Chapter 89
The green forest was shrouded in fog in the early morning. Xie Wen woke up on Chu Xianyue. She rubbed her eyes and got up from Chu Xianyue. Xie Wen stared at Chu Xianyue in surprise. She found that he was still asleep, his eyes closed, and his long eyelashes cast a light shadow.
Logically speaking, with Chu Xianyue's cultivation level, he shouldn't need to sleep at all. In the past, Chu Xianyue would disappear before Xie Wen got up, or Xie Wen would just open his eyes in a daze and find Chu Xianyue looking at him.
What's going on today? Could it be because I was really too tired last night?
Xie Wen felt fine. Generally speaking, Xie Wen would be the first to break down, while Chu Xianyue was always adept at handling such matters.
Xie Wen admired Chu Xianyue's sleeping face for a while, then decided not to disturb him. She got up and, as she put on her shoes, suddenly realized that the candle might have burned all night and only stopped when it was completely burned out. She remembered asking Chu Xianyue to extinguish the candle last night? Perhaps she was mistaken; both of them had forgotten about it.
However, it wasn't important, so Xie Wen didn't pay much attention to it.
That day, when Chu Xianyue woke up, he found the person beside him was gone. His heart immediately felt empty; this was the first time he had woken up without seeing her. Chu Xianyue didn't realize he had slept for so long, and when he woke up, his head was still groggy. Becoming a mortal and losing his magical powers had greatly weakened his body. In fact, most of the time he was even weaker than a mortal.
Chu Xianyue rubbed his head and sluggishly got up, opening the door to look for Xie Wen. Fortunately, he immediately saw Xie Wen sitting in the courtyard with some food. When he saw Chu Xianyue come out, Xie Wen smiled and beckoned him over, jokingly saying, "You slept for quite a while today. I made some food, have a taste."
Chu Xianyue seemed to be touched by something, and that strange look quickly disappeared under his eyes. He walked over and sat down next to Xie Wen.
There are still three days until the Heavenly Leak. The outside world is in chaos, and even the Immortal Capital is not at peace. It is estimated that all the sects are racking their brains to figure out how to get through the crisis in three days. If they survive, they will live; if they don't, they will die.
At this moment, Xie Wen and Chu Xianyue sat there calmly, as if nothing had happened. Xie Wen couldn't help but ask Chu Xianyue about his plans for the next three days, how he would lead the people of Xiandu to resist the impending Heavenly Leak. In any case, Xie Wen had already decided to accompany Chu Xianyue.
Whether it's life or death, being with him makes everything seem less scary.
After a long while without receiving a reply from Chu Xianyue, Xie Wen looked up at Chu Xianyue, observing his reaction. Xie Wen felt increasingly strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
Xie Wen: "After going through the Marrow Cleansing Platform, are you really alright?"
Chu Xianyue knew he couldn't hide the fact that he had lost all his magical powers from Xie Wen for long, but he didn't expect it to be exposed so soon. His throat felt bitter, and he couldn't speak.
Xie Wen looked at Chu Xianyue, and already had a vague answer in his mind.
Before Xie Wen could speak, the blood bead on her neck trembled, then its light dimmed, and the bead flew out, landing beside Chu Xianyue. It seemed to be using its last strength to say to Chu Xianyue, "The collapse of the Heavenly Dao will also affect me. At best, I'll lose control; at worst, I'll lose all my spiritual power. Before I retain even a shred of consciousness, I'm telling you, the mission is 99.99% complete. You're almost there! Great job, Master!"
After saying those last words, the blood bead's light dimmed completely, and it returned weakly to Xie Wen's neck. No matter how Xie Wen called to the blood bead afterward, it remained lifeless.
When the laws of nature collapse, even divine artifacts will be affected.
Chu Xianyue frowned, clearly finding Xuezhu's actions today extremely strange, especially the last words Xuezhu had spoken to him, which sent chills down Chu Xianyue's spine and sent a shiver down his spine. The Blood Bead artifact had never spoken kindly to Chu Xianyue, nor had it ever addressed him as its master.
This is very strange.
Just as things were getting strange, Chu Xianyue realized that someone had arrived.
Aside from Yun Yan, almost no one else knew they lived here. It was Yun Yan who settled them here after the Marrow Cleansing Platform incident.
Yunyan arrived here again, greeted by the last few bird calls of the morning.
There must be something important that's bringing you here at this time.
The two men greeted Yun Yan like hosts and made him sit down. Xie Wen then brewed tea for his junior brother.
Yun Yan sat down, remaining silent. He took a sip of tea to calm himself, and without inquiring about his master and senior sister's condition beforehand, he went straight to the point, "Master, the people outside are going crazy, crying and clamoring to see you, saying you are a true god, and only you can save this world." Yun Yan hesitated, not finishing his sentence, but some people even knelt before Chu Xianyue, repenting for what happened at the Marrow Cleansing Platform, and pleading with Chu Xianyue to come out and save them. With only three days left until the Heavenly Leak, these people truly realized that death was very close to them, and they had no way to avoid it.
After the reappearance of the Heavenly Leak, the Immortal Capital Dynasty fell into unprecedented chaos. The Heavenly Dao is a product of the normal operation of the entire world, but now that the world's order is in disarray, the Heavenly Dao is also collapsing.
The collapse of the natural order made everyone truly feel the fear of the end times.
And because of the collapse of the Heavenly Dao, on that day, a sky curtain gradually appeared above the Canglan River, with golden characters rotating in cycles. The golden characters listed the cultivators who had the qualifications to ascend, those who had already ascended, and those who had not yet ascended throughout history.
Some recognized it as a scroll of celestial divine records, documented in ancient texts. It was a divine artifact from the heavens, used to record the ascensions of those who had ascended over the years, meticulously detailing every single event. Standing beneath the celestial canopy, everyone could even clearly see the divine artifact each cultivator descended upon before their ascension, and the trials they underwent.
This scroll has been circulating since ancient times, and the number of people recorded on it has been decreasing. Those whose names are qualified to be included in the Heavenly God Ranking are all cultivators with the potential for ascension. The decreasing number of names indicates that the number of people with the potential for ascension is decreasing.
As the scroll turned to its last character, representing their current era, only a single, solitary name stood atop the scroll—Chu Xianyue, Divine Artifact: Blood Bead, Trial of Heaven—
When everyone saw this, many things they hadn't understood before suddenly became clear. While astonished by Chu Xianyue's test, they also understood much of his actions. Some even felt ashamed that they had only now grasped Chu Xianjun's good intentions so late.
Everything he did was for his Great Way!
It wasn't that he truly loved his disciple; he was simply forced to do so because of the Heavenly Order's mission.
They've all misunderstood the Immortal Lord.
They repented, and they no longer cared about their Winged Clan origins. They began to beg Chu Xianyue to appear in the world. Because he was almost the last cultivator in the world with the potential to ascend, almost the last person in the world who could truly save them.
Chu Xianyue was unaware that people outside had two faces. However, even though he wanted to save the world, he lacked the power to do so.
Chu Xianyue said calmly, "On the Marrow Cleansing Platform, I lost all my magic power and am now just waiting to die. I'm afraid I can't handle such a difficult task. Yun Yan, the Immortal Capital still has you. Perhaps you can become the next cultivator with the potential to ascend and completely replace me."
"Master!" Yun Yan's chest heaved violently from Chu Xianyue's words. "What did you say? You have no magic power? How is that possible!? Don't lie to me anymore."
Faced with Yun Yan's questioning, Chu Xianyue remained incredibly calm and said, "Yun Yan, when have I ever lied to you?"
Yun Yan stared at Chu Xianyue, and almost at that moment, she couldn't hold back her tears. She wiped a tear away hard, leaving a red mark at the corner of her eye.
When Xie Wen heard Chu Xianyue's nonchalant words, his suspicions were confirmed. Hearing these words from Chu Xianyue's own mouth, Xie Wen felt only heartache for him.
Xie Wen didn't mind or find it offensive, but Chu Xianyue herself might not feel the same way. Moreover, this matter was very likely related to Xie Wen. She came down from the Marrow Cleansing Platform unharmed. She didn't believe her magical power was high enough to go up the Marrow Cleansing Platform without a scratch. There was only one possibility: someone had taken the fall for her.
In the Marrow Cleansing Platform, he lost his magical powers in order to protect Xie Wen.
Such an arrogant and conceited person as him was reduced to a mere mortal in the blink of an eye. But if he hadn't reached that height, hadn't possessed the qualities to become a god, he might have been content to be submerged in the vast dust. However, the drama of falling from grace truly befell him; it was too cruel for him, and Xie Wen couldn't accept it. He felt heartbroken for Chu Xianyue.
Chu Xianyue showed no emotion, but Xie Wen knew that this was no less painful for him than killing him.
Yun Yan said, "But, Master! What should we do? People outside want you and Senior Sister to get married quickly. Maybe, you're just one step away. After the marriage, you can ascend to godhood. Only the power of a god can lead us to overcome this difficulty."
Chu Xianyue frowned as he looked at Yun Yan. "Is that what outsiders are saying?"
Yun Yan nodded, "Everyone is looking at you."
Judging from Chu Xianyue's current expression, no one could tell what he really thought about the proposal; even Xie Wen could only discern a hint of his emotions. Chu Xianyue was reluctant, for reasons unknown.
Xie Wen said, "I think this suggestion is feasible. Maybe we're really just one step away. After all, no woman doesn't want to marry the person she loves."
Chu Xianyue suddenly grabbed Xie Wen's hand, and Xie Wen turned his head and said, "Really, perhaps our only regret is that we've never been married. Maybe this really is the final step, and then you can ascend to immortality."
Chu Xianyue's gaze was deep; he wasn't sure how much of Xie Wen's words were true. But as far as he was concerned, his unhappiness stemmed from not wanting to use the person he loved as a tool for his own advancement, and not wanting to leave her immediately after marrying her.
Xie Wen squeezed Chu Xianyue's hand and said as if by telepathy, "I don't mind being a tool. I already know your feelings. We're only separated temporarily. Even if you become a god, we'll meet again."
"Everything is just to get through this difficult time. After this, we will be together forever."
This was the last thing Xie Wen said to Chu Xianyue.
He acquiesced to the marriage.
The two were temporarily separated. These past two days have been the busiest for the Sword Sect disciples, as all of them were decorating the site, creating a sea of red as far as the eye could see. This impromptu wedding, imbued with high expectations, has become exceptionally important, watched by almost everyone.
Therefore, the Sword Sect invited dozens of skilled embroiderers from the foot of the mountain to embroider their wedding clothes. It is said that as soon as they received the order, they began to work day and night to meet the deadline. The time was very tight, and even with the help of magic, the dozens of embroiderers could not relax for a moment without eating or drinking.
Xie Wen is still staying at the small house on Half Moon Peak for the next couple of days. This is where her elder sister lives; wherever her elder sister is, that's Xie Wen's home. So this is her maternal home, and before getting married, she would definitely stay at her maternal home.
Yun Yan has been incredibly busy these past few days, spinning around like a top with all sorts of things on her mind. Xie Wen has hardly seen her at all, let alone Chu Xianyue. Everyone forbids the two from meeting before their wedding, saying it's a long-standing local custom.
Forget it, if I don't want to see you, I don't want to see you.
It's not like it's just a matter of a couple of days. Maybe after Chu Xianyue ascends to immortality, she'll hardly ever see him again.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't sad; the more cheerful she appeared, the more depressed she was inside. But there was nothing she could do. Nobody could do anything about it.
That's the only way.
In the past two days, Chi Yufei and Sikong Mingxue have been coming frequently. Sikong Mingxue always pulls Xie Wen to sit in front of the dressing mirror to do various things, such as choosing what headdresses are suitable for Xie Wen and how to match them.
"Senior Sister Wen, when we get married tomorrow, can I be part of your family? Both Chi Yufei and I want to be. We can even help you carry your wedding dress and stuff. What should I do! I'm super excited right now, even more excited than if I were getting married myself!" Sikong Mingxue babbled on and on.
Chi Yufei said with some disdain, "Sikong Mingxue, you should be more reserved."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Xie Wen. Chi Yufei never imagined that one day she would witness Xie Wen's marriage, especially to Chu Xianyue. It was a truly miraculous thing. She suddenly felt a pang of emotion, realizing that these two had gone through so much, endured countless hardships, and finally, true love had prevailed. Even as an observer, Chi Yufei felt a deep sense of the difficulties they had faced along the way.
It's not easy.
Although everyone had ulterior motives for Xie Wen and Chu Xianyue's marriage, at least they were serious about it.
Before she knew it, Sikong Mingxue had placed all the beautiful and heavy glass jewelry on Xie Wen's head. Xie Wen's Feather Clan bloodline had been cleansed by the Marrow Cleansing Platform, and her white hair had faded back to black. Sikong Mingxue said, "Senior Sister Wen, I actually think your white hair is also very beautiful. There's a kind of feeling that I can't quite put my finger on. Of course, I don't mean to say that your black hair isn't good-looking."
Chi Yufei clicked her tongue almost imperceptibly. "If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all. I guess you're trying to say that feeling is like having a kind of divinity?"
Sikong Mingxue suddenly jumped up and said, "Yes, yes, that's exactly it, Yufei. Can you read my mind? You understand me so well!"
Chi Yufei pouted. Perhaps she just had the same feeling. Chi Yufei couldn't deny that it was divinity.
Xie Wen also looked up at herself in the bronze mirror. She rarely observed her appearance closely. The person in the mirror had delicate eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a pert nose, red lips, and two strands of black hair hanging down beside her ears. Xie Wen looked at herself for a few moments before looking away. She noticed that her eyes were very bright, like snowflakes.
Later that evening, Chi Yufei brought over a few bottles of wine from somewhere. Sikong Mingxue closed her eyes and took a sip. The spicy taste instantly made her face turn red. Xie Wen patted Sikong Mingxue's back and told her not to drink anymore.
Chi Yufei tilted her head back and took a swig, mocking Sikong Mingxue for being no good.
On this final night, Xie Wen didn't know why her heart was beating unusually fast. She had never imagined that the apocalypse and marriage could be combined. Before the end of the world, everyone hoped they would get married here; it sounded absurd, like a dream.
The three sat in the courtyard. Xie Wen also gulped down strong liquor to calm his agitated heart. Finally, Xie Wen got up and walked towards the top of Half Moon Peak, squatting on the small mound in the green and yellow grass, where it seemed as if the earth had nurtured a seed and a life.
That was Xie Wen's older sister. Xie Wen believed that her older sister was also accompanying her in another way, like the little green grass growing next to her grave.
Xie Wen poured some wine on the ground, and it gulped it down in two big gulps. Xie Wen said, "Sister, I'm getting married tomorrow. Everything is fine, and you should take good care of yourself too."
Chi Yufei and Sikong Mingxue stayed a little longer before helping each other back. The huge Half Moon Peak was left with only Xie Wen. She was drunk and her chest was swollen and uncomfortable. Only when the spicy liquor was poured into her heart could she feel a little more at ease.
Gradually, Xie Wen slumped onto the stone table under the plum tree, her cheeks flushed, the wine pot slipping from her grasp. In her daze, she dreamt of many things from the past: her elder sister waiting for her there, Pei Xuan pestering her sister again, them preparing delicious food in the kitchen, the aroma filling the air. Xie Wen lay on the swing, the full moon swaying in the sky. When Xie Wen looked up again, she saw Shen Lizhi smiling brightly, sitting high in the plum tree, calling out to Xie Wen, "Sister, elder sister." Xie Wen straightened up and suddenly noticed another guest had arrived. As soon as Yun Yan appeared, Shen Lizhi's expression turned cold, and Yun Yan rolled his eyes at Shen Lizhi. A glance between them filled the air with tension. Finally, Chi Yufei and Sikong Mingxue arrived late. The melons on the trellis were plump and cute. Xie Wen invited everyone to pick and eat them, and everyone readily agreed. Shen Lizhi complained that Yun Yan had picked too many, and the two bickered again. Sikong Mingxue jumped around Xie Wen, saying how sweet they were. Shen Lizhi immediately stared at Sikong Mingxue with a deep gaze...
It was a moonlit night, and everyone was still around.
As the dream faded, Xie Wen returned to reality. She was shocked to realize that the fragmented memories pieced together from the dream actually constituted all of Xie Wen's time in the Sword Sect.
When Chu Xianyue arrived, he saw Xie Wen sleeping outside for an unknown amount of time. Although custom dictates that couples shouldn't see each other before marriage, Chu Xianyue couldn't resist, thinking that just one more glance at her from afar would be enough. Just one glance.
I never expected to witness this scene when I arrived.
In her hazy state, Xie Wen vaguely heard a voice say, "Don't sleep outside."
Xie Wen felt as if the voice was so soothing to her ears as rain was falling on her bones. In her daze, she put her hands on his neck, and then she was lifted up and carried steadily. Finally, she was gently placed on the bed, and someone took off her shoes and coat and covered her with a blanket.
He looked at her for a long time before leaving, and the thought of his wedding the next day made his heart, which had been dormant for a long time, start to beat again.
The bright moon hung high in the sky that night. Two moons could be seen from the Canglan River, one in the sky and one in the river. The Canglan River was exceptionally tranquil at this moment, filled with the chirping of insects and the shimmering moonlight. Since the opening of the Netherworld, the Canglan River, once revered as a sacred water, had lost its former liveliness. Because it was under the cover of the leaking sky, no one dared to come here anymore. It was said that many people in Jianshui City had suggested relocating the entire city away from here, and more than half of the residents had already been evacuated. Otherwise, if the barrier couldn't hold, and the Netherworld opened, allowing evil creatures to run rampant, the people of Jianshui City would be the first to suffer.
At this moment, beneath the nearly still Canglan River, a figure appeared silently. He knew that the silence was merely a prelude to a more violent storm.
He never expected that after he instigated the world to put Xie Wen and Chu Xianyue on the Marrow Cleansing Platform, the two would still "live in peace". The world even wanted them to get married and wanted Chu Xianyue to become a god to save the world!
No way! He won't let that happen.
The man's fierce gaze was fixed on the hideous, tumor-like barrier on the Canglan River. A smile curled at the corner of his lips. The world wanted Chu Xianyue to become a god to save them, then he was determined to destroy them. No one could save humanity; chaos and utter destruction were what he desired!
The world could not wait for Chu Xianyue to ascend to heaven.
He suddenly wondered if it would be even more interesting to destroy the barrier when Chu Xianyue and Xie Wen got married. As he thought this, his smile twisted into an infinitely distorted expression.
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