Trees, but the trees had long withered, with petals scattered all over the ground.
This was precisely the remains of the ancient god, the Candle Dragon.
What appeared before Yu Yi was a scene identical to her surroundings. In the deepest part of the River of Forgetfulness, within the Nether Capital, there were also hills full of cherry blossom trees.
Amidst the fallen cherry blossom petals, a set of enormous bones lay in eternal slumber.
The Rot Qi was emanating from these colossal bones. Each massive bone was sealed by several long chains.
And when she lifted her gaze, she saw a petite figure suspended high in the air, bound by countless chains.
That was Zi Kui.
To be precise, it was Zi Kui’s physical body.
The Zi Kui who had appeared earlier in the River of Forgetfulness was merely her spirit form.
The real Zi Kui, serving as the final seal to suppress the Candle Dragon’s resentment, was locked within this endless Nether Capital.
Seeing her like this, how could Yu Yi’s heart not ache?
Yu Yi then noticed that several of the chains sealing the Candle Dragon were beginning to crack and break. Its bones were also gradually regenerating flesh, starting from the head, as if it were reviving in an unstoppable manner.
The Rot Qi was both born from it and its source of energy.
It absorbed the life force of living beings in the Yang Realm to aid the Candle Dragon’s revival.
A vast amount of Rot Qi had accumulated here, but because Zi Kui had deliberately let in a large number of other evil spirits and malevolent entities, they had consumed a portion of the energy that should have been absorbed by the Candle Dragon, weakening its power and making it difficult to break the seals.
However, when those men in black used the Green Soul Lamp to absorb the countless wandering souls and evil spirits here, the Candle Dragon’s remains began to absorb energy freely, breaking several seals in an instant.
If even Zi Kui—the final seal—were to be broken, the ancient god who had slept for thousands of years would awaken, and Zi Kui would vanish into nothing!
Yu Yi naturally could not let that happen.
With an unyielding will, she directly crossed the Yang Realm and manifested an avatar in the Nether Capital, facing the ancient god Candle Dragon head-on.
Though called a dragon, the Candle Dragon was actually a giant snake with a human face and a red body.
Its face was ferocious, and its eyes blazed like torches as it stared at Yu Yi, the uninvited outsider.
Just then, Yu Yi spoke softly, asking a question:
“Don’t you recognize this face of mine?”
This was not Yu Yi’s first time facing the Candle Dragon.
Long ago, during the previous rampage of the River of Forgetfulness, the Original Host had come here to help Zi Kui reseal and suppress the Candle Dragon.
Back then, the Candle Dragon hadn’t even recovered a shred of flesh. Now, with its entire head revived, it looked at Yu Yi with eyes full of anger and hatred. It roared repeatedly while breaking several more chain seals.
Yu Yi ignored the Candle Dragon’s fury and instead went to Zi Kui’s side, who served as the final seal with her physical body.
“Kui’er…”
Yu Yi’s eyes were full of anguish. She couldn’t help but reach out and stroke Zi Kui’s hair.
In that moment of contact, Yu Yi felt as if she had become spiritually connected with Zi Kui!
And Zi Kui’s voice entered Yu Yi’s mind.
“Master, you’ve finally come.”
Zi Kui’s voice was as calm as still water, yet it seemed like a gentle breeze rippling across the surface, stirring a slight wave:
“Kui’er… has missed you so much…”
At that moment, the oath they had sworn in the past surfaced in Yu Yi’s mind.
Before parting with Zi Kui at the River of Forgetfulness, Yu Yi had said to her:
“One day, your master will personally come to take you home.”
Back then, Yu Yi was still just a Grandmaster proficient in many techniques, far from reaching the Martial Emperor Realm.
This meant there were many things she could not do.
For instance, resolving the perpetual winter in Cangzhou, or granting rest to the Candle Dragon, tormented and plagued by resentment.
When the Original Host last came to the Nether Capital, she only helped Zi Kui reseal and suppress the Candle Dragon.
Seals are always broken in the end.
Though the Candle Dragon had finally waited for that day, unfortunately, it also encountered Yu Yi—who had broken through to the Martial Emperor Realm, “recovered” all the “forgotten” techniques, and had become a fully realized being.
What Yu Yi had “retrieved” from her other six disciples were the elemental techniques she had once taught them.
But Zi Kui was a special case.
Yu Yi never taught her anything, except by enhancing her strength directly through Dual Cultivation.
Because Zi Kui was born in command of the Extreme Yin Qi; she was half-human, half-ghost.
Seeing Zi Kui now, what surfaced in Yu Yi’s mind was the way to “use” her.
“Kui’er, your master has come to take you home…”
Yu Yi caressed Zi Kui’s cheek, her eyes full of tenderness.
Zi Kui had been waiting for Yu Yi to take her home.
But before Yu Yi’s cultivation broke through to the Martial Emperor Realm, Zi Kui’s physical body had been “imprisoned” here, unable to leave.
That was why she had created two ghost children to wander the Yang Realm, searching for suitable “eyes” to see Yu Yi.
She could have spoken to Yu Yi, but she was afraid that once she started talking, the boundless longing in her heart would surge out like a flood.
If that happened, she would lose focus, weakening the seal on the Candle Dragon.
If the Candle Dragon broke the seal, then Zi Kui would perish before Yu Yi could come for her.
She dared not take that risk, so she endured in silence.
But now, Zi Kui could afford to be distracted freely.
Because Yu Yi had come to take her home.
The moment Zi Kui “relaxed,” the Candle Dragon’s bones erupted with astonishing power, instantly breaking through most of the remaining chain seals!
Just as the Candle Dragon was about to break through Zi Kui’s final seal, Yu Yi took a deep breath and asked Zi Kui:
“Kui’er, before we go home, I need to impose on you one last time.”
Zi Kui had already prepared herself mentally.
“Kui’er is willing to become Master’s blade.”
She answered.
The next instant, Zi Kui, half-human and half-ghost, temporarily shed her human identity.
Her petite body, bound by chains, dissolved into a ghostly form, transforming into the Extreme Yin Qi. In Yu Yi’s hand, it condensed into that forty-meter-long, deep purple ghost blade.
Zi Kui’s temporary dissolution meant that she had voluntarily removed the final seal.
The Candle Dragon easily broke through all the seals. The vast Rot Qi provided it with energy, rapidly regenerating its flesh, and it directed all its hatred and resentment toward Yu Yi.
“For thousands of years… humans worshipped me as a god, yet brought me pain. Now, humans foolishly wish to annihilate me completely…”
The Candle Dragon’s voice, filled with resentment and fury, shook the entire Nether Capital:
“Humans… truly arrogant and conceited creatures!!!”
Yu Yi held the ghost blade, suspended high in the air.
The soul of Zi Kui resided within the ghost blade, making its power even greater.
Looking at the furious Candle Dragon, a flicker of sympathy appeared in Yu Yi’s eyes.
“Poor big fellow. For you, true rest is the ultimate release.”
The moment the Candle Dragon charged at Yu Yi, she raised the ghost blade in a backhand grip, then brought it down heavily!
A thunderous roar shook heaven and earth as the ghost blade clashed head-on with the Candle Dragon’s solid scales. The resulting shockwave seemed as if it would destroy the entire Nether Capital.
Yu Yi could feel Zi Kui giving her all.
The deep purple aura of the ghost blade grew stronger and stronger, gradually piercing through the Candle Dragon’s scales!
Empowered by Yu Yi’s Martial Emperor strength, a pained and unwilling cry rang out.
The blade broke through the Candle Dragon’s scales and pierced straight through its head!
That single strike was enough to shatter its divine soul!
As the Candle Dragon fell completely, the resentment it had carried for thousands of years dissipated along with it.
The howling in its mouth turned into a long sigh, as if it had finally found release and could now rest in peace.
At that moment, the ghost blade in Yu Yi’s hand vanished.
Just as Yu Yi was anxiously searching for Zi Kui,
the murky Rot Qi that had shrouded the entire Nether Capital gradually dissipated.
The Nether Capital’s environment returned to its original state.
Compared to the bright, clear light of the Yang Realm, the deep, twilight-like cool tones here had a unique beauty, intoxicating to behold.
The withered cherry blossom trees on the hills slowly came into full bloom.
Cherry blossom petals in a lilac-purple hue drifted down from the sky, landing on the head of the petite little girl crouched beneath a tree.
When Yu Yi saw her, she smiled gently.
Yu Yi walked slowly over to her, bent down, and extended her large hand.
Zi Kui instinctively reached out.
But before her hand could touch Yu Yi’s, she suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped.
Could she really leave this place?
Zi Kui turned her head to look behind her.
The next instant, sparkling points of light shone in her amethyst-like eyes.
Behind Zi Kui, beneath the cherry blossom trees covering the hills, the village that had once stood there had returned.
Besides the souls of the villagers who had passed away, countless other souls stood there, each with a smile on their face, waving goodbye to Zi Kui.
They were grateful to Zi Kui for finally giving so many lost wandering souls a home.
Even more, they were grateful for her care and protection over so many years.
They wanted to tell Zi Kui that she no longer had to watch over them so carefully every moment.
Zi Kui’s heart was moved.
She looked again at Yu Yi, who was still holding out her hand, waiting for her response.
“Kui’er, we’re going home.”
Her trembling little hand finally touched those warm, large hands she had been waiting for so long.
“Master…”
For the first time, a smile that was not so stiff appeared on her expressionless little face—a happy one:
“Kui’er… is home.”