Qilin Blood 4
The situation left Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan no time to think. The next moment, they were as if they had been sucked into a vortex and were rapidly and frantically retreating. The scene in front of them spun and changed: Fu Shen covered in blood, Fu Ling'er screaming in agony, white bones climbing up from the underworld... and finally returning to nothingness.
“That’s it. The formation is activated, and there’s no way to reverse it.” It was Han Jie’s voice, calm and even, echoing in the void.
Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan barely managed to stand up straight in this dark, empty tunnel, listening to the voice continue.
"It is said that the blood of the Qilin contains the vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth and has profound inner techniques. I once thought that I could use it to change the world, reverse yin and yang, bring my people back to the human world, and drag Fu Shen's entire family into hell."
"But the gods have abandoned mortals, and the human world has reached the end of its Dharma, beyond saving. The blood of the Qilin is merely left in the human world as a means for mortals to communicate between Yin and Yang. I forcibly activated the formation, exhausting the magical power of the Qilin blood. The Great Dao took pity on me, and at that moment, the already scarce spiritual energy scattered in the human world was all swallowed up by the Qilin blood. The path to immortality for mortals was destroyed in exchange for the path to the underworld after death."
"And I, carrying the blood of the Qilin, will be forever bound at the end of the East Sea, using my own body to protect the path of reincarnation for countless souls."
Han Jie stopped speaking at this point, and Mo Huan asked, "If the Qilin Blood was destroyed because of your formation that day..."
"Mortals will no longer be able to reincarnate, and after a hundred years, the human world will cease to exist."
Xiao Congzhi never expected that his trip would allow him to learn about matters concerning the survival of humanity from a thousand years ago. Just as he was about to ask further questions, that irresistible force surged forth once more, and he and Mo Huan were once again caught in the vortex.
When the view cleared again, the blood-red forest and the void tunnel had disappeared, and before them lay a vibrant place, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Sunlight shone down, a gentle breeze blew, and waves lapped against the beach in the distance. This place was as peaceful as a paradise.
Xiao Congzhi sighed softly: "This is probably the end of the East Sea. I was just wondering why the blood of the Qilin appeared in Weiyao Mountain."
Mo Huan glanced at Xiao Congzhi and said, "The rumor of Qilin blood appearing in the martial arts world is from two or three hundred years ago, not from a thousand years ago."
"Is there any rumor about the end of the East Sea in the martial world?"
"Haha, Brother Xiao, if you can find out about Qilin Village, you must have a vast network of information. If you haven't heard of it, then you certainly haven't heard of it in the martial arts world."
"..." Xiao Congzhi sighed helplessly. It seemed that Mo Huan really didn't believe his and Ge Yun's story. He then asked, "Have you ever heard of the end of the East Sea?"
"Does it count if I hear it from Fu Shen along with you?" Mo Huan joked casually, then analyzed seriously, "This is probably something that was passed down among cultivators a thousand years ago. I have never heard of it before."
Xiao Congzhi observed Mo Huan's expression and reluctantly believed his story, then turned his attention to the small island.
The island is so small that you can see the whole thing at a glance: the beach, the waves, the flowers and plants. The only suspicious thing is the cave in the center of the island.
"This cave is so enticing, you can't help but go in." Mo Huan mumbled, chewing on a blade of grass that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "It's like we're in physical form here; we can touch things."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Congzhi also touched the flowers and plants on the ground, and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart: "In more than ten days, this is the first time I have encountered anything other than you. It is truly a joyous occasion."
Xiao Congzhi's words were exaggerated and carried a hint of sarcasm. Mo Huan laughed, grabbed Xiao Congzhi's hand with ill intent, and said, "What, you don't like this touch?"
Xiao Congzhi disdainfully shook off Mo Huan's hand and was about to say something when some noise came from the beach not far away.
Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan quickly concealed their breathing and stepped forward.
On the beach, several men lay sprawled about, with broken planks scattered around them.
"It looks like they were shipwrecked at sea and washed ashore."
"Judging from their clothes, they should be people from the martial arts world."
Xiao Congzhi guessed that Mo Huan was probably a seasoned veteran of the martial arts world, and now he believed the man's judgment. He only hesitated before speaking: "Their attire is quite distinctive. I've heard of a sect in the martial arts world that is based deep in the mountains, and its members all wear long robes with dark patterns and red trim..."
"Brother Xiao, although you are not in the martial world, your intelligence is quite accurate." Mo Huan complimented with a smile and explained, "The Demonic Sect. They live deep in the Youheng Mountains outside the pass, and have existed for hundreds of years. Judging from their clothes, this group of people are indeed members of the Demonic Sect."
"I've heard that a hundred years ago, the Demonic Sect was extremely arrogant in the martial world, committing arson, murder, looting, and all sorts of evil deeds. But I don't know when they retreated beyond the Great Wall and hid in Youheng Mountain, avoiding the world. Now it seems that it might be related to the blood of the Qilin?"
"Brother Xiao, you seem to have heard quite a lot. Now you're not hiding anything anymore?" Mo Huan said with a smile, but there was a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Xiao Congzhi glanced at the probing look in Mo Huan's eyes and said nonchalantly, "It's just a childhood interest. Besides, Brother Mo probably already has a hunch about my identity."
Mo Huan smiled noncommittally. Indeed, he had a general idea. It was common for a young man who had just entered the martial arts world and was not from a background to be highly skilled, but the fact that he could find out about Qilin Village meant that he was no ordinary person. Xiao Congzhi was probably either rich or noble.
Xiao Congzhi sighed inwardly. He really hadn't expected that information about Qilin Village would be so hard to find. They had nowhere to hide as soon as they met. Fortunately, he put himself in Mo Huan's shoes and had some guesses about him.
"Let's get back to the main topic." Mo Huan stopped smiling and looked at the five, six, seven, or eight people on the beach. "For the past hundred years, the Demonic Sect has been virtually invisible in the martial arts world, but the Central Plains martial arts community is still intimidated by its shadow from a hundred years ago and doesn't openly mention its existence. However, earlier, a widely circulated saying in the martial arts world was that three hundred years ago, the Demonic Sect's leader, Xing Feng, was besieged by the righteous martial arts community, seriously injured, and forced to retreat with the entire sect to Youheng Mountain. Soon after, the Demonic Sect existed in name only."
"This is strange. The Demonic Sect is not a righteous martial arts sect. Since the sect leader is seriously injured, it would be better to have a new sect leader take over. Why should the entire sect retreat to the deep mountains?"
Mo Huan shrugged, indicating that he didn't know.
As they spoke, the scattered people on the beach slowly woke up. After a brief exchange of waking-ups, the group, seemingly led by a tall, middle-aged man, headed towards the cave in the middle of the island.
Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan quietly followed behind.
The cave wasn't very big when you got closer, and it was quite simple, but Xiao Congzhi had a feeling that something unusual was inside. He figured it was probably like the black building in Qilin Village, with a completely new space inside.
After the members of the Demonic Sect entered the cave one by one, Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan waited for a while before quietly walking inside.
The cave was not dark inside; the stone walls were adorned with countless glittering objects that illuminated the cave like stars.
Mo Huan leaned closer to examine the glowing object. Just like the blue flames he had seen floating in mid-air before, this light was simply light, carrying nothing on its surface.
Xiao Congzhi also noticed this, and decided not to delve into what it was, but instead began to explore the cave.
Sure enough, unlike what was seen from the outside, the cave was very large, with many branching paths visible to the naked eye. The demonic cult members who had entered earlier had already disappeared and were probably walking on some side path.
"Shall we go together or separate?" Xiao Congzhi turned to ask Mo Huan, who was still observing the 'light'.
"Let's go together." With that, Mo Huan stepped forward, put his arm around Xiao Congzhi's shoulder, and led him to a fork in the road.
Xiao Congzhi did not resist; for them, it didn't matter which path they chose.
"There are murals on the stone walls here."
Mo Huan glanced at it casually and said, "It happened after Han Jie activated the formation."
Although Han Jie had already given a general overview, the murals here are clearly more vivid and detailed.
After the formation was activated, the entire Fu family was the first to be affected. Fu Shen, despite using all his cultivation, could only resist for a few seconds before his body exploded and he died. Immediately afterward, blood flowed from Fu Ling'er's seven orifices. In excruciating pain, she seemed to know who was doing what, and helplessly looked into the distance before facing the end of her life.
Fu Shen's eldest disciple watched helplessly as he picked up Fu Ling'er's body, knelt on the ground, and cried out in heart-wrenching sobs.
But the pain spread from his body, and he and Fu Shen's disciples died one after another, bleeding from all seven orifices.
The scene shifts, and Han Jie, sensing all of this, laughs wildly atop the mountain.
Next, he cast a spell to try and revive the entire Huang family of twenty. From the depths of the underworld, skeletons began to climb upwards, growing flesh and blood as they did so. Han Jie smiled as he looked at his lovely younger sister, who was climbing the fastest, and reached out his hand, wanting to lead her back to the human world.
Suddenly, everything stopped.
The Qilin blood at the center of the formation suddenly lost its luster and was about to shatter. In a daze, the heavens and earth trembled, stretching for thousands of miles, and countless halos of light rose from the earth and from the top of everyone's head, converging on the Qilin blood.
Han Jie spat out a mouthful of blood. At the moment he lost all his cultivation, he finally understood what Qilin blood was.
This is the path to rebirth left for humankind by the gods when they abandoned them.
Heaven and earth have spirits, and mortals also have spirits. The spiritual power of the Qilin blood that Han Jie exhausted was ultimately replenished by heaven and earth and mortals.
As time passed, Han Jie gained immortality and was confined to the edge of the East Sea to protect the blood of the Qilin.
One day, a young man came to the beach. Curious, he entered the only cave on the island, passed through the murals, and came to Han Jie.
At that time, Han Jie was already old and hunched over with white hair, squatting next to Qilin Blood.
The man knelt on the ground, his hands clasped together, as if he were praying for something.
Han Jie stood up, brushed his palm across the Qilin blood, and when he raised his hand again, a red bead the size of a pearl appeared in his hand. Han Jie handed the bead to the man, who left the island with profuse thanks.
The man traveled across the ocean back home and fed his mother Qilin blood, and his seriously ill mother instantly recovered...
Seeing that the mural was broken, Xiao Congzhi also reached the end of the long road. Further ahead, it seemed to get brighter, all white.
Xiao Congzhi couldn't help but exchange a glance with Mo Huan. Seeing the same curiosity in the other man's eyes, he smiled and stepped into the light.
The next moment, the path they came from disappeared, and Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan stood on a round platform. The platform had familiar patterns, but the only difference was that it was as bright as day.
"Congratulations on arriving at Qilin Terrace." An old, hoarse voice rang out in the spacious, brightly lit space.
Xiao Congzhi looked up and saw Han Jie with white hair standing in the center, with several members of the Demonic Sect in front of him.
Mo Huan's voice rang out: "So this place is called Qilin Terrace. Qilin Village, Qilin Terrace, Qilin Blood, Han Jie really doesn't know how to name things."
Xiao Congzhi turned to look at Mo Huan and then at the group of demonic cult members, and found that no one was paying attention to their presence: "It seems that we can only touch objects, but we still cannot be seen by them."
"We were overthinking it," Mo Huan said, referring to the two's deliberate attempt to conceal their presence.
Since that was the case, Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan moved closer so they could hear what these people were saying.
"Are the murals all real?" the leader of the demonic sect asked, still showing some manners.
Han Jie nodded and said calmly, "I can give Qilin blood to anyone who comes to Qilin Terrace to ask for it."
What will be the price?
"No cost."
"Then we shall ask for the blood of the Qilin."
"There are no 'you,' only one of you can receive it."
That's me.
What is your name?
"Xing Feng".
"Okay." With that, Han Jie's palm brushed across the Qilin blood, and then a red bead the size of a pearl was handed to Xing Feng. Everything was just like the one in the mural.
Han Jie's voice echoed: "Xing Feng, today at Qilin Terrace I bestow upon you Qilin blood, which can save mortals from fire and water."
At this moment, one of the disciples following Xing Feng couldn't help but ask, "Can this thing only save people?"
“Indeed, serious injury or serious illness are both acceptable.” After saying that, Han Jie waved his hand, and when he looked again, the seven or eight members of the Demonic Sect had disappeared without a trace.
"How strange, they just gave away the Qilin blood like that." Xiao Congzhi couldn't help but wonder.
"Back then, I really didn't think much of it." The one who answered Xiao Congzhi was Han Jie, who was standing in the center of Qilin Terrace.
Mo Huan stepped forward and asked, "Can you see us?"
"Of course you can see it in the illusion I created."
"So back then..."
“The true Qilin blood has been destroyed because of me. As you can see, the current Qilin blood relies on the spiritual energy scattered between heaven and earth at that time, as well as a little bit of spiritual energy from countless mortals.”
"At first, I didn't realize anything until the man unexpectedly arrived at the end of the East Sea and saved his mother with the blood of the Qilin. Only then did I realize that since I had borrowed the spirit of a mortal, the Qilin blood should naturally help when the mortal has a request."
"But..." Xiao Congzhi asked, "Won't the Qilin blood spiritual power be exhausted as a result?"
"When a person who has used Qilin blood dies and enters reincarnation, their spiritual power will return to the Qilin blood."
Upon hearing this, Mo Huan murmured, "After all, it is an object that connects Yin and Yang."
"So what happened next?"
"Just keep watching and you'll find out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene before Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan changed again.
This time, they could no longer leisurely watch the story; instead, they floated in mid-air and, at a hundred times the speed, experienced the events that had occurred in the martial arts world over the past century since Xing Feng returned to the Demonic Sect.
It was a period of bloodshed and turmoil. During that century, the Demonic Sect was filled with powerful and ruthless masters, causing immense suffering to the righteous martial arts world. It's no wonder that the Demonic Sect eventually withdrew from the Central Plains martial arts world, yet its name still inspires fear.
The reason for this is inextricably linked to the blood of the Qilin.
After Xing Feng returned to the Demonic Sect with the Qilin Blood, he did not believe that the Qilin Blood could only be used to save people. This man was quick-witted and, after staying in seclusion for several months, he actually figured out the secrets of the Qilin Blood.
By utilizing the spiritual power of the Qilin's blood, Xing Feng can achieve strength approaching that of a cultivator from a thousand years ago. His nature is cruel and bloodthirsty, and after his strength greatly increases, he shocks the martial arts world by massacring multiple righteous sects.
At the same time, the blood of the Qilin extended Xing Feng's lifespan. When he ascended the Qilin Platform, Xing Feng was already over fifty years old. Later, he wielded power and influence in the martial arts world for a hundred years.
It wasn't that a single drop of Qilin blood could extend one's lifespan so much; rather, it was because Xing Feng spread rumors about Qilin blood in the martial arts world, using the claim that it could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded to lure out masters from all over.
Tell them to follow the Changshan Mountains in the East China Sea until they reach a small island. Enter the cave on the island to obtain the blood of the Qilin.
Xing Feng himself stayed on the east coast, waiting for these people to come ashore before killing and robbing them.
One after another, Xing Feng may have absorbed the spiritual energy of nearly ten Qilin bloods until Han Jie on the Qilin Platform noticed something was wrong.
"Isn't it a little too late for this person to realize something's wrong..." Mo Huan couldn't help but complain when he saw this.
Xiao Congzhi highly approved of Mo Huan, saying that Han Jie's sensitivity to the situation was really too low. He echoed, "An island that no one has been able to surpass for a hundred years suddenly had a dozen or so people arrive in just a few decades before they discovered the problem. That's too slow."
"However, the remedial measures he took later were also regrettable."
After realizing what had happened to Xing Feng, Han Jie immediately went to where Xing Feng had been, intending to kill him.
However, Xing Feng already possessed cultivation like an immortal, and being a greedy person, he even comprehended an evil method to absorb spiritual energy from mortals.
The spirit of mortals is naturally present. The blood of the Qilin was only borrowed from each mortal in small amounts. If too much blood was drawn, the mortal would die and his soul would be destroyed, disappearing into the world with no chance of rebirth.
Xing Feng, naturally indifferent to the path of mortal rebirth, engaged in a fierce battle with Han Jie, directly draining the spiritual energy of an entire village.
That village later became Qilin Village.
Han Jie, after all, was once a powerful figure in the Core Formation stage with the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage. After several days of fierce fighting, he finally defeated Xing Feng.
After Xing Feng died, the spiritual energy from the Qilin blood he had absorbed during his life returned to the Qilin blood, but the spiritual energy of the villagers in that village had nowhere to go.
Xiao Congzhi, who had witnessed the battle between Han Jie and Xing Feng, sneered: "Han Jie is just like he was a thousand years ago, lacking both courage and strategy and being short-sighted."
"A thousand years ago, he destroyed the blood of the Qilin out of hatred and impulsiveness. A thousand years later, he destroyed a village out of impulsiveness again."
Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan completely disregarded the fact that they were currently in Han Jie's illusion, making arbitrary judgments. In their eyes, Han Jie should have planned his actions carefully, rather than recklessly starting a war with Xing Feng.
After the great battle, Han Jie was filled with remorse. He collected the scattered spiritual energy of all the villagers into the blood of the Qilin, and then used the blood of the Qilin as a medium to move the entire village and the Qilin Platform at the end of the East Sea to the center of Weiyao Mountain.
From then on, no one in the martial arts world could find the Qilin Terrace at the end of the East Sea. Although the legend of the Qilin Blood remained, the rumors at the end of the East Sea dissipated with time.
After that, only one person crossed Weiyao Mountain and came to Han Jie.
Han Jie gave him the blood of the Qilin, but repeatedly instructed him not to reveal a single word about it to anyone else.
After that person left, Han Jie was still uneasy. He set up traps and poisonous plants all over the mountain to intercept ordinary people. He also used Qilin Village as a cover to make Qilin Terrace appear only at midnight. From then on, Qilin Village was bustling with people during the day and desolate and empty at night.
“After midnight, there is neither life nor death.” Xiao Congzhi said upon seeing this.
"Han Jie did this simply to minimize the possibility of mortals obtaining Qilin blood."
"It's not a brilliant move at all," Xiao Congzhi commented sharply.
The scenery before them changed again, with gusts of wind forcing them to close their eyes tightly. When they opened their eyes again, they were back on the dimly lit Qilin Platform, where Han Jie was looking at them with his crimson eyes, and he seemed to have a hint of embarrassment on his face.
Mo Huan spoke first: "Why did you show us the contents of the illusion?"
Han Jie did not answer Mo Huan's question directly, but instead posed a question: "Before coming here, you walked a path where you could not feel each other. What did you see there?"
Feeling only darkness, Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan asked a question for some reason.
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Han Jie didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "On that path, the more someone desires the blood of the Qilin, the more terrifying things they will see, causing them to lose their senses and fall into the abyss. You walked across without any obstacles, so you probably didn't crave the blood of the Qilin."
"As you all say, I am not a particularly clever person. After so many things have happened, I can only do my best to set up checkpoints and obstacles. The mechanisms and poisonous insects and plants of Mount Weiyao are barriers, preventing any possibility of accidental entry. The Qilin Platform only appears at midnight. If you miss it, the villagers, who are neither alive nor dead, will exterminate any wandering people. And even at midnight, without the Soul Lamp to guide you, you cannot find the entrance."
"Soul Lanterns?" Xiao Congzhi recalled the lanterns that had lit up before he came in. Those lanterns were now floating here, but he didn't know why they were called Soul Lanterns.
Han Jie pointed to the dim yellow lanterns hovering there: "These are the ones. Their light comes from the spiritual energy of those villagers. Only those with good hearts can summon them."
"In this way, you will eventually need to traverse the path between the abysses to reach this place. And now that you have arrived here and are about to obtain the Qilin Blood, the contents of this illusion are meant to tell you what the Qilin Blood signifies."
Mo Huan asked curiously, "In the two hundred years since you came here, has anyone else besides us been here?"
Han Jie was quick to answer any question, saying, "Besides the one who wandered in by mistake, it's just the two of you."
Mo Huan feigned sincerity: "Brother Xiao, it seems this is our destiny. We actually managed to meet in a place that no one has visited for two hundred years."
Xiao Congzhi waved his hand and replied with a fake smile, "Brother Mo, you are too kind. You must be a martial arts master to have passed through so many checkpoints. Once we leave Weiyao Mountain, I will definitely inquire about you and make your acquaintance."
"Brother Xiao, you're too kind. We've already entrusted our lives to each other, so why would we need to go to such trouble? If you'd like to become sworn brothers, once we leave Weiyao Mountain, I'll find a place where we can become sworn brothers."
Xiao Congzhi, who had absolutely no intention of becoming sworn brothers with Mo Huan: ...
Mo Huan, who had just made a casual remark, looked at Xiao Congzhi and smiled.
Xiao Congzhi did not want to dwell on this issue any longer, and turned to Han Jie to ask about something that concerned him: "Why did the Demonic Sect later retreat to Mount Heng?"
Han Jie seemed not to hear the bickering between the two in front of him, and only replied, "Xing Feng exchanged spiritual energy with all the experts in the Demonic Sect in order to strengthen the sect."
Mo Huan couldn't help but interrupt, "Change spiritual energy?"
Han Jie nodded and continued, "Xing Feng would pass on the refined Qilin blood spiritual energy to his followers, while simultaneously extracting their spiritual energy. After Xing Feng's death, the spiritual energy was reclaimed by the Qilin blood, along with the energy scattered among the followers. This resulted in insufficient spiritual energy among the followers, leading to their tragic deaths over the next few years. These were the core forces of the Demonic Cult at the time, and without them, the Demonic Cult was already far weaker than before. Furthermore, the deaths of these followers were too bizarre, leading the Demonic Cult to believe it was a curse, causing widespread panic. Later, it seems that a marginal figure surnamed Xie led the remaining followers to retreat to the depths of Youheng Mountain at that critical juncture."
Xiao Congzhi listened and nodded to himself. The Demonic Sect had been causing trouble for three hundred years, and gradually disappeared two hundred years ago. In the last hundred years, no trace of it has been seen in the martial arts world. The timeline matches up.
Xiao Congzhi was lost in thought when Mo Huan beside him urged indifferently, "Alright, can we have the Qilin blood now?"
"Then who should receive them?"
"We're not even considered a group, so we can only get one?" Xiao Congzhi didn't quite understand.
Han Jie nodded, without saying anything more.
Mo Huan leaned close to Xiao Congzhi's ear and whispered, "He just doesn't want to give more. What? Do you really want more?"
In truth, neither Xiao Congzhi nor Mo Huan really wanted the Qilin blood; the darkness along the way had already proven that. But since they had already come all this way, they were reluctant to give it to the other party.
Xiao Congzhi pushed Mo Huan away from his ear, pondered for a moment, and then said with a determined air, "I really want it."
Mo Huan stared into Xiao Congzhi's eyes for a while, then curled the corners of his lips and said casually, "Then I'll give it to you first."
Just as Xiao Congzhi was about to tell Han Jie this, he saw Mo Huan pull out a long knife from his boots and gently stroke it with his thumb.
Xiao Congzhi: ...
"After thinking about it again, I don't think I want it that much." He said each word slowly and deliberately, as if he were gritting his teeth.
With that, Mo Huan smiled and sheathed his long sword, then confidently extended his hand to Han Jie.
Han Jie, who had lived for a thousand years, had never seen such a method before. He paused for a moment before getting up to fetch the Qilin blood.
The blood-red bead was smaller than the one seen in the illusion. Han Jie didn't explain, placed the Qilin blood in Mo Huan's hand, and then waved his sleeve.
In the blink of an eye, Qilin Platform had disappeared. Xiao Congzhi and Mo Huan returned to the open space behind Qilin Village. In the distance, the sun was rising from the horizon.
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