Ch57.1 - A Myriad of Twinkling Lights

Editor: Sahloknir

The moonlight shone down like ribbons of gauze.

There was a golden statue depicting an immortal inside the temple, with tributes and incense aplenty at its feet. Amongst those who passed by, there were a few very young children led to pray and offer incense by their parents, who then fought to speak with the cultivator standing to one side of the temple.

Some of them were well-dressed and wealthy merchants, others were clean and tidy scholars with an air of refined learning. But many more were just ordinary people bearing expressions filled with hope.

Most of the crowd had already dispersed by the time Jiang Yinghe arrived,  leaving only one or two children who had been left by their parents in the temple. They stood timidly with their heads bowed behind the cultivator.

From Jiang Yinghe’s point of view, the cultivator before him had little potential on the path to immortality, but any evil aura was also well concealed. It was enough to temporarily prevent Jiang Yinghe from discerning what path of cultivation he practiced.

Jiang Yinghe didn’t have the presence of a cultivator right now, but his appearance and temperament and the little boy holding by his hand still managed to attract the other party’s interest. Finally, the man in the cultivator robes couldn’t help but call out, “Wait a minute.”

Jiang Yinghe paused and said, “Yes?”

The man had originally stopped him because of the boy in red by his side, but as he approached he was captivated by Jiang Yinghe’s features as well.

The man’s mind blanked instantly as his heart beat out a vigorous rhythm. He vaguely sensed that this was no ordinary person, but he still collected himself and carried on with his scheme. “Is this child yours? From what this one can see, he has great potential as an immortal cultivator.”

Jiang Yinghe took a look at Chang Ye, who had turned into a child, and nodded.

This was probably the first person ever to say that the Devil King Tianhou would be a great immortal cultivator.

When the man saw him nod, he began to think of how to persuade both the parent and child to stay. However, before he could say anything, he heard the man in front of him ask, “May I ask which generation of Peng Lai disciples this cultivator is from?”

The man replied without blinking, “The seventeenth generation.”

Jiang Yinghe indifferently nodded and added, “Then what about the Xianjun who came to accept disciples, do you know?”

The man had never been asked such a thing before, so he was caught off guard. He wanted to keep up with the charade, but then he realised that not a word could come out of his mouth.

Jiang Yinghe casually made a silencing hand sign and looked away, saying, “Since you don’t know, this master will tell you.”

At this moment, the surrounding lights and candles suddenly started to flicker and sway despite there being no wind. The man felt his entire body being crushed by an icy-cold aura as he slumped to the ground.

He looked up hastily and saw a sword as white as snow manifest before his eyes. His mind immediately flew to the Xianjun he was impersonating. He started to beg for mercy, “Your Excellency, please spare me! I was just following orders—”

As he spoke, his cultivator robes degraded into tattered rags. The seemingly refined man degenerated into a subjugated demon in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Yinghe’s expression didn’t change. The snow sword had already left his hand and plunged into the chest of the demon in front of him like it had a mind of its own. Ice spread through the creature’s flesh and veins. In the next moment, its body shattered into fine dust.

Jiang Yinghe withdrew Wangchen and said to Chang Ye, “Go and watch over the children over there.”

Then Jiang Yinghe looked up and carefully scrutinized the statue in front of him. He said indifferently, “I sensed that the spirit affixed to the statue suddenly shifted when I stepped into this place. You knew I was coming?”

The next moment, the statue suddenly shattered. The spirit attached to it screamed as it tried to escape, but an unseen force pulled it back into the temple.

Jiang Yinghe looked up to see Qin Jun had captured the spirit from his place atop the temple. He considered this matter settled and was about to withdraw his sword when a woman suddenly spoke from the side of the temple.

“I knew Xianjun would come.”

Jiang Yinghe stiffened as the presence of another immortal cultivator made itself known. This person’s cultivation emitted a chill similar to his.

“I have been waiting here for a long time, Jiang Xianjun.”

…Was she the one directing the demon and spirit?

Jiang Yinghe suddenly had a chilling premonition.

“Immortal comrade, why don’t you show yourself.”

A clear laugh came from a corner of the temple as she materialized and took a few leisurely steps forward.

“We have not seen each for centuries. How has Xianjun fared?”

“…Li Yue Zhenren?”

The woman from Guang Han Palace standing in front of him was dressed in pale blue gauze and surrounded by a distinctive aura. She had a gentle appearance and a slim body. It was obvious from a glance that she was a Zhenren belonging to the righteous faction.

But Jiang Yinghe felt something was wrong from the way she approached step by step. He looked over and asked, “You…are you undergoing the Lightning Tribulation from Primordial God to Hollowed Cave? What enmity do you and I have for you to do this?”

Li Yue Zhenren looked around at the temple and sighed, “I know that I cannot cross this threshold. My journey to immortality will come to an end here.”

“It’s just that…a few days ago, I learned precisely from the demons I had subdued that the Demon Lord who once unified the Tian Mo School was also called Li Huanhan.” she trailed off and looked at Jiang Yinghe, “My son was defeated by him, and I accepted that he was not as skilled at the time. But now…I’ve learned that one of Xianjun’s peerless genius disciples was just a wayward demon!”

Li Yue Zhenren was on the verge of her tribulation, but she had no intention of facing it. She came here prepared to die.

Jiang Yinghe could guess what she wanted to do.

“Li Yue Zhenren.” He gripped Wangchen tightly, “This is Luo City. It is not a part of the cultivation world.”

There were 700,000 people living in Luo City. It was a place receptive towards cultivation, and future generations of cultivators would undoubtedly come from here.

He wanted to remind the other party that, if she were to trigger her Lightning Tribulation here, the storm would tear through this city like it was made of paper and lay waste to all in its path.

“Of course I know that.”

As she walked up to Jiang Yinghe, she could feel three dangerous gazes lock onto her. She shifted the whisk in her arms and continued, “Xianjun would take in even a demon, so why not my son? This one wanted to ask her senior, did you know he was an evil cultivator from the start? Did Peng Lai know as well?!”

Jiang Yinghe remained silent. He could sense the despair festering beneath the other’s calm demeanour.

“…It seems you are the leader of the Immortal Path only in name.” Li Yue Zhenren gritted her teeth.

The sky above Luo City became dark as the moonlight was covered by black, rolling thunderclouds.

Jiang Yinghe could feel his own Lightning Tribulation responding in kind. It was almost out of his control.

“Li Yue,” Jiang Yinghe took a deep breath, “You have lived a life of honour and righteousness. Are you really going to disregard 700,000 innocent lives in your final moments?”

“I’d like to ask Senior instead.” Li Yue said, “As the foremost sword cultivator, why are you harbouring demons, raising evil cultivators, and refusing actual righteous talents?”

Jiang Yinghe didn’t know how to explain it to her.

Ordinary cultivators would find a sparsely populated place to enter seclusion so that others wouldn’t be affected even if their Lightning Tribulation went on for a full week. Jiang Yinghe could somehow endure Li Yue Zhenren’s tribulation from Primordial God to Hollowed Cave…but not if his third Hollowed Cave tribulation was triggered as well.

Li Yue stood in place and looked around. Her eyes paused at the roof. “That heavenly demon and your other disciple are up there, right? Tell them to not waste their efforts. Even if that demon lord is really a Half-step Golden Immortal, he is powerless to save you from the Dao.”

Jiang Yinghe had not guessed wrong.

The thunderclouds that gathered above Luo City were not only from Li Yue Zhenren’s tribulation, but also his own.

His third tribulation had arrived earlier than expected.

The reason Jiang Yinghe bid farewell to Lan Ruo Temple was out of consideration for Abbot Chan Qing’s impending test of mentality. Unexpectedly, his tribulation would happen here…

Just before Li Yue finished speaking, a silver longsword ran her through before slamming back into Qin Jun’s hands.

The wraith’s expression was dark as he descended from the roof. When he tried to approach Jiang Yinghe, he was swept aside by a cold spiritual energy resembling ice and snow.

“The Heavenly Lighting is almost here. Stay away.”

Jiang Yinghe sighed as he watched the body of the other immortal turn into ashes.

“Can you three…help me maintain the barrier?”

His words were as calm as ever, but they caused a nauseating chill to run through their stomachs.

“Shizun…”

“Set up the barrier.” Jiang Yinghe interrupted him.

Just like what Li Yue Zhenren had said, this was his own Heavenly Tribulation that only he could face. No bystanders could interfere.

Even though Jiang Yinghe was resolute, Chang Ye was still unwilling and almost a little anxious. “What kind of barrier? Your life is the most important thing. Other people are not your responsibility! This time, and last time too… When are you going to…”

…When are you going to put yourself first, Shizun?

If the three of them joined forces, his life wouldn’t be in danger even if he couldn’t successfully overcome the tribulation, just like what Jiang Yinghe had once done for Qin Jun. However, Shizun only asked them to maintain the barrier and protect the civilians.

What he cherished most, even at this moment, was the weak human race that lived and died like ants. Despite the fact that everyone in this city would be dead in a hundred years’ time, their souls crumbling into dust that would be blown away by the wind…

Never before had Chang Ye been so infuriated at someone’s capacity for kindness.

But he failed to consider that Qin Jun was just a Golden Core cultivator when Jiang Yinghe helped him. The black thunderclouds above Luo City now were meant for the third tribulation of a cultivator at the Hollowed Cave stage, with enough power to shatter the earth and flood the fragile soil beneath his feet.

It was more than capable of crushing those insignificant and ant-like life forms.

The thunderclouds had already condensed, so it was impossible to change the location anymore.

Chang Ye had no intention of creating a barrier, he only wanted to protect the shizun before him. However, the one he loved sent out waves of spiritual energy to prevent him from approaching. Within a few moments of this stalemate, a boundary covered with demonic energy rose to encircle the newly built temple.

The statue shattered and the offering platform collapsed. The only human witnesses were a few children cowering outside the boundary and hiding in the corners of the temple.

“Li Huanhan!”

Chang Ye screamed hoarsely as he met a pair of blood-red eyes.

“You’re going to listen to him?! Do you want him to die?!!”

Perhaps it was because he was a devil beast, but Chang Ye could sense it better than anyone else.

Based on the slightest changes in Jiang Yinghe’s mood, he could glimpse the uneasiness in his shizun’s heart, but also the overwhelming courage to put his life on the line.

After all, Jiang Yinghe was a sword cultivator, and they always knew how to do what was necessary.

Li Huanhan’s blood-red gaze remained calm and still. He seemed to have no intention of replying to Chang Ye. All of his attention was focused on one person alone.

After Chang Ye finished shouting, another boundary layer covered in miasma went up, suppressing the Heavenly Tribulation even more.

Chang Ye looked at Qin Jun incredulously. His hands were clenched so tightly that his joints began to pop.

Likewise, the wraith said nothing. He only said a simple sentence in a tone as heavy and cold as ice when he felt the Lightning Tribulation begin.

“Chang Ye, barrier.”

Chang Ye backhanded a nearby table into smithereens.

He felt like he was going insane. Even after living for so long, he couldn’t understand this decision to face life-threatening danger to ‘not involve bystanders’. Even more unbelievable, Li Huanhan and Qin Jun were playing along.

His throat let out the hoarse roar of a beast. Blood dripped from his fingers as he slammed his fists into the ground.

Chang Ye swallowed the blood that threatened to come up his throat as he tried to come to terms with Jiang Yinghe’s choice and restrain himself from rushing in.

…He struggled to behave like he had promised.

That blood-soaked hand came to a rest on the barrier as the last layer went up, forming an impenetrable boundary.