resentment
Underwater, however, lies a completely different and terrifying scene.
The light was dim and the air was bitterly cold. Countless black, wispy, seaweed-like wisps of resentment danced wildly in the water, entangled and tore at all living things.
Xie Lin Yang held her breath, a layer of pale golden spiritual light emanating from her body, barely resisting the corrosive resentment and the enormous water pressure, as she anxiously searched for Jiang Cheng's figure.
Not far away, Jiang Cheng seemed to be tightly enveloped by countless black resentful energies, forming a black cocoon. He was clearly struggling violently, his spiritual power exploding to disperse some of the resentful energy, but more surged forward relentlessly. Even more terrifying, Xie Linyang keenly sensed that the resentful energy wasn't merely attacking him, but rather...
Forced into his body! Jiang Cheng's face was faintly visible in the darkness, showing a painful struggle, and an ominous black aura began to emanate from his body. He was actually passively absorbing the resentment of the Water Abyss!
Xie Linyang's gaze sharpened, and she formed a hand seal in front of her chest. Pure and powerful Yang energy surged from her dantian, no longer a simple protective aura, but transformed into countless delicate yet resilient golden threads—the threads of vulnerability!
These threads seemed to possess a life of their own, ignoring the surging undercurrents and resentment, and precisely reaching towards the massive aggregate of resentment.
Through the perception of the golden threads, Xie Linyang "saw" it. In the deepest part of this water, a core of resentment, formed from the despair, pain, and hatred of countless drowning people, constantly twisting and changing, was the source of the Water Abyss!
Now!
Without hesitation, she pulled out the seemingly ordinary gold hairpin from her hair, poured spiritual power into it, and the hairpin instantly stretched and transformed into a long staff about three feet long, with a warm and lustrous sheen flowing throughout.
The staff was densely covered with mysterious runes of the "Life-Generating Technique," which were now lighting up one by one as spiritual energy was injected into it, emitting a reassuring warmth—it was her natal magic weapon, "Blazing Radiance"!
Xie Linyang gripped the Blazing Blade and swung it fiercely towards the direction of the core of the resentment!
"Zhuoyao, destroy evil!"
The staff swung, not directly touching the lake water, but drawing upon a vast amount of vital energy, transforming into a massive crescent-shaped golden blade of light that cleaved through the darkness, tore through the water, and slashed toward the source of the resentment with unstoppable force!
Wherever the golden blade of light passed, the raging resentment melted and dissipated instantly, like ice and snow meeting the sun, emitting a hissing sound. Even more strangely, the wounds of resentment cut open by the blade of light were covered with a layer of leaping golden flames, which continuously burned and purified the remaining resentment, preventing it from regenerating and healing.
This is precisely the effect of "Yang Qi Burning," which deals ten times the damage to resentful entities compared to ordinary immortal swords!
The core of the Water Abyss was severely damaged, emitting a silent yet violent roar that caused the resentment at the bottom of the lake to boil and become chaotic. The black cocoon of resentment that had been binding and binding Jiang Cheng also suddenly loosened.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xie Linyang swam over quickly and saw that Jiang Cheng's eyes were closed, his face was ashen, and although the resentment surrounding him had weakened somewhat due to the injury to its source, some of it had already deeply invaded his meridians. He was clearly fighting back with all his might, with veins bulging on his forehead and his fingers digging deeply into his palms, showing his extremely strong willpower and that he had not been completely swallowed by the resentment.
She supported Jiang Cheng with one hand, and raised Zhuoyao again with the other, pushing the spiritual power of life to its limit. The staff head shone with a light like the sun, dispelling the surrounding darkness and cold, and completely purifying and evaporating the last remaining resentment from the Water Abyss.
The massive abyss of water vanished under this supremely yang and powerful force, and the whirlpool in the center of the lake, having lost its source of power, slowly calmed down.
She transformed the Radiant Staff back into a golden hairpin and placed it back in her hair, but her heart sank.
Although the Water Abyss had been cleared, Jiang Cheng's condition was far from optimistic. She dared not delay and immediately took the unconscious Jiang Cheng, who was still trembling slightly due to the conflict of resentment within his body, and swam vigorously toward the surface of the water.
"Lin Yang! Jiang Cheng!" On the shore, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were already waiting by the water. When they saw the two of them surface, they immediately reached out and pulled them up.
Xie Linyang slumped on the shore, panting heavily. He was soaked to the bone and pale, but he held Jiang Cheng's hand tightly. Jiang Cheng lay on the ground with his brows furrowed. Even in his unconscious state, he was still breathing softly, and the lingering resentment around him made him tremble.
Lan Xichen immediately stepped forward to investigate, condensing spiritual energy at his fingertips and channeling it into Jiang Cheng's body. After a moment, he withdrew his hand, looking at Xie Linyang with a complex expression: "Life-giving spiritual energy... the disciples of Baoshan Sanren truly live up to their reputation. But Jiang Cheng..."
Xie Linyang looked up, his voice hoarse: "His heart meridian has been invaded by resentment, hasn't it?"
Lan Xichen nodded and sighed, "We need to return to Cloud Recesses as soon as possible, otherwise..."
As everyone knows, the resentment within Jiang Cheng is unlikely to be so easily eradicated.
The clouds are so deep that one cannot know where it is.
In a secluded, elegant room near the cold spring, originally intended to soothe the mind with the spring's pure, spiritual energy, a chilling, resentful aura permeated the space. The window was half-closed, and moonlight streamed in, illuminating Jiang Cheng's face, making it appear ashen and even his lips a purplish-black.
"Hmm..."
A suppressed groan escaped from his throat, his brows furrowed tightly, and his knuckles dug deep wrinkles into the brocade quilt.
Xie Linyang stood at the foot of the bed, watching a wisp of black energy slowly moving beneath the skin of his neck, like a living snake, sending chills down his spine wherever it passed. It was the resentment of Shui Xingyuan, creeping along his blood vessels into his heart.
"Wangji, give it your all." Lan Xichen's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
He sat cross-legged on the side of the bed, his hands forming a mudra. Soft white light emanated from his palms and slowly covered Jiang Cheng's chest. It was the Lan Clan's "Cleansing Dust Technique," specifically for purifying resentment. But as soon as the white light touched Jiang Cheng's skin, it hissed and emitted green smoke. Jiang Cheng's body trembled violently, and an even more painful groan escaped his throat. The black energy in his chest surged back, as if trying to devour the white light.
Lan Wangji sat on the other side, his zither, Wangji Qin, resting across his lap. His fingertips plucked the strings, and the clear, melodious music flowed like a spring. The music intertwined with Lan Xichen's spiritual energy, weaving a pale golden net around Jiang Cheng, attempting to trap the wandering black energy. However, the black energy was as slippery as an eel, repeatedly breaking through the net's mesh, even hissing and carrying a venomous and malevolent aura.
"No." Lan Xichen abruptly withdrew his palm, his fingertips trembling slightly. He looked at the increasingly thick black aura in Jiang Cheng's chest, his face as solemn as frost. "This resentment has seeped into his bones. The Cleansing Dust Technique can only temporarily slow it down; it cannot suppress its spread."
Xie Linyan stood a little further away, silently watching the scene inside. Her face was somewhat pale, and her lips were also a bit lighter in color. When she returned from Biling Lake, the bone-chilling cold of the lake water and the lingering resentment of the Water Abyss had already invaded her body, making her feel dizzy and lightheaded, and chilled.
If she hadn't ultimately eradicated the Water Abyss, the situation might have been even worse, but the fact remained that Jiang Cheng was possessed by resentment. Looking at his agonizing struggle, unable to wake up, Xie Lin Yang was filled with guilt and anxiety. If anything were to happen to Jiang Cheng because of this… she dared not think further.
After an unknown amount of time, most of the calming incense in the incense burner had burned out. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji's foreheads were covered in cold sweat, and their faces were as pale as paper. The black energy in Jiang Cheng's chest finally stopped surging and gradually condensed into a ball, lying still at his heart meridian. His breathing also became more steady, but his face was still bluish-black, as if covered with a layer of deathly ashes.
Time passed slowly amidst their anxious struggle, until Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji temporarily stopped their practice. Fine beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, indicating that they had clearly expended a great deal of energy.
"How is it?" Wei Wuxian immediately rushed forward and asked.
Lan Xichen shook his head slightly, his tone heavy: "The resentment has been temporarily sealed off and is no longer spreading, but it is deeply rooted and almost intertwined with Young Master Jiang's meridians. The two of us can only do this much. If we forcibly remove it, we may damage his very foundation."
He looked at Wei Wuxian and Xie Linyang, who was standing silently but with concerned eyes, and said, "For now, we can only maintain this method. We will discuss it further when my uncle and father return. They are knowledgeable and experienced, and may have other ideas."
Hope was pinned on Lan Qiren and Qinghengjun, who had not yet returned.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng's condition had temporarily stabilized, though not improved, at least it hadn't worsened further, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but their hearts remained heavy. Wei Wuxian insisted on staying indoors to keep watch. Xie Linyang watched Jiang Cheng's steady breathing, and his tense nerves finally relaxed a little, but a sudden surge of itchiness in his throat and a chill ran through his body, and his vision blurred.
“Zewu-jun, Hanguang-jun,” she said softly, trying to make her voice sound normal, “Brother Wanyin is now at peace. I’m going to the Cold Spring to absorb some spiritual energy, which might be good for him.”
Lan Xichen nodded: "Go ahead, be careful on the way, the stone steps by the cold spring are slippery."
Xie Linyang responded and turned to leave. As soon as she stepped out of the quiet room, a cold wind rushed in, making her shiver and stumble. She quickly grabbed the doorframe for support. Moonlight shone on the bluestone path, casting her thin shadow that stretched towards the cold spring.
Xie Linyang stood on the bluestone platform by the spring. As soon as his fingertips touched the spring water, he couldn't help but shiver slightly. It wasn't the cold, but the warmth that was so comforting, like a hot water bottle held in one's arms on a winter's day, seeping into the bones little by little along the fingertips.
She removed her light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), revealing a pale white undergarment underneath. The fabric was so thin that the fine, chilling lines on her back were visible. Her body, which had been chilled to the bone by the resentment of Shui Xingyuan during the day, was still aching slightly. Her throat was itchy as if it were stuffed with dry grass, and every sip of saliva tasted bitter.
"Thump."
She stepped barefoot into the spring water; the pebbles made her soles tingle slightly, but strangely, they dispelled some of the chill. The water barely reached her waist before she slowly sat down, letting the warm water rise to her chest, leaving only her shoulders and neck exposed. The moment she entered the water, she felt a faint spiritual energy seep into her pores, like countless tiny silver threads, gently entangling the chill that throbbed through her body.
The cold spring water was a perfect remedy for her special constitution, which was prone to chills when resentment entered her body.
"Jiang Cheng, you idiot..." She hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and said in a muffled voice, trembling with tears, "Why did you go and retrieve that tattered package... The sweet cakes inside were all soaked and ruined... If you don't wake up, you'll be sorry..."
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to let her mind wander; she needed to suppress her cold symptoms first so she could have the energy to protect Jiang Cheng.
She closed her eyes, placed her hands together on her lower abdomen, and silently recited the "Yang-Generating Mantra" taught by her master. As the mantra flowed on her tongue, the Yang-generating spiritual energy within her body gradually became active, circulating along her blood vessels. Wherever it passed, the cold air melted away little by little, like ice and snow meeting the spring sun.
The itching in my throat gradually subsided, and I was no longer coughing as violently as before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com