The Final Burn

“What does it have to do with you?”

“Haven’t you done enough for her?”

“With your current state, even walking is a struggle. What can you possibly do to save her?”

“Give up. End the simulation. You don’t need to push yourself this hard for a character that doesn’t even exist in reality.”

…

In that brief moment, countless thoughts flooded Xu Xi’s mind, each one logical enough to justify ignoring the massive battle between the righteous and demonic factions.

His body twitched in pain.

His spirit was utterly exhausted.

The aftereffects of burning his spiritual roots, cultivation, and lifespan had tormented Xu Xi for three full years.

On this final day of his life, his body had deteriorated to a point where even he could barely recognize himself. His face was pale, his arms withered, his lower body numb, and an unbearable itch gnawed deep into his bones, as if countless insects were wriggling inside him. Occasionally, sharp pain would rip through his muscles, as though tiny blades were slicing him repeatedly.

“This body… it’s in really bad shape…”

Xu Xi gritted his teeth against the pain.

He mustered every last ounce of strength, squeezing the final bit of energy from his exhausted body. But even so, he couldn’t even manage to sit up.

The pain was unbearable.

He really wanted to give up.

The ringing in his ears grew louder, like a series of urgent warnings, reminding him that his body had reached its limit. Gradually, his vision was filled with blood red.

His body, on the verge of collapse, finally gave out. Blood flowed from his eyes, nose, and mouth, blurring his sight and staining his teeth. With just a slight opening of his mouth, more blood gushed uncontrollably, soaking the bed beneath him with chilling, eerie crimson blossoms.

“Ughhh—”

Bubbles rose from his throat.

Xu Xi truly couldn’t hold on anymore. The pain had surpassed the limits of human endurance. He was in too much agony, not wanting to endure even one more second.

He wanted to let the pain wash away his reason.

He wanted to end this simulation once and for all.

But in his hazy vision, a familiar figure began to emerge, growing from a baby into a young girl, from health to frailty.

“Mo Li will help Brother earn lots and lots of money!”

“Mo Li loves Brother the most!”

“Brother, will Mo Li die…?”

Memories of the past suddenly surfaced, clearing the fog from Xu Xi’s eyes.

“Mo Li is waiting for me to save her. I can’t die here,” Xu Xi struggled to sit up, his pale face contorted with pain, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He tried to stand, but his body lost balance and he tumbled off the bed.

—His vision jolted.

He fell.

He knocked over several items beside the bed, scattering them across the floor.

With a body this weak, barely able to stand, could he really intervene in the battle between cultivators? Did Xu Moli truly need his help?

Xu Xi didn’t know.

All he knew was that, as a brother, he had once promised to do everything in his power to save his sister.

It didn’t matter if he could succeed or not.

It didn’t matter if this world was just a simulation.

What mattered was that this was a promise he had made.

“Hahaha, hahahaha, ahahahaha—”

Instead of crying out in pain, Xu Xi laughed, coughing up blood. He fumbled on the ground with his hands until he finally grasped the wooden sword’s hilt.

As soon as he held it, he felt the surging spiritual energy of a Nascent Soul cultivator within.

This energy obeyed Xu Xi’s will, forcibly flooding into his broken body, which had lost its spiritual roots, squeezing into every shattered vein, granting him temporary strength.

He stood.

He stumbled out of his home.

His body began to disintegrate unnaturally as the spiritual energy forced its way in, bursting into clouds of crimson mist.

If this continued, Xu Xi might not even leave a complete corpse.

But what did it matter?

“Brother is coming to save you…”

A terrifying surge of spiritual energy shot into the sky, startling both the righteous and demonic cultivators present. Before they could react, a sword light had already shot far away, hurtling toward the direction of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

…

【You are going to die. The prolonged suffering has drained every last bit of your willpower. Your body has long since reached the end of its life. But you’ve achieved the impossible.】

【Your willpower exceeded the limits of a human, forcing your body to move.】

【Even though the pain was a thousand times worse than anything you’ve experienced before, you had no regrets.】

You once again rode the sword light, heading toward the direction of the Heavenly Sword Sect in your memories. When you arrived, you found that the sect had already been breached by the demonic faction, and the protective formation was completely destroyed.

【Blood, severed limbs, broken artifacts.】

【The war was still ongoing, but the scene of rivers of blood had already formed. The Heavenly Sword Sect had become a hell on earth. Shocked, you worried for your sister and master.】

【You forced the wooden sword to kill, and some recognized you, either with surprise or fear.】

【You went berserk.】

…

As a Nascent Soul sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect was not weak.

Though not among the top tier of the cultivation world, it was still a first-class righteous sect with a long-standing legacy, and its disciples took pride in their heritage.

But.

In the torrential clash between the righteous and demonic factions.

Even a strong sect like the Heavenly Sword Sect had to accept defeat in the face of overwhelming numbers of demonic cultivators.

The sword peak collapsed.

The main hall was cut in half.

Countless disciples were slaughtered, and each peak was surrounded. Even Nascent Soul cultivators had fallen, leaving despair and rage in their wake.

Before the official attack.

The demonic faction had made meticulous plans, identifying certain individuals who must be killed.

Like Xu Moli.

The second true disciple of Forest Sword Peak was simply too extraordinary. She had completed her Foundation Establishment in one year and was aiming to condense her Golden Core in another. Demon overlords were left in awe, exclaiming, “This is terrifying!”

In fact, the Heavenly Sword Sect was targeted by the demonic faction primarily because of Xu Moli’s extraordinary talent.

The demonic overlords couldn’t help but want to recruit or control her. If that wasn’t possible, they would kill her on the spot to eliminate the threat.

“Surrender, Miss Moli!”

“If you join our Celestial Demon Cult, the position of Holy Maiden is yours!”

“You are already trapped like a caged bird. There’s no chance of escape!”

Two Late-stage Golden Core, five Mid-stage Golden Core, and nine Early-stage Golden Core.

That was the number of demonic cultivators surrounding Xu Moli.

They shouted their offers of surrender while eyeing the cold figure in white holding a long sword with wary respect.

Xu Moli truly lived up to her reputation as a peerless genius with heavenly beauty.

Her strength was overwhelming.

Despite being at the Foundation Establishment stage, she had already slain several Golden Core cultivators.

But she was still just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her limited spiritual energy meant that no matter how extraordinary she was, she couldn’t escape the encirclement and assassination of over ten Golden Core cultivators.