Volume 5, Chapter 31 – Aftermath and Enlightenment (Two-in-One)

As she traveled through midair, Bai Xiang was still thinking about the string of prayer beads she had seen earlier.

They were green-jade prayer beads, carved with hollow fox-face patterns. Some of the patterns looked extraordinarily strange and eerie. From one angle, they looked like a fox’s face; from another, they became the face of an exquisitely beautiful woman. And from the entire string there drifted a trace of void aura.

“The woman carved on them looks very much like Zhu Qingluo, and that aura is exactly the same as the one the old beggar revealed when he tore open space. Most likely, the old beggar carved them himself and gave them to him.”

Thinking back, Bai Xiang did not owe Zhu Qingluo anything. Zhu Qingluo had failed to get the little yellow jade from her, but afterward Bai Xiang had also helped suppress Zhu Qingluo’s original body. If Zhu Qingluo were willing, she could easily turn the tables, devour her original body’s soul and cultivation, and take her own power a step further.

But Bai Xiang did owe the old beggar. That incarnation of Pang Tiandao had originally been created to sever his ties with his past emotions, and at the same time split off as a backup move. Yet by a stroke of chance, Bai Xiang had once taken control of his true spirit, and through her soul-abilities had washed away the imprint of Pang Tiandao’s soul.

From that moment on, the old beggar and Pang Tiandao had truly parted ways. They could be counted as two separate people.

That was also why Bai Xiang had felt safe entrusting the old beggar with escorting the Bai family back to Zhennan. She had long known that Pang Tiandao could no longer manipulate that man from afar to threaten her.

When the Void Tribulation tide had first run rampant, the old beggar had helped the Bai family more than a little. In that apocalyptic collapse of heaven and earth, without him, relying on greenhorn scattered Venerables like Monk Zhuye, He Xian, and Zhu Canghai alone, the losses in Zhennan would never have been so small, and not one of the names Bai Xiang knew so well would have come through untouched.

That was a debt of gratitude. She had to repay it.

According to Qing’er’s account, once the strength of the tide began to weaken and it was clear that the Bai family could hold out on its own, the old beggar charged alone into the storm and vanished.

Had he remembered something?

Had he gone to look for Zhu Qingluo?

Zhu Qingluo and her people should have been frozen in place just as I was. With his methods, he could not break open the Sky Sea, so he must have tried to find the White-Ginseng Spirit Fox clan.

That meant the young Daoist who appeared at the end… was most likely a relative or descendant Zhu Qingluo had left behind among the White-Ginseng Spirit Fox clan.

Maybe Zhu Qingluo herself had stumbled into it in a muddle, but who knew what relation her original body had had with Pang Tiandao?

ai Xiang could not be bothered with that mess. She treated it as giving the old beggar a bit of face.

“Federal Executive Governors…”

She muttered to herself in midair.

“At least I left you two.”

“If they know what’s good for them, they’ll hurry back and help me guard the western pass of the great desert.”

…

Meanwhile, at the former site of the plateau city, the young man in the green robe floated in midair in a daze, as though he had not quite grasped what had happened.

He had assumed they would have to exchange at least a few moves. Why had she just left like that?

Was she afraid of Master?

He counted on his fingers, then sensed for a while longer. Quietly cursing under his breath, the youth hurried down toward the enormous pit below and, together with the arriving Hanmeng and a dark-faced burly man, tried to cut into and excavate the earth.

They worked carefully, grunting away for quite some time before they finally managed to dig out a melted lump of… pink metal that gave off the reek of flesh and blood.

It looked revolting. As a whole, it was in a half-congealed liquid state. In the sunken and missing parts, rows of metalized human bones were visible, and as they came into contact with the air, countless tiny holes kept bubbling out across the surface. Just looking at it made one’s scalp crawl.

How could it have ended up like this?

Hanmeng and the dark-faced man were both stunned. They looked toward the young Daoist, only to find him equally at a loss.

“I don’t understand this…” the youth shook his head. “Wait a moment. I’m afraid we’ll have to ask my master about this…”

“No need to wait.”

A transmitted voice suddenly came from above. Everyone turned and saw that, at some point, a middle-aged Daoist had appeared there.

His skin was pale and his frame lean. He wore a wide-sleeved Daoist robe of dark brown, with no ornamentation anywhere on him. Even his casually tied hair was only half black and half white. He could even be called slovenly.

But Hanmeng did not dare show the least disrespect to this Daoist.

He remembered all too clearly that the broad sleeve that had extended out from the black rift earlier, the one that had nearly subdued Di Xiang, was the very same color as this man’s robe.

“Master!” The young man straightened at once when he saw the slovenly Daoist. “Is Shuer going to die? Hurry and save her!”

But the slovenly Daoist merely shook his head.

“Di Xiang shattered all the tissues in her body with a single vibrating strike.”

“Don’t indulge in wishful thinking.”

“She can’t be saved.”

What?

Can’t be saved?

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The young Daoist’s expression changed. Hanmeng frowned deeply, while the dark-faced man let out a furious roar, dropped to his knees, and slammed both fists into the ground, crying out in grief and rage.

“Sir!”

His eyes red, the man looked up and stared directly at the slovenly Daoist.

“Sir! Didn’t they all say you were a Saint?”

“They all said you resisted the catastrophe… brought down glad tidings… lifted disaster from the people… saved them from suffering!”

“Then why didn’t you stop her?”

“Why did you just let her commit evil and slaughter at will?”

“Banaji!” Hanmeng grabbed him at once. “…Do not speak to Sir without respect!”

Seeing that, the slovenly Daoist shook his head again.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to.”

“It’s that I couldn’t.”

Couldn’t?

At that, the people present were even more shocked.

They all knew very well what this man was capable of… For him to admit such a thing, just what cultivation had Di Xiang reached?

“If I am not mistaken, her new qi-path method incorporates the body-refining arts of the ancient human race.”

When speaking of Bai Xiang, even the slovenly Daoist knit his brows, a trace of gravity appearing on his face.

“In this world, aside from the Blood Lord, no one can break free of my sleeve.”

“Yet she did it through the strength of her flesh alone.”

At that, he glanced once more at the utterly ruined site of the plateau city.

“I do not know exactly what it is, but I can sense that there is something terrifying inside her body.”

“I cannot fight her here.”

“Otherwise, the entire White Scar Plateau would vanish. You included, all of you would die.”

So that was the reason.

The young Daoist froze.

So when Master had him relay those words, he had truly not wanted to start a conflict with Di Xiang.

Then why had Di Xiang left?

The youth could not understand it.

If she wasn’t afraid of Master, surely she wasn’t afraid of me?

Suddenly, his hand felt lighter. The string of prayer beads had been taken from him.

“Karmic ties with an old acquaintance.”

The slovenly Daoist rolled the beads between his fingers and sensed them for a moment. Then he lowered his head and sighed. “The fact that she still had the thoughtfulness to do this… truly is the greatest blessing amid misfortune…”

“Keep them well.”

He returned the beads to his disciple.

“You are to cherish them, wear them, and venerate them as your most precious treasure.”

“Sir!”

“Sir!”

At that moment, several people crawled up out of the rubble around the edge of the pit. They were the Heaven-Patrols led by Yu Wenyue and Zhang Shufang. All of them knelt before the slovenly Daoist, tears and snot running, pouring out their grievances.

“Sir! You’ve finally come!”

“Sir! That Di Xiang was outrageously rude! This disciple already told her she had to think of the bigger picture for humanity! Not only did she refuse to listen, she even came at us to kill us!”

“Sir! You must uphold justice for us! Wuwuwuwu…”

“When I am not around, do you all cry and whimper like this whenever something happens?” the slovenly Daoist asked helplessly.

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“Since Qingjiang has already conveyed my will on my behalf, and she chose to leave, that means this agreement has been established.”

“This is a covenant between Saints.”

“It is not for the likes of you to question.”

The slovenly Daoist’s tone remained calm, without the slightest hint of anger, yet those who heard it all showed expressions of shock and fear.

The fear went without saying. To question a Saint was naturally a grave act of disrespect.

But what had Sir just said?

A covenant between Saints?

He considered himself and Di Xiang to be equals?

Earlier, they had heard Bai Xiang admit it with their own ears, yet they had still harbored some lingering doubt. Now, however, all room for wishful thinking was gone. One by one, they kowtowed again in lingering fear. “We submit to Sir’s will. We were wrong…”

“Your hearts are troubled by the world’s suffering as well.” The slovenly Daoist flicked his wrist.

“Come into my sleeve.”

“Go read in the academy and rid yourselves of this overflowing viciousness.”

“Yes, Sir!”

At those words, the group immediately showed delight. The slovenly Daoist swept his sleeve before him, and when he withdrew it, they had vanished.

“You should leave as well.”

He then turned toward Hanmeng and the dark-faced man. Beckoning with one hand, he caused that puddle of metal rot and flesh on the ground to corrode rapidly. From within, a dark-gold metal fragment sprang out, shaped somewhat like a feather.

“Take this back.”

“Find it another host.”

“Sir…” Hanmeng accepted the metal feather, but still seemed to have more he wished to say.

“I know what the Blood Lord has in mind.” The Daoist shook his head. “Go back and tell him that there were things I did not interfere with before because he truly had not crossed the line.”

“But things are different now.”

“The same words as before: the bigger picture comes first.”

The dark-faced man felt stifled and wanted to argue, but Hanmeng forcibly dragged him away.

Once they were gone, the bottom of the pit suddenly emptied out. Only then did the spear-wielding old man and the others who had been waiting nearby finally dare step forward and bow toward the Daoist.

“Your subject, Guo Mao.”

“Your subject, Cai Jichang.”

“Greets Sir.”

“Guo Mao?” The Daoist turned his head toward the spear-wielding old man and frowned slightly. “You are from the Suzhen lineage… Why did Wu Mengzi not come himself?”

He was not nearly so gentle with these people. Though nothing in his tone seemed to change, every person facing him felt the pressure multiply.

“In reply to Sir… the old Sword Lord is studying the path ahead. As for Sword Lord Zhao and Sword Lord Wu… they went to the Eastern Sea some days ago to investigate the upsurge in demonic aura, and most likely have not yet been able to return in time.”

“The sword path of Yao Yu has already had its future cut off. Either you dig in and make no further progress, or you merge into the Dao-Void lineage.” The Daoist sighed. “You say your master is stubborn, yet he cannot become Chu Weiping. You say he is broad-minded, yet he loves to drill into dead ends.”

“Sir…” Cold sweat poured down the spear-wielding old man’s face. “This… Sir… the direction Di Xiang flew toward is our Great Yu capital…”

“Hm?”

The Daoist’s tone lifted ever so slightly, and in an instant an immense pressure descended like a projection. Not only were the people there crushed flat against the ground, even the very bottom of the pit was forcibly leveled.

“S… Sir…”

The spear-wielding old man still refused to let it go, forcing out broken words.

“Great Yu… secures… the northern frontier…”

“If Great Yu… falls… demonic evil… will rise…”

The Daoist frowned, then withdrew that pressure. Only then did the others collapse in relief, gasping hard on the ground, their entire bodies drenched in sweat.

“The Yu Emperor is still young. A few days ago, I invited him to the academy to study. He is therefore not there at present.”

Seeing that Guo Mao still stared at him, the Daoist seemed moved enough to finally reveal the truth.

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Guo Mao froze and opened his mouth. “But…”

“There is no but.”

The Daoist cut him off.

“Yao Yu and she already had enmity between them. This is karmic retribution. It belongs to the natural cycle, the principles of Heavenly Dao. I have no right to interfere.”

“I helped you this time because the Yu Emperor is not touched by this karma.”

“As for everything else, do not bring it up again!”

“Sir!”

Guo Mao panicked and raised his head again, but there was already no one before his eyes.

The slovenly Daoist, together with the young man in the green robe, had vanished from where they stood. Look as he might, there was no trace of them left.

“A tribulation…”

Guo Mao stared blankly at the pit, his lips trembling as he spoke.

Even now, he still felt as though everything that had happened over the past two days were a dream.

The High Emperor of those Eastern Xia people.

How had she returned?

…

“It’s finally over.”

Viewed from high above, at the farthest edge of the plateau city, a Thorn-Black Bull crawled out from a field of ruined tiles and rubble. Then the middle-aged wealthy merchant and the girl in the green dress emerged from beneath the bull with the rest of their group, all staring at the surrounding ruins with expressions of having survived a great calamity.

“Dad! We actually lived through it!” The girl hugged the middle-aged man excitedly, giggling away.

After all, that had been Di Xiang! Di Xiang herself!

To witness Di Xiang’s battle on the spot, and even survive while the plateau city was reduced to ruins, just how much attention would that bring her online if she posted about it?

She had even taken photos on her phone just now. She had already decided that as long as the pictures were still saved, she would edit them a bit and post them. At the very least, she would gain a hundred thousand followers!

Ha!

From now on, your auntie is a major influencer too!

But before she could celebrate for long, the middle-aged man suddenly took the phone out of her hands.

“Huh?” The girl froze, then immediately panicked.

“Dad, what are you doing?”

“Give it back!”

“This is no joke.” The middle-aged man’s face turned cold at once, frightening his daughter into silence.

“Fine, I won’t post it.” The girl lowered her head unhappily. “Daddy’s awful… Daddy’s the worst!”

“Master.”

A cold-faced young man stepped up from the side.

“The young lady’s temper…”

“It’s fine.” The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes. “There are not many happy days left for her. Let her enjoy them while she still can.”

The cold-faced youth fell silent. Looking at the girl in green from behind, however, there was now a trace of pity in his eyes.

To outsiders, they were only a mercenary or hunting group, wandering the wilderness to complete commissions and hunt the demon beasts that emerged there.

But only he and the middle-aged man, along with a few trusted subordinates, knew that their true objective this time was to search for a ruin.

Starting from the north and going all the way west, they were searching for a prehistoric ruin capable of bringing about the miracle of “god descent.”

If the plans were correct, the vessel for god descent had to be a pure maiden untouched by men.

So some things.

Some people.

That fate had, in truth, been decided from the very beginning.

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…

Whoosh—

High in the sky, Bai Xiang sped northeast at full tilt.

At one moment, her body crashed into a lingering afterimage ahead of her; at another, she abruptly slipped into the void and vanished, only to leap out again several kilometers away after several seconds. As a result, her speed was extremely fast, far beyond what most flying vessels could match.

“The fabric of space has grown denser.”

After leaping back out from a fissure in the void, Bai Xiang silently felt out that sensation.

Previously, when she had faced Pang Tiandao directly, she had shot up from the arena, crossed the Thirty-Three Heavens Sea in one breath, and sped all the way to him. Traveling through the void had been as easy as drinking water. But now she could no longer do that.

Because the Thirty-Three Heavens Sea had now completely fused with the main world. So even though remnants of the Void Tribulation tide still remained, the ground, the space, and even the laws of the main world had all become much sturdier than before.

Of course, Bai Xiang herself had contributed to that as well.

Closing her eyes, Bai Xiang slowed down slightly.

In that way, with her body stretched out and utterly relaxed, she continued speeding onward. As she flew, she ceaselessly sensed heaven and earth, sensed nature, and vaguely felt that her understanding of the Divine Palace inner Body-scape, and even the soul-path, had deepened a little further.

That was not only because her talent was peerless. It was also because she really could take advantage of such things.

Why was the world able to become so stable?

Her imperial edicts had contributed to that too.

And if heaven and earth had received her favor, had benefited from her gifts, then naturally it was only right that they return a little affinity and convenience to her in turn. She enjoyed that without the slightest shame.

So that was it…

Opening her eyes, Bai Xiang’s golden pupils gleamed.

Half of Pang Tiandao’s remnant soul contained his understanding of Saints, that is, the realm of great powers. According to his understanding, the hallmark of a great power was “the ability to open up a space independently.”

Back then, when he had wanted to fuse the Thirty-Three Heavens Sea with the main world, it had been because he wanted to use that to prove his Dao, to carve open a space through that kind of trick, trying to exploit a flaw in Heavenly Dao and force it to acknowledge him.

And even that had only been achieved by expending two pieces of Heavenly Stem Precious Jade. He himself had not yet reached that realm.

As for me… originally, I thought that the Path of Qi, that my current Divine Palace Realm, was walking a different road, one that combined the body-refining arts of the ancient human race.

But just now, after seeing that sleeve, after seeing the space inside that sleeve, it feels as if I have gained some new understanding again.

Divine Palace, Divine Palace.

Within my Divine Palace, my great circulation meridians and orifices are like a map of prefectures and provinces, like the cities and strategic strongholds of an imperial dynasty.

If I judge and conceive of it by that standard, then why should my Divine Palace not count as a world unto itself?

Boom!

The instant that thought arose, Bai Xiang’s mind became utterly clear. The Qi Sea in her lower abdomen exploded apart at once and merged instantly into all the meridians and orifices throughout her body.

Rush, rush…

The sound of rushing rivers immediately arose inside Bai Xiang’s body as well. A wolf-smoke column of qi and blood surged up from above her head, then rapidly drew all of that momentum back in.

In only a single instant, the aura of intimidation cloaking her vanished completely.

She looked utterly plain and natural now, as though she had become an ordinary person with nothing but an empty shell, no longer showing the slightest trace of momentum.

But Bai Xiang smiled.

“Saints?”

“Great powers?”

“As I see it, all of them simply took the wrong path.”

She stopped flying and dropped down to the ground. With a single step, she appeared several li away in an instant.

Flash!

Flash!

And so, moving at a ghostly speed, she headed northeast. Before long, her eyes brightened as a luxurious, highly modern city came into view.

Yujing City.

At last, she had arrived.