Chapter 201 Betrayal
Traveling with The Fire Demon and his disciple, Ye Yang, journeyed for months until they reached a secluded mountain peak pulsating with potent yang energy.
Meanwhile, Elara's family had forged an alliance with righteous sects, launching a relentless hunt for the Fire Demon, his disciple, and Ye Yang.
They dispatched spies to track their movements, but the Fire Demon proved an elusive predator, swiftly eliminating every trace. This, however, did not deter their campaign of vilification.
Rumours spread like wildfire, painting the Fire Demon and his companions as monstrous villains who had committed unspeakable acts of violence against innocent women.
The righteous sects, eager to join the hunt, eagerly amplified these fabricated tales, bolstering the Nobel clan's influence and rallying support against the formidable Spirit Core Formation cultivator.
Meanwhile, on the secluded mountain peak, Ye Yang embarked on an arduous path of self-improvement. Under the tutelage of the Fire Demon, he underwent rigorous training, pushing his body and mind to their absolute limits.
The Fire Demon imparted his profound knowledge of yang energy, guiding Ye Yang through a series of challenging exercises.
First, Ye Yang mastered the "Extreme Yang Inhumane Art," a potent but inherently dangerous technique.
Next, he learned to control the flow of yang energy within himself and manipulate the surrounding environment, harnessing its power for both offense and defense.
Finally, the Fire Demon revealed his magnum opus: the "Solar Eclipse" cultivation technique.
This profound art, born from years of dedicated study and relentless experimentation, allowed cultivators to absorb and channel the raw, untamed power of the sun, forging bodies of unparalleled strength and resilience.
It took 14 days for Ye Yang to train his mind and body and another 14 days to learn the three techniques of the Fire Demon.
Seeing his progress, the Fire Demon smiled happily. "Well done, my disciple," he said. "You have not disappointed your master, but now is the final trial."
Ye Yang, confused, asked, "What final trial, Master?" He was eager to learn any ounce of technique from the Fire Demon that could help him take revenge on Elara and her family.
The Fire Demon smiled. "Well, before that," he said, producing a pill from his hand. "Take this. This will boost your yang energy, and then we'll start the last trial."
Ye Yang looked at the brownish pill in his master's hands. He took it, though suspicion lingered. The Fire Demon hadn't mentioned this before, but Ye Yang didn't have much choice in front of a Spirit Core Formation cultivator.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Furthermore, he was eager to clear the trial. He knew that he was already in a trial within a trial, and the thought that he might fail if he took too long worried him.
With that, he took the pill and closed his eyes to circulate the energy within his body. For a few seconds, nothing changed. However, as time passed, Ye Yang felt a surge of damp yang energy circulating within his body.
The Fire Demon spoke, "This pill contains the blood essence of a fire Kirlin. With this, you will feel a significant jump, not only in your yang energy but also in your cultivation."
"Now, I'm going to check the flow of yang energy in your body, so don't resist," he said, sitting in front of Ye Yang and placing his hand on Ye Yang's head.
Ye Yang felt a foreign energy, the Fire Demon's Qi, entering his body. He knew resisting would have a detrimental impact on his own cultivation, so he didn't resist and allowed the energy to flow freely within him.
He could feel a surge in yang energy within his body. With this influx, his cultivation skyrocketed, leaping from the Meridian Opening stage to Core Formation and then directly to the Spirit Cultivation stage, placing him just two levels below his master, the Fire Demon.
But just then his cultivation stopped at the late stage of Spirit Cultivation stage, he felt a severe pain on his head and with that a foreign thing entered his sea of consciousness.
The sudden surge of yang energy forced him into a trance, plunging him into his own sea of consciousness. This inner world was awash with abundant yang energy, but what truly shocked him was the presence of the Fire Demon in his soul form.
"HAHAHAHA!"
The Fire Demon's laughter echoed, menacing and cruel. "I didn't think it would be this easy, but in the end, I have achieved the thing I was preparing for decades."
Ye Yang looked at him with surprise and wary. "Master, what's the meaning of this?"
"Ye Yang," the Fire Demon spoke, "be a good disciple and hand over your body to me."
"HAHAHAHA!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
Ye Yang's anger surged. The memory of his wife's previous betrayal in his past life was still fresh in his mind, and now, even in this life, he had to face another betrayal.
"Is all the training, all the techniques, were just for this day?" he demanded, his tone changing as he no longer addressed the Fire Demon as 'master'. "Why do you want my body, Fire Demon?"
The Fire Demon stopped laughing and looked at Ye Yang. "Yes, it is. Why do you think I went through so much to become an enemy of the Nobel clan? It's all to possess a young body, to cross the tribulation and become immortal."
With that, energy surged in his hands as he prepared to attack Ye Yang.
The Fire Demon, his laughter now replaced by a chilling predatory gleam, unleashed a torrent of yang energy.
Ye Yang, enraged and heartbroken, met the attack with a ferocity he never knew he possessed.
The battle within his own sea of consciousness was a maelstrom of raw power, a clash of wills that shook the very foundations of his being.
Ye Yang, fuelled by a burning rage and the memory of his past betrayals, fought with a desperation that defied logic.
He unleashed the "Extreme Yang Inhumane Art," the "Solar Eclipse" technique, every move a desperate gamble, every strike a testament to his will to survive.
But the Fire Demon, a seasoned cultivator with decades of experience, proved a formidable opponent.
The battle raged on, the landscape of Ye Yang's sea of consciousness contorted and warped under the onslaught of their powers.
Mountains crumbled, rivers boiled, and the very air itself crackled with raw energy.
Ye Yang, his reserves dwindling, felt himself on the verge of collapse. The Fire Demon, sensing his weakness, pressed his advantage, his laughter echoing through the chaotic landscape.
"You are weak, boy!" the Fire Demon boomed, his voice laced with contempt. "Your spirit is fractured, your resolve wavering. You cannot defeat me!"
But Ye Yang refused to give in. He remembered the faces of his loved ones, the pain of betrayal, the weight of his past failures.
He would not allow himself to be consumed, not again. With a final, desperate surge of will, he channelled all his remaining energy into a single, devastating blow.
The clash of their powers was earth-shattering. The very fabric of Ye Yang's sea of consciousness began to unravel, the once vibrant world crumbling into nothingness.
Both combatants were thrown back, reeling from the impact. The Fire Demon, his face contorted in pain, coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Ye Yang, his body battered and his spirit on the verge of shattering, could barely hold on.
He knew he was losing. Just as the Fire Demon lunged for the final blow, a blinding light erupted from within Ye Yang's body. The light was so intense that it instantly incinerated both him and the Fire Demon.
Ye Yang felt a searing pain, then nothingness. When he regained consciousness, he found himself back in the bustling marketplace, the vibrant sounds and smells of the city assaulting his senses.
The competition of brave, the event that had triggered this entire chain of events, was yet to begin.
He sat down on a nearby bench, his mind reeling. Two lives, both ended in betrayal, both leaving him scarred and broken.
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"What went wrong?" he whispered to himself, his voice hoarse. "Did I make the wrong choices? Was I too trusting? Was I simply destined for this fate?"
He closed his eyes, trying to piece together the fragments of his past lives, searching for answers.
In his first life, Ye Yang experienced a devastating betrayal. His wife not only cheated on him but also, alarmingly, there was the possibility that she was involved in the plot to assassinate him. This profound betrayal left deep scars on his soul.
In his second life, determined to avoid a similar fate, Ye Yang chose a different path. Instead of pursuing a romantic relationship with Elara, he sought strength and knowledge from the Fire Demon, becoming his disciple.
However, history seemed to repeat itself. Despite his efforts to break free from the cycle of betrayal, Ye Yang ultimately discovered that the Fire Demon, his master, also intended to betray him.
The Fire Demon sought to possess Ye Yang's body, revealing a chilling ambition for power and a disregard for the trust their relationship was built upon.
This pattern of betrayal, both experienced and inflicted, highlights a recurring theme of broken trust and the destructive nature of unchecked ambition.
In the end, he died and found himself back at the precipice of a crucial decision. He was transported back to the very beginning, facing the same trial presented by the elder of the immortal sect.
The elder, observing the trial, spoke, "You have tasted the bitterness of betrayal, boy. Will you choose the path of vengeance, fuelled by anger and the thirst for power? Or will you choose the path of understanding, seeking to break the cycle of deceit that binds you?"
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