Late at night, the temple of the Shrine.

Yuling sat alone in the hall, closing his eyes and pondering, and there was silence all around.

Until a heavy footstep sounded from outside the temple.

"Brother, the battle report...... The statistics are out. ”

Bei Ran lowered his head slightly, slowly walked behind Yu Ling, and put a jade slip on the table.

Yu Ling was silent for a moment and didn't pick it up, but Shen Nian had already clearly perceived the information in the jade slip.

The content is not long, but the words are like knives.

I don't know how many times I've consulted the battle report.

I don't know when he started to have something to fear.

Fear of seeing casualty statistics in battle reports, whether familiar or unfamiliar names.

Twenty three million nine hundred fifty two ......

It seems to be a very ordinary number, and it is not worth paying attention to.

But the entire Fire Refining Sect has turned into a blood-colored hell.

From the Immortal Realm Elders to the Xuanwu Breakers, they were just as vulnerable in this almost slaughter-like war.

And the weakness of the Dao Spirit Clan's puppet is still unknown.

It's not that no one has tried to capture a puppet, but they will blow themselves up once they fall into the hands of the enemy, and in a critical situation, everyone has no time or energy to study it carefully.

Even the remnants of the night, in order to resist the three peak powerhouses, ended in self-destruction with a clone.

Everyone did everything for this war.

Although it seems that whether it is desperate and waiting for death, or crying for mercy, or fighting to the end, the ending seems to be the same.

But people may not be able to choose their fate, but they can at least choose how to face it.

It is never death that makes people succumb, but their own hearts.

When you face your fate, you can see your truest self.

As a result, many people who are usually timid and cowardly, under the desperate butcher's knife, have inspired the courage and blood hidden deep in the bones.

Many of the last to evacuate did so voluntarily.

There is no shortage of deserters and no shortage of heroes.

......After a long silence, Bei Ran finally spoke with difficulty, "The new defense line has begun to be deployed, and it will take about two or three days to be fully in place, and the wounded soldiers who have returned from the Great Wilderness Star are also recuperating, but many people are unwilling to retreat to the rear, and want to continue to fight on the front line after they are healed." ”

She paused, and then whispered, "Originally, many people went around in circles to ask me if the final plan was to retreat to the Western Realm, but when they saw you coming, they didn't ask. ”

"But brother...... Actually, it's enough to have us on the meteor side, you can ...... it completely."

"I can't go back anymore. ”

Yu Ling interrupted Beiran's persuasion and turned her head to stare into her eyes: "In the east, we gave up, in the south, we gave up, even the Great Wilderness Star, at the beginning, we decided to defend the place, and we have given up now." If they can all give up, then what is the need for this war to continue?"

Bei Ran was silent for a while, and only after a while did he speak: "But if you don't give up participating in the meteor, doesn't it mean that you have to give up the hope of advancing to immortality?"

Yu Ling sighed softly: "This is war, not battle. ”

"Advancing to immortality is not necessarily the end of everything, staying here may be the best effect. ”

"I don't understand......" Bei Ran shook his head slowly, his voice was low, "I just know, you don't want to see everyone sacrifice like this senselessly, I know ......"

"Brother......" She sat next to Yu Ling, held the jade slip in her arms, and said very lightly: "Although many times, I can't actually guess what you are thinking, what you say may be less than one-tenth of what you think, and many things, you never let us know, always bear the ...... alone"

"Although we are your closest people, I always feel that there is something estranged from you. You are so kind to me, always accommodating me, accommodating me, and even being a little polite, as if you have no emotions, never find me annoying, and never accuse me of anything......"

"But...... People who are really close to each other are often indispensable for contradictions, conflicts, sometimes quarrels, and sometimes turn their faces. Because, people can pretend to be gentle and elegant in front of a hundred or a thousand outsiders, but they can't help but show their truest self and their worst side in front of their relatives. ”

"But you didn't...... You've always been so calm, always so gentle to me, I've never seen you particularly happy, or so sad, as if you didn't care about anything, though I know it's not like that......"

"Brother, in my heart, you have always been the most perfect brother and the best brother in the world, but sometimes I feel that you are far away from me, so far away that even if I sit next to you now, I can't touch you at all...... The truest you. ”

Bei Ran said a lot, as if if he didn't say it now, he would never have a chance in the future.

Yuling turned her head in surprise, looked at her gloomy eyes, and was speechless for a while.

He never knew that Bei Ran thought so.

He just self-righteously excluded her from the turmoil and danger, thinking that this was the best protection for her.

In fact, it's not just Beiran?

He always likes to make decisions for others, regardless of whether they really want to stay in the safe zone he has demarcated.

"Brother, can you not hide everything from me? I'm not a child anymore, I'm the master of Jiuchen Gate, I'm the Xuanling Spirit Emperor, and I also have the right to know the truth, no matter how cruel it is. ”

Bei Ran pursed her lips, looked at Yu Ling and said, "About Dad, about you, and this war." ”

Yu Ling was silent for a few seconds: "What do you want to know?"

Bei Ran opened his mouth and asked with some difficulty, "Is Dad ...... How many lives are left?"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a while, and Yu Ling unconsciously looked away and looked at the jade slip on the table, but finally looked directly into Bei Ran's eyes again: "Yes, there is still a year." ”

He was ready for Bei Ran's emotional breakdown, but he didn't expect her to be stunned for a short time, muttering, "Is that really the case......"

As if sensing Yuling's concern, Bei Ran shook his head and said abruptly: "I have already guessed, you were so anxious to re-cultivate before, I feel ...... Not only because of this war, but also because the situation was far less severe than it is now. ”

"No matter how rare the treasures of heaven and earth are, it will not help, only the Tao of time can reverse the situation, but if it is not immortal, it will not be able to touch the essence of time at all. Yu Ling explained slowly.

"Is there no other way?" Bei Ran lowered his head slightly.

"No more. Originally, I wanted to enter immortality first and then end the war, but now it seems that it is no longer possible, so the only way to do that is to end the war first, and then step into immortality. ”

"But brother...... Aren't you afraid of the Tao?"

"No, my path was set by someone else. ”

"Who...... Definite?"

"Dao Spirit Clan Ancestor. ”

Bei Ran Huo Ran raised his head, his eyes widened in shock, and his mind suddenly became chaotic.

"Where to start......

Now that he has decided to confess, Yu Ling thought about it, and simply pulled the topic back to ten years ago: "Do you remember the dream you and I once had?"

"Of course. ”

"But what you dream about is intermittent, and time and I are out of sync, right?"

"It should be, in fact, I was very strange at the time, I rarely slept at that time, let alone dreamed, I was meditating and practicing at night, and somehow I fell asleep. ”

"Because you're not dreaming, you're getting some feedback. ”

"Feedback?"

"There is something in my soul sea, I speculate that it has a close relationship with the Dao Spirit Ancestor, it is an immortal artifact, so it can look back at the past and see the future. ”

Bei Ran froze for an instant, only to feel that Yu Ling's words had gradually exceeded her comprehension.

"It's just that the human brain has a self-protection mechanism, and what is beyond imagination and comprehension will not remain in the memory, but will only be turned into a fragment that can be vaguely captured in the subconscious. ”

"For me, these fragments merge with the dreams of the sea of dreams, turning into grotesque and distorted revelations. For you, the thread of fate intersects with me prematurely, like a cobweb, and it will be perceived by you in a subtle form, especially when you meet me. ”

"So that's ......" Bei Ran said in a daze, "Immortal artifact...... That is to say......"

"Personally immortal, but functional...... In fact, it has no attack power, and it can't exert any power, it's just a key to connect to another universe. ”

"And what really works......"

Yu Ling raised his hand, and a warm and soft white light gradually condensed from his fingertips: "It's it." ”

"I thought it was the power attached to the artifact, but it wasn't. ”

The white light pulsed slightly, not only spiritual power, but also mysterious power, but also soul power, exuding a sharp, flexible, transcendent, ancient and illusory aura.

"What do you see?" asked Yuling.

Bei Ran could not hide the confusion and confusion on his face: "Xuanling, Yuanling Dao rule, the rest is ...... Yes, the Dao rules of the other three spirit clans?"

Yu Ling withdrew his hand, and the white light dissipated: "This is something I have had since the beginning, and it is also his arrangement." ”

It was as if the endless icy waters were surging and plunging into the suffocating and dark abyss of the sea.

Bei Ran felt a little breathless, she breathed rapidly, and couldn't imagine how Yu Ling could talk to her with such a calm look.

She knew that Yuling was hiding a lot of things, and she also knew that he was carrying a lot of unknown pressure.

But she still didn't know what a terrible fate he bore on him.

Just the tip of the iceberg was enough to shock and terrify her.

"And he...... Dao Spirit Ancestor, what do you want?" Bei Ran said almost with all his might.

"I don't know. ”

Yu Ling shook his head lightly: "Although there is some information about him, I still don't know what kind of person he is." It's hard to imagine how 10,000 years can change a person. ”

"All I know is that he's not destroying the world, and he's not trying to save it. ”

Bei Ran bit her lip tightly until she oozed sweet blood, and then slowly let go: "Brother...... What about you? If you still can't get out of the established path in the end, what should you ...... What to do?"

Yuling didn't answer, and couldn't give an answer.

He could only tilt his head, look at the night outside the window and say, "Ran'er, this world can run without anyone." ”

I don't know when a thin mist floated in front of him, Bei Ran raised his head slightly, and tried his best to control his voice not to tremble: "But, I, my father, my mother, and Sister Chenruo...... Our world can't live without you. ”

Yu Ling sighed slightly, didn't speak, just gently hugged Bei Ran, and let her head rest on her shoulder.

Bei Ran's deep voice came from his ears: "Brother, you have been wearing a mask, are you really not tired?"

"I'm tired, but ...... Get used to it. ”

"These things...... Wouldn't it be better to say it?"

"Yes. ”

"That'...... Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Good. ”

"Because...... I really don't want to, one day when I wake up, you're all gone, I'm the only one...... And I don't know anything......"

She sobbed and couldn't say any more.

In this silent night, out of the sight of others, she finally had no scruples and could reveal her most vulnerable self.

It was also at this time that she heard Yuling calling her: "Ran'er?"

"Huh?"

"Would you mind if one day you found out that I wasn't your brother, but someone else?"

"Huh?"

Bei Ran was asked a little dazed: "What do you mean? You can't be someone else?"

"I mean, if it weren't for that relationship. ”

"It's strange though...... But, you're also my closest person. ”

"Really?"

"yes. Bei Ran looked up at him suspiciously, her eyes were still red, and there were still some tears on her face.

Yu Ling nodded and exhaled slowly: "It's late, go back and rest, tomorrow...... There's still tomorrow's task. ”