Chapter 219: A Mountain Suspended, A River Submerged (33)
The incantations that Yan Shixun recited turned into golden characters, piercing through the rain and forming glowing circles of light in the air. As they wrapped around his hands, they transformed his palms into blades.
Who needed a peach wood sword? With the great way in his chest, the method he practiced became the means to slay ghosts.
Exterminating all evil spirits.
Yan Shixun moved with such speed that he left afterimages in the splashing rain.
He watched as Ritual Master, at the same time, rushed towards him, hand wrapped in cold, deathly energy. His eyes gleamed with a smile that showed his confidence, mocking Ritual Master’s arrogance.
Yan Shixun never held any illusions about other beings. Hoping that an adversary would show mercy was not his strength. His solitary wolf-like approach to life had made him accustomed to planning everything in advance, including responses and escape routes.
So, even before Ritual Master tried to lure him, he had been silently guiding him, making sure that the distance between them was just right for his attacks. What was once a disadvantage had silently turned into his advantage.
When he had called out to Ye Li and received no response, Yan Shixun had realized that they were in a dream controlled entirely by Ritual Master, a place isolated from reality.
Even calling upon heaven and earth might not yield a response; all the power of his talismans was suppressed to its lowest point.
And when Ritual Master, fooled by Yan Shixun’s pretended expression of shock, unguardedly revealed his true plan, Yan Shixun was even more certain—
It seemed that the entire Nanming Mountain was under Ritual Master’s control.
Within this range, Ritual Master, who had grasped the great Dao, possessed powers similar to it.
Although Ritual Masterr’s “god” identity was false, the offerings he had received over the years had allowed him to travel between life and death, passing through the realms of life and death thousands of times, granting him a power similar to that of a “god.”
Jing Xiaobao, with his Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, had wandered between life and death nine times, gaining strength far beyond all other malevolent spirits and nearing the position of a ghost deity.
How much more could Ritual Master have achieved after trampling on life and death for over a thousand times?
Although Ritual Master didn’t have the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation as Yan Shixun and Jing Xiaobao, which prevented him from naturally sensing the heavens or touching the great Dao, he had managed to evade the oversight of the great Dao in Nanming Mountain for decades, touching the heights of heaven and earth with sheer numbers.
This led Yan Shixun to question whether Ritual Master, who could manipulate and erase people’s memories and influence their perceptions, had truly obtained what he sought.
However, since Ritual Master had evaded the great Dao, he surely had not earned the great Dao’s approval or gaze.
Perhaps this was why Ritual Master had become so excited when he realized Yan Shixun had an Evil Spirit Bone Transformation.
—The Evil Spirit Bone Transformation was a miracle beneath the great Dao, a being that could receive the gaze of heaven and earth.
This should have been a crisis for Yan Shixun, but he had turned the crisis into an opportunity, using it as bait to pull Ritual Master closer to him.
As long as Ritual Master desired something, his greed would become his weakness, the key to Yan Shixun’s victory.
Yan Shixun felt no fear of being killed by Ritual Master. Instead, in this perilous moment, he made a reckless gamble.
Would the talismans be weak under suppression? Was the entire world controlled by Ritual Master? Then he would compress all his strength into a single attack, making it a decisive strike that would exhaust him completely!
He didn’t care about what would happen afterward, only focusing on the victory in front of him!
After all… if he couldn’t win this moment, what could he expect in the future?
He would simply become a tool for fulfilling Ritual Master’s ambitions, surrounded by corpses, killed by Ritual Master, and turned into a cold, lifeless corpse.
Yan Shixun had no interest in death. He only cared about… defeating all the ghosts and demons that wanted to kill him!
He felt an excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time.
When he summoned the energy from his meridians, his body, which should have been empty, trembled with excitement. In the cold, chilling rain, his agility surged to its peak, and his body radiated intense heat.
So, when Ritual Master suddenly attacked, thinking he would catch Yan Shixun off guard and successfully obtain the corpse of the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, he instead fell into Yan Shixun’s trap.
Yan Shixun’s handsome face remained calm, but his bright, sharp eyes betrayed his excitement and wild ambition.
His actions were undisturbed by Ritual Master’s counterattack. He transformed his palm into a blade, cutting through Ritual Master’s power, bypassing all obstacles, and heading straight for Ritual Master’s throat, right into the widening eyes of Ritual Master.
The wind, driven by speed and power, sliced through the air, even tearing open the skin of Ritual Master. The nearby corpses that hadn’t yet managed to escape were shredded into a mess of flesh under the gusts of this force.
However, as the skin of Ritual Master was torn open, at such a close distance, Yan Shixun could clearly see what was hidden beneath Ritual Master’s skin.
It wasn’t flesh and bone, but… a layer upon layer of chrysanthemum petals.
White, yellow, they were blown out from the wounds beneath the skin, fluttering in the rain and wind.
It was like a stuffed doll filled with cotton—beneath its seemingly intact exterior, it was all fake stuffing.
Yan Shixun remembered the rotting corpses that would explode upon touch. They were nothing more than human skin wrapped around a pile of blood and flesh.
Now that he saw this, it seemed that Ritual Master was no different from them.
And these chrysanthemum petals…
Yan Shixun’s gaze darkened. In a flash, he figured out Ritual Master’s means of controlling Nanming Mountain.
—Chrysanthemums everywhere.
They were not only Ritual Master’s eyes watching over Nanming Mountain but also his method of absorbing vitality.
The image of yellow chrysanthemums swaying on the coffin of Nan Tian still lingered in Yan Shixun’s mind.
And after he touched the chrysanthemum petals in the old woman’s garden, his memories returned. This was probably because Ritual Master, being the source of everything, didn’t suffer from the loss of memories, allowing his own memories to return to normal as well.
Although Yan Shixun still didn’t understand why Ritual Master wanted to turn him into a mass of chrysanthemums hidden beneath human skin, it didn’t stop him from attacking Ritual Master now.
No matter what it was, the priority was to return to reality from this dream first.
If communication with heaven and earth wasn’t possible, then the complete eradication of Ritual Master was out of the question.
Yan Shixun’s resolve was as firm as rock. Under Ritual Master’s disbelieving and horrified gaze, his palm, sharp as a blade, drove into Ritual Master’s throat.
“Puchi!”
The skin split open, and thousands of petals flew out, falling and getting drenched in the rain.
Yan Shixun’s view was obstructed by the chrysanthemums, but he remained calm, changing his gestures. Relying on his sense of touch, he accurately found the bones beneath the skin and petals, grabbing Ritual Master’s neck and pulling it out.
“Crack!” A sound of dislocation.
Ritual Master’s face still held an expression of shock, but his head limply dropped, twisted at an eerie angle.
He never imagined that the Evil Spirit Bone Transformation, which he considered to be under his control, could fight back and turn the tide like this.
But even as Ritual Master’s body slowly collapsed to the ground, Yan Shixun didn’t lower his guard.
The unexpected chrysanthemums made him realize that Ritual Master probably had more secrets he hadn’t uncovered yet.
This meant… Ritual Master likely had a backup plan.
Indeed, the moment Ritual Master collapsed to the muddy ground, his entire body suddenly disintegrated into countless petals, blocking Yan Shixun’s view.
When Yan Shixun quickly brushed the petals from his eyes and looked again, he found only a pile of white and yellow petals remaining. Ritual Master’s skin had vanished.
Yan Shixun’s pupils contracted. He knew that now Ritual Master was hidden in the shadows while he was in the light, and the situation had become even more urgent and dangerous.
Before Yan Shixun could adjust his stance and search the surroundings, he suddenly felt a pair of icy hands resting on his shoulder.
Chilly, eerie energy spread from his shoulder up his neck, and his soul instinctively screamed in warning, telling him that something behind him wanted to kill him.
…Ritual Master.
Yan Shixun’s eyes darkened, his expression grim and dangerous.
His earlier strike had destroyed Ritual Master’s skin, and it had caused Ritual Master to become wary, to the point where he couldn’t even restore his form. Ritual Master was trying to keep him trapped here in the dream before he could escape.
Yan Shixun wasn’t sure about the real world outside, so he couldn’t determine what would happen to his original body if he was truly trapped or even killed in the dream.
Based on the previous words of Ritual Master, the likelihood of death was extremely high.
Once he died, it was likely that Nan Tian would be in danger as well.
Yan Shixun wasn’t worried about the safety of the crew left behind in Longevity Village.
With Ye Li there, he trusted that Ye Li would ensure everyone’s safety.
Moreover, if the official in charge saw signs of trouble from the live broadcast, he would certainly bring a rescue team to save the crew.
The crew’s safety would be assured.
But for now, he was the only one who had ventured deep into the heart of Nanming Mountain, uncovering most of the truth. He was the one closest to the source of all the dangers.
If he failed here, any other attempt to approach this place would not only face the now more cautious and dangerous Ritual Master, but also waste precious time, further adding to the crisis.
If Ritual Master really succeeded in replacing heaven and earth, Nanming Mountain would have no chance of being saved.
Moreover, Ritual Master’s ambition wasn’t limited to this—he also sought to conquer the entire human realm, turning all lives into what he considered “happy” forms.
Yan Shixun gritted his teeth, his muscles instantly tensing. His wet black shirt and pants clung tightly to his body, outlining every muscle’s contour, firm and smooth, with the beauty of absolute strength.
The meridians that had been drained of power in his previous strike were forcibly energized again, frantically squeezing every ounce of strength he could muster.
Yan Shixun moved as swiftly and agilely as the wind and snow, turning on instinct alone. He pointed his arm backward, aiming at the cold aura from behind, intending to strike Ritual Master again.
But after his previous experience, Ritual Master clearly had a deep understanding of the danger and madness of the ghostly form.
Ritual Master, now only a skinless figure, hovered in the air, its image eerie and terrifying.
However, because Ritual Master had no real form now, he was even more difficult to deal with.
With ease, he dodged Yan Shixun’s attack, the benevolent mask of his face tearing away to reveal a cruel grin, and his palm reached out to touch Yan Shixun’s crown.
Yan Shixun saw Ritual Master drawing closer, closer still…
It seemed this time, he would suffer greatly.
Yan Shixun sighed helplessly in his heart but was not panicked.
However, just as he prepared to exchange a wound to change positions and escape from Ritual Master’s grasp, he suddenly heard a cold shout not far away.
“Get lost!”
The voice was deep and full of anger, its murderous aura like the end of all death.
But Yan Shixun immediately recognized the owner of the voice.
It was… Ye Li.
A long, slender hand, with defined joints, reached from behind and ruthlessly grabbed Ritual Master’s head, yanking it backward.
The force was so great that it nearly crushed Ritual Master’s skinless body into a ball.
Ritual Master let out a terrified scream of pain. He had no idea why someone could suppress him so completely in the world he controlled.
However, the voice that followed from behind made Ritual Master wish he had never appeared here at all.
“Since you have the courage to show yourself before me, you should be ready to face the judgment of Fengdu.”
“Twenty years ago, you escaped between life and death, evading the judgment of Fengdu. Now, it’s time for you to return.”
Ye Li’s tall figure slowly appeared behind Ritual Master. His long brows pointed sharply at his temples, and his narrow eyes were as sharp as drawn swords. His imposing aura pressed down like a mountain, stunning Ritual Master’s skinless body, making it tremble violently, almost collapsing to the ground.
Ye Li’s furious gaze looked down upon Ritual Master, and from his pale lips, Ritual Master’s name was clearly spoken.
“Nan Heye, your crime must be punished!”
Even Ritual Master had forgotten his true name after so many years, but now it was spoken aloud.
Ritual Master’s eyes widened in fear. The same terror he had felt twenty years ago flooded back to him.
Twenty years ago, the Fengdu judge had traveled through the human world to pass judgment on the sins of Nan Village. The guilty souls were taken to Fengdu to endure torture, while the innocent souls returned to life.
Ritual Master, who had long been planning things using Nan Village as a base, had his plans exposed when the villagers’ sins were laid bare before the ruler of Fengdu.
Furious, the ruler of Fengdu had Ritual Master flee in disgrace, abandoning almost everything to barely escape with his life. He used special methods to hide his form.
Because of this, Ritual Master’s plans, which had seemed successful twenty years ago, ended in disaster. He lost all his power and could only rely on draining the life force of others to rebuild his strength, left in a pitiful state.
Ritual Master had been trapped on Nanming Mountain for many years, never daring to step outside, fearing he might encounter the Lord of Fengdu again, who would come to wander the mortal world and kill him on the spot.
One could say that the scene of the Fengdu Lord’s journey through the human realm twenty years ago had made Ritual Master fearful of the heavenly dao, and it had become the greatest fear of his life.
At this moment, when the fear from that time resurfaced, Ritual Master didn’t even dare to look back to confirm what was happening. Just hearing the sound was enough to make him tremble and hurry to escape.
Under Ye Li’s hand, Ritual Master let out a heart-wrenching scream, losing all his previous “divine” appearance. Instead, he looked more like a dying beast, disheveled and ugly.
In the next moment, Ritual Master’s entire body “boom!” exploded, creating a thunderous sound that echoed through the air.
Like the bizarre remnants of rotting corpses, Ritual Master did not spill blood or flesh after his explosion. Instead, he transformed into a mass of chrysanthemum petals, scattering in all directions.
Yan Shixun was shocked by the sudden turn of events, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Through the flurry of petals and the rainstorm, Yan Shixun clearly saw Ye Li standing opposite him, his tall figure towering like a mountain. His broad shoulders seemed capable of bearing the weight of the entire world.
In that instant, Yan Shixun held his breath, his heart pounding loudly.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to feel at that moment, but the intense heat generated by his racing heartbeat was something he had never experienced before.
Yan Shixun had never expected anyone to come to his aid.
He had always walked alone like a lone wolf, cold and rational, preparing to handle any crisis by himself. Even when severely injured, he would keep a stoic face and push on, protecting other lives.
But this time, Ye Li had appeared behind him, killing Ritual Master who was about to strike him.
The exorcist, who had never cared to protect others at the cost of his own injury, was now protected by a ghost deity.
At this moment, Yan Shixun felt a surge of emotion within him.
Perhaps, it was not impossible to entrust his back to Ye Li from now on.
He thought to himself.
Perhaps, he could truly consider Ye Li as a companion on his journey.
However, on Ye Li’s cold and stern face was an anger and frustration that Yan Shixun had never seen before.
Even the dark streaks in Ye Li’s temples seemed to ripple, and his long black hair billowed in the fierce wind, trailing behind him. The imposing aura around him was so strong that it could shake the heavens and earth.
When the ghost deity was enraged, the world itself seemed to change color.
The gale that swept from Ye Li’s side engulfed all of Nan Village.
The rotten corpses that crawled out of the mud tried to escape, but only managed to emit frightened hissing sounds as they were shredded into pieces by the sharp wind blades, scattering in all directions.
In almost no time, Nan Village seemed to have been flattened by the raging wind, and all the decayed corpses vanished without a trace.
The storm caused by Ritual Master’s presence also came to an abrupt halt.
Ye Li raised his gaze, and when he saw Yan Shixun, his previously cold expression softened immediately.
He took a few long strides forward, his strong arms enveloping the drenched Yan Shixun in an embrace. The earlier anger and frustration turned into a sense of relief and preciousness.
Ye Li gently lowered his eyes and placed a light kiss on Yan Shixun’s hair.
“Shixun… I’m sorry. Nan Heye has cut Nanming Mountain off from the world and hidden his presence through special means, pulling you into a false dream. With all the layers of concealment, I couldn’t reach you in time.”
A ghost deity, who had never responded to the world, was now filled with guilt and relief as he held his beloved demon hunter close.
Only by holding Yan Shixun tightly could Ye Li be certain that his treasure was still by his side and had not been taken by the evil spirits carrying sins.
Yan Shixun, still feeling the strange emotions stirred within him, was a little uneasy and unsure of how to speak to Ye Li.
But before he could think of what to say, Ye Li had already taken a few steps toward him. In the blink of an eye, Yan Shixun found himself crashing into a solid embrace.
The body was cool to the touch, but it possessed the strength to support the chaos of yin and yang, the power to protect life, even as a ghost deity.
Yan Shixun couldn’t help but relax his muscles slightly.
He quickly composed himself, let out a soft chuckle, and wrapped his arms around Ye Li in return, patting his firm, lean back.
Now it was Ye Li’s turn to tense up completely.
He hadn’t expected his beloved exorcist to actually respond to his embrace.
Out of Yan Shixun’s sight, Ye Li’s long, sharp eyes softened again, a rare hint of a smile appearing on his face.
But before Ye Li could part his lips to speak, he heard Yan Shixun’s voice questioning him from within his arms.
“You just mentioned Fengdu—what do you mean by that?”
“You and that ‘Ritual Master’—what kind of history do you share?”
“What happened twenty years ago? Does it have anything to do with the massacre in the Nan Village? Do you know the truth about what happened on Nanyin Mountain?”
Yan Shixun looked up at Ye Li with suspicion in his eyes, and finally asked, “Also, weren’t you supposed to stay in Longevity Village to protect the crew? Why are you here? How can you be sure Xiao Bing and the others are safe?”
Ye Li’s body tensed again. Each question from Yan Shixun felt like it pierced straight through the warmth and emotion that had just stirred in his heart.
He slightly loosened his hold on Yan Shixun and lowered his gaze to the exorcist who, even after everything, still didn’t seem to care about him or his own injuries. Grinding his teeth with a mix of affection and frustration, Ye Li finally just let out a resigned sigh.
“Shixun, you…”
Ye Li smiled helplessly and said, “Don’t worry. I temporarily lent my power to your junior nephew—he’s in charge of protecting them. I’m here to protect you.”
“If he can’t even handle that much…”
When he mentioned Lu Xingxing, Ye Li snorted coldly. “There’s a place for him in Fengdu.”
Far downstream, Lu Xingxing suddenly shivered violently. “Ah-choo!”
Ye Li turned back to Yan Shixun and asked softly, “But Shixun, you were nearly injured by that evil spirit just now. Don’t you care about yourself at all?”
Seeing that Yan Shixun was about to speak again, Ye Li raised both hands, gently pressing down on his shoulders. With a light chuckle, he said, “No rush. You have so many questions—I have to answer them one at a time.”
“I promised you before, didn’t I? No matter what you ask, I’ll tell you.”
“I’m right here. Ask me anything.”
Ye Li slowly straightened, his thin lips brushing past Yan Shixun’s ear, his breath warm against the back of his neck. The touch made Yan Shixun shudder instinctively, his slender body trembling slightly.
Seeing his reaction and the faint red that spread across his ears, a smile flickered in Ye Li’s eyes.
However, when Ye Li turned his gaze back toward the Nan Village, his expression turned cold again, and the sharp lines of his face took on a look of disgust.
“Twenty years ago, the Nan Village… was worse than hell.”
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