Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 19: Infiltration of the Hall of Malevolence
Kai Zhou Shen foresaw their arrival, and there was no doubt about it. However, Ji Zichen thought to herself, "Foreseeing something is one thing; actually seeing it is another."
Of course, Ji Zichen kept this thought to herself and did not voice it. Xia Lian glanced at Yu Ren and stepped forward, with Yu Ren following closely behind. Before meeting Kai Zhou Shen, Ji Zichen had imagined what Kai Zhou Shen might look like—perhaps with three heads and three hands, or resembling a guardian deity affixed to a door—but none of those notions were correct.
Kai Zhou Shen was a young maiden, dressed in a water-blue V-neck cotton gown that flowed elegantly to the ground, paired with a tea-green floral skirt. She wore a robe of jade-colored silk adorned with emerald patterns, her long black hair styled in an intricate high bun. Delicate golden phoenix hairpins were tucked into her cloud-like tresses. Her skin was as smooth as cream, and she wore a gold-inlaid jade bracelet on her wrist. A purple tassel hung from her waist, attached to a lake-blue sachet shaped like a blossoming branch. On her feet were boots made of creamy satin embellished with pearls, making her appearance strikingly radiant.
Ji Zichen observed Kai Zhou Shen's beauty and demeanor with mild astonishment. She exchanged glances with Lin Chuyu, who also appeared surprised. Ji Zichen recalled Kai Zhou Shen's earlier voice—neither male nor female—which led her to subjectively perceive Kai Zhou Shen as male.
Xia Lian took the initiative and said, "Kai Zhou Shen, we did not intend to come here; we simply lost our way." She spoke nervously, fearing that their unintentional intrusion would provoke Kai Zhou Shen's displeasure.
Kai Zhou Shen sat upon a stone platform; the room contained nothing but this slab.
Calmly, Kai Zhou Shen replied, "There is no such thing as intentional or unintentional in this world. The paths you are destined to take are already predetermined; the terms 'intentional' or 'unintentional' are merely constructs of human thought."
Lin Chuyu asked with a puzzled expression, "Are you saying that everything we do is predetermined? Does that mean we are like puppets?"
Kai Zhou Shen responded, "Humans and puppets are fundamentally different. You possess thoughts that puppets do not have. Predetermined does not mean unchangeable; there are many possibilities for change. However, regardless of the countless paths you may take, you will ultimately end up here."
Flying Wolf paused for a moment, seemingly unable to grasp Kai Zhou Shen's meaning.
The look of confusion was not limited to Flying Wolf; others also displayed varying degrees of contemplation on their faces.
Kai Zhou Shen pointed with two fingers toward the space beside Ji Zichen and Yu Ren. Suddenly, a square Water Wall materialized there, reflecting an image of Qingyang City engulfed in flames. In an instant, the group's vision was overwhelmed by the inferno.
As they witnessed Qingyang City consumed by fire, each person felt their breath quicken and stood frozen in place. Ji Zichen experienced profound shock; she could almost hear the desperate cries of the citizens within Qingyang City.
"This is Qingyang City," Kai Zhou Shen stated calmly. "Some of you have been there; others have not."
Ji Zichen gritted his teeth and shouted, "Is this the work of the Evil God?"
Kai Zhou Shen's eyes remained calm as he replied, "This is not the work of the Evil God; it is the will of the Arbitrator. The more tyrannical the Arbitrator becomes, the greater the chance the Evil God has to control him."
With that, Kai Zhou Shen waved his hand, and the Water Wall immediately vanished.
Ji Zichen stared at Kai Zhou Shen, confused about why he was showing them this. Kai Zhou Shen continued, "The disaster in Qingyang City will soon come to an end, but the disaster of the Opening of the Zhou Wasteland will soon arrive."
At this, Flying Wolf and Xia Lian were both taken aback.
Kai Zhou Shen said, "In the past, my revival was a mistake made by our divine race. If we had not created the rift, the Evil God would not have had a chance to resurrect." Ji Zichen looked at Kai Zhou Shen's expression; there was a hint of guilt on his face, but it settled after a moment.
Kai Zhou Shen added, "The Evil God has always wanted to find us. We are not just referring to you and me; we mean our divine race. The Evil God wants to defeat us and eliminate the threat posed by the rift. Regardless of now or in the future, the Evil God's goal will not change unless we are all dead. What I can tell you is that in the near future, the Evil God will conquer many places because he wants to occupy various rifts to determine our divine race's location."
Kai Zhou Shen's voice suddenly slowed down, and his gaze dimmed as he said, "We once considered encircling the Evil God, but most of our divine race has returned to their realms. If they want to come down, they must open a rift. However, there are already too many rifts in this world. Therefore, before sealing the Evil God and repairing the rifts, those of our divine race who are lost in this world cannot return. Right now, we need your help."
Ji Zichen thought to himself, "Repairing the rifts would be good; otherwise, some Demon Beasts might slip through again for cultivation. Places like Madam Jiang's should ideally not have a second occurrence."
Ji Zichen spoke up, "You can repair the rifts? That's great! Now that I've learned the tricks of Sealing Technique as well, will you join us when dealing with the Evil God?"
Kai Zhou Shen suddenly smiled slowly and said, "I have already gone; what you see as Canglin is me."
Xia Lian exclaimed in surprise, "Canglin is you?"
"Yes. You can see me in this form now, but I am not actually like this. I am formless and incorporeal; Canglin is half of my spirit. I disguised Canglin as my messenger."
Ji Zichen picked up on what Kai Zhou Shen was implying and asked, "You have already gone? You went with Saint King to find the Evil God?"
Kai Zhou Shen's eyes sparkled with excitement as he breathed more rapidly. "Yes, we are already on our way."
"What can we do?" Ji Zichen looked at Kai Zhou Shen.
"My spiritual power is not very strong, so you need to hurry to the Desolate Evil Hall," Kai Zhou Shen replied.
Ji Zichen exchanged glances with Xia Lian and said, "Then let's go now. The sooner we seal the Evil God, the sooner we can feel at ease."
"I will open a rift to send you there. When I first arrived in the mortal realm, I could only use eighty percent of my power. As I've stayed here longer, my strength has weakened even more. Therefore, this rift won't take you directly to your destination; you'll need to find a way to travel part of the distance on your own," Kai Zhou Shen explained.
Ji Zichen didn't press him further. "I've traveled many places; walking a bit isn't difficult. As long as you can get us close, I will find a way to enter the Hall of Malevolence."
Kai Zhou Shen felt both anxious and excited, believing that the day he could return to his realm was not far off.
He reminded Ji Zichen and Xia Lian, "I am close to Fierce Death Valley with the Saint King. We are entering from the southern outskirts. I can see that the Eastern Region is poorly defended, so it's best for you to enter from there."
Ji Zichen asked, "If we manage to get in smoothly, how do we meet up with you?"
After thinking for a moment, Kai Zhou Shen said, "I will leave a mark for you in a concealed place near trees or walls. Just pay attention, and you will see my mark. Follow it, and you will find us."
"I understand. If nothing unexpected happens, we will meet up with you as soon as possible," Ji Zichen assured him.
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu said their temporary goodbyes, while Xia Lian quietly exchanged some words with Yang Guizhi. Kai Zhou Shen opened the rift, and Ji Zichen and Xia Lian stepped through it, beginning their arduous journey to the Desolate Evil Hall.
After Ji Zichen and Xia Lian left, Kai Zhou Shen asked Lin Chuyu and Yang Guizhi to stay behind while Flying Wolf was sent back to the village.
Yang Guizhi bit her lip and asked Kai Zhou Shen, "Will they succeed?"
"I have confidence in them," Kai Zhou Shen replied, though he could not foresee the outcome this time.
Ji Zichen and Xia Lian did not appear near Fierce Death Valley; instead, they found themselves outside Qingyang City. Thick smoke billowed from within the city, indicating that the battle had reached a conclusion. Ji Zichen and Xia Lian did not enter the city because it was unnecessary; going in now would serve no purpose. They circled around the city and continued onward, their destination being the Hall of Malevolence rather than entering Qingyang City for rescue.
Ji Zichen wondered if he could seal the Evil God once he found it; all he could do was try his best.
After a long journey, Ji Zichen and Xia Lian arrived at Fierce Death Valley in the Eastern Region. The defenses here were indeed weak. Ji Zichen noticed a secret mark on the wall, a red dot shaped like a maple leaf. Unsure about it, he asked Xia Lian, "Is this the secret mark?"
Xia Lian nodded. "Yes, this is Kai Zhou Shen's secret mark. You haven't ventured deep into the Spirit Immortal Realm yet. If you go inside, you'll see many Maple Trees."
Ji Zichen remarked, "Kai Zhou Shen is quite meticulous to leave a mark here. Since this is the secret mark, we should be cautious on our way and hurry to meet up with them."
Ji Zichen and Xia Lian infiltrated Mountain Valley. This time they didn't enter through the maze; it was a new scene that resembled a temporary encampment. Some Cult members were already wearing armor while others were not. The defenses were sparse, with only about ten people present. As intruders, Ji Zichen and Xia Lian naturally avoided direct confrontation with these Cult members.
They planned to sneak around from the side, but as they turned a corner near a tent, Ji Zichen suddenly whispered, "Not good!"
He realized he had stepped on a communication Formation buried in the ground. The moment he triggered it, a black circle appeared silently, but the alarm bell at the waist of the guards began to vibrate.
Suddenly, more than ten Cult members surged toward their direction. A stern-faced Cult member shouted, "You have some nerve! How dare you sneak in! If you surrender, we will treat you fairly; resist and you will be killed without mercy!"
Ji Zichen never expected they would set up a Formation behind the tent. Now that he had triggered it, there was no choice but to fight back.
Glancing at their numbers, Ji Zichen signaled to Xia Lian with his eyes: he would take care of the ones on the left while she handled those on the right. Xia Lian also understood Ji Zichen's intentions through their silent exchange. She conjured a Vengeful Spirit; using lightning could quickly resolve the situation, but that would surely attract more attention. Ji Zichen wasn't ready to use the Five Elements Pearl yet. Drawing his Demon-Slaying Sword, he shouted, "If you want me to surrender, you can forget it!"
Comment 0 Comment Count