The weight of those feelings pressed down on Huai Xiaozhun like a leaden cloak, suffocating him with the gravity of the moment. "You called me a monster," Huai Xiaozhun whispered, his voice barely more than a tremor in the tumultuous air. Each syllable quivered with despair, as if the words themselves were too heavy for his heart to bear.

"But you're a monster," Lan Yunlong's voice cracked like a whip, each word slicing through the air with the precision of a honed blade, cutting deeper than any weapon ever could. The raw pain in his tone carried the sting of betrayal, a sorrow that pierced Huai Xiaozhun's soul and laid bare the shattered remnants of their relationship. The phrase echoed in the air, reverberating with a finality that left no room for reconciliation, only the cold, hard truth of their irrevocable separation.

With a heart as heavy as stone and tears cascading down his face like a river of regret, Huai Xiaozhun felt his willpower crumble under the relentless demonic influence that had ensnared his soul. Each drop that fell was a testament to the internal battle he had waged and lost.

His trembling hands, now devoid of any remaining strength to resist, clutched the hilt of his sword with a resignation that was palpable. As he thrust the blade forward, it pierced through Lan Yunlong's heart, the cold steel delivering a fatal blow not just to his mentor's body, but to the very essence of the bond they had once shared. The battlefield, already a tableau of chaos and despair, was now stained with the blood of a profound betrayal, a crimson mark of loss that would never fade.

As Lan Yunlong's life force ebbed away, his eyes, once filled with wisdom and compassion, now dimmed with the fading light of his existence. His body crumpled to the ground, and with it, the weight of a legacy that had been tarnished beyond repair. Huai Xiaozhun, collapsing in the aftermath of his actions, was engulfed by a tidal wave of guilt and sorrow.

His tears, mingling with the dirt and blood of the battlefield, became a silent testament to the anguish that gnawed at his soul. The remnants of shattered bonds lay heavy on his heart, each tear a reflection of the profound grief and the haunting realisation that the darkness had consumed him utterly. I didn't want this, his inner voice cried out, a desperate plea for forgiveness in the face of an unforgivable act, seeking absolution from a tragedy that could never be undone.

Falling to his knees, Huai Xiaozhun's body was racked with sobs, each one a convulsion of remorse and despair. The tears continued to stream down his face, carving channels of sorrow across his cheeks. Above him, the demon's laughter rang out, loud and mocking, echoing through the ruins of his soul like the tolling of a death knell. "HAHAHAHA, I KNEW YOU WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THIS," the demon jeered, its voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. Each word cut deep into Huai Xiaozhun's psyche, twisting the knife of guilt and shame that had already lodged itself in his heart.

"YOU'RE MADE TO BE A MONSTER," the demon continued, its twisted praise a perverse acknowledgment of the destruction Huai Xiaozhun had wrought. The words were a dark anthem, celebrating the transformation that had turned a once-promising disciple into an instrument of death and despair. Huai Xiaozhun, overwhelmed with guilt and unable to find his voice, could only bow his head in mute agony, the weight of his actions pressing him deeper into the mire of his own making.

As footsteps echoed from the distance, the demon's mocking tirade abruptly ceased, leaving a chilling silence in its wake. "Now it seems my time has come," it said, its voice filled with a sinister satisfaction. "This won't be the last time I see you; surely the next time will be in hell." The demon's laugh was a hollow, chilling sound, reverberating through the empty halls of Huai Xiaozhun's consciousness. As the malevolent presence slowly faded away, it left behind nothing but the echo of its mocking laughter, a lingering reminder of the darkness that had claimed him.

In the stillness that followed, Huai Xiaozhun remained on his knees, a broken figure amidst the ruins of a battlefield, his spirit crushed under the weight of an unforgivable sin. The echoes of the demon's laughter lingered in the air, a haunting melody that would forever remind him of the moment he lost his soul. As the approaching footsteps drew nearer, he knew that his path had been irrevocably altered, the darkness having marked him for a fate that would follow him to the ends of the earth and beyond.

As Xue Xinyu slowly opened his eyes, his vision was blurred by the lingering effects of disorientation. Blinking several times, he found himself in a different part of the cave, a place that felt both alien and eerily familiar. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing through the cavernous expanse. The dim light filtering through the rocky crevices painted grotesque shadows on the walls, creating a chilling tableau that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.

As his vision cleared, Xue Xinyu scanned his surroundings with a growing sense of unease. The floor beneath him was cold and damp, strewn with ancient, darkened stains that hinted at long-forgotten violence. Old blood, he realised with a shiver, the rust-coloured patches speaking of past horrors.

Scattered bones, some still bearing the ragged remains of flesh, lay haphazardly about. He could feel a cold dread creeping up his spine as he wondered what might have befallen these unfortunate souls. Had he zoned out? he wondered silently.

Turning around, he spotted a smaller group huddled behind him, their forms barely discernible in the murky light. Among them were the peak masters and individuals of higher standing within the sect, their faces etched with a mixture of shock, fear, and something darker that he couldn't quite place.

Their eyes, wide with an expression that was almost accusatory, were fixed squarely on him, as if he were the source of the shadows that enveloped the cave. Xue Xinyu felt a knot of uncertainty tighten in his stomach. What had transpired in the moments he had been unaware? Why did they seem to regard him with such dread?

Before he could gather his thoughts, one of the peak masters, a man known for his stern demeanour and unyielding principles, stepped forward. His face, usually a mask of calm, was now twisted with a mixture of horror and revulsion.

"You're a monster," the peak master spat out, his voice dripping with contempt and fear. The words struck Xue Xinyu like a physical blow, each syllable reverberating through his mind with a chilling familiarity. They felt like an echo from a forgotten nightmare, a dark whisper from the depths of his subconscious. But why? What had he done to warrant such an accusation?

Panic clawed at the edges of his consciousness as he desperately tried to piece together his fragmented memories. Hadn't he just zoned out for a few minutes, lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts? The peak master's words circled his mind like vultures, tearing at his sense of reality.

The other gathered individuals looked at him with expressions that ranged from fearful curiosity to outright condemnation, their faces pale in the dim light. Xue Xinyu's mind raced, searching for answers in the dark recesses of his memory. Why were they looking at him as if he were some kind of abomination? The scene around him began to blur and shift, and he felt a wave of nausea as the enormity of the situation began to dawn on him.

The cave seemed to close in on him, the shadows growing darker and more oppressive. He could feel the weight of their stares, heavy and accusing, pressing down on him like a physical force. The old bloodstains on the ground seemed to glow with a sinister light, and the scattered bones appeared to move, rearranging themselves into shapes that hinted at unspeakable violence. Xue Xinyu's breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to make sense of the chaos around him. What had happened while he was lost in his own thoughts? What darkness had he unleashed?

In his mind's eye, images began to flash—fragments of a twisted, violent scene. Blood, screams, and the gleam of steel. The faces of the fallen, contorted in fear and pain, seemed to merge with the faces of the peak masters before him. Xue Xinyu felt a sickening lurch in his stomach as the realisation began to crystallise. Somehow, he had been a part of whatever horror had unfolded in this cave. The words of the peak master echoed in his ears, a haunting refrain that he couldn't escape. "You're a monster."

The cave, with its cold, oppressive air and the silent witnesses of bones and blood, became a living nightmare. Each breath Xue Xinyu took felt like inhaling shards of ice, each heartbeat a hammer blow of dread. He looked into the eyes of the peak master who had spoken, searching for a hint of misunderstanding, a flicker of mercy. But all he saw was an unyielding wall of fear and disgust, a reflection of the monster he was being accused of becoming. The reality of his situation crashed down on him, a torrent of despair and confusion. What had he done? And why couldn't he remember?