Gently, Ren Yuan laid Chun Yue's body down.
With a wave of his hand, a golden coffin materialized—crafted from the purest divine power of the God of Heaven. He placed Chun Yue inside, his fingers lingering on her face for a final moment before sealing it shut.
The coffin pulsed with radiant light, protecting her body for eternity.
Yue Yun watched in stunned silence. Even Yao Xi's contempt faltered briefly at the raw emotion in Ren Yuan's actions.
Only Yun Lintian remained unmoved.
Ren Yuan slowly raised his head, his golden eyes meeting Yun Lintian's. "You've won," he said hoarsely. "But I have one last request."
He placed a trembling hand on Chun Yue's coffin. "Bury us in our homeland... the Heavenly Desolate Realm."
Yao Xi's aura erupted in fury. "Dream on!" she spat, her divine light surging as she prepared to attack.
Yun Lintian didn't even glance at her. He simply raised a finger—
An invisible force clamped down on Yao Xi, freezing her in place.
"You coward!" Yao Xi roared, struggling against the confinement. "First you ally with Nian Shi, now you show mercy to our enemy? Is this what Yun Tian sacrificed himself for?"
Yun Lintian ignored her outburst. His gaze remained fixed on Ren Yuan as he gave a single nod. "I'll grant your wish."
Ren Yuan exhaled shakily, some tension leaving his battered body. "Thank you." His golden eyes grew distant. "Do you know why I never tried to kill you when you were weak?"
Yun Lintian remained silent, waiting.
"Yun Tian..." Ren Yuan coughed up golden blood. "He knew his fate from the beginning. Yet he chose compliance—for the greater plan." A bitter smile twisted his lips. "But you... you follow destiny until the critical moment... then shatter it completely to protect what's yours."
He raised his head, meeting Yun Lintian's eyes squarely. "That's why I knew... killing you was impossible. Because when pushed to the brink, you don't break—you evolve."
"I knew this day would come... That's why I gambled everything—taking Yin's poisoned power, seizing the World Tree... my one chance to grasp my own fate." His voice grew fainter. "But in the end... I still lost to you."
Yun Lintian's mismatched eyes gleamed with rare understanding as he looked at Ren Yuan. "I know your story… Born with mediocre talent in a prestigious clan. Mocked. Looked down upon. Yet you clawed your way up through sheer will… If I were in your place, I might have given up long ago."
Ren Yuan shook his head weakly, golden blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Don't flatter me. Without stumbling upon the God of Heaven's legacy... I'd still be that pathetic young master."
His gaze drifted to Chun Yue's coffin, his voice softening. "Maybe... maybe it was all wrong from the start. Maybe I should have accepted my fate... lived peacefully with her..."
The battlefield fell silent. Even Yao Xi's struggles momentarily stilled at the raw regret in Ren Yuan's words.
Yun Lintian said nothing.
Ren Yuan then turned to Yao Xi, his golden eyes weary. "Give up your vengeance. Even if I hadn't intervened that day... Yun Tian would have sacrificed himself regardless. It was the fate he chose—"
"SHUT UP!" Yao Xi's scream tore through the air, her divine light flaring violently against Yun Lintian's restraints. "Don't you dare speak of him!"
Ren Yuan continued undeterred, his voice growing fainter. "What none of you knew... during that final battle at the Divine Realm... Yun Tian could have turned the tide. He could have killed me. But he chose to flee instead to the Primordial God Forsaken Land. Why do you think that was?"
Her crystal-clear eyes widened in shock before hardening with denial. "Lies!" she spat. "Yun Tian would never—"
"Check my memories then," Ren Yuan interrupted weakly. "With your power... you can see the truth."
Yao Xi's breath hitched. For the first time in centuries, uncertainty flickered across her face.
Ren Yuan's body began glowing faintly—not from power, but from dissipation. The golden hue of his divine essence started unraveling at the edges.
Yue Yun frowned upon seeing this.
Ren Yuan glanced down at his fading hands and smiled wryly. "The price for using Yin's power. Even the God of Heaven's legacy can't withstand the Uncreation's corruption forever."
Yun Lintian suddenly raised his hand, emerald light swirling around his fingers. With a decisive motion, he sent the power towards Ren Yuan.
A surge of divine energy flooded Ren Yuan's body, forcibly expelling the remnants of Yin's corruption. The black veins receding from his skin as golden light stabilized his crumbling form.
Ren Yuan raised an eyebrow weakly. "Changed your mind about letting me die?"
Yun Lintian shook his head. "You'll still die. But I promised to bury you intact with your woman."
A wry chuckle escaped Ren Yuan's lips. "How meticulous."
With great effort, he opened his palm. The Heavenly Desolate Orb materialized, followed by swirling wisps of golden energy that gradually formed into the distinct shapes of Long Si and Long Wu's souls. Their dragon blood and bones materialized beside them, preserved perfectly.
Nantian Fengyu gasped. "Their souls!"
Ren Yuan looked at Yun Lintian meaningfully. "With your current power... you can revive them." He pushed the orb and the dragon remnants toward Yun Lintian. "Consider this... my final repentance."
Without hesitation, Ren Yuan then slashed his own wrists with a blade of golden light. His divine blood spilled freely as his meridians severed one by one.
Ren Yuan smiled sadly as he staggered toward the coffin. "I'm coming, Yue'er."
With his last strength, he embraced the golden casket, his soul gradually dissipated into nothingness...
The battlefield fell utterly silent.
Yun Lintian waved his hand to put Ren Yuan's body into the coffin with Chun Yue. The coffin then sealed shut with finality before vanishing into a spatial rift—destined for the Heavenly Desolate Realm.
Then he turned to the dragon remnants.
Emerald light exploded from his palms, wrapping around Long Si and Long Wu's souls. Flesh regenerated, bones reassembled, and soon two familiar figures materialized—alive but weak, their cultivation completely reset.
Long Si coughed violently as consciousness returned. "We... lived?"
Before anyone could react, Yun Lintian suddenly turned to Yao Xi. His voice was ice. "Now... it's your turn."
Yue Yun immediately stepped forward. "Dad, no!"
Nantian Fengyu blocked Yao Xi protectively. "Junior brother, have you gone mad?"
Even Yun Qianxue moved between them, her frost energy flaring. "Husband, stop!"
Yao Xi stood frozen, her crystal-clear eyes wide with shock—not at the threat, but at the revelation in Ren Yuan's final moments.
Yun Lintian's gaze never left hers. "Now, choose your own path."