Chapter 27
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 27: Bai Lian’s Path
Erosion Sand.
A nature’s gift.
It is said that Erosion Sand can only be found at the edge of the river of time.
Rumor has it that the passage of time is like a long river, and it takes a million years for a single grain of Erosion Sand to form.
But rumors are just rumors, and no one has ever confirmed this.
However, An Lan knows.
Erosion Sand truly holds the power to wear away the path of the Great Tao!
No need for too much—one grain is enough.
That seemingly insignificant grain of sand, falling on the heads of ordinary people, is far more terrifying than the sky falling.
Even if the soul of an Immortal Emperor is bound to it, it will quickly wither, becoming a remnant in the endless river of time.
At that moment, He Bukong crushed the crystal.
Dots of light emanated from the Erosion Sand, stirring up a great storm—vastly different from anything seen in the past, especially in the Sand Region.
This was a disaster inseparable from time: warping, corrosion, and termination!
The dark wind blew in gusts.
Even the Tide of Resentment, which opened its mouth to swallow the Sand Region, dug out a huge hole at the moment of contact.
The yellow sand spread across the ground, unable to escape unscathed.
In the final moments, it twisted and turned into fertile black soil.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it completely dissolved into nothingness in a chaotic struggle.
Chaos.
Space was in disarray.
Time had gone haywire.
Here, there was no up or down, no left or right.
No past, no present.
Everything had lost its rightful appearance.
Fortunately, the full power of Erosion Sand had not yet been released, or Xiwu City would have been wiped out in an instant.
That would surely have been an irreversible end.
Even so, the situation in Xiwu City had not improved much.
An Lan’s shield shattered with a crack.
The Tide of Resentment, ever adept at finding the smallest gaps, thrust its “tentacles” in firmly, without hesitation.
Poof—
The people near the cave entrance were suddenly shattered.
The red and black tide began to churn and mix together.
Once the tentacles swell to a certain size, they will become uncontrollable, submerging the entire Xiwu City.
But An Lan had no time to attend to such matters.
Her focus was entirely on the sleeping Bai Lian.
Actually…
Despite her lower cultivation compared to before,
If she were willing to pay a little price, she could still avoid the effects of the Erosion Sand.
But she didn’t want to leave.
She didn’t know what had happened to Bai Lian.
She tried to search for Bai Lian’s consciousness, but no matter how hard she looked… she couldn’t find it.
This was something An Lan had never encountered before.
The unknown was terrifying.
Even though she had once been the Immortal Heavenly Lord, unmatched in the world, she still felt flustered—flustered like a young girl about to be abandoned by the one she loved most.
She couldn’t bear it.
She was afraid.
And so, she dared not move.
She wasn’t brave enough to take Bai Lian and wander aimlessly, unsure of what had happened. She feared that a single wrong move might cause Bai Lian to never return.
That would be a disaster more terrifying than the Immeasurable Disaster.
An Lan wanted to stay. No matter what happened, she would stay by Bai Lian’s side.
She believed Bai Lian would surely return.
Because…
“Wasn’t it like this before too?”
She always faced danger and always rushed into it.
Even though she was hurt, she would return in the end.
An Lan held Bai Lian tightly.
Not only did this protect her, but it also calmed An Lan’s frantic heart.
It was quiet.
So quiet that she couldn’t hear even the faintest roar of the storm or He Bukong’s wild laughter.
Actually…
It hurt a little.
An Lan thought.
But this pain was nothing to speak of.
She just felt the softness of Bai Lian’s mouth, just looked sideways at Bai Lian’s quiet profile.
In that moment, she felt that everything she was experiencing was nothing.
Isn’t it just a way of the Great Tao that might be eroded?
She has eight paths of the Great Tao within her body. Even if she gave one to each of her disciples and the jade rabbit, she’d still have two for herself.
Alas.
Does that mean it’s even more impossible to kill the Red Dust Heavenly Lord after losing one path of the Great Tao?
An Lan never considered issues with such far-reaching consequences.
She couldn’t even leave the small East Divine Land right now, let alone think of taking down the Red Dust Heavenly Lord.
Cherish…
The people in front of you.
An Lan hugged Bai Lian tighter, almost as though she were trying to merge with her body.
Her fingers left indentations on Bai Lian’s bum.
[There should be no problem.]
Bai Lian, who had lost consciousness, wouldn’t know what had been done.
Behind her, a brilliant white light rose.
The white light clashed with the brown fog flowing from the Erosion Sand. Despite its brilliance, the white light eventually shattered, helpless against the oncoming tide.
The brown fog rushed in.
An Lan’s coat was instantly corroded.
Her snow-like skin could not escape the misfortune.
Under the brown mist’s erosion, her skin, flesh, and bones were worn away, reborn, and worn again in a continuous cycle.
No one knew when the storm of Erosion Sand would end.
Time in this area was growing increasingly chaotic.
People in Xiwu City noticed something unusual.
Even Bai Lian, trapped in Sun Fuguang’s To Heart for so long, could see it.
“That’s…”
Bai Lian, who had been clenching her fists in frustration, raised her head.
She saw a glaring red light suddenly appear in the sky, which had previously been gray and black.
No.
Rather than calling it a red light, it was more fitting to describe it as a surging tide of blood!
The tide ebbed and flowed, as though it would drown the entire Shangyang Immortal Sect at any moment.
Any normal person would have sensed something was wrong.
And Bai Lian was no exception.
Bad.
She began pacing back and forth, unable to calm herself.
She wanted to step back, to think of a solution as she always did.
But every time she thought of her master, her mind raced with worry. Could the disasters here be caused by disturbances outside?
If so, would her master be facing a huge crisis?
And what about her third Martial Sister, Hong Yi, Martial Sister Lu, and so many others?
How could she hide here by herself? She had to go out, she had to act immediately!
This brought her back to the same problem.
Bai Lian couldn’t think of any way to escape.
There was no path forward, and she couldn’t even find her way back.
She knew how to enter and exit other people’s souls, but this was her first time navigating someone’s Tao Heart.
Why me?
Bai Lian felt an overwhelming frustration.
She couldn’t understand why she was brought to Sun Fuguang’s Tao Heart.
Was it a coincidence?
Or had someone deliberately placed her here?
Ugh, ugh, ugh…
Bai Lian cursed inwardly, wishing only to stay by her master’s side and return with her to find her third Martial Sister.
After all, this was Sun Fuguang’s Tao Heart—even though it was already broken, its shards still held a strange power, and Bai Lian could feel something odd.
“Actually…”
Sun Fuguang, who had been sitting there with a smile, suddenly spoke, his smile fading.
“?!”
Bai Lian, pacing back and forth, stopped suddenly. She looked at Sun Fuguang in confusion.
Sun Fuguang said, “I have a way that might let you get out of here.”
“Really?”
Bai Lian widened her eyes.
Her agitated heart began to calm.
Sun Fuguang didn’t answer immediately. He stood and began walking slowly across the empty space before the great hall.
Step by step, he moved with a kind of wistful longing in his eyes.
Bai Lian realized that Sun Fuguang was recollecting the years he spent in the Shangyang Immortal Sect.
It had been 3000 years—a long, long time.
She didn’t rush him.
It wouldn’t be polite to interrupt someone’s memories.
Finally, Sun Fuguang arrived at a stone carving of an animal near the great hall.
Pa.
He patted the stone creature’s back, the sound crisp and clear.
“This is the ancestor beast of our Shangyang Immortal Sect.”
His voice was filled with nostalgia.
Bai Lian nodded, sensing the significance of the stone beast.
It seemed formidable. If you gazed at it for too long, it felt as if it could come to life.
Sun Fuguang sighed, “The ancestor beast is known as the Warden of the Prison, but its character and appearance are completely opposite. There is no gentler Void Space Beast in this world than it.”
Void Space Beast?
Bai Lian felt a little embarrassed. She could only identify a few demonic beasts.
Sun Fuguang’s gaze softened. “I joined the Shangyang Immortal Sect when I was six. My comprehension was poor, and I was just an uncared-for outer disciple. When I hit a bottleneck in my cultivation, my Martial Brothers laughed at me. One night, I wandered along the small path in the back mountain…”
Bai Lian listened quietly.
She should have been annoyed by Sun Fuguang’s incessant chatter, but for some reason, she wasn’t.
In fact, it felt like a ceremony—a very solemn ceremony.
“I later found out that there were three magic arrays on the way. Not to mention a rookie like me, even the Sect Leader would need to use his imprint to break through the magic arrays in order to reach the end of the road.”
After all, you became the Sect Leader of Shangyang Immortal Sect later.
Bai Lian said, “So that’s it…”
Sun Fuguang nodded with a smile, “I only found out after a long time. From the moment I stepped on the path, the ancestor beast had noticed me. Originally, the ancestor beast intended to use an illusion array to send me away, but after seeing me kicking the pebbles in distress, it changed its mind…”
That night.
The moon was bright and stars were few.
The back mountain of the Shangyang Immortal Sect was quiet and silent.
Bathing in the clear moonlight as if it were water ripples, trudging through the small path with its dense tree shadows, after circling a few lush green trees, Sun Fuguang arrived at a piece of empty land sandwiched between two cliffs.
“That is a scene I can’t forget even until now.”
Purple energy, flowing water, broken stones, fireflies…
And a “beast” lying on the ground yawning!
Clap.
I was so scared that I crawled away.
Sun Fuguang laughed, “But the ancestor beast was not angry at my insolence. It soothed my emotions, pointed me to cultivate, and accompanied me for an hour of chat. It told me about its past and it told me about the master’s past.”
If possible, I wish I could go back to that time.
“I’m not the most special one, many people from Shangyang Immortal Sect have seen the ancestor beast in similar ways, but this experience has completely changed my life. In order to be able to meet the ancestor beast in a fair and honest way, I have done my best to become the most special one.”
“…”
Bai Lian felt that Sun Fuguang’s smile was somewhat familiar, as if it were the same as when she gently caressed her Martial Sister’s hair.
To describe it in words, perhaps it is [Happiness].
That happiness was later broken.
That day.
The Immortal descended.
It broke through the protective magic array of Shangyang Immortal Sect, bringing an irreversible disaster!
From Sun Fuguang’s account, Bai Lian can get a clearer picture of how terrible the war was.
When speaking, Sun Fuguang’s eyes were red, and he was clenching his fists as if he wanted to puncture his own palms.
He growled in a hoarse voice, “I couldn’t do anything! I could only watch helplessly as all that I value was destroyed and that Immortal left after doing evil as if nothing happened. So I hate, I hate that Immortal, I hate this mysterious fate, I hate the unfair heaven’s way, I hate this world, I hate…”
At this moment, Sun Fuguang was no longer as kind and generous as before.
He gritted his teeth, he was furious and crowned with wrath, he was like a wild beast that could go mad at any moment.
Bai Lian stepped back, fully prepared to battle Sun Fuguang.
But to her surprise, Sun Fuguang finally loosened his fist slowly.
That loosening of his body relieved all the pent-up emotions.
Just…
The vitality on him seemed to have left with his stubbornness.
He turned his back to Bai Lian, his waist slightly bent, he looked like an old man ready to die!
Bai Lian opened her mouth slightly.
She suddenly had a bad feeling.
“Aigh.” Sun Fuguang sighed, “Truth be told, I hate myself even more for being so powerless. I am the sect leader of Shangyang Immortal Sect, yet I can’t even keep it safe.”
Bai Lian said immediately, “It’s not your fault.”
Sun Fuguang shook his head, “I understand what you mean, you don’t have to explain it to me anymore. For three thousand years, I have already figured out what I should think.”
“…”
Bai Lian had nothing to say.
She saw Sun Fuguang turn towards her.
She also saw Sun Fuguang’s face light up again with the smile of an Elder.
“In fact, this is also good, because there have already been enough people who died because of that thing, and there is no need to involve more innocent people.”
“But…”
“I want to die but cannot, living like this is quite boring. I have no future anymore, the only things I can rely on are my memories. If I can make a contribution to Mingzhou after I die, it would be my way to repay Mingzhou for raising me from Shangyang Immortal Sect.”
Sure enough.
“Come on, pierce me with the sword in your hand!” Sun Fuguang spread out his arms, exposing his chest without reservations.
“This is my Tao Heart. If I die, it’s possible it will die too and then you will be able to leave. With luck, maybe we can even stop the Hate Cauldron – after all the Tide of Resentment this time was triggered by the hatred in my heart.”
Bai Lian looked down at the Dirt Free Sword in her hand.
Really?
Is it really the case that if she kills Sun Fuguang, she can leave here?
It looks like Sun Fuguang has fully given up resisting, she just needs to thrust her sword forward in order to complete the goal.
Of course, the premise is that she has to break through the red light wall in front of her.
Actually, it’s not that hard either – a low-grade Immortal Spirit Stone would be enough to help her break through the barrier.
Bai Lian’s mind was filled with images of her master and Martial Sisters smiling, before they were quickly replaced by another image of herself.
She knows that what she saw was “Bai Lian” in the game.
If it were her, there would be no hesitation at all right now.
Kill a person, so what?
But…
Bai Lian’s hands trembling on the sword.
She’s different!
She doesn’t have as strong of a heart as that “Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian”.
She is afraid of death, and she is also afraid of other people dying.
Before arriving in this mysterious and unpredictable world, she was just starting to open the doors of society and had yet to witness the cruel realities of life.
She was too afraid to even kill fish or chickens, let alone a harmless person.
Even though she has been wandering around the world for nearly seven years, even though she has seen countless killings and disputes, even though she can be angry and crazy to punch someone.
She still couldn’t easily thrust her sword into a body that should not die.
You should know that she has killed so few people that they can be counted on one hand.
And Sun Fuguang can’t guarantee that she will be able to leave here if she kills him.
Even if he is dead, his Tao Heart may not necessarily disappear.
When the time finally arrived, Bai Lian knew she would definitely regret it.
She understands.
Although Sun Fuguang said he didn’t want to live anymore, the reality is not so.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep lingering around here.
He made such a decision only because he saw her restlessness.
“Sorry.”
Bai Lian sighed.
She suddenly wasn’t quite sure what it was that she wanted.
Is it to save her master?
Since she wanted to save her master, why did she take so much effort to consider the details?
Use everything that is available to you to push away any obstacles in your way, doesn’t that make it easier?
Bai Lian opened the system interface.
That [Morality: None] is extremely eye-catching.
Actually, she had been feeling puzzled about this for a long time; she didn’t want to criticize the system for defaming her.
It is obvious that the system panel was made based on the game interface of “The Battle of the Gods”.
In “The Battle of the Gods,” usually a -10 to 10 scale is used to measure the morality of players.
Bai Lian remembers clearly that in order to unlock her Master’s pure love line, not only can she not do bad things to her Master and Martial Sisters, but she must also maintain a moral level of 6 points or above at all times.
“Killing just one Sun Fuguang shouldn’t drop my real moral standards below 6.”
Bai Lian murmured softly.
She reached out and pressed her left chest.
She could feel her heart pounding, and she seemed to be able to detect the warmth emanating from her master.
She took a deep breath.
She clenched the Dirt Free Sword.
She looked at Sun Fuguang’s hunched figure.
She stepped forward.
Her hand clutching the sword eventually dropped down.
In that moment, a new system task suddenly appeared in front of her.
[Task 1: Kill Sun Fuguang (Reward: +12 Hard Skill)]
[Task 2: Find an alternate route (Reward: +8 Focus)]
“Is this a reminder for me?”
Bai Lian lowered her head and looked at her plain chest.
Suddenly she noticed that the pendant hung around her neck was glowing with a soft light, almost like a hug from her master.
She slowly took out the glimmering thing in the pendant; it was a lamp.
Bai Lian recognized it–it was the Nightless Lamp, a system reward after she promised her master for accompanying her.
She carried the lamp and she turned around, looking out towards the valley.
She saw a new road appearing out of the endless darkness at some point.
That’s right.
Bai Lian smiled.
She said, “I believe there is more than one way out.”
“You…”
Sun Fuguang wanted to say something else, but Bai Lian had already gone down that road.
