However, he overlooked one point at the time: inner demons should be caused by past events. If Han Tao had never come to the Mermaid Domain, why would he have inner demons related to the Three Lives Stone?
Or perhaps, since this was clearly something he did in this time and space, why would he assume it was his own inner demon?
There is only one answer.
That means he had been here, he knew what he had done, and he knew it wasn't his inner demon.
Realizing this clearly, Fu Mingxu involuntarily took two steps back, only recovering his senses after the scene on the Three Lives Stone ended.
After the anger and disappointment, there was a deep sense of heartache.
After his time travel, it became clear that Han Tao, for reasons unknown, also knew everything that had happened in this timeline. Bound by the laws of Heaven, he could not speak of any of this.
Therefore, he knew he would become possessed by a demon.
But he desperately resisted everything that fate was about to bring, remaining clear-headed and cautiously on guard.
Tears welled up in Fu Mingxu's eyes as he harbored deep resentment towards the person behind the scenes who remained unseen.
Why is it that everyone is controlling all of this?
Why did the world that Immortal Lord Siyang risked his entire cultivation to protect, the world they only wanted to stay in peace, end up in a state of utter devastation?
Fu Mingxu was unaware of this, but a very bold idea came to mind.
“Come here.” He turned and called out to a shadowy spot, “Han Tao, I know you’re following me.”
A moment after he finished speaking, Han Tao's tall figure slowly walked out from the direction he was looking.
The two stood facing each other. Fu Mingxu reached out his hand to him, his smile as bright as a plum blossom blooming in winter.
"Do you want to make a promise with me for three lifetimes?"
He asked this question.
Chapter 92
A light blue ribbon and dark hair hung smoothly down his back. He looked up at himself, his reflection shimmering in his dark pupils.
Beside the Three Lives Stone, he openly and frankly invited me to make a three-life promise, his expression carrying an air of natural intimacy.
Since his appearance, everything that happened between them felt like a dream to Han Tao. It was as if he already knew all of Han Tao's longings day and night, and was even willing to tolerate his delusions.
It all seems so unreal, yet so tempting to indulge in.
Han Tao thought, whatever if the world collapses, what can happen then? He would stay with Fu Mingxu and hide in front of the Three Lives Stone to live and die together.
But when Fu Mingxu pulled his blood over and dripped it onto the Three Lives Stone, the stone that had once caused him to collapse was now emitting a faint red light, he suddenly pulled his hand back.
Fu Mingxu was stunned by this sudden turn of events. The blood that had fallen on the stone surface had not yet had time to congeal before it flowed down.
"You're unwilling?" Fu Mingxu was a little anxious; this was the last resort he could think of.
He wanted to use a three-life vow to bring Han Tao's soul back to this time and space.
He had made up his mind. Even if his soul fell into the demonic path, he could first place his soul in the Dragon and Phoenix Realm and put it into the void, and then think of another way.
Han Tao, adorned with demonic markings, remained silent, his lips pursed. Fu Mingxu stomped his foot in anger and said in a fit of rage, "You made a promise with me for three lifetimes, and I will take your soul to a safe place."
"Isn't it good? Why don't you want to?"
Of course it would be great, he would certainly like to, but he can't.
He was willing to live and die with Fu Mingxu, but he couldn't bear to let Fu Mingxu live and die with him.
The Cangling Continent is doomed to destruction; only his death can force the mastermind behind it all to back down. Yet, even in death, he longs to find a glimmer of hope for Fu Mingxu.
He knew that within this vast Dao, there was more than one Cangling Continent.
Noticing the change in his expression, Fu Mingxu tentatively asked, "Do you know who caused all this?"
He thought Han Tao wouldn't speak, but to his surprise, he nodded.
He didn't speak directly, as if afraid of waking something, and instead stretched out his finger to write in Fu Mingxu's palm.
The rough fingertips provided an exceptionally clear sensation, and Fu Mingxu could clearly feel the characters forming in his palm. But it was precisely this clarity that made him feel a sense of despair.
"The Upper Realm".
He wrote those two words.
The Upper Realm, also known as the Immortal Realm, is the place that countless cultivators from the Lower Realm aspire to ascend to.
With these two words, many mysteries in Fu Mingxu's mind suddenly became clear.
He understood why Han Tao didn't remember the mastermind after the time rewind.
The upper and lower realms are inherently separated by laws. Even if time were to rewind, the power of the laws between the realms would make him forget everything about the upper realm.
Even if Fu Mingxu were to return now, the two words Han Tao wrote in his palm today would be erased from his memory by the power of the laws.
At that moment, he understood what it meant to be powerless against fate.
"Don't bite yourself." Han Tao's fingertips suddenly landed on his lips, gently pushing them apart.
After Fu Mingxu released his grip, he could already taste the faint metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
“Why would they do this to you?” he asked. “And how do you know?”
Han Tao's fingertips were reluctant to leave, so the two drew even closer. "I don't know about the former, but the latter became too obvious in the later stages."
From the demonic seed within him to everything that happened on the Cangling Continent afterward, Han Tao meticulously unraveled the mystery and arrived at this chilling conclusion.
There are limitations between realms, and naturally, there are levels as well. This is a manifestation of the strength of the laws. Otherwise, cultivators here wouldn't need to cultivate to the peak of their own realm before they can ascend, break through the limitations, and go to a wider world.
Fu Mingxu understood why Han Tao always seemed to let things develop as they pleased; because as long as he was on the Cangling Continent, he had nowhere to escape.
For a moment, he felt even more confused.
If that's the case, what's the point of everything they've done? Why did Si Yang Xianjun say he could find a way to stop Han Tao from becoming a demon in this time and space?
Even though Han Tao here has already fallen into demonic possession, the conspiracy in another dimension continues.
He stood there blankly until a cool sensation touched his lips and he met those eyes shrouded in demonic energy, then he came to his senses.
Han Tao kissed away the tears that lingered in the corners of his eyes, his rough fingertips cupping his chin, his waist held tightly in his hand.
He was held very tightly, so tightly that it felt as if his flesh and blood were about to be embedded into the other's body.
"You shed tears for me, didn't you?" The coldness on Han Tao's face disappeared, replaced by a familiar, gentle smile.
With a turn of his body, Fu Mingxu was pinned against the Three Lives Stone.
Cool lips lingered on the moist surface until their breaths became hot and intertwined, leaving Fu Mingxu feeling dizzy.
Han Tao was too hot, and his eagerness to get to work made him restless. He didn't even notice the pure gold that had entered his mind.
This was the last glimmer of clarity in Han Tao's mind.
As he had expected, Fu Mingxu's sea of consciousness opened automatically upon contact with his aura, as if his own soul had already visited countless times.
Fu Mingxu was breathless from the kiss, and the slight strangeness he had just felt was suppressed by the burning breath. He could only futilely clutch the collar of his black shirt.
The golden light shot straight into the sea of consciousness, eventually transforming into an almost transparent figure.
With black hair and golden eyes, and a pure aura, he resembled Han Tao before he became a demon.
Their souls merged in an instant. Fu Mingxu's eyes snapped open, and tears welled up, clinging to his eyelashes more alluring than the glistening dew of the morning.
The two had shared a soul connection before, but none had felt as intense as this time. That pure yet fragile soul, like a ferocious beast clinging to the most delicious food, fiercely sought to leave its memory on the soul of its beloved with a death-defying intensity.
And naturally, I acquired memories that came out of my own hands.
The sky over the East China Sea remained dark, but before long, thin flashes of lightning appeared in the thick clouds. A careful observer would notice that as time passed, the lightning grew brighter and thicker, accompanied by faint rumbles of thunder.
Si Yang stood alone on the Star-Picking Platform, her long, white sleeves fluttering in the wind.
Just now, he could no longer divine any secrets of heaven.
He knew that the secrets of heaven would not disappear; there must be a pair of hands holding down the laws of heaven here, preventing any changes at the last moment.
He felt a pang of regret, regretting not intervening when he had calculated a sliver of the secrets of the Cangling Continent.
But deep within his soul, a voice told him that he was doing the right thing.
Thick flashes of lightning continued to appear, bringing astonishing light to the Cangling Continent, which had been shrouded in darkness for many days. The thunder rumbled intensified, and torrential rain pounded relentlessly against the earth, as if the heavens were raging.
Si Yang looked up at the sky with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed.
As the sect disciples arrived in panic, a thunderous roar suddenly exploded.
He took two steps, then suddenly turned back, pulled out a long sword stuck in the Star-Picking Platform, and the sword hummed as if it wanted to tell something.
...
When Fu Mingxu woke up by the Three Lives Stone, he was exhausted, as if his yang energy had been drained by ghosts.
However, his spiritual power, uniquely abundant after the fusion of spiritual souls, showed no abnormalities except for fatigue.
He helped himself up from the Three Lives Stone, rubbing his temples. "Why do I feel like I've forgotten something?"
I thought about it for a long time but couldn't remember. In the end, I just assumed it was a side effect of the excessive fusion of our souls.
What about Hantao?
Fu Mingxu looked around and realized that Han Tao was nowhere to be seen. He assumed that Han Tao had gone out to do something, so in case Han Tao got anxious if he couldn't find him, he simply waited where he was.
But after waiting for a long time and feeling time slipping away bit by bit, it still didn't come.
Fu Mingxu's heart skipped a beat. He felt like he had overlooked something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
This feeling was unpleasant; he desperately wanted to see Han Tao.
As he reached the exit, a gentle force bounced him back.
Unconvinced, Fu Mingxu tried again from a different angle, but a quarter of an hour later, he was still gently bounced back.
The force that was blocking him was not aggressive at all; it simply wanted to prevent him from leaving the area.
Chaotic energy condensed at his fingertips. Fu Mingxu flicked his wrist, and when the chaotic energy hit the transparent barrier, a wisp of golden light flashed.
Fu Mingxu was certain that this was Han Tao's doing.
He couldn't help but feel a surge of panic, especially when he faintly heard thunder, which brought his fear to its peak.