Chapter 1325: The Heart Of Righteousness

Guo Jiannan stood in stunned silence for a long time, his heart filled with endless emotions.

Only now did he seem to truly understand the terrifying level of Brother Yi's cultivation. Holding the jade slip in his hand, his heart pounded like a drum, and all traces of his former demeanor as a lofty expert vanished. His eyes were filled with shock and admiration.

However, Guo Jiannan was no ordinary man.

Even though he felt a vast gap in their cultivation, which made him somewhat ashamed and embarrassed, he remembered his heavy responsibility and deeply understood the difficulties Brother Yi was facing!

Quickly putting away the jade slip, Guo Jiannan's eyes were filled with solemnity.

"To face a group of experts and still dare to speak with such boldness, holding them off for twenty hours—truly, only Brother Yi could do such a thing!"

"But I, Guo Jiannan, am not a shameless man!"

"There's no need to overthink it. Brother Yi's situation must be extremely dangerous right now. His casual reply was surely meant to reassure me. I must not let down Brother Yi's heroic spirit, nor can I afford to slack off even a little!"

Guo Jiannan took a deep breath, continuously adjusting his state of mind.

He was well aware.

Brother Yi's cultivation was indeed terrifying, and his sense of righteousness was unmatched. Even if he could handle the experts outside the forest and took the trouble to send a reassuring message, the situation was far from as simple as it sounded. If those people sent a message to Wind and Snow Island for reinforcements, things would spiral out of control!

Thinking of the dire consequences, Guo Jiannan cast aside all distractions and immediately focused his cultivation on breaking the formation!

At this moment.

Under the weight of immense pressure, he seemed to enter a state of pure concentration, undisturbed by anything around him, fully focused on the critical task of breaking the formation and saving lives.

Unfortunately.

The people of Wind and Snow Island were no ordinary foes, and the Ten Directions Desolate Extinction Formation used to seal the Tree Venerable was an ancient inheritance among formations. Set up by the combined power of ten experts, it was not something that could be easily broken.

Even though Guo Jiannan exerted all his strength, breaking a single formation node took a tremendous effort. Before long, the once-invincible Sword Venerable was drenched in sweat!

At the center of the formation.

The Tree Venerable, breathing weakly, watched everything with deep emotion.

He understood better than anyone how terrifying the Ten Directions Desolate Extinction Formation was. Even with several formation masters present, none would dare claim they could break it.

For Elder Guo to single-handedly break several formation nodes, his cultivation and mastery of formations were already enough to astonish millions of cultivators, truly worthy of the title "Invincible Sword Venerable"!

Even if progress slowed, it was only to be expected.

The Tree Venerable watched everything with a heart full of guilt. As time passed, his vitality continued to wane, leaving him with only a face full of gratitude.

However, the formation was simply too terrifying. His breath grew weaker and weaker, and even standing to gaze at his old friend became increasingly difficult.

The sun rose and set, and the moon ascended once more.

Twelve hours had passed in the blink of an eye.

The Tree Venerable finally could no longer hold on, sitting stiffly like a withered tree. His body, already stripped of its cultivation, was being drained of its vitality, leaving him without a shred of strength.

In his blurred vision, Guo Jiannan also stopped his efforts, his face filled with conflict.

Raising his eyes to meet the Tree Venerable's gaze, Guo Jiannan's expression was bitter.

After a moment of hesitation, Guo Jiannan clenched his fist and spoke with difficulty.

"Tree Venerable..."

"I am ashamed. I can no longer continue to break the formation and save you..."

Having known each other for tens of thousands of years, they understood each other's thoughts with a single glance.

Before Guo Jiannan could finish, the weakened Tree Venerable forced a smile and nodded.

"Elder Guo, there's no need to say more."

"I am not a man who fears death, and I know where righteousness lies."

"Last night, I saw everything. I know that Brother Yi is still outside, holding off the experts of Wind and Snow Island. You, I, and Brother Yi met by chance, yet he has treated us with such great righteousness. If we let Brother Yi continue to fight alone, wouldn't it bring shame upon us in the eyes of the world?"

His words, filled with vigor, were spoken with all the strength he had left.

Guo Jiannan's eyes flickered with emotion, momentarily at a loss for words.

The Tree Venerable was on the brink of death. If they gave up on breaking the formation now, he would surely perish here. Yet, even in the face of such a life-and-death situation, he remained clear-headed and steadfast in his righteousness. How many in the world could match such a spirit?

In his resolute words, there was an abundance of righteousness and self-respect!

This great demonic being, who had experienced countless ups and downs, who had once commanded the winds and rains and intimidated entire regions, remained the awe-inspiring Tree Venerable until his final moments.

Seeing his old friend struggle to speak, Guo Jiannan fell silent.

Even if he had a thousand words, he could not utter a single one.

Many years ago, he had heard someone say that only in the face of death can a person truly see who they are, and all the illusions of life will vanish like smoke.

At this moment, he could see the Tree Venerable more clearly than anyone else.

This old friend's pride and integrity far surpassed those so-called geniuses who had passed through the river of time. Even though he was of demonic origin, he was a true gentleman, a genuine hero of the world!

Who said that outsiders could not be trusted?

Hearing his old friend voice the very difficulties in his heart, Guo Jiannan's sense of injustice grew stronger. To face the loss of his only remaining confidant with such magnanimity, leaving him to live with regret for the rest of his life...

There was no greater sorrow in the world.

Seeing Guo Jiannan remain silent for so long, simply gazing at him with solemnity, the Tree Venerable suddenly recalled their past and couldn't help but laugh.

He still remembered...

When they first met in their prime, how glorious and youthful they had been, both filled with a fervor to resist the demons, as if they had boundless energy and confidence.

Yet, being of different origins, they had harbored suspicions of each other. Back then, Guo Jiannan, with his long sword and dark hair, had simply gazed at him solemnly.

"I seek comrades to resist the demons. Do you have the heart of righteousness?"

That straightforward sword intent seemed to radiate from his entire being.

A man like a sword, capable of piercing the heavens!

Tens of thousands of years had passed.

The once-invincible Sword Venerable was now an old man with white hair, no longer the sharp and heroic figure of his youth, but his sincere gaze remained the same as it had been.

In the blink of an eye, a lifetime had passed, like a dream.

To have such a man as a confidant in this life, even death held no regrets.

The Tree Venerable's face broke into a smile, one that conveyed a sense of having let go of everything.

"Elder Guo, back then I sought to befriend you, and now you hesitate like this. Are you trying to ruin my reputation? If so, I might have some regrets."

Hearing the playful tone, Guo Jiannan's brows relaxed slightly.

"Tree Venerable, you..."

The old tree's smile was as carefree as it had been when he was the enigmatic demonic youth of the past.

"Hahaha..."

"We've known each other for a lifetime. Why be so awkward at the end? If we were to cause Brother Yi harm in exchange for my survival, that's not something either of us could do."

"In this life, I am content! If you can one day complete the great task of resisting the demons, even in the underworld, I will rest with a smile!"

Hearing this, Guo Jiannan also forced a smile.

He had not misjudged this man.

This dear friend was indeed a hero of unparalleled righteousness. Even at the moment of his demise, he had not forgotten the passionate vow they had made when they first met.

A gentleman's word is as unbreakable as a team of four horses.

Even if it took a lifetime to fulfill, he would never regret it, even if it meant dying nine times over!

This was the romance of men.

In the face of such a hero, any unnecessary kindness would only be an insult!

Guo Jiannan finally let out a long breath, smiling as he nodded in agreement.

"Very well."

"If I can complete the great task of resisting the demons, I will surely offer sacrifices and inform you!"

With that, Guo Jiannan took out a flask of fine wine from his sleeve, his eyes glistening.

Smiling as he gazed at his old friend, his vision blurred.

The old man, covered in wrinkles, seemed to turn back time, transforming into the proud and heroic Venerable of the past, smiling as he looked back at him.

Seeing the same proud demeanor from their first meeting, Guo Jiannan also smiled and repeated the solemn words from back then.

"Demonic youth..."

"If you have the heart of righteousness, then drink with me. Let heaven and earth bear witness as we resist the demons together!"

Hearing this, the Tree Venerable also responded with the same默契 as he had back then!

"Hahaha..."

"A promise is a promise, let heaven and earth bear witness!"

The two men laughed heartily, filled with emotion!

"Hahaha!"

Even as they laughed with boundless豁达, tears welled up in their eyes.

At their level, they had long since transcended the fear of death. Guo Jiannan preserved his old friend's final dignity, turning away and gritting his teeth as he opened a rift in the void, tears falling like starlight.

When he opened his eyes and stepped into the void once more, there was only a fierce fighting spirit in his gaze!

This blood debt, he would repay a thousandfold!

Failing to save the Tree Venerable was the greatest regret of his life. He could not let Brother Yi take such risks again. Even if it meant death, they would advance and retreat together!