We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 544: Actually… I’ve Been Lying to You All Along (2 in 1)

The slaughter inside the Phoenix-Bird Secret Realm was still continuing.

However, the entire secret realm was collapsing faster and faster. The earth split apart. The vault of heaven caved in. It seemed as if the whole place might vanish into nothingness at any moment.

Many sharp-eyed cultivators saw that the situation could no longer be salvaged. They gave up on seizing that Phoenix-Bird demon core and turned around one after another, flying toward the nearest void gate without looking back.

After all, as long as one’s life remained, everything else could still be discussed.

But if one’s life was gone, then truly nothing would remain.

Xiao Mo naturally noticed Song Xiu, Elder Jin, Chen Jue, and the others.

With a faint movement of his will, one black chain and one white chain, both flashing with spiritual light, shot out like spirit serpents and pursued Song Xiu’s group at terrifying speed, twisting toward them to strangle.

Song Xiu’s expression changed drastically. He did not dare hesitate in the slightest. Making a prompt decision, he began burning his essence blood and unleashed his ultimate trump card, the “Wind-and-Cloud Escape Art.” His entire body transformed into a streak of flowing light and fled toward the nearest void gate.

“Second Uncle! Save me!”

Just as Elder Jin was about to leave, Chen Jue clutched him tightly.

By now, Chen Jue’s spiritual power had already been exhausted in the earlier slaughter. He had lost one arm, and the erosive force of the yin river still lingered in his meridians.

At present, even standing up was difficult for him. He could only ask his uncle for help.

Yet when Elder Jin slowly turned his head, the instant Chen Jue saw the look in his eyes, a chill rushed through his entire body. It was as if he had fallen into an ice cellar ten thousand years old, and even his blood seemed to freeze solid.

“S-Second Uncle...” Chen Jue called shakily, his lips turning white.

The look his second uncle gave Chen Jue now was exactly the same as the look he had once given Xiao Mo—

As if he were looking at a dead man.

“My good nephew... have you still not figured it out, even now?”

Elder Jin’s voice carried a trace of pity, as well as a trace of helplessness.

“Actually, regardless of whether Xiao Mo died by our hands today, you... were always going to die here.”

“Because Xiao Mo’s weight in that person’s heart in Tushan is far, far too heavy.”

“So someone with sufficient status, and sufficient motive, had to take the blame.”

“And your status is not low. In ordinary times, you have always had a grudge against Xiao Mo. As it happens... you are the most suitable candidate.”

“This, too, is what that Grand Elder intended,” Elder Jin slowly added at the end.

As Chen Jue listened to Elder Jin’s words, his expression shook violently. His face was filled with disbelief, and his lips trembled. “Impossible... How could the Grand Elder treat me that way? The Grand Elder said it herself. As long as Xiao Mo died, I would become Tushan’s son-in-law! I have a primordial demon body! I—”

“But, nephew...” Elder Jin sighed helplessly, his tone filled with sorrow and mockery. “Tushan Meng has never looked highly upon that so-called primordial demon body of yours. And for Tushan’s future master, there is no need for any son-in-law at all!”

The moment those words fell, Elder Jin chopped down with a hand-blade. Chen Jue’s only remaining arm was severed at the root with a sound, blood spraying everywhere as Chen Jue let out a shrill scream.

Elder Jin did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately fled after Song Xiu.

“Impossible... Tushan Meng promised me! I will definitely become Tushan’s son-in-law! I will definitely become Tushan’s son-in-law!”

Abandoned without mercy, Chen Jue lowered his head. He seemed to have lost his mind. His lips kept opening and closing as he muttered the same things over and over, his gaze scattered and hollow.

“I will become the ruler shared by Tushan and the Heavenly Demon Kingdom.”

“I will rule over the entire demon-race world...”

Looking at Chen Jue’s deranged state, Xiao Mo could not help sighing softly.

In Xiao Mo’s eyes, the reason Tushan Meng had given was simply far too forced.

The logic was actually very simple.

In the end, the people who had entered the Phoenix-Bird Secret Realm with him were only these few.

As for exactly how he died in this secret realm, afterward, it would all depend on what they said. Why insist on dragging Chen Jue in as the scapegoat?

Most likely, Tushan Meng had long been secretly planning to make a move against the Heavenly Demon Kingdom.

This time, she was merely killing the prince of the Heavenly Demon Kingdom first.

As for why Tushan Meng was doing this, Xiao Mo could not guess.

“Forget it, forget it... What benefit is there in thinking any more about what comes next?”

Xiao Mo gently shook his head.

He applied a little force, and with a single thought, Chen Jue transformed into a cloud of blood mist, dissipating between this collapsing heaven and earth.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Mo’s Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form split into two, blocking firmly in front of Elder Jin and Song Xiu, sealing off their escape routes.

“Since all of you have already come, why be in such a hurry to leave?”

Xiao Mo’s voice drifted across the entire collapsing world, calm and unhurried.

“Xiao Mo! You are already at the end of your strength, with death not far away. A mere dying man, and you still dare dream of dragging us down with you? Do you truly think we are made of clay?”

Song Xiu’s voice was full of agitation and anger.

Because he knew better than anyone that the collapse of this secret realm was imminent.

If Xiao Mo delayed him even a moment longer, he was afraid he truly would be buried here, never to rise again.

“Brother Song! Why waste more words on him? Let us join forces and kill our way out!” Elder Jin gritted his teeth and shouted sharply at Song Xiu.

“Good!”

Song Xiu knew that Xiao Mo intended to fight them to the death.

Since that was the case, he would kill his way out!

Immediately afterward, Song Xiu shouted to the others:

“Everyone, I imagine most of those who came here are either nearing the end of their lifespans or have been trapped at a bottleneck for a long time without breaking through. And that Phoenix-Bird demon core belongs at least to an Ascension Realm great demon, perhaps even to one of the legendary two lost realms!”

“Although that masked woman has already left the Land of the Phoenix-Bird, in this old man’s view, she cannot have gone far!”

“Why not gamble together with the two of us?”

“After we get out, the demon core’s ownership will depend on each person’s ability. That would still be better than letting it fall into human hands!”

“Everyone, I will open the way first!”

Song Xiu knew many people had already been moved. Without the slightest hesitation, he began burning his essence blood as well, forcefully activating his Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form.

Song Xiu knew very well that in his current gravely wounded and near-death state, forcefully burning essence blood would not only shorten his lifespan, but might even cause him to remain trapped in the Nascent Soul Realm forever, with no further progress for the rest of his life.

But right now, he had no other choice.

At the same time, when the other cultivators saw Song Xiu and Elder Jin fighting so desperately, the fierce courage in their hearts was fully ignited as well. One after another, they decided to gamble!

For a time, spell arts filled the sky like a torrential downpour, bombarding everything below.

Several natal magic tools, wrapped in spiritual light of different colors, pressed down in unison to kill Xiao Mo.

There were also many cultivators who harbored a fluke hope, wanting to sneak out through the distorted void gate behind Xiao Mo while he was exhausted from responding to attacks and had no attention to spare.

But Xiao Mo stood there like a gate god, refusing to yield even an inch.

Under the endless, frenzied assaults of the crowd, more and more cracks began to appear in Xiao Mo’s Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form.

Even Xiao Mo’s own body looked like parched, cracked earth, as if a light touch would shatter him on the spot into tens of thousands of fragments.

Xiao Mo’s Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form raised its pressure-filled gaze and slowly swept it across three of the cultivators.

The three, who had originally been charging toward Xiao Mo at full speed, suddenly froze in unison, their eyes instantly growing hazy.

By the time they came back to their senses, they were already holding their natal magic treasures and inexplicably attacking the companions beside them.

Song Xiu keenly seized a fleeting battle opportunity. The long sword in his hand swung suddenly, and a fierce, matchless streak of green sword qi screamed out, slashing straight toward Xiao Mo.

Xiao Mo extended his fingers and laboriously formed a spell seal, attempting to condense an illusory White Jade Capital to block that sword qi.

But at this moment, he was already spent, his spiritual power nearly exhausted.

The White Jade Capital barely condensed in midair was as fragile as paper. In only an instant, it was sliced open by that streak of green sword qi and shattered with a crash.

The sword qi passed through Xiao Mo’s body without obstruction.

A wound deep enough to reveal bone was instantly cut open on Xiao Mo’s left shoulder. Blood poured out, dyeing a large stretch of his robes red.

He raised his head. His Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form had also begun to collapse slowly, no longer able to maintain itself. Spiritual light like broken stones fell in a scattering shower, dissipating between heaven and earth.

“Xiao Mo! Die!”

At that very instant, Elder Jin suddenly leaped up. From his storage pouch, he took out a pitch-black, heavy pill furnace, raised it high with both hands, and brought it down viciously over Xiao Mo.

Elder Jin’s eyes were filled with hatred.

His losses from this journey into the Phoenix-Bird Secret Realm were simply too great.

Not only had he failed to obtain many rare cultivation treasures, but in this lifetime, he also had no further hope of stepping into the Jade Pith Realm. His future had been destroyed.

But he still had at least one thing left to do.

That was to refine Xiao Mo alive and use Xiao Mo’s flesh, blood, and vital energy to make up for his losses.

However, Xiao Mo, covered in wounds, seemed not to care at all about the heavy pill furnace descending upon him.

He did not even raise his eyes to look at Elder Jin. He only slowly turned around.

His gaze passed through the collapsing heaven and earth, through the chaotic slaughter, and looked into the distance. His eyes were as gentle as a spring breeze brushing over the surface of a lake.

“Life is like an illusion, and the path of cultivation is the same... In this world of truths and falsehoods, was it Zhuang Zhou who dreamed of the butterfly, or the butterfly who dreamed of Zhuang Zhou?”

Xiao Mo’s voice was very, very soft, as if he were speaking quietly to someone far beyond the horizon, and yet also as if he were merely talking to himself.

“This is the question posed by the final section of Great Dream of Yellow Millet.”

“Before, I never knew the answer.”

“But now... I think I understand a little.”

“What does it matter if it is true? What does it matter if it is false?”

The corners of Xiao Mo’s lips lifted gently, blooming into a faint smile.

“It is only... one great dream.”

“Only... one dream of yellow millet.”

Xiao Mo slowly withdrew his gaze from the distance and let it fall once more upon the cultivators charging madly toward him.

Their killing intent was reflected in his eyes.

Yet in the depths of those eyes, it was as if their figures were not there at all.

Misty as distant mountains.

Cold and clear as autumn water.

...

“You’re so pretty. What’s your name?”

When the thin, weak little boy first stepped into the Tushan residence, a little girl swaying a fluffy snow-white fox tail ran up to him on her short legs beneath her skirt, skipping and bouncing. Her eyes sparkled brightly, as if they were filled with a sky full of stars.

“My name is... Tushan Jingci. What about you?”

The little girl tilted her head, her smile as bright and lovely as blooming flowers.

...

“Xiao Mo, studying is so hard...”

On the first day of classes at Cold Mountain Academy, after returning from school, the little girl sprawled over the table, her chin pressed to the tabletop, swinging her small feet listlessly.

“What the teacher said—did you understand all of it? Why is it that I know every word the teacher said, but when they’re put together, it’s like being lost in clouds and fog? I’m completely confused.”

She pouted, her whole face filled with despair, feeling that going to school was very unhappy and not fun at all.

“Actually, what the teacher explained was not particularly difficult, and it was quite clear and simple.” The little boy smiled faintly, his tone gentle. “It is only that Young Lady kept spacing out during class and did not truly listen.”

“I... I did not space out!”

The little girl’s face reddened at once, and she hurriedly defended herself.

“I was... I only started staring into space because I couldn’t understand! It wasn’t spacing out!” she muttered. Then she began coaxing him in a soft voice. “All right, all right, let’s not talk about that. Xiao Mo, hurry and help me finish this homework. The teacher is going to check it tomorrow.”

“Young Lady, homework is something you must do yourself.” The little boy sighed helplessly.

“I don’t want to!” The little girl pouted and coquettishly hugged Xiao Mo’s arm tightly into her embrace, shaking it back and forth, stubborn and unwilling to let go.

“Xiao Mo, just teach me...”

“Teach me...”

...

“Xiao Mo, are you planning to go into seclusion?”

Outside the courtyard, the young woman, already grown slender and graceful, stared dazedly at the young man before her, her gaze full of reluctance.

“Mm.” The young man nodded gently, his tone mild. “I’ve encountered a bottleneck. I want to enter seclusion once and think things through properly.”

“Then... when will you come out?”

“It should not take too long.” The young man smiled faintly. “When the peach blossoms bloom across this whole mountain, perhaps I will come out.”

The young woman gripped her sleeves tightly, her knuckles faintly whitening. Her voice was soft, yet firm.

“Then I’ll wait for you.”

“All right.”

...

“Xiao Mo, I think... I’ve fallen in love with you...”

The moonlight was like water. The young woman raised her delicate head, her eyes looking earnestly at Xiao Mo.

Each word seemed to exhaust all the courage of her life.

...

“Xiao Mo, promise me. You must come back from Flowing Sand City alive.”

“You said you wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Right?”

...

In Xiao Mo’s mind, every little moment he had spent with that young woman echoed again and again, along with every sentence she had spoken, every single word.

Clearly, only a few breaths had passed.

Yet Xiao Mo felt as though he had walked through this life all over again.

“Jingci, I’m sorry.”

“Actually... I’ve been lying to you all along.”

The wild wind howled past, violently stirring Xiao Mo’s bloodstained hair.

He lowered his head and burned the last of his essence blood, condensing it into a pitch-black chess stone.

He gently pinched the chess stone.

He held the stone and placed it down.

...

Tushan, Moon Spring Peak.

The woman quietly reading in the courtyard suddenly raised her head, her gaze staring straight toward the distant horizon.

“Young Lady, what’s wrong?” When Yueshi saw her young lady’s appearance, her heart gave a violent jump, and she quickly stepped forward to ask in concern.

“Huh? I... I...”

The woman came back to herself in a daze, still at a loss.

She reached up and touched her fair, tender cheek.

Crystal tears fell silently, one after another, from her bewitching fox eyes.

Blurring her vision.

Staining her skirt.