Glimpse into a Hundred Faces (26)
Soul-Separating Cliff is a desolate wasteland where not a blade of grass can grow. It is deserted and even demonic beasts rarely venture there. In addition, the terrain is treacherous and the spiritual energy is scarce. Cultivators who are there would probably have their cultivation levels no different from ordinary people. Lu Jiu finally set up his stronghold here, clearly targeting Li Zhoubai.
Li Zhoubai was not surprised by this. His expression remained indifferent as he calmly put the magical artifact brought back by the blue-white sparrow into his pocket: "Let's go."
The three left the cave, and Li Zhoubai slammed his palm against the stone wall. The surging spiritual energy shattered the giant rock above, and the fragments fell, instantly blocking the entrance to the Demon Cave completely.
Zhao Huai Ren was somewhat taken aback: "Senior, what about those people who died unjustly inside? Aren't you going to take care of them?"
"It's just a temporary measure to prevent anyone from accidentally wandering in," Li Zhoubai explained. "We'll deal with everything after we kill Lu Jiuzhong."
Zhao Huai Ren stopped pursuing the matter after hearing this and instead asked, "Senior, can you take me with you to the Cliff of Separation?"
"no."
Zhao Huai Ren was surprised that Li Zhou Bai refused so decisively, and quickly said, "Senior, the spiritual energy is limited at the Soul Separation Cliff. I can use a sword and help you!"
"No need, we have enough people."
"But it's just you and Brother Yan..."
“There are three people,” Li Zhoubai interrupted. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
Three? Zhao Huai-ren was taken aback, but Li Zhou-bai didn't give him a chance to ask, turning and walking away. He quickly grabbed Yun Yan-qiu, afraid that the guy would also disappear in a flash: "Besides you, who else is there?"
Yun Yanqiu glanced at the arm he was holding and said the name directly: "Duan Yougan".
Duan Yougan… Zhao Huai Ren exclaimed in surprise: “That one from the Yanqing Sect? You’ve cooperated with the Yanqing Sect?”
"No, he came up here alone," Yun Yanqiu replied, pulling her arm away. "Don't go and join the fun. Wasn't there a child who escaped from here? Have you settled him in?"
"Don't worry about that..."
"Then do me another favor." Yun Yanqiu suddenly lifted a corner of her collar and carefully took out the blue-white sparrow. "Take care of it for me."
"Huh?" Zhao Huai-ren was startled. "You're willing to give it to me?"
"Who said I gave it to you? It's just temporarily taking care of it for me." Yun Yanqiu rolled her eyes. "It's inconvenient to take it with me to the Soul-Separating Cliff."
The blue-and-white sparrow seemed to understand his words and chirped in protest, quite dissatisfied. Yun Yanqiu immediately smoothed its feathers and comforted it, "Don't worry, I'll come to pick you up soon."
He reluctantly handed the little bird to Zhao Huai-ren, making sure to remind him, "You absolutely must not give it to Qi Rong-ting!"
"Alright, alright..." Zhao Huai Ren twitched the corners of his mouth, held the blue and white sparrow in his hands, and watched him leave.
After the figure disappeared into the distance, Zhao Huai-ren sighed heavily and muttered to himself as he looked down at the blue-and-white sparrow, "These two, master and disciple, are both quite willful, don't you think?"
The little bird shook its feathers and quietly gazed in the direction Yun Yanqiu had left, without uttering a sound.
Yun Yanqiu followed his master all the way to the winding mountains on the border of Lizhou. Here, the wind howled, dark clouds pressed down, and the black and red earth beneath their feet was cracked like a spider web, with wisps of black mist seeping from the cracks from time to time. Not far away, withered ancient trees twisted their branches, and the mournful sound of the wind echoed between the cliffs, mixed with faint sobs.
“This is…” Yun Yanqiu gripped the sword hilt tightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.
Li Zhoubai's expression was solemn. He scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes and suddenly locked his gaze on a gaunt figure on the edge of the cliff.
"Duan Yougan," Li Zhoubai called out in a deep voice.
The man turned around, holding a crystal-clear glass bead in his hand, the bead reflecting a faint light between his fingers. Yun Yanqiu recognized the bead; Duan Yougan had been developing this magical artifact when he accompanied Qi Rongting to visit the Yanqing Sect. It was a bead used for communication; although it would shatter after conveying only a few words, it was sufficient for Li Zhoubai and Duan Yougan.
"So it turns out he was the one who was in the darkest hour." Duan Yougan said with a gloomy face, crushing the glass bead between his fingers. The dust scattered with the howling cold wind.
"It's just a delaying tactic," Li Zhoubai said dismissively, then asked him, "Did you bring the things?"
Duan Yougan smiled disdainfully and took out a long, jet-black sword from his sleeve. The sword's blade was adorned with flowing, blood-red patterns, emanating an eerie aura.
Yun Yanqiu stared at the sword, a strange sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. He wanted to warn his master, but Li Zhoubai had already picked up the black sword without hesitation. With a casual swing, the sharp sword energy sliced through the cracks in the ground, causing the ground within a hundred paces to tremble. A hint of surprise flashed in Li Zhoubai's eyes. He gently stroked the sword, his expression now showing more appreciation.
"I forged this sword from the spine of a Soul-Separating Wolf. It was born here. If we're going to fight here, there's no better sword than this," Duan Yougan explained.
Li Zhoubai paused, "The Soul-Separating Wolf? Wasn't it suppressed in the tower of the Yanqing Sect?"
"It's just a demonic beast. It's not worth mentioning when it comes to seeking revenge for Sister Shuang."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening explosion echoed from the bottom of the cliff. Li Zhoubai, like an arrow released from a bow, leaped towards the bottom first. Duan Yougan and Yun Yanqiu followed suit, jumping off the cliff without hesitation.
The three plummeted towards the bottom of the cliff, the wind howling and the surrounding light rapidly fading. At first, they could still see the jagged rocks on the cliff face, but soon they were plunged into complete darkness. Thick demonic energy, as if it were a tangible substance, coiled upwards, like a gaping, black maw, threatening to swallow them whole. The demonic energy grew heavier and heavier, as if a thousand icy hands were tearing at their robes, making even breathing difficult.
The sword in Li Zhoubai's hand resonated, its blade blazing with crimson patterns, tracing a scarlet line in the absolute darkness. A chilling cold seeped into his bones, and a piercing shriek echoed in his ears.
Finally reaching the bottom of the cliff, a putrid stench assaulted their senses, a smell strikingly similar to the one they had encountered with Zhao Huai-ren in the cave. In the darkness, a beam of blue light flickered weakly. Following the light, they came to a stone door. The door was tightly shut, a demonic beast's head hanging above it, eerie blue flames flickering silently within. Blood-soaked ropes were wrapped around the door knocker, the blood still wet, slowly condensing into droplets that splattered onto the ground with a soft thud.
There wasn't a single guard at the door, which surprised the three of them. Li Zhoubai raised his hand and with a single sword stroke, severed the ropes tightly binding the door. The sword, stained with drops of blood, hummed excitedly.
The gate slowly opened, revealing a dark passageway before the three. Red lanterns hung on the stone walls on either side, casting an eerie glow on the narrow passage. The group cautiously approached the end of the passageway, where an opening led to a cave. Peering inside, a chilling scene unfolded before them—dozens of black-robed cultists sat around a massive pool of blood, mechanically chanting obscure scriptures with their parched lips. Floating in the blood were fragmented limbs, from aged severed arms to tiny, inexplicable feet, bobbing up and down in the dark red liquid.
This scene was a hundred times more disgusting than what he had seen in the Dharma Protector's Cave. Yun Yanqiu couldn't help but cover his mouth and nose, feeling his stomach churning.
Just then, all the demonic cultivators suddenly stopped chanting and turned their heads toward the cave entrance in unison—hundreds of eyes glowed with an eerie red light in the darkness, like will-o'-the-wisps suddenly illuminating the night. The entire cave fell into a deathly silence, with only the bubbling sound of the blood pool echoing in the air.
Li Zhoubai gripped his sword hilt tightly in an instant, his figure flashing into the crowd. Dark red sword energy streaked through the air, leaving dozens of afterimages. Wherever the blade passed, the demonic cultivators' bodies were easily torn apart like paper. One demonic cultivator had barely raised his weapon when his head flew high into the air, the blood spurting from his neck congealing into eerie crimson flowers.
Yun Yanqiu followed closely behind, his green sword transforming into a shower of cold light. His swordsmanship was as swift as lightning, each strike precisely piercing the throats of the demonic cultivators. The three demonic cultivators lunged at him simultaneously, but with a flash of sword light, all three heads fell to the ground. Blood splattered on the hem of his white robes, adding to his chilling aura.
Duan Yougan stood guard at the cave entrance, watching the massacre where the few fought against the many. Although the demonic cultivators' attacks were fierce, their movements were monotonous, like a group of wooden puppets, making them so vulnerable in front of Li Zhoubai and Yun Yanqiu.
Suddenly, Li Zhoubai leaped into the air, his sword erupting with a bright, blood-red light. A crescent-shaped sword aura swept out, severing the remaining demonic cultivator in half. Internal organs and blood rained down, staining the entire cave floor crimson. The scalding blood flowed into the pool, turning it a glaringly bright red.
The last demonic cultivator was pierced through the heart by Yun Yanqiu's sword. Silence finally returned to the cave, broken only by the sound of the remaining blood dripping from the sword tip.
Suddenly, crisp applause rang out in the cave, its rhythm even and slow. A tall figure emerged from the shadows amidst the applause, a playful smile on her androgynous face: "How about my new creation? Turning living people into puppets, stripping them of their consciousness while preserving their cultivation, and eliminating the need for them to soak in blood pools to replenish their spiritual energy all day. This thing is far more useful than corpse puppets."
"A waste of effort." Li Zhoubai said coldly, raising his sword with the tip pointing directly at Lu Jiuzhong.
Lu Jiu showed no fear whatsoever and continued to laugh, "You've become like this again. What, your Daoist partner died, and you finally can't keep up the act anymore?"
Before he could finish speaking, the black longsword suddenly pierced Lu Jiuzhong's brow. He had no time to react and fell straight to the ground.
Everything happened too suddenly. When Yun Yanqiu caught up, she only saw Lu Jiuzhong's eyes were ferocious, his smile was still frozen on his lips, his face was pale, and he was already lifeless.
"He's dead already?" Yun Yanqiu was suspicious, but then she saw Li Zhoubai kick the body over, turning it over and revealing the tattoo on the back of its neck.
Li Zhoubai suddenly froze. The next moment, the temperature inside the cave plummeted to freezing point, and even the surface of the boiling blood pool condensed into a thin layer of frost.
Yun Yanqiu unconsciously took a half step back, only to see Li Zhoubai surrounded by a visible chill. He drew his sword, and the blood-red patterns on the blade flowed wildly, as if it might explode at any moment.
Duan Yougan walked closer and took a look, then calmly said, "We've been tricked."
Li Zhoubai remained silent, yet the chill emanating from him was exceptionally cold. Duan Yougan instantly noticed his unusual demeanor, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. He quickly pulled out a jade pendant and handed it to him, sternly saying, "Calm down. We haven't caught the person yet; now is not the time to lose your temper."
The jade was pure white, its surface reflecting a halo like water ripples. The cloud patterns carved on the jade pendant revealed faint, flowing golden light between the lines. The moment the jade pendant touched Li Zhoubai, it absorbed all the chill emanating from him like a gluttonous beast.
Li Zhoubai's expression softened, and he said to Duan Yougan in a deep voice, "Thank you."
Duan Yougan stared at him, then suddenly asked, "What did he mean by 'can't keep up the act'?"
"...You believe his nonsense?" Li Zhoubai raised his eyes, met Duan Yougan's scrutinizing gaze, and asked in return.
"Whether you believe it or not is my own judgment, but you need to explain yourself clearly."
Duan Yougan's attitude was very firm, and Li Zhoubai could not persuade him otherwise, so he had no choice but to remain silent.
His expression was solemn, and a hint of displeasure was etched between his brows. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly turned to Yun Yanqiu and said, "Xiao Yan, you should go back first."
“But…” Yun Yanqiu opened her mouth, but when she saw Li Zhoubai’s unyielding gaze, the words she wanted to say instantly stuck in her throat.
“Go back to your home,” Li Zhoubai continued. “I’ll handle the rest.”
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