The situation had become incredibly complex, far beyond a simple matter of everyone looking out for their own interests. It was impossible to offend those he dared not offend for the sake of dwelling on endless thoughts. Facing this predicament, Ye Tiancheng felt extremely anxious and restless. He couldn't fathom how he would confront the difficulties before him, as that brown power had ensnared him, and he felt as though he were constantly falling, unable to control his movement in the air. This strange and potent force had completely surpassed his imagination. This person had opened the Netherworld.
Once the path to the Netherworld was opened, countless ghosts and monsters would be unleashed. If these creatures were to be released into the human world, it would be more terrifying than World War II. Therefore, such an event could never be allowed to happen. Ye Tiancheng had an absolute obligation to prevent it.
"Crackling!" In the serene, black world, numerous sounds suddenly emerged, constantly reminding Ye Tiancheng that this was no ordinary realm; it was permeated with death...
Within the boundless darkness, pairs of blood-red eyes watched him.
He had completely become their prey.
The specters that suddenly appeared before him made Ye Tiancheng feel a chilling unease. He desperately wished to change his circumstances, but he found himself utterly incapable. He, who was once a renowned and formidable figure, had now been reduced to this state. His spirits plummeted. Both the darkness and the light that followed seemed unable to penetrate his heart. His mind was a vast, tranquil desert. He had never experienced such a state before, and it filled him with dread. No matter what, he yearned to alter his condition, but he was powerless to do so.
Once this feeling became inescapable, he grew increasingly panicked, unsure of how to transcend this terrifying state. Time seemed to have frozen at this point, leaving his mood perpetually stagnant, unable to transition into a new state. This condition plunged his emotions into a state of utter stillness.
"Haha, this brat... he's finished!" The leader, a fierce ghost with a red crown on its head, burst into laughter, believing Ye Tiancheng had been reduced to a state less than human, posing no further threat. However, his hearty laughter didn't last long. Suddenly, a gaping red hole appeared in his chest. Ye Tiancheng's body radiated two beams of orange light, akin to lightning. These lights emanated from the fragments of the Fuxi Qin. The Fuxi Qin possessed an automatic defensive function, especially against creatures from the Netherworld, easily activating its counter-attack program.
Once this self-defense program of the Fuxi Qin fragments was triggered, any number of monsters that approached Ye Tiancheng would be annihilated.
These specters finally realized that Ye Tiancheng was not as easily dealt with as they had imagined. In an instant, they attempted to flee.
But Ye Tiancheng would never give them any opportunity.
Giving these creatures a chance was tantamount to inviting his own death. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng would never tolerate such a situation. He maintained a calm demeanor, determined to eliminate them. He would persevere in doing what others could not. Things that others could accomplish were trivial in his eyes; only what he could do that others could not was worthy of serious attention. He believed that as long as he was an independent existence in this world, his life would have value and meaning. His purpose for existing and living was precisely for this. Thus, after experiencing so much, he gradually came to understand what truly existed and what did not, what could be forgotten and what could not. All of this heralded his transition into a new state, a state where he had developed a sense of self-preservation, which was the passive activation of the Fuxi Qin fragments' power.
The orange light that Wang Kefan now unleashed pierced through the dark cave and reached the sky. Those from the Corpse Gate who saw this orange glow were greatly alarmed. They had never dreamed that their meticulously researched methods for opening the Netherworld would be completely ineffective against Ye Tiancheng.
"Qin Long, what in the world are you doing? You can't handle him!" a Corpse Gate member holding a red staff yelled at Qin Long. Qin Long, a practitioner of Netherworld opening techniques, was dismayed that he was utterly unable to deal with Ye Tiancheng. This made him feel dejected and somewhat guilty. After much thought, he couldn't help but smile wryly, a hidden bitterness in his heart that ordinary people could not comprehend.
But Ye Tiancheng could understand. He also grasped the bitterness of others, recognizing that it had no impact on him. As long as he could become powerful, other things were irrelevant. Since they were irrelevant, why bother with things he couldn't control? Therefore, Qin Long bitterly replied to the person holding the red staff, "Do you know that I, Qin Long, am not cowardly or afraid of death? It's just that my abilities are limited, and I simply cannot deal with that fellow. What do you expect me to do? This current predicament is entirely beyond my control. Our priority should be to unite and face this guy together, otherwise, we will all die and have no way to report back to the sect master."
Faced with the other's aggressive posture, Qin Long had nothing more to say.
In terms of the situation, he had carefully considered every action. However, he had not anticipated such a mishap. As they were arguing, a figure emerged from the dark abyss of the cave. This figure was naturally Ye Tiancheng, his expression radiant, but with a peculiar vacant look, as if he had lost his soul. No one knew what he had experienced inside. If he had been scared witless, how could he have killed the red-crowned fierce ghost?
Ye Tiancheng's sudden appearance and his expression left everyone bewildered. Even Da Qing Snake and Shen Shi, who were engaged in combat, couldn't understand why Ye Tiancheng appeared like a soulless automaton. Ye Tiancheng certainly wasn't going to tell them what had happened below. He had entered a state of system shutdown, and no one could ascertain what had transpired. He was completely unable to speak to them, appearing like an object devoid of a soul. Even if they were to strike him, he wouldn't retaliate. This was the consensus among everyone, including Qin Long and the staff-wielding individual.
However, they were gravely mistaken. The moment Qin Long approached Ye Tiancheng, he felt a tremendous force surge back at him. He desperately tried to evade this immense power but was torn to shreds. His body, like a fallen leaf, fluttered in the air, and a rain of blood began to fall.
To everyone's astonishment, Ye Tiancheng's body emitted light. The demoniacs also looked at Ye Tiancheng with confusion. Of course, at this moment, Shen Shi and Da Qing Snake understood; it was the Fuxi Qin fragments within Ye Tiancheng that had activated their counter-shock effect.
She Xie, gripping his staff, stood at the cave mouth. Seeing the snowflakes of blood slowly drifting down, his heart filled with anxiety. Qin Long's cultivation was slightly higher, and while this minor difference could protect his life at a crucial moment, it was of little use against a power far superior to his. Any trickery seemed like a mirage, utterly ineffective. Thus, he felt immense bitterness and wished to escape Ye Tiancheng as quickly as possible.
This staff-wielding individual was She Xie.
He was the eighth-ranked assassin in the Corpse Gate.
Qin Long ranked ninth.
"Brat, you wait! I'll go back and get someone higher up to take your life!" She Xie said, simultaneously searching for an escape route. However, Wang Gaofan would never give him any chance to flee, as giving others an opportunity was like placing a roadblock in his own path. Thus, with decisive ruthlessness, two beams of light suddenly appeared in his hands, shooting towards the direction She Xie was fleeing. They struck, and a deafening roar was followed by crackling, shattering sounds. She Xie was blasted into a pile of minced meat... fragments of flesh splattered everywhere... At the spot where he was killed, a pit the size of a fish pond was left behind.
"Holy crap, this guy is too monstrous! You're too fierce. If he's such an ordinary person, why has he become so powerful? I'd like to ask, as the Shen Shi, who has millions of years of lifespan," Da Qing Snake asked Shen Shi early in the morning. Shen Shi shook his head, not answering Da Qing Snake's question, as he himself was perplexed.
This was the first time he had witnessed such an event. He had never encountered a situation where the Fuxi Qin fragments not only served a defensive purpose but also unleashed an offensive technique. This was entirely unrelated to the attributes of the Fuxi Qin fragments.
In other words, he was completely bewildered by what had just happened, utterly confused. It was truly baffling and incomprehensible. Why was this happening? It was something that could not be described in words. It was possible that some things were merely errors in people's consciousness, and no one knew why these errors persisted. If anyone knew, they should provide a satisfactory answer.
Of course, no one would provide such an answer. If anyone were to fall into the Netherworld opening techniques again, the consequences would be different from Ye Tiancheng's. After all, everyone's destiny was unique, and the outcomes of their encounters were also different. Fate was mysterious, and no one could truly understand it. Therefore, those who could read the trajectory of fate were generally extraordinary individuals. Ye Tiancheng felt an immense sense of melancholy about this. He longed to respond to this feeling of melancholy but didn't know how. Sometimes, things could be understood with great clarity, but at other times, they were like mysteries, leaving one utterly confused. Trying to unravel these inexplicable matters was itself an inexplicable endeavor.
Therefore, when Ye Tiancheng killed She Xie, the guardian of the red staff, his expression returned to normal. He could clearly see everything before him. He was surprised by what he saw because he had no consciousness of his own moments before, fighting like a mere automaton. When he regained his senses and saw the horrific scene, he realized he had been too bloody and brutal. However, he felt it was unavoidable. After all, everyone had a chance to live. When faced with evil, one had no choice. If you didn't kill it, it would kill you. If you wished to die, you could simply refrain from fighting back. But everyone's primal instinct was the imperative to survive. It was this primal impulse and constraint that led Ye Tiancheng to choose to live and to conquer evil. Although he himself was considered evil, Ye Tiancheng felt he was different; at least he had a sliver of a bottom line, while these people had none.
Against those who had no bottom line, there was no need for mercy, because your mercy would not be reciprocated but would only invite intensified hatred.
Therefore, once he understood this clearly, he became exceptionally carefree and at ease. Everyone carried complex emotions within their hearts, and these emotions could influence everything, even one's entire life and future. To effortlessly cast aside inner burdens was to live a life of ease and happiness. Happiness was actually very simple: letting go of everything would open your heart, and all troubles would vanish. If you thought about many stories, you wouldn't live so painfully. The reason people live in pain was entirely due to holding onto too many things in their hearts that they couldn't let go of.
If one could think more simply, the world would not have such disruptive influences. This was a power he sensed when he fell into the Netherworld, and it was his new strength. Of course, Shen Shi and Da Qing Snake saw that he had not weakened his will by falling into the dark world; instead, he had gained much maturity and training in this tempering. There were few places for such tempering, and conversely, it was not easy to forge oneself into someone who could survive in this evil world. A single misstep could lead to a forceful entry into the abyss. He constantly warned himself not to be complacent, not to be careless. His original intention was to continuously cultivate himself and become stronger, and after becoming stronger, he would naturally reach the pinnacle and become a revered figure.
With such thoughts, he constantly strove and progressed. Therefore, when he fell into the Netherworld, his heart became exceptionally tranquil, like a peaceful world he had never reached. It was this profound stillness in his heart that summoned the power of the Fuxi Qin fragments.
This immense power was generally uncontrollable; one could only choose to submit before it. But Ye Tiancheng chose not to submit; instead, he chose to conquer.
A powerful soul was supported by a strong will. These two elements complemented and supported each other, enabling Ye Tiancheng to become someone who would never easily give up in adverse circumstances. It was also because of this unyielding will that the power of the Fuxi Qin fragments was further amplified, thus enabling him to instantly kill the red-crowned fierce ghost.
The Catfish Monster ceased its combat with Ye Tiancheng, having experienced his power. However, it was unwilling to see its master slaughtered by them. Thus, it chose a compromise and said to Ye Tiancheng, "We have a mortal enemy in the Guan clan, and the beast materials they produce are very high-grade. Please go and deal with them. In return, do not harm other demon races. Is this proposal acceptable to you?"
Ye Tiancheng was naturally pleased with the Catfish Monster's condition. He was not a self-sacrificing person. Being able to gain greater benefits by sacrificing fewer lives was a choice anyone would make. After all, Heaven cherishes all life, and taking a life always left one feeling uneasy. Despite repeatedly telling himself he had to be an evil person, he couldn't bring himself to do it. These restraints on his inner demon made him appear exceptionally calm and composed.
"Then I agree. Let's cooperate happily." Wang Gaofan knew that sometimes, one couldn't accomplish everything entirely on their own and had to rely on others. Sacrificing a small number of lives to gain maximum benefit was the thinking of most strategists. This was because wars without bloodshed were often more terrifying than those with bloodshed.
This was because wars without bloodshed typically involved insidious conspiracies.
In other words, in a war without bloodshed, you couldn't directly take someone's life. Once their life ended, the troubles surrounding you would also dissipate with their death. Therefore, the simplest and most direct method was to end the opponent's life in a bloody war. The dead would not bother you, but the living would constantly cause trouble. Thus, this was a foolproof method.
However, this foolproof method was rarely employed by people. They harbored many scruples and fears in their hearts. They couldn't live as carefree as Wang Gaofan because everyone's thoughts and destinies were different. These ordinary people wouldn't choose to cultivate and temper themselves like Ye Tiancheng. They were more inclined to marry, have children, and see their descendants flourish. Ye Tiancheng believed that cultivation was not happiness, while these mundane people considered marriage, childbirth, and procreation as happiness.
Therefore, happiness was perceived differently by everyone. One should not force their views upon others or mock them. How they chose to live was their business. As for how one lived their own life, that was God's will.