Chapter 5: I Choose Freedom!

In the depths of his mind, the bronze bell in Liang Hui's consciousness trembled, as if it would ring at any moment. But as the blood-red light approached, the young man's eyes narrowed, and several light spots flickered in the crimson. Bang! Crack! The blood-red beam crashed into the flying boat, shattering both the blue shield and the boat itself. Throughout the ordeal, Liang Hui only relied on the Flowing Light Clock to protect himself and Liang Si.

Amidst the blood-red glow, the engraved Xuantai, emitting a gray light, quietly hovered in front of the youth. At the same time, hoarse words were transmitted in front of Liang Hui.

"The Xuantai is one of the remnants of my Righteous Gate's heritage. It can teleport randomly within a radius of millions of miles. The Thousand Illusions can change appearance and conceal aura. His Majesty should be familiar with these two items."

"Will you enter the Yuan Yang Sect, or embrace freedom? Your Majesty, decide for yourself!"

With these words, silence fell. Only the mingling of blood-red and sacred light, accompanied by incessant thunderous sounds, persisted. Ripples stirred in Liang Hui's eyes, and he turned to glance at the dazed Liang Si, a touch of determination in his expression.

If he could grow up secretly, why would he take all these risks? Even if he entered the Yuan Yang Sect unscathed, he knew it was only marginally better than joining the demonic path. After all, in the memories that seemed like the future, he had overturned the Yuan Yang Sect. Now that the opportunity was before him, he lacked no courage to risk his life.

As for whether it was a trap left by the Flowing Cloud Sea, Liang Hui couldn't help but smirk.

The next moment, a heavy, ancient bell rang in his mind. A single vibration purged his body of any traces that might have been left over the past two days. It shattered the entanglement of his own karma, making it impossible for even the most powerful diviner to discern any remnants. Another vibration cracked open the Xuantai, activating the teleportation, and destroyed the Thousand Illusions. While the Xuantai couldn't be faked, the Thousand Illusions had too many hidden tricks.

All this was completed in almost an instant. Liang Hui's once slightly flushed face turned pale again, but his eyes were brighter than ever. A pitch-black space crack emerged, swallowing his figure in an instant. All that remained in place was a bewildered Liang Si, along with barely perceptible words.

"Lil' Si, follow the Goddess to the Yuan Yang Sect. I'll come find you soon."

Meanwhile, Qingyi also sensed that something was amiss. The three tolls of the bell were too heavy.

"Flowing Cloud Sea, perish!" she growled.

In her hands appeared an ancient red mirror. Its surface gleamed as she poured her aura into it. Wrapped in golden flames, a pillar of light shot towards the sea of blood, eliciting a roar akin to a wild beast. Countless blood shadows, like moths to a flame, rushed towards the golden-red intertwined beam of light.

In an instant, half of the blood sea dissipated. The beam shattered the blood shadows and collided with the figure at the deepest part of the blood sea.

With a thunderous roar, the blood sea completely dissipated, leaving behind a glassy deep pit in the earth. As the blood sea vanished, Qingyi instantly appeared where Liang Hui had disappeared.

She laid the mirror flat in her palm, forming an ancient seal with one hand, seemingly probing for something.

Dong! A bell toll echoed from a distant, unknown place, halting all of Qingyi's movements. The crimson mirror slowly retracted, revealing her black-and-white eyes, which gazed deeply into the space ahead. Then, she turned her gaze to the bewildered Liang Si by her side, without asking anything. She simply took out her flying boat again, took Liang Si, and turned into a streak of light in the sky.

On the other side, a middle-aged man with messy long hair sat cross-legged on a mountain. As the blood sea dissipated, his lower body turned into blood mist, while cracks appeared on the upper body that had fallen to the ground. The cracks continued to expand, as if they would shatter into pieces in the next moment. However, the Flowing Cloud Sea paid no attention to this. Only his blood-red eyes contained a hint of hope.

Once the wielder of the Dark Sword, carving out a glorious era. In this life, you must continue to do so. This era, this world, needs a miracle like you, the Divine Emperor.

Crack! Crack! The chaotic thoughts in his mind, accompanied by the burning sensation from his remaining body, gradually subsided. Supporting his body with both arms, he struggled to move. Facing east, his head pressed to the ground, his blood-red eyes acquired a trace of clarity.

"Master, I have never forgotten the righteousness you taught me," he whispered. With that, his body shattered.

In the ancient jungle, shrouded in the shade of lush trees, a slightly disheveled young man in a blue robe leaned against a tree trunk, slowly retracting the bronze bell floating in his palm. At this moment, Liang Hui's face was unusually pale. The consecutive use of the Flowing Light Clock had weakened his body again. But his face wore a contented smile, knowing that all traces had been severed, and he was now free.

"However, I owe someone a huge favor," he sighed lightly in his heart. The Flowing Cloud Sea had indeed left no means behind, allowing him to deal more easily with the subsequent detection ripples. As for the original owner's younger brother, as long as he was alive, Liang Si would be safe, following Qingyi into the Yuan Yang Sect.

With his thoughts in order, Liang Hui propped himself up against the tree trunk, glanced at the tangled vegetation, and casually chose a direction to walk in. For him now, the most important thing was to find food and water in the unknown jungle. Other matters could be set aside for now.

Creak! Creak! The sound of snapping twigs echoed in the jungle. Various types of insects and snakes, poisonous or not, were killed the moment they approached Liang Hui. But such brisk walking kept him constantly on edge. Less than an hour had passed, and he was already nearing his limit.

Exhaling heavily, he leaned on the rough tree trunk, several snakes of various colors still slung over his shoulder. Liang Hui looked at a cave not far away, about half a meter in size. A tired and pale smile appeared on his face as he stepped out towards the cave.

The moment he entered the cave, a pungent stench filled his nostrils. The next moment, a deafening roar emanated from the depths of the cave. Along with a brown shadow rushing towards him, causing the ground to tremble. It was a nearly three-meter-tall brown bear, with a fat and fierce-looking body. Obviously, it was very displeased with the two-legged intruders who had entered its territory. The smile on Liang Hui's face