Archfiend

Chapter 243: Final Resolution (1)

“It’s ‘Senior Thousandedge’.” No longer masking his identity, Thousandedge faced upwards and cackled wildly. In the wake of his mad laughter, his face swiftly transformed. In less than five seconds, Thousandedge, a branch master of the Featherwood Guard who Xu Yangyi had heard much about, was already standing in front of him and Quan Ningyue! Waves of Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure swept the ground like autumn winds, impeding the duo’s breathing!

Worldly affairs followed each other cyclically. He had waited for so long… Three years, a whole three years! To ultimately accomplish this! Just as he had said to Nameless, if he couldn’t do so, then there were none in the world that could!

“How did you get here?” Xu Yangyi asked lowly and fiercely grinded his teeth. Blood overflowed his mouth, like spring water.

“No screams or madness… Tsk, tsk… To my surprise, this gorgeous curtain call finds itself without the most important musical instrument. How truly disappointing.” Thousandedge gazed deeply at Xu Yangyi, and his smiled vanished. “Commander Xu, you still haven’t passed out now, how rare indeed… For a man about to die, I will be good for once.”

“Just as the Xingtian Legion set out, I too secretly arrived in Longsu Province.” Thousandedge looked coldly into Xu Yangyi’s eyes, but the regret and astonishment that he’d anticipated didn’t emerge. He said somewhat disappointedly, “In the end, that heavenbound door restricted cultivators above Qi Condensation from entering. But…”

He said sinisterly, “While over a thousand entered… who among the clans—no less than several thousand to nearly ten thousand people—would pay attention to the Xingtian Legion? Was there anyone not making the final preparations for their own clan?”

“Besides This Throne… my gaze never left you. But by no stretch of the imagination did I expect that none of you went through the heavenbound door!” Thousandedge looked at Xu Yangyi like he was looking at a dead man. “I’ve waited here for a full several days. You finally came out… Truly, using this place as your burial ground can be no more beautiful.”

“HAHAHA!” 

Before he even finished laughing, Xu Yangyi’s hearty laughter rang out at the same time. Thousandedge’s smile vanished, and he looked coldly at Xu Yangyi. “Did you know… from the very first time I laid eyes upon you, your arrogance sickened me.”

“Now…” Thousandedge looked on at Xu Yangyi pitifully. “Kneel down and plead for all of my past penances. Perhaps I will grant you an insect’s death… instead of having your limbs strewn apart by five horses.”

Boom! Thousandedge’s voice yet to fall, a spiritual pressure erupted with a rumble. With a raging scream, a ray of blue spiritual light rushed straight at him!

Thousandedge’s expression didn’t change. There wasn’t even so much as a stir. The spiritual light exploded at the side of his body, and he dimly brushed an eye over the roughly panting Quan Ningyue. “Insect… you should understand your status. Kneel down and wait for death. I will leave you with a complete corpse. This can be considered face and respect for Grandmaster Gao Muya.”

“Thousandedge…” Without any misgivings, Xu Yangyi sat on the ground and covered his wound. His mouth oozing with blood, he smiled wretchedly. “Have you ever heard…”

“Oh?” Thousandedge smiled and said.

“That the reason why the villain loses…” Xu Yangyi wiped away at the blood at the corner of his mouth, and also stared at Thousandedge like he was looking at a dead man. “Is because he talks too much!”

Thousandedge’s brows slightly furrowed. In this twinkling, he suddenly realized that on the ground, over a dozen meters below his feet… there was surprisingly another silhouette! At the same time, a sense of extreme danger instinctively raked across his spiritual sense. He was almost without consideration, his vision shrinking back and his hands forming seals! In a flash, he vanished from where he stood!

CHOMP! At the same moment he dodged, a terribly massive mouth, over a full meter in size, snapped down at his original position! Thousandedge could even hear the crunching sound of teeth echo in the air!

At the same time, his figure floated over to the other side. His hand fluttered gently, and a beam of white qi screamed forth. Like arcing electricity, it went to his original position. Halfway through the beam’s flight, it swiftly transformed into a dagger emitting spiritual force!

Swish! In a spark of flint, the dagger had already reached Thousandedge’s original position. Soon afterwards, the knife split from one into two, from two into three, and from three into a flight of daggers. All of them formed silver blades of spiritual light that were the size of willow leaves. Silver blades soared all over the sky, and formed a spiritual force cage that was roughly four to five meters in radius! Spirit blades shuttled back to and fro. If a person was within this blade frenzy, they were doomed to become mincemeat!

Quan Ningyue gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to stand up, Xu Yangyi pulled her down with his bloodied hand.

“Don’t go…” He bit down in his lip, aching in pain as he was drenched in cold sweat. Threads of frosty air and blood seeped out from his gritted teeth. “This isn’t something that we can join in on…”

Quan Ningyue didn’t speak. She simply took a deep breath and tightly locked her molars together. With her eyes closed, all her bodily spiritual force cycled to the peak! If she stepped aside… she wouldn’t be worthy of the lost of Xu Yangyi’s left arm!

In any case… today spelled their demise! Who present was capable of obstructing a Foundation Establishment cultivator? They were better off paying back this grace before dying and heading towards King Yama’s palace with a clear conscience!

She hadn’t seen, but in the wake of this ocean of spirit blades—cuts so impenetrable that not a single hole could enter—Thousandedge’s face actually became increasingly solemn! Bulging veins appeared on his hands that were controlling the spirit blades.

Foundation Establishment! This is a Foundation Establishment cultivator! 

The spirit blades seemed terrible and awesome, but Thousandedge himself knew the truth. Not a single one had cut into this opponent’s body!

How was this possible… How could there be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in this place?! Moreover, one that was evidently standing at the side of that little bastard! No… most importantly, there was obviously a Foundation Establishment cultivator here, but why hadn’t his spiritual sense detected the other?! Only when this opponent appeared behind him did he come to a realization!

In a blink, offensive and defensive positions switched! 

He had wasted Xu Yangyi’s qi sea with a palm. If Xu Yangyi didn’t die... there was no shadow of a doubt that he himself would be unable to survive after leaving! Plotting against a Core Formation master’s disciple was enough to bring his death ten million times over! Even if Ancestor Ancientpine didn’t utter a word, those cultivators at the same realm of Foundation Establishment would overturn the earth to find him in order to offer tribute to a Core Formation ancestor! A blade would run him down!

It could be said… that there would be no place in the world for him to stab his heels into! It would be an even greater suffering than death! 

“How… could there be a Foundation Establishment cultivator in this place?! One who even came out from the secret realm at that?!” Thousandedge didn’t even clearly see who the blade light was binding. His heart grew resolute, and he inhaled deeply. He suddenly clenched his right hand, and five talismans emerged at his five fingers!

“Heavenly Door Open…” His gaze was grave. He pointed towards the several meters of space that fluttered like white butterfly spirits. “Earthly Door Open…”

Creak… Above the blade light, an ancient phantasmal door surprisingly emerged. The surface seemed to be covered all over with crimson talismans that looked as if they would be blown away by a single gust of wind. The door was no less than two meters tall. At this moment, a soft echo followed. The ancient door slowly opened and countless talismans floated, yet the hair-raising wails of spectres was heard from within. 

“From within a thousand miles, children deliver their souls…” Thousandedge’s fingers slowly extended. As each finger extended, the door opened up a fraction more. 

“The roaming souls dwell, the three Hun long since come and the seven Po in approach…” His chant was long, but in fact lasted for barely three seconds. Thousandedge roared angrily, “Five Demons Capture Souls!” [1]

Boom! Following this sound, the door behind seemed to morph into a black hole! With all of its might, the door sucked everything in, yet strangely this wasn’t a true attractive force. Perhaps it could be said… that while this was a true attractive force, it didn’t absorb physical objects!

Quan Ningyue’s pupils soon went lax. Xu Yangyi’s eyes flashed, and he quickly grabbed the dagger hanging on his chest. The dagger pierced straight into Quan Ningyue’s arm!

“Argh!” Quan Ningyue’s pupils shone again. She promptly shivered and gazed incredulously at the battle magik in the air. Even though she was so far away, she had never expected that she would be affected!

“This is a soul capturing.” Xu Yangyi gasped for air. Although Thousandedge’s action from moments ago was but a gentle motion, it felt as if all his meridians were being shredded, a pain striking bone-deep into his marrow.

Quan Ningyue gritted her teeth and wiped away at her cold sweat. She quickly raised her head and stared fixedly into the silver light. “F-Fellow Daoist Wei… He… He…”

This place didn’t permit the entry of Foundation Establishment cultivators. At most, she believed the other to be half-step Foundation Establishment! Yet under such an offense, how could he have possibly survived?!

“No worries…” Xu Yangyi barked with grim laughter. Pain caused his voice to slightly warble, and he snickered ruthlessly. “He… will tear Thousandedge straight into pieces…”

Buuuuzzz… The ancient door trembled violently. From pleasant surprise, Thousandedge’s complexion transformed into bewilderment and then shock. Five seconds later, cold beads of sweat were already dripping down from his forehead drop by drop!

How was this possible?! The Five Demons Capture Souls… reaped souls! Yet this person… had no soul!!!

BOOM!!! Following a tremendous bang, white and black spiritual light erupted in concert! All the blade-light dispersed, and Wei Zhongxian clasped an official seal in his hands. He had never budged a step.

In the wake of this explosion of black and white light, a halo of pure-golden spiritual light exploded! Like a tide, it caused all of Thousandedge’s qi to scatter apart like dead weeds and rotting wood. As if he had encountered a squall, Thousandedge was fiercely blown away in ceaseless retreat.

“Fellow Daoist, who in the world are you?!?!” Thousandedge quickly stabilized and glared daggers at the person in front of him!

Dressed in ancient robes of a crimson shade, hair stark-white… this person obviously possessed an initial-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet he was ridiculously strong!

“I…” Wei Zhongxian seemed to study the golden seal fondly, reluctant to part with it. He raised a brow, sweetly covering his mouth and laughing. With his thumb and middle finger joined and the rest of his fingers extended, he deliberately pointed at Thousandedge. “Am the person who will kill you.”

In a flash, Thousandedge’s complexion ashened. He firmly clenched his teeth and displayed a storage ring in his hand. “If Fellow Daoist does not participate in this affair, you may invite yourself to two-thirds of my savings that I have spent years amassing.”

“Grandpa Wei…” At this moment, Xu Yangyi, covered all over in blood, helped Quan Ningyue stand up on her feet. Like a wolf, he trained his eyes on Thousandedge. “Kill him… Obliterate his mind.”

“Yes.”

“Junior…” Thousandedge took a deep breath and turned his head. He gnashed his teeth as he looked at Xu Yangyi. “Just now… I should’ve killed you…” Thousandedge could no longer spare the effort to ponder why Wei Zhongxian was obeying Xu Yangyi.

“Right now… you can come and try…” Without the slightest weakness, Xu Yangyi stared down Thousandedge. There were no well-meaning words or cordial exchanges. Both of them had patiently waited in silence for three years. Currently, the map had long since been tossed aside and the dagger in plain view, the plot was already afoot!

Thousandedge’s chest heaved up with a heavy breath.

He was old, very old. Today, he wore an ancient changpao. In the air, he stood with his hands at his back, wind blowing on his long brows and white beard. He appeared like a descending immortal, yet his eyes were without a trace of benevolence. All that existed was killing intent, not masked whatsoever!

“Is Fellow Daoist determined to stick his head out for this Qi Condensation insect?” After ages, Thousandedge emotionlessly looked at Wei Zhongxian.

“A slave should naturally share tribulation with his master. This is my duty.” Wei Zhongxian covered his mouth and giggled.

“Good…” Thousandedge studied Wei Zhongxian indifferently. “In that case, I will deliver the whole lot of you to be reunited in death!”

“Pure Yang…” His hands formed seals at a blazing speed. As he started forming seals, cold threads of sweat spilled out from his forehead. However, his spiritual pressure began to overflow the entire cave, simply uncontrollable!

Beyond words, a mighty pressure emerged at Thousandedge’s back. It carried a sensation of great changes, that of azure oceans transforming into mulberry fields. As his seal-forming became faster and faster, an azure scroll, no less than five meters in width, surprisingly took on a faint shape behind him.

“WORSHIPS SWORD!” In the instant that scroll formed, Thousandedge furiously shouted. His hand grabbed and released at empty air. With a swish, the azure scroll quietly unfurled like a great banner, over twenty meters in length! On the surface was a portrait of Lu Dongbin. In the wake of this picture scroll’s unfolding, hundreds of silver-white rays of blade qi gushed out like a fountain! They saturated the entire space inside the livyatan’s mouth! [2]

1. From what I found, this entire chanting sequence comes from some sort of Daoist death ritual.

2. Lu Dongbin is a Tang dynasty scholar and poet, born 796 CE. He was elevated to mythical status as the leader of the Eight Immortals.