The Price of Life and Death
The skies above the deserted village trembled violently.
Clouds swirled across the heavens as divine figures descended from the sky one after another.
Golden light illuminated the ruined village.
The disciples below stared upward in shock.
"HaoNan!" XiaoYan exclaimed.
HaoNan landed before him immediately.
"Stop!" she screamed.
The thunder continued rumbling across the skies.
The atmosphere became unbearably tense.
The InShi calmly turned toward the arriving gods.
"HaoNan," XiaoYan said weakly, "what are you doing here?"
"I have come to help you, young master," HaoNan replied.
"The war has ended," XiaoYan muttered.
"No," HaoNan replied firmly. "Not while the InShi still lives."
The disciples immediately looked toward The InShi.
But The InShi remained calm.
"I have done you no harm, have I?" he asked XiaoYan.
XiaoYan slowly nodded.
HaoNan's expression darkened.
Without hesitation, she launched forward.
Her divine aura erupted violently.
She attacked The InShi directly.
But The InShi merely lifted his gaze.
Nothing more.
BOOM!
An overwhelming force instantly crushed HaoNan downward.
She slammed violently into the earth.
The surrounding gods immediately attacked together.
Divine power filled the skies.
Golden waves of energy surged toward The InShi.
Yet before the attacks could even reach him—
CRASH!
All the gods were sent crashing into the earth.
The disciples stared in horror.
Not even the gods could stand against him.
The InShi slowly turned back toward XiaoYan as though nothing had happened.
"Shall we?" he asked calmly.
Then he faced Mi-An once more.
"Don't!" HaoNan screamed from the shattered ground. "You must think carefully! There is a reason the Ansha never gave you that power! It will cause—"
Before she could finish—
BOOM!
The InShi casually waved his hand.
HaoNan was blasted backward again.
XiaoYan's expression changed.
"What was she talking about?" he asked.
The InShi remained silent briefly.
Then he sighed softly.
"Whoever uses the AiYu power," he said slowly, "it will eventually backfire upon them. That is why the Ansha never taught you."
XiaoYan stared at him.
"Then why are you helping me?"
The InShi smiled warmly.
"You are my dear nephew."
The atmosphere became strangely quiet.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
The InShi slowly placed his hand above Mi-An.
A strange energy immediately formed around him.
It was neither dark nor light.
It felt ancient.
Forbidden.
The ground beneath them began trembling softly.
The air distorted.
A spiral aura surrounded Mi-An's body.
The disciples watched in disbelief.
Even the gods lying on the ground stared silently.
Then suddenly—
Mi-An's fingers twitched.
XiaoYan's eyes widened.
Her chest slowly rose.
The spiral energy intensified.
Her lifeless aura slowly returned.
Mi-An's eyes slowly opened.
XiaoYan immediately rushed forward.
"Mi-An!"
Emotion overwhelmed him.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Mi-An… I missed you… I never thought…"
His voice trembled heavily.
For the first time since her death, hope returned to his eyes.
The disciples stared in shock.
The gods looked horrified.
HaoNan's expression became pale.
"XiaoYan…" she whispered weakly.
But XiaoYan could not hear her.
He held Mi-An tightly as tears streamed down his face.
Then suddenly—
SHK!
A sharp sound echoed softly.
XiaoYan's body froze.
His eyes widened slowly.
Mi-An had stabbed him.
Blood slowly trickled down from the wound.
The disciples gasped.
HaoNan's eyes widened in horror.
XiaoYan groaned softly.
"Mi-An…"
His voice trembled.
He slowly looked down.
Mi-An's expression was empty.
Cold.
Unfamiliar.
"Why?"
The wind suddenly began blowing violently through the deserted village.
And behind them—
The InShi smiled.