Chapter 75 Yama's Island
Qinglong said, "Biyao, I'll go with you."
The mountain demon said, "No, you must stay here to protect Qin Wuyan. If I'm left alone, and those brats from the Qingyun Sect come to cause trouble again, I won't be able to handle them."
Biyao also said, "Brother Qinglong, don't worry. Tang Yuan needs my help to save people right now, he won't do anything to me. You and Sister Shanxiao can stay here and wait for me to come back."
"Alright!" Qinglong had no choice but to agree. He looked at Tang Yuan and said solemnly, "Whether or not you can rescue that girl of yours, you have to protect Biyao for me!"
Tang Yuandao said, "Of course, I still rely on her for everything."
When Biyao last entered Shatu Town, the town was deserted, with white paper money fluttering in the air. But this time, when she entered Shatu Town again with Tang Yuan, it was completely different. The streets of the town were lined with red lanterns, which looked like two rows of ripe persimmons nestled in the night. The bright yellow light made the streets look particularly warm, and there was a bustling flow of people coming and going. Men and women, young and old, were buying and selling, eating, drinking and having fun. Although it was not as lively as Heyang City or Yudu City, it did not look like the lifeless town she had seen before.
Biyao was extremely surprised. However, as she moved, she was even more surprised to find that the figures were all illusions, passing by her without her noticing.
She could see them, but they couldn't see her.
As Biyao followed in Tang Yuan's footsteps, she asked, "Is this the real Sand Town?"
Tang Yuandao said, "To be precise, it was Shatu Town more than a thousand years ago. They have all been dead for a long time. What you are seeing is just an illusion created by Yama Island to appease the souls of the dead."
The words "They've been dead for a long time" came out of his mouth so lightly that Biyao felt a chill run down her spine. She finally understood why there were paper money fluttering in the air when she came to Shatu Town during the day.
A town that was once full of dead people is bound to be filled with resentment. The only way to appease these wronged souls is to give them enough money to keep them immersed in illusions and never wake up.
Were they all eaten by Yama Island?
"good."
"So, you were the one who spread the news that the withered green grass is a divine herb? Your purpose was to lure more people here to become food for this island?"
Tang Yuan nodded: "Yao'er, you are really smart. No wonder the Underworld Emperor chose you."
Such praise is not pleasing.
Biyao sneered, "No matter how clever you are, you still manipulate me." Suddenly, she realized something and said, "Wait, if you were the one who leaked the news about the withered green grass… then Aunt You…"
She stopped in her tracks and asked nervously, "What did you do to Aunt You?"
After meeting Wan Jianyi and You Ji, all the information pointed her to the East Sea in search of the withered green grass. At the time, she was so happy when she first met You Ji that she didn't pay attention to whether You Ji was real or fake. Now, looking back, she seemed increasingly suspicious.
Tang Yuan understood her worries and smiled faintly, "Don't be nervous, You Ji is fine. She does live with Wan Jianyi at the foot of the cliff behind Qingyun Sect. Actually, I've known her for a long time, much longer than you have. Like you, she's always considered me a member of the Holy Sect. I was the one who revealed the matter of the withered green grass and the Soul-Gathering Technique to her. However, I lied to her, saying that I've always secretly loved you, but my feelings were unrequited. So I had to ask her to help me conceal my secret help for you and Qin Wuyan."
Biyao felt a vein throb on her forehead and bit her lip, saying, "A crush? Ha! How could you come up with such an excuse! Disgusting!!"
Tang Yuan wasn't annoyed and still smiled, "Don't you think all my ways of doing things are very similar to Qin Wuyan's? I learned these things from him. Since you can accept him doing these things, why can't you accept me?"
Biyao retorted angrily, "How can you compare to him? No matter how cunning and scheming he may be, he would never plot against me."
Tang Yuandao said, "That's because he likes you. For your sake, he schemes against others. Similarly, I only have Manzhu in my heart. For her sake, I also scheme against others. In this respect, I am no different from Qin Wuyan. If you hate me, you are actually hating him."
Biyao paused, then fell silent. She suddenly realized he was right; he was indeed very similar to Qin Wuyan. To achieve his goals, he could not only disguise himself in front of everyone without batting an eye, but he could also use anyone around him to his advantage.
Ultimately, people are selfish. When the knife hasn't been plunged into their own hands, they can always preach righteousness to others, but once their own interests are harmed, no one, regardless of who they are, will care less about propriety, morality, shame, fairness, or justice.
Even Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu, whom she once thought were quite chivalrous, didn't they kill her just because they wanted to save Tian Buyi?
In this world, what is there really to be fair and just?
As they talked, they unknowingly left the town and arrived at the coast. The ground beneath their feet gradually softened, and the wind that brushed against their faces carried a faint howling and wailing sound, along with a salty, damp, and cold smell that sent chills down their spines.
Biyao looked up and saw waves surging not far away. The seawater shimmered under the moonlight. Looking as far as the eye could see, where the water met the moon, there seemed to be something in the shape of a small mountain floating on the sea.
"That's the real Yama Island?"
"Yes, that is its true form."
"The true form? What exactly is it?"
"It's just an island."
"But I've never heard of an island being able to survive."
"Mountains can give birth to mountain gods because of the earth's energy, and an island can naturally become a living thing for some reason. Let's go! Manju is on the island."
Biyao followed Tang Yuan, riding the wind. The closer they got to the isolated island, the stronger the stench of blood became. Occasionally, crimson lightning would flash across the sky, but there was no thunder.
As soon as she stepped onto the island, Biyao felt an inexplicable chill spread from her feet to her entire body, as if countless icy hands were touching her. The island was deathly silent; there were no insects or birds chirping, only the hollow echo of the sea lapping against the shore, and the amplified sound of her own heartbeat and breathing. Occasionally, she would hear a faint sigh or sob, as if coming from the depths of the earth, barely audible.
Further on, there were no flowers, trees, or shrubs to be seen; it was a completely deserted island devoid of any life.
Biyao took a deep breath to bolster her courage and continued to follow Tang Yuan forward, but each step became more and more difficult. The ground beneath her feet gradually turned from icy cold to scorching hot.
"Be careful of the ground fire. It's said that this island used to have a volcano," Tang Yuan warned her.
Biyao followed closely behind, asking, "Where is Manzhu sealed?"
Tang Yuan said, "It's just ahead." The scorching heat underfoot grew stronger, and Bi Yao had to gather her spiritual power to suppress the earth fire. After struggling forward for a long time, a towering boulder appeared not far away. The stone wall facing Bi Yao and Tang Yuan was wide and flat, with shimmering green runes imprinted on it. As the light flowed, it seemed to contain an irresistible power.
"Manzhu!" Tang Yuan shouted excitedly and rushed to the stone wall.
Biyao looked closely and realized that the stone wall was actually transparent and hollow, filled with countless green branches and leaves.
It turns out that the runes were green because they were reflected by the leaves inside the stone wall.
Biyao leaped into the air and, following Tang Yuan's instructions, formed hand seals and cast a spell. A huge white beam of light shot out from her palm and struck the stone wall. Instantly, the world was illuminated, and even the bright moon hanging high in the sky seemed to be shaken, scattering feather-like pieces of moonlight.
However, the stone wall remained unmoved, and even absorbed the power of the falling moonlight, radiating an even more magnificent light.
"Bang!"
Biyao was thrown back by an incredibly powerful force and fell to the ground. Just as she was about to get up, she heard Tang Yuan exclaim, "Get out of the way!"
The runes on the stone wall emitted light that transformed into countless blades of light, shooting towards Biyao. She rolled and dodged, but the blades of light were relentless, still leaving several wounds on her body. She had already been seriously injured by that power, and now she was even more vulnerable, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
"How could this be?" Tang Yuan suddenly flew over and created a barrier to barely block some of the light blades for her. He asked in confusion, "This seal was placed by a certain god in the past. You have the aura of the divine tree on you. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be able to harm you."
Biyao wanted to say something, but she spat out another mouthful of blood. She felt a strange power surging within her body, restless and eager to break free, like an awakened wild beast, but she didn't know how to guide it.
The light blades emanating from the seal on the stone wall rained down again, densely packed like raindrops. Although Tang Yuan was a ghost general, his body was still that of a mortal, and the sharp light blades pierced through him, leaving black holes. There was no blood, but Bi Yao could clearly sense that he was about to collapse.
What exactly happened? Why did this happen so unexpectedly?
As the light blades shot out in increasing numbers, Biyao gritted her teeth, pushed Tang Yuan away, and just as the crystalline and sharp light blades were about to pierce her body, they suddenly froze in mid-air.
"Boom..."
Biyao felt as if a tidal wave was crashing through her body, a strange aura surging out like a giant wave, instantly freezing and melting all the light blades.
At the same time, the sealing runes on the stone wall also stopped, and the bright moon in the sky slowly sank, gradually merging with the stone wall.
Biyao and Tang Yuan both stared wide-eyed. Could it be that the moon on the island was not the same as the one outside?
The moon merged with the stone wall, and in the sea of light, a brilliant and crystalline scene slowly condensed into an enormous, exquisite jade flower, reflecting auspicious colors that were dazzling to the eye.
Amidst this endless sacred radiance, a blurry human figure gradually emerged.
"Ruofangjun?"
Before Biyao opened her eyes, a gentle and clear male voice entered her ears. When she opened her eyes, she saw an extremely exquisite face in front of her. It was fair and handsome, with a straight nose, thin lips, deep eyes, and distinct features. It was stunningly beautiful.
Compared to Qin Wuyan, this person possessed a completely different kind of handsomeness.
His features were much gentler and kinder, especially his eyes, which were clear and deep, carrying a kind of divine compassion. Although Qin Wuyan could be extremely gentle at times, his gloomy nature gave people a sense of hidden danger beneath his gentleness. But this person in front of him, with just one glance, made people instinctively feel that his appearance was not malicious at all.
As Biyao sized him up, the man also stared at her for a long time. He smiled faintly and said, "So it wasn't Ruofangjun. I thought she had returned... However, you do possess her divine power, albeit a weak one."
His gaze was piercing as he looked at her carefully again, a gentle smile spreading across his lips: "So that's why, you're the body of the Ruomu Divine Tree, and you even bear divine fruit. No wonder..."
Biyao gasped. In just a quarter of an hour, he had figured out her identity and background.
After a long silence, she finally said, "Who...who are you?..."
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he laughed, "You don't even know who placed the seal here, yet you dare to break in?"
Biyao was stunned and didn't say anything.
The man then looked at Tang Yuan, who had rushed over, and suddenly understood everything, saying, "So it was Sha Hua who sent you!"
Tang Yuan knelt down with a thud: "My Lord, the idea of absorbing the souls of mortals was mine back then. Manzhu was only forced into it. Now she has been sealed for more than three thousand years. I beg you, my Lord, to release her!"
The man ignored him and looked at Biyao, saying, "Little girl, what is your name, and why do you possess the body of a divine tree? Can you tell me?"
His tone was gentle and polite, and Biyao felt a surge of goodwill towards him. She nodded and said, "My name is Biyao, and I was originally dead. It was a friend of mine... no, it was my husband who rescued me from hell. As for my body from the Divine Tree, it was the Underworld Emperor who used the Divine Tree to reshape my body. My husband's life is now hanging by a thread, and they say that only Manzhu can help me save him. So I have taken the liberty of barging in here, only to ask you, could you please release Manzhu?"
The man listened quietly, then smiled and said, "Okay."
"Really?" Biyao didn't expect him to agree so readily.
The man laughed and said, "Do you know who I am?"
Biyao shook her head.
“I am the Moon Goddess Ming Shu. The wood element divine power within you comes from my former friend, the Flower Goddess Ruo Fang Jun. However, both she and I have already perished. What you see of me now is merely a fragment of my divine consciousness left here.”
Biyao was surprised and her eyes widened slightly.
The Moon Goddess continued, "The Manjusaka was originally planted by Ruofangjun as a soul-guiding flower for the underworld. However, due to interference from some members of the divine race, she was forced to issue a curse. Before her fall, she asked me that if the Manjusaka found a destined person, it could remove their curse. I sealed Manjusaka here, leaving behind her divine consciousness, precisely to wait for that destined person."
Biyao exclaimed excitedly, "So, I'm the one destined for you?"
The Moon Goddess nodded and smiled, "You, with your mere mortal soul, nurtured a divine fruit; naturally, you are destined to be with Ruofang, and also with me. However..."
His tone shifted, and his eyes turned serious: "Manzhu is sealed here not only to punish her and Shahua for their mistakes, but also to use her flower spirit as the core of the formation to suppress the power of the Underworld Emperor. Once the seal is broken, Manzhu will be saved, but the Underworld Emperor will also return to the mortal world to bring calamity upon humanity. Do you think you can bear such a price?"
Biyao was stunned, and Tang Yuan also raised his head, his eyes wide with surprise, clearly not expecting there to be such a reason.
The Moon Goddess said again, "Miss Biyao, I am willing to lift the seal. But I also need you to promise me that after saving your husband, you must use your divine power to destroy the Underworld Emperor. Is that alright?"
Biyao was shocked: "Me??...Can I do it? You are gods, you can only seal his power, how can I destroy him?"
Tang Yuan also said doubtfully, "Yes, Biyao's divine tree body was originally created by the Underworld Emperor. If the power of the Wood Element God could destroy him, why would he have agreed to save Biyao in the first place?"
The Moon Goddess smiled slightly: "Sometimes, to eliminate the opponent, you don't necessarily need to have more power than them."
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