The torrential rain poured down.
The sky was dark, the ground was dark, and the shadows of the tree trembling in the strong wind were also dark.
Heavy rain poured down on the steep Xuyun Peak, but it still couldn’t wash away the pervasive smell of blood.
“Cough, cough…cough…”
Lin Fuqing was wrapped in a thick black fox fur coat, and each cough sent violent tremors throughout his body. His eyes were dazed, and his cold and pale lips trembled as he gasped for breath.
Blood gushed from the corners of his mouth, first dyeing his loose, snow-white hair red, before streaming down his neck. His skin was covered in dark scars, deeply sunken, and in some places, even corroded to the bones.
This was the backlash of yin qi.
The Demon Lord who once made all demonic cultivators in the three realms bow down to him was now leaning against an ice-cold boulder, his breath as weak as a candle’s flame in the wind.
Fingers that used to be slender and graceful, capable of calmly and indifferently giving orders, were now gaunt and could barely hold onto the dark green staff that was supporting his body.
Under the green staff, a shocking trail of blood stretched across the long path that meandered the rugged mountain.
The wind howled, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
The cold downpour drummed heavily on the ground, dissolving the blood that the Demon Lord had coughed up on his way up the mountain and washing it away bit by bit.
“Fang Zhiyuan is dead. Surely you know that.”
A heavy and sinister voice suddenly rang out from the top of Xuyun Peak.
A man, dressed in purple and holding a broadsword, stepped onto the top of the mountain and walked step by step towards the dying black figure.
“I’ve come to send you along.”
Lin Fuqing let out a hoarse chuckle and raised his head, bearing the torment that felt like being cut into thousands of pieces.
His lips moved, lightly utterly three words, “I won’t rely on you.”
The purple-robed man’s face darkened.
Under the messy hair soaked by the rain, the corners of the Demon Lord’s eyes were stained red with tears, but his expression was cold and calm.
Only the tear marks that extended across his pale cheeks, mixed with raindrops, fell onto the soft fur of his coat.
Lin Fuqing slowly turned his head and sneered.
“Mu Hong.”
“Back then, at the foot of Nanxi Mountain, it was the Immortal Sovereign Fang Zhiyuan who saved your life. He appreciated your innate talent, taught you cultivation techniques, and gave you power and status…”
The Demon Lord’s breath was frighteningly weak, and his voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of the rain.
He had clearly been crying, but the tone of his voice was light and nonchalant, as if even such a deadly situation could not disturb his emotions in the slightest.
He gained enlightenment in the Red Lotus Abyss and built a city of bones to accommodate thousands of demonic cultivators. He was the first demonic cultivator after the Immortal Calamity and a powerful lord who could change the world with a wave of his hand. Perhaps, it was right for him to be inherently arrogant.
“And this is how you repay him.”
The purple-clothed man’s expression froze, as if his painful spot of shame and anger had been touched.
But in the next moment, he sneered and mocked, “Demon Lord Lin, there’s no point…You’re now a useless person who can’t even walk without a stick, and you still want to teach me a lesson? Tsk, I really should let those dirty demonic cultivators see that the Lord they admire is now in such a miserable state of coughing and panting…”
“As for Lord Fang, he naturally heavily favored Mu…What a pity! He actually turned away from the right path, disobeyed the True God, and embarked on the wrong path of harboring evil demons!”
Mu Hong strode up to Lin Fuqing, not disguising the disgust and contempt in his eyes. “In that case, he has no one to blame but himself for being personally killed by the True God. As the new Immortal Sovereign, I will naturally not abandon the greater good for my own personal gain.”
The broadsword swung out and landed on the side of Lin Fuqing’s slender neck. “Demon Lord Lin Fuqing, it is time for you to die.”
Lin Fuqing smiled and whispered, “The right path…righteousness…”
He calmly stretched out his finger and flicked Mu Hong’s sword blade, making a crisp sound.
“Actually, I’m unwilling.”
The Demon Lord sighed, stroking the blade across his neck with his fingers. “…I am an idle person with low talents and no great ambitions in life. I don’t understand the so-called ‘righteousness’ of wantonly slaughtering innocent demonic cultivators. If I had the choice, I would rather stay on Xuyun Peak, watching the flowers and raising fishes, and taking care of a few junior brothers and sisters for the rest of my life.”
As he spoke, he stretched out his other hand, and a wisp of his true energy condensed into a small golden lotus at the tip of his index finger.
He lowered his eyes and played with the tiny lotus. The petals sparkled like stars in the dark rainy night.
“But things didn’t go as planned…”
Before he finished speaking, Lin Fuqing’s eyes darkened, and a trace of hidden pain flashed between his brows. Bright red blood gushed out from the corner of his pale lips, “Cough, cough…”
He started coughing up blood again.
The rain seemed to have eased a little.
The thunderclouds drew further away.
Yet, dark shadows still loomed over the cascading peaks.
And the night wind grew colder, whistling an icy chill that penetrated into the bones.
Suddenly, a distant and indifferent voice sounded from among the dark clouds in the sky, echoing like an endless bell.
“The next Immortal Sovereign, Mu Hong! The time has come. Why don’t you quickly capture the Demon Lord and bring him to see the True God——”
On Xuyun Peak, Mu Hong’s face was shrouded in darkness. He held his sword proudly, “Filthy demon, do you have any last words?”
“Good…It seems that this is the ‘True God’ who made you surrender and betray your master.” Lin Finquin lowered his eyelids in fatigue and used the green staff to stay upright. “I’ve remembered it…”
With a single move, the sword that Mu Hong held at his neck slashed open a large wound, and blood gushed out. Lin Fuqing seemed unaware. He staggered toward the edge of the cliff and surveyed down below.
The cold and ominous yin qi roiled between the mountain ridges, bringing with it a lingering smell of blood, sweeping across the sky and earth.
The night was almost over.
And on this night that was about to pass, right at the foot of Xuyun Peak where Lin Fuqing was standing, the most tragic and desperate siege took place.
Three Mahayanas, more than ten Nascent Souls, and over a hundred Golden Core cultivators died.
Only one result was obtained.
—The Immortal Sovereign, Fang Zhiyuan, was killed.
From Red Lotus Abyss’ Snow Bone City, across Dragon Ridge and Sword Valley, treading the Liuhua Continent, crossing the heavy sea, and finally reaching Xuyun Peak of Taiqing Island.
The Immortal Sovereign protected the Demon Lord, wielding a sword and marching against the pursuit of thousands of cultivators. After escaping 80,000 miles of bloody wind and rain, the escape finally ended on this rainy night.
At some point, the rain had stopped.
The sky gradually brightened.
The accumulated water in the mountains reflected the sunlight in bright, glistening ripples. The twisted old trees, with broken branches and bare leaves after a night of fierce fighting, looked even more dilapidated.
Fang Zhiyuan had fallen against a large rock. His entire body was covered in blood, with several white bones exposed, and his heart was pierced through by a divine sword. It was a horrifying sight.
Dawn climbed up from the other side of the distant mountain. His cold and handsome face, bloodstained, appeared soft and gentle under the morning light, and even the old scar on his neck was illuminated clearly.
…He was once the unruly and fearless Immortal Sovereign, the majestic master of the Golden Osmanthus Palace. He drank the strongest wine, carried the best sword, controlled the most ferocious dragon, and won the heart of the most beautiful fairy.
If he had not been so crazy as to risk his life to protect a Demon Lord, he should have been wearing the robe embroidered with the totem of the scorching sun and golden osmanthus and sitting high atop the palace in Liuhua Continent, where golden osmanthus was in full bloom.
But now, this man who was revered as the Immortal Sovereign, his eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping but was already a cold corpse.
Just further away, hundreds of cultivators who had been lucky to survive the Immortal Sovereign’s sword formed a huge barrier.
Various magical weapons crossed with colorful lights in the air, sealing off the entire Xuyun Peak. Fang Zhiyuan was dead and capturing Lin Fuqing would be effortless.
At the summit, the mountain wind caressed the Demon Lord’s white hair as if entranced, and his wide black robe rustled. The tears on Lin Fuqing’s face had dried.
Mu Hong stepped forward and swung his broadsword behind the Demon Lord. He had given this dying man too much time, and it was enough benevolence.
The sharp sword’s edge brought the sound of wind, and it fell with murderous intent—
Clang!!
—Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, an ancient rune emerged from the air. The broadsword with full strength hit it, making a sound like metal hitting stone.
Mu Hong’s expression abruptly changed. His sword was stopped three inches away from Lin Fuqing’s neck, as if transfixed, unable to move even a little bit!
Lin Fuqing moved slowly. He turned his gaunt body to the side and said with regret, “It seems that Patriarch Mu didn’t take what I just said seriously.”
He suddenly glanced over, his eyes were like snow, cold and sharp.
“You don’t deserve to send me off.”
“You devil…!?” The veins in Mu Hong’s forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth and exerted force. But the immortal weapon that had been with him for more than a hundred years did not move at all.
Suddenly, he realized that his limbs were also frozen in mid-air and could move at all. He was shocked and angry. “You set up a formation here? How is that possible—”
Lin Fuqing coughed softly and coldly sneered, “Why else do you think Fang Zhiyuan would risk his life to escort me here?”
Mu Hong’s body suddenly trembled.
His face turned pale, and he murmured, “Spiritual Vein…”
The Demon Lord’s attainments in ancient talisman formations was renowned in the world.
But since the Demon Lord’s Snow Bone City was destroyed by the ‘True God’, Lin Fuqing had become a useless person under the backlash of yin qi. Even though he had survived for a while under Fang Zhiyuan’s protection, he should be exhausted now.
He should no longer have any strength left and shouldn’t even be able to draw the most basic of runes.
But here…it was different.
The top of Xuyun Peak was where spiritual veins converge.
If the core of the spiritual veins could be found, the spiritual energy that could be drawn out would be comparable to the self-detonation of a powerful being in the realm of Tribulation Crossing!
…Few people still remember that before the Demon Lord Lin Fuqing fell into demonism, he was the chief disciple of Xuyun Sect.
He had left his footprints on every flower, every grass, every tree and every stone here, and naturally that included the spiritual veins.
The yin qi and the spiritual energy in the mountain began to swirl like a whirlpool. The green staff in the Demon Emperor’s hand trembled slightly, emitting circles of bright light like spring buds breaking through the soil.
“…It’s actually an immortal weapon.” Mu Hong laughed miserably, his eyes bloodshot. “Lin Fuqing, you have an immortal weapon, but you just watched Fang Zhiyuan die? Good, good, you are so cruel, you are worthy of being the Demon Lord!”
“Actually… I didn’t want to do this either.” Lin Fuqing sighed softly, with a hint of sadness on his face. “I’m sorry.”
The green staff rose, dropped, and pierced deeply into the rock.
Exactly where the core of the spiritual vein was located.
The immortal weapon was the medium, the spiritual vein was the source, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was the guide!
A complicated yet straightforward talisman silently emerged. The huge formation slowly spread out, extending from the highest summit down to the foot of the mountain, covering the entire dark Xuyun Peak.
It was visible even from thousands of miles away.
In the blink of an eye, all the cultivators at the foot of the mountain were swallowed up by the formation and became like a swarm of bees. Mu Hong’s face was ferocious, and he shouted with all his strength, “Retreat! Retreat!! Everyone, leave Xuyun Peak–”
Lin Fuqing leaned down, his wet hair falling across his shoulders, covering half of his pale face. He spread out his fingers, the small lotus formed by the true energy was still swaying, and he said softly, “It’s too late.”
The Demon Lord supported himself with the green staff in his right hand and gently inserted the small golden lotus in his left hand into the spiritual vein.
In the next moment, the spirit vein suddenly burst out with dazzling light. It was as if the blazing sun broke through the dark clouds, casting a bright wave of scorching light that melted the frozen world.
In an instant, the earth cracked and the mountain shook!
The ground exploded inch by inch, and the roar was deafening!
Mu Hong’s screams, the screams of the cultivators at the foot of the mountain, the loud noise of the cliff collapsing, the sharp sound of yin qi being torn apart…even the wind and clouds, the sky and the earth, all dissolved under that dazzling light.
Everything was swallowed up.
Lin Fuqing closed his eyes in relief. His fingers loosened around the green staff, and he fell backwards.
Another stream of warm blood flowed from his lips. His internal organs were pulsing faintly, and his heart cavity kept contracting. The pain was so severe that he almost collapsed.
The sky had cleared up after the rain.
A thin light was shining from the sky.
The Demon Lord was still choking on blood, but his mind gradually became hazy. The pain of the Yin qi backlash that had been tormenting him all the time finally disappeared bit by bit.
Suddenly, old memories were blown into his heart by the flying lights.
More than a hundred years ago, there was a mountain named Xuyun in the immortal land.
Green mountains and clear waters, clouds and fog.
That was Xuyun at that time.
There were orioles in spring, lotus in summer, red leaves in autumn and snow in winter.
At that time, the master had not yet passed away. He was wearing an old Taoist robe and lazily basking in the sun. The side of his face was dazzling in the light.
The junior brothers and sisters were still together, playing and joking every day, discussing philosophy and flying swords with high spirits, as bright as the rising clouds.
The future Immortal Sovereign Fang was still young. He was a black-clothed youth, holding a single-edged blade and a cup of wine, calling him with a wide smile, “Shige…”
But everything changed overnight and they ended up like this.
All perished, all became empty.
Those unforgettable old friends and old scenes eventually turned into dust, drifted away, and were obliterated in the merciless downpour of last night.
==========
When the light faded, the four peaks of Xuyun, which was once boasted to be the best mountain in the world, had been razed to the ground.
There was no breath of any living creatures, only the collapsed spiritual veins still rushing and flowing over gray and black earth, like golden streams and rivers. But no one knew where they would flow to.
_________________________________
Translator Notes:
Yin qi = negative, cold, dark vital energy
Shige = senior brother, similar to shixiong. Shige seems to be more informal and to denote a more intimate relationship.
Xixi: Please don’t repost my translations without permission. Thank you.
The names of things and places will only be translated into English if it sounds better in English, is less wordy, or if it’s useful in reminding readers the purpose of the thing/place.
This novel has a lot of flashbacks. If you find that annoying, this might not be the novel for you.
Oohh! This is so interesting! So excited for future chapters and your wonderful translation! ♥️
Thank you for reading and for the lovely compliment! ^^
This seems like a good book! Can’t wait to read more! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o