Chapter 167: Life and Annihilation

It was three-quarters past noon.

Execution time.

The scorching sun hung high overhead. Jiang Die sat tall upon her throne, dressed in a luxurious black gown. Countless hidden powerhouses—both overt and covert—had long been lying in wait.

All for one moment: Lu Ye’s arrival.

Lu Ye did not disappoint.

By the designated time, three-quarters past noon, he had already arrived.

The executioner looked to Jiang Die for confirmation.

Jiang Die’s expression was tense.

What the hell? Where was he?

Lu Ye really didn’t show?

Jiang Die gave the executioner a nod. Fine—try killing one first. Lu Ye had once mentioned that some people liked to appear at the very last possible second, right at the peak of crisis.

It was called—heroic last-minute rescue, wasn’t it?

Lu Ye didn’t like that kind of thing. When he rescued people, he preferred to arrive before the enemy even raised their blade—while their heads were already halfway off.

But then again, now that he’d lived another life, who was to say he hadn’t developed a flair for dramatic timing?

“Splurt!”

Chu Ling’s head was chopped off.

It rolled to the ground, blood gushing like a fountain.

Jiang Die...

Silence.

The entire world fell eerily quiet.

Jiang Die slowly stood up, her exquisite features twisting with displeasure.

He really didn’t come?

He actually didn’t come!

At that moment, Jiang Die finally truly felt the steel-hearted ruthlessness of Lu Ye.

A cold shiver ran through her heart.

Lu Ye was too powerful. His only weakness had ever been his deep emotional attachments.

She and the other seven women were Lu Ye’s greatest flaw.

But if Lu Ye had now become someone cold-blooded and detached—then with his heaven-defying talent, what kind of monster would he become?

“He really doesn’t care anymore.”

Jiang Die muttered to herself.

What other leverage could she use to force Lu Ye to appear?

Had Lu Ye seen through the trap? Or had he simply stopped caring—entirely?

Jiang Die waved her hand.

Chu Ling’s “corpse” was carried away.

Of course she hadn’t actually killed them. These women were her trump cards for dealing with Lu Ye—how could she let them die so easily?

“White-jie. He didn’t come,” Jiang Die said.

Bai Qiulan had already had her suspicions—but still, her chest tightened with sorrow.

Lu Ye really didn’t come?

That was Chu Ling—his most favored maidservant. After all this time, with so much life having passed... had all his resentment and pain still not faded?

“White-jie, where’s Vermilion Bird? Why didn’t she ascend with you?” Jiang Die sharply zeroed in on the key detail.

“I don’t know. Vermilion Bird only showed up twice—once during the Eternal Heaven’s Prodigy battlefield when she chased Lu Ye, and once during the foreign race invasion when she came to Grand Dao Sect to warn us. After that, she vanished,” Bai Qiulan replied.

“Could she be dead?” Jiang Die asked.

“Impossible. Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Heavenly Spirits—she carries great destiny. Who would dare to kill her? Besides, after her rebirth, she had many trump cards. Who could kill her?” Bai Qiulan immediately rejected the idea.

Vermilion Bird had the divine art of rebirth through fire.

If she died in one place, she could be reborn elsewhere through flames.

How would you kill someone like that?

Even if all four of them died, Vermilion Bird wouldn’t die.

“Then where is Vermilion Bird?” Jiang Die asked.

Bai Qiulan fell silent.

Vermilion Bird...

“I’ll investigate myself. Hopefully, she’s still alive. But if Vermilion Bird is truly dead, then we can give up on all illusions and prepare for war.”

True war always begins in blood and death.

“Pass down my command: to the Celestial Secrets Pavilions of both the First and Second Heavens—at any cost, search for traces of Vermilion Bird! I want to know whether she lives or dies!”

“Yes, Clan Head!”

...

“Ding. Deduction complete.”

The system’s voice rang in Lu Ye’s mind.

At that moment, Lu Ye’s aura plummeted. His Dao was teetering on the edge of collapse.

If his Dao shattered, the light consequence would be a direct fall to the Spirit Fusion Realm. The heavy consequence... was total annihilation.

“Ding. The Path of Annihilation was the Dao pursued by the Annihilation Heavenly Lord in his quest to become a Saint. At the time, the entire Annihilation Divine Sect marched to death—including one Heavenly Lord, four Great Emperors, and countless other powerhouses. The Dao Seed formed by such destruction naturally possesses the power to annihilate all.”

Back then, even an elderly Saint had nearly been destroyed by it.

“Ding. Therefore, we have deduced three possible methods to resolve the Path of Annihilation.”

“Ding. First, regress to the Spirit Fusion Realm. With no Dao to support it, the Annihilation Dao Seed will lose its effect. Now that it has manifested, it can be expelled.”

“Ding. Second, break through to the Saint Realm. A Saint’s Dao is immortal—eternal and indestructible. The Annihilation Dao Seed would be powerless against it.”

“Cut to the third one already!”

“Ding. Third method—use your own Dao to accelerate the nurturing of the Enlightenment Tree. The Enlightenment Tree and the Annihilation Dao Seed represent life and death, opposing yet intertwined. Through the art of Yin-Yang creation, you may integrate both as dual poles of your Dao.”

In that moment, countless thoughts surged through Lu Ye’s mind.

He hadn’t expected that his spontaneous act of kindness—bringing back the Enlightenment Tree from the ancient battlefield—would prove so useful now.

Truth be told, the tree’s age was too young and its Dao too faint. Lu Ye had thought it useless, incapable of triggering enlightenment states.

In other words: it was junk.

But now... it had use again.

A sip, a bite—was it all destined?

No.

If he hadn’t chosen mercy in that moment, the Enlightenment Tree could’ve sat on his head and he still would’ve yanked it down without hesitation.

“Ding. Initiate enlightenment.”

The Enlightenment Tree glowed with a faint green light. Its Dao was weak, but full of vitality and endless potential.

The green light occupied Lu Ye’s right.

The Annihilation Dao Seed, wreathed in gray mist, hovered to his left.

The two forces collided—and the green light shattered instantly.

No matter.

The tree’s Dao was simply too weak right now.

He only needed to pour one strong Dao into the tree—and it would awaken.

But which Dao?

Lu Ye had too many. Sword Dao, Blade Dao, Fist Dao, Talisman Dao, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Formation Dao...

Any of them was first-class.

But could any of them truly stand toe to toe with the Annihilation Dao?

The Annihilation Heavenly Lord had been fierce enough to try dragging a Saint down while still only a Heavenly Lord.

Then—he had it.

Among all his Daos, one was perfect.

He didn’t use it anymore, and it was still powerful.

The Path of Protection.

In his past life, it had been Lu Ye’s strongest Dao. All others bowed before it—one Dao ruled supreme.

The Enlightenment Tree, sensing Lu Ye’s influx of that Dao, nearly danced with joy.

Holy hell—

What kind of Dao is this?!

Could... could it even withstand such power?

Could its tiny little body really endure something so massive?