Chapter 65
“Yu Wuxia said, only by entering the Pentagram Array can we save Quze.”
“Quze is trapped within the Pentagram Array?” Haowei’s tone lowered slightly.
“Mm.”
As they spoke, the two descended near the foot of the mountain. Apparently affected by the array, Línglóng Mountain had undergone changes. The mountain was densely carved with runes, peculiar symbols that shimmered like insects under the flickering golden light.
Si Lan hesitated slightly, “Apart from Quze, Xiè Lí and the two guardians are also inside the array.”
“…” Haowei.
It was the first time he encountered a situation where an entire family was dragged into an array.
They probably intended to ensure that none could escape.
“After entering the array, we’ll first meet with Xiè Lí,” Haowei said.
“Mm.” Si Lan nodded like an awkward follower, then added, “Xiè Lí mentioned that there are many demons and monsters inside the array, possibly those subdued by Yu Wuxia before.”
“Mm.” Haowei responded, observing the array. It was a part of the Nine Heavens Pentagram Array.
From the outside, amidst the flowing golden light, there were faintly shimmering, peculiar runes. Originally used for sealing beasts, these runes were now placed within the array, likely intended to capture them alongside these people as demons or monsters.
Looking inside, the array had two layers; Quze’s aura was on the second layer, while Xiè Lí and the others were struggling on the first layer. As for Yu Wuxia, his presence seemed both here and everywhere.
Remembering something, Haowei took out the Demon Subduing Goblet and released the fox demon from within.
The fox demon, dizzy from its earlier spinning, had rested in the goblet for quite some time and felt somewhat better upon coming out. However, upon seeing Haowei’s face, it couldn’t help but gnash its teeth in irritation. Soon, though, it reverted to its charming and delicate appearance, its seductive eyes arching playfully. “Oh my, you’re so annoying! You made me so dizzy and sore. My body still feels achy.”
“…” Si Lan.
Haowei gave her a sidelong glance. “If you don’t want to die, then shut your mouth.”
The fox demon immediately closed her mouth, blinking as she surveyed her surroundings. She realized she was back at Línglóng Mountain. Thinking Haowei might seal her again, she quickly begged tearfully.
“This immortal saved you. Why would I seal you again?” Haowei’s cold tone conveyed, “We just need you to follow us.”
The fox demon was once Yu Wuxia’s lover and resembled Jia Héng Buddha. With her, they had an added assurance.
Finding Haowei difficult to talk to, the fox demon moved closer to Si Lan’s side. Glancing with almond-shaped eyes, she felt Si Lan seemed more approachable. “So, what are you two immortals planning to do?”
Si Lan looked at the fox demon. She lowered her head and lifted the corners of her eyes, intentionally making herself seem shy.
Rather than answering the fox demon directly, Si Lan teased, “Don’t you want to avoid being sealed again?”
“Mm.”
“Then help us capture Yu Wuxia. We won’t seal you again if you cooperate.”
“What do you want me to do?” The fox demon leaned closer and asked.
“Help us capture Yu Wuxia.”
“…” The fox demon looked conflicted. She didn’t want to because Yu Wuxia was her lover, and also because he was highly skilled. Going after Yu Wuxia would be like courting danger.
The fox demon muttered, “What did Yu Wuxia do that you’re going through all this trouble to capture him?”
“He wants to destroy the Six Realms. If you don’t want to die, cooperate with us,” Haowei said calmly, pulling Si Lan aside to intervene between her and the fox demon.
As Haowei approached, the fox demon instinctively moved away from him. Upon hearing that Yu Wuxia wanted to destroy the world, her expression turned oddly serious, though not entirely surprised. “Back then, I already felt Yu Wuxia’s thoughts were somewhat obsessive. But I never imagined he’d go so far as to want to destroy the Six Realms.”
The fox demon added, “But even if he destroys the Six Realms, what can I do? I’m just a little fox who’s been imprisoned for thousands of years and understands nothing.”
“… ” Si Lan.
He stepped past Haowei, gaze fixed on the little fox demon imprisoned and ignorant for thousands of years, offering her reassurance, “No, you’re one of the few women Yu Wuxia genuinely cares for. You must be different to him.”
The fox demon, upon hearing this, cast her eyes down shyly, as if blushing, “Actually, when everyone said that the Azure Bird was Yu Wuxia’s true love, I didn’t think so. I was the first to pull Yu Wuxia down from his pedestal. Surely, in his heart, I’m the one he truly loves.”
“Mm.” Si Lan nodded heavily in agreement, though inwardly he marveled at another romantic saga unfolding. “So, saving the Six Realms hinges on you.”
The fox demon smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, but seeming persuaded.
The three entered Línglóng Mountain, where each step illuminated a swastika-shaped golden light, yet oddly, Línglóng Mountain, which was once easy to traverse, now seemed endless.
Uncertain, the fox demon tried to edge closer to them but found Haowei beside her. She then moved to Si Lan’s side, clutching a handkerchief that had appeared from nowhere, coquettishly murmuring, “It’s so scary here. I think I’d rather wait for you outside.”
Si Lan glanced at her but his gaze fell beyond her. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
Before he finished, a swarm of venomous bees charged at them. Haowei shielded them, conjuring a barrier, but strangely, the bees pierced through.
Haowei suddenly realized, “These bees aren’t real. It’s an illusion.”
They had fallen under an illusion the moment they set foot on Línglóng Mountain.
Si Lan was about to speak when a deep, unfamiliar male voice suddenly sounded in his ears. Once heard, he could not forget it — Yu Wuxia.
“When Haowei’s divine injury resurfaced, he killed ninety thousand evil spirits of the Ninth Abyss. While these spirits had their reasons for existing in the Six Realms, Haowei indiscriminately slaughtered them and was thus sent to the Mortal Realm for judgment.”
As Si Lan listened to Yu Wuxia’s words, he surveyed his surroundings. Having fallen under the illusion, both Haowei and the fox demon were nowhere to be seen. They, too, must have been ensnared in their own illusions.
Si Lan didn’t understand why Yu Wuxia was saying this, but he furrowed his brow, “Haowei has already been judged by the Mortal Realm for his crimes.”
“Hehe, judged by the Mortal Realm…” Yu Wuxia’s laughter seemed to echo mockingly overhead, “But the Mortal Realm was created by the Heavenly Realm. How could it be impartial?”
“Yu Wuxia, Haowei’s divine injury persisted because of your intentional disruption of his tribulation. In this sense, you are the mastermind. Bemoaning injustice, but it’s you, the mastermind, who has evaded punishment, which is the real injustice.” Si Lan’s tone was firm and resolute as he countered Yu Wuxia.
Yu Wuxia chuckled again, perhaps amused by Si Lan’s retort, realizing Si Lan wasn’t easily swayed.
Suddenly, his presence pressed against Si Lan. Si Lan felt momentarily uncomfortable, turning back but seeing nothing.
In the next instant, hands slammed onto the back of his neck, propelling his entire body forward until his cheek pressed against an invisible barrier.
The barrier slowly morphed, revealing the illusion where Haowei resided.
Instinctively, Si Lan shouted Haowei’s name, “Haowei… Haowei…”
But no matter how he called, the Haowei before him couldn’t hear his voice. They were close yet separated by an invisible divide.
Yu Wuxia’s voice lowered another notch near Si Lan’s ear, “In fact, the sacrifice for the Línglóng Mountain array is not Quze, but you.”
Si Lan raised his head in astonishment. Though he couldn’t see Yu Wuxia’s face, he seemed to behold something horrifying beyond, his eyes slightly trembling.
Yu Wuxia’s fingers were icy as they pressed firmly against his neck. Whatever he did, Si Lan couldn’t move, feeling a burning sensation coursing through every inch of his flesh and blood under the array’s eerie symbols, sprawled painfully against the barrier as he gazed at the illusion of Haowei.
At this moment, Haowei was in combat mode, his eyes turned crimson-gold, exuding an aura of menace. His sword spun like a flowing arrow in the sky, step by step assessing the surroundings, a hint of concern on his face as his lips moved ever so slightly.
Si Lan understood. He was calling his name.
“I’ve embedded the Línglóng Mountain array within you. Imagine when Haowei breaks the array, every strike will land on you. How do you think he will react?”
He would go mad.
Si Lan thought about this, unsure where the strength came from, he clenched his fingers, wanting to rise and resist the person behind him. But he was still held high in the air by the opponent’s invisible hands.
He was just about to endure the pain and pull out the Xuanxin Whip when Yu Wuxia’s voice sounded again.
“This formation, either it’s planted within your body, or within Quze’s body. Jun Li, who do you think is more suitable for it, you or Quze?” Yu Wuxia’s voice carried a clear smile, yet it felt chilling and terrifying, each word uttered like venomous snakes coiling around Si Lan’s body.
Si Lan shuddered, countless chills pervaded his heart, his eyes involuntarily reddened, and he slowly lowered his arm.
He was higher in cultivation than Quze, yet Quze had a greater chance of survival.
“If your target is me, then release Quze.”
“Of course.”
The strange burning sensation at Si Lan’s neck continued to sear his nerves, he knew this was Yu Wuxia’s formation within him. His lips were pale, yet his voice still retained a hint of calmness, “Why are you tormenting Haowei like this?”
“To make the heavens unable to tolerate themselves.”
After finishing speaking, Yu Wuxia burst into laughter again, his voice filled with disdain and arrogance towards all living beings.
He could have directly trapped Haowei in the Pentagram Formation, but that wouldn’t be as interesting.
Haowei was a “variable” deliberately added by the heavens in this lifetime, so he wanted to slowly drive this variable insane, turning him into a ruthless thug.
In this way, it was like giving the heavens a hard slap in the face.
Chapter 66
In fact, it was not only to make the heavens unable to tolerate themselves, but also to destroy Si Lan.
“Jun Li, the one who wants to harm Haowei is not me, it’s you.” After Yu Wuxia laughed, his voice surged into Si Lan’s ears like a venomous snake.
“You could have chosen to place the formation inside Quze’s body. That way, even if Haowei harms or kills Quze, you wouldn’t feel so guilty. But you insisted on implanting it into your own body. Isn’t this harming Haowei?”
“You should understand Haowei’s feelings for you. If he knew he hurt you even a bit, he might not be able to bear it and hurt himself tenfold. So it’s your generosity, your kindness, your compassion that led you to choose to hurt the person you love the most.”
As soon as Yu Wuxia finished speaking, on the other side of the barrier, Haowei was suddenly attacked by a monster that looked humanoid but was as withered as dead wood.
The monster moved swiftly and ghost-like, attempting to approach Haowei but was directly cut in half at the waist by a long sword. However, the pain transmitted to Si Lan.
It felt like being punched in the abdomen, causing his face to pale.
At some point, Yu Wuxia released him.
He fell to the ground, trying to stand up, but then felt as if his abdomen had been slashed open again, the tearing pain rolling out from his flesh and blood. Clearly, there were no visible wounds on his body, yet the pain was unbearable.
In such agony, he still couldn’t help but complain inwardly—what kind of sword did Haowei take? Why did it hurt so much when it slashed someone? When they returned, he would definitely ask him to change the sword.
He held his abdomen with one hand, curling the other tightly to support himself, trying to stand up. At that moment, another sword struck him heavily, sending him flying backward, crashing into a giant rock. A metallic taste of blood instantly overflowed from his throat.
“Haowei.”
He tried to contact Haowei with his spiritual sense, but couldn’t reach him.
After slaying two monsters, Haowei’s sword transformed into countless shadows, swirling high in the air, poised to break through the illusion.
Si Lan glanced at those sword shadows, his legs trembling. He estimated that if those hit him, he’d either die or be crippled.
Silently consoling himself, he knew his unique constitution could turn others’ blood into flesh, hopefully aiding his own survival. As long as he could still drink blood, he should be able to make it through.
While restraining his breath, he observed the situation inside the barrier. Yu Wuxia had left at some point.
All around was pitch black, save for his breathing—no other sound. He cast a spell to conjure firelight, illuminating his surroundings. It was then he realized he was inside a massive stone coffin.
To be precise, the illusion he was in was a stone coffin.
The entire coffin was icy cold and pale white, covered inside with densely packed runes. Glancing at them, he recognized them as Soul Calamity curses.
Soul Calamity was an extremely malicious curse. Those cursed would have their souls destroyed, never to reincarnate.
He frowned. It seemed Yu Wuxia had prepared this stone coffin for him, intending to use his physical body to activate the Pentagram Nine Heavens Formation, then let his soul perish.
Yu Wuxia probably didn’t want the heavens to find him again for reincarnation, intending to completely eliminate this “threat” in this lifetime.
Estimating that Yu Wuxia had left, but was likely still lurking in the shadows, enjoying the spectacle of him and Haowei in dire straits, Si Lan looked up into the air and gestured obscenely.
Outside the barrier, myriad swords flew in the sky, their illusions interweaving like flowing arrows, slowly approaching the formation, seemingly waiting for the right moment to attack.
Si Lan leaned closer to the barrier, quietly watching Haowei’s face.
Suddenly, he remembered that since Haowei had returned to his adult male form, he hadn’t really looked at him seriously. Now, for the first time, he observed him in such a scene.
His eyes welled with bitterness as he reached out, gently touching Haowei’s eyebrows and eyes through the barrier. When he first met Haowei, he was just a little white dragon—haughty, silly, delicate, and noble, but without the imposing and cold aura.
So even though Haowei later returned to his adult appearance, Si Lan didn’t fear him much.
Actually, Haowei’s face was very cold and stern. When others saw him, they felt a strong sense of intimidation.
Especially with his slightly downturned eyes and raised eyelids, he naturally exuded a chill and disdain, as if he held everyone in contempt.
The illusions of the long swords spun faster and faster, causing debris to rise from the ground, nearly obscuring Haowei’s figure. Si Lan closed his eyes and silently apologized in his heart.
He had already suppressed his breath. If his soul truly scattered, he would only become an ordinary skeleton. He hoped Haowei wouldn’t find out. If Haowei didn’t know he was dead, he wouldn’t suffer.
“Haowei…” Si Lan murmured his name.
At that moment, the swords that were about to break through suddenly halted, standing motionless in mid-air.
The scattered stones and dust on the ground fell instantly, revealing Haowei’s face. Haowei took steps, slowly walking towards Si Lan.
Si Lan’s heart suddenly raced. He stared at Haowei intently, unsure if Haowei had sensed something.
Haowei reached out his hand, separated by an invisible barrier, pressing it against the palm of the other. He chuckled inexplicably, his chest trembling slightly, thin mist gathering in his eyes. “Haowei…”
Haowei’s dark eyes hardened. He withdrew his sword without breaking the formation.
He speculated that although Haowei couldn’t see him, he might have sensed something amiss.
Suddenly, three ghastly monsters like dried corpses emerged within the formation, gnashing their teeth and lunging towards Haowei. He had to dodge their attacks, refusing to strike back.
As if intentionally provoking Haowei, more and more monsters surged within the formation, almost filling the entire illusionary space.
Haowei, for some reason, refrained from attacking them. After several evasions, he was scratched by a monster, leaving a bloody mark on his face and tearing his robes, blood faintly visible.
Si Lan knew this was Yu Wuxia forcing Haowei to act.
Cornered, Haowei remained cold-faced, his eyes unreadable. Suddenly, behind him, the stones propped against him morphed into a gaping maw. Si Lan couldn’t help but cry out, “Haowei… Haowei… Watch out behind you!”
Unfortunately, Haowei couldn’t hear him. By the time he noticed, the creature had already lunged, and instinctively, he attempted to attack with his sword, only to be recalled by it.
He sidestepped the attack but was still caught, the creature’s sharp fangs slicing down his arm, tearing away flesh.
Blood instantly soaked through his white robe.
Si Lan’s heart rose to his throat, voice hoarse. “Haowei, Haowei… Strike back quickly!”
He shouted for a while, but Haowei outside the barrier showed no response, perhaps due to his injured arm or exhaustion. His dodges slowed, injuries accumulating.
Fearing for Haowei’s life if this continued, Si Lan knew Haowei couldn’t break free, but he could enter and save him. Thinking this, he drew the Mysterious Heart Whip, the whip wrapping around the barrier like a spirit serpent.
The barrier trembled, faint swastika-like characters appearing. This was the door of the barrier. The whip transformed into a sharp blade, hacking repeatedly at the swastika.
After a few strikes, a crack appeared in the barrier. Si Lan’s expression eased slightly, but upon seeing the situation inside the formation, his face darkened again.
Haowei lay defeated on the ground, his white robes soaked in blood. Trying to rise, he was kicked down by the creature. Its desiccated fingers turned into blades, slashing his back and reaching for his core.
Despite everything, Haowei did not resist and endured the pain as his core was forcibly extracted.
The monster, ecstatic upon retrieving Haowei’s core, swallowed it eagerly, emitting another triumphant howl. It then tore open Haowei’s body, crushing his spiritual platform.
In an instant, a majestic aura akin to a fallen true dragon overflowed from within the formation, shaking the valley and startling myriad beasts.
Si Lan stood dumbfounded for a moment, then broke down screaming, “Haowei… Haowei, get up quickly!”
Ignoring everything, he attacked the barrier frantically. Finally, the crack on the swastika grew larger, revealing a gap. He swiftly transformed into wisps of smoke, breaking through the barrier without hesitation and rushing into the formation.
He reached Haowei’s side, lips trembling as he called out his name, but found himself unable to utter a sound.
Haowei was covered in blood. When Si Lan touched him, his hand came away red. He froze in shock, unable to speak, tears streaming down his face.
Suddenly, the monsters within the formation turned to dust, vanishing into thin air.
Behind them, Yu Wuxia’s figure appeared.
Previously appearing only as a phantom, this was the first time Yu Wuxia had manifested in his true form.
He wore a lead-gray kasaya, with one thousand and eighty imperial yellow prayer beads hanging from his chest. His figure was tall and straight, his clothes moving without wind.
Though his face was handsome like a monk, the sensual red mark on his forehead suggested a wild and unrestrained nature.
Looking at Haowei in the pool of blood, a hint of regret crossed his face.
Regret that Haowei had died so easily.
Originally thought to be a divine emperor, transcending the cycle of reincarnation and immortal, Haowei had unexpectedly died at the hands of a few ordinary monsters.
It seemed that during their divine exchange some time ago, Haowei had transferred too much of his cultivation to Si Lan.
But Si Lan, that little fool, probably still didn’t realize that Haowei’s death was a result of his own actions step by step.
Walking slowly to Si Lan’s side, Yu Wuxia’s eyes gleamed with mockery. “He ended up like this all because of you.”
Si Lan said nothing, seemingly immersed in profound grief, hands clenched tightly. He wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t move, turning into a puppet, silently sitting by Haowei’s side.
Yu Wuxia, in a chilling tone, said, “Heaven has again erred, sending something utterly useless.”
With those words, Yu Wuxia reached out to crush Haowei’s physical body with a palm strike. However, in that moment, when his hand was about to strike, the corpse, already blurred by the blood on the ground, suddenly turned around with lightning speed, grabbing Yu Wuxia’s elbow. A strange black rune along with it, quickly entering his body.
Yu Wuxia was about to cast a spell to retaliate when Si Lan, who had been struggling with grief, unexpectedly opened his tightly clenched hands, revealing a long sword formed from the little finger of Heaven, and lunged towards Yu Wuxia’s heart without hesitation.
After being stabbed by the long sword, Yu Wuxia’s body seemed to split open, a golden light spilling out of his chest. In panic, he used a spell to push the two of them away, his figure staggered backwards for several steps.
He spat out blood, reaching out directly to the chest with the Tao finger
He slowly let his gaze fall upon Haowei. After Haowei stood up, all wounds and bloodstains on him vanished completely. His robes were as white as snow, and his face handsome and dignified.
Haowei looked at him coldly.
He couldn’t believe it. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” He had believed Haowei to be dead because when a true dragon fell, causing spiritual fluctuations that shook mountains and rivers and made all beasts cry out.
Therefore, he had been willing to reveal his true form.
Originally, he couldn’t be sure he could defeat these two, so he had refrained from revealing himself until he saw Haowei supposedly dead. But unexpectedly, this turned out to be a play arranged for him!
“Yu Wuxia, you’re not the only one who can use illusions.” Haowei spoke while glancing cautiously at Si Lan, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
Si Lan sneered, a trace of crimson still lingering in his eyes, as if he hadn’t fully recovered from his earlier grief. “We’ll settle the score when we get back.”
Haowei had cast an illusion, yet hadn’t informed him!
This had caused him to almost faint from shock when he had seen Haowei’s injured appearance within the barrier, blood almost overwhelming his heart.
He only realized something was amiss when he walked to Haowei’s “corpse” and saw a blurred hand reaching out from under the robe, the little finger hooking his own finger.
He instantly understood that Haowei hadn’t actually died; Haowei was deliberately acting.
When the figure of Yu Wuxia appeared behind him, Haowei’s little finger hooked again, and he vaguely understood what was going on. So he quietly manifested a divine tail finger technique and concealed it in his palm.
Fearful of exposing the trick, he maintained an appearance of extreme grief and numbness throughout.
“Alright.” Haowei leaned slightly towards Si Lan’s ear, his voice carrying a magnetic tone. “When we return, punish however you like.”
Si Lan’s ears inexplicably turned red, glaring at him.
How could such a straightforward statement sound tinged with flirtation?
At this moment, Yu Wuxia watched the two “flirting” before him, blood mist swirling in his eyes uncontrollably. He slowly closed his fingers, attempting to stop the bleeding with internal energy.
After the divine tail finger struck him, he couldn’t directly kill Haowei, but he was severely wounded.
He felt his cultivation dissipating like flowing sand, hindered from using internal energy to stop the bleeding by the black runes Haowei had placed within him. The collision of energies within him caused a sweet and bloody taste to surge up again.
Haowei looked at him and said, “I’ve read the runes you inscribed on the Pentagram Array in my father’s Taiwei book. I knew it was a curse embedded in the array, and I guessed you might have integrated the Pentagram Array into someone’s body. While fighting those two monsters, I suddenly understood your intention. You intended to use my hand to kill someone.”
Thus, Haowei devised a counterplan, pretending to be killed while secretly casting an illusion within the array when he fell, making Yu Wuxia mistakenly believe that his spiritual energy had dissipated and the true dragon had fallen.
However, the one thing he hadn’t anticipated was that Yu Wuxia had actually integrated the array into Si Lan’s body, not Quze’s. Thinking back to how Si Lan had entered the array with his soul almost shattered, he felt uneasy about it.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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