Heroes Return

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As soon as everyone entered the Kunlun Mirror, almost everyone saw a completely different scene.

Dao Qizhan stepped into the Kunlun Mirror first, only to find himself already outside of it. Right before him stood the main hall of the Kunlun Mountain Gate, high in the sky. However, unlike the Kunlun Mountain Gate they had encountered before, which had almost no successors, this one was filled with numerous cultivators standing in the air.

Dao Qizhan coldly glanced at the cultivators before slowly withdrawing his gaze. At this moment, among the cultivators of the Kunlun Immortal Sect, there were not only those dressed as Taoists, but also those dressed as Buddhists. Among them were also many demonic and heretical figures who clearly were not good people.

Blood-red clouds filled the sky, and countless high-level flying corpses roared incessantly on the ground. Various mountain spirits and monsters also roared. This scene was completely different from that of Kunlun Mountain. Similarly, the righteous cultivators were diverse: some were unkempt, some were amiable monks, and many were sword-wielding knights. Likewise, there were Confucian disciples exuding righteous spirit, and Mohist disciples skilled in ingenious mechanisms.

On the ground, an army of cultivators stood ready, unleashing deafening roars.

This scene looked as if a battle between good and evil, which would determine the fate of the world, was unfolding.

Among the crowd, Dao Qizhan spotted several familiar figures, one of whom was the previous leader of the Sword Hall—Dao Qizhan's master in the Sword Hall.

Faced with this scene, Dao Qizhan simply stepped forward calmly and observed everything that was happening around him. His appearance seemed to go unnoticed; no one even noticed him.

But when Dao Qizhan arrived, he discovered that these people, regardless of whether they were righteous or evil, were not engaged in a final battle. Instead, they had united and were fighting together against a single enemy.

Almost simultaneously, Dao Qizhan finally saw clearly what had happened here, and the person who had made the righteous and evil factions set aside their past grievances and fight together. This person was still extremely familiar to Dao Qizhan. It was precisely because of this person that Dao Qizhan had achieved what he had today.

That's right, the person being hunted down by both the righteous and the evil factions, and who is being dealt with by them, is none other than Xiao Sansheng.

He was a young man who looked to be only in his early twenties, with a carefree smile on his face. Looking at the powerful figures who were eyeing him menacingly, Xiao Sansheng simply stretched lazily.

"Many people in this world have their own troubles, but I, Xiao Sansheng, am carefree and laugh for three lifetimes." Xiao Sansheng smiled and said to the crowd, "That's right, I am the Xiao Sansheng you have been looking for recently. Today, you don't need to look for me anymore, I've come here myself. How about that? Isn't it a pleasant surprise?"

“Amitabha. How could we forget the one who laughed? You were kind to our temple in the past, but now you have fallen into demonic possession. It is truly pitiful and lamentable! Very well, let me personally help you to be free.” An old monk in the crowd said.

"Hey! That sounds nice! I never said I needed to be freed! If you really remembered my kindness, shouldn't you have left now?" Xiao Sansheng looked at the old monk and asked with a smile.

“Of course you should leave, but this concerns the well-being of all people. I have no choice! The sea of ​​suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore. I hope you, Benefactor Xiao, will turn back soon.”

"You know, there's no going back now," Xiao Sansheng said with a smile to all the powerful figures present.

"Old Demon Laughing! Unbelievable! We consider ourselves demons, but after meeting you today, we realize that compared to you, we are not even worthy of being called heretics." A man covered in scarlet blood looked coldly at Xiao Sansheng and said, "My Heavenly Demon Sect, on behalf of all the heretics in the world, has to say to you today, we are ashamed of our inferiority."

"Blood Demon, we're evenly matched."

"Senior Brother Xiao! Even now, are you still not going to wake up?" Just as Xiao Sansheng was speaking, Dao Qizhan's master in the Sword Hall suddenly spoke up: "Senior Brother, you should turn back! Don't be so stubborn! If you surrender now, maybe..."

However, before the previous Sword Hall leader could finish speaking, an old man carrying a sword interrupted him, saying, "Why waste words with him? Xiao Sansheng, from this day forward, our master-disciple relationship ends! From this day forward, you have no further connection with my Sword Hall! All disciples of the Sword Hall, listen to my command! Kill Xiao Sansheng without mercy! Anyone who shows mercy will be punished according to the sect rules!!"

“Master…” Upon hearing the old man’s words, Xiao Sansheng fell silent for a moment. But he immediately burst into laughter again. Even Dao Qizhan could hear the helplessness and bitterness in his laughter: “Since you say you’re not, then I won’t dare to call myself a disciple of the Sword Hall anymore! Well, I’ll be free and at ease.”

"Hmph! Today, my Sword Hall will surely cleanse its own house!!"

"Is that so?" Upon hearing the other party's words, Xiao Sansheng simply took out a long sword that emitted a flowing light.

"Watch out, everyone! It's the Immortal Execution Sword!!" Upon seeing this, all the cultivators in the world involuntarily took a step back. Only one man did not retreat.

The man calmly addressed Xiao Sansheng, saying, "Young man, haven't you thought this through yet? Do you know what you're doing? You're trying to destroy the entire cultivation world!"

"Then do you even know what you're doing? Immortals, gods, demons, humans, monsters, ghosts! All beings in the Three Realms have gathered here today. What is it for? You should know the answer in your hearts." Hearing the other party's words, Xiao Sansheng revealed a cold smile: "I think you, the Kunlun Sect Leader and the leader of all cultivators in the world, should know better than anyone else, right?"

"Of course I know! We're designing a blueprint to achieve something unprecedented! We're trying to save this cultivation world!" the man said coldly. "You should know that the cataclysmic end of the Dharma is coming! Under this cataclysm, even gods will ultimately perish. Right now, all cultivators in the world have united, all sects, good and evil alike, are involved, and every cultivator has brought forth their life's treasures, giving their all. And yet, at this very moment, you want to destroy all of this!!"

“Yes, I will not only destroy, but destroy everything completely,” Xiao Sansheng said with a smile.

"Sansheng, why are you doing this? Is it really so difficult for you to weather the final calamity with me?" Beside the Kunlun Sect Leader, a stunningly beautiful woman suddenly interrupted their conversation. She was already sobbing uncontrollably: "You may not care about me, but do you not even intend to care about our daughter?"

Hearing the woman's words, Xiao Sansheng couldn't help but laugh bitterly again: "Hahaha, it seems that I, Xiao Sansheng... no, it seems that I, Xiao Laomo, am ultimately unworthy of being a good husband, unworthy of being a good father!"

"Why! Why do you insist on this! Sansheng! The coming of the end times will obviously do you no good!!!" The woman asked Xiao Sansheng again with heartbreaking cries.

"Hahaha, I'm sorry, but I have to do it." To the woman's cries, Xiao Sansheng could only laugh helplessly. His words were filled with desolation and pain. But his eyes remained resolute. Neither the righteous nor the evil factions, nor his junior brothers and masters of the Sword Hall, nor even his wife and daughters—none of their words swayed Xiao Sansheng in the slightest.

Dao Qizhan watched this scene silently.

"Why bother talking to him? This Xiao Sansheng is a complete madman! We should all rush in and execute him on the spot!" A man with an air of otherworldly wisdom suddenly spoke up to the crowd not far away. Almost simultaneously, everyone present revealed their magical treasures and weapons.

"Hahahaha! Are you crazy? Do you think I'm crazy?" Hearing their words, Xiao Sansheng burst into laughter again: "Am I really crazy? Hahahaha! Isn't that ridiculous? You're the ones who's crazy! You all went crazy the moment you learned that the end-of-days calamity was coming! Because of the end-of-days calamity, you all lost your minds, lost everything you used to pride yourselves on. You're nothing but a bunch of pathetic worms who abandoned their integrity and beliefs to survive, resorting to any means necessary!!!"

Upon hearing Xiao Sansheng's curses, almost everyone's face showed anger.

"Nonsense! We are doing this to save the world! For the greatest purpose! If we succeed, the cataclysmic end of the Dharma will end! The world will no longer suffer endless carnage! This is the right thing to do!" The Kunlun Sect Leader finally roared at Dao Qizhan, "We are trying to save this world, but you want to destroy everything!!"

"You're not trying to save the world! Don't try to make excuses and build up your virtues when you're corrupt! You're just trying to save yourselves!" Xiao Sansheng said with a sneer. "I admit that your actions may indeed change the way of heaven. They may even make the cataclysmic end of the Dharma disappear."

"Since change is possible, why are you still standing in our way?"

"Because the price you will pay is for all living beings in this world!!" Xiao Sansheng said, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Who spoke of universal salvation? Who said that humanism should flourish? Who touted integrity and uprightness? And now? Gathering the spirits of all living beings in heaven and earth to uphold the Way of Heaven!"

To escape the cataclysmic end of the Dharma, to avoid perishing in it, you actually intend to sacrifice the lives of all sentient beings in this world for your own survival! Don't you feel any shame? Everything you say is a lie! Is your so-called morality nothing but a joke?

What a cunning plan to destroy all living beings! What a cunning plan to destroy all living beings! It's truly astonishing that you could devise such a ruthless scheme!

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As if stunned by Xiao Sansheng's words, almost all the powerful figures present fell silent. Only after seeing this did Xiao Sansheng's face reveal a bright smile again: "The cataclysm of the end times, to put it bluntly, is ultimately a cataclysm for us cultivators. What does it have to do with mortals and beings of this time? It's just that you've raised the banner of the world for your own sake."

"Mortals are mortals after all." Hearing Xiao Sansheng's words, the leader of the Kunlun Immortal Sect finally sighed helplessly: "Is this your reason for opposing us? You should know that even if you do this, the living beings of the world will not have any gratitude or awe for you! Because they will not know anything about what you have done for them, let alone believe in or worship you! In the end, you will only be forgotten by mankind along with the cataclysmic end of the Dharma!"

"Does that mean we shouldn't do good deeds if no one knows about them? Does that mean we shouldn't do things if there's no reward?" Xiao Sansheng smiled again: "Or will you stop once the world remembers your good deeds?"

"Mortals are ultimately mortals; they are foolish and extremely weak. Even if you protect them, how long can they live? Know that even a mortal with a long lifespan only has a mere hundred years." The leader of the Kunlun Immortal Sect spoke again: "Let us use the power of all living beings to change the Heavenly Dao. After a calamity, all living beings in the world will revive, and humanity will reappear in this world. What's wrong with that?"

"What does a human life mean to you? What does the life of a mortal mean to you? Don't you understand? You are depriving the living beings of this world of the life they are entitled to enjoy!" After Xiao Sansheng finished speaking, the Zhuxian Sword in his hand once again flashed with brilliant sword light: "The future world should not belong to us, the future world should belong to those mortals!"

"Xiao Sansheng, have you thought this through? Even if you have the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, can you really defeat all the great cultivators of these three swords?" A person suddenly spoke to Xiao Sansheng, "If you continue to be stubborn, don't blame us for being ruthless." As he said this, the person waved a large flag in his hand and pointed it at the man in front of him.

"Now that I'm here, things won't end well. This time, let's see the strongest people in the world." As Xiao Sansheng spoke, three more longswords flew out from behind him, and the four longswords hovered in the air in four different directions.

"Let's join forces today and break this Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation!" an old monk suddenly spoke up.

"Who said I only prepared the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation for you?" Xiao Sansheng said with a smile, "Look at the top of your heads!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at the sky in shock, and almost everyone's face darkened. Above them, countless stars had somehow covered the earth, and right before their eyes, the stars were changing at a visible speed, their changes appearing incredibly mysterious. Those with lower cultivation levels were simply captivated by this sight.

"Wake up!" An old monk's voice rang out among the disciples of low cultivation level. Almost simultaneously, the old monk smiled and looked at Xiao Sansheng: "Everyone thinks that Benefactor Xiao's swordsmanship is unparalleled, and that you have inherited the original innate sword energy. You are one of the top sword cultivators in the world. But today I understand. Compared to your mastery of formations, your swordsmanship is a minor path! If I am not mistaken, this should be the Zhou Tian Star Formation, which was lost in ancient times, right?"

Upon hearing their words, almost everyone's faces showed shock. The Zhou Tian Star Array? Had Xiao Sansheng actually set up the Zhou Tian Star Array in the sky sometime during the day? One of the legendary peerless arrays.

"So what if we add the stars of the heavens? Today, all the great supernatural beings in the Three Realms have united. How could he possibly contend with them alone?" A seemingly arrogant man suddenly stepped forward and spoke. This man exuded a murderous aura, and by all accounts, he was a terrifying being rarely seen in this world.

In an instant, the battle erupted in almost one place. But at this moment, Xiao Sansheng laughed again: "The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation and the Zhou Tian Star Formation! These two formations are naturally no match for the great powers of you. So I have prepared another formation for you, one that I created myself."

As Xiao Sansheng finished speaking, a mirror appeared in his hand without him even noticing. However, this mirror, which seemed to be formed from flowing light, also had huge cracks on its surface.

"The Kunlun Mirror! So it really is in your hands?" When the Kunlun Sect Leader saw the object in Xiao Sansheng's hand, his expression turned extremely ugly: "It's time for you to return the Kunlun Mirror to us today!"

Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his sentence. Because, somehow, Xiao Sansheng had produced another small bell in his hand.

"The Chaos Bell!" "The Eastern Emperor Bell!!!" Two voices rang out simultaneously at that moment. Although the names were different, they both revealed the identity of the object.

Of course, Xiao Sansheng's items were not yet finished. Another treasure was taken out from Xiao Sansheng's hands.

"The Heaven-Opening Axe!!" "Pangu's Axe!!"

Two more voices rang out. Of course, this wasn't the end; immediately afterward, a cauldron and a sword appeared in Xiao Sansheng's hand.

"The Shennong Cauldron, the Xuanyuan Sword! The Nine Treasures of Antiquity. You've already obtained four of them?"

"Who said I only obtained four of the Nine Ancient Treasures?" Faced with the question from the newcomer, Xiao Sansheng simply smiled and then took out one treasure after another in front of everyone.

"The Map of Mountains and Rivers! The Book of the Eight Directions! The Yin and Yang energies! The Heavenly Book! You...you actually collected all nine ancient treasures!!"

Seeing this, almost everyone was shocked. No one could have imagined that Xiao Sansheng would reveal such a trump card.

"Alright, that's enough. What follows is just a boring battle." Just as Dao Qizhan continued watching what was happening, Xiao Sansheng's gaze suddenly shifted to Dao Qizhan, a strange smile on his face: "Relying on the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, the Zhou Tian Star Array, and my self-created Nine Revolutions Annihilation Array, I won that battle. Although it was still quite simple, after all, the Kunlun Mirror was already damaged, and the Mountain and River Map was directly shattered into pieces. I myself was also seriously injured. But in the end, I still won."

"..." Upon hearing the other party's words, Dao Qizhan fell silent: "The end-of-days calamity, where does it come from?"

"The cataclysmic end of the Dharma is a consequence of the will of Heaven. To put it bluntly, it's simply a cleansing operation carried out by the Heavenly Dao to eliminate beings like us who have disrupted the balance and peace of the world. Or you could understand it as the will of this planet being the Heavenly Dao itself," Xiao Sansheng said with a smile.

Is it worth it?

"Who knows? I don't know if it was worth it, because I never thought about such things when I did them, but I still did them anyway." Xiao Sansheng said with a smile, "I know why you came here. You've come to repay your karmic debt. Take this back to the Sword Hall!"

As Xiao Sansheng made peace, an eye with a tai chi symbol in its pupil appeared before Dao Qizhan.

"Also, let me tell you, the one who's unconscious outside is my daughter. Please take good care of her. It's a pity I'm ultimately a bad father." Xiao Sansheng said with a smile, "Once these two things are done, from now on you will no longer be my disciple! I, Xiao Sansheng, don't need a disciple without feelings! Once these two things are done, our master-disciple relationship will be completely severed."

"..." Upon hearing Xiao Sansheng's words, Dao Qizhan fell silent for a moment, then slowly knelt down before Xiao Sansheng. This upright man, who would rather die than bow down, finally knelt down today: "Thank you for your kindness, Senior!"

"Sigh! There's no such thing as fulfillment or not. Didn't you already completely abandon what I asked you to do?" Xiao Sansheng only gave a bitter laugh, then asked Dao Qizhan, "Is it worth it for you to choose this path?"

"Who knows?" Just as Xiao Sansheng answered Dao Qizhan's question, Dao Qizhan replied to Xiao Sansheng with the same question.

“Yes. Who knows?” Xiao Sansheng said, freezing in place, merging with everything around him into a single image, with only Dao Qizhan remaining.

Was the Xiao Sansheng from before the real Xiao Sansheng, or an illusion from the Kunlun Mirror? No one knew. Not even Dao Qizhan. The only thing he knew was that the other Taiji Eye in his hand was absolutely real. From this moment on, the two eyes of the Sword Hall's founding patriarch had returned to Dao Qizhan's hands. And at the same time, unbeknownst to him, the wound on Dao Qizhan's chest had healed completely.

Without saying a word, Dao Qizhan walked directly back the way he came.

……

On the other side, Lin Jie was also looking at the clothing image. However, right in front of Lin Jie was a bottle, a bottle with a unique shape but also very special features.

"Is this it? The only bottle in the world capable of capturing the brilliance of dawn? It doesn't look particularly special." Right in front of Lin Jie, one man asked another.

"What do you know! The only thing that can ever grasp a miracle is something born from a miracle. And this bottle was born from that miracle!" another man said with a smile. "Next, all we need to do is find that point of light and then use the bottle to catch it! Once we've caught the miracle, this world will be ours, and all our wishes will be fulfilled! Hahahaha!" With that, the man burst into wild laughter.

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"Boss, are you serious? Can we really capture the Dawn's Starlight with just this bottle?" Hearing the other person's words, another person couldn't help but ask again, "Then why was it that when the Dawn's Starlight appeared last time, all the forces were fighting over the thing itself? We were the only ones who painstakingly stole the bottle."

"So you guys don't understand anything!!" The man who had started laughing wildly explained to his henchman, "Those people only care about their own interests, so naturally they won't pay attention to the little ones right under their noses. They also won't notice the gold buried in the sand. You see, that so-called miraculous power is an unreasonable power; it can achieve anything that is theoretically impossible. Only when something impossible in reality is achieved does it deserve to be called a miracle. So, this is basically an all-powerful anal-bursting machine, you know?"

Just as Lin Jie was about to continue watching, all the images vanished. When Lin Jie's gaze returned to his surroundings, he only saw a seabed, a base constantly excavating the deep seabed. And inside the base, a man was personally operating a machine, retrieving the bottle.

Although Lin Jie felt that the person looked somewhat familiar, he couldn't recall where he had seen this person before.

However, his gaze ended at that moment. With a helpless shrug, Lin Jie began searching for the exit.

……

"Trash!!!" In Xiao Zhan's mirror, he saw an even more perplexing scene. Right in front of him, a scene from World War II appeared, with a person angrily roaring at the others in the conference room.

……

However, on the other side of the mirror, the bespectacled man was watching the scene before him in horror. Right in front of him, seventy-two pillars appeared, but this was not the end, because right in front of him, a young girl was sitting on a throne, leisurely watching the pillars.

This girl was none other than Xiaoqian.