Demon Sovereign Xuan Li smiled slightly outside the window, before suddenly flashing into the room: âThe Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage⌠After slumbering for so many years, I would never have expected there would already be two such talents in the younger generation: actually capable of escaping intact from the Heart Demon Sea and even destroying my original bodyâtruly amazing.â
It would have been fine if he had not brought this upâonce he mentioned this incident, Yun Xie recalled how he had injured Jiang Xunyi within the enchantment. Although on the surface Yun Xie appeared fine after this event, every night he would remember what happened and feel incredibly ashamed and regretful. Now he gnashed his teeth and laughed coldly as he unsheathed Bright River. Right in front of Demon Sovereign Xuan Liâs face, he sliced one arm off Crow Moon Concubineâs soul.
An injury to the soul was ten times more damaging than one to the flesh. Crow Moon Concubineâs face instantly distorted and she opened her mouth to scream in agony, but Yun Xie choked her neck so she couldnât speak. She could only look tearfully towards Demon Sovereign Xuan Li.
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li smiled: âMaking such an embarrassing fool of yourselfâwhat are you still alive for?â As he spoke, he raised his hand and formed it into a claw to swipe in midair. Crow Moon Concubineâs soul suddenly condensed into a large ball, and was sucked into Demon Sovereign Xuan Liâs palm.
Without even pausing, his other palm then smashed towards Yun Xie. Yun Xie recognized the power of this strike and concentrated all his attention on raising his sword to meet this palm. At the same time, Jiang Xunyi attacked Demon Sovereign Xuan Li from the other side to aid Yun Xie. The entire wing-room could not take the superposition of these three spiritual powers, and all four walls actually exploded open.
The three men jumped away from each other. They avoided the scattered wood fragments and found their footing in the outside courtyard, only to discover that at some unknown time, numerous cultivators had arrived outside. Jiang Xunyi backflipped in midair and dexterously landed on a nearby pine tree. He raised his voice: âI do not know what all these Daoist-friends1 have come to Hidden Spirit for? My bustling schedule today makes it inconvenient for me to properly treat guests. If you gentlemen do not have any urgent matters, please first go back!â
Unexpectedly, after he said this, everyone looked at each other but no one spoke. A hint of an ashamed blush even appeared on some faces.
After a moment of confusion, Jiang Xunyi thought of something and glanced at Yun Xie. Sure enough, he saw Yun Xie seemed to have firm grasp on the situation. At this time, a gray-bearded old Daoist emerged from the crowd. This was the head of the Thousand Clocks Monastery2, Daoist Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan first bowed to Jiang Xunyi, and then spoke with great sincerity: âYoung master Jiang, we were previously deceived by villains to believe the matter of you murdering your master. We originallyâŚoriginally came over in order to exact justice for Immortal Master Ti Ming. Unexpectedly, on the way here we actually received a letter from the disciples of Solar Envy Sect. With that message in addition to what we saw just now, we now understand you were wrongly accusedâŚâ
Jiang Xunyi turned to raise an eyebrow at Yun Xie. Yun Xie nodded with a smile on his faceâthis was indeed his work. He knew that with Jiang Xunyiâs pride and ambition, even if he was unjustly wronged he would not be willing to explain himself. But just because Jiang Xunyi did not care didnât mean Yun Xie could stand other people vilifying his beloved. He thus wrote numerous letters that very night and made Yu Hong take them to Solar Envy Sect, and then ordered his disciples to explain the truth to the leaders of various factions.
Seeing the faint praise-seeking in Yun Xieâs expression, Jiang Xunyi sighed in his heart but refused to give thanks orally. He only mentioned the matter in an understatement: âHmph, unnecessary meddling.â Yun Xie laughed, and Jiang Xunyi turned back to address Taoist Xu Yuan: âDaozhang exaggerates. At this time, instead of getting entangled in this matter, how about suppressing that Demon Sovereign first?â
Despite his young age, his words carried a faint commanding tone and were in fact very rude. But because of the great reputation of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage as well as the guilt in everyoneâs hearts towards Jiang Xunyi, no one raised any objections.
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li gave a contemptuous snort: âJust a bunch of bungling oafs, utterly useless no matter how great their numbers.â
He abruptly waved his hand, and a black whirlwind immediately manifested, howling through the air. Wherever it swept, the grass and trees were uprooted, and flying sand and stones blotted out the sun and sky. Jiang Xunyi bore the brunt of the windstorm; in a haste, he jumped off the tree and rolled several paces backwards.
Folding his hands and then immediately spreading them out, he summoned a fire dragon to break through the air, roaring as it rushed from Jiang Xunyiâs palm towards Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. At the same time, Yun Xie had already leapt out behind Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. He fiercely kicked off the Demon Sovereignâs back with both feet and then leapt over his head, landing by Jiang Xunyiâs side.
Unexpectedly, when the fire dragon neared Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, it actually did not affect him one bit, and then dissipated with a casual wave of his hand. Just as Jiang Xunyi had frozen from astonishment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain lancing through his chest, and could not help but let out a muffled grunt of pain. He fell to his knees, barely holding himself up with his sword.
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li laughed out loud and smashed a palm at Jiang Xunyiâs spiritual shield. However, his palm paused right before the impact. Xuan Li cast a sidelong glance at him and smiled: âDo you admit defeat, young master Jiang?â
His last few words were extremely light, and actually carried a hint of ambiguous flirtatious meaning3.
The rumbling boom of thunder sounded in the distance. The heavens and earth quaked and trembled, appearing as soft and pliable as silk. That infinite blue sky had already transformed into a dark blood-red, gradually transitioning into a distant pitch-black. Billions of stars sparkled and twinkled amidst the darkness, strange and inexplicable.
Jiang Xunyi did not dodge or evade. Instead, he raised his head and laughed loudly: âSuch a trifling illusion, still not waking up?!â
Xuan Li trembled with astonishment. Suddenly, the expression on his face dulled. His whole person gradually became ethereal, only dimly discernible. Like a reflection upon the water, the colors faded and dimmed from his body. It was not just himâall the people on the side with varying expressions and positions similarly lost all color and turned misty, as if someone had cast a spell over them.
Jiang Xunyi stood back up and was about to look for Yun Xie, when he suddenly heard a deafening crack of thunder coming from the sky above. Those fading human figures suddenly collapsed onto the ground like soft mud, and then quickly combined together with blinding speed. By the next moment, they had already transformed into hideous-appearing evil spirits.
All up and down the mountains, countless such monsters flooded over, as thick and numerous as stalks in a field. The thunder above roared and boomed. In an instant, heavy rain began to pour down. Jiang Xunyiâs entire body was drenched with rainwater, almost to the point where he could not open his eyes. He couldnât even begin to look for Yun Xie in this utterly ink-black night, and anxiety filled his heart. He pulled his sword out of its sheath and swept it horizontally, immediately sending a mass of human-like shadows flying.
However, those broken limbs quickly reformed into new ghosts, continuing to attack Jiang Xunyi. If this continued, even if they could not exhaust him, they would certainly be able to crowd him to death.
Jiang Xunyi did not dare to act rashly, and deftly took several steps back in succession. Just as he halted his swordsmanship to observe the situation, a clear whistle and a ray of brilliant light pierced the dark night. Blue light glowed in the distance, then transformed into the radiance of an enormous sword that actually sliced directly towards the pitch-black sky!
A sword of primordial spirit! Yun Xie wanted to directly use his primordial spirit to break this illusion!
Jiang Xunyi sheathed his sword and sprinted like the wind, running straight towards the location of that blue light. The swaying and shaking of the heavens and the earth had never once stopped, each wave more intense than the last. At the same time, a figure in the distance came closer and closer to him. When they could almost see the otherâs silhouette, Yun Xie suddenly threw himself at Jiang Xunyi and hugged him tightly. The two men rolled over onto the ground. Outside, the lightning flashed and thunder roared like it was the end of the world. But amidst it all, Yun Xie closely protected Jiang Xunyi in his arms.
Jiang Xunyi struggled for a few moments, but Yun Xie seemed to have made up his mind and absolutely refused to let go. Only when the motion outside had slightly subsided did Yun Xie finally release him. His entire body was completely soaked, and a trace of blood lined his lips. A Peace Jade Buckle4 stitched onto his chest had already shattered.
Jiang Xunyi tore himself away from him and rose to assess their surroundings. The environment around them had already transformed back into the appearance of the Imprisoned Demons Valley. He ground his teeth and couldnât hold back a sneer. He leaned over and picked up Yun Xie by the collar, inquiring in a chilly and threatening tone: âOh Great Sect Master Yun, may I ask when you awakened?â
Yun Xie did not move an inch, allowing Jiang Xunyi to freely pull him up. His voice was hoarse: âAh-XunâŚâ
Jiang Xunyi did not respond, only roared: âIâm asking you!â
Yun Xie whispered: âThat time I saw you vomiting blood after taking my ring, my heart was unstableâŚâ
Even though Yun Xie always looked unruly and careless, he in fact boasted incredible sagacity. No matter their size or importance, very few matters could fool his gaze, and he especially paid incredible attention to anything related to Jiang Xunyi. When he returned to his room, he thus asked for his jade ring back from Yu Hong and repeatedly inspected it. Although he was one step slower than Jiang Xunyi, he finally woke up from the illusion as well.
However, upon awakening, he then remembered the matter of Jiang Xunyiâs death and resurrection. Looking back, he did not know if this was reality or an illusory dream he longed for yet could never obtain. He therefore kept his composure and continuously probed for the truth, finally confirming that the person in front of him had truly returned to life.
After taking over the Sect Master position, he had read the sectâs ancient books and records. He therefore inherently held a greater understanding of the Imprisoned Demons Valley compared to Jiang Xunyi. As a result, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his primordial spirit and shatter this illusion.
Given Jiang Xunyiâs pride and competitive personality, even more rage rose in his heart at the thought he had been fooled and ridiculed. He put down Yun Xie and sneered, clapping his hands in applause: âSo intelligent! Sect Master Yun is indeed worthy of his reputation for always thinking three steps ahead. This insignificant one5 is ashamed at my inferiority and gracefully admits defeat!â
Yun Xie had a stomach full of questions he wanted to ask, but this person did not want to talk with him at all. Now stabbed by the accusatory tone of Jiang Xunyiâs words, his spirits fell even further. His voice trembled: âAh-XunâŚâ
Not a single trace of a fluctuation could be seen on Jiang Xunyiâs face. He spoke with cold indifference: âMy apologiesâAlthough you have tried every possible way of probing, you have still recognized the wrong person. This humble one6 is Du Heng.â
He felt aggrieved remembering how just now he had been running around like a goddamn idiot trying to find Yun Xie. He contemptuously spat in his heart, feeling that even if everyone in this world died, Yun Xie wouldnât have any problems whatsoever. With his temper rising, he no longer wanted to follow Yun Xie. He coldly humphed out a âGoodbye!â before turning around to walk off.
Yun Xie rushed up to grab him, entreating: âDonât be like this, absolutely everything is my fault, but no matter what, please let me say a few words first, Ah-XunâŚâ
Jiang Xunyi flung him off, and furiously roared: âDo you not fucking understand human speech?! I said Iâm not so Iâm goddamn not!â
Authorâs Notes (Translated): Yun-ge is truly a shrewd rascal, reaching the peak of perfection in blackbelliness. If he had never encountered Jiang Xunyi, he would be invincibleâŚ
Footnotes:
1. éĺ lit. âFriends on the Daoâ is one way for fellow cultivators to address each other, basically saying âFellow Daoistsâ.
3. ć§ć§ literally translates to âambiguous/indistinct + concealedâ, but it has romantic connotations. Think of it like the trial period of romance: starting to cross the boundary between friendship and love, with flirtatious undertones.
4. ĺšłĺŽçćŁ
5. Jiang Xunyi here calls himself âĺ°äşşâ lit. âlittle personâ, which is a humble and self-deprecating one of referring to yourself. Interestingly enough, this same phrase is used to refer to people of low social status, as well as nasty villains.
6. Again, ĺ¨ä¸ (zĂ i xiĂ ) lit. âthis one who is beneath youâ is a humble way of referring to oneself.