Estranged - Chapter 97

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The black flames were howling with laughter, surging forward in swarms. They wanted to devour Jiufang Changming, and savor this sumptuous dish.

But they were stopped before achieving the goal they desired!

Jiufang Changming, who had been wounded by the Buddhist palm, was still maintaining his vigilance, and the Sifei Sword was glowing faintly in his hands, its qi swift and powerful. As he raised his sword, countless spirits of the deceased were cut into pieces, scattering away like ash and ceasing to exist. However, the malicious ghosts and disembodied spirits had longed for their desires for a long time, so they had already lost all sense of danger. They rarely saw prey with a cultivation base this profound and this delicious, so they were still coming at him relentlessly.

Yun Weisi was looking down at him indifferently.

He saw Jiufang Changming’s hands gradually slow down, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth and even eyes. Obviously, his powers were lacking, and he would not hold on for too long.

The snow-white tips of his hair were dancing wildly in the black fire, like falling stars flashing brightly in the dark sky. They were flickering quickly, and the sight of them would make others mesmerized and sigh with emotion.

The Sifei Sword had become one with Changming. It was blocking attacks aimed at its owner, striking back in response. This was due to Sifei’s devotion to Changming. It had gained a spirit, as well as a sword intention.

Most cultivators had personal weapons. This weapon was not necessarily a sword, but it would accompany its owner till the very end. Some people received their weapon from their master, while some stole theirs from other people. Spiritual tools had souls, and one could not treat them with neglect. Many people spent their entire lives trying to get along with their spiritual weapons, but they did not always reach the realm of complete mutual understanding.

The Sifei Sword, in contrast, was not like this. Every single part of the sword had been gathered by Changming from places all over the world. As a result, since the moment the sword was forged, it was fated to recognise only one person as its owner. Even though it had fallen into Yun Weisi’s hands later, and he could give it orders, Yun Weisi had been certain that this was Sifei’s reaction to the bond between him and Jiufang Changming. After all, his cultivation base had been established at the Yuhuang Temple, and had been inherited from Jiufang Changming. In other words, he had adopted many of Jiufang Changming’s traits, so the Sifei Sword had agreed to accept him as the owner up until Jiufang Changming himself appeared. At that point, the sword would return to its real owner’s hands.

At the moment, this spiritual weapon that would never be loyal to anyone else, had also reached an impasse, and was on the verge of being destroyed. It spared no effort, trying to save Jiufang Changming from grave danger, but in the end it could only block the way for his enemies, igniting brightly in its last breath. The black fire was utterly swept away.

Right after this, the blade shattered into fragments of light, before disappearing from Changming’s hands.

Despite this, the danger remained unresolved. The golden light was bearing down even harder, and a man could be discerned in the clouds. He was enveloped by golden light and auspicious clouds, while heavenly music and sweet fragrances had also gathered around him. He descended to the earth like a deity. If there was a commoner around, they would have definitely bowed down to the ground, pleading for mercy.

Yun Weisi squinted his eyes, noticing that the person resembled the statue in the Treasured Hall of the Great Hero of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. However, the face of the golden statue belonged to the nearly deceased Chunchi.

The Treasured Hall of the Great Hero: the main hall of a buddhist temple. Here, hero == Buddha

His expression was full of mercy, and he was looking at Yun Weisi as if the latter was a child who had strayed from the right path and could no longer go back. This expression was magnanimous, his heart all-forgiving.

Dresses up as a deity, and plays a devil!

Dresses up as a deity, and plays a devil: pretence, deliberate mystifying

Yun Weisi coldly sneered, changing his focus away from Jiufang Changming and concentrating his attention instead on Chunchi.

Chunchi was the leader of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and it was strange for him to die in a battle that easily. It was very likely that he had had a plan to come back to life.

Yun Weisi waved his sleeves lightly, and devastating demonic qi rushed at his opponent!

After he had become possessed, a seal that had been reducing his powers for a long time had finally been broken, so now he was like a fierce tiger coming out of a cage. Yun Weisi felt that he was even stronger than he had been originally, and had reached the point where he could act as he wished. Yun Weisi realized that this kind of power was not inexhaustibly strong, but rather resembled a boundless abyss. As soon as he showed weakness, not only would he lose control over it, but the power would even rebel against him.

However, since Yun Weisi chose to become obsessed, such trifles did not matter in the slightest.

Now, his cultivation was truly unfathomable. The demonic qi turned into the head of a ferocious tiger in the air, and it roared, opening its mouth at the enemy!

Facing this oppressive force that shouted like the mountains and roared like waves, Chunchi chose not to answer it with a blow. He raised his hand a bit, and the golden light turned into a barrier for a short while. Chunchi prefered his skills to remain hidden, and retreated. His body turned into nothingness, and the demonic qi assaulted thin air!

“Daozun Yun, your enemy is not me,” Chunchi’s voice sounded gentle, so soft that it seemed to bear no hostility. “I can help you acquire what you cherish the most.”

In a flash, the golden light ignited around the lotus pond as Chunchi reached out to Changming, trapping him inside.

From the beginning, his target was not Yun Weisi, but Jiufang Changming!

“One moment, you’re a Buddha, and in the next, you turn into a demon. I know your thoughts. I will kill the one you want to kill for your sake.”

Chunchi smiled faintly, his expression cold yet merciful. He was standing in a faint golden light, and a halo had appeared behind his back, making him seem no different from a Buddha.

“Every creature suffers. Let me dispose of the demonic barrier in your cultivation path.”

Changming was exhausted.

He no longer had the Sifei Sword, but the evil ghosts in the pond were plentiful. No one knew how many souls the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had gathered in here during all these years. After nourishing their grievances for a long time, even naive and ignorant souls had gradually turned into headstrong demons, and killed each other in the lotus pond. The evil souls that had eventually survived were naturally the cream of the crop. Most of them had been cleared away by the Sifei Sword just now, but a portion of them was left. Changming could fend them off with some difficulty, but there was also Yun Weisi glaring at him like a tiger at its prey.

Now, this Chunchi had appeared as well.

The golden light swept towards him, like a spring breeze caressing his face, light and smooth, or like a beauty’s hand, or a willow leaf crossing a river. But Changming felt a sharp pain shoot through his back. It was probably the seal of the golden light breaking through his spiritual power and attacking his body.

Yun Weisi, who was standing close at hand, obviously could reach out to help him, but he did not move.

The demonic qi had already corrupted his mind, turning him into another person.

Or, perhaps, he had not changed. In the past, Yun Weisi had been repressed by his Daoist Heart, but now he had cast it far away, switching to another path.

Changming smiled bitterly.

Looks like I can’t escape death today.

Changming had never felt death coming as close to him as it had today.

Perhaps, it had not been even as dangerous in that year on the Sacred Mountain Wan. At that time, the Luihe Zhutian Formation had suddenly collapsed, grandmasters had been fighting in the chaos, countless people had died together, and he almost had his souls scattered away. After all, despite all that, Changming managed to prepare himself and turn the deadly danger into an adventure.

Yet now he could see the doors to the netherworld opening right in front of him. He only needed to take one step forward.

Blood was dripping from his lips and eyes, mixing with the rain that had started at some point. The blood was flowing down his temples all the way to the tips of his hair.

The white and the red had mixed, turning into a strange, demonic pink color that was almost enchanting.

The black water in the lotus pond had receded. He was kneeling in the pond, maintaining an upright posture on instinct.

In contrast to the acute pain he felt, Jiufang Changming’s expression was always indifferent, not betraying his sufferings in the slightest.

Chunchi frowned slightly.

Yun Weisi had not moved yet. Just like the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had said, after turning possessed, this person was now going to lend a helping hand to Chunchi.

And Jiufang Changming, this once-strongest-in-the-world person, would turn into a new soul for the lotus pond as soon as Chunchi raised his hand.

This soul would be refined into a part of the new Liuhe Zhutian Formation.

Everything had gone according to the plan with no deviations. But he still had a bad premonition that something not accounted for was drawing close.

This premonition flashed through his mind, so fast he could not quite grasp it.

Chunchi decided to be the first to strike.

With Jiufang Changming’s death, everything would settle down. No one would be able to save the desperate situation.

At this very moment, Chunchi felt a looming danger!

It was not coming from Yun Weisi, but from another direction!

Without thinking much, he abandoned Jiufang Changming, and knitted his fingers to bring forth a technique to block the enemy’s attack.

A ray of white light appeared suddenly, breaking through the muddled void of Chunchi’s incantations and flew right towards him!

This white light turned out to be a large 卐 character. Only one person who knew the teachings of Buddhist sects could launch an attack on him here and now.

Sun Buku!

Before, when he was in the Imperial City under the siege created by the Eight Sages, he had no chance of surviving. It was an inescapable trap. No one had expected him to find a way out of the dead end, to break free from the trap. Yet every evil demon was now swept away by the Gold Glass Beads Staff, and the aggrieved spirits alongside other monsters wailed for help!

Chunchi’s expression did not change. He recited Xu Tiancang’s mantra, luring over Celestial Dragons with the technique. Eight rays of light fell down from the sky, turning into eight golden dragons. One of them wrapped itself around Chunchi, becoming a protecting barrier, and the other seven rushed at Sun Buku, following a fair wind.

“Dharma has no law, I am the law!”

Sun Buku laughed, leaping in the air. The Gold Glass Beads Stuff slashed at the golden dragons dauntlessly.

“You’ve been absorbing the power of belief of the righteous to use it in your schemes, refining evil spirits and ghosts. Now, you’re even posing as Xu Tiancang, proclaiming yourself to be his reincarnation. Let me join the gathering and take a look at your so-called second Buddhist clan, to see just how wicked, corrupted and dirty you have become!”

Chunchi froze. He had not anticipated Sun Buku’s laughter to dispel his Buddhist technique.

Chunchi looked behind Sun Buku’s back and saw a vague golden statue appear. It had amiable-looking brows and pleasant eyes, and was gazing at the living creatures from the height, just like that person he had knelt to for days in the hall of his Buddhist temple.

No, it’s impossible!

There are no deities in this world, and Fozun Xu Tiancang has passed away a long time ago. His souls have dissolved. How could this ancient deity descend here to assist Sun Buku? It must be an illusion!

“Seeking the source of Dharma, with my Buddha’s body, I transcend all people, finally obtaining it!”

He moved both his arms, and a glittering golden 卐 character took shape, striking towards Sun Buku.

Even before Sun Buku moved, the golden illusion behind his back reacted, lightly waving its sleeves and shattering the 卐 character.

Chunchi was astounded.

That illusion had thick brows and closed eyes, so Chunchi could not see the man’s expression. But Chunchi felt that there was no technique that would allow him to escape now, as everything was controlled by the illusion.

The golden dragons got into a fight with Sun Buku, and there was no telling who had gained the upper hand. Sun Buku was fighting as easily as a butcher moved his knife, and the dragons were extremely bold and powerful. The golden statue, however, showed a trace of weakness.

“Do you think that me escaping from the Eight Sages of Wanlian is very strange?”

Sun Buku’s voice reached Chunchi’s ears.

“It was because I realized that all the power you yield comes from the power of worship that has been supporting you at all times. This power of believers has mixed with the strength of ghosts and evil spirits, as well as human desires. They live and feed at the expense of each other, and these things are connected, as every little trifle can affect the bigger picture. That’s why I don’t even need to try to defeat them. I only need to delay them, kill you, and everything will be resolved!”

He jumped up in the air, and the Gold Glass Beads Stuff rose even higher!

Countless illusions appeared in front of Chunchi. He even saw Xu Tiancang reveal a cold smile towards him, laughing at his incompetence and self-glorification.

“Pretending to be a Buddha, deceiving the secular world, torturing the spirits of living, and refining demonic souls. Chunchi, you have to pay a hefty price for the years you have been sinning!”

…

Sun Buku and Chunchi’s fight was a sight rarely seen in a hundred years, but Yun Weisi did not seem interested in any of this.

He went down to the lotus pond. Several evil spirits had stumbled upon his demonic flames and immediately wailed, running away and not daring to obstruct his way anymore.

Yun Weisi was slowly moving forward.

That person was sitting on the ground, motionless, his head hanging down and his expression indiscernible.