CHAPTER 958: CHAPTER 96: RECLAIMING

[Pupil Sea. Infinite] lasted only twenty breaths.

The Great Phoenix Cave Heaven was utterly incinerated.

The divine skill ended.

The grotto heaven shattered, the land desolate, only the Immortal Tree remained. The phoenix nailed to the Immortal Tree, its flesh body nearly destroyed, yet still retained a trace of spiritual essence.

Yuan Huang did not die.

"..."

Xuan Ming calmly gazed at the phoenix before him, slowly lowering his uplifted arm.

It wasn’t because he showed mercy.

Though his nature was gentle, and he was generous, he never spared his enemies...

Of course, he wanted to directly annihilate this phoenix.

But the Immortal Tree had been awakened by the Dragon Vein, the life force sustaining Yuan Huang’s survival was too overwhelming.

Now, he was only a remnant thought, his strength almost depleted.

The activation of [Pupil Sea. Infinite] could only reach this point.

If he continued, Xuan Ming didn’t know whether the phoenix would be incinerated by the [Pupil Sea] first, or whether he would burn out first himself.

"Senior Brother, are you alright?"

In the Holy Realm, Xie Xuanyi quickly spoke.

"No need to worry about me..."

Xuan Ming softly opened his mouth, speaking warmly, "At root, I’m like grass without roots, attaining the Dao in the morning only to die in the evening."

As he spoke.

A breeze blew by.

Xuan Ming, sitting amidst the all-encompassing chaos, his form suddenly dimmed by three parts.

He was only a remnant thought, able to borrow Xie Xuanyi’s body to suppress the "Heavenly People," was already a miracle.

The divine skill [Pupil Sea. Infinite] had nearly burned away the accumulation of Xuan Ming’s divine thought over a thousand years.

Now, only the last, extraordinarily faint remnant soul was left.

Speaking, conversing wasn’t a problem.

But for combat...

Xuan Ming could no longer exhibit such a high-level divine skill like [Pupil Sea. Infinite].

"What a pity... that I couldn’t directly kill this phoenix."

Xuan Ming showed a regretful expression, hesitating for a long time, he self-deprecatingly asked, "Little Junior Brother, was I too attached to life?"

"No..."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head, earnestly said, "Eldest Senior Brother... all things have a will to live, how can it be called a greed for life?"

At the moment when [Pupil Sea. Infinite] was cast.

The victory was already decided!

The Great Phoenix Cave Heaven has now been completely annihilated, this battle is without suspense, though the Holy Empress still retains a trace of life, but we still have Master to hold the field on our side.

"Is that so?"

Xuan Ming’s tone carried a hint of fatigue.

He withdrew from Xie Xuanyi’s Soul Sea and Heart Lake, returning this shell to its original owner.

In the chaos, Xuan Ming extended both hands, once more tying the black ribbon over his eyes.

"Little Junior Brother..."

Xuan Ming gently said, "Senior Brother is tired... would like to rest for a while..."

He managed a faint smile.

The chaos like a shadow scattered, enveloping him.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi wanted to say something more, but the rolling chaos hung down, like a heavenly barrier, separating him... As the master of the [Holy Realm], Xie Xuanyi could have forcibly torn apart this chaos, but he did not do so.

Xie Xuanyi stood silently outside the chaos, watching as the sky dimmed, and Senior Brother’s figure slowly vanished.

He could sense, Eldest Senior Brother Xuan Ming’s presence still existed.

This battle...

Xuan Ming consumed ninety percent of his soul thought, but one wisp still remained.

Just as Xuan Ming had said earlier.

He was attached to life.

If he hadn’t met Xie Xuanyi, with his temperament, he would’ve burned everything, casting [Pupil Sea. Infinite], and incinerating both the Great Phoenix Cave Heaven and the phoenix together, regardless of who died first... What of perishing together with jade and stone? Cultivators of the [Pupil Sea] skill ultimately go blind; this divine skill is the most majestic and stern under the sky, how could cultivators be afraid of death?

Yet, Xie Xuanyi changed Xuan Ming.

After a millennium of lonely waiting, Xuan Ming had originally prepared to face death with equanimity.

He had personally witnessed the departure of his closest loved ones...

Time shows no mercy.

Once the Holy Realm chose its master, he should have faced death.

But unexpectedly, Xie Xuanyi carried within him the "Undying Spring Eye."

Because of Xie Xuanyi, the intent to die within Xuan Ming wasn’t as intense, his mind sprouted the thought of "living on."

At the last moment, he retracted the divine skill.

[Pupil Sea. Infinite] thus ceased.

Xuan Ming left behind a remnant thought, also a trace of life.

...

...

"Shhh-shhh-shhh."

As Xuan Ming’s divine thought receded.

The [Chongming] divine skill dissipated.

Heaven and earth reverted to the appearance of the Lotus Forbidden Land.

The vertical pupil at Xie Xuanyi’s brow gradually vanished, closing bit by bit, and the formidable aura belonging to Xuan Ming also dispersed with it.

"Master."

As Xie Xuanyi opened his eyes, he saw the longed-for figure in the Lotus Robe.

At this moment, he was within the Sword Origin River.

Countless Sword Qi Lotuses, suspended in the long river of the Great Dao.

"..."

Zhao Chunyang’s expression was complex, looking at the disciple in front of him.

Though he was in seclusion at Lotus Peak.

Most of the time Zhao Chunyang was in a state of "Divine Travel," his flesh body in retreat, his soul roaming through the River of Destiny. In the past, future, and different points in time, he had seen his "favorite disciple" more than once. Roaming for so long, returning his soul made him a bit unaccustomed.

At this moment’s meeting, it unexpectedly felt somewhat awkward.

But regardless...

Being able to meet was good.

Zhao Chunyang extended his hand, intending as before to pat his beloved disciple on the head, but after a moment’s thought, his palm landed on Xie Xuanyi’s shoulder instead.

He gently patted his disciple’s shoulder.

"Master... are you alright?"

Xie Xuanyi sensed the warmth from his shoulder, cautiously spoke.

Compared to Xuan Ming, he was more worried about Master’s current state.

If an enemy entered the Sword Origin River, they’d be instantly shredded.

But Xie Xuanyi was Zhao Chunyang’s most cherished disciple, the Sword Origin River followed him as he roamed, willing to take any Sword Qi Path he wished without a problem.