Chapter 168: Bonds of the world
The demon snake let out a long howl to the sky, its sound shrill, the huge skeleton which supported its body, from the top to bottom, suddenly began to emit a strange light, the next moment, tiny sounds of [ka ka] were heard from numerous parts of its body, beams of light shot out from its bones. Then, following a loud sound, the demon snake’s colossal body came crashing down, creating a deep pit on the white jade stone slabs underneath its body, after struggling on the ground for a few times, it finally stopped moving.
The dazzling light beam slowly dispersed, revealing the seven elders, Lu XueQi, Xiao YiCai and the others in the horizon, beneath them, beside that colossal demon monster’s body, corpses lay everywhere, among them were four Qing Yun elders lying forever in eternity. And those that were still alive, many were wounded, in the younger generation, Lu XueQi, her face cold as frost but half of her clothes were already dyed red, Xiao YiCai fared better, looked fairly good, only Zeng ShuShu was making an effort to hold on, after witnessing this monster’s death, he heaved a sigh of relief and suddenly his head slanted, fell down unconscious.
Everyone got a shock but fortunately Xiao YiCai was just beside him, caught his body, after checking on him, was relieved and informed the rest, the others then felt relieved and following which they continued to join in the battle.
Ever since the several elders joined the battle, for the first time this great battle finally started to swing towards the Good Faction. Those elders’ skills far exceeded the ordinary disciples, although their numbers was small but their impacts were great. With the combined efforts of the elders, Xiao YiCai, Lu XueQi, Zeng ShuShu and the other younger disciples, those few demons although were powerful but were suppressed by those people and finally killed. However, those demons were after all brutal and vicious, the Good Faction also paid a heavy price.
However in such reign of terror, who would remember the dead comrades?
At the moment where the giant snake’s body collapsed, the people hovering high up in the sky had already turned around, expressionlessly heading towards the other parts of the battle, to continue the fight and massacre. Xiao YiCai flew to the rear, placed Zeng ShuShu at a secluded area and quickly came back, unexpectedly the next moment, from the corner of his eyes he saw Lu XueQi in a daze at where they were previously, staring blankly at that demon corpse, her face pale.
Xiao YiCai was puzzled, called out, "Lu junior sister, what happened to you?”
Lu XueQi was startled, like being startled from a dream, turned and looked over, her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something but when she saw that it was Xiao YiCai, she closed her lips, took a deep breath and then wielded her sword and flew off, joining the battle again. Xiao YiCai was bewildered, felt that Lu XueQi was very strange today but thinking back, this celestial-like junior sister had always been aloof and now that it was the crucial time of the the battle, he thought for a while and decided to again leave those thoughts behind, headed into the fight again.
The dark clouds rolled over, surging and turbulent, under the dark clouds, those wild beasts and people both fiercely battled. Just that this war, eventually was turning more and more favorable, and standing at a vantage point, those three Good Faction’s heavyweights, their initial tense expressions had right now gradually relaxed.
Despite paying a heavy price, after the elders joined the war, the six all-powerful colossal demons were immediately besieged and gradually suppressed, with everyone’s combined forces, first was the white-boned snake, then the other two gigantic demons were killed one after another.
Even when they were putting those giant demons down, including the elders, the Good Faction also suffered heavy casualties, however the momentum of the fight, after all, was being turned around bit by bit. The ordinary demon beasts although were innumerable but following the deaths of the gigantic demons, their vigors were also immediately weakened. The ordinary Qing Yun disciples although were not as skilled as the outstanding ones but were more than enough to handle those, at the same time the people joined together as one, the light screen turned even more indestructible.
After taking care of about half of the giant demons, more skilled masters headed for the remaining three demons and besieged them, anyone could see that, those giant demons were the war spirits of the demon beasts. And under the besiege of those highly skilled Good Faction elders with the younger generations, in the sky full of brilliant lights and rare, unusual weapons’ sharp beams, the remaining three giant demons finally were unable to sustain, in the sharp angry shrills and mournful howls, one by one they collapsed.
The demon beasts were in a chaos, it was clear that even those ignorant beasts also felt something was not right with the current situation. On the contrary, the Good Faction felt a boost of morale, finally that resplendent light screen increased its brilliance, spread out and immediately flesh and blood sprayed and flew, pressing towards the demon beasts.
Panic screams filled the air, numerous demon beasts howled to the sky, their sounds mournful, the merciless light curtain arrived with a loud crash, what kind of bloody scene and desolation will it spray out?
Then in the numerous roars and howls, in the sky, in the firmament, those billowing black clouds abruptly became still, as if, the world suddenly froze, and then, there was a shimmer, from the dark and quiet clouds, shone out!
A white, tiny light!
The next moment, the dark clouds scattered, like a tornado sweeping through the sky and earth, blowing past the sky of wind and rain. From the recesses of the dark clouds, suddenly a huge vortex rapidly spinning out, the innumerable dark clouds after being rolled up, dispersed, leaving not a trace.
There was a young man’s figure, coming out, expressionlessly watching the battle scene, the bloody human world, from the top, like the legendary gods. His black hair moved in the wind, a black strange monster behind him, looked anxious, restlessly moving around, making low growls.
And at his moment of appearance, all of the beasts paused, lifting their heads towards the sky, howled to that figure!
The tens of thousands beasts howling, the dark clouds dispersed, as if a vicious current, soared up into the sky, seemed to go up the Nine Heavens.
Not one of the Good Faction people did not change countenance, Reverend DaoXuan stood outside the Crystal Hall, frowning tightly, he muttered to himself, “Is this the Beast Deity?”
Illusory Moon Cave
That surreal and illusory world!
That round indistinct moon glimmering with strange light, was still hanging high up in the horizon, regardless of the wind or rain, it always radiated a faint glow. And the mortals struggling in this world, seemed to have scattered, leaving only one person, alone and lost.
"Who am I?" He asked softly, raising his head to the moon, "What am I living for?"
He quietly asked like that, not knowing if it was to the indistinct moon in the horizon, or to the recess of his own heart.
Half a lifetime of turbulent periods, ferocious giant waves, the past, scene by scene, poured into his heart, the once familiar figures in his life, the people whom he had once sincerely treated, one by one flashed past in his mind, but, all without leaving a single trace, quietly went far away like that.
He felt reluctant, subconsciously reached out with his hand, wanted to catch something, but his hand in the air, eventually still grabbed air.
Nothing at all!
Only the moonlight from the horizon, traversed through numerous wind and rain, still spilled onto his body, shone on his clothes.
Slumped to the ground, like tearing away all layers of exterior, in this lonely world, he did not need to be strong, the storm gradually stopped, the dust quietly became still, that body, looked as if it would soon sink into this desolate world, ending in silence.
Just die! The ancient legend said that there would no longer be any pain or thoughts when one is dead, there would no longer be any care or worries, even if it was the Nine Netherworlds Hell, before the Yama, King of Hell, palace, who would know what it would be like? In the bustling mortal world, maybe in the end it would be all empty!
But, that silent body suddenly shook, the moonlight in the horizon, seemed to tremble too and then shone down a beam of light, shining on that body.
He seemed to be struggling!
He seemed to be unwilling!
He struggled to get up, every action seemed to take up all of his strength, the earth underneath his feet obviously had infinite temptation, tempting him to lie down and there would be no worries or cares anymore, and he could break away from the anguish of the mortal world.
But he refused to back down, stubbornly trying to straighten his body, his hands bled from the efforts, a deep tear on his lips, in this desolate world, he was still refusing to give up.
That faint moonlight, like pouring its heart out, fell onto him, like whispering, “Why do you bother to persevere! Let go, let go and you will be free..."
He struggled, like an ant in a boundless vast Heaven and Earth, regardless, facing the Heaven and Earth that seemed infinite, at the end he looked up, at the sky!
Slowly stood up.
The familiar face, quietly floated in his heart, in the end even between life and death, he eventually still could not give up. This life, he still had someone he cared about!
Zhang Xiaofan, or perhaps it’s Ghost Li, the ant in this world, at the moment was quietly watching the sky, staring at that dim moon in the horizon.
The moonlight was unusual and cold.
He suddenly shouted loudly, jumped up, leaving this boundless piece of land, straight up into the sky. In front of him, there were gold, dark-green and red lights, lighted up out of a sudden, together with his body, heading straight to that moon.
The cold moon was silent but in front of him, the moonlight suddenly dimmed, it was a couple figure, looking at him kindly and with delight, as if the moment of delight of waiting for a night storm many years ago, descending upon the mortal world only now.
His heart felt as if a sharp knife had slashed it, his entire body was trembling, but like an arrow leaving the bow, he did not have the slightest intention of retreating, the three lights like lightning, under his watchful gaze, stabbed through the couple’s bodies, traversing through.
The fresh blood splattering, or was it the pouring rain, fell onto his face, a feeling of coldness. The human figures disappeared, he seemed to feel some numbness. However his eyes were still resolute, heading towards that faint moon.
Suddenly, the moon dimmed again, Tian BuYi and SuRu appeared, SuRu was smiling at him, Tian BuYi was like what he remembered, snorted and flipped his eyes at him.
And between them, Tian LingEr smiling like a flower, dressed in red, her appearance vaguely sixteen or seventeen years old, laughed loudly and called, "Little junior brother, let’s go up the mountain to chop bamboos..."
Like being suffocated in that instant, that three figures before him, looking alive, blocking in front of him. The kind of shivers that he felt, like lightning passing through his entire body, a cold light approached their bodies, his heart felt like it was about to tear apart.
Finally, three-colors lights still passed through it, just like that passing through the human figures. A feeling of chill from his head to toes, poured down, his body in the air, his face as white as a piece of paper, suddenly he opened his mouth, [wa] a sound spitted out a mouthful of blood, dyed the clothes at his chest red, his face looking paler.
Then, he still looked up, like an arrow leaving the bow, continued to fight on in spite of all setbacks, refusing to rest unless dead, headed to that moon.
The moonlight was icy-cold, Heaven and Earth dimmed in that instant, a desolate feeling, quietly lingered.
At that flint-spark moment, looking like he was about to reach the moon, the misty clouds surged over, suddenly, a figure indistinctly appeared within the clouds.
That was a figure, deeply carved into his heart!
He was suddenly dumbfounded, his perseverance almost dispersed with the wind, that blurred figure in the clouds flipped, turned and confused! Like a green figure yet like white clothes dancing with the sword!
The Soul-devouring stick in his hand, emitted ice cold energy, his heart was once in such anguish because of that figure, just that, right now, how should he advance or retreat?
In the deep night, the cold moonlight, far above the horizon, a heart-wrenching roar was heard suddenly, like a dying beast howling to the moon, full of despair and pain.
A brilliant bright light, flashing with three strange halos, shot straight into the sky, into the clouds, passed through them and pierced that blurred silhouette!
Then, like something suddenly shattered...
The sky of pouring rain and wind, quietly stopped, there seemed to be tears in his eyes, staring at that figure. Perhaps in close proximity but he still could not see her face clearly, only, in the netherworld deep and remote somewhere, there seemed to be a low sigh.
The wind dispersed, the rain scattered!
The moonlight falling like a cloud!
Heaven and earth the firmament boundless like water!
His body fell from the sky, like falling into the abyss, but in his mind there was no fear, some feelings of reluctant, staring at that gradually disappearing figure. The next moment, he had landed on the ground, the surrounding illusions had completely disappeared.
Under his feet, a primitive yet clear ancient mirror, was broken into several pieces, fell from the wall and scattered onto the ground. And around him, was a simple cave with solid sturdy rock walls, the mysterious entrance which he came in from, was less than ten footsteps away.
This short ten steps, he instead felt like he had went through a lifetime, all of the painful memories relived once again.
Then, his breathing settled down, focused himself and was about to continue to walk deep into the Illusory Moon Cave when suddenly his body froze, as if he had discovered something and then slowly turned his body.
With the broken ancient mirror, the mysterious mist at the entrance also dispersed, revealing a person standing behind him - Lin JingYu.
Their eyes met across the air, for a moment both was stunned.
For a long time, they stared at each other silently, two of the men’s gazes, from their childhood to their youth to now, it was as if they had looked past a lifetime.
Lin JingYu’s teeth bit deeply into his lips, almost to the point of bleeding and then drawled out word by word, “That old man at the Founders Ancestral Hall, was it you who killed him?"
Ghost Li was silent, slightly lowered his head, after a moment, he nodded slightly and said, "Yes.”
Lin JingYu’s eyes instantly turned red.