An Endless Torment

Ji Ning had never doubted Senior-apprentice Sister Yu Wei's feelings for him. When their eyes met, he could feel her heart. Since the death of his parents, it was with her that he had rediscovered the long-lost warmth of the heart. It was something beyond love; only feelings deep enough could warm each other so thoroughly.

But—

Ji Ning could not forget.

If not for the legacy of Daoist Threelives, he would have died when he was still weak.

If not for the seven Empyrean Gods, he would have died then as well.

If not for his master, Bodhi, he would have died long ago in the Realm of Annihilation.

His master, the Diancai Immortal, his sworn brother, Mu Northson—they all had an endless enmity with the Seamless Gate. His own father and mother… perhaps their fate was worse than Yu Wei's. Their truesouls had likely already entered the River of Fate… And with Mother Nuwa having ventured into the endless Chaos, the destruction of a soul meant absolute, final death.

To hope for Mother Nuwa's return?

To hope to reach her level of power?

Difficult!

This was even harder than defeating the Seamless Gate faction.

…

The Godking, his misty eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his black robes, looked down at Ji Ning from on high. He waited for Ji Ning's answer. He knew this was the best chance he had ever had to make Ji Ning submit. Yu Wei was the most important person to Ji Ning in the entire world—the most crucial anchor for his heart. And her death had been both a repayment of her debt to the Godking and a refusal to cause Ji Ning any further trouble.

After all, the failure of a Realm War would not implicate a disciple of a Daofather like Ji Ning.

The entire vast, dark space was deathly still. An absolute, suffocating silence.

Ji Ning simply stood there, staring at the image of his Senior-apprentice Sister in the scene before him, as if trying to etch her features deep into his memory forever.

"Make your choice," the Godking said. "Do not think to deceive me. You cannot."

Ji Ning's body trembled.

After a moment of silence, in a stillness so thick it was suffocating, Ji Ning whispered, "Let me look at Senior-apprentice Sister a little longer."

The Godking was furious!

At the height of the vast throne, the mist within the black robes roiled and churned with rage, and lightning crackled within those misty eyes. He forcibly suppressed his fury, his voice low and dangerous. "You have decided, then? To stand against my Seamless Gate? To send your most beloved into the Infinite Hells? I could have let her live happily with you, with your child. But now, you are condemning her to an eternity of torment, never to be reborn!"

Each word from the Godking struck Ji Ning's heart like a blade.

"The choice is yours!" The entire vast, dark world trembled, a testament to the Godking's barely restrained wrath.

There was only endless, profound pain in Ji Ning's eyes. But he could do nothing but silently watch his Senior-apprentice Sister.

Then—

Ji Ning turned his head to look at the Godking. He fell to his knees with a heavy thud, prostrating himself in a gesture of deep respect.

The Godking was overjoyed. He even descended from his throne, striding forward. "Hahaha, Ji Ning! This is the wise choice—" But Ji Ning opened his mouth, cutting off the Godking's words.

"Godking, you are a mighty Daofather," Ji Ning said, still kneeling. "I know Senior-apprentice Sister suffered greatly in her past life. You must have shown her kindness, and she has always been loyal to you. Now, she has even destroyed the Divine Farmer's Medicine, a great merit. I beg you, do not hold her, a poor, weak woman, accountable… I do not presume to ask that you return Senior-apprentice Sister to me. I only ask that you let her live a simpler life. If you do this, I, Ji Ning, will be eternally grateful."

Ji Ning's kneeling form was filled with supplication.

The Godking, who had already descended from his throne to the ground, was stunned. Then, his rage exploded. "Ji Ning!!! You speak of gratitude? Of pity? This is war! You have only two paths. You have refused! Now, she will suffer the torments of the Infinite Hells!"

"Take Yu Wei away!" the Godking roared. "Let her suffer every single torment the Infinite Hells have to offer! She will never be reborn!"

His voice boomed directly into the Infinite Hells.

"Yes, Lord."

Two black-robed emissaries immediately seized Yu Wei and began dragging her toward a sea of flame, a single hell among the infinite.

Ji Ning remained kneeling.

"Godking," Ji Ning said, looking up at him.

"You have only two paths: stand with me, or stand against me!" The boundless, dark space was filled with a murderous aura.

Ji Ning stood up. He silently watched the image of his Senior-apprentice Sister writhing in agony within the endless inferno.

Then—

Ji Ning turned away.

Whoosh!

He vanished directly from this dream world.

"Damn it!" The Godking's roar echoed through the vast, dark space. "Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!!!"

"Your beloved will suffer an eternity of torment, and you! You will soon die too! You will DIE!" The Godking was truly enraged. He had desperately wanted to recruit Ji Ning, but he had been refused. Furious and humiliated, the Godking was filled with boundless killing intent. But the Nuwa faction was powerful. Killing Ji Ning would not be easy.

…

"It was you who sent her to the Infinite Hells! You! It was YOUR hand!" The Godking's furious voice echoed in Ji Ning's mind.

Boom.

Ji Ning's powerful heartforce consciousness directly dispersed that invasive thought. This kind of penetration by the Godking, though difficult even for Daofathers to detect, was weak in its force.

In the Violet Abundance Pearl World.

Creak. Ji Ning walked out from the study. He soon arrived at the room where his daughter, Brightmoon, was being punished to kneel.

The little girl in her bellyband, Brightmoon, was still kneeling there, her eyes filled with confusion and a lack of understanding.

"Father!" Brightmoon's face lit up when she saw Ji Ning. She quickly said, "Your daughter was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! Please don't be angry anymore, Father. I promise I will never tease others with fire again!"

Ji Ning walked over to his daughter, crouched down, and silently held her in his arms.

Being embraced by her father, Brightmoon couldn't help but beam with joy. She burrowed her head into Ji Ning's chest comfortably. "Father isn't angry anymore! Hehe! Mother was holding me like this just now, too. But then Mother said she was sorry… she said she was sorry to me? I didn't really understand. Then she vanished. Father, you said before that Mother's form here was just an incarnation. Why did her incarnation disappear and leave?"

Ji Ning trembled.

So…

Senior-apprentice Sister had not only said goodbye to him, but also to their daughter.

"Father?" Brightmoon felt that something was wrong with Ji Ning.

Ji Ning held his daughter close and said softly, "It is I who am sorry to your mother." He closed his eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

Yes.

He was sorry!

Even though it was the Godking who had forced the choice upon him, it was still he, himself, who had chosen the path that sent Senior-apprentice Sister into the Infinite Hells… It felt as if countless ants were constantly gnawing at his heart.

The pain inside.

The guilt.

The agony.

Ji Ning hadn't shed a single tear before. He had watched his Senior-apprentice Sister's soul scatter, felt the elation of knowing she wasn't dead, only to face the despair of that impossible choice. He watched her suffer in the endless inferno… but he hadn't cried. Only when he held his daughter did he finally lose control, finally let the tears fall.

Hot tears dripped onto Brightmoon. She was stunned, looking up to see her father crying.

"What is it? Where is Mother?" Brightmoon, clever as she was, asked urgently.

"She is dead," Ji Ning said softly, holding his daughter.

"Dead?" Brightmoon was stunned. Though she was born with extraordinary intelligence, she was still just a child. She could only stand there dumbly, hugging her father.

"Brightmoon," Ji Ning said, "From now on, it's just you and me."

Ji Ning held his daughter.

His daughter had just been born. His wife was already gone.

"Senior-apprentice Sister… I'm sorry. I swear… I will take care of our child. I swear." Ji Ning held his daughter close. He knew that this was the one thing he could do for his Senior-apprentice Sister, for himself—to protect their daughter.

"As for the Seamless Gate…"

In Ji Ning's tear-filled eyes hid a killing intent deeper than the Nine Netherworlds.

…

At the Eight Dragons Cloudcity.

Ji Ning walked out of his own residence.

"You're out?" The Xia Emperor was waiting just outside the door.

"Your Majesty has been here the whole time?" Ji Ning was startled.

"If I hadn't been here, would you have been so peaceful? Dozens came looking for you. Some came to comfort you, but others came, furious, wanting to curse you out," the Xia Emperor said, shaking his head. "You can't really blame them. This Realm War was all but won, but now… sigh. With the Realm War lost, many of them are about to lose the foundations they’ve built over billions of years as Empyrean Gods and True Immortals to the Seamless Gate. How could they not be angry? Don't take it to heart. Once this storm passes, they'll eventually come to accept it."

Ji Ning looked at the Xia Emperor.

He could feel it… There was a hint of sadness and loss in the Xia Emperor's voice.

Losing the war meant the Xia Emperor would lose the Grand Xia world. It was the foundation of his Xiamang clan. All the effort he had poured into this land since the Primordial Era… how could he not be heartbroken? Yet he did not blame Ji Ning. He had even stood guard at his door, holding back the many angry visitors, making sure Ji Ning was not disturbed. Ji Ning understood clearly that, with victory so close at hand, forcing them to accept defeat now was a bitter pill. There were certainly many Empyrean Gods and True Immortals who couldn't accept it, filled with rage and pain.

"Are we truly going to lose?" Ji Ning asked.

"There is no avoiding it," the Xia Emperor said, nodding with a sigh. "We will lose."