The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2394: Retribution of Sin (3)

A faint, cool breeze seemed to whisper through the air.

"You..." Ye Zhiyuan stammered, his voice laced with disbelief, "You... you didn't die?"

Mo Hua's gaze flickered towards him. "You're the one who's dead."

After departing Yanluo Mountain, he had made his way directly back to the Taixu Gate. As he neared this vicinity, a group of individuals was spotted from a distance. Initially, he sought to avoid any potential conflict and intended to skirt around them.

However, upon drawing closer, he recognized these figures as "familiar faces."

Xiaoxiao, Cheng Mo, and several Junior Brothers were present, including Situ.

It was only then that Mo Hua decided to approach and greet them.

Yet... their demeanor struck him as peculiar. Their eyes were red-rimmed, and they projected an aura of profound sadness.

A look of bewilderment crossed Mo Hua's face. "Why are your eyes red? Has something sorrowful occurred?"

This Mo Hua was truly infuriating!

Despicable and utterly contemptible!

His feigned innocence was clearly a mocking jest!

The sorrow they had felt was utterly wasted on such a person!

Embarrassment and anger warred within them, their faces flushing as fiercely as their eyes were red.

Conversely, the disciples of the Taixu Gate were filled with joy.

Their Junior Brother, thought lost, had returned! Relief washed over them, transforming their expressions into broad smiles as they curiously inquired:

"Junior Brother, where did you go just now?"

"Didn't I mention, I went to save someone..." Mo Hua lightly patted Yu Er's back, indicating the child he had rescued. "I told you not to worry about me and to return to the Sect ahead of time."

"Oh..."

It was only then that the memory surfaced; their Junior Brother had indeed said something to that effect.

And this child, whom their Junior Brother had saved, was someone they all recognized – "Yu Er," the young boy from the dining hall who always shared meals with Junior Brother.

"Junior Brother, you..."

Situ Jian began to voice a question but suddenly noticed Mo Hua's forehead darkening, his lips paling, and his entire body trembling subtly. This immediately filled Situ Jian with alarm:

"Junior Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Mo Hua's countenance shifted as he grasped the gravity of the situation.

Within the abyss, it felt as though a torrent of black, intensely malevolent Qi was descending from the heavens, pouring into his Heavenly Gate. Countless souls of the deceased and fierce ghosts, tethered to his transgressions, began to erode his Life Chart.

Before his very eyes, the darkness seemed to stretch endlessly, like the shadows of thousands of vengeful spirits blotting out the sky.

In his ears, the ceaseless roars and cries of the souls from the Nine Nether seemed to overwhelm him.

Soul transformation into malevolence; fierce specters demanding retribution.

A chilling coldness from the Nine Nether seeped deep into his very bones.

This was the consequence of his actions, the burden he must bear.

But he had taken too many lives, and this burden had become crushingly unbearable.

It was so heavy that Mo Hua struggled to draw breath, his entire being chilled, his exhales carrying the spectral, frigid wind of the Nine Nether.

A flicker of extreme agony crossed Mo Hua's face.

He abruptly seized Situ Jian's arm, a vise-like grip, his chest tightening, his breath growing shallow. Each word was wrung from him with desperate effort, yet he gritted his teeth, forcing out each syllable:

"Take me... and Yu Er... back to the Taixu Gate..."

Having spoken, Mo Hua could no longer withstand the onslaught of sins imprinted upon his Life Chart. His Divine Sense blurred, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

"Junior Brother!"

Situ Jian's expression contorted in panic, and the other Taixu Gate disciples were struck with profound fear.

The prodigies from the other sects looked on in shock, exchanging bewildered glances.

Linghu Xiao swiftly reached out to feel Mo Hua's arm. The mere touch sent a shiver through him; Mo Hua's hand felt like ice frozen for millennia, or like a frigid spring from the Nine Nether, radiating an intensely violent and sinister coldness. A light touch was enough to make Linghu Xiao tremble uncontrollably, the piercing, shrill cries of dead souls filling his ears.

"This is..."

Linghu Xiao's face turned ashen. He turned his head to see Mo Hua's forehead was as black as ink, tendrils of dark aura creeping across his pale cheeks. The evil Qi was so dense it seemed palpable.

"Yin Qi solidifying into ice, malevolent Qi transforming into flowing water..."

"What exactly... did Junior Brother do..."

The disciples of the Taixu Gate stared in stunned disbelief, unable to comprehend the scene before them. Then, without further hesitation, urgent voices arose:

"Quick, back to the Sect! We must seek Elder Master Xun's aid..."

"We have to save Junior Brother!"