Chapter 312: Reversal, and Then Another Reversal!

Before the words had even faded—

Her expression gradually stiffened.

Countless Soul Guidance Regiment guards had their souls leave their bodies—but unlike three years ago, they weren't swallowed by the black mist to become her soul marks. Instead, they leisurely chatted among themselves in amazement, as if they were on some novel adventure.

"What's going on?!" she exclaimed, utterly bewildered.

"That's why I say—I don't take in trash as students…" Xu Cheng grinned. Then his expression slowly turned cold.

"Trying to play tricks like some petty evil soul master in front of me? How laughable."

"You're… from the Holy Spirit Church?!" The wooden puppet master suddenly caught on, her face filled with terror as she looked at the group.

There are levels even among evil soul masters.

And the Holy Spirit Church undoubtedly stood at the peak.

Most rogue evil soul masters could only dream of being as malevolent. Moreover, among evil soul masters, there were no "friends"—they fought far more viciously than the righteous factions… She looked around. Zhang Peng, Wu Yun, and the others were all watching her with mocking expressions.

Her mouth twitched hard.

It was like showing off a sword dance in front of Guan Yu himself.

"Sigh… Let's end this."

Xu Cheng clapped his hands.

With a rumble, a massive gray gate slowly emerged before everyone's eyes.

"This is…" The chilling darkness and aura of death radiating from the gate made even the wooden puppet master tremble. "Such pure death energy… You—who exactly are you within the Holy Spirit Church?"

"Saint Son of the Holy Spirit Church, Xu Cheng,"

he said with a grin.

The gray gate slowly opened.

Countless chains, as if alive, emanating a cold, dark, devouring aura, bound the puppet master's limbs tightly and began dragging her inward.

"No! No…!"

She screamed and struggled.

She could feel that if she were pulled in, she would truly be annihilated—body and soul. With no new wooden puppets available, she couldn't escape by transferring her soul.

Ye Guyi stood watching Xu Cheng, hands behind his back, his expression emotionless.

The towering gray gate behind him exuded an aura of deep evil. This was the first time she had seen Xu Cheng's real side—cold-blooded, killing without a care—but… which one was the real him?

Saint Son of the Holy Spirit Church? Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire? The legendary senior of the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Academy? Or… this evil soul master before her?

Ye Guyi was growing more and more confused.

"Creak… creak…"

As the gate slowly closed,

Eerie noises echoed from within, mixed with the puppet master's agonized wails.

"Now then… what about you, my Judicator?" Xu Cheng turned to Ye Guyi, his expression calm and unreadable.

"I…" Ye Guyi opened her mouth but turned her head away.

"Because of your so-called righteous judgment… he died." Xu Cheng didn't let her off.

"Duke Robinel was executed by your Justice Angels because he imprisoned a notoriously evil soul master…" Xu Cheng smiled, tilting his head.

"No!" Ye Guyi covered her ears.

To someone who loathed evil with every fiber of their being, this kind of mental torture was like a whip lashing at her soul—it shattered everything she had believed in for years.

"…" Ye Cheng could only shake his head, silent.

"What if I told you this Duke Robinel—beloved by the people and famous across countless provinces of the Douluo Continent as a 'good man'—was exactly that?" Xu Cheng pressed in further.

"In the end, your so-called justice is based on what you think you see. Someone pretends to be pitiful, and you're fooled into killing a truly good man… How are you any different from a tyrant?"

Xu Cheng chuckled softly.

He picked up the angelic holy sword that the girl had dropped, wiped the blood from the blade with two fingers, then slowly held it out in front of her, leaning down to look her straight in the eyes.

The whole world seemed to darken.

"How about… you redeem yourself with suicide?"

Everyone around was stunned.

"I…" Ye Guyi stared at Xu Cheng's bewitching face, reflected in her eyes. She slowly took the sword, inhaling deeply.

"Ssshhh—!"

...

As if the world shattered.

Like a mirror fracturing, then recombining.

A gentle breeze passed.

Ye Guyi shivered and suddenly looked around.

Countless Soul Guidance Regiment guards were also looking around in confusion, just like her. Ye Cheng's face was tense. But most importantly—

Not far from her,

Several kneeling figures were still alive and well.

They looked rather suspiciously at the Sun Moon Empire officials, as if only a moment had passed—each wearing different expressions.

"Huff… huff…" Ye Guyi panted heavily, as if she had just been pulled out from drowning.

Looking again at Xu Cheng, her beautiful eyes were now filled with gratitude.

"Look—what color is that?" Xu Cheng pointed to the long shadow cast by a pillar.

"Gray," Ye Guyi murmured thoughtfully.

"Exactly. Life isn't always black and white." Xu Cheng smiled and snapped his fingers.

"Bang!"

Just as Ye Guyi began to relax, her face froze again. She slowly turned her head—and saw three headless corpses. The scent of fresh blood still lingered in the air.

Xu Cheng smiled again. "Understand now?"

Seeing her blank expression, he shook his head. "It's true he had a great reputation among commoners—but it was all manufactured. He was an evil soul master. If you keep investigating that underground chamber, you'll find a hill made entirely of human skulls."

"As for the other two, they weren't any better. Stereotypes may be shallow, but you still have to ask—why do such impressions exist in the first place?"

Ye Guyi: "…"

"People think in black and white. So I'm telling you—don't jump to conclusions," Xu Cheng said lightly.

Glancing at Ye Guyi kneeling on the ground, disoriented, her belief system in ruins, he shook his head.

"Still too young…"

"Wasn't that a little harsh?" Ye Cheng said, a bit pained.

Ye Guyi had seen some darkness—but only the surface. Today's experience would undoubtedly leave deep marks on her.

"Heh. When you were young, didn't you go through far worse?" Xu Cheng laughed. "The angel I want isn't some delicate flower ruled by her emotions. You get what I mean."

"Sigh…" Ye Cheng sighed deeply.

"What I want is her transformation. If she passes this trial, then even the Angel God's position… might not be impossible to repair."

"…" Ye Cheng fell completely silent.

The God Position—!

Even though this kid liked to dream big, he somehow always seemed capable of making the impossible… possible.

(End of Chapter)