her words.
A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Buwang's eyes, but it quickly turned into a gentle smile.
This was the Xu Yi he knew.
The Heavenly Dao, after a moment of surprise, simply said, "Alright."
Subsequently, Xu Yi felt a warm current surge from her Sea of Consciousness. Her mind was suddenly filled with many unfamiliar yet familiar fragments.
"Liu Jinghong, I'm taking her. The rest will be handled by yourselves."
The Heavenly Dao left after saying this, taking Liu Jinghong with him. No one knew where Liu Jinghong had gone. Perhaps she had returned to her original world, or perhaps she had gone to a deserted corner of the Kyushu Continent.
As the Heavenly Dao departed, the atmosphere did not ease. Instead, it became even more peculiar.
Ji Xiu and the others, having learned the complete truth from the Heavenly Dao, discovered that the person they admired was a despicable thief. Greatly shocked, they felt utterly embarrassed and out of place.
Ji Xiu's gaze uncontrollably shifted towards Xu Yi, his eyes complex.
He had felt a special connection to Xu Yi before. Now, he realized that if Liu Jinghong hadn't stolen Xu Yi's life, then the person he loved should have been Xu Yi.
Ji Xiu's mind reeled, and a scene suddenly appeared in his mind.
In the scene, he had just joined the Xuanqing Sect. Valued for his talent, his master patted his shoulder and said, "My disciple is a prodigy of the sword. In this world, perhaps only Xu Yi of the Xuanji Gate can rival you."
His young self loudly declared, "Xu Yi! I'll remember you! I will surpass her!"
The scene shifted, and he found himself on a fighting stage, disheveled, his eyes burning with fierce flames.
He looked at the girl opposite him, as tall and straight as a green bamboo, and declared defiantly, "Xu Yi, you've bested me this time, but I will surely win next time!"
Xu Yi's faint smile was his only reply.
After that, the scenes accelerated. He saw himself clashing with Xu Yi multiple times, but each time he fell slightly short.
Unbeknownst to him, admiration had quietly blossomed.
On a plain evening, he stood in the setting sun and confessed his feelings to Xu Yi, only to be rejected.
Xu Yi said she had no romantic feelings for him and that she had unfinished dreams.
Though disappointed, he wasn't surprised, because Xu Yi's gaze towards him was clear and peaceful. She treated him with kindness but not intimacy, never giving any ambiguous signals.
Later, the Demon-Fiend War broke out. He put away his feelings, fighting alongside Xu Yi, becoming a reliable comrade. He watched Xu Yi achieve her dreams and reach new heights.
From beginning to end, Xu Yi had never given him any false hope, yet he accepted it willingly.
It was only now that Ji Xiu realized what he had missed because of Liu Jinghong.
He clenched his fists, wishing he could devour Liu Jinghong alive.
"Ahem, esteemed sirs, the Demon King and I were also misled by Liu Jinghong into doing this. How about we sit down and redraft the peace treaty?"
The Demoness King said with a forced smile.
Circumstances were beyond their control. No matter how great his ambitions, he could only suppress them for now.
Though he lost face, at least the Fiend race could continue to survive.
The Demon King remained silent, but his expression softened slightly.
He naturally understood what the Demoness King had realized.
As long as there was a chance, they could always make a comeback. The Demon race could return in a few thousand years.
He thought that one day, this continent would belong to the Demon race.
Ji Xiu hesitated at this suggestion. For some reason, he really wanted to know Xu Yi's thoughts. He looked up at Xu Yi and saw her shake her head, her eyes flashing with killing intent.
Ji Xiu suddenly felt like laughing.
That's right, how could he forget Xu Yi's title was Ancestor Zhu Mo?
The demons must be purged.
Without betraying his intentions, he conveyed a message to his other friends. When the Demoness King and Demon King let down their guard, they suddenly attacked, swords flashing everywhere.
This time, fearing they would anger the Heavenly Dao again, they all simultaneously suppressed the intensity of their attacks.
Facing five opponents, and with the Demoness King and Demon King not using their true forms, they quickly fell into a disadvantage.
The Demoness King, weighing the situation, chose to abandon resistance and withdrew her consciousness, escaping to the upper realm.
The Fiend race would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses this time, but they would not be wiped out. They would simply have to live more cautiously.
This outcome was still within his acceptable range.
Therefore, he escaped decisively.
However, the Demon King could not achieve such a detached escape.
The Fiend race, if defeated, would not have its lineage cut off.
But if the Demon race was defeated, it would disappear from the Kyushu Continent forever.
How could he accept that!
Yet, under the combined assault of the five, his wounds grew more numerous and more fatal.
The Demon King spat out a large mouthful of blood in anger and roared unwillingly, "Damn it! You wait for me! I will definitely return!"
As he withdrew his consciousness, the Demon King vowed that once his cultivation reached completion, he would wash the Kyushu Continent with blood.
"Trying to leave? Stay here instead!"