Estranged - Chapter 105

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If there was no way to become a god, then, he would turn into a devil.

Jiang Li, no, Luomei had chosen the easiest solution. Since he could not break through to the realm of becoming an immortal, he might as well leave this path and collude with demons instead. After all, the Darkest Abyss was also another realm. Perhaps, the ultimate power of demons would help him solve the problem that cultivators had been struggling to overcome for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Luomei had had a new idea. He wanted to open the passage on the Sacred Mountain Wan, the one that had already been closed before, and let demons into the human world, before fusing them with humans. As a result, everyone would benefit from each other’s strengths and learn from their weaknesses. Cultivators would also acquire new knowledge from demons.

“Common demons live longer than humans. You must have met Princess Linglong. Her cultivation level isn’t lower than yours or Jiufang Changming’s, yet her innate abilities are considered merely second-rate in the Darkest Abyss. She only managed to become an important figure because she’s the smartest one there.”

Jiang Li was referring to the demon who had occupied the body of Princess Linglong of Zhaoyue. After the demon had possessed her body, Yun Weisi had crossed his weapon with hers at the Luo Capital. The demon had claimed that she was Princess Linglong afterwards, and did not use another name.

Princess Linglong and Luomei had reached an agreement. When the Liuhe Zhutian Formation opened the gap to the Abyss, the world would be transformed. Demons would appear in the world, and demonic qi would flow in, before merging into the human world. Everything would be shared, and after some time, every human would have demonic qi within them. Consequently, the appearance of the human world would be changed, and it would no longer be the place where one had to cultivate painstakingly for many years with no guarantee of ascension.

But something strange had happened to Luomei’s body. No matter how much demonic qi Princess Linglong tried to transfer to him, and no matter how many times he went to the Darkest Abyss, he was never able to turn into a demon.

“I’ve traveled all over the world in search of an answer, but I haven’t managed to obtain it.”

Luomei’s gaze that was faintly burning with a somewhat feverish emotion stopped on Yun Weisi.

“Now you should understand that the ability to turn into a demon is rare and precious, and something I could never obtain. Daoyou Yun, could you tell me how you felt after turning into a demon?”

“I don’t want to become a demon,” Yun Weisi said.

Luomei shook his head: “Then, you still haven’t grasped the true nature of this transformation. After having demonic qi become a part of you, you should clearly feel that your cultivation has rapidly increased. Not only that, you would have found that the doors that were closed to you in the past are all suddenly open to you because of this. To use an analogy, when one is sweeping a room, it is difficult for them to notice specks of dust in the nooks and corners, but after this transformation, they would be able to clearly see even the tiniest particles of dirt on the beams.”

Yun Weisi said coldly: “You misunderstand my words. Whether I wanted this to happen or whether it has happened are two different questions. I chose my path myself, and I don’t need anyone to impose it on me.”

While they were talking, the sky was changing. The night part of it was slowly swallowing the dawn sky—the former had an obvious advantage and, as a result, the red flames on the horizon were almost above their heads. The low dark clouds had been painted red, and birds were flying above mountain forests. All the animals were startled, and their noises reached Yun Weisi’s ears occasionally. Even the ground was slightly trembling, and violent gales were blowing towards the two of them, yet all this did not bother the two sitting men in the slightest.

The world was coming to its downfall, and eerie omens were flashing in the sky. It was not just the animals—every person, from the noblest kings to the peddlers and servants were also running hurriedly for their life, seized with panic. They did not understand that this calamity was not something one could run away from. The red flames would envelop the whole world like a mat being rolled up, and the world would be blanketed with demonic qi. It did not matter where they ran to, as doing this would not fix the matter at hand.

Humans and demons tread on different paths. A common person would not be able to endure the erosion caused by demonic qi. They had neither the exceptional abilities of a cultivator, nor a demon’s innate ability to absorb demonic qi. So, in the end, all they could do was drink this cup of poison and feel as it burned them slowly to death, akin to a death by a thousand cuts.

Even cultivators, when faced with the corrosion caused by demonic qi and the turmoil caused by demons, could only escape if they had great luck.

When the nest has been turned upside down, how could a single egg survive?

The mountains and rivers that had once shone with glory, which Jiang Li had mentioned, were, in actuality, built on a mountain of corpses and oceans of blood. It was a world where only the strongest survived. Perhaps, there were several people in the world, who could, fortunately, survive the battle against demonic qi, just like what Yun Weisi had done in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and after a long time, they would indeed be able to find a way to live with demonic qi. However, the number of such people could be counted on one’s fingers.

With the destruction of the world happening, even most of the Wanjian Immortal Clan’s disciples would perish, and no one would be able to escape this.

Yet the initiator of this evil was drinking a cup of tea, completely calm and at ease.

In his eyes, the lives of both the common people of the world and the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan were nothing but mere blades of grass on his newly paved road. If the grass was cut down, no one would feel distressed.

They just aren’t strong enough.

Luomei sighed quietly.

“Every cultivator of this world is trying to get stronger. For their whole life, they cultivate to comprehend the world, and to catch a glimpse of its profound mysteries, yet in the end, they’re unable to achieve this purpose. I managed to break through to this profound realm, but I failed to transcend. Only you, daoyou Yun, only you have this unique opportunity, this exceptional chance. No one can match you. You’ve already surpassed your shifu, why would you stay within the limitations he has set for you? Confining oneself in an imaginary circle and trapping oneself is the choice of a fool.”

Yun Weisi slowly moved his line of sight from the red flames to the cup in front of him.

“Tell me about Chi Bijiang of the Wanxiang Palace. You promised you’d clear up my doubts.”

Luomei said: “She always thought I was Jiang Li.”

Chi Bijiang had been the most willing to set up the formation for Luomei. She had eagerly told him everything about how to encompass all the mountains and streams of the world with the formation, how to calculate the yin-yang geomancy, and how to find the right positions. Every pillar of the new Liuhe Zhutian formation had been chosen by her, and every constantly changing trap, where one could not tell lies apart from truth, had been a creation of her hands.

If it hadn’t been for Chi Bijiang, Luomei would not have managed to find a way to destroy the world that quickly.

“Then why did she die?” Yun Weisi asked.

Luomei smiled faintly: “Perhaps, it was because she eventually realized that the one whom she was spending her every effort on was not actually that person. She couldn’t withstand this realization. If the accident with my ascension had not happened that year, I’d have been delighted to join forces with Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang. After all, they are a string of pearls and jade. Unfortunately, this and that got in our way, and fate had decided everything for us. I am no longer myself, and he isn’t himself either.”

A string of pearls and jade: talented people who work well together

Although he said it was unfortunate, his expression was as calm as a light breeze, and he was not weighed down by this fact.

The time had almost come.

Of the time to burn one incense stick that had been allotted by Luomei, more than a half of it had already passed, and the end was drawing near. The light of this incense stick he had lit before was insignificant under the great storms raging in the sky, yet the stick stood out amidst it.

The black sky above their heads, just like the burnt part of the stick, had evidently gained the upper hand.

The world was falling into darkness. Trees had been enveloped with a thick haze that could not be dispersed. The birds that were circling over forests and screeching had disappeared, and the screams of the Wanjian Immortal Clan’s disciples that were coming from the mountains, pleading for help, were blocked by Luomei’s barrier, and were now gradually getting quieter. Only black flames and harsh winds were sweeping over, heralding the changes the world was about to embrace.

Yun Weisi had no time to ask many questions before the incense stick would burn out.

He could only ask one last question.

“Since you can’t turn into a demon, what’s the use of merging the human world with the Darkest Abyss for you?”

Luomei silently smiled.

Suddenly, he folded his arms, forming a seal, and the scenery in front of them changed!

The main peak of Mount Xianlai was replaced with a dense mist that reflected the starry sky. Clouds and fog whirled around them, while starlight ignited here and there. Together, they depicted different aspects of nature, laying everything out as if on the board of a chess game. After that, the wind arrived and the clouds scattered, swirling around them.

“Daoyou Yun is no stranger to the Ninth Layer of Abyss, the Void Shore.”

To say Yun Weisi was no stranger to it would be an understatement. He could not be more familiar with this place after having spent countless days and nights there. In order to not let his old affections aggravate the situation with his Demonic heart, he had left many memories among the star formations here. Many cultivators had entered the formations by mistake, and afterwards, could never break free from their regret over their past affections or hatred in this place, and instead indulged in their memories. They were forced to linger here forever, with no chance to leave.

Everyone said, “bitterness is boundless, turn back to the shore”. Buddhists used eight words to sum up the root of everyone’s sufferings. However, in the end, stubborn people refused to turn their heads back. Even if a person knew what should be done, few people could actually fulfill it. In the end, only those who could truly turn back could become a Buddha on the spot.

Now, the whole truth was revealed.

When Luomei had proposed using the Nine Layers of the Abyss as the convergence point between the human world and the Darkest Abyss to prevent demons from barging in immediately, he had already been set on using Yun Weisi to guard the Ninth Layer of the Abyss. In order to learn the truth of what had happened on the Sacred Mountain Wan that year, and how Jiufang Changming had fallen from power with it, and earned a bad reputation, Yun Weisi would have definitely agreed to this request.

Unfortunately, Yun Weisi had not anticipated that after entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss, not only would he fail to find out the truth of the matter, but, instead, he would end up absorbing demonic qi after going through countless fights. As the days went by, he had eventually lost his memories, forgetting Jiufang Changming and their agreement.

Luomei moved his finger, and a glowing lump of light slowly ascended, turning into a cluster of stars in the night sky.

“The formation is complete, and the destruction of the world is already close at hand. No one can stop it.”

He stretched out his arm and waved his sleeve, erasing the starry sky. Another scene faintly emerged in the dense fog.

“From time immemorial, those who could have their bodies transformed into a demon are very few. Most people would have their minds thrown into chaos, and their bodies would explode. You alone are different from everyone. You will be a supreme creature of this new world. These miserable prey, whose fates are at the mercy of others, on the other hand—you cannot even be mentioned in the same breath as them.”

The place that had emerged was the streets downtown of some city in the human world. It was full of pavilions, towers, other buildings, and bustling crowds of people. But the scene changed abruptly. Walking corpses, eroded by demonic qi, and were rotting all over, stumbled down the streets. They seemed stupefied, but some of them had their disposition completely changed by demonic qi. They became aggressive and started chasing after a living person as soon as they saw one, eventually tearing the people apart.

Blood was flowing down the crevices in bricks and stones. The once smooth green slab stone had been stained with dark colors, due to old dried up blood and fresh bloodstains, accumulating there layer upon layer. No one knew how many people had spilled their blood here.

The capital used to be flourishing, yet now it was no different from the You Capital that had been haunted with countless ghosts. It had turned into a living hell.

The scene in front of Yun Weisi’s eyes changed as demonic qi advanced unceasingly. Yun Weisi saw the too-familiar Imperial Palace and the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda, the one they had recently visited. After going through a storm, the Luo Capital had finally found peace, yet this peace had not lasted for very long. Not long afterwards, a new disaster had emerged all of a sudden, which destroyed the Luo Capital.

According to Luomei’s words, all the time they had spent trying to stop him, since fifty years ago till this day, had been in vain. Neither Jiufang Changming, nor anyone else could prevent it from happening.

Luomei only cared about reaching his own goals, and everything else was as insignificant as thin sticks or bamboo rings in his eyes, including the Wanjian Immortal Clan beneath his feet.

“Do you want to see your friends?” Luomei said, and the scenery changed again, showing Sun Buku.

He was wielding his cane, warding off the demonic qi that had blotted out the sky. The golden statue behind his back was almost invisible. It looked imposing but was not in a dominant position. His opponent was Princess Linglong, the demon Changming had met in the Luo Capital.

They had not seen her for quite some time, and Princess Linglong was not all alone this time. She was shrouded with an inexhaustible demonic qi that flowed in a steady stream. Her strength had increased, and she had fully occupied the body she had taken over.

Sun Buku was not in control of this battle, compared to his fight in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Even though he was bestowed with the blessing of the Buddha statue, he could easily fall into a disadvantageous position in this place that was brimming with destructive demonic qi. He was barely able to endure this assault.

Before Yun Weisi could see the end of Sun Buku’s battle, the scenery had changed once again.

Xu Jingxian was guarding the room where Changming was sleeping. She was holding the Buddhist cane Sun Buku had given her before he had left. She was fighting against He Xiyun, Zhang Jie, and others who were on the verge of going insane, as a result of having their minds contaminated with Demonic qi. At the same time, Xu Jingxian was cursing out loud. She scolded Zhou Keyi for not keeping his promise, Sun Buku for dismissing her concerns and walking away irresponsibly as well as Changming who was lying helplessly inside the room, which forced a fragile beauty like herself to bear this heavy responsibility alone.

She had not left Jiufang Changming so that she could flee for her life. Maybe, she still thought that the situation could still be reversed, that a sliver of hope remained and she was afraid that Yun Weisi would come back to find her and get revenge. Or, perhaps, she believed in Changming, and hoped that he or Yun Weisi would pop out of nowhere and rescue her at a crucial moment the way they had done before, immediately settling the situation and telling her that everything would be alright. Or, maybe, she kept thinking about that muslin she had not been able to obtain.

Whatever the reason was, she had not run away and did not even retreat half a step.

“Maybe you want to see your old friend?”

Luomei snapped his fingers, and the fog covered Xu Jingxian. The scenery changed once again, showing the dark, yellowish color of the Yellow Springs. Deep underneath the Gobi Desert, shackles were slowly swinging, tightly binding a flood dragon.

Scales had fallen off of the flood dragon, and her body was smeared with blood. She did not move, only trembled slightly, unable to endure the pain, which caused the iron chains to clang. She was still alive.

Black qi and golden talisman writing, which were faintly visible on the shackles, were the cause of her suffering and rendered her unable to move.

Originally, she had only been a little carefree dragon, yet she had been targeted by malicious people because she had lent her dragon pearl to Yun Weisi. She had been caught and imprisoned in the Yellow Springs to become one of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation’s pillars.

“Originally, Jiufang Changming was supposed to serve here in her place. I never expected him to break the barrier around the Yellow Springs and return to the human world. He even tricked you into remembering the past and persuaded you to leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss. If it wasn’t for Jiufang Changming, everything would have been much easier.”

Luomei’s words carried a trace of regret.

“Jiufang Changming appeared out of nowhere that year. One after another, he had learnt techniques from every sect. At first, I thought that he was a genius rarely seen in five hundred years, so he would make a decisive chess piece in this game. Unfortunately, he was worse than you even back then, and he refused to concentrate on cultivating like a clever person would have, and instead insisted on investigating the reason why demonic qi was leaking into the world. In the end, he only harmed himself and others. What is happening to him today are the consequences that he has brought on himself. Daoyou Yun, you really shouldn’t feel guilty or remorseful. As I see it, Jiufang Changming’s merits are exaggerated, and he’s no match for you. He never deserved to be your shifu.”

Yun Weisi’s expression did not change, and he was not enraged, afraid, or puzzled as Luomei had expected.

The same could be said about Jiufang Changming.

His soul was calmly resting in the Chunzhao Sword, so the sword had almost no presence in Yun Weisi’s sea of consciousness.

In fact, they had already guessed everything that Luomei was now telling him before Yun Weisi had left for the Wanjian Immortal Clan.

They had only not figured out that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was a feint their enemies had used to deceive them. Their opponents had moved way faster than they had imagined.

While they were fighting against the thousands of ghosts that had appeared in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the real Liuhe Zhutian Formation had almost been completed. Six Soul Gathering Pearls had been placed on six supporting positions in order to open the gap on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Demons and monsters were already running wild, and the human world had already turned into another realm of demons. They could not do much at this point.

The outcome had come earlier than expected, yet Jiufang Changming was inexplicably relieved. It was just like that story of how he lost his river lantern at the Mid-autumn Festival. He had been looking for it for a long time along a river. In the end, when he finally found it, the lantern had already gone out and had almost been submerged, completely soaked in the water. However, he felt relieved because his search had come to an end.

River lantern: people set them floating on water during certain festivals to worship gods etc

The incense stick had finally burned out.

Black clouds had enveloped the sky above their heads, and the last ray of light in the human world was swallowed by darkness.

The seething demonic qi raged forwards. Wherever it flowed, the plants withered, and leaves and flowers dried up one after another. Even if some animals or trees survived the onslaught of the demonic qi by sheer luck, they were demonized, their shape turning bizarre and twisted, and their colors becoming ashen. Little by little, everything would take on the appearance of its counterpart from the Darkest Abyss.

Changming felt that Yun Weisi was changing as well.

The demonic qi he had forcibly suppressed in a corner was now getting restless as if it had reunited with its companions after a long separation. It hurried excitedly to respond to the call from outside and struggled with all its might to break free from being suppressed by Yun Weisi. Yun Weisi had started to lose control.

A red flash zipped past, noticing its host’s weakness. Using the gap, it grew larger, and washed over his consciousness quicker than a flash of lightning!

“Haven’t you felt it just now, daoyou Yun? The overwhelming demonic qi welcomes you to join its ranks.”

Luomei snapped his fingers, and the Guyue Sword appeared in his hand.

Yun Weisi had seen the sword before.

Luomei used to travel around the world, disguised as Jiang Li’s disciple, Chen Ting. At that time, he was carrying around the Guyue Sword.

Its blade was like water, like the lonely moon in the sky—piercingly cold, pensive yet eye-catching.

Lonely moon: literal translation for “gu yue”

But Luomei was not going to kill Yun Weisi with this sword.

He could not win against Yun Weisi who had turned into a demon.

“Don’t you want to see blood right now? The Demonic heart will make you stronger, fulfill your desire to destroy. Only destruction leads to new birth.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Luomei suddenly cut his own arm.

He was even ruthless towards his own successor. This cut was a deep wound, and his blood was gushing out, staining his clothes. Half of his arm was smeared with the red color, yet his expression did not even change.

“Yun Weisi, I will be the first sacrifice on your path to attaining the Dao. I only hope that one day, when you become a demonic deity, you will tell me whether anyone can turn into a deity, and what the realm looks like?”

The smell of blood made the Demonic qi inside Yun Weisi’s body finally burst out, and he could no longer stop it. He stretched out his hand, aiming for Luomei’s heart.

Luomei did not move. He only closed his eyes slowly, seemingly enjoying the bitterness of the situation, as if it were the sweetest syrup. It seemed that he would actually let himself be killed.

Changming frowned and soon got startled.

He suddenly saw through their enemy’s plan—

At this moment, Luomei was shrouded in demonic qi, but there was no sign of him getting contaminated with it or becoming a demon. His body was like a walking corpse, and the only thing supporting it was a secret technique.

He was damned for eternity, unable to become neither a deity, nor a demon. Even occupying the body of his disciple, Jiang Li, did not solve his problem. He had to start searching for another human vessel. Of course, Yun Weisi was the best choice. When Yun Weisi’s consciousness lost control over his body, Luomei’s souls would come to grips with him, and in the end, regardless of if they would be forced to coexist, or if Luomei replaced his souls, Luomei would still be granted a chance at rebirth.

Just like how he had occupied Jiang Li’s body, Yun Weisi was someone Luomei “carefully guarded and trained” because Yun Weisi was his prey.

I won’t let him succeed!

As soon as this thought appeared, the Chunzhao sword appeared without its master’s will, blocking Yun Weisi’s way to Luomei.

The sword was shining brightly and let out a sharp cry. Yun Weisi stopped, and his red eyes cleared up a bit.

Luomei moved his finger, and the Guyue Sword slashed towards the Chunzhao Sword, while he stretched his hand out to Yun Weisi.

Although the Chunzhao Sword was a spiritual weapon, it did not have a sword soul, unlike the Sifei Sword. Even though it was formidable, it still needed an order from its master to move. Yet this time it moved against Yun Weisi’s will, engaging in a battle with the Guyue Sword. Its spiritual power far surpassed its abilities, and it rang loudly. Purple light erupted from the sword, rising up amidst the black flames. Unexpectedly, the Chunzhao Sword’s radiance was getting even greater, while the Guyue Sword dimmed in comparison. In a moment, it was tricked into obeying the Chunzhao Sword, and turned against its owner, Luomei!

Yun Weisi suddenly reached out to stop the sword.

Blood was dripping down the blade. Changming felt as if a large bell had been hit hard near his consciousness, and demonic flames launched themselves at him. His soul had almost fallen out of the Chunzhao Sword, dazzled and stunned, tortured with unbearable pain.

Yun Weisi, who had been finally possessed, snapped the Chunzhao Sword!

He dropped the broken sword to the ground, turning towards Luomei once again.

Luomei was not resisting at all, letting Yun Weisi’s finger pierce his chest, touching his beating heart.

He only needed Yun Weisi to kill him, and his spiritual soul would enter Yun Weisi’s sea of consciousness with the help of the seal set by Princess Linglong. After that, he would take control of Yun Weisi’s body.

He folded his fingers into a seal and firmly grabbed Yun Weisi’s arm. His expression changed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up—no one knew whether the reason for it was pain or satisfaction.

“[Three sounds reach one’s heart, and a demonic seal burns one’s body; you receive its divinity, and I receive its body!]”

As he was voicing the incantation, Yun Weisi’s arm that he had grabbed started turning black, and the color quickly spread up, with dark flames engulfing Yun Weisi’s body and rushing towards Yun Weisi’s soul!

And at this crucial moment, the broken Chunzhao Sword that was lying on the ground, abruptly erupted with brilliant rays of light!

Driven by the intense pressure of the fleeing soul, the body that was a thousand li away also moved, and the two parts instantly merged together!

A figure appeared in front of Yun Weisi, taking on Luomei’s black flames itself!

A giant glowing object burst out, and black and white intertwined together, like life and death battling each other. This violent spiritual power even managed to push away Yun Weisi, and he stumbled back, bumping against a tree.

The tree fell down with a loud noise, and Yun Weisi’s expression darkened.

He saw Jiufang Changming’s silhouette!

Both Yun Weisi’s hands had already been tied with black flames. Luomei had spent many years on the formation, giving it his all. Even if he succeeded in destroying the world, but failed to obtain Yun Weisi’s body and occupy it as a vessel, the efforts he had spent on this trap would be wasted in the end. Luomei’s rage was entirely directed at Jiufang Changming. The white and black rays were so intermingled that it almost looked as if their bodies had become one.

But Yun Weisi knew that they were going to perish together!

Jiufang Changming was going to sacrifice himself, dying together with Luomei, destroying both good and evil in one move!

“Yun Weisi, although it has seemed like I was unable to give you what you wanted from me and I’ve been pursuing the Heavenly Dao my whole life, asking for nothing more, it was still only you—you were my only attachment to this world. From this day on, my souls will scatter away, and we will never meet again. But, if there’s a next life—”

Half of Jiufang Changming’s body had been melted by the black fire, but the white light had also been engulfing the dark flames. The Demonic qi was striving to strike at the two people, and everything had been absorbed by Changming. Yun Weisi was so angered that his eyes were almost popping out of their sockets, yet he managed to drive his Demonic heart to the depths of the sea of his consciousness, and the tempestuous waves of his spirit consumed it whole.

He felt that the two zhang distance between him and Jiufang Changming was greater than the span of one’s whole life, even greater than the boundless Milky Way, and completely insurmountable.

Jiufang Changming slightly turned amidst the brilliant rays, as if smiling at Yun Weisi.

“If there’s a next life, I’ll be your shifu again.”

“Shizun!!!”

“Jiufang Changming!!!”

Yun Weisi’s spiritual soul cracked, and his raging spiritual power shot up to the skies, engulfing the demonic flames around his body before dispersing quickly in every direction.

Far away, just when Princess Linglong was about to deliver her killing blow to Sun Buku, she abruptly cried, looking at the dark clouds swirling in the skies.

There, at a distance, someone’s spiritual power had suddenly burst out with a great radiance, breaking the imprisonment of the endless night!