CH 31

Xu Fenglin met Jiufang Changming several times many years ago.

They neither came close nor talked, and only looked at each other a couple of times as they both had heard about the other before.

At most, Xu Fenglin’s elder called him over to introduce this smart and talented junior.

While Jiufang Changming was at the peak of his strength, and free to go wherever he pleased, Xu Fenglin was just a fledgling, and didn’t really stand out.

At that time, Jiufang Changming was like a lofty deity. Even if Xu Fenglin wanted to get close to him, he would have had no chance.

He could only look up to Jiufang Changming with respect, observing his unprecedented, dazzling and unscrupulous behaviour. Everyone had no choice but to be cautious of his abilities, and addressed him with either “immortal” or “daozun” respectfully.

Even after Jiufang Changming abandoned Dao to convert to Buddhism, Buddhist sects were more than eager to accept such a talent, since it showed how “Buddhism shined over all things”. They praised and supported him, even bestowing him the “fuzun” title.

Fuzun: form of address. Just like daozun is ‘venerable Daoist’, this one is ‘venerable Buddhist’.

For the Xu Fenglin of those years, he was almost like a myth out of reach. On the contrary, Jiufang Changming’s disciple, Yun Weisi, was a real person at arm’s length, a role model to admire.

He wanted to be Yun Weisi, or, probably, stand alongside Yun Weisi.

His existence in the world itself was inspiring.

While others revered and adored Jiufang Changming, Xu Fenglin was almost disinterested in him.

Xu Fenglin would have never anticipated that after so many years this strong person of great abilities, who stood so high he had to raise his head to look at him, would now be standing right in front of him.

A lonely and desolate man in dire straits with a faint breath, and a dark expression.

He couldn’t even catch his breath after saying one sentence, so he had to make pauses and cough from time to time.

Xu Fenglin didn’t need to feel his pulse: just from Jiufang Changming’s expression alone he could conclude that this person wouldn’t last for too long, just like a rotten tree.

A rotten tree: a hopeless case.

And this person is Yun Weisi’s shifu?

Years ago, Jiufang Changming was still a strong person who could make mountains crumble and the earth split just by moving one finger. Now he was reduced to such a state that even being alive was humiliating; how could he be deserving to stay next to Yun Weisi?

No, he’s not worthy.

If this person actually died, Yun Weisi would free himself from these shackles and be reborn, never falling into Jiufang Changming’s shadow again.

Xu Fenglin’s finger moved. He felt his blood surging in his fiery heart with excitement.

Defeating Jiufang Changming—even if he was already like this—was still a matter that would make anyone excited.

Who knows, maybe he would even break through his heart restraints, and advance to the next cultivation level.

Xu Fenglin was a person who always kept his words.

Since he personally made a promise to Yun Weisi, he was sure to kill Jiufang Changming, and to do it with his own hands.

He stretched his arm, and put the other on the sheath of his sword.

Although he thought that killing Jiufang Changming in his present state didn’t require him using his own sword, he was still preparing for the worst.

But he didn’t expect he would make a miscalculation.

As if Jiufang Changming had foreseen his actions, the moment Xu Fenglin raised his arm, his enemy retreated swiftly and naturally, reaching the balustrade, and then making a circle to appear from behind a column. He raised his sleeves, and two white shadows flew from them!

Xu Fenglin realized that they were white wolves at a glance.

These white wolves were brimming with murderous intentions; if one looked carefully, they would notice that they were molded from paper, but weren’t less fierce than real wolves.

Xu Fenglin wasn’t expecting this, so he could only unsheathe his sword and take a step back.

First, he made the white wolves retreat with one horizontal stroke of his sword, and then attacked the paper wolves again.

He didn’t anticipate that before he would manage to deal with the two wolves, Jiufang Changming would release two more paper puppets.

The puppets with short daggers in their hands cut off his retreat ways. Their daggers were also formidable like tigers, with shape and form. They sealed off all his ways, leaving no gaps.

“How did you?!”

Xu Fenglin never expected to see a person whose powers were sealed by this city to be able to summon puppets.

Jiufang Changming grabbed some melon seeds and sat on the balustrade, putting one of his legs on the rail, calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos.

“My good nephew… Right, your position is far below mine in terms of seniority. Ah, my good grandnephew, you should rejoice that you met me now, not fifty years ago, otherwise I would’ve sent you right to your reincarnation. Nowadays, this venerable one’s heart has softened too much, and fellows like you still have a chance to survive. These melon seeds are terrible, bring the ones that taste better next time.”

My good nephew: here, a friend’s disciple, ‘martial’ nephew.

Xu Fenglin remained silent. His sharp sword emitted a ferocious aura, and the wolves’ heads were chopped off in no time. But the other two puppets were hard to deal with: their bodies were agile, and, even if encountered outside the city, they could still be regarded as skilled martial artists.

While he was fighting, Jiufang Changming released two more puppets, and these four “people” surrounded Xu Fenglin, giving him no opportunity to get to Jiufang Changming.

Xu Fenglin was anxious and doubtful. He thought, could it be that Jiufang Changming’s cultivation has reached such depths that he has regained his natural state, and can already ignore the rules of the Nine Layers of the Abyss?

Using his preoccupation with the fight, Changming looked at the lake under the Yunding Tower.

The Yunding Tower was connected with the marble platform in the middle of the lake by an elevated passageway.

All kinds of flowers and plants, colourful and exotic, were growing on the platform.

Just when Changming realised which plant was the Yangzhen Grass that Xu Jingxian had mentioned, a strong wind came towards him from behind!

Without turning his head, he leaned to a side, throwing two more puppets in response.

Paying no attention to the puppets that stabbed both his hands, Xu Fenglin rushed to Changming, with a murderous look on his face, ready to fight to his last gasp.

Changming was slightly shaken by his resolute attack. He thought, there is no peculiar animosity between us, why is he so determined to kill me?

Very soon, they started fighting hand-to-hand.

Changming was at a disadvantage since he had no spiritual tool with himself, but, unexpectedly, he was by no means less nimble than Xu Fenglin.

The latter waved his sword, its rays intertwining with each other. The two of them had exchanged several dozens of moves, but, to Xu Fenglin’s surprise, he only managed to cut Changming’s robes a bit, but couldn’t deal him any damage at all.

But this inner astonishment didn’t slow down Xu Fenglin’s attacks. On the tips of his feet, he jumped to Changming. This strike was so fast that even the puppets had no time to react!

The sky was getting dark outside the tower.

At some point, rosy clouds disappeared without a trace, and the sky turned into one gloomy and dark mess. In a short time, everyone had long since disappeared from the market, and a dead silence fell upon the whole Heavenly City, all the noise calming down.

Screeches of the vultures sounded from afar, making the silence of the town even more obvious.

It seemed like all the city residents were waiting silently for that moment.

Xu Fenglin’s expression changed a bit.

This room had windows on each wall, was placed high up above the ground, and couldn’t serve as a shelter at all: the very first prey of the approaching vultures would have been them. He had already experienced how terrifying those vultures were, and knew that no matter how skilled a person was, he wouldn’t be able to defeat a hundred enemies.

Originally, he thought he would dispose of Changming quickly, chop off his head and bring it to Yun Weisi, leaving Changming’s remnants to the vultures to scavenge. It would have also been nice to announce Jiufang Changming’s ultimate death. He never expected this matter to drag for so long that the vultures would come.

Xu Fenglin hastened his moves, his sword attacks falling like raindrops. Changming picked up a cushion from the floor casually to block the assault, and the cushion was immediately ripped into countless pieces, floating around in the air.

The vultures were getting closer.

Changming suddenly stretched his arm out.

He avoided another attack, and raised his leg to kick the other in the crotch. While Xu Fenglin was dodging this, Changming grabbed his robes from behind, and hit him hard!

The two of them fell together right into the lake from the top floor of the tower!

Two huge splashes sounded with the vultures’ screeches nearby.

The creatures feeding on corpses that night finally came.

The whole Heavenly City fell into a pitch-black darkness, and everyone in the town was hiding in their rooms, afraid that the kettle of vultures who were more dreadful than demons would notice them.

Some who knew no fear of death peeked outside through window joints, their curiosity piqued.

A group of sacrifices was released on the streets of Heavenly City, and a large part of the vultures’ kettle flew on their scent.

But some had noticed the movements in the Yunding Tower, and moved there to find Xu Fenglin and the other.

Xu Fenglin had no time to kill Changming.

First, he should save his own life.

A large shadow descended upon their heads, and Xu Fenglin swiftly jumped onto the marble platform from the water. The sword in his hand was dancing, creating a barrier that stopped those monsters from coming near him. Feathers covered in blood and flesh were falling on the earth in disorder, and a thick stench of blood permeated the area.

Attracting even more enemies.

The vultures half of a man’s height opened their blood red eyes in the darkness, striving to be the first to get to him, stepping one over another to get closer.

Xu Fenglin was raising his sword relentlessly.

A violent pain hit his arm, and a piece of his clothes with some flesh was pecked off by a vulture.

When these creatures smelled blood, they became even more excited, and huge coming waves of vultures surrounded him tightly.

No one came to lend him a hand.

Xu Fenglin’s martial arts were high, so he took over the position of the city’s elder in no time. Many people were flattering and fawning over him, wishing to win over his favor to gain profit; many people cursed him behind his back, looking forward to seeing him have an accident and free the position of a city elder.

But at that moment, he could only rely on his own powers.

However, the vultures wouldn’t have let him go just because he was resisting fiercely.

On the contrary, because their prey looked so appetizing, they only attacked him more insanely.

Changming’s situation was not much better.

Many vultures rushed to him as well.

He dove into the lake.

This lake was very deep.

So deep he couldn’t see its bottom.

He was sinking deeper and deeper, but still didn’t seem to reach it.

Changming opened his palm. A bright golden pearl appeared from it, suspended in the water.

It was one of the gold beads from the Golden Glass Beads Staff. He put it in his sleeve when he entered the city, and the staff itself was with Xu Jingxian.

But the beads were only spiritual tools from the tip of that cane.

Without the staff, it was just an uncommon weapon, but not a rare and precious one.

The gold bead was glowing.

Changming lowered his gaze, but still couldn’t see the bottom.

With the light, he could see how muddy the lake water was. Tiny particles of dust were floating all around.

This lake was strange indeed.

When people viewed the Yunding Tower as the symbol of Heavenly City, disregarding the lake under it.

But, at first glance, Changming understood that it was precisely the one and only component that completed the formation of Heavenly City.

The Nine Layers of the Abyss was a passage formed as the result of great changes in the world caused by cultivators’ confrontations with demons; all the countless locations in this passage, from the Seven Stars Platform on the First Layer up to this Heavenly City, were touched and influenced by people.

Better to say, it was people and favourable combinations of circumstances working together that had created the Nine Layers of the Abyss of today.

This place was full of mysteries and countless spiritual treasures, and attracted crowds of cultivators from the outside, making them risk their lives here.

Those vultures had no way to dive into the water, so they left Changming for the time being, and switched to attacking Xu Fenglin even more vigorously.

But he couldn’t hold on like this forever.

From the distance, a ray of light flashed.

Blurred and indistinct, dream-like yet real.

It should be there…

But Changming felt that he might not be able to reach that place anymore.

The longer he was under the surface of the lake, the more faint his breath became.

Although he was sinking down gradually, this speed was not enough.

The water began to seep into his nostrils and ears, and the soft bright light of the gold bead was lighting his face, while he was losing his consciousness.

His wrist was grabbed tightly.

Changming wanted to struggle subconsciously, but he had no power.

That hand did not only grip his arm, but even moved to his shoulder.

He only felt a warm and soft feeling coming from his lips, and air entered through his mouth immediately.

The other person embraced him tightly, and they didn’t move up to the surface, only sinking deeper to the source of the light.

Their robes and hair were floating in the water with weeds. The gold glass bead was floating nearby, outlining the silhouettes, as if they were in a dream.

Through his half-closed eyes, he saw a familiar figure.

The name was ready to escape his lips.

Changming slightly opened his mouth, and a bubble left his lips; very soon, the soft feeling reappeared.

On the water surface, the brave fight of one against hundreds turned into a slaughter of one by many. His blood and flesh, torn into pieces, soaked the water, and these bits were quickly being devoured.

Drops of splashing blood sank in the water, forming red circles that quickly blended with the water.

On one side, demons bathing in a sea of blood; on the other side, a dreamy illusion like a bubble’s shadow.

A dreamy illusion like a bubble’s shadow: fleeting.

Under the water and above the water, like two different worlds.

…

Time was flowing backwards in the chaos repeating in cycles.

Changming realized that he had entered the Sacred Mountain Wan once again.

That was him from several decades ago.

It seemed like he was still in an illusion. He finally recalled what had happened after the history shown by the lake under the Rainbow Bridge.

That year, while he was wandering through the Sacred Mountain Wan, he came across a strange phenomena.

On a forgotten and overgrown with weeds mountain range, holes that came out of nowhere started appearing on the ground one after another, emitting black qi unceasingly.

He used a sword technique, and a few gashes of wind swept past, dispersing the black qi. It gathered again, gaining a human shape; a red light was glowing inside the dark mass, and it slowly came closer to him.

Such a demon that hadn’t even gained its shape could never hurt him, and Jiufang Changming utterly defeated it in no time.

He even pulled a succubus that had already had a half complete form from one pit. The upper half of its body had gained a human shape, seductive and charming, but the lower half was still the original mess of black qi. Succubuses fed on vital essence, and spirits and souls were the best for its cultivation. To cultivate such an appearance, this one succubus must have eaten at least several hundreds of human souls.

But the Sacred Mountain Wan was deserted, even traces of people were rare, where could it have found so many souls?

Changming grabbed the succubus, but didn’t kill it, intending to get the answer out of it.

The wind carried sand and drove stones in the dark chaos.

The succubus was struggling under his pressure and begging for mercy. It was forced to reveal some information.

“You must understand it yourself. If I hadn’t been invited, I would have never been able to come to this world from the Darkest Abyss!”

“Who invited you?”

“I don’t know either… ah!”

Changming tightened the grip on its throat, showing no tenderness for the beauty whatsoever.

That national grace and divine fragrance started crying at once.

National grace, divine fragrance: an outstanding beauty.

Unfortunately, she met a man who had a heart of stone.

“Speak.”

“That person used… used Daoist techniques!”

“From which faction, which sect?”

“I don’t know, I have never seen him, I only heard his words. He was probably a man. He deployed a formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan to summon us, and even made a blood contract with us. He said, he only wants us to…”

The sound of its voice was getting softer. Changming slightly loosened his grip and leaned closer.

All of a sudden, the succubus’s expression changed, and with a green face and ferocious fangs, it jumped on him, grinning hideously!

While it was gaping its blood-thirsty mouth, the black qi blotted out the sky.

He abruptly opened his eyes.

The one who was holding him was not a succubus, but Yun Weisi.

More precisely, Yun Hai of the nighttime.

“Where are we?”

“The Ninth Layer of the Abyss, the Void Shore.”

The author has something to say:

A small theatre unrelated to the main text:

Yun Hai: I came.

Yun Weisi: Who wants to see you?

Yun Hai: Readers.

Yun Weisi: It’s fine, as long as shizun doesn’t want to see you, others matter nothing.

Changming: I also missed Yun Hai, my lovely disciple.

Yun Weisi: …