Chapter 725

Chapter 725: Blame Does Not Lead to Success

In the twilight underground,

The caves were dimly lit; some glowed with fluorescence, others were pitch black, and some had flickering candlelight, making it hard for people to discern.

Deep within the underground, two disciples of the Zhaoye Palace hurried forward. Behind them, it seemed as if a breeze had passed, and Lolan Hill transformed into a phantom form, following closely behind.

The paths in this underground labyrinth were complex. Ordinary people could hardly enter, let alone face various dangers such as demon attacks, suffocation in darkness, treacherous terrain, and more.

After advancing several kilometers, they finally encountered an obstacle.

“You’re here? Shouldn’t you be guarding the perimeter?” A Zhaoye Palace disciple with a grim expression stood in a spacious underground hall. The hall still had remnants of stone carvings and ruins, with several lamps burning brightly nearby.

“We…” the shorter disciple gathered his wits.

“We wanted to test that secret realm because we are close to breaking through. I thought it might be more effective there.”

Although the reason was somewhat unexpected, it seemed plausible. However, the disciple before them was not easily convinced.

“It’s not possible now. Uncle Heiling instructed us to wait until we seize the dragon vein’s core,” the disciple shook his head and looked at them with suspicion.

“Did you travel such a long distance from the perimeter just for this sudden idea?” He hadn’t considered the possibility of betrayal, given their current advantage in the Twilights’ mountain range.

Seeing this, the two felt a bit troubled, but knowing that the lady behind them wouldn’t be so easy to persuade, they steeled themselves and continued their explanation. Meanwhile, they began to secretly prepare.

Once a first step is taken, the second follows.

Since they had already betrayed the Zhaoye Palace, they no longer cared about betraying these people.

As Master Heiling said, anyone who obstructs my path to immortality can be killed, right?

After coming to this realization, they faintly sensed a change in their companion’s aura, further solidifying their conviction in this course of action.

They hoped this senior brother would act wisely and not block their path to survival. This thought arose in their minds.

Seeing this, the Zhaoye Palace disciple stationed here sneered. He also sensed something amiss with the two.

His right hand gripped the hilt of his sword, and ghostly flames emerged from his side, with faces crying out in agony, sending chills down one’s spine.

Lolan Hill, standing several hundred meters behind, quietly observed all of this.

She naturally knew about the two disciples she had coerced. They weren’t exactly good, but she had her own calculations.

Each had their flaws and had committed grave mistakes, making them hard to sympathize with.

But the disciple before them was even more detestable. Those faces of the ghostly flames were made from fragments of other living beings’ souls. It seemed that many of them were fellow disciples from Zhaoye Palace.

Deep underground, the battle suddenly began. The two attackers moved one after the other, directly attacking the inner disciple guarding the post.

The sword light shimmered as it unfolded underground, tearing apart the swaying candlelight, attacking the disciple like a sudden rainstorm. But the other party was well-prepared.

The long sword at the waist was drawn out, like a venomous sting, stabbing at the incoming opponent. Fine crackling sounds echoed in the air. Both were experts in the Nine Nether Arts, switching between reality and illusion flawlessly. Since they were fellow disciples, there was no information gap; they were competing purely on strength.

Watching the two engage in combat, the disciple behind called forth evil spirits beside him. With incantations constantly flowing from his mouth, the scattered mana and magic power in the air gathered around, continuously being absorbed into the evil spirits, strengthening them.

Then, six ghostly figures resembling skeletons hovered around him. These ghosts took a deep breath in the air, though无声无息，但随即无形的哀嚎声从口中传来，向前方呈扇形扩散。这种法术并非来自照夜宫，而是他从阎罗宫遗迹中学到的。

突然遭遇这样的冲击，那位守卫的弟子身体一颤，从空中跌落，身体僵硬。而趁着这个破绽和机会，那位持剑的弟子，一剑枭首，将其斩杀。

洛兰希尔在后方静静等待，看到这一幕，也感到有些心惊。没想到这两人行事如此果断狠辣。

一般来说，除非是在正面战场上不得不杀之外，少女对杀戮还是有些抵触的，这也是前世经历和教育养成的下意识习惯。

但在当前的世界，无论东西大陆，人命其实并没有她曾经所在的社会那么珍贵。

也就是说，人命不是无价的，而是有价的，是可以买到的，甚至整个社会，包括许多底层人自己也认为，自己的生命并不那么宝贵，更不敢与那些天之骄子们相提并论。

这也是为什么涂浩央起初对于这些有魑一族的死并不在意的原因，甚至对于王朝子民，只要死伤程度不大，也不会在他考虑范围内。

人命如草芥，于荒野上生长，野火焚之，恶鸟啄之，牲畜踏之，多少豪言壮志，皆为之破灭，碾碎于尘土污泥之中。

世间百态哪有如此多的回转余地，有时一步踏错，步步皆错。本应是相互扶持的同道同门，如今也不得不为了各自的理由狠下杀手。

洛兰希尔缓缓从后方走出，一道

Glowing flames flickered from her hand, burning the deceased disciple in the hall to ashes.

“Moving forward, if you encounter such situations again, you may temporarily retreat. I have my ways, and there’s no need for further bloodshed.”

“The sins on your shoulders are enough; do not bear more.” She sighed silently, feeling a sense of sorrow. These disciples of the Zhaoye Palace were all exceptional individuals, chosen as geniuses among millions across various regions. Why had they come to this?

Though they had brought some of their troubles upon themselves, one couldn’t deny that this era was still too barbaric. There wasn’t yet enough prosperity and depth to elevate people’s respect for life.

As the saying goes, “When granaries are full, people will learn propriety.”

When many survival problems remain unsolved, it is difficult to foster a healthy moral environment. Even though these disciples didn’t worry about their livelihoods, the overall atmosphere influenced individual values.

Compared to the openly arrogant nobles of the Western Continent, the situation in the Eastern Dynasty was slightly better, though it couldn’t be entirely avoided. At least, no one dared to openly show contempt for others, and at least in public, they would restrain themselves and present a noble image.

After all, since ancient times, people on this land have yearned for a harmonious world, where all could live in peace.

The dream of a peaceful era never faded; it was an ideal rooted deep in everyone’s heart, driving countless people to strive their whole lives.

Even Tu Hao’ang, who appeared cold and ambitious, could not escape this. If he truly sought power, he might not refuse King Dai’s invitation. But he knew that King Dai was neither a wise ruler nor a man of virtue; he simply despised him and chose not to follow.

In resolving the disasters in this mountainous region, Lolan Hill gradually saw the deeper causes behind each individual tragedy.

Blame cannot accomplish anything.

It was not difficult to criticize, punish, or even kill these Zhaoye Palace disciples, but merely doing so wouldn’t change the underlying causes of the disasters. Such incidents would continue to occur.

Kindness and justice were not just about punishing wrongdoers or eliminating evil. They should be powerful enough to transform the environment, eroding the soil and conditions that breed evil.

Simply declaring oneself righteous and criticizing others from a high position is easy, but mere accusations without providing practical solutions won’t lead to anything. It’s like a sandcastle washed away by the tide.

Reformation means achieving something, while blame achieves nothing.

(End of Chapter)