Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
"You won't let me go? Then the Old Man will perish with you!" The Third Elder shouted, flames erupting from his body as he lunged toward me.
I suddenly vanished from his sight, and the Silver Thread wrapped around his neck, hoisting him up against the tree trunk.
The Third Elder struggled, flames engulfing him. He glared at me, then punched into his own abdomen, pulling out something unknown. It glimmered with a golden light as he flicked it toward me.
I dared not take it head-on and retreated. But to my surprise, from a distance of three to five meters, the object suddenly exploded, sending a massive shockwave that hurled me away, leveling the entire forest in an instant.
"Is this what a Golden Core self-detonation looks like?" I was drenched in cold sweat as I crawled up from the dust. A Golden Core self-detonation is a last resort for someone at the Core Formation Stage when faced with certain death, sacrificing their cultivated Golden Core to unleash immense power. If I had recklessly taken that hit, even an Immortal would have been left crippled.
Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, and I felt slight internal injuries. After returning to the cave, I looked at Yunxi, who was peacefully asleep. My heart felt a bit relieved as I sat at the cave entrance, facing the Bright Moon to heal my wounds.
When I woke up the next morning, I suddenly heard the sound of flowing water ahead.
I opened my eyes to see Yunxi playing in the river. When she noticed I was awake, she stared at me blankly but showed no concern, splashing water and inviting me to join her.
"Yunxi." My eyes turned red as I realized that she was on borrowed time; her life force was nearly depleted.
Seeing my distress, Yunxi flew out of the water, instantly drying off. She said, "Usually, it snows in Qinling. I used to follow my mother around; she loved watching the snow. But for some reason, there hasn't been any snow this year on Azure Cloud Mountain."
I replied, "Then let's go to the mountain. The snow there is pure; some peaks haven't seen anyone for centuries."
Yunxi nodded eagerly. "Okay! But I've never left Azure Cloud Mountain; you have to take me."
"I'll carry you there," I said.
Yunxi's eyes widened in surprise before she nodded with a faint smile, her brows curving like a crescent moon—no longer resembling the eternal snow that never melted.
I carried Yunxi northward, crossing the Qinling Mountains. I used Time Walk without hesitation because Yunxi didn't have much time left.
Along the way, we encountered numerous Taoist temples nestled within the Qinling Mountains. We saw free-spirited sika deer, soaring eagles, and many peculiar creatures, as well as herb gatherers.
Yunxi said, "This place is truly vast, unimaginably so."
I replied, "It is indeed vast. When I was studying in the secular world, I once came across a saying: to meet the person you are meant to meet among millions, in the endless wilderness of time over countless years, neither too early nor too late, but just in time."
Yunxi repeated my words, her chin resting on my shoulder. I carried her on my back, racing through the brisk wind like a wild horse galloping freely.
Her long hair and crimson silk flowed behind us like the tail of the wind, a trace of light. We traversed rugged mountains and valleys, galloping over rivers and soaring above grass tips. I heard Yunxi's giggles, reminiscent of a girl; she wiped the sweat from my face. We shared an unspoken bond like long-time companions.
Eventually, I took her over high mountains to the vast ice fields of the far north.
At the foot of the mountain, looking up at its peak, clouds billowed and colors danced in the sky. In a solitary mountain village, I found a girl named Zhuoma and asked her about the location of the Snow Pool. She pointed towards a certain direction on the mountain and looked at Yunxi on my back, saying, "This sister is truly beautiful."
"You are beautiful too," I said as I patted her head before turning to fly towards Mountain Snow Pool.
Above the mountain, I picked a blue Snow Lotus. According to herbal texts, Snow Lotuses bloom once a year with a short flowering period. If they happen to grow in Spiritual Ground, their petals never wither. A Century to Become a King; Thousand Years to Sage. The hundred-year flower is blue while the thousand-year flower is an ice flower. I presented the Blue Snow Lotus to Yunxi, who joyfully accepted it and playfully placed it atop my head. I laughed heartily as I embraced her and soared up a snow-laden peak where several snow-white birds perched.
Seeing us, those birds took flight into the sky, chirping amidst the falling snowflakes with voices as clear as song.
Yunxi remarked, "These must be the Snow Geese my mother spoke of."
Atop the mountain peak, Yunxi and I sat together watching the sunset. The evening sun painted the clouds crimson while stars twinkled in the cosmic galaxy until dawn broke.
Yunxi's fingers lightly traced through the swirling snowflakes before us, forming rings like tree rings in midair.
I lifted a strand of her fallen hair from beside her ear and said, "Let me take you to see my brother."
Yunxi nodded. Initially, Zhang Jianzi had buried Douding's body beneath Mountain Snow Pool because they were being pursued by members of the Serpent Cult and had to flee in haste.
At the edge of the Snow Pool, towering icebergs formed massive, transparent icicles. I used the Zhou Compass to replay past Light Shadows and found the location where Zhang Jianzi had buried Douding.
I jumped into the icy river beneath the Snow Pool, retrieving an Ice Coffin that floated in the dark depths, obscured from view. Inside the Ice Coffin, Douding lay intact, a gentle smile on his face, peacefully asleep.
"Yunxi, this is my brother Douding," I said.
Yunxi did not respond. I turned around to see her silently collapsed in the snow, her life force extinguished.
I lifted Yunxi up. She weakly said, "In a sea of millions, to meet the person you are destined to meet; in countless years, in the boundless wilderness of time, neither too early nor too late, just perfectly timed. Yang Hao, to encounter you at the end of my life is my fortune."
Yunxi grasped my hand and closed her eyes. To hold on until we reached the mountain, she had exhausted her last bit of Dao Qi. Neither of us mentioned it, fearing it would sadden me.
But I could no longer hold back my tears and cried uncontrollably.
In the Daoist World, loneliness was common; good people often had lives as cheap as dogs and had to tread carefully. Yet Yunxi had never resorted to Conspiracy.
I placed Yunxi inside the large Ice Coffin where Douding lay, filling it with Pure Snow Lotus. Just as I was about to seal the Ice Coffin with Dao Qi, the Zhou Compass suddenly vibrated. I was puzzled because the direction indicated by the Zhou Compass was right beside me.
I looked at Yunxi's abdomen and noticed a shimmering light like water emanating from there.
It was the pearl I had given Yunxi.
For some reason, I suddenly recalled a prophecy spoken by Guo the Blind when he left Azure Cloud Mountain with Guo Huaiyi.
"Tao Te Ching, Linglong Pearl, Book of Life and Death, Dragon Abyss Sword; a voice from the green mountains speaks of peace; it is hard to meet again in this world."
"What does Guo the Blind's words mean? The Martial Dao Classic, Book of Life and Death, and Dragon Abyss Sword all belong to me. Now that Dragon Abyss Sword has been taken by Sword Sect Master Dongfang Jiu, could Linglong Pearl be what I hold in my hand?" I thought as I gazed at the shimmering pearl like flowing water.
I possessed one of the Eight Great Sacred Treasures of Taoism—the Zhou Compass. Although the others were not Sacred Artifacts, they were no less valuable. The Martial Dao Classic was something everyone dreamed of; even the Five Great Supremes had waged wars over the Book of Life and Death. The Dragon Abyss Sword was an ancient sword known for slaying dragons. Yet this pearl remained a mystery to me.
I was initially guided by Zhou Compass to the lake Pavilion at the foot of Yunhua Peak to search for the Treasure. This Treasure was trapped beneath a coffin at the base of a stone pillar, and inside the coffin lay a Daoist priest with an ethereal presence, holding the pearl in his hand. He had remained incorruptible for centuries, and if the pearl were to leave his body, he would instantly turn to dust.
The Camelback Turtle even swallowed the coffin whole in its attempt to seize the pearl.
"This must be the Linglong Pearl," I said, my expression doubtful as I placed the Linglong Pearl into Yunxi's mouth. Using Dao Qi, I sent the pearl into her body, and it began to glow, allowing me to see the meridians within her.
Yet, Yunxi did not awaken. Like Douding, she was already dead. I hadn’t considered what effects this pearl might have; now it seemed too late.
One, two, three moments passed, and still, Yunxi did not wake. There was no warmth in her body, and her meridians and blood had stagnated, showing no signs of revival.
In the Daoist World, Revival was ultimately a delusion. I recalled the scene of my mother turning to ashes as I left Futu Ridge; it was a helpless memory.
With red-rimmed eyes, I kissed the hands of Yunxi and Douding before burying them together. One feared the dark, while the other feared solitude.
I closed the Ice Coffin and pushed it into the Mountain Snow Pool.
Through the cold river water, I saw their figures swaying within the Ice Coffin as they sank into the endless darkness of the riverbed.
With a wave of my hand, I covered the snow over the river's surface; the Snow Pool returned to its original state—centuries of solitude.
"Yunxi, Douding, you were both harmed by the Serpent Cult. One day, I, Yang Hao, will rise above the Five Great Supremes. Whether it is the Serpent Cult, Sword Pavilion, or Yinshan Yang Family, they will tremble before my wrath. They will regret harming those close to me; they will regret ever coming into this world!"
Comment 0 Comment Count