Blood flowed from nonexistent wounds yet dissipated into ashes as soon as it came into contact with the blue flame, but even the ashes vanished until nothing remained. Still, Qin Yun looked unconcerned, too absorbed in the creation of the orb in his hand.
It seemed akin to a world in and of itself, possessing both its own boundary separating it from their own, but also its own mysteries. In fact, not even Qin Yun could delve deep into his own creation, as he had only supplied the sword intent, and the world itself had done the rest. Such a thing would have been inconceivable without the blue flame surrounding him and its almost inextinguishable might.
The audience was stunned by its creation, unable to understand the intricacies of its birth. Only Zou Lan could peer into its mysteries as the only one able to step through the threshold of the Soul Formation realm, for she possessed something similar.
"That's impossible..." she muttered, yet she couldn't deny the feeling that slowly rose within her heart. This was, without a doubt, a domain. Although unstable, it resonated with her own, its clear boundary proving its authenticity. "How are you able to..."
"A domain is merely the merging of insight within the lotus, given shape by the world," Qin Yun explained, cutting off Zou Lan. Despite the calmness of his voice, the strain of such a manifestation was evident on his face. "As long as one's understanding is high enough, and the world approves, the domain can manifest itself. Since this flame is the world itself, I only need to fuse sword intent to create a Pseudo Sword Domain."
“You’re only at the Qi Refining realm! There’s no way you can manifest Sword Intent!” she spat, barely controlling her emotions, yet the evidence was in front of her, swirling into the clear orb for all to see. To deny reality was merely her own arrogance as one of the gifted. She could only bite her lips and frown, acknowledging what her eyes witnessed.
“Can this allow me to fuse with the flame?” Xu Weizhe said, gazing into the orb. His emotions fluctuated wildly from greed to anticipation. The orb produced such a force of attraction that he could barely stop himself from trying to snatch it. Such was his desire for this object. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one.
A man in his early twenties sporting the garbs of the Moonlight Sword Palace sprung forth. His gaze was a mix of greed and madness, fixated on the clear orb of swirling energies. The only thought in his mind was to snatch it, only to reach greater heights.
At one point, this man had been known to be pure of spirit, an example for all among his peers, yet the recent events had left him a broken shell of a man. Watching his fellow disciples die one after the other while he was powerless to resist had left his spirit shattered and his sense of morality stifled. Only a single thought remained in his mind: to gain power, no matter the cost.
Seeing one of her sect's disciples display such greed, Zou Lan couldn't help but frown. She extended her hand, and so did her domain, enveloping the man even as he sped toward the orb. Even though his speed was magnificent for his age, it was almost as if he was moving in slow motion in her eyes, almost like a snail before a hawk. There was no way she could miss him.
However, once her domain stood before him, blocking his path, it was sliced apart, its sharpness dulling until all that remained was a giant opening, allowing the man to pass through unscathed. She only turned toward Qin Yun, offering a look full of surprise but also doubts. It only took her a moment to reform her domain, only for it to be thwarted again. The domain collapsed almost as if it had been slain; only a slight blue tint remained as it shattered into invisible shards.
All this happened in mere moments, unbeknownst to all those present, even the man now rushing toward the orb. Only Zou Lan and Qin Yun looked at each other. While she frowned deeply, he, on the other hand, only showed a slight smile, almost as if mocking her for her attempt. Then, she stopped all attempts to interfere, only watching as the man grew closer, yet the flames of her fury smouldered slowly at the bottom of her heart.
Stunned by their comrade's actions, the disciples could only watch as the man reached the orb, placing his palm on it, only for a blue light to emerge from it, bathing the underground chamber in its glow. Soon, the man's body disappeared within the light as it blinded all those present, except for Zou Lan and Qin Yun, who could witness the events in excruciating detail.
As the man's hand rested on the orb, countless wounds appeared on his skin. Blood flowed from them, falling to the ground, yet the drops were scattered into oblivion as if countless knife edges split them apart at the molecular level until nothing remained.
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The orb’s sharpness spilled into the world; its destructive intent was overbearing, stunning the man into a stupor. His gaze filled with greed soon dissipated, turning to overwhelming dread, yet it was already too late. Unable to contain the orb's might or even adapt to it, the man's body soon started collapsing as countless sharp wounds appeared on his body, slicing everything, even reality itself. It was as if the orb was the true meaning of sharpness, and nothing could resist it.
The man opened his mouth to scream as pain assaulted his nerves, yet even the sound of his agony was sliced apart, never reaching the ears of those around him. Still, his visage contorted with torment spoke volumes of his anguish, prompting Zou Lan to turn around, knowing full well any attempts to help on her part would only be met with failure. It was already too late for the man.
In mere moments, the man’s body disintegrated into the light, starting with his extremities, to his core, and then his head. All that remained after his existence ceased was a slowly revolving lotus platform that soon dissipated into the still air, fading as if rejoining the world around them.
Surprisingly, despite being within the flame, Qin Yun could feel a slight breeze blow within this underground chamber—something that should have been impossible. He closed his eyes, only to feel the hidden hands of the world welcome back the seed of the flower it had lent mankind.
He couldn't help but show a slight smile that seemed to have been misinterpreted by the audience. Only Zou Lan seemed pensive as she looked back at him. Whether she, too, had noticed this detail was impossible for him to know since he couldn't ask. The world wouldn't let him.
“What happened to Senior Brother Mo?" Yao Ruolan asked as she opened her eyes, seeing no traces of the man. Yet the orb remained firmly in Qin Yun's hand, barely out of the flame. Her distress was clear for all to see as realization struck her, yet she refused to believe the obvious until it was confirmed.
"He's gone," Zou Lan replied, her gaze never leaving Qin Yun. "He couldn't endure the sharpness of this pseudo domain, so his core and soul were both destroyed. This is the price for trying to use shortcuts."
The disciples gasped as they realized they could have been the ones to perish. After all, they, too, felt the urge to seek this orb; the temptation was almost overwhelming. Yet, now, all they felt was dread as they looked at this transparent sphere gently resting in Qin Yun's hand.
“Isn’t this nothing more than a death sentence?” Yao Ruolan asked as she turned to face Qin Yun. “Can Master even prevail in his current state?”
“He’s the only one worthy,” he replied. “Why do you think people cultivate the lotus in their cores before trying to understand the world’s mysteries?”
They all remained silent, unable to answer, only for Zou Lan to sigh loudly.
“Do you truly expect these young chicks to know the answer to such a question?” she asked.
“If they can only go through the motions, treading the same path as their ancestors without ever questioning why, then they are unfit to cultivate in the first place," Qin Yun lamented. "To cultivate is to tread your own path through untold unknowns. You may rely on the experiences of your predecessors in the beginning, but that will only get you so far. Sooner or later, that path will end, and you will have to choose whether to wallow in cowardice and turn back on the path or to tread along in complete darkness with only your spirit to guide the way. Courage is the only metric used to judge a cultivator's worth, the courage to go where no man or woman has gone before you. Are any of you willing to take those first steps?"
Silence would have reigned in the underground chamber if not for the crackling of the blue flame. Some young cultivators looked toward the ground, unable to raise their gazes as fear had struck their hearts. Others felt revolt and indignation rise in their chests, yet the words were stuck in their throats, unable to come out. They could only clench their fists at this insult.
On the other hand, some also found truth within his words yet couldn't bring themselves to accept them wholeheartedly. They stood on the cusp of realization, unable to take steps to either side, forever lost to indecision. Only Xu Weizhe showed a clear gaze; his mind was made.
Without a word, he took steps toward the orb. The soft sound of his feet resounded within the chamber, bringing all eyes on him. Zou Lan frowned as she stepped before him, blocking his path. She opened her mouth to object yet failed to do so as Xu Weizhe's lips collided with hers.
She was taken aback, and her eyes widened, yet she didn't deny his touch. In fact, she basked in the moment, forgetting the direness of their situation. She forgot her responsibilities and duties as Sect Leader of the Moonlight Sword Palace for just one fleeting moment. She was just another young girl experiencing her first love. Still, reality had always been merciless. The moment came and went, leaving her behind.
Their lips finally grew apart to the shocked gaze of their disciples. While their feelings were an open secret within the sect, none even thought to be witness to such a display. Some held their breaths, while others blushed at the sight, even more so as embarrassment assaulted their sect leader, brightening her visage.
Xu Weizhe smiled, yet it was also filled with a deep sorrow, something he couldn’t mask. Once again she tried to speak, yet his fingers touched her lips, preventing her once again.
“This is my choice," he said softly so only she could hear. "You've always been better than me, whether in strength or cultivation. I've always felt inferior, wondering what I could do for you. Sometimes, I've even wondered if you wouldn't be happier with a more fitting man."
Her gaze grew somewhat grimmer, a slight flame of anger in her eyes, which couldn’t help but make him chuckle.
"I know," he added. "Those thoughts are my inner demons. They have stayed with me for as long as I can remember. They stifled my potential, preventing me from achieving what I should have been capable of. No more, however. Even with this battered, broken body, there is still something that only I can do... I know you might resent me for this, but this is something I need to do, not only for you but also for myself. Not doing so would be a waste, and my pride won't allow me to waste away."
Her eyes grew misty, even threatening to condense at the corner of her eyes. He couldn't help but use his lips to suck the moisture but then moved past her, leaving her behind as she watched his slim back grow fainter with every step he took until he stopped in front of the outstretched orb.
“Once you do this, there is no coming back,” Qin Yun said, still so calmly as if none of this scene affected him. “There will be no time for regrets later.”
“I'm ready," Xu Weizhe said as he nodded slightly, his gaze clear and his resolve firm before he rested his hand on the orb.