Chapter 87
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“…The decisive move of the Upper God East Heaven is truly beyond our capabilities,” Xuan Jinghe sighed quietly after a moment of silence, his voice emanating from the bottle.
Xu Shuangce’s figure had already appeared above Ying Kai. In an instant, they exchanged thousands of moves, amidst thunder and lightning, countless thick bolts of lightning struck down upon reality. Ying Kai indeed did not wish to engage in a fierce battle with Xu Shuangce. Constantly blocking the edge of the No Way Out Sword, he continued to spout golden divine blood amidst the mountain collapses and earth fissures, his body rapidly plummeting towards the ground. Suddenly, a force struck from behind him—it was Bai Tai Shou!
Ying Kai abruptly turned around, unleashing his full strength with a sword—clang!
Mountain Ocean Order simultaneously blocked the attacks of both No Way Out and Bai Tai Shou coming from the air, and the clash of sword edges erupted with a sharp sound!
At this moment, the distant Linjiang had already fallen into a sea of flames, with city walls collapsed under the smoke, the scene of devastation reflected in Ying Kai’s eyes. However, he felt no joy in fulfilling any desire. Shortly after, he closed his eyes and looked away.
“Ah Wei,” he chuckled hastily, “how good would it be if I were still in the cycle of The butterfly dies and the dream is born right now.”
Gong Wei’s pupils widened slightly.
After these words, the force in Ying Kai’s hand suddenly dissipated.
However, the immense power of both the No Way Out Sword and Bai Tai Shou couldn’t be stopped. Three sword edges collided, bursting with dazzling electric light, and sent Ying Kai flying far away, instantly disappearing into the surging sea of thunder!
Gong Wei stepped forward, wanting to pursue, but Xu Shuangce closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, “It’s too late, he’s already gone.”
Gong Wei couldn’t express what he was feeling at the moment. After a moment, he turned back and asked, “Did he return to the heavenly realm?”
Xu Shuangce said, “He should be hiding somewhere in the human realm, but we can’t sense him.”
The world-ending soldier puppet was sealed by Xuan Jinghe with the Great Vehicle Seal for three days. They only managed to destroy the city of Linjiang, and some of the people had evacuated beforehand. Compared to the scene of the battle nine thousand years ago, the situation was much better.
But the millions of mechanical components released by the world-ending soldier puppet earlier had flown to various corners of reality, and it was unknown when they would detonate. Xu Shuangce sighed lightly, then gently pressed his hand on Gong Wei’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go back first. There might be chaos ahead.” Gong Wei’s slender figure fluttered in the strong wind as he looked blankly in the direction where Ying Kai had disappeared, a hint of sadness deep in his eyes. After a long time, he said softly, “It would have been better if the little fox from nine thousand years ago had been picked up by Cangyang Mountain earlier…”
However, Xu Shuangce said indifferently, “It’s too late. Now, it’s useless to try to influence Ying Chenyuan. He’s the only one who can save himself.”
Once Ying Kai returned to the heavenly realm, the other immortals would immediately sense it, but it was harder to find him hidden in the human realm. It was unknown what he was doing at the moment. What did he feel when he saw the familiar Dai Mountain Immortal Alliance turn into a white land and the bustling Linjiang burning?
Gong Wei’s emotions were mixed, but he was pulled by Xu Shuangce’s hand to walk back.
Xu Shuangce was extremely tall and upright. When he held Gong Wei’s hand like this, it was a bit like a master leading his young disciple. The lightning in the clouds beside them finally subsided, and Gong Wei suddenly remembered something. He lifted his other hand and touched Xu Shuangce’s chest, asking worriedly, “Is it still hurting?”
Xu Shuangce remained silent for a moment before saying, “It’s long gone.”
Gong Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Hey, actually, like Qu Xie, I won’t really die. The world will give birth to me again in thousands of years. But you’re a human god. What if you really die? The substitution seal can’t be used recklessly in the future.”
“But you’ll feel pain,” Xu Shuangce said casually.
Gong Wei said casually, “It’s not that painful… Oh, Xu Bai, did you just say something sweet to me?”
Xu Shuangce remained silent.
Gong Wei’s black-and-white eyes lit up again, sweeping away all the melancholy in his heart, and he smiled and said, “Don’t be shy. Can you say a few more sweet words to me? If you say a few more, I’ll tell you that I’m actually not in pain at all, and a very happy secret.”
Xu Shuangce tightened his grip on Gong Wei’s hand and finally asked after a while, “Have you always been like this?”
Gong Wei asked, “Like what?”
Xu Shuangce whispered, “Misunderstood by the world, rejected by it, facing swords and blades; Ying Kai returned to his evil intentions, betraying the painstaking efforts you made to help him relieve his killing barrier nine thousand years ago; even I forgot about you in the cycle of reincarnation, and almost killed you with a sword on the Ascension Immortal Platform… Can all these be wiped away? Just because you luckily didn’t die, does that mean everything that happened can be forgotten?”
By the last few words, his voice was already coming out through gritted teeth.
Gong Wei blinked in confusion and said, “But people also love me very much. When Ying Kai wanted to gouge out my eyes, he cried. And you only attacked me because of a misunderstanding. In the end, you used your life to save me, right?”
Xu Shuangce’s face was as white as ice, remaining silent.
“The love and hate in this world are constant, like the yin and yang of Taichi, all part of the natural laws. People receive hatred because of misunderstandings, and naturally, they will also receive love when misunderstandings are cleared.”
Gong Wei glanced at Xu Shuangce’s expressionless face and then said with ease, “But then again, those feelings you have for me are definitely not part of the natural laws.”
“…” Xu Shuangce finally spoke, asking, “Why?”
Gong Wei chuckled and replied, “Because there’s too much of it. It probably won’t fit within the natural laws!”
Xu Shuangce stopped in his tracks, holding Gong Wei tightly in his arms, his chin resting against the youth’s temple, each quivering breath brushing against his soft black hair.
“The feelings I have for you,” he said in a low voice, “are the great dao I truly seek.”
At this moment, a figure hurriedly approached on a sword, with a long trail of crimson golden energy behind the divine sword—it was Yuchi Rui!
Gong Wei’s alarm bells rang whenever he saw Yuchi Rui, ready to stop Xu Bai from stringing him up and hanging him from a tree. However, this time, Yuchi Rui didn’t have time to say much. He got straight to the point: “A messenger from Yejinmen came to report that something fell from the sky just now and smashed the drills ground.”
“What was it?” Gong Wei blurted out, although he already had a premonition.
Sure enough, Yuchi Rui frowned deeply. “It’s the severed hand of the soldier puppet.”
The giant severed hand of the soldier puppet was seven or eight zhang tall and weighed hundreds of tons, crashing down on the vast drill ground of Yejinmen, raising clouds of dust and smoke.
Changsun Chengfeng stood up from the edge of the deep pit, retracting his spiritual power, his expression not very good. “This thing harbors immense resentment and evil intentions, and the power of fire is extremely strong. My previous speculation was correct. I’m afraid it’ll start burning in a moment.”
Mu Duozhu exclaimed in shock, “Burning? But the mechanisms from the soldier puppet have already scattered throughout the mortal world. Could it be…”
Could it be that cities, villages, streets, and alleys all over the world would ignite terrifying black flames?
The masters of various sects stood on the drill ground of Yejinmen, all looking towards the distant vast land, each feeling a chill in their hearts.
Xu Shuangce flicked his sleeve, gathering divine power to form a faintly glowing sealing array, completely enclosing the severed hand inside. Gong Wei, still held by his side, leaned out and asked, “Have the various sects already started receiving the people?”
Changsun Chengfeng sighed, “It’s easier said than done!”
Earlier, Changsun Chengfeng had ordered the sects of the world to sweep through towns and villages, trying to accommodate as many people as possible in the major sects to take refuge. However, although there were only a hundred sects in the world, there were millions of people, many of whom were unwilling to give up their homes and fields, or unable to leave due to mobility issues. For a while, chaos reigned across the world, indescribable.
Gong Wei nodded understandingly and said, “Accommodate as many as possible, and if it really starts burning later, send people to search and rescue as much as possible. The key is to find the Upper God Northern Wall. The crux of the matter lies with him. We must deal with him before dealing with the Ghost Crown Prince.”
Mentioning Ying Kai, everyone fell silent.
Mu Duozhu hesitated repeatedly, unable to help asking, “I really don’t understand. Where did Ying Kai’s immense resentment and evil intentions come from? He seemed to have changed overnight. He’s always been gentle, introverted, never getting angry…”
Gong Wei thought to himself that it wasn’t introversion, it was clearly suppression. The evil seed planted by the Ghost Crown Prince in his heart nine thousand years ago found fertile soil in Ying Kai’s heart, and with so much emotion forced to be suppressed since childhood, all that disappointment, pain, and injustice eventually became the soil for that evil seed—those who are more suppressed will erupt more fiercely. That’s the truth.
But before he could say anything, a woman with jingling ornaments and a long sword in her hand appeared, walking gracefully across the drill ground and bowing respectfully in front of the masters. Everyone quickly returned the gesture, saying, “Great Madame.”
Gong Wei immediately recognized her—she was none other than the sister-in-law of the Sword Sect Master, Yuchi Rui, the mother of the young master Yuchi Xiao, and the only mistress of Yejinmen, known in many sects as Great Madam Yuchi.
Gong Wei had always liked her because she had taken a liking to “Xiang Xiaoyuan” at first sight and was so fond of him, hugging and embracing him, even suggesting him as a dao companion for her son, Yuchi Xiao. As a result, the naturally rebellious Yuchi Xiao immediately refused to marry, not only causing “Xiang Xiaoyuan” to fall into qi deviation, but also almost making his mother-in-law angry to death.
Even Yuchi Rui behaved properly and respectfully greeted his elder sister-in-law. Great Madam, being a female cultivator, wasn’t concerned with formalities. She supported her sword and smiled, saying, “I have already arranged for the disciples under my sect to go and assist the nearby civilians. We also need to arrange accommodations and medicine for women, children, the elderly, and the sick one by one. With so many tasks at hand, it’s beyond my capability to handle them all. Therefore, if the hospitality is lacking, I ask for the understanding of all the masters.”
Everyone respectfully nodded in unison. Great Madame turned to Xu Shuangce, unaware of everything that happened on the Ascension Immortal Platform three days ago. She bowed and smiled, “Sect Master Xu handled the situation bravely and generously. As a woman, I deeply admire it!”
For some reason, Gong Wei felt Xu Shuangce’s voice was slightly tense. “I dare not accept.”
Immediately, he understood why Xu Shuangce was tense because Great Madame’s next words were even more courteous, “There is something I would like to ask Sect Master Xu. Has your sect disciple, Xiang Xiaoyuan, returned to the human realm from the dream realm? At this moment, he should still be a baby in swaddling clothes, right? There should not be any engagement yet, right?”
Gong Wei: “…”
Yuchi Rui: “…”
Mu Duozhu: “…”
The air around them fell into silence. Only Changsun Chengfeng, puzzled, asked, “Xiang Xiaoyuan? Who is that?”
Yuchi Rui was about to say something, but Gong Wei decisively cast a silencing spell on him, only managing to let out a brief “Ah–” before being silenced.
Then Gong Wei cautiously peeked out from behind Xu Shuangce and said, “Madame Yuchi…” He was also silenced by Xu Shuangce and let out a brief “Ah–“
Changsun Chengfeng became even more puzzled. “…’Ah’?”
Mu Duozhu wore an expression of speechlessness on his face and whispered in Changsun Chengfeng’s ear, “Xiang Xiaoyuan, Sect Master Xu’s beloved disciple, the successor of the Cangyang Sect.”
Changsun Chengfeng suddenly realized, “Has the Cangyang Sect finally accepted a legitimate disciple? That’s good news!” Then he immediately lowered his head and began to rummage through various treasures in his arms as gifts.
With a firm grip on Gong Wei’s hand by his side, Xu Shuangce said lightly, “I appreciate the sentiment, but my disciple already has an engagement. There is no need to mention this matter again.”
Great Madame’s hopeful eyes turned into shock. “How could he have an engagement at such a young age? With whom is it arranged?”
Xu Shuangce remained silent for a moment amidst the numerous indescribable gazes behind him, then calmly avoided the question, “The child is still young and his character is not yet set. There is no rush for this matter.”
Great Madam anxiously said, “His character has already been set. I asked him about it the other day, and he agreed.”
Xu Shuangce smiled faintly, “Children speak without restraint. It cannot be taken seriously.”
But Great Madam insisted earnestly, “Sect Master Xu, you may not know. Although Yuanju is only six years old this year, he is already a big boy. You just need to meet him…”
Xu Shuangce turned and said, “Let’s not discuss this matter until he comes of age.”
Both Yuchi Rui and Gong Wei raised their hands behind Xu Shuangce, wanting to say something, but both were silenced, only able to make urgent “um, um” sounds.
Only Great Madam was suddenly overjoyed. “Really?”
Then she turned around and shouted angrily, “Yuchi Yuanju, get down here!”
Everyone at Yejinmen was busy receiving nearby refugees, with disciples flying back and forth like arrows on swords, weaving colorful streams of energy. In response to Great Madam’s call, a familiar figure hurriedly descended from the sky. It was none other than Yejinmen’s young master, Yuchi Xiao. “Mother?”
Xu Shuangce turned around.
In that instant, Gong Wei clearly saw the blank expression on his face.
Before the butterfly died and the dream was born, Yuchi Xiao, the young master of Yejinmen, who was twenty-two years old, had returned to the mortal world sixteen years ago. He should have reverted to being a six-year-old child.
However, at this moment, the “six-year-old child” Yuchi Xiao in front of Xu Shuangce appeared to be eight feet tall, holding a hook, with a strong and agile figure, and six golden rings on his left sleeve. Busy commanding the disciples back and forth, he was sweating profusely, constantly wiping his forehead with his sleeve. “Mother, what’s the matter?”
Great Madam asked with joy, “Sect Master Xu, are you satisfied with what you see?”
“…”
Xu Shuangce slowly turned around, his cold and stern gaze moving back and forth between Yuchi Rui and Gong Wei. He remained silent.
Gong Wei finally managed to break free from the silencing spell, rubbing his hands nervously with a smile, “The current situation is chaotic, and more hands can help. So, the other day by the Three Way River when you didn’t wake up, Changsheng asked me to cast a spell on his nephew to restore his age from the dream… it was all Changsheng’s idea! If you don’t believe me, ask him!” With that, he quickly lifted the silencing spell on Yuchi Rui and silently blamed him with a gaze that said, “It’s all your fault.”
Yuchi Rui finally spoke when he could, straightforwardly addressing Xu Shuangce, “Yes, what’s the matter?”
Then he turned to Great Madam, his face resolute, “I don’t agree to this engagement. The engagement Sect Master Xu arranged for his disciple is with himself. They even practiced dual cultivation in front of me. I saw it myself! It’s undeniable!”
Clatter!
Changsun Chengfeng finally managed to pull out a few treasures and was about to write “Congratulations to Sect Master Xu on getting a beloved disciple” on a red envelope when his hand trembled and the pen fell to the ground.
“………………”
Dead silence.
The cold wind whistled between them for a while. Eventually, Great Madam’s expression turned blank, and she trembled, “Ah?!”
Mu Duozhu covered half of his mouth and turned to the stunned Changsun Chengfeng, reminding him in a low voice, “You can change that red envelope to ‘Congratulations to Sect Master Xu on getting his beloved wife.'”
Xu Shuangce’s black eyes stared at Yuchi Rui, then slowly moved to a tree not far away.
After a moment, Yuchi Rui suddenly realized, immediately stepped back three big steps, and asked vigilantly, “What are you doing? Did I say something wrong?!”
Xu Shuangce took a step forward and reached out his hand.
Yuchi Rui teleported thirty zhang backward in an instant, but Xu Shuangce didn’t even look at him. He placed his hand on the array covering the soldier puppet’s severed hand. The array suddenly shone brightly, and the next moment—
Boom!
The giant mechanical severed hand burst into flames, with black fire roaring fiercely and scorching hot, almost breaking through the protective shield. However, Xu Shuangce’s divine power forcibly suppressed it without any doubt!
The crowd instinctively stepped back half a step, only to see another disciple from Yejinmen flying over like an arrow on a sword. Before he could even land, he shouted urgently, “Reporting to the Sword Sect Master! There is black fire in the woods behind the mountain!”
“Report! The villages and towns below the mountain are engulfed in black flames!”
“Report! Machinery across the lands of Linnan is burning with black flames that cannot be extinguished. Touching them means death!!”
…
In a moment, scattered mechanical parts across the world turned into raging black flames, growing larger and larger, with smoke rising everywhere!
Xu Shuangce suddenly exerted force, forcefully suppressing the black flames within the array, leaving only the charred remnants of the soldier puppet’s severed hand.
Then he pushed both palms forward, and majestic divine power surged into the sky, spreading in all directions like thousands of meteors rushing towards the rising smoke!
However, it was not enough—destruction is much simpler than protection, and far less divine power is required for burning than for suppression and extinguishing. The rising smoke from all over the world only weakened for a moment before surging back into the sky continuously, showing signs of an imminent explosive combustion!
Yuchi Rui flew without hesitation to extinguish the black fire in his own backyard, while Changsun Chengfeng immediately sent a transmission talisman to inquire about the situation in Julu City. People were bustling around, and Mu Duozhu shouted loudly amidst the chaos, “It’s impossible to find a solution immediately… shall we seek Ying…. Northern Wall God?!”
Xu Shuangce continued to increase the divine power pressing down on the vast expanse, his eyes cold and deep, shaking his head slightly.
At this moment, Gong Wei lightly exclaimed, “Hmm, it seems that the fire in the north is a bit larger.”
The main residence of Yejinmen was located on the mountaintop, offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Before everyone could react, Gong Wei soared into the sky on his sword, paused for a moment, and then swiftly returned, as if he had discovered something. “Xu Bai, Xu Bai!”
Xu Shuangce raised his head.
“—Suicheng, hundreds of miles to the north!” Gong Wei cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly, “The fire in Suicheng near Yanchuntai is the fiercest, and the divine power there is the strongest. Ying Kai might be nearby!”
A figure in a black robe with a silver sword silently landed on the city wall.
The city was engulfed by black flames, and the crisscrossing streets resembled fiery dragons. The streets below were chaotic, with countless people fleeing with their families. Their cries for help were drowned out by the billowing black smoke.
Disciples under the command of Yanchuntai’s Music Saint were swiftly flying back and forth, rescuing batches of trapped civilians in the city. However, it was just a drop in the bucket. Too many people clung to the hope of saving their lifelong possessions, only to be trapped in the flames at the last moment, crying out desperately, “Save us!” “Help!” “Save us, please!” ….
Ying Kai closed his eyes heavily.
“Save us, please!” He heard the cries of the people who kneeled at the gate of the mountain nine thousand years ago, their voices resounding through the heavens: “Those are our homes and fields, our carts and livestock!” “Flood control? Are you crazy?” The voice of Xu Shuangce from nine thousand years ago was calm and merciless: “Since there’s too much spiritual power, why not just move these tens of thousands of disaster victims upstream? Why do you care so much about the land and property? Do you have to be so responsive?!”
However, the pitiful cries before the mountain gate were like nails constantly piercing into his ears: “You are not immortals, not aiming to become immortals or gods, right?” “Save our homeland! Save us!” “To see death and not save is worse than a pig or a dog!”
…
Ying Kai suddenly opened his eyes, bloodshot.
With a rumble, rows of buildings not far away collapsed completely. The flames roared and sparks flew wildly, while people futilely carried water trying to extinguish the fire. More people ran away, their figures swaying in the chaotic scene.
“Are you really happy seeing this in your heart?” Gong Wei’s clear eyes seemed to still be looking at him from the void, filled with sadness.
“—Between the current state of Northern Wall and Senior Brother Ying from the dream realm, which one is happier?”
Ying Kai pressed his chest forcefully, his five fingers sinking deep into his robe.
It hurts, he thought.
The taste of fulfilling one’s wishes shouldn’t be this agonizing, why does it hurt so much?
“Wow—”
A small figure stumbled on the main street, a girl of about four or five years old, wearing a bulky floral jacket and messy pigtails. Perhaps lost amidst the chaos, her face was covered in soot. Every few steps, she fell to the ground, but she used her two black hands to push herself up, wiping her tears and stumbling forward.
“Mama—papa—mama—!”
Ying Kai watched his back and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
Similar cries resurfaced from deep within his memory. It was when the young Yuchi Rui had just been sent to Tui’e not long ago. The young man was hiding behind the rockery by the pond, biting his fists tightly. In the end, unable to hold back, he cried out like a child, “My mother, he went with my father, I have no mother anymore—waa—”
The young Gong Wei also squatted beside him, crying, but that was because he had provoked young Yuchi Rui and ended up being beaten to tears. After crying for a while, he wiped his tears and comforted Yuchi Rui sensibly, “It’s okay, Changsheng, I don’t have parents either. People will die eventually, you’ll get used to it.”
As a result, Yuchi Rui cried even louder when he heard this: “Waa—!”
“Mama! Where are you! Mama—”
The little girl suddenly bumped into the figure in front of her, falling to the ground. She looked up in confusion, her big teary eyes gazing at the tall young man in black.
Ying Kai closed his eyes.
―― They were completely different, yet the tear-streaked face of the little girl overlapped with the memory of little Ruchi Rui deep inside him. In another moment of daze, it seemed to merge with the young Gong Wei from his childhood, as if he had returned to that familiar fading dream.
“My, my mom is lost,” the little girl cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed, her voice trembling as she reached out with her small, pleading hands. “Please, please save me, waaah――”
Please save me.
Ying Kai finally knelt down slowly, as if in a trance, reaching out to lift the crying little girl. His mind was blank and confused, unsure of what he was doing or what significance it held, but he allowed the girl to cling to him like a lifeline around his neck, stumbling step by step through the black fire, carrying her towards the safety of the city outskirts.
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Pure chaos D; And amidst this chaos the great lord was accused of sleeping with his disciple XD
Thank You for the new chapter ♡⃛*⁎⋆(꒡ᵋ ꒡ღ)