Chapter 985: I Want to Live

"Shou Ye!"

Rao Yaoyao shouted sternly, her face alternating between pale and flushed.

She had no idea what had happened to Shou Ye, but with death approaching and inner demons tormenting him, it was understandable. Unlike before, she now knew that Xu Xiaoshou was like an inner demon to Shou Ye.

Perhaps it was because, on the brink of death, Shou Ye had been triggered by some words Xu Xiaoshou had once said. Or maybe, when he fell into the hands of Yan Wang Huang Quan, Huang Quan had told him something.

Recalling the deal Huang Quan had wanted to make with her on Gu Yin Ya, Rao Yaoyao felt skeptical despite her disbelief—did Yan Wang truly hold some secret?

In the worst-case scenario, she thought, Shou Ye, on the verge of falling into the abyss of death, might have uncovered fragments of secrets buried deep in his memory, leaving his mind completely chaotic.

As the sole survivor among the first batch of test subjects, Shou Ye could not die except in extreme circumstances. Of course, he also could not go against Sheng Shen Dian Tang.

"Wake up! Shou Ye!

"Besides being Shou Ye, who else could you be?"

Rao Yaoyao yelled and scolded loudly, but even with the powerful suction from the water sphere in front of her, she dared not easily release Shou Ye.

"Whatever Yan Wang's Huang Quan might have told you, can you believe it?

"The words of an enemy—when have you ever been so naive as to choose to believe them?

"You told me you wanted to catch Xu Xiaoshou, and I've taken it to heart. I've already got his whereabouts; soon, he'll be caught.

"Then, the person will be handed over to you for interrogation. Whatever answers you want, you can get them yourself, so...

"Wake up! Shou Ye!"

Her words, like a sudden enlightenment guided by emotional force, made Shou Ye shudder as if doused with cold water, and he suddenly fell quiet.

Yes, I'm just Shou Ye, nothing more...

But as soon as that thought flashed by, images of Xu Xiaoshou, Xing Ye, and Senior Wu Yue surged into his mind, and Shou Ye's eyes regained their spark.

Lowering his gaze, he caught a glimpse of the Xuan Cang Shen Jian in Rao Yaoyao's hand—it had been drawn without him noticing.

The sword was unsheathed, yet its edge was unseen.

Still, it pierced straight to the heart!

Shou Ye closed his eyes heavily.

Hadn't it been said that people from Sheng Shen Dian Tang would never draw their swords on their own? Then why now?

Using Qing Jian Shu to guide me, trying to bring me back on track?

But it's too late!

What about what Xing Ye said, what Ghost Beast Lu Ke said, and Senior Wu Yue's experiences—how do I explain those?

"Rao Jianxian, I've lost my way..." Shou Ye became completely calm, sighing as he spoke, "On the brink of death, inner demons have disordered my mind, making a fool of myself before you."

Rao Yaoyao's expression remained indifferent as she looked at the now-calm Shou Ye, though she still felt uneasy.

All the strange signs could be summed up in one phrase, but Shou Ye's earlier questions—did they mean that, in his final moments, he had truly recalled something?

In the cold depths of the sea, Rao Yaoyao suddenly found herself in a dilemma.

Reason told her that if Shou Ye had really remembered something, after his firm beliefs collapsed, he might take an extreme path. In that case, the best choice now would be to strike him down with a sword.

But emotion told her that Shou Ye could not be killed. Some things couldn't be explained to him calmly at this moment, and the true reasons behind those secrets couldn't be shared with someone of his status and position.

Yet, even if Shou Ye had shown abnormalities, he shouldn't die by the sword of Sheng Shen Dian Tang!

"What should I do..."

Rao Yaoyao held her sword, reminding herself that as the red-robed enforcer and master, she needed to make a decision, but for the moment, she couldn't choose between the two options.

"Rao Jianxian..."

As she pondered, Shou Ye's weak voice reached her.

Rao Yaoyao looked up and saw the emaciated, skeletal figure before her, his face now etched with a plea.

"What is it?" she asked as calmly as she could.

"Save me..." Shou Ye gave a miserable smile, saying no more.

Save you from what?

Rao Yaoyao's gaze instinctively fixed on the water sphere opposite, assuming that's what he meant.

But she wasn't sure and didn't dare act rashly, so she asked, "Shou Ye, what is your faith?"

Shou Ye's eyes suddenly widened, as if in a final act of defiance before death.

He opened his mouth, struggling to speak, but it seemed that at the end of his life, even four words were too much; he chose the shortest one.

"Justice..."

Rao Yaoyao spun the Xuan Cang Shen Jian in her hand and sheathed it on her back, her expression turning cold: "I'm sorry, all I can do is give you a temporary revival.

"Just like the others I've encountered—they all wanted to live, but as soon as I helped them break the water sphere, they couldn't withstand the pressure and burst apart.

"You, perhaps, shouldn't have to endure this end."

Shou Ye's blurred and murky eyes shifted slightly, as if he hadn't seen the water currents around Rao Jianxian that had been repelled but were now slowly returning to her side as her words ended.

His heart clenched fiercely, and Shou Ye rasped soundlessly: "I understand..."

"Live on!"

With these final words, Rao Yaoyao channeled the power of Qing Jian Shu.

True to what she had said earlier, this made Shou Ye's spirits rise again briefly.

But it was only a temporary revival, lasting just a short while. Awakening on a spiritual and willpower level couldn't stop the flow of life in the real world.

Because the water sphere's suction force was still at work!

Shou Ye's eyes regained a bit of clarity from their haze, and as he watched Rao Yaoyao wade away, his lips began to tremble. He clutched the empty honey jar in front of him, as if grasping at the last straw.

This was given to him by the one who had last told him to "live on"...

With his weak hands holding the discarded honey jar, he suddenly greedily licked it—once, twice, three times!

Then, with all his remaining strength, amid tears streaming down his face, Shou Ye shouted hoarsely: "Rao Jianxian, I want to live!"

The departing figure with the sword on her back trembled slightly, as if pausing, but in the end, she didn't turn around and vanished from sight.

"You could have saved me; you clearly could have..."

Shou Ye murmured soundlessly, his eyes suddenly flashing with resentment.

He knew Qing Jian Shu could imbue all living things with emotion, allowing him to survive in the deep sea.

He knew the Xuan Cang Shen Jian held the fortunes of Sheng Shen Dian Tang for a thousand years, and using it to transcend the forbidden barriers beneath the sea wouldn't be difficult.

But he also knew...

His earlier words had revealed something.

Rao Yaoyao's choice to stand by and let him die in the deep sea was a wise decision.

Shou Ye suddenly clutched his forehead, shaking his head wildly in a frenzied manner, though it only increased his pain.

Yet he hated himself even more for why resentment toward his lifelong faith had arisen. It was as if he had lost himself, constantly making excuses for Rao Yaoyao's choice:

"I'm lowly...

"I'm just a mere Zhan Dao practitioner, a minor red-robed figure—what virtue or ability do I have to deserve rescue from one of the Seven Jianxian? I'm not worthy!

"Among those in the water, there's also Tai Xu of the red robes, and Rao Yaoyao's own confidants! Even though she can move freely in the deep sea, there must be limitations. In her limited actions, she can only save those of higher status, right?

"The fortunes of the Xuan Cang Shen Jian? Ha! Zhan Bu Shou Zuo Teng Shanhai needs it, An Bu Shou Zuo Ye Xiao needs it—I'm just Shou Ye, what status do I have to enjoy the fortunes? Am I worthy?

"I'm not worthy at all!"

Shou Ye's movements grew even more frantic, like someone possessed by inner demons.

"What am I saying?

"Have I gone mad?

"How can I mock Rao Jianxian's actions like this? She must have her reasons!

"But..."

Shou Ye suddenly stopped tormenting himself, his eyes bulging wide, his emaciated, bony face terrifying as he stretched his wrinkled neck skin, straining to look upward.

In that moment, his mind flashed not with Rao Yaoyao's image, but with Xu Xiaoshou's smug grin and the profound words that didn't match his face:

"I said, live on!

"Use your eyes to see the answers you want.

"Believe me, it'll be more exciting than the 'truth' others give you!"

Xu Xiaoshou...

So only you didn't lie to me, right?

Shou Ye seemed to see a beam of light at the peak of the deep sea—it was a light of redemption, and also his final means of self-salvation!

The world of the past shattered in that instant, and the darkness reached its end, finally welcoming the first dawn light.

"Zzz—"

Red electric sparks suddenly surged around Shou Ye, but under the forbidden barrier's suppression, they were quickly extinguished.

Yet the unyielding red electricity seemed to represent his last flicker of strong will—the barrier extinguished it once, and it reappeared once more.

Defeated repeatedly in battle!

Fighting repeatedly after defeat!

"I want to live..."

Shou Ye clenched his fists, desperately assaulting his still sea of qi.

But the sea of qi was like a dead sea; every attempt ended in failure.

"I want to live..."

The zzz of the electric sparks was inaudible to his five senses and six perceptions.

At the end of his life, even his soul and body were separating, yet he still tried to break through.

"I want to live!"

Shou Ye's eyes nearly split with effort as he desperately pried at the sea of qi, which couldn't be moved an inch within the forbidden barrier. Finally, in a hoarse voice, he roared:

"Xu Xiaoshou, I still want to live!

"I still want to see you! I have so many questions, and I want your answers!

"This old man still wants to live!!!"

With a thunderous boom, a deafening thunderclap erupted beneath the deep sea, stirring up ripples and churning waves, as if a divine will had suddenly infused the vast cold currents, raising massive waves.

"Boom!"

In the Yun Lun Mountains, the contest for the nine dragon veins continued as usual.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled from the nine heavens, red sparks surged, and then the winds changed, dark clouds gathered, as if a storm was about to pour down and sweep across the human world.

"What's happening?"

The trial participants in the Yun Lun Mountains were all startled by this heavenly anomaly.

They were already familiar with the many upheavals in this Wang Cheng trial, such as the flood of holy treasures, battles of saintly will, people controlling waves to swallow the sky, and clashing with Emperor Cang Sheng's arrow.

But familiarity didn't prevent the fear when such anomalies struck again.

"It's happening again!"

"What is it this time!"

"Such a vast expanse of dark clouds, gathering so abruptly over the Yun Lun Mountains, nearly covering the entire trial area..."

"Surely it's not about to bring down thunder punishment and strike everyone here dead!"

"Damn it, I shouldn't have come to this lousy East Heaven Wang Cheng trial—staying in Jingdu would have been better. This eastern domain is just full of disasters..."

Another thunderous boom accompanied the red electricity, feeling as close as an arm's length away.

This wave of changes made everyone shudder collectively, hunching down and not daring to speak out, afraid of being specially targeted by the heavens and struck by lightning.

"It's finally here..."

On Gu Yin Ya, the water ghost stood with arms crossed, wearing half a golden beast mask, a smile still playing on his lips as he mockingly watched the wind and thunder anomalies in the nine heavens.

"Zhan Dao is great...

"Tai Xu is so boring? Aside from fixed methods, death is death, life is life—no changes at all. Expecting a breakthrough to half-saint in the deep sea is absurd.

"Only Zhan Dao, on the brink of death, will choose to bear the unbearable, stirring this heavenly tribulation force to inject more power into the 'Void Gate.'

"Tsk tsk, after waiting so long, I've finally got an eye-opening guy who's bold enough to try breaking through in the deep sea, within the forbidden barrier..."

The water ghost shook his head, withdrew his gaze, and looked down at the vast sea of clouds on Gu Yin Ya, stroking his chin with a mocking murmur:

"Should I laugh at your audacity or praise your courage?"

"The Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation?"

In the Yun Lun Mountains, on the first dragon vein, a murmur arose.

Jiang Xian bowed behind, and on the mountaintop, besides him, there was only one other person—the cloth-robed elder standing before him, one with the mountain.

The elder had white hair and frosty brows, surrounded by mist, with a mysterious aura that blended with the Dao, as if one with the heavens.

No one could discern his face clearly, even up close; a glance would only leave an abstract impression of kind and approachable, with no memory of any details.

Of course, that would be in the memories after death.

"The Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation?"

Jiang Xian tried to straighten up but couldn't; he remained hunched, glancing at the sky before quickly looking away and asking, "Grandpa Jiang, do you mean someone in the Yun Lun Mountains is undergoing tribulation? Taking the step from Zhan Dao to Tai Xu, the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation?"

The half-saint Jiang Buyi nodded slightly without speaking.

He gazed at the thunder tribulation for a long time, then raised his sleeve, pointing a finger at the direction where the dark clouds gathered, his voice like mist, ethereal and boundless:

"Watch closely—the first tribulation of the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation is the 'Red Principle Divine Thunder.'

"For Zhan Dao to advance to Tai Xu, this is the first great hurdle. Once passed, even if the tribulation isn't called, it will come on its own schedule.

"So, refiners of spirit won't attempt this first hurdle, 'Red Principle Divine Thunder,' without full preparation. But in the world, there's no such thing as full preparation—no refiner dares claim to be fully ready for the Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation.

"You, too, are the same."

Jiang Xian nodded, half understanding: "Thank you for the guidance, Grandpa Jiang. But if someone is prepared, after passing the Red Principle Divine Thunder, at least there's some time to buffer, right?"

"Correct." Half-saint Jiang Buyi nodded. "From as short as half a month to as long as half a year, most refiners will sense the tribulation after three months and actively face the second one."

He began to share his past experiences with tribulations.

But as soon as he finished speaking, amid the surging red electricity in the sky, a touch of orange light appeared.

"What's that?"

Jiang Xian was shocked—orange?

Wasn't that the color of the second tribulation?

His mouth gaped open, wanting to ask something, but before he could speak, following the orange came gold, green, blue, purple, black, white...

All at once, they appeared!

Jiang Xian was so terrified by the overwhelming power of the thunder tribulation that his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, exclaiming, "Grandpa Jiang, didn't you say as short as half a month or as long as half a year? How could someone choose to undergo the entire Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation at once?"

Half-saint Jiang Buyi didn't move, just stared blankly at the nine-colored Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation in the nine heavens, falling silent.

Then, he looked toward Gu Yin Ya, his face showing sudden realization.

"So, that's how it is..."

After sighing softly, Jiang Buyi turned back and saw Jiang Xian's face full of shock and doubt.

He opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. Finally, Jiang Buyi waved his hand, erasing all of Jiang Xian's recent memories.