Volume 3 Chapter 79

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Volume 3 Chapter 79: Sealing the Mountain

The starlight was cold, casting on Li Xuhan’s face, making his surroundings appear gloomier, as if while enduring the soul’s pain, an infinite darkness was also gradually engulfing him.

What kind of pain was he enduring beneath that peaceful and calm expression? Soul tearing, a term only used when a cultivator makes the most sinister oaths and curses. When he dies, even his soul will disappear, leaving him without even a next life.

Could it be that this master who accompanied and protected him for centuries, who painstakingly cared for the old Jiuhua Mountain, this legendary figure of Jiuhua, is truly going to gradually weaken and even die from soul tearing?

As this feeling grew stronger, an overwhelming fear surged in Zhang Hualing’s heart.

"Is there really less than a hundred years left?"

After learning that Li Xuhan used the "Soul Annihilation Technique" on him, Zhang Hualing felt sadness and grief for his master’s impending death, but even more, he was filled with fear and confusion, and he felt a bit lost.

From a young age, Zhang Hualing grew up by Li Xuhan’s side. Li Xuhan raised him, taught him how to cultivate immortality, how to live, and four hundred years ago, when facing competition from Zhou Huahai and Xiao Huazhe, it was Li Xuhan who helped him ascend to the throne of Master of Jiuhua. It’s fair to say that Zhang Hualing has been accustomed to having Li Xuhan silently support him for hundreds of years.

During his years as sect leader, Zhang Hualing has been most praised for his composure and calmness, no matter what changes occurred on Jiuhua Mountain, as if he always had a plan.

This was because Zhang Hualing knew he had a master behind him with unmatched wisdom and strength, silently supporting him. Therefore, he never felt hopeless or anxious in the face of any change, even when he was criticized on Huandao Island, he handled it with ease and grace.

However, this also made Zhang Hualing unsure if he could lead Jiuhua Mountain forward without Li Xuhan someday.

The thought was something Zhang Hualing hardly dared to imagine.

It’s almost laughable to think of Zhang Hualing, as the leader of one of the six great Holy Lands, the Jiuhua Gate, a top cultivator in the cultivation world, over eight hundred years old and a sect leader for nearly four hundred years, but still so attached to his master. Yet, it’s a fact.

Perhaps no matter how noble Zhang Hualing’s status becomes, or how powerful he grows, in front of Li Xuhan, he remains the naive boy who once served by Li Xuhan’s side, looking at his master Li Xuhan with worshipful eyes.

Seeing the trace of bewilderment on Zhang Hualing’s face, Li Xuhan, who had taught him for hundreds of years, immediately understood his thoughts.

To tell the truth, Jiuhua Mountain has come this far largely under Zhang Xusheng’s control. He is very worried about the future of Jiuhua Mountain after his death. Fortunately, he made some changes to the heart, ensuring that Jiuhua Mountain won’t face significant turmoil for hundreds of years. With this time, Jiuhua Mountain can produce dozens of Condensed Core Stage masters, and with luck, even some Mahayana Stage grandmasters. But without his quiet guardianship, he is still uneasy.

Now, Li Xuhan is most worried about the great calamity that has been rumored in the cultivation world for thousands of years. Every 2,800 years, a huge disaster occurs in the cultivation world, sparing almost no sect or cultivator. And now, only sixty years remain until the next fabled calamity, and Li Xuhan fears what Jiuhua will do when faced with it.

Sixty years from now, if Li Xuhan, continuously tormented by soul pain, is still alive, he’s afraid he won’t be able to help Jiuhua at all.

Despite his worries, Li Xuhan showed no sign of it on his face, as he knew it would only make Zhang Hualing less confident. So he quietly watched the solemn-looking Zhang Hualing and slowly asked, "Ling’er, what are you worried about?"

Hearing Li Xuhan’s question, Zhang Hualing was slightly stunned. Seeing Li Xuhan’s gaze, Zhang Hualing lowered his head slightly and softly replied, "I feel that now that Jiuhua’s strength has greatly diminished, it will be very difficult to cope with the future changes in the cultivation world."

Li Xuhan smiled faintly and said, "Is that all you’re worried about? I think you’re actually worried that after my death, you won’t be able to lead this weakened Jiuhua Mountain forward, right?"

Zhang Hualing lowered his head even more, without refuting, clearly agreeing with Li Xuhan’s judgment.

Li Xuhan sighed softly and asked, "Why do you have so little confidence in yourself?"

Zhang Hualing was slightly surprised, thought for a moment, and said, "Jiuhua’s strength is now greatly reduced, and the situation in the cultivation world is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Master, you can only guide me for less than a hundred years. I’m afraid with my own strength, I can’t protect Jiuhua Mountain completely."

Li Xuhan gave a slight smile and said, "Why don’t you have confidence in your own abilities? For the past four hundred years, you’ve done quite well as the sect leader."

"That’s because with you as my mentor, I have confidence in everything I do. Even if I make a mistake, you are there to correct and help me," Zhang Hualing said.

Li Xuhan smiled again and asked, "But have you really made any mistakes over these four hundred years? Apart from staying alive atop Jiuhua Mountain, what have I guided you with?"

Hearing Li Xuhan’s words, Zhang Xusheng was taken aback again.

Li Xuhan continued, "Since the anomaly at Jiuhua Mountain eight hundred years ago, when its strength declined, how have others viewed Jiuhua Mountain? And now? What do they say about it?"

Li Xuhan paused and then said, "Eight hundred years ago, they said that Jiuhua Mountain might be removed from the Holy Land and even from the cultivation world due to that anomaly. But in the four hundred years since you became the sect leader, how do others view us now? They say Jiuhua Mountain has gradually been reviving over these four hundred years and will soon regain its former glory from eight hundred years ago. What does this mean?"

Just as Zhang Hualing was about to speak, Li Xuhan quickly continued, "What does it mean? It shows that, as a sect leader, you’re much more capable than I am. Jiuhua Mountain has started to revive because of your correct guidance. Though our strength has greatly diminished, it’s nothing compared to eight hundred years ago. For you, it’s just like starting anew. So what is there to worry about?"

With Li Xuhan’s words, Zhang Hualing’s eyes gradually regained some spark, and he bowed to Li Xuhan, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, master. I have learned a lot."

Seeing Zhang Hualing finally regain his confidence, a hint of relief flashed in Li Xuhan’s eyes. Li Xuhan always knew that his long presence had kept Zhang Hualing living in his shadow. Although fearless in action, his abilities were somewhat dampened unknowingly. After this conversation, Li Xuhan believed Zhang Hualing would be able to step out of the shadow and showcase his true talents sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Li Xuhan spoke in a deep voice, "Jiuhua Mountain is in such decline, and I can say that the greatest reason is because of me. I was too lenient with Zhang Xusheng back then and too soft-hearted when chasing him 800 years ago. So, in your future endeavors, do not feel pressured; proceed with confidence. I will take responsibility for all consequences. As long as you do your best with a clear conscience, even if Jiuhua truly declines, you can still face the ancestors of Jiuhua without shame after your death."

Hearing Li Xuhan’s words, Zhang Hualing’s body shook sharply, and he suddenly understood Li Xuhan’s intentions.

The reason Li Xuhan disregarded the excruciating pain and the soul’s corrosion to use the "Soul Annihilation Technique" is likely because he feared facing Jiuhua’s ancestors after his own death.

Although Zhang Hualing understood Li Xuhan’s thoughts, he didn’t openly express it. Instead, he said worriedly, "As you mentioned, Zhang Xusheng may not pose a threat to Jiuhua Mountain for centuries, and other sects might refrain from acting against us for the time being. But I am concerned about the next calamity in the cultivation world, which is less than sixty years away. At that time, with my abilities and Jiuhua’s current strength, I fear it will be difficult to ensure safety."

Li Xuhan nodded slightly, having anticipated this issue, and after some thought, calmly said, "In that case, once the ‘Nine Pole Array’ is repaired, Jiuhua will seal itself off."

Hearing Li Xuhan’s words, Zhang Hualing’s body shook again. After frowning in thought for a long time, he finally nodded and said, "Let’s do as you suggest, Master."

In the cultivation world, when a sect seals itself off, it means temporarily withdrawing from the world, cutting all ties, and no longer participating in any activities. It’s a severe blow to the sect’s reputation. No sect would consider sealing off unless absolutely necessary.

For Jiuhua Mountain, sealing off has another meaning: reversing the ‘Nine Pole Array,’ thus tripling its power. Few, if any, forces in the cultivation world could breach it. However, the downside is that while outsiders can’t enter, Jiuhua’s people can’t leave until the array operates normally again.

Sealing off was a last resort, but to preserve Jiuhua Mountain, it might be the only choice. After all, the continuation of Jiuhua’s legacy is the most important thing.

Though it is said that no sect in the cultivation world can escape the great calamities throughout history, sealing the mountain could at least prevent Jiuhua Mountain from being drawn into the disaster at the very beginning. Looking at the history of the cultivation world, it is not hard to see that the sects most severely affected by calamities are often those that get involved first; joining the fray a day later would slightly reduce the danger for Jiuhua.

Thinking of this, even though he knew the significant impact sealing the mountain would have on Jiuhua Mountain’s reputation, he still agreed without hesitation.

After Zhang Hualing agreed, Li Xuhan nodded slightly and said, "Let’s go back."

As he spoke, Li Xuhan was the first to fly towards the "Nine Pole Array," and Zhang Hualing quickly followed.

"After sealing the mountain, I will return to the top of Jiuhua Mountain to the ‘Herb Garden.’ You can handle all matters of Jiuhua Mountain as you see fit; I trust you’ll do a good job," Li Xuhan said to Zhang Hualing as he flew into Jiuhua Mountain.

"Yes," Zhang Hualing replied.

After a slight hesitation, Li Xuhan added, "Among the disciples with the surname ‘Qing,’ the one named Xu Qingfan, don’t assign him any tasks in the coming years. Let him come to the top of Jiuhua Mountain to spend more time with me."

Zhang Hualing was slightly surprised, not understanding when Li Xuhan had become acquainted with Xu Qingfan and valued him so highly, but still responded, "Yes, I will arrange it when I return."

As Zhang Hualing’s voice faded, their figures gradually disappeared into the boundless black mist of the "Nine Pole Array."

…

At a distance of three thousand miles north of Jiuhua Mountain, on an ordinary hill, two beams of light, one purple and one white, suddenly descended. When the light faded, it revealed Zhang Xusheng and the person in purple robes who had rescued him earlier.

This person in purple was completely covered by a long purple robe, hiding their face. The edges of the robe were adorned with golden patterns and several golden bells, which jingled with a haunting melody as they moved. On the robe were the bold characters "Ming", catching the eye. On their finger was a ring with a mysterious and ancient design, inscribed with the character "Xuan".

After landing, the person in purple glanced at Zhang Xusheng and smiled slightly, saying, "Huang, it was just Jiuhua Mountain, why are you in such a mess?"

Their voice carried a peculiar melody, full of age and wisdom, and though the words might seem mocking, they didn’t feel disdainful at all.

Zhang Xusheng snorted coldly as his body flashed with light. When the glow faded, his attire changed to match exactly with the person in purple, except the ring on his hand bore the character "黄(Huang)".

"Hmph, I could have handled this myself. How was it necessary for you to help? And wearing our organization’s clothes to Jiuhua Mountain, aren’t you afraid of attracting the attention of other cultivators in the cultivation world? If our organization is exposed, let’s see what you’ll do then," said Zhang Xusheng, unappreciative and aloof.

The person called Xuan said calmly, "If wearing the organization’s clothes exposes us, what about your unauthorized actions without organization consent? Do you realize the commotion you’ve caused? Almost every Mahayana cultivator across the Shenzhou Continent has been alerted. Had I not pulled you away sooner, at least seven Mahayana cultivators would have arrived at Jiuhua Mountain, and then you wouldn’t have had a chance to escape. If you were captured by them, wouldn’t the risk of exposing our organization be even greater?"

Zhang Xusheng frowned and said coldly, "You must understand, I joined the organization only because I gain certain benefits, but that doesn’t mean I’ve sold myself to it. When the organization isn’t acting collectively, I have the freedom to do as I please. As for those Mahayana Stage experts rushing over, do you think I wasn’t aware? I naturally had a plan to escape and didn’t need your help."

Xuan wasn’t angry; he just smiled and said, "We have sixteen people in our group. Besides ‘Tian’ and ‘Earth,’ who didn’t join for personal gain? But because of this, exposing the group won’t benefit any of us. You’ve already got your heart this time, so before the next catastrophe, don’t go causing trouble at Jiuhua Mountain again to avoid more complications."

Zhang Xusheng snorted again, tearing open his purple robe. He reached into the wound on his left chest and pulled out the "Skyscanner Sword" of Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, casually tossing it to Xuan. He said, "I knew you would want to join in the excitement, but I don’t want to owe you. Haven’t you been looking for a good sword? This ‘Skyscanner Sword’ isn’t bad. Consider it your reward."

Admiring the "Skyscanner Sword" in his hand, Xuan marveled, "What a fine sword! I thought it was lost to time." Then Xuan said to Zhang Xusheng, "Yellow deserves his reputation; foresight as always. He must have known before attacking Jiuhua that I would show up, right?"

Zhang Xusheng completely ignored Xuan’s praise, simply waved his right hand, and the strangely pulsating heart appeared in his hand. As it stopped its movement, Zhang Xusheng’s eyes flashed with joy. After inspecting it carefully, he sent it toward his chest wound.

As the heart neared the wound, the blood mist within surged even more vigorously. Once the heart was placed inside, an intense and strange wave emanated from Zhang Xusheng’s wound, and as the blood mist enveloped the heart, a strong blood-red light suddenly flashed over the wound.

The light was eerie yet dazzling, seemingly able to absorb the soul. It slowly dimmed after a long while. Once the light had faded, Zhang Xusheng’s left chest was smooth like a baby’s skin, with the previous terrifying wound completely gone.

Xuan kept stroking the "Skyscanner Sword," his eyes filled with delight. Seeing the transformation in Zhang Xusheng had ended, he put away the sword, raised his hands, and said, "Congratulations! With your heart restored, it seems all your years of research are about to come to fruition. Then, I fear even I won’t be a match for you."

Zhang Xusheng smiled arrogantly, about to say something, but his expression suddenly changed. The Spirit Qi within him began to churn chaotically. Terrifying wails and cries echoed from inside him, growing louder and more horrifying. His face turned multicolored, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Seeing Zhang Xusheng’s sudden change, Xuan’s expression also shifted dramatically, and he quickly asked, "Yellow, what’s wrong with you?"

Zhang Xusheng’s face was pale, but a murderous aura kept building and fluctuating in his eyes. After a long while, he said fiercely, "The ‘Holy Spirit Stone’! He actually placed a ‘Holy Spirit Stone’ in this heart, a stone specifically used to counteract evil energy and vengeful spirits! This was to disrupt the balance of spirits and blood within me. Quite a clever tactic, it even managed to escape my detection earlier. But do you really think this will stop me? Brother Li, you underestimate me. Before the next catastrophe, I will have completely defiled this Holy Spirit Stone, and then I will double the pain you’ve caused me onto your Jiuhua Mountain."

As he spoke, Zhang Xusheng paid no attention to the person beside him, Xuan. His body suddenly transformed into a gust of blood-red wind, quickly flying off into the distance, disappearing from Xuan’s sight in the blink of an eye.

Watching Zhang Xusheng’s silhouette fade away, Xuan’s expression was complicated. After a long while, Xuan sighed slightly, and suddenly, a purple glow enveloped him. When the light dispersed, his figure instantly vanished.

…

While Li Xuhan and Zhang Xusheng were both plotting their next moves, in a certain corner of Jiuhua Mountain, nearly a thousand bodies were piled together. Each looked strange, resembling monsters; they were the low-level demons under Zhang Xusheng’s command who had perished at Jiuhua.

At some unknown time, a mist gradually rose around the pile of bodies. As soon as it touched the bodies of the three Jiuhua disciples guarding the demon corpses, they fell into a deep, powerless slumber.

Beside the fainted Jiuhua disciples, the mist gradually coalesced and formed a human shape. Its appearance was like that of a serpent demon; it was Snake Guard Number 33 under Zhang Xusheng’s command.

Number 33 fixed his gaze on a certain spot in the pile of bodies and bowed, saying, "Master Xuan Luo, Snake Guard Number 33 reporting."

As Number 33’s voice fell, one of the supposedly lifeless bodies suddenly opened its eyes wide—it was Bao Qingfang, who had already taken his own life!

…

Behind Jiuhua Mountain, at Xu Qingfan’s cave.

After Xu Qingfan gently offered guidance during their conversations, Jin Qinghan, Li Yuhan, and Sheng Yushan felt much better. Shortly after, Ting’er woke up from her fainting. Upon waking, she didn’t ask any questions, but kept looking at Xu Qingfan’s slightly bent right leg and the scar on his face. Xu Qingfan wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed a hint of concern flashed quickly in Ting’er’s eyes.

Xu Qingfan gently patted Ting’er’s head and said in a comforting voice, "It’s okay, my leg will heal in a while."

Although he said this, Xu Qingfan still felt a bit downhearted because while his leg could heal, the scar on his face, caused by severe poison corrosion, was permanent. Although Xu Qingfan did not usually care about his appearance, he still felt uncomfortable sensing the scar on his face.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s kind attitude towards Ting’er, a complex expression flashed in Jin Qinghan’s eyes. He still did not fully trust Ting’er but felt there was nothing appropriate to say.

Li Yuhan, unaware of the past conflicts between Xu Qingfan and Ting’er, simply looked at the starry and moonlit sky outside, the calm night breeze, and reminisced about the intense battle that had just ended, and remarked, "It’s finally over."

Xu Qingfan smiled and said, "Yes, it’s finally over. We cultivators should not get involved in so many conflicts; focusing on cultivating is the right path."

Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, the other three nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a beam of light flashed across the sky and quickly descended in front of Xu Qingfan’s cave. It turned out to be Elder Jiuhua, his white hair draped over his shoulders.

The elder glanced at the four and paused briefly on Xu Qingfan and Ting’er, who had strange patterns on his face, then solemnly said, "Li Yuhan, Sheng Yushan, both of you proceed to Linghua Hall at once; the Sect Master wishes to see you. Jin Qinghan, your master is also looking for you."

At this point, the elder’s eyes flickered with a hint of strangeness, and he said to Xu Qingfan, "Xu Qingfan, head to the ‘Herb Garden’ at the top of Jiuhua Mountain right away. Martial Brother Liu in the Herb Garden wishes to see you."

Upon hearing the elder’s words, Xu Qingfan and the others exchanged puzzled glances. Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan had a trace of unease in their eyes, yet they bowed and complied.

One chapter had concluded in turmoil, but isn’t the so-called end just the beginning of another story?