Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

"But you should respect those who die. Similarly, as a saint who brings glory and liberation to others, you should respect yourself."

Xia Die felt wronged. She was just a young girl. "What you're asking me to do is no different from executing someone. How can I respect myself?"

"No matter what the pretext, it's still taking someone's life..."

The elder understood, but she had to make Xia Die accept her fate. "Even the most fanatical Hades warriors don't accept death overnight. New recruits often desert the first time they step onto the battlefield."

"Because death is the highest and most difficult force in the world. And if you can master it, you deserve this respect."

"This... is too twisted..." Xia Die still refused to accept it.

"...Let me tell you a story."

The elder did not want to force her, "In honor of Delacon, an old executioner, the greatsword often used by Aedrian executioners was called Delaconian."

"Its blade has three air holes. If this sword falls swiftly and precisely, the three air holes will not make a sound, and the victim will die instantly..."

"But if they hesitate, they will make a piercing noise. Then the executioner will surely hear the screams of the condemned."

“From the time of Delacon onward, executioners had to hone their swordsmanship day and night. Each swing of their swords had to be more resolute than the last, so as to prevent pain from arising.”

"It is for the sake of those who are going to their deaths, and also for our own sake."

Xia Die stubbornly refused, “...I cannot be numb to such behavior.”

“No, child. I don’t want you to get used to this,” Elder Amonnet said gently. “I just want you to think about why the dead suffer. And then make each of your touches more resolute than the last.”

"Walk with the dead, love them as you love life... and you will never hear those noises again."

[Xia Die: Aidiria is a city-state that believes in death, so they regard me as the embodiment of death. Through me... the souls of the dead can meet the gods and enter the next cycle of reincarnation.]

[Star: Little Butterfly, no one will force you now.]

[Fufu: How heavy it is. She will bear the weight of everyone's death, whether they are willing or not. Yet, Xia Die respects life and remains lucid even in her numbness.]

[Wan Di: For some, death is the only relief; of course, those who are on the front lines only feel honored to die on the battlefield.]

Wendy: The elder means for Harpy to accept death, but death is never easy to accept.

[Star: Xia Die ended their suffering, but who can share Xia Die's suffering? This was an unfair transaction from the start, and it wasn't her wish.]

[Xia Die: Your Excellency... thank you.]

[Bai'er: Yes, no one can take our place. But I must move forward, until I am consumed by flames.]

In Xia Die's memory, she came to the face of an unnamed death row inmate. His face was filled with terror and fear, and he tried to stop Xia Die from getting closer, but dared not touch her.

"Don't kill me...please, I don't want to die..."

His tears had dried up, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Xia Die hesitated. "No, I can't do it." The death row inmate before her still had an extreme desire to live; he didn't want to die...

But then, the elder's voice rang in his ears, "This is your duty. Remember, consider why the dead suffered, and then pay them your respects."

A glimmer of hope appeared in the death row inmate's eyes. "Th-thank you...please don't listen to her, please..."

After a moment of silence, she still couldn't make a move.

“If you cannot accept death, you cannot be accepted by Aederia,” the elder warned. “This is your last chance: take action.”

"No...I don't want to die...Please, please..." The death row inmate's face was contorted with rage, his will to live driving him mad.

This time, Xia Die made up her mind and reached out... to gently touch it.

The aura of death instantly enveloped the prisoner; all he could feel was deathly silence and coldness. "No, no..."

The fingertip lingered on the prisoner's forehead, and life slowly dissipated from his body. His cries for mercy, which he had been unable to stop, gradually turned into a sigh-like sob.

Xia Die couldn't help but ask herself, was it because of fear, anger, hatred, or was the so-called merciful touch of death simply a lie?

The ceremony ended quickly, but my heartbeat drowned out my heavy breathing.

The elder walked up to Xia Die and said, "I hope that this person's sacrifice will give you some insight."

"Is this... all right?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"No, come with me." The elder said ruthlessly, "As the Holy Maiden who oversees the battle, your life has only just begun."

Passing by the crowd, all I could see in their eyes was coldness and fear.

"Executioner!"

The elder led Xia Die to a brave warrior, saying, "Go, and bring her a glorious death."

She touched it once more, and life slipped through her fingers.

"Thank...thank...you..." The soldier finally found relief.

From then on, countless lives were lost at her hands. "Monster." "Executioner." These words had become commonplace, and there were even vicious curses from foreign war criminals.

She felt numb to it all. "How long will this all continue...?"

The elder stood before Xia Die once more. "Come, fulfill your mission."

"What... what do you want me to do?"

The elder smiled, feeling relieved by the arrival of the Butterfly. "I am old, and I must answer the call of Cenatos and go to its realm..."

"This...is also the destiny of every Aiderlian."

The young woman refused to touch it, saying, "You're far from being that old; you still have many years to live..."

“No… I am already dead. I am beginning to feel fear towards the aging that is imposed upon this mortal body, and towards the approaching death.” The elder believed in death, but the instinct for life made her fearful.

"So, Xia Die, can you give me one last chance to charge against fear and prove that I am not a coward?"

“I…” The girl shed glistening tears and shook her head, “I…can’t take it anymore…”

The elder looked at her tenderly, as if they were meeting for the first time. “Child, I brought you back from the icy plains, and your absurd fate began to turn. As the head of the executioners of Aedria, I will also be the one to impose the execution on your shoulders without any explanation from the crowd.”

“I know that you have always been confused, even angry, about me… about everything we believe in…”

Xia Die lowered her head, "I... had no other choice..."

"Yes, what we did was no different from kidnapping."

"So, with just a touch, a sinful life will wither away. Escape is as easy as pie for you, isn't it?"

The girl refused again, "I...can't do that. Even if the Aiderians are thoughtless and treat death like a game, I...can't do it."

"Hehe, so... I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Xia Die felt unfamiliar with the elder's words.

Chapter 400 The Past of Xia Die

“I have always treated you as my daughter and raised you with care, because you were born so blessed that no one in this world understands the weight of life and death better than you.”

"If we look at death through the eyes of the Audreys: it is the end of all life, the inevitable path for each of us. We should not resist it, but learn how to face it."

"Only after you fully understand this principle can you live a good life."

The elder gave his last bit of tenderness to Xia Die, “Even if you eventually leave Aidiria—even if you are forever burdened by the curse—you can live like an ordinary person, with your head held high.”

"No, how could I..." Xia Die instinctively backed away.

But the elder calmly walked towards death, saying, "Come, let's do it. I have taught you everything I have learned in this life... prove yourself to be a qualified saintess, or at least have such determination."

Purple, eerie flowers bloomed beneath her feet, and butterflies danced on her fingertips; she was like a princess from a kingdom of death.

"I obeyed her instructions for the last time and gently touched the old man in front of me."

"This executioner, who had seen death many times, passed away just like any other person: a sob in her throat, regret in her eyes, and... a barely perceptible tremor from her fingertips."

“Amenette, who tried to teach me about death, ultimately vanished like morning dew in the mist. Her entire life was devoted to the beliefs of the Aiderians, and when death truly came, she was just as those beliefs foretold…”

"Apart from reverence, there is nothing else."

The butterfly and the star walked side by side, and the butterfly poured out its past to the star without reservation: "After burying the elder, I embarked on a journey once again in order to see Cenatos."

"It was a very, very long road. I heard so much talk about death. Life finds meaning in death, and all things move forward because of the end..."

"It's as if the most terrifying thing in the world is what everyone talks about, whether it's resistance, worship, or awe... How could a Titan whose whereabouts are unknown become the deepest fear in people's hearts?"

"...Why does it linger in my dreams?"

"To find the answer to this question, I continued my journey. At first, it was about escaping, then it became about searching, and finally... I wanted to know if my touch, my embrace... could not be taken away."

"Or perhaps, we could leave something behind?"

[Star: Xia Die, who says death can only take things away? Didn't you protect us, and Ohema too? Abilities aren't about right or wrong; it's people who determine them.]

[Bai Lu: What a depressing conversation. The fear of death stems from instinct, yet the Aidirians try to suppress their primal urges.]

[Xia Die: Even in Onphalus, the belief in death is not accepted by most people.]

[Robin: Perhaps it is precisely because of the death of the Aedrian faith that you appeared on the surrounding ice fields, and only in this way can your death be regarded as a blessing.]

[Bai'er: You mean, the Butterfly's birth there was man-made.]

[Walter: As expected, that person is none other than Miss Xia Die's sister from the previous life... Polycia, now the Death Titan Cenatos.]

[Dan Heng: Life deserves respect, and death deserves even more reverence.]

Silver Wolf: @Blade, I'm targeting you.

[Blade: Though I hate to admit it, I agree with his point of view. Of course, I'm an exception, because I crave death.]

[Star: Uncle Blade, you have everyone from the Star Core Hunters with you, why are you thinking like this? Who knows, maybe in the future you won't want to die anymore, and you'll want to find us again.]

[Huang Quan: The meaning of life—I hope you won't be tainted by nihilism.]

Nicole: Onfaros is such an absurd world.

"I don't want to die!"

"Please... let me go! I don't want to die, I don't want to die... I don't want such mercy!"

The chains binding the prisoner's limbs clanged as he struggled. The man watched in terror as Xia Die drew nearer, his face contorted in fear, his entire body trembling.

"I do not want--"

Clad in a black robe, Xia Die was already numb. She slowly placed her gloved hand on the man's head. With a roar, the vibrant flowers withered instantly, and the man, losing all his abilities, fell backward due to inertia.

A gentle breeze swept by, and his body turned to ashes.

"I hate these cold hands."

Time rewinds rapidly, and the city of Aidiria, shrouded in thick fog, is deathly silent. Warriors who believe in death walk behind a little girl, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.

Looking out to the horizon, there is a city-state built on a cliff... Aidiria.

Young Xia Die, wearing a black veil, continued her ascent upwards in front of a crowd. Among the people lining the road, a little girl of similar age watched curiously, but her mother stopped her just as she was about to leave the queue.

For the final leg of the journey, Xia Die was left alone; her small, silhouette seemed to foreshadow her loneliness.

Suddenly, an elderly deer appeared in the center of the picture, barely breathing.

"Do it," the elder behind him urged, "End its suffering."

Young Xiaodie reluctantly reached out her hand, her fear of death forcing her to close her eyes. As the two touched, the old deer's last breath was taken away, and life flowed from her fingertips.

The scene flashed, and this time, the elder led her to a temple filled with sick people. Judging from their faces, they all had little time left and were beyond saving.

On the roof beams, crows, in twos and threes, seemed like gods reaping death, waiting for the souls of the dead.

"Your hands are a blessing from death; only you can bring them peace."

Standing before the sickbed, Xia Die hesitated to raise her hands, blessed by death. A struggle flashed in her eyes, and she turned away, using all her remaining strength to flee. The statues outside the temple silently watched Xia Die leave; her fate had already been sealed.

She came to a meadow full of wildflowers. The vibrant life of the blooming flowers pleased her, and a slight smile finally appeared on her lips. She squatted down and reached out to touch a small, blooming red flower.

But the moment it was touched, even through layers of gloves, the flower lost its life, leaving only withered remains.

At this moment, Xia Die's once luminous pupils lost their light, and helplessness and pain surged into her heart once more. Life flowed from her fingertips without exception.

"Accept death, walk with it."

Outside the temple, Aedrian girls of similar age held hands and happily circled the bonfire, creating a particularly warm scene in this city-state that believed in death.

But Xiaoxiadie could only stay on the opposite bank, accompanied by bare, withered trees, just barely able to touch the end of the firelight.

And so we walked and walked... and walked and walked...

"Haha..." The girl who had been curious about Xia Die in the crowd that day darted out from the bushes in front of her, holding a dry branch in her hand and handing it to her. Her bright eyes struck Xia Die's heart like a warm fire.