Chapter 168: A Day in the Life of Vermilion Bird

A column of radiant green light shot straight into the sky.

The Enlightenment Tree surged in growth like it had been injected with growth hormones. What had once been a small tree only six or seven meters tall now expanded madly—

Ten meters!

Twenty!

Thirty!

Fifty!

One hundred!

A towering sky-piercing tree took shape as Lu Ye infused it with the Path of Protection.

The sky was dyed in green light, bathing Lu Ye entirely in shimmering emerald hue.

Sensing danger, the Annihilation Dao Seed also erupted in power.

Endless gray light burst outward.

The two colors—green and gray—shone in fierce opposition.

At this moment, two illusory figures manifested above Lu Ye’s head.

One figure was tall and awe-inspiring, with flowing black hair and eyes full of determination and divine radiance. Just by standing calmly, he exuded an aura capable of suppressing all eternity.

The other figure was shrouded in gray mist, radiating the terror of ultimate destruction and annihilation, capable of reversing heaven and earth, obliterating all things.

It was a clash between Lu Ye at his peak... and the Annihilation Heavenly Lord at his peak.

“A mere Heavenly Lord, and yet your Dao has reached such heights?” the Annihilation Heavenly Lord spoke.

This Dao... could rival even that of a Saint.

“You’re no different,” Lu Ye replied.

“I am not your equal.”

The Annihilation Heavenly Lord’s tone carried a trace of solemnity.

He had seen through what Lu Ye was doing. Such an overwhelmingly powerful Dao, one that led straight to Sainthood—and Lu Ye was simply... giving it up?

What a staggering resolve.

“But I won’t admit defeat.”

“I dared to annihilate a Saint. I may lack your grandeur, but my ambition is boundless!”

“Then let’s fight.”

“Fight!”

Boom!

Green and gray light collided in a frenzied spiral—two supreme Daos, just beneath Sainthood, clashing with all their might.

Lu Ye seized the moment. Behind him, a Taiji diagram began to rotate slowly.

The rotation was sluggish—but slivers of energy steadily flowed into the black-and-white Taiji diagram.

Countless spirit stones shattered.

Spiritual energy surged into Lu Ye’s body.

His cultivation began to soar.

...

“No sign of her? Vermilion Bird’s trail is completely gone?” Jiang Die received feedback from the Celestial Secrets Pavilion.

Neither the First nor Second Heaven held any trace of Vermilion Bird.

Either she had perished—

Or... she was with Lu Ye.

The latter was highly unlikely.

The entire battle between Lu Ye and the Myriad Spirit Demon Emperor had been recorded. Jiang Die read it over carefully.

Cycle of Obsession...

At first, the cycle’s eruption had plunged all foreign races into agony.

Then, their pain disappeared.

After that—an unprecedented torrent of obsession burst forth, ripping apart every soul parasitized by the Myriad Spirit Demon Emperor in one go.

Jiang Die’s gaze locked onto the four characters: “pain disappeared.”

At that moment, she was finally certain.

Vermilion Bird... was dead.

The Cycle of Obsession had been her doing, paired precisely with the Yin-Yang Devouring Dao Gu.

One could imagine—under the impact of the Cycle, how violently Lu Ye’s Dao had collapsed, how ecstatically the Gu had devoured.

But unfortunately... Lu Ye had been too decisive.

Before any of the poisons could fully take effect, Lu Ye had self-detonated.

Had he waited, had he endured until each and every poison burst out one by one—

Jiang Die trembled with excitement just thinking about it...

How exhilarating that scene would’ve been!

But the world holds no room for "what-ifs."

“Vermilion Bird is dead.”

Jiang Die delivered the news to the four women.

Chu Ling had already awakened.

All four froze.

Only one phrase echoed in their minds—

“Vermilion Bird is dead.”

“Vermilion Bird is dead!”

“Vermilion Bird is DEAD!”

...

Vermilion Bird was indeed dead.

Her soul had become an obsession, anchored at the deepest point of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The Reincarnation Heavenly Lord watched her—yet made no move to alter her fate.

He found her... rather interesting.

Those trapped in obsession suffered endless torment every day, forced to relive their most painful memories.

Day after day. Year after year.

Vermilion Bird’s obsession was no exception to this rule.

She existed within her memories—but those memories... had changed.

Let’s look at a single day.

In the morning, Vermilion Bird found herself in the battlefield of the Heaven's Chosen—torn apart by countless young beasts.

Every monster treated her as a mortal enemy.

By late morning, she watched herself gather cultivation resources for White Flame Spirit. Her demeanor was gentle—she cared for White Flame as one would raise a child.

Yet White Flame’s eyes were always cold, mocking, fixed on her back. That gaze never softened—but Vermilion Bird had never noticed, continuing to treat her with kindness.

In the afternoon, Lu Ye self-detonated to save her.

And how did she treat him?

With cold eyes. With sneers and ridicule.

The joy and pride in Lu Ye’s eyes had gradually turned into heartbreak and sorrow. He stared at her blankly—disbelieving.

The pain in Lu Ye’s heart had become her pain now.

At night, Lu Ye struck her down again and again.

Did it hurt? Was she afraid?

It wasn’t until she experienced true death that Vermilion Bird finally understood what lay between life and death—what true terror meant.

Every living being craves survival.

When death approaches, that instinct explodes—desperately crying to live on.

She was terrified.

Utterly terrified.

Only by living it could she truly understand it.

And Lu Ye?

To save her, he chose to die with the parasitic demon.

Did he not fear death?

Did it not hurt?

Lu Ye’s answer had been—no. He didn’t fear, didn’t hurt.

Because to him, she was more important than his own life. To save her, he faced death unflinchingly. For her sake, even the pain of dying could not disturb him in the slightest.

But now...

He regretted it.

He regretted falling in love with her. Regretted risking his life to save her. Regretted everything they had shared.

Because all she’d brought him was pain.

Pain.

Unbearable pain. Intolerable remorse.

And it consumed Vermilion Bird’s consciousness, again and again.

She would endure this torment, who knew how many times...

This... was a day in the life of Vermilion Bird.

Those trapped in obsession—rejected by reincarnation, and denied rest in true spirit form.

...

Green and gray light continued to clash and twist in the skies.

Lu Ye’s battle with the Annihilation Heavenly Lord had reached a white-hot intensity.

“Your protection has already cracked—why are you still so strong?” the Annihilation Heavenly Lord cried out in disbelief.

But Lu Ye didn’t find it strange at all.

To protect—he’d cultivated countless Daos, countless techniques, built up endless trump cards, grown strong.

Wasn’t that normal?

He cultivated the Fist Dao, the Sword Dao, the Path of Slaughter...

All for [N O V E L I G H T] the sake of protection.

What was unreasonable about that?

The Annihilation Heavenly Lord could also cultivate auxiliary Daos for the sake of annihilation.

If he cultivated a Sword Dao that could shatter worlds with a single strike—wasn’t that still annihilation?

Surely... no one would really pour everything into a single Dao until exhaustion, right?

At least, Lu Ye didn’t think training multiple Daos was a burden.

And now, as the Annihilation Heavenly Lord poured his full strength into annihilating this Protection Dao—yet still failed—

It only proved one thing:

In his past life, Lu Ye had definitely surpassed the Annihilation Heavenly Lord.

The only fate awaiting the Annihilation Dao Seed... was to be devoured!

Lu Ye’s power surged wildly.

True Lord Realm, Third Layer!

True Lord Realm, Fourth!

True Lord Realm, Fifth!

The Enlightenment Tree madly absorbed the Path of Protection.

Ahh~ this feels sooo good~

I’m totally gonna grow up~