CH 133

It was not that Yun Weisi had never thought of sharing in Changming’s fox poison, but before this, the poison seemed to stick to Changming persistently, and no matter what they had tried, they could not get rid of it.

However, it was different now. Changming’s inner breath resembled a fabric that could absorb water easily—he quickly gathered any spiritual power that was offered to him. At the same time, the light on the back of his hand that glowed whenever the fox poison flared up had also dimmed slightly.

This meant that the fox poison had been suppressed. Although it had not been completely dispelled, the suffering caused by the poison had abated for the time being.

The dark clouds and the heavy fog scattered away, but there was not a trace of the young master to be seen. As the ragged clouds dispersed, the dawn broke on the horizon.

The hazy night was about to dissipate.

The common people had no way of knowing that they had come close to the gates of hell and had narrowly escaped a tragic death. They only noticed that the dense mist had dispersed, the ice had melted, and the snow was now glittering brightly. It was as if they had been wandering through blind alleys before this and had now made their way out to the scenery of picturesque mountains and rivers that were illuminated by the sun.

Everyone rejoiced to the point of crying tears of joy. The people in the guest houses, who were now all acquainted with each other, were all smiling. Merchants were happy that they could now continue on their journeys after being trapped here for so many days. Even though staying at an inn meant that they did not have to suffer from the bumpiness of the roads, the experience had been too disturbing this time. As soon as they saw the snow stop falling and the sun shining, many decided to leave without further ado. As a result, crowds were bustling, and the town was quite lively now.

Even though many human lives had been lost in the town—an entire caravan had even been wiped out—the dead had already passed away, and the living should move forward with their lives. Many people had been afraid of losing their lives here, but the rising sun had revived the hope in their hearts. Having realized that they were finally out of danger, everyone decided that it was better to take the long roundabout way instead of passing through this place ever again.

However, there was a remote and forgotten corner of Hongluo that had become even more unrecognizable after the fierce battle that took place here.

Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian arrived soon after Yun Weisi, but they did not find the person they wanted to see.

“Where is that man?!”

“Luomei’s left.”

It seemed that Changming felt that Jiang Li did not want to reveal the young master’s identity, so he pointed it out first.

Jiang Li flinched and fell silent for a moment: “How can you be sure that was him, Daoyou?”

Changming: “I’ve been his enemy for half of my life. I stepped into the Liuhu Zhutian Formation, seeking the truth, and soon it’ll come to an end.”

Apart from Yun Weisi, no one understood what Jiufang Changming meant.

At this moment, even though they knew that there was something wrong with their master, Yao Wangnian was only investigating it to find out the truth about his death, and Jiang Li was just pursuing justice for his shixiong. No matter how much they doubted their shizun, they could have never guessed the reason they were to die by his hand with their souls shackled for eternity, nor could they know that Chi Bijiang, alongside the entire Wanxian Palace, would get involved in this matter, which would finally plunge the world into chaos with a slim chance of salvation.

Although Jiang Li did not quite know what was going on, he could feel that Changming harbored no ill intentions towards him or Yao Wangnian.

A grandmaster’s bearing did not necessarily manifest itself in the way they spoke, but there was something about them that would always make others admire and believe them. While Jiufang Changming’s name was unknown at this point, the world was full of talented individuals and hermits that refused to join any sect and preferred to remain rogue cultivators, roaming the world like floating clouds or wild cranes. Jiang Li automatically classified him and Yun Weisi as two such people.

However, Yao Wangnian was more careful and distrustful than Jiang Li. He looked at Changming and Yun Weisi closely and inquired: “You want to use us to kill Luomei?”

“Had we not appeared, Yao Wangnian would have died. After his death, everything that has happened in Hongluo would have been blamed on him.”

“A discarded disciple, a ghost cultivator, someone who conceals his identity. All these titles would have become shackles he would not be able to break out of, while Immortal Luomei would have appeared as a role model who was ready to place righteousness over familial bonds. Clan Master Jiang, would you have trusted your shizun, or your dashixiong whom you haven’t seen for years?”

“After the Juhun Pearl was complete, Yao Wangnian would have become the final piece in perfecting it. Yet one Juhun Pearl can’t satisfy Luomei’s needs. During his closed-door cultivation, he’ll encounter an insurmountable problem. He’ll realize that his cultivation has certainly surpassed that of any other person in this world, but he’ll never be able to transcend this level, break through this final obstacle and turn into an immortal. That will make him experience a deviation to the point that he’ll almost lose his life.”

Yun Weisi kept talking smoothly, yet Jiang Li’s expression was unchanged.

As soon as Yun Weisi stopped talking, Jiang Li could not help urging him: “And then?”

“Afterwards, he’ll notice a cracked seal that separates the abyss from our world on the Sacred Mountain Wan and come into contact with it. From that moment on, Luomei will no longer be the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. Everything he’ll do will serve only one purpose: his ascension. The Wanjian Immortal Clan will be but a stepping stone on his path.”

“Still, he’ll fail his ascension. He will reach the end of the time that has been allocated to him and will only think of one way to prevent his death, which is taking over someone else’s body. The body of a common person has no value in his eyes, and he will only settle for the body of someone with a firm standing in society, strong cultivation, and who comes from the same sect. The world is vast, but where will he find a person who satisfies these criteria?”

Of course, Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian did not interrupt Yun Weisi, and even Chi Bijiang guessed the meaning of his words. She was breathing shallowly and paled. She could not bear to listen, yet did not want to interrupt Yun Weisi, so she could only purse her lips.

“Yao Wangnian’s already dead, so he is out of the question. There is only one person in the Wanjian Immortal Clan who can meet Luomei’s requirements.”

Yun Weisi looked at Jiang Li. The latter did not express any anger and did not try to retort.

It seemed that Jiang Li was lost in his thoughts. For a long time, he did not say anything.

This dead silence was only broken up by gusts of wind that brushed against the ruined walls and the fence, which briefly stirred up their hearts.

Changming coughed. He bent over and picked up A-Rong who had been buried under the ruins of the house. She had lost her body during the fight and had returned to her original appearance of a fox with dull gray fur. This small fox, who was now on the verge of death, was put into Changming’s sleeve. He had a qiankun pouch there, which was also where he kept Zhou Keyi’s spiritual soul.

Even though she had turned into a fox, A-Rong was still not good to look at, especially compared to another white fox that seemed to possess the beautiful appearance of a creature that was capable of cultivation. However, that white fox was almost in the same condition as the gray one—both of them had clumps in their fur, which was also stained with blood. The only difference between them was that the white fox was already dead. Only its spiritual soul was still shimmering above its body, reluctant to leave.

Hua-Shan did not live for too long, but she used to have lofty aspirations and ambitions. She wanted to lead her kind and reach new heights, so she did not hesitate when Luomei offered her help. Despite her absolute obedience to him, she did not become someone who was seen as an equal by Luomei. On the contrary, it had even led to her death. In Luomei’s eyes, the Wanjian Immortal Clan and his favorite disciple could be discarded so easily—so, what more could be said about some fox spirit?

Yun Weisi stretched his arm and clenched his fist. Hua-Shan’s soul turned into a light breeze in his hands, shone for a moment, and became a small soul pearl.

He had not forgotten Jiang Li’s words. If they wanted to get rid of the poison in Changming’s body, they needed a fox and the Bingxue Grass to be refined into a medicine with the help of the Longzu Cauldron.

“Even if he takes over Jiang Li’s body, he won’t succeed. My shidi’s talent is not as great as mine, and his temperament is not firm enough. Sure, the Wanjian Immortal Clan’s influence is immense, but they can’t hide the truth from the entire world. What can he do?”

Yao Wangnian spoke suddenly. No one could discern the expression under his mask.

It looked like he was clarifying things to Yun Weisi and Changming, but even more so to himself.

“He can deploy a trap and tell the cultivation world that he’s setting up a formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan to patch up the crack in the seal and prevent the demons from escaping through it. In truth, that formation will be bound to fail. Some people will be sacrificed, and someone will serve as a scapegoat. The most prominent clan masters will perish there or disappear without a trace. Someone will escape by sheer luck, notice that something went wrong, and refuse to remain a bystander.”

As Yun Weisi was saying this, the past emerged in front of his eyes. He suddenly noticed many details that used to escape his eyes.

Once, Jiufang Changming asked why there were not as many talented disciples in the world after he had returned, even though the sects were plenty. As one of the most influential Daoist sects, the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had produced many grandmasters in the past. However, after the incident on the Sacred Mountain Wan, their clan master, Fu Dongyuan, disappeared mysteriously and had not shown his face ever since. The cultivation level of their disciples that they had met was not outstanding. The only one really talented was perhaps He Qingmo.

Given how smart Fu Dongyuan was, how could he ignore the strangeness of the Wanjian Immortal Clan for so many years? He understood that Luomei had accomplished what he wanted on the Sacred Mountain Wan and had the Wanxiang Palace and the demons as accomplices, so Fu Dongyuan could hardly go against them alone. Even if he did resist, he would have had to pay a great price, so he decided to sacrifice himself and watch the show from the sidelines in hiding. He did not want to stand out.

Moreover, one of the two most prominent clans of Buddhism, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple and the Qingyun School, had already colluded with Luomei. One was preoccupied with expanding their influence and did not even notice Luomei slip past them and take control over the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.

The rest of the clans and families all acted out of their own free will. They were scattered all around the world. Luomei had been steadily implementing his plan for decades, and it was not difficult for him to eliminate all of them one by one.

Demonic cultivators like those of the Jianxue Clan might have seemed prosperous and promising, but Zhou Keyi was ruthless and bloodthirsty, and he did not tolerate other sects. The entire structure of his sect could topple down from the slightest push as if it was made out of sand. This push happened to be the death of Liu Xiyu of the Qixing Sect. At that time, Zhou Keyi did not know that his fate was already in the hands of Luomei, whom he had never met. Luomei needed only to wait for the right moment to use him to lure Jiufang Changming out. The point of Zhou Keyi’s existence was not to lead the demonic cultivators or be the master of the Jianxue Clan—he was only useful because his shifu was Jiufang Changming.

That was also why Changming worked so hard to save Zhou Keyi—he understood Luomei’s plans. That was something he owed Zhou Keyi.

“After that, no one will dare oppose Luomei in the open. He will have everything arranged as he wants and set up an even larger Liuhe Zhutian Formation. After six Juhun Pearls are complete, he’ll set the formation into motion, and the abyss will be split open. The world will turn into another realm of demons. He will become one with the demons by that point, and they will share their gains. And then, if Fu Dongyuan or even all the grandmasters join forces, they will still be unable to go against Luomei.”

“People will only have two options.”

“To die from the demonic qi in the ruins of the world or—”

Yun Weisi continued slowly, “Drag him down and perish together in the formation.”

The second option was not so easy.

The common people were not as unimportant as ants in Luomei’s eyes. Even skillful masters like He Qingmo or Xu Jingxian would have suffered a crushing defeat in a battle against him that would be akin to striking a wall with an egg. 

Meanwhile, Yun Weisi, Jiufang Changming, and Sun Buku had spent too much spiritual power, so when the formation was activated, there was no time for them to strike together. It was the same for all other grandmasters in the area. Even the strongest person would not have been able to bring down the Liuhe Zhutian Formation that was supported by millions of souls and demonic qi. Had Chi Bijiang not implemented a flaw into the formation, they would not have managed to die together with Luomei. Having overestimated their capabilities, they would have been crushed into powder, before being turned into yet another stepping stone in Luomei’s grandiose plan.

Yun Weisi felt additional weight press onto his shoulder. He looked to the side and saw that Jiufang Changming had lost his consciousness and had started collapsing. Yun Weisi’s heart sank, and he quickly caught Changming.

His breathing was more or less stable, but it was difficult to say whether he had any internal injuries. Yun Weisi noticed that his shizun’s aura had changed after his battle with Luomei, but he could not tell whether the change was for the better or the worse.

“I’ll take him back to treat his wounds,” Yun Weisi said nothing more after that, before picking him up, and leaving.

The Changming Sword flashed and abruptly disappeared from sight, hidden by Changming’s side.

Seeing this, Chi Bijiang breathed out in surprise, but did not say anything.

“The Qianlin Assembly!” Jiang Li suddenly spoke.

“Even if we go back to my clan now, I’m afraid that we won’t find anyone. However, in three days, the next Qianlin Assembly will be held. This year, it’s hosted by the Zhengrong Mountain Villa nearby, at the outskirts of Shangzhou. Dashixiong’s alive, shiz… he certainly won’t be pleased. There will also be many skilled participants at the Qianlin Assembly. If he wants to refine a Juhun Pearl, he might appear again!”

Jiang Li gritted his teeth and revealed his guess.

Yao Wangnian moved slightly.

Yun Weisi stopped and turned his head back.

“If he’s fine, we’ll be there soon.”

But Jiufang Changming had not regained consciousness. Yun Weisi returned to the guest house and set up a formation around it, and still, Changming slept soundly. Yun Weisi tried everything to wake him up, but it was all in vain.

Yun Weisi took him in his arms, put his hand on the back of Changming’s hand, and recited some techniques. Yun Weisi tried to wake up his consciousness, but it seemed like there was a barrier in front of it preventing any outside interference.

Yun Weisi grew a bit nervous. He pierced the skin between his eyebrows to pour his blood into Changming.

For Yun Weisi, nothing mattered much, save Jiufang Changming.

Even if Luomei was alive, the worst thing that could happen was a repeat of the destruction of the world. Yet if anything happened to Jiufang Changming, Yun Weisi had no reason to continue living.

In the end, he was completely different from Jiufang Changming. He only thought about himself, and his Dao was only one person. If this person was a boundless ocean of stars, Yun Weisi was willing to embrace this ocean. If this person was a grain of rice, Yun Weisi’s existence was just as miniscule.

At the same time, Jiufang Changming, who looked like a heartless person, was the most fearless person in the world. All living creatures yearned for light, and he was the only one willing to venture into darkness if that was demanded by his sense of duty, and never turned back. Even if it cost him his cultivation and ruined everything he had accomplished, he would still continue seeking the truth.

For Yun Weisi, Changming was the light, his only Dao.

As soon as he thought of it, Yun Weisi saw white light ignite in front of him with a loud noise. It blinded his vision and even threw him back, plunging him into darkness soon afterwards!

Tn:

Sorry guys, midterms…