The surroundings fell into silence. When Fu You said those words, even Su Xuan paused, lowering his teacup to look over.
Sang Dai: “…What?”
Fu You replied, “I said, Ling Yin cut off her own legs. She chose not to leave the Burning Heaven Realm.”
Sang Dai opened her mouth, but she was too shocked and confused to say anything.
Liu Lixue asked, “What do you mean she cut them off herself? Is it what I think it is?”
Fu You didn’t roll his eyes at him as he usually would. His pale face betrayed no emotion, only a deathly stillness like water sunk deep in the abyss.
“Yes.”
This time, even Liu Lixue was left speechless.
Sang Dai couldn’t make sense of it. A Tribulation-Stage cultivator, even if transformed into a vengeful ghost, would still retain her cultivation and have the power to dominate in the cultivation world. Why would she choose to trap herself in the Burning Heaven Realm?
The Burning Heaven Realm was barren, devoid of flowers, its ground blackened by ghost fire, shrouded in darkness without even the guiding lanterns of Bairen Alley.
To be confined in such an environment, with one’s mind intact, was the most horrifying fate—watching oneself slowly descend into madness.
“She… why…” Sang Dai bit her lip. “Do you know why Senior Ling Yin chose to sever her own legs?”
Fu You replied coldly, “Why would I know? Six thousand years ago, I hadn’t even been born.”
Fu You wasn’t much older than Sang Dai and Su Xuan. Compared to a senior who had lived for thousands of years, they were all like children—barely a fraction of Ling Yin’s age.
Sang Dai pressed further. “Then why do you know her? She only broke the seal on me because of what you said.”
“She didn’t break your seal because of me,” Fu You said, looking at Sang Dai. “She did it for you.”
Su Xuan’s face remained impassive, while Liu Lixue, clueless as always, frowned.
“What do you mean?” Liu Lixue leaned forward. “For you? Miss Sang, do you know Senior Ling Yin?”
Sang Dai shook her head. “No.”
That had been their first meeting.
But now she seemed to understand Fu You’s words.
“The person behind the scenes who made a deal with you told you to find Ling Yin and ask her to break the seal placed on me by the Sword Sect elders. Is that correct?”
Fu You remained silent.
“Your intention was for me to be killed there,” Sang Dai continued. “But Senior Ling Yin’s intention was to save me. She broke my seal and taught me how to use the Tianyu Stone, risking being punished by the heavenly laws to hint at my destiny. Senior Ling Yin wanted me to live.”
From the beginning, Ling Yin had never intended to kill Sang Dai.
Abducting her had been a way to break her seal—and to save her.
To tell her the truth about the past, to make her see the ferocity of those around her, to know her ultimate fate, and to allow her to choose her own path again.
The outcome might have been the same, but the motivations were entirely different.
Sang Dai showed no emotion, her expression calm and serene. Fu You watched her and suddenly let out a mocking laugh.
“Sang Dai, you’re actually quite fortunate.”
Su Xuan’s cold gaze swept over him, but Fu You seemed unfazed by the threat of his hellfire.
Standing up in his tattered clothing, his face still pale, Fu You’s features remained strikingly handsome—a gift from the heavens to Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root awakeners, granting them perfection in all things, including appearance.
Looking down at Sang Dai, seated on the stone stool, he sneered, “Many people want to kill you, but just as many want you to live. The heavens loathe you, yet they favor you.”
His words were cryptic, and Sang Dai couldn’t quite understand. However, she was sharp enough to catch an inconsistency. “What do you mean, the heavens loathe me?”
Mentioning Sang Dai’s situation made Su Xuan frown as well. “Fu You, explain.”
Liu Lixue, utterly confused, looked between them. “What’s going on? Can someone explain it to me?”
Su Xuan stood up and addressed Fu You directly. “The destiny you speak of—what is it?”
During the Soul-Seizing Technique, no matter how much they asked why the figure behind the scenes wanted Sang Dai dead, Fu You and Ji Cang always gave the same answer:
“Fate demands her death.”
Su Xuan tilted his chin slightly, his gaze lifting toward the pitch-black sky. In Bairen Alley, there was no sunlight—only lanterns to illuminate the darkness.
“Is it It?” he asked.
The sky remained quiet, a deep, oppressive silence.
Liu Lixue frowned and followed Su Xuan’s gaze, seeing only endless blackness.
He was clever enough to start piecing together what Su Xuan and Sang Dai were implying.
“Does the Heavenly Dao want Miss Sang dead?”
The very thought was shocking. If anyone else had told Liu Lixue such a thing, he would have laughed and called them a fool, fanning himself as he dismissed their words.
After all, Sang Dai was a Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root awakener, a status known to be adored by the Heavenly Dao.
Among all those with Heaven-Grade Spiritual Roots, Sang Dai had awakened hers at the astonishing age of three. Even Su Xuan hadn’t awakened his until he was seven.
The day after awakening, she entered the Qi Refinement stage. At five, she achieved Foundation Establishment. At seventeen, she reached the Golden Core stage. By a hundred, she was in the Nascent Soul stage. If the Sword Sect hadn’t poisoned her, she would have already entered the Grand Ascension stage, becoming the youngest cultivator in the realm to do so. Her talent surpassed even Su Xuan’s by a considerable margin.
Such a favored child of the heavens—how could the Heavenly Dao possibly want her dead?
Yet Sang Dai and Su Xuan’s grim expressions made Liu Lixue realize that it was indeed true.
His usual playful demeanor disappeared, and he asked, “What exactly is going on?”
Fu You crossed his arms, his tone irreverent. “Oh? You’re only now catching on?”
Liu Lixue’s face darkened. He turned to Sang Dai. “Miss Sang, who exactly wants to kill you?”
Finally, Sang Dai moved. She responded calmly, “Young Master Liu, there are too many people who want me dead. It is just one of them.”
She spoke of the Heavenly Dao as if it were merely a mortal—one among countless others who sought her death. To her, being targeted by one or by many made little difference.
Liu Lixue’s shocked gaze shifted to his own lord.
Su Xuan’s face darkened, his pupils narrowing into beast-like slits. The oppressive aura that he had been holding back became even heavier, suffocating the air around them.
Fu You casually poured himself a cup of tea, his demeanor languid as he said, “I never intended to kill you. I was simply following orders. That person told Ji Cang and me the same thing: you must die. Fate demands your death. I don’t know why.”
Sang Dai asked, “Is it because of the prophecy of the Guixu?”
Fu You shrugged. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. Who knows? Until we reach that point, no one can say for sure what the final outcome will be.”
Sang Dai pressed on, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll really destroy the Guixu and bring ruin to the Four Realms?”
Fu You downed the tea in one gulp and casually wiped the water from his chin. “You?”
He laughed. “Sang Dai, in this world, maybe I, or Su Xuan, or Ji Cang, or even Ying Heng, could destroy the Guixu and bury the Four Realms. But you? Never.”
“You are strong enough, yet too softhearted.”
“You care about too many people. You could decisively kill your adoptive father, but you would never point your blade at someone unarmed.”
Fu You said plainly, “I’ve never believed that you would destroy the Guixu.”
Sang Dai replied, “But destiny says otherwise.”
Fu You laughed again. “Then let’s wait and see. I’m curious to find out whether the Four Realms will perish at your hands, or if you’ll perish at the hands of the Four Realms.”
Sang Dai said nothing, but her grip on the teacup tightened slightly. Lost in thought, her brows furrowed unconsciously.
Su Xuan watched her for a long moment, none of them speaking, the silence stretching between them.
Finally, Su Xuan couldn’t hold back anymore. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, saying, “Don’t frown.”
Sang Dai blinked, confused. “…What?”
His gaze lingered on her furrowed brows. “Don’t frown. Don’t worry about these things. With me here, it won’t come to that.”
He thought her silence was due to concern over what Fu You had said.
Sang Dai suddenly realized what Su Xuan was talking about. Her heavy mood dissolved, and seeing his stern expression, she couldn’t help but feel like laughing.
The Beast King didn’t even realize how intimidating he looked when he was serious. His sharp, striking features exuded aggression, and his expressionless face made him seem completely unapproachable.
Softly, she called, “Su Xuan.”
“Mm.”
“I’m not worried. I’ve never been afraid of these things.”
Whether Ling Yin called her the ultimate sinner who would destroy the Guixu, or whether the Four Realms would hunt her down, she had never felt fear from the beginning.
“I won’t do anything against my conscience. No matter what the final outcome is, I firmly believe that I’m not in the wrong,” Sang Dai said. “So I’m not afraid. Only those who’ve committed evil and feel guilty would live in fear. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The frost on Su Xuan’s face melted away as quickly as spring thawing winter’s chill.
Looking at the gentle yet resolute expression on the swordsman’s face, he felt something collapse heavily in his chest.
He let out a quiet “Mm,” but his gaze remained fixed on Sang Dai.
Meanwhile, Liu Lixue, munching on sunflower seeds, offered a handful to Fu You. “Want some?”
He cracked a seed with a grin, watching the human and demon before him and thinking to himself just how well-matched they were.
Fu You cracked sunflower seeds alongside Liu Lixue and casually asked, “Does your Sovereign Lord really like Sang Dai?”
Liu Lixue rolled his eyes. “I thought anyone with working eyes could see that.”
Fu You asked again, “Do you think Sang Dai will like your Sovereign Lord back? She’s a well-known sword fanatic.”
Liu Lixue, clearly dissatisfied, retorted, “Don’t worry. When our Beast Realm hosts the joint wedding ceremony, I’ll make sure to send the City Lord an invitation.”
Fu You clicked his tongue.
When Sang Dai glanced over, she happened to see Fu You and Liu Lixue sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, happily munching on sunflower seeds.
She raised a brow suspiciously and asked, “You two… father and son turned friends?”
Liu Lixue: “…”
Fu You: “…”
Fu You immediately shoved Liu Lixue away, tossing the sunflower seeds at him and snapping, “Get away from me! Do you think you’re worthy of sitting this close to me?”
Liu Lixue pouted. “So rude.”
“Damn peacock! Today, I’ll pluck your feathers and roast you for dinner!”
“Sovereign Lord!”
Sang Dai massaged her forehead, baffled by how two grown men, both over a century old, could act so immature when they were together.
The tense atmosphere from earlier dissipated entirely, replaced by the same ridiculous antics as before.
Sang Dai stepped between them, saying firmly, “Enough! Stop it, both of you!”
Liu Lixue ducked behind Su Xuan, while Fu You fumed, ghostly flames flickering around his head.
After a moment of silent seething, Fu You seemed to regain some composure, the flames atop his head gradually dying out.
Liu Lixue wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.
Sang Dai said, “Fu You, we won’t stay long. Just tell us where Senior Ling Yin is in the Burning Heaven Realm. I need to see her.”
At the mention of Ling Yin, all traces of Fu You’s anger vanished. However, his expression turned even darker—not out of fury, but for some other, unspoken reason.
Even someone as oblivious as Sang Dai could sense that there was something unusual about Fu You’s connection to Ling Yin.
She tentatively asked, “You and Senior Ling Yin—”
Fu You cut her off sharply, his tone icy. “She’s in the Burning Heaven Realm. I don’t know exactly where, but perhaps near the Red Sand Spring.”
His voice was heavy.
Sang Dai pressed her lips together and nodded. “Alright, sorry to have disturbed you. Thank you.”
She exchanged glances with Su Xuan and Liu Lixue, and the three prepared to leave.
But just as she was about to step out, Fu You spoke.
“Wait.”
Sang Dai turned back to look at him.
Fu You’s dark eyes were turbulent, as though something was roiling deep within them. Under her gaze, he said quietly, “Sang Dai, if possible… bring her out. Please.”
Sang Dai froze in place.
Fu You continued, “Her legs are at the Red Sand Spring in the Burning Heaven Realm. She put them there herself, created a barrier, and trapped herself in the realm.”
His voice dropped to a murmur. “So much time has passed, and she still refuses to leave.”
Sang Dai asked, “Do you want her to leave?”
Fu You remained silent.
But Sang Dai already knew the answer. She sighed softly and said, “Alright.”
“Yes,” came another voice, overlapping with hers.
It was only then that Sang Dai realized it was Fu You who had spoken.
He repeated, “Bring her out.”
Turning away, his black hair fell loosely down his back, the ends curling ever so slightly.
As he walked farther away, his voice, faint and distant, lingered in the air.
“If she’s willing to come out.”
Sang Dai watched his retreating figure, noting a heavy loneliness in his demeanor she had never associated with him before. His back was straight, but it felt as though an invisible burden was weighing it down.
Why had a Tribulation-Stage cultivator severed her own legs and trapped herself in the Burning Heaven Realm?
What could have happened to make her prefer to stay in that desolate, bone-chilling place rather than return to the world?