Chapter 133 Devastation and Suffering: Zhong Jiuli, are you alright?
The slightly somber atmosphere was lightened by the little girl's antics, and everyone smiled. After all, the sky wouldn't fall down.
Bai continued to treat everyone, her technique becoming increasingly skilled. She pulled out and suppressed clumps of black mist of varying sizes.
Although everyone's faces were much paler, their eyes were clearer, and they inexplicably felt much lighter.
"Ye Zai, don't I need it?" Jiao Jiao asked, looking up.
“Me too.” Little Fire also chimed in.
"You two are fine, you haven't been parasitized by the Shadow Demon." After Bai finished speaking, his gaze swept across the entire room, noticing that Elder Lu's body also showed no trace of the Shadow Demon.
Ming Wushuang, Bai Qingji, and Bei Qianxue quickly realized what was going on. They exchanged glances and all thought of the same thing.
"Is it that ruin?" they asked in unison.
"I didn't tell you before because I was worried it would affect your cultivation." Elder Lu sighed and briefly explained the discovery of the Void Demon Clan rift in the Outer Heavens.
What they initially thought was just a simple crack now seems far more serious than they imagined.
“If we’ve all been parasitized, what about the others?” Ming Wushuang was the first to realize the crucial point. “Doesn’t that mean all the young geniuses who entered the Outer Heaven have already been parasitized by the Shadow Demon?”
"Hiss~"
A collective gasp filled the woods.
Those who enter the Outer Heavens are all the cream of the crop among the younger generation of the Nine Provinces, the future hope of each sect. If all of these people are parasitized and assimilated by the Shadow Demon...
What darkness must that future hold?
Bai also thought of more things; if it weren't for her chance discovery of this matter.
So, will these people in front of her, these young talents representing the future of Kyushu, involuntarily turn against the enemy and turn their swords against their own compatriots in the long run?
Elder Lu clearly shared the same thought as her and immediately said, "Let's go to the council hall first. This matter must be informed to everyone."
Bai also picked up Xiao Taihuo and stuffed Jiaojiao and Xiao Lü from her arms into his own, then hurriedly left Tianjing Lake with the others.
Although they set off first, when they arrived at the council hall, all the peak masters were already waiting inside. Bai glanced around but didn't see his mother or the old lady Bai, so he figured they had already returned to Guzhou.
Elder Lu didn't have time for pleasantries and went straight to the point about the Shadow Demon's parasitism.
After hearing this, no one spoke, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.
"Perhaps the situation is even more severe than you imagine. The entire Nine Provinces are in complete chaos." The Peak Master of the Array Peak took out a pile of jade slips and handed them to everyone. She was responsible for maintaining the sect's protective array, and news from the outside world always reached her first.
Elder Lu was the first to take the jade slip and examine it. She had been stationed at Tianjing Lake for many years and was unable to receive news from the outside world.
Bai also picked up a jade slip and used her divine sense to examine it. When she saw the tragedy that had occurred in Dongzhou, she couldn't help but look up at Jiang Lian.
Jiang Lian met her gaze and smiled faintly, "It's alright, the entire Storm Island is within my magical artifact."
"You can actually predict the future?" Bai was also surprised.
"Heh~" Jiang Lian shook his head and smiled bitterly, "It's not about being a prophet. I was just worried that after I left, someone would take advantage of the situation and harm the people in my city, so I simply put the entire island into the magic artifact."
Bai Ye originally wanted to ask, "Do you have many enemies?" But then he thought, even if he didn't have many enemies before, after A Lian stood up for the Sanqing Sect, he should have had even more enemies.
"Elders and seniors," Shi Manman stood up and bowed solemnly.
"The Nine Provinces are in turmoil, and the Three Pure Ones Sect has shown me the grace of receiving teachings. I should stay and help the Three Pure Ones Sect overcome this difficulty. However, my relatives are all old and young, and I cannot rest easy..."
Before he could finish speaking, Elder Lu waved his hand and interrupted, "It's alright, children, there's no need to say more, and there's no need to feel indebted. You are not disciples of the Three Pure Ones Sect, and your ability to enter Tianjing Lake for cultivation is an opportunity you earned through your own strength. It's only natural that you want to go home now."
"Thank you all for your understanding, seniors." Su Lan stood up and bowed. "I also need to return to Dongzhou immediately."
"Su Lan, wait a moment," Jiang Lian interrupted. "Dongzhou is in chaos. Your sect members may not still be in the same place. Why don't you stay in Zhongzhou for now? Perhaps you can find out more information there?"
Su Lan shook her head, her eyes resolute: "Thank you for your kindness, Island Master Jiang, but I must repay the kindness of my sect in raising me. If I don't see it with my own eyes, I won't be at peace, and it may become a demon in my heart in the future."
After she finished speaking, she bowed to the crowd again, turned around, and stepped out of the main hall.
The geniuses from the other states also rose to take their leave. With a great calamity approaching, who wouldn't have a few close relatives on their mind?
Even Bai Qingji was worried about the safety of his family and concerned about Qin Yanjing, wondering if Baidi City was alright.
A group of young people stood up one after another and saw their companions, who were about to embark on a long journey, off to the outside of the sect's great formation.
Outside the great formation, traces of the previous battle could still be faintly seen: collapsed mountains and devastation everywhere, just like the mood of everyone at this moment.
Looking at the young faces in front of him, Bai forced a smile and said, "Hey, you guys, you better stay alive, otherwise, as the boss, I'll have to collect your corpses one by one, which is exhausting."
"Get lost." Shi Manman laughed and scolded with red eyes, took out a jade slip from her storage ring and stuffed it into Bai Ye's hand. "Here, the dietary supplement recipe I promised you before. It's a secret recipe passed down in my family. It's a good deal for you, you little tiger cub. Eat more of it, grow stronger and become even stronger."
"Yes." Bai also gripped the jade slip tightly and nodded emphatically. "You too, you need to become stronger."
"Little tiger, see you next time, but don't you dare step on my insect king again." Fang Yourong smiled sweetly and waved goodbye.
Bei Qianxue remained silent throughout, simply watching everyone bid farewell with a smile. Then, she transformed into a streak of sword light and soared into the sky, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.
Su Lan, Fang Yourong, and the others also took to the air one after another, their figures disappearing into the distant clouds.
After everyone left, Bai Qingji walked up to Bai Ye and the others to say goodbye. "I'm going back to Guzhou. I'll take good care of your aunt and great-grandmother. You can go and do your own thing."
"Okay, have a safe trip." Bai nodded in agreement.
After seeing off all her friends, she turned to look at Ming Wushuang and the others who remained, "Second Brother Ming, Third Sister Ming, and the charlatan, it's time for me to go too."
"Why am I considered a charlatan?" Jiang Zhuohua protested indignantly.
"Because your master is a big charlatan, you're just a little charlatan." Bai waved to them, picked up Xiao Taihuo, and transformed into a streak of light, leaving the Sanqing Sect.
She also had places she had to return to, and relatives and friends she desperately wanted to see. Her mother wanted to protect the Bai family, so she had to go back and settle her aunts in.
Only after confirming that everyone is safe and sound can she feel at ease and go find Zhong Jiuli.
The journey home is long.
With chaos reigning throughout the Nine Provinces, the inter-provincial teleportation arrays are overflowing with people, and the price of teleportation is skyrocketing.
Countless cultivators who were away longed to return home, but were hampered by their lack of funds. In their desperation, many people took the risk of returning home.
Bai was in the main city of Zhongzhou, waiting in line to enter the teleportation array when he saw many cultivators stealing and robbing in the street, including many high-level cultivators.
Seeing the chaos in the city, Bai became even more anxious. If Zhongzhou was in such a state of chaos, what about the other states?
When she returned to the desolate state and set foot on the wilderness, she truly understood what it meant to cause widespread suffering and devastation.
The once peaceful village has been reduced to ashes, with charred bloodstains on the ruins, and uncollected bones scattered across the fields. Carrion crows circle overhead, emitting mournful cries.
"Hey kid, hey kid, there are living people down there!" Jiao Jiao stretched out her little paws and pointed downwards.
Bai also came to his senses and looked down.
It was an abandoned town, with countless mangled corpses lying in the streets. A woman carrying a young child was fleeing in panic, and not far behind her, a void beast shrouded in black mist was in hot pursuit.
Bai Ye's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand to press down with a palm strike in mid-air.
A giant hand formed from spiritual energy slammed down from the sky, instantly shattering the void beast and turning it into wisps of black smoke that dissipated into the world.
The woman was so frightened by the loud noise behind her that she stood frozen in place, clutching her child tightly with her eyes closed, too afraid to turn around.
"It's alright, you're safe now."
Hearing the gentle voice coming from above, the woman opened her eyes and stared blankly at the slowly descending spirit boat.
Bai also flew down and landed in front of the woman, repeating, "You are safe now. Come with me, I will take you to a safe place."
"Mother, it's an immortal! An immortal has come to save us!" the little girl in the woman's arms said in a clear voice, her big, black, gem-like eyes fixed on Bai Ye and the little fire behind her.
The woman seemed stunned, and it took her a long time to come to her senses. Her eyes slowly reddened, and her tense emotions collapsed instantly. She knelt down with a thud while holding her child.
"Hey, don't kneel down, I'll help you up." Bai Ye quickly reached out to help her up.
"Immortal... Immortal!!!" The woman cried out, her voice hoarse and shrill, her eyes red as if they were about to bleed.
"You're only arriving now? Everyone's dead, completely wiped out... What's the point of coming now...?"
The cries were heart-wrenching, echoing through the desolate, empty city. Bai's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her throat felt as if something was blocking it, preventing her from speaking.
"Zhong Jiuli, is this why you left?" she asked herself in her heart.
After learning the reason why the Sanqing Sect was besieged and that Zhong Jiuli had single-handedly broken into the lair of the Void Demon Clan, Bai had already begun to hate this world.
She had no intention of saving the world; she didn't belong to this world anyway, so what did other people's lives or deaths have to do with her?
Bai never thought of being a savior; she was content as long as her family, friends, and loved ones were alive.
But now, listening to the woman's cries and accusations, and seeing the little girl's clear, untainted eyes—those bright, dark pupils reflecting not birdsong and fragrant flowers, but wreckage scattered everywhere—isn't that a bit too cruel?
These are all living, breathing people. How could she stand aside and remain unaffected?
[Ye Zai, she's not blaming you. She's just been suppressing her feelings for too long and needs to let them out.]
"I know."
Bai stood there, waiting for the woman to finish crying, until her voice was hoarse and she could no longer shed tears, before she spoke again: "Are there any other people in your family?"
"No~" the little girl nestled in her mother's arms and answered in a clear voice, "It's just me and my mother left. My father and grandmother, uncles and aunts, and Little Bean, Big Yellow, and Little Gray were all eaten by the monster."
The little girl counted her relatives and friends one by one, recounting their deaths in her childish voice.
Hearing her daughter's words, the woman suddenly came to her senses and realized what she had just said and done. She hurriedly lowered her head and said in a hoarse voice, "Immortal, please forgive me. I was rude. I deserve to die!"
She was terrified, her whole body trembling. She didn't know why she had dared to criticize the immortal, who was a high and mighty immortal.
"Mother, don't be afraid, Xiaoya is here." The little girl stretched out her small hand and gently stroked her mother's back.
Bai also squatted down, level with the woman's eyes, and tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, "Shall I help you up? I'll take you to the imperial city, where the Xuanjia Army will protect you, and it will be safer there."
"I dare not trouble the immortal, my body is dirty and would soil your hands." The woman held her child tightly and lowered her head.
Bai stopped trying to persuade them, waved his hand and used his spiritual power to form a palm, lifting the mother and daughter and sending them onto the spirit boat.
"Jiaojiao, keep an eye on them," Bai said, standing up. "I'll go into the city to see if anyone is still alive."
The air was thick with the stench of decay. On the streets, corpses were piled up, layer upon layer. Some were still fresh, their flesh still bright red, while others had been gnawed beyond recognition, and still others had long since died and were already rotting.
Maggots wriggled among the bones and rotting flesh, while greenbottle flies hovered around the corpse.
Bai's throat was a little dry. She closed her mouth and nose and released her divine sense to probe into the city, searching for any trace of living people.
Soon, she detected an unusual fluctuation, and with a flash, Bai appeared in the center of the city.
The sight before her sent chills down her spine and made her scalp tingle.
A mound of human heads—a scene only seen in history books—was now appearing before our very eyes in such a bloody manner.
The heads were distorted, their faces still bearing the fear and pain of death. Their empty eye sockets stared straight at the sky, and dark bloodstains soaked through the bluestone floor tiles.
Above these wrecks, a spatial rift that has not yet fully healed remains. Wisps of black energy escape from the rift, drifting in the air and accumulating for a certain period of time before churning and condensing into a void monster.
Before the void beast could fully form, Bai struck out with her palm, crushing it. She then formed hand seals, using the power of the void to temporarily seal the spatial rift.
"Is this the bloody sacrifice mentioned in the jade slip that happened in various places? Were those people all controlled by the Shadow Demon, which is why they did such inhuman things?" Bai pondered in his heart.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner to save you. Now, all I can do is keep you safe from the wind and rain."
A golden flame condensed at her fingertips. The flame was pure and intense, and as soon as it appeared, the surrounding cold and resentful aura melted away like ice and snow.
The flames fell upon the mountain of corpses, instantly transforming into a golden sea of fire that engulfed the remains. Pure solar energy flowed across the mountain of corpses, purifying the flesh and blood, along with the resentment.
In just a few moments, the square was empty, with no more debris in sight.
Bai didn't linger any longer and quickly returned to the spirit boat.
The woman, still shaken, trembled again when she saw Bai suddenly appear.
"There are no living people left in the city. Shall I take you to the imperial city?" Bai asked gently.
"Thank you, immortal. I am willing to go." The woman's knees buckled, and she was about to kneel down again.
Bai Ye flicked a wisp of spiritual energy from her fingertip to stop the woman. She turned to Xiao Taihuo and said, "Take them to the cabin to rest."
"Okay." Xiao Taihuo took the little girl's hand and led them into the cabin.
The spirit boat sped across the sky, even faster than before. Bai was also somewhat anxious; she was worried about the aunts in the tribe, and even more so about her friends, hoping they hadn't been possessed by the shadow demons.
However, the journey home is long, and even if one is anxious, it is impossible to arrive instantly.
Bai forced herself to calm down and, following the dietary supplement recipe given to her by Shi Manman, cooked a large pot of thick soup, which contained the spiritual herbs and plants she had picked earlier, as well as various kinds of spirit beast meat.
Smelling the somewhat strange smell, Bai Qi pinched his nose and swallowed it all in one gulp.
In a short while, she seemed to be set on fire, her whole body burning hot, her skin as red as a boiled shrimp, and white smoke rising from her head.
"It seems that the main effect of this prescription is to stimulate and strengthen the power of qi and blood. No wonder Shi Manman is as strong as an ancient bull. Eating these since childhood is indeed enough to maximize the potential of his flesh and blood."
Bai dared not delay for a moment, immediately sitting cross-legged, calming his mind, and guiding the blazing blood and qi to circulate throughout his body. Having completed the previous mission, he had obtained the last fragment of the Creation Scripture, thus completing his cultivation technique.
Little Jin in the sea of consciousness also underwent a complete transformation. She became much more agile, and the entire tiger gained more humanity and emotions.
The two of them taught and learned, and time flew by; several days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Bai awoke from his cultivation, he couldn't help but marvel at the extraordinary nature of the Great Creation Scripture. This cultivation method had long transcended ordinary cultivation techniques; it was more like a creation miracle.
The highest realm recorded in the scriptures is not about moving mountains and filling seas or mastering the laws, but about transcending them, creating heaven and earth in nothingness, and creating all things in chaos. When cultivated to the extreme, one can create a real world with a single thought.
However, now is not the time to be overly ambitious. Her most important task is to raise her cultivation to the Mahayana stage as soon as possible.
After months of seclusion in the Sutra Repository, coupled with Xiao Jin's meticulous guidance during this time, Bai's understanding of the Nascent Soul stage has become quite profound.
The most fundamental difference between the Nascent Soul and the Divine Transformation stage is the ability to manipulate the laws of heaven and earth and use them for one's own purposes. Ke Bai had already achieved this long ago; at the Nascent Soul stage, she had comprehended all the laws.
Therefore, the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage is something she can break through at any time. She had previously suppressed her cultivation because she was worried that advancing too quickly would lead to an unstable foundation. Now, several months have passed, and she has solidified her foundation and can prepare to break through.
"Ye Zai, you're awake?" Jiao Jiao pounced over and landed in Bai Ye's arms.
"Hmm, where are we?" Bai stood up and looked down at the clouds.
"We're almost at the border town. I've been keeping an eye on it every day. This area is relatively peaceful, and the Xuanjia Army has been patrolling around." Jiaojiao replied.
“I saw it. Li Shoumo did a great job. She is a very qualified heir to the empire.”
As the two were talking, the spirit boat passed the peaceful border town and headed towards the White Tiger Tribe.
At the edge of the sky, another spirit boat was also heading towards the White Tiger Tribe. The two spirit boats arrived over the tribe almost one after the other.
"Aye!"
"Young Clan Leader!"
"Little Tiger!"
Ayu, Li Chengfeng, and the others flashed and landed directly on Bai Ye's deck.
Reuniting with old friends is naturally a joyous occasion. Bai also activated his Insightful Golden Eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that none of them had been parasitized by the Shadow Demons.
She asked, "Why are you back?"
“We’ve come to take the aunties to the capital. Things are starting to get chaotic in the Wilderness State now, and it’s too dangerous for them to stay in the tribe any longer,” Ayu said.
Bai nodded: "Then we're on the same page. I'm also back to take my aunts to the capital."
"Let's catch up later. Go downstairs first, the aunties are watching," Li Chengfeng reminded the group.
"Let's go." Bai also flew off the spirit boat with them.
The aunties had already spotted the spirit boat in the sky and had all crowded to the village entrance, watching it eagerly.
Upon seeing Bai Ye and his companions disembarking from the spirit boat, they were overjoyed and enthusiastically surrounded them.
"The young clan leader has returned, and Ayu and the others have also returned together."
"Oh my, let your auntie take a look... They've all grown into adults, and they look so energetic."
"Of course! Our young clan leader is now the number one genius in the Nine Provinces!"
The aunties chattered away, still with their loud, boisterous voices, their rough, warm hands kneading their shoulders and patting their arms, as if checking if these younger generation members were strong enough.
Although their movements were rough and bold, they revealed the aunties' simple care and love.
Bai was surrounded by the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces. The last time he had returned was ten years ago. Time had flown by, and the aunties who were in their prime back then now had a few strands of gray hair at their temples, and their backs were no longer as straight.
In the crowd, the grandmothers who used to sit under the eaves, smiling and calling her "Young Chieftain," and feeding her dried meat, were nowhere to be found. They ultimately did not live to see the little tiger who had run away from home return.
Ayu, who was standing nearby, also realized something. She tugged at her mother's sleeve and asked, "Mother, where is Grandma?"
Aunt Wu's smile faded slightly, and she lowered her voice to say, "Your grandmother passed away the winter before last, and she passed away peacefully."
She didn't want to talk about this sad thing anymore, and changed the subject with a smile: "Alright, let's not talk about this. It's rare for you to come back, so let's go and grill some meat for you."
“Yes, the aunties should go too. I guarantee you little brats will eat until your mouths are greasy.” Auntie Pang chimed in.
"Let's go help too!" A group of grown-up friends cheerfully offered their help.
Bai also said with a smile, "Aunties, let the young people handle the barbecue. You all go home first, pack your luggage, and I'll take you to the capital for a while tomorrow morning."
The moment she said that, the lively atmosphere instantly quieted down.
For a moment, the women looked bewildered. At their age, leaving their hometown was the hardest thing. They had lived in the tribe for most of their lives, and the thought of suddenly going to a strange place naturally made them reluctant to leave.
It's not just a saying that it's hard to leave one's homeland.
"Oh dear, you little rascal, why didn't you say so earlier? I just dried a bunch of meat to take to the capital. I don't know where I'll have a place to dry it, will I?" Auntie Fatty said with a laugh and a scolding.
The heavy atmosphere eased somewhat because of her words, and the aunties started to worry about the furs drying in the sun and the leftover dried meat.
"Aunties, pack whatever you want. No matter how much stuff you have, I can take it all with me," Ayu said loudly.
They had come prepared beforehand, having prepared many storage bags for the villagers to move into.
"That's good, that's good, alright, sisters, go back and pack your bags, don't hold the children back." Aunt Wu waved to them, signaling everyone to go home and pack their bags.
The aunties all left in a hurry, leaving only Bai Ye and a few others, along with a group of young people of similar age, on the open space.
"Young clan leader, are we really going to the capital? Will we have a place to stay?" someone asked, unable to contain their curiosity.
"Following the young clan leader, do you think we'd let you sleep on the streets? Alright, hurry up and start a fire to roast the meat, it'll be dark soon." Bai waved his hand to shoo them away.
"Alright, I'll go right away."
The group dispersed with smiles, each heading home, carrying out their fresh game, and setting up a bonfire in the center of the drying ground to roast the meat.
Ahua looked at the group and said, "Ah Ye, Senior Sister, I also need to go home and tell my mother that we'll meet up tomorrow."
"Okay, be careful on the road." Li Chengfeng reminded her with concern, "The outside world is not peaceful right now. If anything happens, just send a signal and we will come immediately."
"Mm." Ah Hua nodded, flew onto the spirit boat, and left the White Tiger Tribe.
Bai also remembered the mother and daughter who were still on the spirit boat, so he flew up and brought them to the tribe. He said in a gentle voice, "Rest here tonight, and we'll head to the capital tomorrow."
The mother and daughter had no objections. Bai was their only support now, so they did whatever she said.
After settling the mother and daughter in, Bai, along with Jiaojiao and Taihuo, walked towards the small courtyard deep in his memory, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Ten years have left deep marks on the aunties, but seemingly not many marks on this small courtyard.
Bai pushed open the old courtyard gate. The courtyard was as clean as ever. The weeds in the stone steps and corners of the walls had been carefully cleared away, with only a few withered leaves on the ground.
Clearly, even though the mother and daughter were gone, the women in the tribe continued to clean and maintain the courtyard day after day, even though they might never come back.
She pushed open the door to her room, and a faint smell of dust wafted out. The room was still furnished as before, but the bedding on the bed had long been taken away, leaving only the bare bed frame.
Bai also wiped the thin layer of dust off the bed board with a flick of his sleeve and lay down on it, just like when he was a child.
She rested her arms behind her head and turned her head to look at the wooden window. On the mottled window frame, a few faint scratch marks could be seen.
At that time, she had just met Zhong Jiuli. In those days, her biggest worry was how to sneak out of the house.
The scratch marks on the window frame were the traces left after she climbed up countless times. Thinking back, she was indeed naive at the time. How could her mother not guess how she sneaked away when she saw these scratch marks?
Bai gave a bitter smile and muttered to himself, "Why does it feel like those things happened just yesterday, yet it also feels like a very, very long time has passed, so long that I can't find a trace of your presence in this world anymore?"
"Zhong Jiuli, are you alright?"
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