Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 417 Regret
Just as Feilian roared at Youluozi, he felt as if an invisible force was squeezing him from this world.

Youluozi chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "Lord Feilian, revealing heavenly secrets will have consequences. Don't think that just because you've reached the Dao Integration Realm, you can truly act lawlessly."

Feilian struggled to calm the turmoil in his heart. He restrained his aura and spoke to Youluozi as calmly as possible: "Your age is perhaps longer than the history of the Demonic Sect, as if you have existed since the beginning of time. You must know many secrets of the Heavenly Dao. What I just saw... you should understand what I mean. Tell me, why was it like that? Is the person imprisoned in the Ruins of Return related to this?"

Youluozi shook his head: "You overestimate me. I'm just a Void Returner, how could I have seen the true form of the Heavenly Dao? Only you could see that door just now. In my eyes, it was just a hazy golden light. As for existing since the beginning of heaven and earth, do you think anyone can live that long?"

Although once a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul stage, they are considered to have entered the realm of minor immortality, and theoretically, they can achieve a different kind of immortality by constantly changing their physical body.

But in reality, no one can live forever by endlessly possessing another body.

While the soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator is powerful, it is not immune to the influence of the physical body.

Each time you possess a body, your soul will be subtly altered by the new physical form. Gender, age, height, weight... minor changes once or twice are insignificant, but when you possess a body ten or a hundred times, spending decades in each new body, those effects will accumulate.

One day, you will gradually forget who you were originally.

The demonic sect's scriptures record the existence of such a Nascent Soul cultivator. The number of times he possessed other bodies is unknown, and he was several generations older than the original eighteen demon lords combined.

But in the end, he completely lost himself, even forgetting that he was once a cultivator, and eventually died of old age as an ordinary mortal.

Cultivation is essentially an act of mortals defying the laws of life and death to transcend the boundaries of existence; if you don't advance, you regress.

The Nascent Soul Realm is merely a temporary resting place on the path to immortality, not the final destination.

Fei Lian stared at You Luo Zi and slowly said, "Humans may not live that long, but you are not human. You Luo Zi, I know very well that you are actually a demon who has become a spirit, and there is no essential difference between you and those mirage demons."

Having his identity exposed to his face, Youluozi didn't care at all. Instead, he laughed and said, "There's a big difference. I was enlightened by my benefactor and became a spirit. I'm a demon with a real background. I can't be compared to a wild mountain spirit like a mirage demon."

Fei Lian frowned slightly.

In his view, having cultivated himself into a spirit, he should be far more powerful. Why then did Youluozi feel that being enlightened by someone was better, even displaying a rather smug expression?

He pressed on, "So, the one imprisoned in the Ruins of Return is your benefactor? And also an extremely powerful demon?"

“Indeed, he is my benefactor. However… to describe him as powerful would be an insult to him.” Youluozi said, then changed the subject and urged, “We should not delay, let’s set off now for Guixu.”

Fei Lian did not move. He stood quietly in place and said, "I'm afraid this matter needs to be discussed further."

Youluozi's eyes revealed an undisguised murderous intent as she asked in an icy voice, "Feilian, are you going back on your word?"

Fei Lian responded matter-of-factly: "If the Immortal Realm is truly the legendary paradise, the land of bliss that everyone yearns for, what reason do I have to go back on my word? Release your benefactor, and I will immediately ascend to the Immortal Realm to enjoy my blissful life. Whether he intends to slaughter all mortals or destroy this world, it will have nothing to do with me anymore."

"But now... so what if I break my promise? I can't just hand myself over to my death."

Although Youluozi's benefactor is a demon, he is probably not much different from a legendary immortal. Why would someone who has already achieved immortality be imprisoned in the depths of the ocean in this mortal realm?
Recalling what he had just glimpsed through that door—that desolate, ruin-like outer world—Fei Lian began to suspect that the so-called "ascension" might have been a huge lie from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, all those who ascended to the Heavenly Realm have vanished without a trace. Furthermore, cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm are strictly bound by the laws of Heaven, unable to reveal anything they have witnessed to outsiders. Any attempt to divulge heavenly secrets will immediately incur severe repercussions from the Heavenly Dao.

Fei Lian knew very well that it was impossible to find relevant records in the notes of his predecessors.

No one can stay in the mortal realm forever.

It's either death or ascension.

Feilian understood this principle better than anyone. But he could still remain in the mortal realm for many more years. Why rush to open the Gate of Return to Nothingness and confront a terrifying being imprisoned for countless years?
Youluozi completely shed her former delicate witch disguise, her voice carrying an undisguised threat.

"Feilian, are you really going to break your promise?!"

Fei Lian did not back down at all, and said bluntly, "Unless you can resolve the doubts in my heart, you can wait and see. When my lifespan is about to end and I have to ascend, perhaps I will consider helping you open the gate to the Void."

When Youluozi saw that he really went back on his word, a surge of anger rushed to her head, making her tremble with rage.

"Don't forget! In this world, if anyone can restrain your words from becoming law, it's none other than me! Don't force me to fight you to the death!"

"Heh, then you're welcome to try," Fei Lian sneered. "I'd also like to see if you can twist my words into something else."

Youluozi can control the sounds of the world; whether it is being broadcast or heard, everything is under her control.

Fei Lian's supernatural power is that his words become law, so he must speak first.

On the surface, Youluozi is Feilian's greatest nemesis, but Feilian is not afraid at all.

Even the mutual restraint of the five elements still requires consideration of the scale. A cup of water cannot extinguish a raging fire. Fei Lian is now at the Dao Integration Realm, and his cultivation far surpasses that of You Luo Zi.

Now, he can command the wind and rain, move mountains and fill seas, all with just a word.

Youluozi wants to twist his words, but who knows what price she will have to pay.

Youluozi gritted her teeth in hatred, her nails digging deep into her palms. But reason told her that she wasn't entirely confident she could fight Feilian to the death.

Even though the strictest vows were made when they first started working together, who knows when or how long it will take for those vague and uncertain things to come true for Fei Lian?

She didn't want Fei Lian to suffer retribution in the future; she wanted the gate to Guixu to open right now.

Endless resentment surged in his chest, but in the end, it could only turn into helplessness. Youluozi forcibly suppressed the killing intent in his heart, took a deep breath, and said in a stiff tone, "Fine, then let's each take a step back. If you want to know the secrets of the Heavenly Dao, no one in this world knows better than my benefactor. You can ask him for guidance yourself."

Fei Lian seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Release him before seeking advice? Youluozi, how could you even utter such a foolish plan? It seems you're truly grasping at straws in your desperation."

He has now abandoned the idea of ​​ascending to heaven immediately and naturally wants to enjoy a period of invincibility in the mortal realm first. No matter how curious he is about the truth of the Heavenly Dao, at this critical juncture, he would never dare to touch the troublesome Void of Return.

Youluozi shook his head: "No. Have you forgotten my supernatural powers? I can hear any sound in the world if I want to. I can also transmit sounds to anyone's ears. Although the gate to Guixu is closed, I can still relay messages on its behalf."

"If you want to know why the Heavenly Way is the way it is now, only my benefactor can give you the answer. Once you know the whole truth, you will naturally understand how to choose."

Fei Lian frowned and fell into deep thought.

This does indeed sound like a feasible solution. Cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm can only glimpse a corner of the Heavenly Dao, unable to know the whole picture, and any attempt to reveal heavenly secrets will incur backlash. But a true immortal might indeed be able to ignore these limitations and unravel all the mysteries for him.

The only question is, can Youluozi withstand it?
Simply relaying someone else's words, even just passing on the voice of that prisoner from the Void, would be tantamount to revealing heavenly secrets and would incur divine punishment. "Youluozi, are you sure you can do this? This is also considered revealing heavenly secrets. The one in the Void may not care, but can you bear the price?"

Youluozi suddenly laughed, a laugh that carried a hint of self-mockery and determination.

"Why are you suddenly concerned about me? If I were to suffer divine retribution and my soul were to be scattered, wouldn't that be a good thing for you? You'd even save yourself the trouble of defaulting on your debt."

"I'm just afraid you're trying to be mysterious and use fabricated lies to deceive me."

"I have never seen the so-called Heavenly Dao. If that's the case, and I can still make up lies that can fool you, then you, the mighty Demon Lord Feilian, might as well just find a block of tofu and kill yourself right now."

Fei Lian didn't refute this time. He could tell that You Luo Zi's words were not empty threats. To rescue the prisoner in Gui Xu, this witch was prepared to give everything, including her own life.

“Alright,” he said in a deep voice, “Since you have the courage, I will naturally oblige. I am also very curious to know what the deepest secret hidden in this world is.”

Youluozi's tense body finally relaxed.

“Then come with me. I cannot communicate with my benefactor across the endless deep sea; I can only do so if I am near the Ruins of Return.”

Fei Lian hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, I haven't seen what Guixu looks like yet, so I'll take this opportunity to see it."

…………

Inside the Mirage Sect's mountain gate, chaos reigned.

The leaderless cultivators split into two factions. One group cried out desperately for revenge for their sect leader, demanding blood for blood. The other group, however, sat slumped on the ground like spineless dogs, their faces ashen, their eyes empty and filled with despair.

Qu Heng looked at this scene and shook his head inwardly.

The Mirage School is now defunct.

The sect leader, Yin Xiaoshuang, was left with only a wisp of her soul, while the deputy sect leader, Zhou Lang, openly betrayed the sect. In the end, more than half of the sect's elders were taken away by the demon.

In just one day, both sect leaders perished, and the elders' council was reduced by more than half. The foundation of this great immortal sect, which had stood for thousands of years, had been completely hollowed out.

Although the mountain gate is still standing and the protective formation can still function, the most important element—the people's hearts and fighting spirit—has been completely lost.

Amidst the chaos, the only one who remained relatively calm was Elder Ying. He mustered his strength and attempted to organize his men to salvage the situation. If he were to take charge, perhaps the Mirage Sect could retain some of its vitality.

However, the news brought by Qu Heng drew criticism from him.

"Before that demon left, he personally instructed you to take charge of the Mirage Sect's affairs?"

"Did you two have been in cahoots all along?!"

"Even if there was no collusion, he is still highly suspicious! How can someone who is acquainted with the demon lead our Mirage Sect!"

The wave of doubt and anger instantly overwhelmed Elder Ying.

No one knew that this was actually the last order Yin Xiaoshuang left before she was taken away.

At the time, the impatient Youluozi did not have enough patience to slowly wear down Yin Xiaoshuang's will, so she agreed to many of Yin Xiaoshuang's conditions. One of them was to take away those elders and disciples who were close to Zhou Lang and harbored ulterior motives, while leaving behind those whom Yin Xiaoshuang considered loyal and reliable.

Elder Ying was personally chosen by Yin Xiaoshuang as the acting sect leader.

Unfortunately, Youluozi and Feilian played their tricks too well. Before leaving, they deliberately mentioned Elder Ying's name, and with a casual remark, they dragged this honest and kind man into the mire as well.

Seeing the ugly sight of this group of people arguing and blaming each other, Qu Heng finally lost his patience.

"I understand your feelings about the drastic changes that have befallen the Mirage Sect." He raised his voice, a hint of impatience in it. "But now that the war between good and evil has begun, the losses we've suffered today are certainly heavy, but the most important thing right now is to pull ourselves together! You should first choose someone who can take charge, and then discuss how to deal with it. Crying and wailing here is nothing but a waste of time!"

Under normal circumstances, the Five Elements Master, who always presented himself as a peacemaker, would definitely have stepped in to smooth things over and advised Qu Heng not to make such sarcastic remarks.

However, at this moment, Master Wuyun had no interest in the life or death of the Mirage Sect disciples in front of him.

Fei Lian has already attained enlightenment.

Not long ago, the terrifying sensation of the Heavenly Dao shaking reached every cultivator.

The Five Elements True Man and other Void Returning Realm cultivators tried to join forces to stop them, but they were ultimately too late.

Originally, the righteous path possessed two cultivators at the Dao Integration Realm, but now the demonic sect holds one. With this shift in power, the situation has been completely reversed.

What's even more deadly is that Fei Lian's "Words Become Law" supernatural power is so bizarre and domineering that it's impossible to defend against.

Back when he was only at the Void Returning stage, he had already caused everyone a great deal of suffering. Now that he has surpassed a whole realm, True Man Wuyun worries that with just a single word, he could wipe out all of them, these so-called righteous masters.

He didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Mirage Sect, nor could he.

The only thing Wu Yun Zhenren was thinking about now was how to deal with this catastrophic disaster. He turned his head and looked at Yu Ji Daoist beside him, who had remained silent all along, and asked in a dry voice:

"Fellow Daoist, I wonder if your swordsmanship is sufficient to deal with that demon?"

In the past, it was always the Qinghe Sword Sect that turned the tide. Since this Yuji Daoist took over as the head of the Qinghe Sect, he has not had any outstanding performance. I wonder how much of Zhang Qi's skills he has learned.

If I had half of that, I might be able to kill Fei Lian with a single sword strike.

Unexpectedly, Daoist Yuji said, "I do not understand swordsmanship."

Master Wuyun was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Fellow Daoist, this is not the time for jokes."

Master Yuji shook his head and said, "I'm not joking... However, it's a long story. If we want to deal with a demon in the Dao Integration Realm, we can only borrow a treasure from the Yellow Springs Sect."

Qu Heng asked in confusion, "What treasure does my Yellow Springs Sect have that can deal with Fei Lian? How come I don't know about it?"

Yu Ji Daoist said, "That half-gourd of sword energy was left behind by my master Zhang Qi; it was the last of his sword energy."

(End of this chapter)