Chapter 59 The Four Pillars of Heaven Lin Feiran stood up abruptly.
What is that pillar?
"Why is the sky half dark and half bright? Could it be a sage who can manipulate such a strange celestial phenomenon? Where is the sage?!"
Who is that man in white?
The cultivators and commoners in the city all looked over. Those who recognized Xie Kanhua remained silent, but those who clearly did not know him began to whisper among themselves. At first, the crowd made guesses in hushed tones, but as the rumors spread, they gradually became abuzz with various opinions.
At the same time, some of those who recognized Xie Kanhua couldn't contain themselves and immediately used their magic to prepare to step forward and ask him a question.
Xie Kanhua sat high on the Heavenly Pillar, his eyes lowered, his head tilted as he tuned the strings. A few out-of-tune arpeggios rang out. Just as the man was about to approach the Heavenly Pillar, Xie Kanhua swept his five fingers across the strings, unleashing a torrent of spiritual pressure that knocked the man to the ground. He didn't even glance at him.
The reason for this action is self-evident: the majesty of the Heavenly Pillar is inviolable.
A few commotions followed, then the sound of strumming strings. Lin Feiran noticed that he paused slightly, closed his eyes, and focused his mind. A chill suddenly ran through her heart.
That's a familiar gesture; Xie Kanhua is about to play the pipa.
Sure enough, a series of distorted notes rang out, which was the "Drinking Ice Song" he composed on the way, inspired by a line Lin Feiran had casually mentioned: "Ten years of drinking ice, yet the passion in my heart remains undiminished."
My original intention was to tease him about his love of sweet and icy foods, but he took it to heart and had a sudden inspiration that night. He stayed up all night to compose this piece.
The sound burst forth with a powerful force, but it was more like five golden strings being tortured and twisted with a soft saw, grinding so hard it made one's teeth ache, and producing a chilling sound, like weeping and lamenting, making one feel cold and agitated.
Some people couldn't help but curse inwardly, but because they had witnessed what had just happened, they dared not speak out and could only cover their ears and leave.
Thanks to Xie Kanhua's musical skills, everyone lost interest in Tianzhu and his identity. They stopped wandering the streets and returned to the inn to stay, discussing things in secret.
As Lin Feiran stood by the window, covering his ears in deep thought, he saw several birds that had heard the music fall from the trees and start chirping at the person playing the zither, mostly hurling unpleasant insults.
"..."
What a beautiful and enchanting zither melody!
"Tsk." Ru Xian, who was leaning against the edge of the bathtub, raised her head, her tired eyes showing displeasure. "Once we leave Chuncheng, I will break his pipa and close the window!"
Lin Feiran immediately closed the window and activated the soundproofing array to keep the terrifying sound out.
"Your Excellency, when will Xuanzhen and the others arrive?"
Ru Xian slowly stood up, and the sound of dripping water echoed in the room. After a while, he stepped out of the bathtub, put on his robe, and walked unsteadily to the bedside.
The bed had been changed and was as clean as ever. He glanced at Lin Feiran, then lay down fully clothed. Snowflakes scattered on the water-red quilt, like snow on plum blossoms.
"I cannot use my spiritual power at the moment, so you can ask me. With this feather, I can transmit my voice over a thousand miles."
He took a long feather from his mustard seed bag, placed it beside his pillow, and then told Lin Feiran the method of the incantation. After that, he buried his head in the soft pillow and said nothing more.
Lin Feiran couldn't help but feel guilty. He had indeed overexerted himself today, not only expending his own energy to remove the curse for her, but also sealing two-thirds of his spiritual veins. The fact that he could manage to get out of the bathtub on his own was already a testament to his extraordinary willpower.
She softened her voice: "Then I'll go back to my room and talk to them first. You rest..."
"No need, just stay here." He didn't move, but his voice was very clear, showing no sign of drowsiness.
Lin Feiran had no choice but to agree. She picked up the long feather from beside her pillow and examined it. The feather was extremely long, slender and white, with a compound eye-like shape at the end, adorned with downy feathers, and a patch of golden-red in the middle, just like a peacock's tail feather.
But it's only similar; it's not a real feather, but some kind of magical artifact.
She couldn't help but stroke the soft downy feathers a few times before following the instructions to form a hand seal and make a mudra. A small flame ignited from the tip of the feather, and after it burned out, a familiar voice rang out.
"Your Excellency." It was Xun Feifei's voice, but the tone was lowered, making it sound somewhat strange.
Lin Feiran spoke up, "I am Lin Feiran. The Lord is resting now. There are still three days before the city closes. Are you on your way?"
Upon hearing her voice, Bi Qing leaned closer, her usually bright voice becoming low and hoarse as she whispered, "We've arrived, but we were inexplicably dragged into a secret room when we entered the city. They said we can't leave without beating Xun Feifei up!"
Xuan Zhen said worriedly, "What should I do? I don't want to beat up Fei Ge!"
Lin Feiran raised an eyebrow, and Ru Xian sat up upon hearing this.
"..."
Xun Feifei covered Bi Qing's mouth to stop her from adding fuel to the fire, and whispered, "Don't listen to their nonsense. Before we set off..."
After finishing their business in the demon capital, the group worried they would miss the Flying Flower Festival, so they simply replaced the phoenix pulling the carriage with Xuanzhen, who would pull the carriage at high speed. This way, they wouldn't break the rules and could enter the city on time.
Just as they emerged from the Endless Sea, a bluebird suddenly descended, blocking their path, and then handed the letter it was carrying in its beak to Xun Feifei.
It was an invitation to the Demon Lord to come to the city and participate in the pilgrimage ceremony.
Xun Feifei was somewhat aware of this.
One of the clauses in the secret covenant between Ru Xian and the Human Emperor was for this purpose: no matter how the Human Emperor negotiated with the sects and families, he would definitely have a seat at the pilgrimage ceremony.
The reason for this agreement was that Ruxian wanted to enter the Pilgrimage Valley to find a spiritual herb, but she was worried that she could not enter because she was a demon. So she wanted to obtain a recommendation from the Human Emperor and find a human to send directly into the Pilgrimage Valley to find the herb on her behalf.
However, Xun Feifei was too picky. He had met many humans before but couldn't choose any of them. Xun Feifei was so worried that he couldn't sleep all night. After all, the recommendation quota was about to be obtained, but he had not been able to make it happen.
The matter was only settled when Lin Feiran appeared.
Although the rules of this pilgrimage ceremony have been greatly changed, according to the agreement between the Emperor and Ru Xian, he should submit his recommendation qualification and, moreover, invite him to attend the ceremony.
Before Ru Xian and Lin Feiran went to Chuncheng, they informed Xun Feifei that if such a situation arose, he would attend on their behalf.
When Xun Feifei decided to attend, Xuan Zhen and Bi Qing immediately became interested and mentioned that they wanted to participate in the ceremony together. The three of them immediately returned to the Demon Capital, counted their manpower, boarded the heavenly horse, and arrived in Chuncheng within a day.
However, as soon as the celestial horse landed, it was stopped by a group of disciples in yellow robes. After confirming the identity of the caravan, the group led them down from the city wall.
“We thought we were almost in the city and were just about to contact you when we were accidentally pulled into a dark room… This is the place. Actually, it was pitch black all around, and we couldn’t see anything. There were only a few bright pearls lit to keep us from going blind. It was extremely eerie,” Biqing added.
Xuanzhen whispered again, "But it's not just us demons here. I also vaguely heard voices talking about sects and elders. I guess there are quite a few humans here too. But it's so dark. I was just about to unleash some lightning to light the way when someone slapped me. I don't know who it was, but they even scratched my chin like they were teasing a dog!"
Lin Feiran pondered, "If I'm not mistaken, all the sect elders who entered the city must have been taken to the 'black room.' But what are you all doing gathered together?"
Bi Qing's expression changed drastically: "Could it be that they're going to trap us like turtles in a jar and then use us as a sacrifice to the heavens? How exciting!"
Xun Feifei pushed the two unreliable individuals aside and said in a deep voice, "There's one more thing. While I was scouting around in the shadows just now, I overheard some news. Although I don't know if it's true or not, I'll tell you anyway. Remember to collect as much as possible before nightfall..."
With a soft "poof," the flame, which had been held in Xuanzhen's palm and dared not let out even a sliver of light, was extinguished, leaving not even a trace of smoke.
Xun Feifei sighed silently, looked at the two people beside her, and gritted her teeth slightly: "If I had said more, that sentence would have spread. Collect more flowers, I'll tell them to remember to collect more flowers."
Bi Qing choked and muttered, "It's so dark all around, and you won't let us talk much. Xuan and I are about to burst. We finally see Lin Feiran, can't we even say a few words?"
Xuan Zhen scratched her head and said, "But, if you had just said less and just said, 'Lin Feiran, remember to collect more flowers,' wouldn't that have gotten around to it?"
"..." He was just polite and meticulous, what did he do wrong?
As the three were entangled, Xun Feifei plucked out a long feather, but found that no matter how she formed a hand seal, she could not ignite it. Just as she was wondering, the surroundings suddenly lit up. Everyone subconsciously closed their eyes, and when they opened them again, all that could be heard was a gasp of surprise.
Before them was an extremely spacious dojo, shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), with layers of steps rising around it. From a distance, it looked like a square funnel, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. The people were standing in their respective sects on the east, south, and west sides of the "funnel," with clear boundaries between them.
The largest group was from the east, consisting of the sect leaders, elders, and disciples from various factions who had come to Spring City but were not participating in the event. They wore different clothes, including blue robes, white clothes, and purple shirts, and their identities could be distinguished by their attire alone.
In contrast, the western region has half the number of people, all of whom are cultivators from the Canxing Domain who came on the orders of the Human Emperor.
As for the south, it was a part of the demon race led by Xun Feifei and others. Their numbers were even greater than those of the Canxing Domain, though not many.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, seemingly calm and composed, but in reality, most were startled and on edge, and no one dared to speak for a moment.
Upon closer examination, the relationships between the parties are quite delicate.
Most of the cultivators in the Canxing Domain were dissatisfied with their sects and left the mountain in anger to join the sect disciples in the Canxing Domain. Many of them disliked the sects' practices, and when they met, they often exchanged sarcastic remarks.
Disciples of aristocratic families and cultivators from the Star Domain and the Daoist School are naturally inclined to clash. They may appear amicable on the surface, but in reality, they rarely interact with each other in private.
As for the demon race, there's no need to say more.
Many people even wondered why the demon race would come here to participate in the human race's grand ceremony.
Gradually, all eyes turned to the south. The demons who came were inevitably nervous, but when they saw Xun Feifei standing in front, unmoved, they regained their composure.
The atmosphere was tense and silent when a soft cough startled everyone and made them turn around.
Several figures, as tall as mountains, slowly approached, gradually shrinking until they finally solidified into the height of a tree, sitting leisurely in the open space to the north.
Before the younger generation could react, the sect leaders and elders of various sects and families, as well as several star lords of the Canxing Domain, all stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Is the late sage well?"
These words caused an uproar. The cultivators' eyelids twitched, and they all bowed and paid their respects. While shocked, they couldn't help but raise their eyes to take a closer look.
The image of a sage is lofty and ethereal, with varied postures, like a fairy mountain shrouded in mist or a cold water shrouded in smoke, yet not unattainable, inspiring awe in those who behold him.
Their appearances may be slightly blurred, but their open-mindedness and integrity cannot be erased by time.
One of the saints raised his hand, and an invisible force helped the bent-over crowd to their feet: "We are but remnants of souls. We were not worshipped in life, and we need not be honored in death. Rise, all of you."
The sages carefully examined everyone present.
From Zhang Chunhe, the head of Daohe Palace, Mu Chun'e, the sect leader of Taiji Immortal Sect, Zhou Shushu, the sect leader of Langhuan Sect, and Master Xun of Taixue Academy, we can see the three star lords of the Can Star Domain: Tanlang, Jumen, and Lucun, as well as Ding Yi, the star lord of the Can Star Domain who rarely appears.
"Now that everyone has arrived, I am truly grateful that you, all of you, are still willing to show some respect to the remnant souls in the valley. However, I have brought you here today for no other reason than to clear the area for the people in the city. There is no need to overthink it."
As soon as he finished speaking, an extremely clear scene suddenly appeared at the bottom of the temple.
Under the half-lit sky, pedestrians hurried by. A snow-white pillar stood tall, and a person sat on it, gently playing the pipa. He was clearly expressionless, but one could tell that he was completely absorbed in the music.
The sage spoke softly, saying, "This young man possesses a noble spirit, which is why we have invited him to sit in the Heavenly Pillar as a sacrificial official to oversee this Flying Flower Festival."
"Four officials have been selected for the sacrificial ceremony. Besides him, there are three others. They will appear one by one in the next few days. Please wait and see."
"By the way, this realm has been isolated and cannot be connected to the outside world, so don't waste your energy."
After he finished speaking, not only the other disciples who had been making moves, but even Xun Feifei and the others silently put away their feathers, no longer doing anything futile.
In any case, I wish Lin Feiran the best of luck.
...
The light of day is unchanging, making it impossible for people to know the passage of time. Only the spirit orb in one's hand, which alternates between light and darkness, records the changes of time.
In the past few days, Ru Xian has been meditating and regulating his breathing in his room. Lin Feiran has been protecting him while also going out to inquire about things.
She noticed that the number of yellow-robed disciples leading the way at the city gate was decreasing, and the sect leaders who were supposed to enter the city were nowhere to be seen. She became certain that they must be in the same secret realm as Xun Feifei and the others, and that this secret realm might be located within the city.
At the same time, the number of those towering pillars was increasing.
On the first day, the Heavenly Pillar fell to the north, and Xie Kanhua sat on it, playing the pipa incessantly, its music like a demonic melody.
The next day, the celestial pillar fell in the east, and a thin, gaunt man with a sickly face flew in. He was none other than Hanshan Jun, Li Jue, who had carved identity plaques for everyone when they first entered Chuncheng.
He had just climbed onto the pillar and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when he grabbed a bamboo scroll and hurled it at Xie Kanhua, yelling at him to stop. His shout echoed throughout Chuncheng.
On the third day, the Heavenly Pillar fell in the west. A woman dressed in a white dragon robe, wearing a crane cloak, carrying a horizontal sword, and wearing black boots rode out. When she arrived at the Heavenly Pillar, she stepped off her horse and flew onto the pillar. However, she did not sit down. Instead, she held the hilt of her sword and stood upright on it.
Immediately, someone recognized her as Murong Qiudi, the first female official serving the emperor.
For three days, the sky was almost completely dark, with only a patch of light remaining in the south. Many people in the city flocked into this patch, looking in fear at the darkness that was about to engulf them.
As night fell, Lin Feiran stood atop the clock tower, gazing into the distance with a serene expression. The wind blew, yet it could not shake her in the slightest.
Whenever a celestial pillar falls, she would come here to watch. The spiritual light surging from beneath the pillar crisscrossed, fitting together like mortise and tenon joints, which almost confirmed to her that the formation was about to be completed.
Above the sky, the sun gradually changed, its brilliance undiminished, but its intense, dazzling light transformed into a clear, gentle glow, changing from sun to moon.
Few people went out these past few days. Cultivators were all preparing for the upcoming Flying Flower Festival, and the common people gathered in the south of the city, unwilling to move. Although there were people like Lin Feiran who went out to investigate, they were not many.
So when she saw the two people hurrying past the clock tower, she couldn't help but look at them. The two seemed to be brothers, one big and one small. The older one was probably sixteen or seventeen, and the younger one was probably eight or nine. Both of them were wearing cloaks and walking in a hurry.
She leaped down, formed a hand seal that emitted light, and led the two to the south of the city.
The child paused slightly, then immediately turned around to block the young man's path. The young man, however, remained unmoved, completely covered up, and only glanced at him sideways.
The boy carefully examined her, and seeing the harmless light shining around them, he understood. He withdrew his hand, gave a Daoist salute, and said crisply, "Thank you for leading the way, fellow Daoist. However, we are also cultivators, so we appreciate your kindness."
He raised his head, his face fully exposed to the light. Lin Feiran's pupils contracted sharply, his eyelids twitched, but his hand fell to the long sword at his waist and slowly pressed down, as if trying to suppress his turbulent emotions.
"I see. I was being nosy. Please forgive me." Her voice was calm and gentle, showing no sign of anything amiss.
The boy nodded and leaned forward, a speck of vermilion flashing between his brows. He simply said, "It's nothing, fellow Daoist is just kind-hearted. We have other matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave now."
After speaking, they left in a hurry. Lin Feiran watched the Taoist boy's retreating figure and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
When she first arrived in the demon realm, a young Taoist priest caused a scene at a wedding banquet. He was holding a green-edged sword and tried to kill her for no reason. She was then shot through the eyebrow by a spear and pinned to death on the spot.
The Taoist boy who died with his eyes wide open has now reappeared alive!
Lin Feiran suppressed his urge to give chase, paused for a moment, and then turned back to the inn where he was staying.
...
That evening, Lin Feiran returned to his residence and told Ru Xian everything he had observed, but omitted the matter of the Taoist boy.
"Beyond the dense forest and among the clouds, a curtain seems to fall, and all sounds cease wherever it passes. This must be the scene of the formation being activated. When the curtain sweeps across the city, there will surely be a great change."
She took out a spirit-binding rope from her mustard seed bag and tied it around both of their wrists: "I can guarantee that there are many more people like you who are pressing in. To avoid any accidents, it's better if we tie ourselves together."
Ru Xian glanced at her, shook the long rope on her wrist, reached out to untie it, and then, under her disapproving gaze, called over the hoarder and twisted it into a thin rope.
"No matter how good the spirit-binding rope is, it is not as tough as solid wood."
The heavy object on my wrist chirped twice.
The spiritual sphere went completely dark and then lit up completely, which meant that another day had passed. Suddenly, the room became completely dark, and there was another loud bang outside the window as the last pillar of heaven fell.
Lin Feiran immediately went to the window and saw a person slowly riding a sword into the moonlight, sitting unrestrainedly on the pillar of heaven, his legs swinging. He took off the wine gourd from his waist, tilted his head back and drank it all in the clear moonlight, looking quite intoxicated.
Lin Feiran recognized him as well; it turned out that the last person was none other than the swordsman Li Changfeng.
The magic array was complete, and the city was immediately filled with a bright spiritual light. Soft petals drifted down silently, fell to the ground, and dissipated, turning into starlight that drifted into the night and into every home.
Where the starlight passed, it made people dizzy and unable to wake up. When Lin Feiran fell to the ground, she was caught by someone behind her. She wanted to say something, but she only opened her mouth before she fainted.
...
"Girl, girl, wake up!"
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Feiran heard someone calling her, and she opened her eyes and sat up impatiently.
Upon seeing her wake up, the unlucky fellow shrank back a few steps, kowtowed as expected, and then huddled in a corner, no longer approaching.
The place was bitterly cold, but Lin Feiran didn't have time to look closely. She suddenly looked behind her. The heavy item on her wrist was still there, but Ru Xian had vanished without a trace!
The clown is his spear. If they must separate, it should be her and the clown who are separated. How could this be... In that case, wouldn't he be unarmed?
Within Spring City, one cannot use cultivation techniques or exert spiritual power. If one encounters danger, one can only rely on the sword in hand!
Thinking of this, Lin Feiran stood up abruptly.
Author's Note: Lin Feiran jumped up and then sat down (X)
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