From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 539 The Awakening of the Prisoner in the Mirror

In this life, I will only sever the fate you have arranged for me!

The moment the words fell, the power within me, dormant for thousands of years, awakened like a lurking dragon, unleashing a roar that shook the very soul.

It was no longer a trickle, but had transformed into a raging gray torrent, washing over my limbs and bones.

This force, called Chaos, is primal, savage, and filled with a desire to tear everything apart.

The illusion shattered upon impact, but not completely disintegrated like glass.

The dark cave was like a lake surface tossed with a boulder, violently distorted, and the surrounding sealing formations emitted piercing screams, their light flickering erratically.

"Foolish child, do you think you can break free from the cycle of death contract I laid down with just a trace of your newly awakened chaotic bloodline?" The black-robed man, my former master, spoke with a hint of mockery, but the look in his eyes behind the half-mask grew increasingly solemn.

Instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

With just one step, the entire distorted space suddenly sank.

I felt as if an immense force was pressing down on my soul, and the chaotic power that had just erupted was forcibly suppressed back.

"The Cycle of Death Pact not only binds your power, but also your soul." His voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, each word turning into a cold chain, trying to bind me again. "Every time you resist, every time you are angry, even every breath you take, you are providing nourishment for this contract. The more you struggle, the stronger it becomes. This is the 'fate' of eternal damnation that I have bestowed upon you."

As he spoke, the blood-red mark between my eyebrows suddenly burned intensely, like a red-hot branding iron.

Countless fragments of memories, deliberately sealed away, are now impacting my mind with a more turbulent and clearer force than ever before.

I saw that innocent and carefree girl, whom he rescued from the ruins, kneeling down with deep reverence and bowing to become his disciple.

I saw him teaching me the techniques under the moonlight, patiently guiding me, his words full of praise and expectation for my talent, making me think that I had met the best teacher in the world.

I also saw it. On the night I was about to break through my cultivation barrier after achieving great success, he brought me a cup of "celebration" celestial wine.

The wine contained the most vicious curse in the world, the catalyst for the "Reincarnation Death Pact".

I drank it without any warning, and then came endless pain. I watched helplessly as he stripped away my chaotic origin and cast my soul into endless reincarnation. In each reincarnation, at the most critical moment, he would harvest the fruits of my labor in various ways, turning them into sustenance for his power.

These memories are no longer blurry images, but real feelings etched into our very being.

The excruciating pain of betrayed trust, the helplessness and despair of having my power taken away, the eternal loneliness of having my soul imprisoned... wave after wave of negative emotions, turning into a black tide, threatened to completely engulf my consciousness.

"Do you remember now?" The master's voice carried a hint of triumphant cruelty. "All your glory, all your struggles, will eventually become my foundation. Give up, Yao'er, return to your place, and I can make your next life easier for you."

"Yao'er, don't let him control your consciousness!"

Just as I was about to lose my composure, a familiar voice boomed like thunder deep into my consciousness.

It's Wen Chen!

His voice pierced through the barrier of the bronze mirror, through the layers of illusion, carrying an undeniable firmness and anxiety.

I bit my tongue hard, and the sharp pain instantly brought me back to my senses.

I could feel that outside the illusion, an incomparably sharp sword aura was slashing at the bronze mirror again and again, and each impact made my illusionary world tremble.

Although the sword energy was completely blocked by a strange barrier, that persistence and that resolute determination transformed into the warmest power, flowing into my nearly frozen heart.

There is another force, gentle yet vast, analyzing something on the outskirts of the illusion.

I could "hear" the ethereal immortal's calm voice: "This is the ancient blood curse 'Reincarnation Death Pact,' which connects the caster's lifeblood with the recipient's soul essence. External force will only cause the curse to backfire, accelerating the devouring of her soul. Her only chance of survival lies within herself!"

My only chance of survival lies with myself...

I raised my head and looked directly at that familiar yet unfamiliar face. It was once the person I respected most, but now it was the demon I hated most.

“Master,” I spoke slowly, my voice hoarse from suppressing immense pain, but I forced myself to laugh, a laugh filled with chilling coldness, “the death pact you laid is indeed exquisite. It is based on my soul and nourished by my emotions, forming a perfect closed loop. The more I resist, the stronger it becomes.”

He seemed quite pleased with my "understanding," nodding slightly: "It's best that you understand."

“But,” I changed the subject, my smile growing colder, “you’ve calculated everything, but you’ve miscalculated one thing. Chaos represents disorder, the end, the primordial unity of all things. Using it to nourish your order is itself the greatest paradox!”

“You…” His pupils suddenly contracted.

I ignored him and closed my eyes, letting my consciousness sink completely into my own mind.

There, the blood-red "Reincarnation Death Pact" mark, like a greedy leech, coiled above the origin of my soul, with countless black threads spreading out from the mark and taking deep root in every part of my soul.

My gray, chaotic power is being absorbed and transformed by these threads, turning into poison that nourishes it.

External forces cannot break this, because the attack will be transmitted to my soul through the contract.

Emotions cannot be calmed because humans are not plants or trees; as long as they live, they have seven emotions and six desires.

That being the case...

"Wen Chen, Immortal, believe me," I murmured to myself.

The next moment, I made a crazy decision.

I mobilized all the chaotic power within my body, no longer trying to break through this false illusion, nor resisting the pressure of my master's divine will.

I took this violent power, like the sharpest knife, and ruthlessly and without hesitation slashed at the very source of my own soul!

To be precise, it was a strike aimed at the blood-red mark that was intertwined with the very essence of my soul!

"You madman! You actually want to destroy your own soul!" For the first time, the master's voice contained shock, anger, and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

He never expected that I would resort to such a suicidal tactic.

Self-destruction? No.

The power of chaos is my power.

I will use my strength to purify the filth clinging to my soul. This is like scraping the bone to remove poison, it is about facing death to live!

"puff--"

Severe pain!

Indescribable, excruciating pain!

It felt as if my entire soul was being torn apart alive, and every nerve in my body was screaming and trembling.

My consciousness blurred instantly, and everything before my eyes turned blood red.

I could feel my soul trembling, wailing, and even showing signs of breaking apart.

However, at the same time, the blood-red "Reincarnation Death Pact" mark also let out a shrill cry under the direct impact of the chaotic power.

Its light dimmed instantly, and the black threads rooted deep in my soul were severed and annihilated in pieces by this power that shared the same origin and was full of destructive energy!

"Stop! You'll die if you do this!" the master roared, trying to strengthen his control over the contract, but without the connection of those threads, his power was temporarily out of reach.

I can't hear, or rather, I don't care anymore.

The excruciating pain made me forget everything, leaving only one obsession in my heart—to cut it off!

Break free from these shackles!

I don’t know how many times I “cut” myself; each time it felt like a slow, agonizing torture of my soul.

My consciousness oscillated between lucidity and drowsiness, clinging to life only through my trust in Wen Chen and my yearning for freedom.

Finally, with one last, all-out assault, I heard a crisp "crack" sound.

That wasn't the sound of an illusion shattering; it came directly from the depths of my soul.

The crimson mark that clung to the very essence of my soul, the death pact that had bound me through countless lifetimes, shattered inch by inch, transforming into countless red specks of light.

The moment the brand shattered, the black-robed man trembled violently, and for the first time, an incredulous look of horror appeared on his face beneath the half-mask.

His figure began to become ethereal and transparent, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.

"You... you actually did it..." He left behind a sentence that sounded like both a curse and a sigh before his figure completely disappeared.

With the shackles gone, the chaotic origin that had been suppressed and plundered for countless years erupted within me like an ancient ferocious beast breaking free of its cage.

The dark cave, the twisted array, and the entire illusory world were all unable to withstand this out-of-control power for even a moment before being completely washed away, annihilated, and turned into nothingness.

My world has fallen into a chaotic gray.

Immediately afterwards, an endless feeling of exhaustion and weakness overwhelmed me like a tidal wave.

The aftereffects of the soul being torn apart began to take effect; my consciousness was like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Just then, I sensed a glimmer of light ahead.

The light grew brighter and closer, carrying the warmth of the real world and a familiar scent.

I could sense that it was the exit of the bronze mirror.

With my last ounce of strength, I reached out my hand toward that ray of light.

The whole world began to spin and turn upside down violently in my perception, and blinding light instantly filled my entire field of vision.