Hong Chaoyang stared blankly, muttering stupidly, "Oh my God! How could I be so stupid? I just want to die!"
The other disciples were also shrouded in this overwhelming sorrow, each lost in their most painful and unwanted memories.
Even Master Honghua was no exception. He tried to steady his mind, but the powerful sorrow still engulfed him. Despair and helplessness crept over his limbs, clouding his mind.
Inside the Soul - Locking Banner...
Pei Xuanjing and He Yu supported Shen Chuyun as they headed towards Lin Yibai's courtyard.
Shen Chuyun's legs felt weak. He simply couldn't accept that there had been a gulf of life and death between him and Shen Qing.
He had taken Shen Qing's kindness for granted, believing they were blood - related kin. Now, all his illusions had shattered.
Only now could Shen Chuyun clearly recognize that there was no way for him and Shen Qing to return to the past.
Pei Xuanjing couldn't stand it any longer. With a cold voice, he said, "Shen Chuyun, don't make me look down on you. Is this all the fortitude you have?"
Shen Chuyun thought he was the only one recalling those painful memories. As soon as he opened his mouth, tears streamed down his face. "Senior Brother, you don't understand. Shen Qing... she hates me!"
Pei Xuanjing and He Yu exchanged a look. They knew that Shen Chuyun must have awakened his past - life memories, which was why he was so sad and pained.
But in their past lives, they had all been executioners who had killed Shen Qing. They had no right to scold Shen Chuyun.
"Junior Brother Shen, you need to know that you're not the only one who has awakened past - life memories. Shen Qing hates not only you but also us. That's why we're here to atone for our sins."
Pei Xuanjing had said the word "atonement" many times recently, but he had never really done anything for Shen Qing. Instead, he had repeatedly appeared in front of her, hoping to be forgiven with a mere apology.
But after awakening his memories, he realized how wrong he had been.
Shen Qing didn't care about that apology. What was missing between them was a life, as well as Shen Qing's trust and sincerity.
So now, they had to take responsibility for their actions. The first step was to deal with Lin Yibai, the mastermind who had bewitched them and made them let Shen Qing down.
Shen Chuyun suddenly looked up, his voice filled with disbelief. "Senior Brother, have you also recalled..."
Then he turned to He Yu. "Second Senior Brother, is it the same for you?"
Pei Xuanjing and He Yu nodded gravely.
They had all seen each other's ugly faces in their memories. After awakening, they not only cursed themselves but also spat on each other.
After a long while, Pei Xuanjing let out a bitter laugh. "We've finally seen each other's true colors. There's no need to pretend anymore."
"We, the so - called top sect in the Nine Desolate Continent, are just a bunch of hypocrites."
"I always called myself the Gentleman Sword, believing that I was gentle, polite, fair, and just. In fact, I was just being self - righteous, turning a blind eye to others' pain."
"Second Senior Brother is easily influenced and stubborn. He only believes what he wants to believe and is arrogant because of his family background."
"Junior Brother Shen, you're sensitive, inferior, and cowardly."
"In Shen Qing's eyes, we're just heartless people who have betrayed her."
He Yu couldn't help but defend himself in a low voice. "Senior Brother... there's no need to be so blunt..."
The three of them fell silent. Although Pei Xuanjing's words were harsh, the other two knew that he had hit the nail on the head, and they couldn't refute him.
"Alright, I'm not saying these things to belittle you. But we did something wrong, and now we must find a way to make up for it."
"When we see Lin Yibai later, you know what to do, right?"
He Yu nodded vigorously. Seeing that Shen Chuyun was still hanging his head, He Yu gave him a heavy pat on the back.
Only then did Shen Chuyun look up and nod weakly.
Lin Yibai's soul had also been pulled into the Soul - Locking Banner by Ji Zhongming. But unlike them, who were trapped in a dream, Lin Yibai was being nurtured here by Ji Zhongming.
Lin Yibai, who should have been killed by the Absolute Killing Formation, was able to recover in the Soul - Locking Banner by absorbing the nourishment of others' souls from Ji Zhongming.
They couldn't let this happen!
Ji Zhongming and Lin Yibai were still lingering in the small cottage. But as soon as the three of them approached Lin Yibai's courtyard, Ji Zhongming sensed their presence.
But neither of them knew that the three had now awakened all their memories. Ji Zhongming and Lin Yibai only thought that they were just following the script and coming to visit Lin Yibai.
Ji Zhongming reluctantly straightened Lin Yibai's clothes, kissed her on the face, and then whispered in her ear seductively, "Xiaobai, have a good time. I'll come to you again when this dream is over."
Lin Yibai stretched out her fair fingers and drew circles on Ji Zhongming's chest. "Brother Zhongming, go and do your business. Don't worry about me."
Ji Zhongming grabbed the hand that was teasing him, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to leave.
After a while of lingering, Ji Zhongming turned into black smoke and disappeared from Lin Yibai's room. He was just a clone now, but he could still sense something was wrong outside the Soul - Locking Banner.
Since there was no abnormality in the dream, he left Lin Yibai without a second thought and went to deal with the annoying people.
The smile on Lin Yibai's lips faded. She pulled the quilt over herself, lay down calmly, and closed her eyes.
She was fully prepared. Even in the dream, she would torture Shen Qing.
Her obsession was that the diary she had painstakingly created had been destroyed, and she hadn't been able to make Shen Qing despised by everyone. So in this dream, Lin Yibai chose to return to this point in time.
This time, she would use the diary to make everyone despise Shen Qing.
But she never expected that as soon as she lay down, the door was kicked open forcefully. Lin Yibai frowned slightly but still kept her eyes closed.
Pei Xuanjing was the first to enter the room. A faint fragrance wafted towards him. It was the unique scent of Lin Yibai. It used to be refreshing, but now it made him feel extremely nauseous.
The three of them looked at Lin Yibai, who was still lying on the bed, with complex emotions.
Pei Xuanjing walked up to Lin Yibai first, took out the diary from the drawer beside her, and started to read it.
According to his past - life memories, Pei Xuanjing still remembered the anger he had felt when he read the diary. Now, all he felt was desolation.
Moreover, Lin Yibai had tampered with it. The content in the diary was even more excessive than what he remembered. In the diary, Lin Yibai had portrayed Shen Qing as a vicious and irredeemable woman.
He Yu took the diary, glanced at it, and then sneered as he threw it to Shen Chuyun.
Shen Chuyun didn't even want to look at it and just threw it on the ground.
Seeing this, Pei Xuanjing, as if venting on Shen Qing's behalf, burned the diary to ashes with his spiritual fire.
Although Lin Yibai had her eyes closed, she knew what was going on beside her. When she saw Pei Xuanjing burn the diary, her heart skipped a beat.