Chapter 136 Washing the River (Part Two) It is the pain of shattered body, but also supreme power…
Jiang Yuhuo can confirm that Bai Hui is definitely related to Jia Qianyang.
So even though she knew her body would struggle to keep up, she still summoned the fire element once again.
"You won't talk?" Jiang Yuhuo urged the fire to burn even more fiercely, and screams of agony filled the surroundings. The air was filled with the smell of burning. "Then I'll just have to burn this place down completely!"
A struggle flashed in Bai Hui's eyes as she urged her last bit of spiritual power, wanting only to get Mu Yi'an away from here as soon as possible. But the spirit-summoning wood in her hand suddenly burst into flames, as if wherever the person on the ground could see, flames would ignite.
The fiercer the fire, the stronger the tearing sensation in Jiang Yuhuo's body became. She felt the fire in her blood cutting into her body. If Bai Hui held on any longer, perhaps her body would fall to the ground in pieces like a shell.
But she still won her gamble.
Mu Yi'an's expression grew increasingly pained, yet she refrained from biting Bai Hui again. Bai Hui couldn't bear it any longer and finally returned to the ground.
As soon as the door opened, Bai Hui collapsed to the ground, unable to support herself. She was in poor condition, her body and spiritual energy almost completely depleted. She was only able to activate the Spirit-Subduing Wood by sheer willpower, and now that her willpower had weakened, her body and soul were almost completely dissipated.
"Why are you looking for him? I promised not to tell anyone about his existence. For Yi'an's sake, I can tell you, but I need to know your intentions."
“He is my enemy,” Jiang Yuhuo said coldly, extinguishing the fire on Mu Yi’an as promised.
Bai Hui was already at his limit, she could tell.
Bai Hui gave a weak laugh. "You can't kill him, or more accurately, it's Him. He has no body, no appearance, is neither immortal nor demon, and comes and goes without a trace. You can't find Him either."
"I'm not here to hear you say that." A ball of fire suddenly rose in Jiang Yuhuo's palm, her eyes filled with warning.
“Five years ago, I met Him by the river. He saw that I had something on my mind and gave me a pot of wine. I hadn’t slept well for many years, but drinking His wine helped me sleep well and even allowed me to see the people I wanted to see in my dreams.”
Jiang Yuhu snorted coldly. Adding this kind of spice can not only make you sleep well, but also make you fall into a frenzy.
"At first, my dreams were filled with memories of my past with Yi'an, which were beautiful. But gradually, I found that Yi'an in my dreams was in increasing pain. He was imprisoned in a dark and sunless place, being devoured by a group of creatures. Every day, the person in my dreams would be more broken and mutilated than the day before. I became more and more convinced that these things in my dreams were real, so I went to Him again. He told me that during the great war between immortals and demons, the cultivators did not die or their souls were destroyed. Yi'an was imprisoned under the Demon-Sealing Seal. Fearing that someone might harm the Demon-Sealing Seal, the people of the immortal sects never dared to mention this truth."
“I believe what He said is true, because I saw it with my own eyes. He also had a piece of wood like that, and He used that piece of wood to let me see Yi An. Not only Yi An, but I also saw many people from back then. The people of the Immortal Sect can ignore these people who are no longer of value to them, but I cannot ignore Yi An.” Bai Hui’s eyes were filled with hatred. “So, I asked Him to tell me the method to break the seal.”
"You think he's helping you?" Jiang Yuhuo scoffed. "But he didn't tell you that these people have long been corrupted by demonic energy and turned into demons."
"Should he be abandoned just because he's tainted by demonic energy? He didn't want to become like this. Didn't you see it too? He's already restraining his nature." Bai Hui's remains became increasingly transparent, but his gaze towards the demon was one of relief. "So what if it's demonic energy? What can be tainted can also be washed away."
The demon had been burned by fire, and the black aura on its body was fading, making its human face and body clearer. Now, it was guarding Bai Hui's side, watching her condition. Although the demon's body was stiff, its face already showed human sorrow.
Jiang Yuhuo looked up and saw that some of the demons trapped in the sea of fire had dissipated, while others had lost their demonic energy, revealing their original souls—men and women, with ethereal beauty, all former cultivators. Even though their souls were being burned, they were no longer howling like before.
Jiang Yuhuo immediately put out the fire. She saw that her arms were covered with cracks, like cracked earth.
“Look, your fire can help them wash away the demonic energy. They shouldn’t have looked like this.” Bai Hui’s figure began to dissipate, his bloody and mangled body dissolving in the white light. “No immortal would willingly become like this.”
The demon beside her had completely transformed into Mu Yi'an's appearance, its spirit kneeling beside her, its ethereal hand futilely passing through her body. Mu Yi'an cried out in tears, "Ah Hui, how could you be so foolish?"
Bai Hui raised her hand, wanting to touch his cheek, but her hand only touched nothingness.
She had set up the formation to borrow power, but her repeated acts of defiance had already backfired. Inside the seal, a demon had devoured most of her body, and her physical and spiritual energy dissipated in the process. At this point, her life was coming to an end.
"You are not allowed to die!" A surge of intense spiritual energy suddenly struck, forcefully halting her dissipation.
Bai Hui shifted his gaze, meeting a pair of stubborn eyes.
Jiang Yuhu suppressed his surging anger, "One last question, how did you find him?"
Bai Hui suddenly felt sorry for the person in front of her. She shook her head slightly and said, "If you cherish everything you have now, you should let go of the past and not pursue it. When I die, take the spirit-summoning wood and leave the seal, and start everything from scratch."
Jiang Yuhuo found it laughable, "You might as well say the same thing to yourself."
Bai Hui chuckled, "Yes, what right do I have to advise you? But look at me now, is this what you wanted?"
Jiang Yuhuo looked at the person before her, whose body had dissipated to half its original state. Her spiritual energy was depleted, her form broken, her body a blur of flesh and bone—a complete surreal being compared to the ethereal, white-haired fairy she had first met. This was certainly not what Jiang Yuhuo wanted.
Jiang Yuhuo countered, "So, is this what you wanted?"
Bai Hui was stunned for a moment, not expecting her to ask her that. She turned to look at Mu Yi'an's spirit, "I don't regret it."
Jiang Yuhuo said, "Isn't that enough?"
Even if she dies and her soul dissipates, isn't what she got exactly what she wanted?
Bai Hui's unfocused eyes narrowed slightly as she carefully examined the woman before her for the first time. Her clear black eyes, slightly pursed lips, and face etched with unwavering stubbornness, yet nine-tenths of it radiated an indomitable courage. It was a pity they had met so late; otherwise, she would likely have taken a liking to this junior disciple.
Bai Hui suddenly spoke up, "Do me a favor, and I'll tell you how to find Him."
"What is it?"
"This place is suppressed by the Demon Seal, preventing souls from leaving and reaching the Netherworld. If they cannot leave, their souls will be corrupted by demonic energy again, turning into mindless demons. I am dying now, my body is about to dissipate, leaving only my soul. A soul cannot wield a sword."
"so?"
Bai Hui paused, a smile playing on his lips, revealing a hint of his former carefree and unrestrained spirit. "I need you to help me use the Kunlun Ninth Sword—Riding, Controlling, Yin, Yang."
Jiang Yuhuo suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.
Bai Hui continued, "People only know that this sword is unparalleled in the world, but they don't know why. Now I can tell you that this sword can sever space and reverse yin and yang."
Bai Hui looked directly into Jiang Yuhuo's eyes with arrogance, "I want you to use this sword to open the passage to the Netherworld, so that the souls suppressed here can go to the Netherworld and no longer be disturbed by demonic energy. Only then can I tell you how to find Him."
As she finished speaking, a white rainbow flew by, and the Dingchun Sword hung in front of Jiang Yuhuo, as if waiting for her to take the sword.
Jiang Yuhuo turned her head and said, "I can't do it."
"What if I ask you to do it?"
Jiang Yuhuo suddenly became angry, "Can't you see that my body is about to give out?"
A weak smile appeared on Bai Hui's lips, his eyes cold. "I know, so this is not only my way of repaying you, but also my way of retaliating."
“If you can withstand it, you will be a rare successor of the Nine Swords in this world, perhaps even the only one. But if you can’t withstand it…” She glanced at Mu Yi’an, “then, stay here with us.”
Jiang Yuhuo fell silent.
Bai Hui could see the struggle on her face, and he could also see other things.
She recalled how Wen Yizhan used to often mention Jiang Yuhuo, describing his junior sister as a silent little beast.
Beasts don't hide their emotions.
Ambition is written on their faces, and desire shines through their eyes.
"Okay." Jiang Yuhuo took a deep breath. "I promise you."
Hearing her answer, Bai Hui was not surprised at all. She knew that Jiang Yuhuo had already mastered the eighth sword and had a great grudge to avenge, so she could not refuse the ninth sword.
"Well then, watch closely!"
At his command, the spiritual energy Jiang Yuhuo had channeled was broken free, and Bai Hui's last remaining body rapidly dissipated.
Jiang Yuhuo stood still. In an instant, countless tiny streams of light brushed past her like the wind, then gathered in the void beside her to form a pure white figure.
Bai Hui, who had become a spirit, transformed back into the white-haired female fairy she once was, wielding an equally illusory sword.
Jiang Yuhuo grasped Dingchun's hand.
The white-haired fairy swung her sword in the void, and Jiang Yuhuo swung his sword in the same way.
"Repeat after me."
"yes."
"Heaven and earth are mysterious and yellow, yin and yang are clearly manifested."
"Heaven and earth are mysterious and yellow, yin and yang are clearly manifested."
The lightsabers crisscrossed the void, their swordplay growing faster and faster. Even though it was just a demonstration by a soul, it seemed to be able to stir up the power in the void.
Jiang Yuhuo followed the soul shadow in the void, perfectly replicating every move. The two figures moved in sync and gradually merged, one illusory and one real, one white and one black, like twins.
Under the seal, both souls and demons stared blankly at this scene. As the two light swords continued to swing, the space that had been sealed for a hundred years gradually began to have wind, which was both frosty and sharp, and also scorching hot.
"The sword pierces the nine netherworlds; when the sword is drawn, new territories are opened!"
"The sword pierces the nine netherworlds, the sword is drawn—"
Soul Shadow wielded the sword with effortless grace, yet Jiang Yuhuo felt increasingly sluggish. Her blood boiled and roared within her veins, and her chest pounded restlessly. She could hear her heart pounding like a drum. Some strange and terrifying power was applied to her hand, as if she were lifting not the void with the tip of her sword, but a colossal mountain.
She saw a fiery red light emanating from the cracks and wounds on her arm. If she swung it again, the blood inside would burst out of her body, and she might be annihilated. But the sword had already moved beyond her control; it was the sword that was guiding her to strike. She felt all the spiritual energy in her body being drawn to the sword in her hand, forcing her to complete the final strike.
The frost-cold Dingchun Sword also burst into flames, its blade ringing in the fire, and the space began to tremble.
What are you waiting for?
Bai Hui looked down at the people below from the air. For a moment, through the shattered body, she saw her soul, a white-haired girl with golden eyes. Her beautiful soul face was filled with the same painful struggle as her body.
In that brief pause, many people and events flashed through Jiang Yuhuo's mind.
"You must live...live to leave Liyue Village."
"Jiang Yuhuo, you are the most capable person I have ever met. But when it comes to protecting Liyue Village, I will not lose to you."
"What am I afraid of? My junior sister will protect me..."
But his father died tragically, Liyue Village was destroyed, and his senior brother's fate was unknown.
She suddenly realized that she hadn't protected anything except for staying alive. But what was the point of living if she couldn't protect the people she wanted to protect or accomplish what she wanted to do? After all, she should have died seven years ago, shouldn't she?
Life and death, weakness and strength—it seems like there are choices, but in reality, she never has a choice. All she can do is follow her heart at that moment, and leave the rest to fate.
Jiang Yuhuo no longer hesitated, and following the guidance of the power on the sword, he unleashed a final horizontal slash into the void.
It is the pain of shattering the body, but also the supreme power.
"Expand the territory!"
The sound was uttered, and the entire space fell silent for a moment.
Then, from who knows where, a rumbling roar arose, like mountains collapsing or a tsunami sweeping across the land, lasting for a long time and shaking the heavens and the earth.
The next moment, the void shattered like ice crystals, and several cracks appeared in the chaos, gradually revealing another world beyond the cracks.
Bai Hui stared intently at the crack. Through it, she saw a dark, shimmering body of water. The water rippled gently, yet not a single drop spilled toward her. A dim, reddish moon hung in the sky, unable to illuminate the dark world. A pale, ethereal spirit drifted within, serene and tranquil. A spirit would glance at this place before drifting away again.
That place is the netherworld, the resting place of souls.
Bai Hui was satisfied and floated into the crevice with Mu Yi'an in her arms. Suddenly, she stopped, and a white light shone on the forehead of the person below.
"This is how I used to summon Him. Think carefully before you decide whether you want to seek Him."
Another ball of white light, shrouded in frost and snow, fell upon the people below. "Take care of yourself. I don't want to meet you in the underworld."
After she finished speaking, she didn't turn back. She just held Mu Yi'an's hand, and the two souls passed through the gap together and entered the Netherworld.
Along with them entered, many cultivators who had been trapped for many years also entered. Their pale, ethereal souls surged into the crevice and gathered together, their whiteness as bright as moonlight.
Occasionally, when a demon tries to pass through and escape the seal, a raging fire will ignite in the void, burning it to ashes.
Before long, the gap closed, and the sealed space became extremely silent.
The only cultivator under the seal lay on the ground, but no demon dared to approach.
At this moment, Jiang Yuhuo didn't even have the strength to grip her sword. The pain of her body shattering was slightly relieved after Bai Hui gave her a wisp of frost energy, but her spiritual power was exhausted, and even the fire element in her body seemed to have been drained of power by this attack that shattered the void.
She lay on the ground, unable to move, not only unable to move, but also afraid to move. She didn't know if moving even slightly would cause her body to shatter.
Fortunately, the monsters seemed to be afraid of her and dared not bite her at this time.
Only a tiny flame remained in the sealed space, like a flickering candle.
The faint flame refused to give up, licking the demon hiding in the corner, slowly and stubbornly burning away the last trace of demonic energy.
The souls have returned to the underworld, the demons have all vanished, and the Demon-Sealing Seal has completed its mission.
The gold lines that had been intertwined at the top of the void began to loosen, separate, and dissipate.
She watched the golden line disappear above her head. It's finally over, she thought.
The sealed space vanished in an instant, and the next moment, she suddenly sank into the water.
Endless water poured into her mouth and nose, and she soon felt suffocated.
Her consciousness tried to struggle, but her spiritual power and strength were exhausted, and her body was no longer under her control. She could only feel herself sinking heavily to the bottom of the water like a stone.
She found it ridiculous.
I wanted to laugh, but I didn't have the strength to even move my lips.
She cleansed the demonic energy of the Moyu River, and then drowned in the river. Isn't that a kind of perfect ending?
She was lost in thought and gradually lost consciousness.
Before she closed her eyes, she seemed to see shimmering light, like the sun shining on the water, or something that would sparkle in the water. She wanted to open her eyes to see clearly, but her eyelids were as heavy as mountains, holding her firmly in the darkness.
She remembered a distant afternoon when she had seen an even more beautiful glow in a deep pool in the forest—the tail of a mermaid. Iridescent scales sank into the sunlit pool, and a faint light rose from the bottom, making the water appear even clearer. At that time, she understood nothing; she thought she had witnessed a miracle.
She actually really likes shiny things; it's like an innate trait. When she sees something shiny, she'll take a second look, and when she comes across something shiny, she'll want to pick it up, as if it's a treasure that she wants to take home and hide away.
Something suddenly touched her lips, soft, cool, and gentle, like a little fish that had accidentally swum over.
She was exhausted, and the little fish easily pried open her lips and teeth, letting in a breath of cool air.
She finally stopped feeling suffocated and just wanted to fall into a deep sleep.
But the little fish wouldn't give up. It pushed another cool, round bead between her lips and teeth, as if afraid she wouldn't want it. The little fish pushed it in very deep, and before she could react, the bead had already slid down her throat.
So, she belatedly swallowed.
The little fish, which had retreated halfway, suddenly stopped.
She didn't know what it wanted to do, but she felt the suffocating sensation completely disappear as the cold beads slid into her body, her breathing returned, and even the pain of her shattered body gradually subsided.
It's almost like a hallucination before death; after extreme pain and suffocation, consciousness blocks out the feeling of pain from the body.
She could no longer tell whether it was real or fake; she only felt that her last shred of consciousness was about to dissipate.
Before she completely lost consciousness, the little fish that had been lingering between her lips finally left, and she thought it had swum away.
Unbeknownst to her, after the little fish that had disturbed her peace withdrew, it once again pressed its lips deeply against hers.
Once it was for her, and the second time it was for him.
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Author's Note: After writing all day, I finally got our beloved Xiao Jiang and Xiao Hai to kiss! It was so hard-won! [crying emoji] [crying emoji] [crying emoji]
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