Chapter 189 The End of Rain Bell

Bai Lu turned around: "Aheng said that if you go out, it will only lead to your death. You are still so young, why should you face those things..."

Jin Lan's words back then now seem like a deathbed entrustment; how could I bear to watch her child go to his death?

Lin Feiran didn't reply, but instead ran his fingers along the sword, a faint breeze rising from his feet: "Why can that bronze cauldron be used as a bargaining chip?"

Bai Lu took a half step back, and the blue brick ground beneath her feet immediately spun with arrays of magic: "Because of the Reincarnation Pearl. Only I in the world can manipulate these arrays to help them seize bodies with mortal bodies and nurture the Reincarnation Pearl."

"What if I really have to go out?"

"I won't let you go to your death. If you insist on getting out, the only way is to defeat me and break through this abyss."

Lin Feiran sighed softly, flicked his fingertips, and the sword immediately emitted a pleasant hum: "You all like to make decisions for me, but have you ever asked me what I want to do?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Changzai's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at her sideways, and for some reason, he suddenly remembered that he had concealed the matter of stealing bones.

“I am not a porcelain doll. I have my own path and things I want to do.”

Lin Feiran closed his eyes slightly, and a ray of light flowed along the blade of his sword, reflecting the starry night sky.

"If the road I walk is destined to be bumpy, I will accept it gladly, because it is my choice. With sword in hand, how can there be an uneven road?"

In an instant, Bai Lu retreated back to the Jade Mountain, her expression unreadable. She raised her hand, and the Jiangnan Night City immediately cracked open with rays of light. Countless magic arrays activated simultaneously, converging and locking onto Lin Feiran and the other two.

She stared intently, took three steps back, grabbed Shen Qi by the back of his collar, and hung him on the ridge of one of the roofs. She then bent over and flew away, her shimmering sword rising in her hand and striking forward like a streak of light.

"Third move of Xun, fifth move of Qian, the third form of the Misty Step retreats, the fifth form of the Immaculate Sword Technique, Eastward Strike!"

As soon as she spoke, Wei Changzai moved with her. He did whatever she said. As soon as Lin Feiran finished speaking, the Kunwu sword in his hand struck eastward!

There was clearly nothing there, yet when the sword struck, it landed on a solid spot, producing a clear, ringing sound, like the striking of a bell.

The first magic array was thus broken.

Lin Feiran's goal was very clear.

As Xian had told her, Bai Lu now had nothing in her heart. Although she was a cultivator, she no longer had spiritual veins. She also said that she had become one with Luoyang City. So, if you wanted to defeat her and break through this impenetrable place, you only needed to cut down those towering flower pillars.

Bang bang.

That was the sound of a heart beating, not faint, emanating from the emerald green stem, but a flash of sword light swept past, and the depths fell silent.

The flower pillars formed by countless intertwined purple lilies collapsed and fell, with wispy purple petals drifting down from the sky, appearing even more vibrant and dark in the night.

Shen Qi stood on the roof ridge, staring blankly at the scenery. Suddenly, he turned around and looked at the figure on Jade Mountain.

Bai Lu simply stood there, controlling one magic array after another, quietly watching Lin Feiran unravel one after another.

He felt something was off, and looking down at the shifting magic array, he felt a strange sense of familiarity with this behavior.

Just like when he first arrived at the Imperial Academy, he was practically illiterate, so his master fed him the books page by page and taught him from the beginning.

...

Lin Feiran was indeed as she said: with a sword in hand, she would forge ahead without hesitation.

She cut down one flower pillar after another that supported this place of no return. As night fell and a sliver of light appeared in the sky, petals fell from the air, carpeting the ground like a final curtain call.

At one point, Lin Feiran slowed down her disarming efforts considerably, and her movements became somewhat hesitant. Wei Changzai simply waited for her quietly.

Just then, Bai Lu changed her hand seals, and the magic array between the two changed again. Lin Feiran paused for a moment, then raised his sword and went again.

The first, the second, the third... the pulsation from the flower pillars became more and more obvious, and the sound gradually became echoing.

Lin Feiran became increasingly skilled at breaking the formations, having solved nearly a hundred of them without any further hesitation. However, her expression grew increasingly somber, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Bai Lu was teaching her how to change formations and break formations.

Each incoming magic array is like a catalog compiled in "The Great Sound is Silent," progressing from easy to difficult, layer by layer, and finally returning to the simplest form.

The essence of a formation is encirclement and connection, as stated in the opening of the Great Sound is Silent. Therefore, the final formation is simply a circle formed by a single stroke.

It's so simple that even a three-year-old could draw it, but it has no flaws, and the key to its formation is nowhere to be seen.

Lin Feiran stood inside the circle, with Wei Changzai holding a sword beside him. He asked, "Is this also a magic array?"

Lin Feiran nodded and silently looked ahead.

Only faint, fish-scale-like black clouds remained in the sky, the rest of the sky a bright white.

The last spot is a golden thread crowning the top, its pure white petals swaying in the twilight clouds, with wisps of yellow light filtering through, soft and serene.

A steady heartbeat could be heard, like a baby sleeping peacefully in its mother's arms, so calm and serene.

Lin Feiran slowly exhaled, recalling all the magic arrays he had just encountered, and suddenly understood something.

So she leaped up, wielding her sword as a brush, and streaks of sword light intertwined on the magic array, creating a flaw in what was originally a flawless circle, which shattered again in less than a breath.

The circle is the beginning of all formations and is indeed without flaws, but it can also be connected. As long as it is connected into another formation, the problem can be easily solved.

With a deafening roar, this boundless space began to tremble violently, like an unbalanced celestial globe spinning. The dark Milky Way and the bright white sky kept reversing and rotating, eventually coming to rest at a point of equilibrium.

The sky was half black and half white, and the petals that had fallen to the ground floated up again, and the entire city ruins were suddenly covered in flowers like rain.

The flower pillar was severed, the throbbing sound in his ears ceased, and before Lin Feiran could retract his sword, it suddenly pierced a soft spot.

In an instant, warm sprays fell on her face, carrying a rich and sweet fragrance.

Lin Feiran's pupils contracted slightly, his expression one of surprise.

Unbeknownst to them, they found themselves back on the same jade mountain. The shimmering sword pierced straight through Bai Lu's chest, and after spitting out a few drops of blood, she slumped backward and collapsed into a round-backed chair.

Her mind was empty, her heart entirely devoted to these towering flower pillars. Now that the flower pillars were broken and the formation was completely destroyed, she was naturally affected as well.

But she willingly accepted this sword strike.

Only a sword strike like this can end everything for her here.

Lin Feiran immediately sheathed her sword and turned to look at the table. The inconspicuous pill on it was still in its original place, and her expression immediately became complicated.

"...You didn't take your medication?"

Bai Lu slumped in her chair, her expression slightly stunned, then she broke into a smile, a trickle of bright red blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as she spoke in a hoarse voice.

"What a sharp-eyed and intelligent child. If Jinlan were alive, she would be very pleased."

Wei Changzai stared intently at it, then asked in doubt, "What kind of pill is that?"

“The Azure Pill.” Lin Feiran stood in front of Bai Lu, his robes fluttering. “Her heart has already been moved to the entire city. Even if those flower pillars are broken and her body is injured, she will not die immediately. As long as she takes this pill, everything will turn around.”

Bai Lu leaned against the back of the chair, coughing up blood incessantly, but her expression was more relaxed than ever before, even revealing a serene smile.

"Taking it out and leaving it aside means I won't eat it."

By aiding and abetting evil, six innocent lives were lost at my hands. Every day I think about how to atone for my sins, but there is no other way but death.

I've thought about dying... but... I can't die yet... My master's long-cherished wish hasn't been fulfilled..."

She leaned against the back of the chair, blood gushing out continuously, her voice growing increasingly hoarse, her once beautiful face now as pale as a fading crimson, bearing the last vestiges of its former glory.

She resolutely stood up and pushed the four volumes of "The Great Sound is Silent" in front of Lin Feiran.

"I always thought that Master's long-cherished wish was the same as Ding Yi's, but he just couldn't find a way to achieve it for the time being. Later, I unexpectedly discovered a notebook..."

It turns out he had this idea all along; he wanted to compile this book on battle formations…

She turned the last page of the final volume with trembling hands, where a few lines of small regular script were written.

Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment, then stuck his sword into the ground and squatted down to examine the contents.

My teacher once said that all people are born without strength, but they are good at making use of things. With just their two hands, they can create all things, move heaven and earth, and fight dragons and devour tigers.

Everyone is human, yet due to differences in spiritual veins, they are confined within them, which is such a pity.

Therefore, my master Genqian's last wish was for this book on array formations to be made known to the world. With the help of the spiritual power of spirit stones and jade, and the connection of array formations, all mortals in the world could enjoy the mysteries of the world.

However, on the way, while trying to save a traitor, he unexpectedly passed away peacefully, leaving with regrets. My grief is beyond words.

To fulfill my teacher's last wish, I spent decades compiling this work, and finally, I have completed four volumes, which I call "The Great Sound is Silent," to tell my beloved teacher.

[You rebellious disciple Bailu, I bow my head in reverence]

Thirty years have passed, and this book is finally complete. Now, I have no more regrets in my heart.

I do not expect to atone for my sins with this, but it is enough to be able to face my master without shame.

You look so much like your mother, how could I not know you wanted to leave?

It's just leaving you another way out.

"If you wish to stay here, I will remain for another hundred years; if you do not wish to, I will hand over this entire scroll to you, and then I will be free to depart."

She looked at Lin Feiran with gentle eyes.

"With it, even mortals can draw upon the spiritual energy of the world. My master has dedicated his life to this..."

"Little Manman, if it were you, you certainly wouldn't keep the method to yourself; you'd be willing to share it widely."

She closed her eyes, and a single, hot tear fell.

"Only death can atone for my sins."

From now on, I only wish to be a flower, a blade of grass, growing quietly by the sea…

Until an old man carrying a basket of steamed buns passed by and took her off.

With another deafening roar, starlight rained down from the sky, and Jade Mountain collapsed. Lin Feiran felt a mix of emotions, but he simply leaped up and caught her in his arms.

Standing atop the ruins, Lin Feiran lowered his eyes and asked, "Do you want to leave this place?"

Bai Lu opened her eyes, and the black and white sky reflected in them was so dull and unreal.

She's seen it too many times.

But at this moment, she seemed to see that rainy afternoon again, when Jin Lan scaled the wall, hid in the palace, and secretly came to her, asking the same question.

Do you want to leave here?

She said she wouldn't leave then, but now, she smiled and nodded.

"Since taking you away is my mother's wish, I will do it for her."

A setting sun was about to sink over the city.

The two worlds are connected, and a child's clear, melodious nursery rhyme can be heard from not far away.

"Young girl, your hairpin and skirt are fragrant, let's go hand in hand and cruise the three rivers. The fish in the pond are fat and long, cast your fishing rod, and smell the fragrance of lotus roots."

Bai Lu's body suddenly trembled, and drops of hot tears slapped onto Lin Feiran's hand, then quickly slid down, leaving only cool, damp streaks.

“The sun is out.” She looked at the sunset over Luoyang and smiled. “If I can see your mother again, I will tell her how well you are doing now.”

She raised her hand, unsure where to touch, but halfway there, it fell limply, and she closed her eyes and passed away.

Lin Feiran closed his eyes slightly, paused for a moment, and continued to carry her forward.

With a deafening roar, a section of the imperial city collapsed without warning, and the remaining ruins crumbled into dust, drifting aimlessly in the rosy clouds.

Outside the ruins, countless eyes were already watching as Lin Feiran carried Bailu out of the smoke and dust, his steps slow and steady, his shadow stretching long like an unmoving sword.

A moment later, Wei Changzai and Shen Qi hurriedly walked out, looked at the scene before them, and immediately stopped in the square.

Shen Qi asked blankly, "Weren't they still discussing the Northern Plains? How come..."

Lin Feiran looked at the emperor surrounded by people, his expression unchanged, but he only glanced at Bai Lu.

"So, even you were caught in his trap."

With a resounding boom, the great bell of heaven and earth immediately echoed throughout Luoyang City, and in an instant, its sound reached every continent.

"The traitor Lin Feiran harbors treacherous intentions. In order to seize the prescription for the cure, he sneaked into the palace to assassinate the Holy Empress. His crime deserves to be punished!"

A warrant is hereby issued for the capture of this suspect; all those with the conscience of the people are urged to join in the effort to bring him to justice!

Ding Yi initially appeared indifferent and unconcerned about the matter, but his gaze sharpened slightly when he looked at Lin Feiran, and he couldn't help but glance at the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Empress seems to... have lost all signs of pulse."

The Emperor's expression remained unchanged. He simply said, "Uncle, you don't know, but Bai Lu will be alright. She has a Celestial Pill..."

After he finished speaking, he saw that large patches of bright red were gradually seeping through the plain white gauze dress, and it was even dripping down as if it could not be stopped, almost blending into the sunset glow.

He finally stopped laughing.