At this moment, Hun Xiu closed his eyes, and tears silently rolled down his cheeks.
His tiny fists clenched so tightly, they turned pale from the pressure.
Yes.
He had made up his mind.
He chose the second path.
He would pay the price for his own decision.
Even if this path led to ruin, he would still complete it — through tears, if he had to.
Because compared to the first option — perishing together with the system — complete and utter death, he'd rather choose the second.
This was a world full of unknowns and boundless mysteries.
So what if...
Maybe someday he'd become a supreme expert, one who stands above the heavens and earth — and perhaps then, there would be a way to reverse things?
As long as he lived, there was hope.
But death?
Meant nothing.
The heavens would not joke with him a second time.
He had already been given one life-restart. There would not be another.
He didn't dare gamble on that.
He steadied himself.
Head slightly raised, tears still streamed silently down his childlike face.
He was still a kid — but in this moment, he had to shoulder a burden no child his age should ever carry.
Maybe… to become truly strong, one had to learn to be ruthless.
This Devouring Flame Codex… it wasn't just a cultivation method.
It was a test to forge a true powerhouse — someone who would stand above all creation.
To be strong, one must be ruthless.
Ruthless?
Being cruel to others isn't true cruelty.
True ruthlessness… is being cruel to yourself.
And that… was probably why the first requirement of the Devouring Flame Codex was self-castration.
Only one who could be cruel to himself could, in time, be cruel and unshakable in facing the world.
Only then could one truly transcend heaven and earth.
After a long time…
Hun Xiu opened his eyes.
Tears still brimmed in them, threatening to fall — but he held them back.
He lifted his head even higher.
He wouldn't let his tears fall again.
To become a true powerhouse, the first rule was: "Tears don't fall easily."
You may bleed, but you don't cry.
He slowly loosened his fists, which had been clenched so tightly they turned white.
Time passed.
Hun Xiu was ready.
"Huuu..."
He let out a long breath and looked at the Devouring Flame Codex before him.
Then he reached for the storage ring around his neck.
A three-inch-long dagger appeared in his hand.
He was still small — his fingers too tiny to wear the ring properly.
So he had tied the ring to a string and wore it around his neck.
He figured, when he grew up a bit more, he could wear it like a proper cultivator.
Now, gripping that small dagger tightly in his right hand...
Hun Xiu told himself he wouldn't cry again — but tears still began to fall.
"Looks like I'm going back on my word. I hope you won't blame me."
"I really didn't have a choice. I mean it — I had no choice."
"If I don't go through with this, you and I are both done for."
As he said this, Hun Xiu closed his eyes again. Tears streamed down.
He was saying his final farewell.
He opened his eyes once more.
The dagger in his hand began to fall—
—
But just then, a gentle breeze swept through, rustling the pages of the Devouring Flame Codex.
Hun Xiu's hand froze mid-air.
His eyes locked on the book — the wind had flipped it to the second page.
And the words written there completely captivated him.
His motion paused — because of those few words.
The second page had only a short sentence.
But it was enough to make Hun Xiu's heart tremble.
"Hahahaha...!"
Hun Xiu suddenly burst into laughter.
He tossed the dagger aside — and due to his young but powerful strength, it shot like a flying knife and embedded itself deep into a tree.
Normally, Hun Xiu would've been shocked.
Then followed by admiration for his own strength.
But this time?
He didn't care.
He looked up at the sky, laughing freely.
The laugh of a child — but one full of joy, relief, and the feeling of surviving a catastrophe.
—
Far away, Hun Tiandi and Void Swallowing Flame had been watching Hun Xiu's every move.
When they saw Hun Xiu weeping, preparing, crying again, then resolute…
…and now bursting into laughter?
The two looked at each other — completely puzzled.
What is this child even doing?
His actions made no sense at all.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Hun Xiu couldn't help coughing a little, but his young face still radiated a bright smile.
He stood up and — pulled down his pants.
Then…
He began to pee with a satisfied sigh.
As he peed, Hun Xiu laughed and said:
"I thought I was about to lose everything."
"Turns out… I was just overthinking it."
"The rest of my life — please treat me well."
As his words ended, the stream stopped.
He picked up the Devouring Flame Codex from the ground.
And then — walked away.
The sun was almost setting.
It was time to go.
He'd come back tomorrow.
He hadn't expected that all this time he'd spent working himself up…
Even after such long preparation…
He still couldn't go through with it.
Luckily — he didn't.
Because just then, the wind flipped to the second page.
And that second page was the reason he abandoned his "plan."
Though it only had a short sentence, the words were glaringly bold — practically shining with golden light.
It said:
"You don't need to castrate yourself — you can still cultivate this technique."
Eight characters again.
But in total contrast to the first page.
It was like being thrown from paradise into hell, then soaring back up into heaven.
Yes.
That's exactly how it felt.
A wild emotional ride — enough to make you question everything.
Hun Xiu felt deeply grateful in that moment.
Grateful he had stopped himself in time.
Grateful for the gentle breeze that turned the page.
If not…
He might've regretted it for the rest of his life.
Even if he found a way to fix things later...
That trauma would never go away.
He'd probably fall into obsession — and madness.
Thankfully — none of it happened.