SSS-level Rating

The next three years were the darkest of Ye Xuan's life.

He became a sword-testing servant on Sword Seeking Peak.

Every seven days, Li Chengfeng would activate the sword formation, drawing ten thousand fierce Gengjin sword energies into the body.

Ye Xuan had to sit bare-chested in the core of the formation, using his own flesh and blood to first endure the baptism of the sword energy, filtering out its berserk killing intent, and then passing the pure sword intent to Xia Lengyue through a secret technique.

Thousands of sword energies shuttled through his body, slicing his meridians and tearing his flesh.

His body was riddled with holes time and time again, only to heal again and again under the terrifying regenerative power of the Five Elements Chaos Incantation.

Opposite him, Xia Lengyue sat cross-legged, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the pure power Ye Xuan had exchanged his life for.

Her aura grew stronger and stronger, and her skin became increasingly crystal clear.

Occasionally, she would open her eyes and look at the blood-soaked, convulsing Ye Xuan. For a fleeting moment, a complex look of guilt would flash in her eyes.

But quickly, she would turn her head away and stop looking at him.

Don't blame me... If you must blame something, blame this harsh world, she told herself in her heart.

Three years later.

Xia Lengyue broke through as she wished, reaching the early stage of the Soul Formation realm.

Overjoyed, Li Chengfeng held a grand dual cultivation ceremony for her.

On the night of the ceremony, Ye Xuan lay alone on a straw mat in the servant's quarters.

There was not a single intact piece of flesh on his body. Old wounds overlapped with new ones, and the dense sword scars looked like an ugly fishing net.

Xia Lengyue's promise to spend the rest of her life with him came to nothing.

She stood beside Li Chengfeng, smiling like a blooming flower.

One hundred and fifty years later.

Soul Severing Cliff.

Xia Lengyue, dressed in tattered red clothes, was pale-faced.

She staggered backward until her heels hit the gravel at the edge of the cliff.

In front of her were cultivators covering the mountains and plains.

There were leaders of the righteous path, giants of the demonic sects, and even those male confidants who had once exchanged vows of eternal love with her under the moon and flowers.

Everyone, without exception, had betrayed her.

Lengyue, hand over the True Phoenix Heart.

The one speaking was Zhao Wuji. He held a longsword, blood dripping from its tip. His eyes no longer held their past tender affection, only naked greed. This item is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, you cannot grasp it. Hand it over to your senior brother, and I will ensure you leave a whole corpse.

Heh... Xia Lengyue let out a miserable laugh, her gaze sweeping over the familiar yet strange faces in the crowd. Zhao Wuji, Yue Yang, Li Chengfeng... So, this is the love you spoke of, to put me to death?

Demoness, say no more!

Another noble young master who had once gifted her a ten-thousand-year snow lotus to court her shouted coldly, If you do not hand it over today, you will be making an enemy of the entire world!

That's right, what happened between us was nothing more than play-acting. Another young master's expression was icy.

Xia Lengyue closed her eyes in despair. What a world. All my life, I, Xia Lengyue, have schemed and calculated, thinking I was playing with people's hearts. I never expected that in the end, I would live to become a joke.

Now, having been framed into taking poison, her spiritual energy was exhausted, and her meridians were shattered inch by inch.

She no longer wanted to resist. In this cold world, death might be a release.

Just as the brilliance of thousands of magical treasures lit up, ready to blast her into fine powder.

Who dares touch her!

A hoarse yet resolute roar pierced through the stormy sky.

A thin figure rushed out from the pile of rocks on the side, like a moth darting into a flame.

He had no defensive magical treasures, only an ordinary iron sword with a curled edge in his hand, yet he stood firmly in front of Xia Lengyue without hesitation.

Xia Lengyue suddenly opened her eyes, her pupils shrinking violently.

It was Ye Xuan.

The trash husband she had neglected for a hundred years, mocked for a hundred years, and even humiliated in front of everyone.

At this moment, his entire body was burning with bizarre blood flames. That was the ultimate forbidden technique of the Five Elements Chaos Incantation, burning his three immortal souls and seven mortal forms in exchange for a moment of glory.

Boom!

A strike capable of destroying heaven and earth was forcefully blocked by his flesh and blood.

Ye Xuan spat out blood wildly, the bones in both his arms completely shattered, yet he remained nailed to the ground like a spike, not retreating a single step.

Ye... Ye Xuan? Xia Lengyue's voice trembled. Why are you here? Are you crazy? Get out of here! This is not a place you should be!

Ye Xuan did not turn his head. His back looked so thin in the wind and rain, yet as towering as a mountain.

While vomiting blood, he let out a low laugh, his voice heartbreakingly gentle:

I am your husband... If I am not here, who will protect you?

But I have never looked you in the eye! I am sorry! I am not worth it! Xia Lengyue broke down crying, all her pride shattering at this moment.

Whether it is worth it or not, I will decide for myself.

Ye Xuan turned his head. His ordinary face was covered in blood, but his eyes were startlingly bright. Don't be afraid, Yue'er. I am here.

Overestimating your capabilities! Since you want to be a pair of ill-fated lovers, then we will grant your wish!

Zhao Wuji's face twisted ferociously, the divine sword in his hand surging with a hundred-foot-long light. It was a sure-kill strike: Heaven Severing Sword Drawing Technique!

Burn my broken body, Five Elements Seal the Heavens!

Ye Xuan roared, his body instantly exploding into a blinding mist of blood. Not only did he burn his soul, he even detonated his own dantian.

He transformed into a blood-red barrier, tightly protecting Xia Lengyue in his embrace.

Pfft!

The divine sword pierced through Ye Xuan's chest.

This sword, which was supposed to pierce Xia Lengyue's heart, was completely blocked by Ye Xuan's body.

The world instantly fell silent.

The rain was still falling.

But it was red.

Ye Xuan fell weakly, but not onto the ground; he fell into the arms of the already stunned Xia Lengyue.

Ye Xuan!

Xia Lengyue let out a mournful cry like a weeping cuckoo. With trembling hands, she tried to plug the huge bloody hole in Ye Xuan's chest, but the blood gushed out like a spring and could not be stopped.

Why... sob... why is it you... why is it you in the end...

Her hands covered in blood, Xia Lengyue pressed her face against Ye Xuan's cold forehead, tears mingling with the blood as they flowed. I was wrong, husband, I was really wrong... I won't cultivate immortality anymore. Take me away, let's go home...

Ye Xuan's vision was already blurred.

His life force was rapidly draining away, but following the script, he struggled to pull out a smile.

He shakily raised his blood-soaked right hand and, with the utmost gentleness, lightly wiped away a teardrop from the corner of Xia Lengyue's eye.

His fingertips were ice-cold, yet they burned so hot that Xia Lengyue's soul trembled.

Ye Xuan looked at her, his eyes devoid of any resentment, holding only endless affection and a trace of relief.

With his last breath, he said softly:

It's okay... don't cry...

From now on... you have to... take good care of yourself.

His hand fell limply.

Smashing heavily into the muddy water.

At this moment, Xia Lengyue's world collapsed.

The True Phoenix Heart within her awakened due to this extreme grief, erupting with heaven-destroying and earth-shattering power that blasted away all the surrounding enemies.

But she did not look at anyone.

She just numbly held this gradually chilling corpse, her eyes hollow, her soul dying along with it.

Ahhhhhh!

An incredibly mournful and shrill howl resounded through the clouds, like the wailing of ghosts and howling of gods.

Her Dao Heart was utterly shattered.

She won the world, but lost the only true love of her life.

On the screen, the image froze on Xia Lengyue's face, twisted with absolute despair and extreme remorse.

Immediately after, the system settlement interface popped up, its blinding golden effects almost burning the eyes.

[Final Score: SSS]

[Achievement Unlocked: Unforgettable Remorse]

Smack!

In reality, Ye Xuan slammed his keyboard, jumped right out of his gaming chair, and threw his headphones onto the desk.

Finally beat this torturous game.

Looking at Xia Lengyue crying like a dog on the screen, Ye Xuan felt no sympathy at all. Instead, he laughed uproariously, his face full of the sheer satisfaction of having exacted his revenge.

Pointing at Xia Lengyue on the screen, he yelled excitedly:

Cry! Cry your heart out! Weren't you so aloof? Didn't you look down on me?

You still want to cultivate immortality? Still want to reach the peak? From today on, I am the lingering nightmare of your entire life!

Late affection is cheaper than grass! Where were you before? Who are you howling over a corpse for now?

Hahahaha, serves you right! So damn satisfying!

Ye Xuan grabbed the ice-cold cola from his desk, took a huge gulp, and let out a loud burp.

This trash game was too frustrating. I endured humiliation for a hundred years, acted as a cuckold and a simp for a hundred years, all for this very moment!

He sat back down in his chair, looking at the settlement screen, a cruel sneer curling at the corner of his mouth:

What deep affection? It was all acting! If I didn't act like that, would you regret it? Would you be in pain?

SSS-rank score secured. Now my number one spot on the server leaderboard is guaranteed. This kind of scumbag woman needs to be dealt with exactly like this! Letting her live her whole life in guilt, wishing for death—that is the greatest punishment for her!

The memory ended.

In the real world, a biting cold wind swept across the square.

Ye Xuan shook his head vigorously, trying to throw those images out of his mind.

No, calm down. This is just a coincidence.

He muttered to himself, analyzing the situation: First, the sect is wrong. In the game, it was the Supreme Oblivion Sect, but here it is the Azure Cloud Sect. Second, my background is wrong. In the game, I was the young master of a wealthy family, but right now I am just an orphaned farmer. Aside from the fact that both the game's protagonist and I are named Ye Xuan, and that this Xia Lengyue looks exactly the same, all the other settings are completely different.

Right at that moment, Xia Lengyue, standing on the high platform, seemed to sense something.

She slowly turned her head. Those eyes, as cold and clear as ice and snow, pierced through the dense layers of the crowd and landed with absolute precision on the completely inconspicuous chore disciple in the corner.

Their eyes met in midair.

Ye Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

A trace of an extremely complex emotion flashed through Xia Lengyue's eyes.

It was not the look a stranger should have. Mixed within it was... confusion, pleasant surprise, and perhaps even a suppressed possessiveness taken to the absolute extreme?

But this emotion vanished in a flash, so fast that Ye Xuan thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

It must be an illusion. Ye Xuan lowered his head, avoiding her gaze.