Darkest Depths

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

A demon of destruction walked the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, dragging two black heavy swords against the ground. His eyes were bloodshot with anger and his tyrannical, heavy, pitch-black profound energy were a perfect example of his mental state. Every last footstep of his echoed across several kilometres like an earthquake.

Everything that got in his way... was absolutely slaughtered. Though, there were times where he would let himself get harmed without a care in the world before killing whatever dared injure him.

He aimlessly walked the realm, his terrifying profound energy pulsating across the entire God Realm of Absolute Beginning. The uncontrollable power he displayed... it was far beyond that of even peak Divine Masters. This power... could collapse Primal Chaos itself!

Only once his bloodlust was sated did the demon seemingly disappear.

~

Xiao Jiantian swept his hand across a Profound Imagery Stone, releasing several scenes. His entire body was covered in wounds... his robes were all tattered up... but he was not in the mind to care.

"Master... we should use a Profound Imagery Stone to keep these precious moments timeless!"

"Yeah... whatever, do what you want."

"Master... look, I've created fire! Hehe, it won't be long until I surpass you."

"Tch... keep dreaming. But... good work."

"So this is the full extent of Master's strength... it is so awe-inspiring."

The first time Qianye Ying'er used the fire element... the time she learned to use formations... the time she learned his first style... the first time they explored the God Realm of Absolute Beginning...

He recalled how he didn't really care at first but grew to adore her as his own...

Tears rolled down his eyes as his knees fell to the ground.

He is the strongest profound practitioner in Primal Chaos once again... yet he couldn't stop his world from breaking down before him. It all shattered like a heavy rock thrown against an ordinary mirror...

"... Why... what did I do wrong?"

He helplessly smashed his fist into the ground from sheer rage. Falling into an even deeper abyss, he collapsed onto the ground and turned to face the ceiling of his cultivation hall. His azure eyes were almost entirely covered by his strands of golden hair... but he did not care to fix it.

"I... want to... die..."

His most perfect disciple, the person he had taught to be an upright and righteous person for centuries. The beautiful, extremely talented, angel he had brought up to follow his own Master's ways and principles... in a way of redeeming himself for walking away from that path... turned out to be one of the most frightening devils of envy. If she wasn't the girl he had brought up... if she wasn't his disciple... if she wasn't his lover... if she wasn't related to him in any way...

She would've been the type of person he'd kill without thinking.

But how could he bear that thought?

"Nothing good... ever lasts for me..." Xiao Jiantian's azure eyes were hollow with tears slowly rolling down. No matter how hard he tried to control his feelings... he couldn't. "Is this... fate?"

"If so... fuck your dog shit blessing... I would've rather died in that hospital bed, free from all these curses!"

BANG.

This time Xiao Jiantian's punch was far more lethal, creating a crater in the middle of his cultivation hall. Even the darkening skies of the Brahma Monarch God Realm reacted, striking lightning at the roof of his cultivation hall. He closed his eyes and opened them back up again... wishing that it was just a nightmare.

'What am I even saying anymore...'

Xiao Jiantian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He wiped the tears from his eyes using his right arm sleeve and managed to stand up. Slowly but surely he turned to the entrance and left.

He teleported to his estate, found Huan Caiyi and grabbed her.

"What... is it now?"

He did not reply, instantly disappearing from the face of the Brahma Monarch God Realm.

~

Qianye Ying'er returned to the Brahma Monarch God Realm with her spirits at an all-time low. In this state, no one even dared to look at her... not even the Brahma Gods thought of approaching her. She entered his cultivation hall only to see its ground completely shattered.

Looking more closely, she found that there were some wet patches on the ground... tears. The Profound Imaginary Stones across the shelves to the side were also recently opened. She could feel his disappointment, his sorrow, his anger... and it made her hate herself.

The irony... oh, the irony. The woman she had attacked consequentially led to her descending onto Blue Pole Star and having two children, one of which would become her beloved's first wife. The woman she envied so much... was created from her own devious actions!

"Master... forgive me... I'll do anything... to get your... approval again..."

She crumbled onto the ground, right before the crater in the ground, tears flowing down her cheek.

~

Illusory Demon Realm.

Xiao Jiantian dropped Huan Caiyi at her palace rather indifferently before creating a bottle of wine and gulping the entire thing in one go.

"What happened at that Divine Realm Conference?" Huan Caiyi asked, her black eyes observing Xiao Jiantian's non-caring posture. He did not reply for several seconds, smashing the bottle in his hand against the wall and creating a new one.

"You don't seem in the right state of mind... maybe you should rest for a good while."

"Once upon a time..." Xiao Jiantian dropped to the ground, leaning his back against the wall as he sat down. Another tear fell down his eye as he drank another bottle. "There lived a saint..."

"..." Huan Caiyi wasn't exactly in the mood for a story. However, seeing him in such disarray, she felt inclined to stay for him.

"The number of men... no... people... I ever admired... you could count that on... one hand. Out of them all... he stands at the peak. His sword intent was so precise... so righteous. He was the kindest man I ever knew... and a true master of medicine. He could've been the Sword Master of his era... but he didn't want all that power... he didn't want to fight his own family for petty titles and positions... so he chose to be a medical saint instead."

"Li Chen... I... was a simple farmboy with no background whatsoever... I was... absolutely nothing. But... he chose me out of so many others to be his disciple... all because I worked harder than everyone else. He helped people for no reason whatsoever... he didn't even care about money or treasures... he just wanted the world... to be a better place. He was a true saint in this... accursed world."

"He told me... that I should only ever use my sword in self-defence... and to protect those who are close to me. Never use it to cause unnecessary violence... he said..."

Once the image of Qianye Ying'er came into view and the teachings he passed down... and how it all ended...

At that point, his eyes were like a waterfall of tears.

"To think that I... was his disciple..."

"I'm... a fucking... failure!!"

Xiao Jiantian's profound energy transformed into a pitch-black colour, suffocating the air around it. All of the pent up feelings he had hidden away were released all at once. He felt so defeated that nothing seemed to matter anymore... he was perfectly content if the sky collapsed on his head.

"He chose me because I was humble... hahaha... I'm the most arrogant... overbearing... tyrannical... piece of shit alive! He'd probably cry if he saw what I've become..."

"I tainted his name... by having such a bad disciple... by being such a bad disciple myself... but it's not his fault... it's not Ying'er's fault... it's all my fault..."

In this situation, Huan Caiyi knew that the only option was to find a way to comfort him... but she didn't know how to. In this frightening state of his... would he even accept a helping hand, in the first place?

"Why can't I... just die... and see her in Heaven?" Xiao Jiantian suddenly spoke again, his hollow azure eyes looking down at the ground. "Even if it's in Hell... any place with her is... Heaven to me."

"Calm down, everything will be alright... you still have so much to live for, you idiot!"

"You wouldn't understand my pain..." Xiao Jiantian sighed, his gaze becoming blurry. "Your greatest loss was your father and brother! Do you know... how many fathers and brothers I've lost? I've lost them more times than years you've lived!"

"..." Huan Caiyi grabbed her mirror and directed it to him, so that he could see his own miserable state. "Take a look at yourself... the strongest man in all of Primal Chaos, weeping on the ground like a spoiled brat who lost his favourite toy!"

"Shut the fuck up..." Xiao Jiantian's azure eyes lit up with killing intent. "How dare you compare... my Ying'er... to a toy... I'll burn down your whole fucking continent you bitch!"

"..."

"I..." Xiao Jiantian, realising what he had just said out of pure anger, felt even worse than before. "I'm... sorry..."

"What do you even want me to do for you?"

"... Nothing..."

"So you want me to watch you drink yourself to an early grave?"

"Haha... hahaha... you wouldn't want that, would you? You'd never get that perfect Golden Crow bloodline you want so badly..."

"Out of all the men I've met... I hate you the most by far!" Huan Caiyi kicked him in the face, though her kick did absolutely no damage to him.

"Kick me... again..."

"I won't."

"You're... a terrible maid... you know that?" Xiao Jiantian got to his feet and grabbed hold of Huan Caiyi by her arm. In an instant, he pushed her onto her own bed. Within a few brute-like manoeuvres, he ripped her robes to shreds and breathed onto her flustered face. "This is... what you wanted, isn't it?"

"You're not... Xiao Jiantian... you're something... else."

Xiao Jiantian backed away, his azure eyes still lacking colour.

"Hahaha... it's the same thing either way, isn't it? If you want... I'll let you do anything you want to me. You can be free from being my maid two years early and come out with the purest Golden Crow bloodline just like that..."

"No... not like this."

"Why not? You'd get exactly what you wanted from me..."

"Because... you're not the man... this empress fell in love with..."

"... Haha... hahaha."

Huan Caiyi bit her lip as she looked up at Xiao Jiantian's mysterious eyes. Behind those eyes were so many emotions that she couldn't tell which one was the most prominent.

"Fell in love with... me?" Xiao Jiantian laughed, leaving her bed and standing on his two feet. "You fell in love with the outer shell; the mighty and handsome King who had absolutely no weaknesses... not the real me."

"No... that wasn't it..." Huan Caiyi denied. "It wasn't your strength... it was your compassion. You helped almost every person you came across, even if you acted like you didn't really care. The few days that I spent with you... I saw a peaceful, carefree and light-hearted man... something this empress envied. You even taught me how to enjoy the smallest things in life, something just as insignificant as watching the sun set, fishing and feeling accomplished from cooking..."

"..." Xiao Jiantian stood still for several seconds, not knowing how to react.

"Do you... share any of the feelings I have for you?"

"..." Xiao Jiantian felt guilt sink into his disorientated heart. In truth, he hadn't considered her any more than a maid. Then again, he didn't want to hurt her further having heard such a heartfelt confession. "I... don't know..."

Xiao Jiantian collapsed on her bed, his body finally giving in to his mental exhaustion.

"..."

Huan Caiyi placed his head against her lap, wiping the tears away from his face.

"... I don't care about the Golden Crow's inheritance anymore... I just... want to see you be yourself again..."

~

Afterwards, the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region was contacted from which Xuanyuan Wentian came over to pick up Xiao Jiantian.

"I'm sure his wife would do a better job at comforting him..." Huan Caiyi stated as she looked up at Xuanyuan Wentian's worried expression.

"What... happened to my uncle?"

"I wasn't there... but it seems to be something drastic. Related to that Qianye Ying'er, probably..."

"The golden-haired goddess?"

"Yes... her."

Xuanyuan Wentian sighed, grabbing Xiao Jiantian and carrying him across his arms. He looked at the swelling around his eyes and puffed-up face... both symptoms of crying.

"I'll be sure to deliver him to Lady Xia." Xuanyuan Wentian nodded dutifully. "Thank you for calling me... I thought that the relationship between the Illusory Demon Realm and Profound Sky Continent was irreparable after what the disbanded Sacred Grounds did."

"You have one man to thank for that... your Divine Sword Master."

"Heh... he is the best diplomat I ever knew." Xuanyuan Wentian ascended slightly, preparing to take flight.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Not at all... my uncle always finds a way around things."

~

"Lady Xia... my uncle has returned. Though, he seems worse for wear at the moment..." Xuanyuan Wentian approached Xia Qingyue, who was sitting in Xiao Jiantian's palace.

"What... happened?" Xia Qingyue grabbed hold of Xiao Jiantian in his unconscious state. Seeing him fast asleep wasn't an unordinary thing... the thing that caught her eye was his face and golden hair.

"I don't know exactly...-"

"That golden-haired woman... hmph, why, of course. He must've found out her true nature." Xia Qingyue shook her head. "Though, to react to this extent... she must've meant the world to him."

"Thank you, Sword Master Xuanyuan, I will take care of him from now on."

"Alright, I'll leave him in your capable hands."

...

"This is my... Zhi?" Feng Xue'er asked as she saw a man sleeping on Xia Qingyue's bed.

"Yes, this is Xiao Jiantian..."

"What made him like this...?"

"That doesn't matter now... he-"

Suddenly, Xiao Jiantian's eyes slowly opened. He raised himself slightly before falling into Xia Qingyue.

"... What happened to you?"

"... I fought a dragon... and got my ass beat, hahaha." Xiao Jiantian chuckled slightly as he rested his head in Xia Qingyue's chest. "Cried about it all night..."

"You wouldn't cry over a mere defeat, would you? The Jiantian I know would be far too eager for a rematch..."

"... You know me too well..." Xiao Jiantian smiled a little.

"It was Qianye Ying'er, wasn't it?"

"..." Xiao Jiantian's expression weakened the instant that name came up. "That... was my fault."

"Every time that name comes up, you take all the responsibility behind her actions. She is a mature woman many times older than myself... she can take the responsibilities that come with her own actions. No, it's not that she can... it's that she should. You spoil her far too much..."

"I just... feel so lost..." Xiao Jiantian sighed, lowering his head. "Qingyue... stay with me..."

"I told you before, didn't I...?" Xia Qingyue said as she kept Xiao Jiantian's head tucked in her breasts. "You don't have to be alone anymore... I'll always be with you from now on until the end. No matter who betrays your trust, no matter who becomes your enemy, no matter what you do... I'll always be by your side."

"To me, I don't even care if you didn't find my mother... all I care is that you've come back to me."

"I... settled that matter with the Moon God Emperor... you don't have to worry anymore. I always keep my promises." Xiao Jiantian replied in turn, smiling a little.

"You... did?"

"Mn... she'll be back home soon." Xiao Jiantian closed his eyes, confirming what he had said. "Everything will be fine now. I'm the strongest so no one will dear disrupt the peace of Blue Pole Star..."

"But there's still sorrow deep in your heart." Xia Qingyue replied, almost seeing right through him with her Heart of Snow Glazed Glass.

"..."

"I... don't know how to inform you about this." After seeing him silent once more, she turned to Feng Xue'er who seemed rather intimidated by Xiao Jiantian's presence. "Your very first wife...she reincarnated as well."

"... What did you say?" Xiao Jiantian's eyes instantly burst open. "Where is she? You wouldn't lie to me now, would you... Qingyue?"

"She reincarnated into the body of the Divine Phoenix Empire's first princess; Feng Xue'er..."

Xiao Jiantian turned to Feng Xue'er who hadn't spoken a word so far since he had awoken.

"What was the name of the sect I served?"

"The Divine Sword Sect."

"Is that really necessary?" Xia Qingyue asked but Xiao Jiantian continued.

"Who was my closest ally and friend; to the point where we called each other sworn brothers?"

"Lian Tao." Feng Xue'er answered once more and rather swiftly at that.

"... Where did we first kiss?"

"In my courtyard... under the beautiful veil of white snow."

"... It can't be..." Xiao Jiantian almost instinctively embraced her, holding Feng Xue'er tight... wishing that she'd never leave him again. His eyes started to glow with life and his broken heart started to mend itself. "Mei... I can't believe it... fate... has brought us together again!"

"Zhi... you little crybaby." Feng Xue'er cried tears of joy as well, embracing Xiao Jiantian. "Nothing will separate us again."

"This time... even if the entire world is against us... I will shield you from all harm." Xiao Jiantian promised with all his heart. "Mei... I'm strong enough to protect you this time... from everything."

"Hey, don't forget about me..." Xia Qingyue huffed a little, embracing Xiao Jiantian from the back and pressing her breasts against his back.

"Haha... the two loves of my life together... I-"

As he thought of Qianye Ying'er, it still hurt more than a thousand swords through his chest but he suppressed her to the back of his mind. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to enjoy this moment.

"I couldn't be any happier..."