Chapter 164 The Nirvana Donkey!

In the ancient times, evil spirits arose, and demons appeared in the turbid realm, slaughtering all living beings. The Heavenly Spirit Clan was enraged and sent Taiyin and Lingguang down the mountain with a few riders to drive them away.

The year after the first battle, the earth shook violently, and the demon invaded the human realm. Guided by the gods, the various tribes gathered at the border of Nanjun and Dongying. Lord Lingguang was trapped in the forest and could not escape. The tribes' soldiers attacked the demon at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, shouting, "We must not let it cross the plains!" The plains had once been the pass of Nanjun; if it were breached, they would perish.

Strange phenomena occurred: Mount Buzhou split open, and the Qiongqi appeared.

......

When I was in the Heavenly Realm, only my elder sister would stay with me.

Everyone else was too busy, and I remember that vividly. When I was first born, my eldest sister led me to Youdu, and messengers kept coming to see her along the way. It sounds serious, but actually, it was quite funny to see her covered in colorful birds, each one chirping and bringing news.

Strictly speaking, Zhimingjun should be my second elder sister. She was also unable to spare the time, just as the saying goes in the underworld, the Heavenly Spirit Realm has two pillars: Zhiming, the military supervisor, possessing both literary and military talents.

The elder sister is different. She oversees all affairs of the human world, enacting laws for them, teaching them to record history, and organizing their own culture. When there is great turmoil in the human world, she will descend from the mountain to assist the king and lead all people towards peace.

It is said that many of her names were recorded in human history books because of this, and even some emperors, unwilling to part with her, sought immortality and inquired about the Dao, hoping to wait for her return.

But some gods looked down on her because of this—what good is recording customs or events that happen in the human world? Later I thought that person must have never been to the mortal realm, otherwise she would have understood that culture is like a person's soul to a race. If the soul is lost, even if the appearance remains, it is no longer the original person.

Life was monotonous back then. Occasionally, my elder sister would bring another child and tell me that she was the daughter of the first human emperor, named Ba. The three of us traveled together in Youdu, and because we wore masks, none of us could recognize each other.

Later, my eldest sister seemed very angry about this, and she stopped taking me out. I was probably born too late, beyond my mother's expectations, so while the other three had their own duties, I always had nothing to do. My mother-in-law also stopped coming; it seemed she had gone to study military strategy with the Emperor.

The next time I saw her was on the battlefield.

Life was uneventful, but peaceful. In Youdu, where there was no rain, I would count stars with my sister. Lying on the bed, facing the skylight, we could see a sky full of stars. My sister said our strength came from these stars.

One lonely night, my older sister held me in her arms and whispered a story to me. She stopped before she finished, silently stroking my hair. She seemed very, very tired; suddenly she sighed softly and said in a low voice:

Life... is so complicated.

I couldn't discern the emotion in my sister's voice, and instead of comforting her, I asked, "Life? What's that?"

My older sister chuckled softly and told me that life is everything we are experiencing right now, all the feelings. She twirled my feathers with her fingertips, kissed my forehead, and smiled:

"For example, right now, I feel Lingguang's feathers are warm, and that is life. I call out Lingguang's name, and that is also part of life. Everything we have makes up life."

"Spring goes, summer begins, autumn departs, winter solstice arrives. Humans use this to measure life, and you were born on what they call 'summer beginning'. So every summer beginning, I know that my little bird has spent another year in this world."

I felt a little itchy, so I turned over slightly and said, "Then I don't want it."

My sister paused slightly. After a moment, she asked me, "Why?"

Although it was still a gentle tone, it was quite complex—so complex that even I, who was still somewhat naive at the time, could tell that it was different from usual, but I wasn't surprised at all.

I've never been good with words, so I couldn't articulate my thoughts clearly. I could only mutter, "I have nothing that truly belongs to me, so my life isn't mine either." This name will belong to the next Ling Guang, and she will inherit my memories. To others, nothing will make a difference. I have nothing to do, so no one will remember me.

I am part of the Way of Heaven; I was born here, and I will return here—that's all.

Aside from the time I spent with my older sister, I don't have any particularly deep memories of it. Youdu is very bustling, but it's always been so bustling that after my initial amazement, there's nothing new to discover. My sister and I had already explored it before, so the surprise we felt was something from a long time ago.

If I have to live like this forever, I don't want to continue. I look forward to death.

And I know my elder sister feels the same way. Because we are different from the other sisters, our hearts seem to be closely connected, sharing the same loneliness and sorrow. I know she will argue with her eldest sister... she will sympathize with the human race, she will shed tears. She will refute the laws of the Heavenly Realm as too heartless—she once argued for the Biyue Bird.

The outcome of each argument was obvious. Just like today, she had another heated argument with her elder sister, and there was a faint smell of blood in her clothes.

But she also loved her elder sister. That gentle gaze was different from the tolerant look she gave others; instead, it was sharp and profound. She had always hoped that her elder sister could understand her.

Emotion is a strange thing. I was born knowing everything in the world, except for this one thing. Emotionally, I have always been like an infant, without the opportunity to grow up, and can only rely on the warmth given to me by my older sister to survive. I think Ba was perhaps luckier than me. Her mother loved her and waited for her, while my mother is the way of heaven, and has never been able to see me alone.

My older sister hugged me tightly. Time seemed to slow down, and I felt a sense of estrangement. The next moment, something warm landed on my face, making me feel even more unfamiliar. I carefully touched it with my fingertips—it was liquid, soft and fragile, wet.

I looked up and saw my sister's eyes sparkling, brimming with tears. Had stars fallen into her eyes?

"Life belongs to you..." My older sister reached out and touched my face, whispering, "I want you to grow up, little bird. You're too small, don't say things like that..."

How can anyone believe someone who already has suicidal thoughts say such things? I looked into her eyes and saw sadness in them. Anything is fine, as long as my sister doesn't do this anymore—as long as she stops crying...

"Okay, I won't say anything more."

So I nodded, wiped away her tears, and clumsily tried to change the subject, "Why are you crying, sister?"

"Because I'm so sad." There was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor in her voice. "You should have been happy, you're like a little bird..."

I didn't understand what she meant, so I asked softly, "Do you cry when you're sad?"

I felt a pang of sadness too. Seeing my sister cry brought a wave of bitterness to my heart, as if someone were scratching at it until it broke open and bled. The blood seeped into my veins, taking another form, and flowed from my eyes. —And so, I began to cry.

A warm and soft scent enveloped me. I heard my older sister say, "Perhaps... but sometimes, too much happiness can bring tears to your eyes."

"I hope the little birds shed more tears of happiness than sadness. Don't... be like me." As she said these words, she stopped calling me Lingguang.

But my life has been filled with so much sorrow, and I'm not one to cry easily, so every time I shed a tear, it was a deeply etched memory. Thinking back, I've never shed a single tear of happiness. Even during my final days of imprisonment, I heard the news that my elder sister had passed away before me.

I am very similar to her. All four of us are like this. We are the only family we have, and we would shed tears for each other, but we have never forgiven each other in our lives.

So at that moment, I made a wish upon the stars.

Perhaps I won't live much longer, and soon I'll become part of the next Ryouko-kun, no longer myself. She'll probably have a different life than me.

I hope she will be someone who cries easily.

It's best to always shed tears of happiness.

-

Although she took the Heavenly Dao as her mother, Hua Ying had never known her own destiny. She didn't care about things like the Great Dao; she simply thought:

If the outcome is known before the game begins, then why even start? It's always better to leave things ambiguous.

Otherwise, how could she have fallen to the mortal realm after enduring countless cold stares, only to meet that strange man who climbed out of the water, and from then on, take her hand and embark on an adventure that would always bring a smile to her face whenever she thought about it?

Spring flowers were in full bloom, and the mountains and fields were shrouded in mist. She was destined to waste her youth, like a young beast licking its wounds alone, wandering alone in the turbid world.

But when Luo Yang first came into her view, she felt her pent-up emotions dissipate. She was no longer a god born to bear the burden of her entire life, and she no longer had the power to overturn the world. She was just Hua Ying—her Hua Ying, her little bird.

Like the sun breaking through the clouds, or a dull mirror being polished anew, the world slowly unfolds.

But as the great war approached, the military commander still ordered a skilled diviner to foretell her future. The divination revealed that she would encounter her greatest enemy in the desolate ancient world, and more than one.

If a person has to contend with many things in their life, they can be said to have a life full of hardships, but she had to overcome many.

But the young man simply smiled calmly and said:

"What is there to fear? Let us fight!"

-

The flames blazed, illuminating the sky. Ling Guangjun drew his longbow and unleashed a fierce arrow towards the heavens. Like a shooting star, it streaked across the sky, bursting forth in several streaks of light, transforming into a magnificent rain.

In an instant, all evil spirits vanished, leaving only the ferocious beast on the field, its eyes gleaming with cold light.

Hua Ying spread her wings, hovered high in the sky, and softly called out its name:

"Qiongqi".

The voice, carried by divine sense, entered the hearts of everyone present. From this moment on, the ferocious beast was given a name and became the leader of the Four Fiends in history.

Qiongqi let out a low growl and shouted, "Ling Guang!"

While still in Buzhou Mountain, it heard a voice say that the person who gave it its name would be the enemy it would fight with all its might for the rest of its life. Between the two, it was a fight to the death.

The voice said that the man's name was Ling Guang.

Hua Ying ignored it, but squinted and carefully examined Qiongqi. Then she said calmly, "It doesn't look like a tiger. It has two snakes attached to its body. It looks terrible."

The group of mythical beasts below remained silent.

—The God of Lingguang's mouth is still as sharp as ever.

Hua Ying glanced at the crowd below, then released her spiritual energy, forming a wide barrier that protected them from Qiongqi's harm.

This bitter battle belongs to her and Qiongqi; she should not be interfered with by the aftermath.

Ignoring the beast's roar, Hua Ying exerted force in her hand and drew back the bowstring. The arrow materialized in her hand, and her divine fire flowed between her fingers; a mere trace of its power was enough to dispel all evil spirits.

This is the result of her journey with Luo Yang; it is the fire of purification, its flame as red as a lotus.

Hua Ying lowered her head, looked in a certain direction, and smiled slightly, saying, "Watch closely, little one."

Shen Lixia, who had just dismounted, knew that the words were addressed to her. She looked up and saw Hua Ying's bow-drawing posture. Sensing that the way Hua Ying used the divine fire was different from her own, she quickly focused her mind and energy to carefully study and learn. She was so anxious that she didn't pay attention to anything else and missed Hua Ying's gentle yet complex gaze.

The young man sighed.

From the moment she sensed the aura of the divine fire, she knew that the person in front of her must be "herself"—or rather, the next Ling Guangjun.

The death she longed for seemed to come much later than she had imagined.

But by this time, Hua Ying had met Luo Yang and no longer wished to die young. However, she also knew that she was doomed to die, so she was naturally filled with mixed feelings.

"Enough, I am but an illusion trapped here, why should I think too much?" She smiled and shook her head, her bowstring already fully drawn, and then she suddenly released it after aiming at Qiongqi's eye.

In an instant, the arrowhead pierced the beast's left eye!

However, this pain only fueled Qiongqi's ferocity, causing it to roar as it burned its life essence, spread its wings, and soar into the sky, charging towards Hua Ying. The young man's arrows rained down, but he had no time to worry about what was behind it; two long snake tails coiled fiercely, trying to entangle and devour the proud Vermilion Bird.

The golden arrow was crushed into dust. Ba's expression changed. She knew it was too late to draw the bow now. She hurriedly said, "Lord Lingguang, get out of the way!"

Even before she spoke, the arrowhead pierced through the seven-inch mark of one of the long snakes. Although the flame was slightly weaker and did not possess the boundless power of true divine fire, it was enough to make the snake's movements pause slightly, causing it to convulse in excruciating pain.

The other snake seemed startled, giving the archer another chance. Shen Lixia conjured another arrow in her hand, aimed at the sky, and without hesitation, drew her bow and swiftly released it!

The long snake hurriedly dodged, but the opponent seemed to have anticipated its next move—the arrow pierced its throat and tongue precisely, then exploded violently, spitting out thick black blood.

Ba couldn't help but turn her head and look at Shen Lixia in surprise.

The boy put away his longbow and said, "It was just a prediction, a lucky accident." She wanted to laugh, but that smile froze when she heard the sound of blood splattering.

Golden blood dripped down. Qiongqi retracted its claws, looking at the young man with huge wounds on his body, and gasped for breath.

Ignoring the fierce attack, and risking being pierced through the throat by an arrow, its body covered in wounds, it still forced its way to her and swung its claws. Even a god skilled in all weapons has its strongest and weakest points.

Even Lingguang Divine Lord was no exception. As a world-renowned archer, she was most vulnerable to close-range attacks. Qiongqi, realizing this, decided to take a gamble, hoping to break through the defenses and see if he could pull the bird down from the sky.

Hua Ying wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and tugged at the corner of her mouth, "I didn't realize... you were such a mad dog."

There were no fancy moves between them, only a ruthless determination to kill each other. Hua Ying habitually raised her hand to cover her wound, and the divine fire in her hand surged again. Her previously slightly dim red eyes were now filled with determination.

An invisible connection seemed to tremble at this moment, touching Shen Lixia, causing the young man to be slightly startled, and he suddenly exclaimed:

"Wait a moment!"

Divine fire had already ignited on the youth's surface. She spread her wings, like a proud flame, and plummeted towards Qiongqi. Shocking golden blood continuously spilled, only to be burned away again and again.

Although Ba tightly gripped her wrist, Shen Lixia still struggled to rise into the air. She had already seen through Hua Ying's intention—she was willing to trade her life for hers!

No. Absolutely not—even in the illusion, she couldn't watch Hua Ying die like this! She shouldn't have to end up like this!

...Wasn't there any one of them who deserved her fate?

Despair filled the young girl's heart. The firelight was bright, the surrounding air scorching hot, drying the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Why wouldn't the divine fire heal her wounds? It clearly possessed the power of rebirth—

A golden, round bead appeared out of nowhere and was tossed into the air. A life force emanated from its surface, making it appear exceptionally sacred.

It was a crystal-clear Bodhi seed.

Bodhi seemed to have its own consciousness, quickly aiming at Hua Ying who was about to rush to perish together with Qiongqi, and even merged into the flames faster than she did.

Hua Ying seemed somewhat surprised, abruptly stopping in her tracks as the Golden Bodhi dispersed before her, releasing strands of gold that merged into the divine fire. The divine fire instantly brightened, its flames becoming even more beautiful and pure, shimmering with dazzling golden light.

Then, flames began to surge from the place where Qiongqi had injured him, and the golden blood gradually stopped. In less than a breath, the young man, who had been seriously injured, was completely recovered, except that his clothes were slightly torn.

A familiar voice, accompanied by a heart-wrenching scream, rang in Shen Lixia's ears: "How come someone commits suicide as soon as they arrive! You're that Lingguang Divine Lord, aren't you?"

The visitor was out of breath, but still continued speaking:

"You have a friend who claims to be a holy woman of the Shakya clan. She says she owes you something and asked me to bring it to you! Don't be in such a hurry to die!"

Shen Lixia turned her head and saw one of the most memorable scenes of her life—

A woman in a dark blue dress rode a small donkey with bared teeth and foaming at the mouth, galloping menacingly toward them.

And that howling, strange cry came from the little donkey's mouth.

Simmons withdrew the hand that had tossed the Bodhi seeds and tugged at the donkey's ear to signal it to stop.

She said, "This is 'Nirvana'!"

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Author's Note: Xia: I feel like crying and laughing at the same time. Can someone compensate me for this?

The senior sister is really coming in the next chapter! Oh my god, how did I manage to write so much? The tactics I planned before are actually a relatively small part now (...). I'll try not to write too long.