Don't worry, don't blame me.
At the edge of the rift, deathly silence reigned. The viscous darkness not only swallowed light, but even sound falling into it could not cause a ripple. Yun Shu lowered her gaze to her feet, her glassy pupils reflecting only a pure nothingness that rejected all living things.
"Immortal Master." Canglang struggled to steady his chaotic aura, the karmic fire on his blade flickering erratically. "The aura here is extremely strange. How should we venture deeper into this place?"
The faceless survivor remained prostrate on the ground, his hands churning incessantly in the dark sand, his mouth uttering intermittent trembling sounds.
“He said…Hassalan sank. All the sacred objects were submerged in the filthy blood of the ‘false god’… ‘Shasha’ is down there, it’s so painful…” Jinzhu whispered, holding her mother’s eyes even tighter.
A solid, clear light slowly rose, like the only beacon in the darkness, truly dispelling a corner of the darkness with pure demonic power. Yun Shu nodded slightly and calmly took a step forward: "Everyone, please follow me closely. Whatever you see inside, do not pay attention to it, guard your mind."
Having said that, he was already above the chasm. But instead of falling into the abyss, he calmly descended along the near-vertical cliff. A clear light spread from his feet, forming steps over the wounds of the "false god," steadily supporting those behind him.
The deeper they went, the more stifling the air became, and the strange suction that devoured life force grew stronger, even compressing the light field. After about three or four hundred steps, the little black lump of coal suddenly poked its head out, turning its body to look around, seemingly puzzled.
Doubtful? Of course. Yun Shu pinched the ball of fur, released a wisp of demonic power that condensed into a flying bird, and watched her fly away and disappear before softly saying, "A-Yue and I are both demons, and we both cultivated in Yunhua for a thousand years. It's only natural that you feel familiar with her. Heng'er, do you still remember what your master once told you about your senior sister's personality?"
Mo Yiheng had only been in Yunhua for a hundred years and had no connection with his senior sister who had passed away three thousand years ago. Only when the master and disciple had a few drinks at night would Yun Shu mention her to him.
When asked this question, he pondered for a moment, then tilted his round little body up and said, "Senior Sister Daiyue, like Master, yearns for freedom. But compared to Master, Senior Sister is more free-spirited. That's why Senior Sister temporarily left the sect at that time to venture out on her own."
"Indeed. That child was born longing for the vast blue sky, and was simple-minded, unaware of the undercurrents and complexities of human nature... But it was precisely because of this that, after witnessing the coldness of human relationships and the wickedness of the world, she broke her own wings and drank poison to commit suicide. From then on, she entered the underworld, becoming the master of the cycle of all evil... and could never return to Yunhua to see her master or you, whom she had never met."
But now, her remains have been seized by evil people, who are doing things against her will everywhere, and even... using her as a pawn to lure Yun Shu. How can he, as her master, tolerate this?
The innkeeper lost his composure for a moment, solely because the bond between master and disciple burned within him.
The fluffy ball climbed up the fox ears, its soft body snuggling close to Yun Shu's reddened eyes, as if to comfort him. But he was also incredibly clever, and in an instant he understood why his master had brought up that senior sister.
"Was my senior sister's body brought here?"
“…Heng’er is so perceptive, Shizun can’t hide anything from you.” Yun Shu smiled wryly and rubbed his head, still gazing at the spot where the birds had disappeared, her voice like a sigh, “‘Weary Birds Returning to Their Nests’ is the name that Yue gave to that spell. Back then, she created this spell on a whim, so that one day when I missed her, or simply wanted to leave Yunhua Mountain for a stroll, I could find her by following the birds.”
If birds are naturally free, then this living "nest" of his might as well go and find the birds that are tired from flying. She knew that no matter how far she flew, her master would bring her back.
The coal ball lay silently between the fox's ears.
Further down, the cliffs illuminated by the moonlight were no longer pure rock, but covered with twisted, convex, dark purple patterns and eerie textures—which, according to the Fire Keeper, resembled the petrified blood vessels and visceral membranes of some creature. Occasionally, a huge shadow would flit across the darkness, accompanied by the barely perceptible sound of scales rubbing together.
"Could it be that kind of snake?" Canglang listened intently and asked.
“Very likely.” Yun Shu nodded, then reached down to wipe away Jin Zhu’s tears. “Besides, perhaps… my disciple is also here. When the time comes, please hand her over to me.”
Another incense stick's time passed, and the group was still in complete darkness. Suddenly, Yun Shu stopped in her tracks.
“There,” he said softly.
Following his gaze, everyone saw the ruins of a building embedded in the rock wall to the side. It appeared to be the dome of a palace, carved from white jade. Although it was now riddled with cracks and covered with large patches of asphalt-like material, its former majestic outline could still be discerned. A feathered serpent could be faintly seen coiled around its top, identical to the totem depicted on the golden pearl.
"Hasaran..." The Faceless One let out a mournful cry, impulsively running two steps toward the ruins, stretching out his arms as if to embrace the temple's lost glory.
"No! Don't go over there!" Jinzhu suddenly pulled him back, dragging the Faceless One behind him. "It...they are alive!"
The next instant, the black substance covering the dome began to writhe, a pool even landing on the spot where the faceless creature had just emerged, sizzling as it heated the steps. Then, more black, filthy, mud-like matter fell, instantly engulfing the ruins. It then greedily dispersed, crawling along the "veins" of the rock walls, enveloping and digesting the broken pillars, crumbling statues, and shattered murals, dragging the place into even deeper darkness.
“The patrolling ‘sand’…” Yun Shu’s eyes were icy cold. “He is feeding. He will claim these ancient memories as his own.”
Just as the little black coal balls had all exploded into pincushions, Jinzhu shuddered. She clutched the jade box tightly, looking down into the endless darkness: "Something...it's climbing up..."
As soon as the words were spoken, two hungry, green-glowing "lanterns" suddenly lit up in the depths of the all-consuming darkness. A serpent far larger than those described in ancient texts crawled upwards, its scales scraping against the rocks on both sides, producing a chilling screech. At the same time, a deathly aura a hundred times denser than before swept over them.
The serpent's body was still mostly hidden in the darkness, but the part that was revealed was already terrifying enough. Its scales were broken, its flesh was festering, and the four wings behind its neck drooped like withered flowers. From a distance, one could almost see the bare wing bones... But its huge mouth was already open, revealing a vortex of black quicksand in its throat. Its massive body smashed through the steps and roared as it charged toward the people in mid-air.
The false god is not here, but this corrupted and twisted behemoth is the most vicious watchdog He left behind.
"Stand firm."
Gently pushing the golden pearl behind him, Yun Shu faced the gaping maw of the abyss alone. Amidst the raging air currents, no matter how wildly his hair flew or how his robes fluttered, his body remained as steady as a rock, and his eyes remained compassionate and gentle.
This time, he didn't gather any demonic power or immortal aura around him. Instead, he suppressed all hostility and gracefully landed before the agonizing eyes of the Naruto. The Naruto roared in anger, but he instead bent down and placed a kiss on the other's seemingly dirty and ugly brow.
“I see your suffering.”
He gently raised his hand, his fingertips softly brushing against the snake scales.
"Your duties have come to an end."
Come back, my dear child; come back, pure soul of the Land of Shifting Sands.
In that instant, time seemed to stand still.
Immediately afterward, an indescribable pure radiance overflowed from Yun Shu's body, instantly enveloping the massive body of the Ming Serpent. Beneath the dazzling white light, countless souls could be vaguely seen struggling to break free from the serpent's scales, rising with the dissipating light like birds returning to the sky, finally freed. The giant serpent hissed and writhed, the filth covering it being washed away, revealing its once-glossy scales. And on its forehead, the spot where Yun Shu had kissed it, the pale and beautiful face of a woman slowly appeared; beside her ear, the beautiful wings of the Black-Winged Kite bloomed once more.
Daiyue is someone who voluntarily enters the underworld to oversee all evil thoughts in the world and reincarnate after death.
She was also the bird released by the White Fox Immortal Lord, who was Yun Shu's deceased eldest disciple.
The pale green light in the serpent's eyes dimmed, replaced by the bewilderment and purity that belonged to the guardians of the quicksand kingdom.
The enormous body that had been transformed gradually shrank, eventually returning to its normal form, "Shasha," which was only a hundred feet long. It glanced at Yun Shu obediently, but remained somewhat restrained, unwilling to do anything more.
After the cocoon of light dissipated, the ferocious giant snake was no more. It swam happily towards the still trembling golden pearl, retracting its fangs and gently rubbing against the princess's cheek. The latter, holding the jade box, was at a loss and could only stay motionless next to the snake's head, constantly trying to ask Yun Shu for help.
"It's alright, it's free now." Yun Shu smiled gently. "It's quite normal for the guardian deity of the Flowing Sands Kingdom to be close to you... cough, cough cough..."
The patrolman hurriedly sheathed his sword to help her up, only to find that Yun Shu's palm was covered in bright red blood.
"Immortal Master! You..."
Yun Shu simply waved her hand, propping herself up, her face still somewhat pale: "It's alright. It's just that there are more evil spirits here, so I had to expend a little more energy... I'll be fine in a couple of days."
Purifying such a massive amount of filth today, and releasing the vengeful spirits that have been accumulating for millennia, is almost too much for even him. Moreover, due to the previous demonic poison, the strength of his meridians is far from what it used to be... He can only hope that his senior sister who stayed in Yunhua and the apothecary in the Demon Realm can stabilize Master Yunhua's condition as soon as possible and find time to refine the Ash Leaf Orchid to save him.
After standing still for a moment, Yun Shu glanced again at the face of the eldest disciple on the head of the Ming Snake, then thanked the Fire Patrolman and the Faceless One for their kindness. He walked alone to a protruding rock cliff and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.
The little black lump finally jumped down, wriggling its round little body into Yun Shu's palm, and rubbed against her worriedly: "Master... why is Senior Sister Dai Yue..."
Why can't I recognize my master?
"Cough cough... Ha, you child..." Yun Shu coughed twice, clutching his chest, and then laughed. He picked up the fur ball and kissed Mo Yiheng's brow, explaining softly, "A-Yue's body was bound together with that Ming Snake, but her soul wasn't in it... How could she remember me? How could she recognize me? But you, at such a young age, know how to stand up for your master... Thank you. Just don't blame your senior sister."
"...How could Heng'er blame her senior sister?"
"Alright, you don't blame her..." Yun Shu tucked the fur ball back into her chest, closed her eyes, and said, "Good boy... Now the serpent is following us, and the path ahead is clear. After I catch my breath, we should head to the next array point... Shh, don't try to persuade Master. As long as the evil spirits are not eliminated, the people of the Three Realms will not have peace. If Heng'er has anything to say to Master, why not keep it in your heart for now, and when I return, I can scold him to his face? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Heng'er..." Mo Yiheng almost spoke, but in the end he only pressed his hand against Yun Shu's cool skin, "Yes, sir."
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