"I want every world in existence to bow before me! I want to become the one true ruler!"
Song Jue finally stopped hiding his true self and roared with reckless abandon. He hated being controlled by others, hated living beneath anyone. He wanted everything, and everyone, to submit to him. He wanted to crush the world beneath his feet!
"Song Jue—!"
Yun Yangzi never expected Song Jue to respond like that. For a moment, he looked completely shaken. He still remembered when Song Jue first joined the Guhan Sect, his body covered in wounds.
Song Jue had come from poverty, with no foundation in the cultivation world. Only after stumbling upon a fateful opportunity that changed his constitution was he accepted under his junior sister's tutelage. He'd always been diligent in cultivation, humble and respectful toward his elders and juniors. Everyone thought highly of him.
No one imagined that deep down, he'd been harboring such ambitions.
Song Jue was right—they'd never truly known him.
"No matter how much you've suffered in the past, it's no excuse for this. Those people were innocent!" Yun Yangzi still refused to give up, hoping to reach him somehow.
Song Wanníng stood nearby, her expression cold and solemn, surrounded by monsters arrayed in a formation, all watching like predators ready to strike. She looked at Yun Yangzi and sighed inwardly. But she also understood—when emotions ran deep, how many people could truly remain detached?
Just as Song Jue opened his mouth to answer, several voices suddenly cried out, "Master!"
Song Jue froze, whipping around. His disciples were standing there. Even Qin Ming, who'd gone missing, was among them.
Qin Ming stared at him with grief and disbelief, tears already spilling before he could even speak. "Master, why is it you?"
He felt something in his heart collapse completely.
Song Jue looked at his disciples—Qin Ming, Liu Lanyi, Leng Qingzhu—all gazing at him in pain.
"Martial Uncle Song, you shouldn't have done this..."
Luo Hantian's voice trembled. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to believe the one behind it all was his Martial Uncle Song.
Jiang Wentian was there too, lips pressed tight, saying nothing. His eyes held nothing but unfamiliarity.
So many eyes on him, and for a moment, Song Jue didn't even know what expression to wear. He'd lived a life of both misery and brilliance. He never thought this side of him would be revealed in front of his disciples. He'd always wanted them to see him as perfect.
"Master, tell them this isn't true, that you didn't plan any of this! Say you were just passing by, that it's all a misunderstanding..."
Qin Ming's smile looked worse than crying, a flicker of hope still trembling in his eyes. Their master had led them into cultivation, taught them everything, guided them like a father. And now, he was standing on the opposite side.
"Hmph. What're you crying for?" Song Jue's face darkened as his gaze swept over everyone. "Even if all of you attack me together, you won't be able to stop me!
You're my disciples. You should stand with your master! Follow me, and we'll rule the world together. Isn't that better?" He truly wanted them to join him.
As for all those innocent lives lost—he saw them as nothing more than casualties of natural selection. Not his fault.
Seeing Song Jue still so stubborn, the last trace of emotion in Yun Yangzi's heart burned away. He looked at Song Jue with bitter disappointment, no sadness left in his eyes. "Song Jue, since you insist on this path, don't blame us for cleansing our sect today!
I won't let you drag the entire Guhan Sect down with you. I won't!"
As soon as his words fell, a mighty Dharma Form rose behind him. The bow in his hand drew back, loosing an arrow infused with the radiance of divine merit.
At the same time, the others launched their attacks. They couldn't match Song Jue's strength, but they could help thin out the monsters.
In an instant, the battlefield erupted again. Spells blazed through the sky as monsters shrieked and lunged, refusing to back down.
Jiang Wentian fought his way forward, cutting down beasts while moving toward Song Wanníng. He wasn't the only one—Liu Lanyi and Leng Qingzhu were also closing in on her.
They swallowed their grief and threw themselves into the fight, determined to protect Song Wanníng in their own way. Just watching her get hurt tore at their hearts.
Song Wanníng's true body flickered across the field, moving in perfect rhythm with Yun Yangzi as they struck at Song Jue. Her clone was busy clearing out the surrounding monsters.
Seeing everyone pushing through to protect her filled her heart with warmth. Her eyes shimmered, and with their combined strength, they shattered the formation.
The little ones and Liu Xingzhi emerged, and the battle turned even fiercer.
Qin Ming gritted his teeth, cutting down monsters one after another, though he couldn't stop glancing at Song Jue. Because of that moment's distraction, he was badly wounded. But he didn't retreat. He fought harder, his former respect for Song Jue vanishing completely. To him now, Song Jue was the greatest monster of all—a monster bent on destroying heaven and earth.
There was no choice left. He had to kill his own master.
For justice, for the world.
...
Time flew by, and piles of monster corpses rose like small hills. But still, more kept pouring out, endless and relentless. Even though Liu Lanyi and the others had prepared themselves, their hearts trembled. Their energy was draining fast, and there seemed no end to the tide.
How many more were waiting out there?
While they fought, they kept glancing toward Song Wanníng's true body. She and Yun Yangzi moved in perfect sync, cornering Song Jue. With the Sheyin Flower's power reinforcing her, Song Jue was already on the losing side.
Meanwhile, her clone swiftly cut down any monster that drew near, leaving her main body free to fight without restraint.
Boom!
Song Wanníng struck with a fierce palm, clashing head-on with Song Jue's. The collision sent a violent shockwave rippling out.
Both of them staggered back, blood trickling from their lips.
Her organs ached from the impact, and she frowned, only to see Yun Yangzi loosing another arrow at Song Jue. He wasn't the hesitant cultivator he once was. Now, he could merge divine merit with his arrows. Even a killing strike glowed with righteous light, doubling its power.
Song Jue tried to dodge, but he wasn't fast enough. The arrow hit him again, filling him with rage. The advantage he once held had completely crumbled, and fury twisted his face. Two opponents, both refusing to let go—he couldn't shake them off no matter what he did. A dark gleam flashed in his eyes, and then his aura shifted violently.
Demonic light erupted skyward as his entire body swelled, towering over them all. His skin turned pitch black, glowing faintly with a sinister light. He didn't look human anymore.