The air in the hall seemed to freeze. Xiao Chen's gaze was sharp, like a blade, as he stared intently at Yan Yao, who stood at the center of the altar. Her cold eyes resembled the surface of an icy lake, unfathomable and filled with a silent threat and resolve.
"Yan Yao..." Xiao Chen's voice was hoarse, as if suppressing endless emotions. "What are you hiding? You were once the person I trusted the most. Why are you standing with the Long Night Palace now?"
Yan Yao's lowered eyes seemed to show no sign of emotion, but her voice clearly reached Xiao Chen's ears: "Xiao Chen, fate is never something we can choose, especially you. You've been running away, running from your parents' death, running from fate's arrangement. But do you really think you can change anything?"
Xiao Chen's heart jolted, as if struck at his most sensitive spot. He gripped the Star Soul Sword tightly, speaking in a low voice: "Are you saying my parents' death was not an accident? That everything behind it was fate's arrangement?"
Yan Yao raised her head, her gaze cold and calm: "Fate is not entirely unchangeable, but some things are destined to be unavoidable. Your parents' death is not only linked to the Long Night Palace but also hides a deeper conspiracy."
"Conspiracy?" Xiao Chen felt a chill run down his spine. He had never heard of any conspiracy behind his parents' deaths. "What are you talking about?"
Yan Yao sighed, as if feeling a trace of pain over her own choice, but still resolute: "The resurrection of the Long Night God is not just for ultimate power. There's a bigger goal behind it — to change fate itself, to control the laws of the entire universe."
Xiao Chen's heart shook. He stared at Yan Yao in disbelief, his eyes filled with confusion and anger: "You want to control fate? You're trying to resurrect the Long Night God, but aren't you afraid of being backfired in the end?"
A complicated smile flickered on Yan Yao's face: "You misunderstand. The Long Night God is not a mere evil being. In fact, he was once the guardian god of the ancient world. But as time passed, his power was sealed, and this seal was meant to prevent him from excessively intervening in fate. Now, everything the Long Night Palace does is to break this seal and allow the Long Night God to regain his true power."
Xiao Chen's heart churned. He had never heard such absurd words before, but in Yan Yao's eyes, he seemed to see a certain truth. Was the Long Night God really, as Yan Yao said, an ancient god existing to change fate? If so, was the world's fate like an inescapable net, binding everyone within it?
"I can't understand your reasoning." Xiao Chen took a deep breath, his gaze becoming determined. "You're trying to resurrect the Long Night God to overthrow the laws of this world, but have you ever thought that if the Long Night God regains his power, who can guarantee that he won't do unpredictable things? Fate should be something everyone controls themselves, not something you want to turn into a game."
Yan Yao sneered: "You're still too young, Xiao Chen. Fate was never something you or I could control. All the pain, all the misfortune you've experienced, is the arrangement of fate. You can't escape it, it's an irresistible force."
Xiao Chen's mood darkened. He looked at Yan Yao, his inner turmoil growing stronger. Every word she spoke felt like a heavy hammer, continuously striking at his soul. However, Xiao Chen did not give up. He firmly replied, "I don't believe in fate. I believe in my own choices. I know there's a truth behind my parents' deaths, and I will find the real culprit and avenge them."
A flicker of pain appeared in Yan Yao's eyes. She whispered, "You still don't understand. The reason your parents died was not because they did anything wrong, but because they chose to resist fate. You can't change that, because fate had already set everything for you."
"You're wrong!" Xiao Chen's voice grew even more resolute. He raised the Star Soul Sword, and its blade gleamed in the air, like a meteor streaking through the night sky. "I don't need fate to arrange things for me, I will walk my own path!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Chen leaped forward, and his sword light flashed like lightning, sweeping toward the Long Night Palace members standing on the altar. His sword strike was fierce, and the Star Soul power spread throughout the surroundings. In an instant, the air around the altar warped under the pressure of his sword Qi. With each swing of his sword, a Long Night Palace disciple was sent flying, blood staining the ground.
Yan Yao's eyes flashed with a hint of pain. Her hand trembled slightly, as if hesitating. Xiao Chen's sword light grew ever closer to the altar, and she seemed unsure of how to stop him. She knew Xiao Chen's determination and understood that he could not be easily persuaded.
"Enough!" Finally, Yan Yao cried out, and with a wave of her hand, a silver light instantly condensed, forming a powerful energy barrier that blocked Xiao Chen's sword Qi.
Xiao Chen's sword clashed with the energy barrier, producing a massive roar, yet the barrier remained unaffected, seemingly unshaken. Xiao Chen tightened his grip on the sword handle, his eyes flashing with anger: "Yan Yao, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Yan Yao slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with deep helplessness: "Xiao Chen, I don't want to be your enemy. I know you don't want to believe it, but you must understand, the truth behind the resurrection of the Long Night God is far more complicated than you think. You want to know the cause of your parents' death, you want revenge, but you've ignored the deeper truth."
Xiao Chen's fury dissipated in an instant. He stared at Yan Yao, his gaze burning: "What truth?"
Yan Yao sighed deeply, speaking slowly: "Your parents' death was not just fate's arrangement. They were once part of the Long Night Palace. They knew of the plan to resurrect the Long Night God, so they chose to betray. The Long Night Palace, in order to keep the secret, killed them."
Xiao Chen's heart sank heavily, as if struck by a powerful blow. "My parents... they were part of the Long Night Palace?"
Yan Yao nodded slightly: "Yes, but they did not willingly follow it. They discovered that the Long Night Palace's plan was wrong and tried to stop it, but in the end, they were discovered by the Long Night Palace and paid with their lives."
Tears blurred Xiao Chen's vision. He couldn't believe it, but Yan Yao's words were like a knife, deeply embedded in his heart. His parents' death was actually related to the Long Night Palace, the very force he had once trusted? And all his hatred and pursuit had been because of this manipulation of fate?
"If you want to change all of this, you must find the seal of the Long Night God and destroy it." Yan Yao's voice was low, "Otherwise, once the Long Night God is resurrected, the fate of the entire world will be changed, and everyone will be controlled by him."
A strong impulse surged in Xiao Chen's heart. He knew that what he was facing was not just revenge, but a challenge to the fate of the entire world.
"I will find the truth and destroy the plan to resurrect the Long Night God." Xiao Chen's voice was firm, and he had finally made his choice: "No matter what, I will not let fate determine my future!"