Blood on Mount Tai

Xiao Chen unleashed a massacre. He slew Deng Yu, one of the five Nascent Soul cultivators, and cut down countless who tried to block him. Blood stained the summit of Mount Tai crimson, and no one around dared to raise a hand against him.

At the same time, Hai Yuntian, Yan Qingcheng, Chu Xingkuang, Bo Shi, and the others were also locked in fierce combat, killing several powerful cultivators of the Xiuzhen world. All because Xiao Chen had slain Deng Yu, one of their ten strongest young elites—a blow that shattered the morale of the Xiuzhen forces and seeded a desire to retreat.

Meanwhile, the blue-robed man and Jue Dao had entered a strange, suspended state. Both hung motionless in the sky like two living fossils, utterly still.

The blue-robed man was in the Calamity Fire realm—what some called Nirvana. At this moment, his cultivation was neither at its peak nor in a trough; otherwise, how could he have dared to come out and offer battle?

His keen spiritual intuition told him that the man before him, who held the blood-stained demonic flying dagger between his fingers, was extremely dangerous. If that man did not attack, fine; but if he did, the heavens would shatter and the earth would split. He had no confidence he could evade that earth-shattering strike.

Moreover, the blue-robed man had another reason to be cautious. Samo stood nearby, an ancient scripture in hand, watching coldly, his sharp aura already locked onto the blue-robed man. With two experts flanking him, he became even more guarded.

Jue Dao was in the same state, never moving. In terms of pure power, he was inferior to the blue-robed man before him, who radiated an oppressive pressure that promised a storm of devastating attacks should combat erupt. Jue Dao held the Benevolent Dagger of his ancestor between his fingers, searching for even the smallest opening, waiting for a split-second opportunity to deliver a thunderous strike.

"Ya-ya ya-ya…"

Keke appeared on Xiao Chen's shoulder, and the surrounding Xiuzhen cultivators immediately backed away.

The blue-robed man sighed. He had been prepared to strike at Jue Dao and had worked out a counter-plan for Samo. But seeing the powerful figure who had personally killed Deng Yu arrive, he knew this day was lost. Now, on the side of the Xiuzhen world, he alone was still capable of fighting. The other experts could no longer hold back the practitioners of the World of Immortality. The signs of a rout were plain.

Mist swirled. Three enormous purple-gold shields formed before him, protecting the blue-robed man completely. He retreated decisively, in an instant opening a distance of several hundred zhang from Jue Dao.

"My name is Fang Tianqi," he said. "Next time, we fight to the death." He glanced at Jue Dao, at Samo, and then at Xiao Chen nearby. Without another backward glance, he leaped onto a battleship, waved his hand, and led his forces in retreat.

The defeated army ebbed away like a tide, vanishing in moments. The people of the World of Immortality did not pursue, letting them leave.

Mount Dai was littered with corpses. Blood mist coiled around the summit, proving that all that had passed was no illusion.

Chi chi!

A flash of cold light burst from among the dead, shooting toward Xiao Chen. He did not even turn his head. With a backward sweep of his war sword, he met the attack with a reverse guard. "Clang!" The rain of sword-light shattered. At the same moment, five figures shot up from the ground, each unleashing their Xiuzhen magical treasures, charging at Xiao Chen in an ambush.

Xiao Chen's face showed no expression. He seemed like a cold observer—until that cold light reached his eyes. Then he moved.

Eight Aspect Worlds extreme speed—dreamlike, elusive, impossible to trace. He vanished from sight, then reappeared in another direction, war sword slashing down diagonally. A Xiuzhen cultivator was cleaved in two from the shoulder, half his body tumbling through the air with a spray of blood before plummeting dozens of meters from the sky.

Xiao Chen struck again, like a demonic shadow. He flashed before another opponent, swept the war sword horizontally, and a severed head, dripping blood, flew into the sky, followed by a headless corpse falling to the ground.

Then, like a phantom dream flower, he killed another. The war sword thrust straight into the man's chest. With a "bang," the cultivator's body was torn apart by the overwhelming force, scattered in four directions.

The terror of Xiao Chen's extreme speed made him seem like a devil; it made his enemies' scalps crawl. He appeared abruptly before the last two Xiuzhen cultivators, a single stroke of the war sword sending one head flying and the other body split in two, both tumbling into the dust and leaving a trail of blood.

All of this happened in the span of a single breath. Many had not even seen it clearly—the speed was too great. Xiao Chen's techniques were cold and absolute. The simplest moves produced the most terrible results. This was a terrifying art of killing.

Many practitioners of the World of Immortality felt a chill. They saw the gap and feared such killing prowess; many dared not approach the mountain.

"Clean and efficient," Samo clapped in admiration. "Brother Xiao's combat power grows stronger. Probably not long before you undergo another transformation."

Jue Dao was cold and calm, like the knife in his hand. "Some people will always leave their peers behind. Each person has a different path."

Though these two were not necessarily among the ten strongest young elites of the Eternal Continent, they were among the top experts of two great hegemonic nations. Their insight and mental fortitude were beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

Xiao Chen said nothing. They had crossed swords before, but everything had changed now. A fight to the death was no longer possible.

Jue Dao looked at Xiao Chen, his battle intent unconcealed. "I hope to find another chance to spar with you."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "If you want to break through through battle, are you afraid of having no opponents?"

"No one can say about the future," Jue Dao replied, then descended toward the summit of Mount Tai.

Chu Xingkuang and Bo Shi nodded to Xiao Chen and began gathering the remaining practitioners to assess the casualties.

Hai Yuntian was as beautiful as ever. Though a man, he had a face fairer and more delicate than any woman's, with a slender body, a powdered jade complexion, and eyes that shimmered like rippling water. When he saw Xiao Chen, he did not retreat but remained silent.

Xiao Chen looked at him calmly. "I know now that night in Heavenly Emperor City, you were putting on an act. With your cultivation at the time, you could not have wounded me."

Hai Yuntian was silent for a long time. Then he said, "I want to ask you to spare my elder sister."

Xiao Chen did not answer. Instead, he asked another question. "Did you cultivate the Sunflower Canon?"

"Yes," Hai Yuntian said, for once showing agitation. "It is the demonic chapter, not the self-mutilation chapter of the mortal world."

"Ya-ya ya-ya…" Keke looked puzzled, as if asking what the difference was between the demonic chapter and the self-mutilation chapter.

"Haha…" Samo laughed from nearby. "In ages past, an old man named Hai shook the Eternal Continent by cultivating the Sunflower Canon. It seems the Hai family has a worthy successor."

Hai Yuntian's face flushed, and he shot Samo a vicious glare.

"Just joking, haha…" Samo laughed and descended toward the summit.

Hai Yuntian glanced at Xiao Chen, then at Yan Qingcheng standing not far away, and silently descended as well.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "It has been years. Your elegance outshines the past."

"How can I compare to you? You swung a butcher's knife at nearly twenty Half-Ancestors and brought half the experts of the Eternal Continent into the mortal world." Yan Qingcheng was pure and ethereal. Now that her Shatter Demon, Plant God technique had begun to bear fruit, her beauty and bearing were even more captivating. She was like a warm, flawless jade carving come to life.

"Are you mocking me? Still, it is better than I expected. I thought you would draw your sword on me."

"Ya-ya…" the little beast mumbled drowsily, as if asking why.

"I do want to, but I am no match for you." As she said this, a trace of emotion rippled across Yan Qingcheng's peerlessly beautiful face. "Remember, one day I will beat you black and blue."

"Is that so? You don't want to kill me anymore?"

"Hmph!" Yan Qingcheng let out a cold, heavy snort.

"Yan… Yan… Yan… Yan Qingcheng…" A stuttering voice arose from Mount Tai. The lecherous man Jin Sanyi grinned as he waved at Yan Qingcheng and Xiao Chen. He had just arrived with a man in white robes.

"Die, you base, lecherous bastard!" Yan Qingcheng loathed Jin Sanyi. She had despised him even in the Eternal Continent.

Nevertheless, she and Xiao Chen flew down together.

Keke at once fixed her gaze on the white-robed man, showing a puzzled expression. Though the man was quite handsome, his peach-blossom eyes rather spoiled the effect. He stared at Yan Qingcheng up and down, left and right, without end.

"Ya-ya ya-ya…" Keke grew excited, still staring at the man in white.

At the same moment, Xiao Chen also understood his identity. He was the little white-shelled turtle. Back on Dragon Island, when the Ancestral Dragon died, this true form had manifested.

"Greetings, senior."

"Cough…" The white-robed man put away his frivolous demeanor and said solemnly, "No need for formalities. I should thank you. I was planning to seek you out, but I did not expect to meet you here."

"Senior has business with me?" Xiao Chen did not dare take this man with peach-blossom eyes lightly. This was definitely a Dragon King. Even if he had not fully recovered now, it would not be long before he did.

"To tell the truth, I am indebted to you. I want to take that little defiant dragon under my tutelage. What do you think?"

"I was just about to seek him out. Since senior is willing, it is his good fortune." Xiao Chen had no misgivings about entrusting the little defiant dragon to a Dragon King who had received an Ancestral Dragon horn. This would give the little defiant dragon a powerful patron.

For months, the young Dragon Kings had been locked in bloody battles across the Eastern Sea. Each had a great force secretly protecting them. If not for the care of the Pure Land elders, the little defiant dragon would have been in grave danger long ago.

Learning of this, Xiao Chen became even more eager to agree.

"X-Xiao… Xiao Chen, you-you-you… you've got to take us around the mortal world properly," Jin Sanyi said, winking at Xiao Chen. He sent a mental whisper: "I'm making an opportunity for you and Sister Yan."

Xiao Chen laughed and shook his head. He wondered how this fellow had ended up traveling with the peach-blossom-eyed Dragon King.

In the following days, Xiao Chen led them on a tour of the Mount Tai area, explaining a few of the relevant stories and legends.

"Don't-don't-don't just stand there like a lump of wood. I'm-I'm-I'm making an opportunity for you!" Jin Sanyi was thoroughly enthusiastic. But later, the lecherous man confessed his true motive: he wanted Yan Qingcheng to introduce him to some immortals and fairies.

"Don't meddle in such matters," Xiao Chen said, patting him on the shoulder.

After spending a few days with his old friends on Mount Tai, Xiao Chen set out with Jin Sanyi and the others for the Eastern Sea.

They met the little defiant dragon smoothly and enjoyed a happy reunion for several days. Then the peach-blossom-eyed Dragon King took him away. To Xiao Chen's surprise, the lecherous Jin Sanyi seemed to get along very well with the Dragon King and followed after him.

"What? That lecherous fool befriended a Dragon King?" Niu Ren shook his huge ox head in disbelief.

Xiao Chen found Niu Ren, Liu Mu, Yizhen, and the others on an immortal island overseas. Many of the elders of the Pure Land had come to the mortal world and established a new Pure Land there.

Xiao Chen did not see Qingqing. She had been taken away by Taihao and the Xuanwu Ancestor, who were said to be passing on supreme mystical arts to her in a secret realm, not to be disturbed.

"We also need to train harder," Liu Mu said with some feeling. "In this great age of upheaval, those who do not advance will be eliminated."

Niu Ren suggested, "Let's go to the Nine Provinces. They're holding king-making battles on all the famous mountains and will soon set up a life-and-death arena between two realms. Let's go and become kings ourselves, pushing our cultivation higher in fierce battle."

The three young Dragon Kings were still locked in bloody combat on the Eastern Sea, with Pure Land elders secretly protecting them. There was little the trio could do to help, but that only deepened their sense of urgency—they keenly felt the cruelty of the competition.

Xiao Chen agreed with their plan, but he wanted to observe from the sidelines, not interfere personally anymore. He urged them to be cautious.

"You want to go into seclusion?" Yizhen looked at Xiao Chen in surprise.

"Yes. I have already experienced many great battles. Now I want to settle down and contemplate deeply."

"How long will you seclude yourself?"

"Perhaps a few months, perhaps a few years, perhaps a hundred years away from the mundane world." Xiao Chen indeed wanted to "precipitate" his mystical arts—the ancient methods of the Six Heavenly Steles, the Martial Imprint, the divine abilities… all needed careful study and insight.

"What a pity," Niu Ren regretted. "Now is the time when wind and cloud gather. Why retreat at such a moment?"

"Do not be consumed by battle just to break through. The path of cultivation has ten thousand ways. Try many to find your breakthrough."

And so they returned to the Nine Provinces. Flames of war were rising everywhere; conflict spread across all lands of spiritual excellence. The cultivators of the Xiuzhen world battled fiercely against the experts of the World of Immortality.

Fortunately, it was still only a probing phase. The older generation had not yet entered the fray. If they had, the consequences would have been severe.

Some names among the younger generation had already shaken the world. Peerless talents at the level of Fang Tianqi, Zhao Chongyang, and Xue Wu had become kings and claimed dominance in their respective domains.

"The ten strongest young elites of the Xiuzhen world have all reached the Nirvana realm?" Niu Ren's expression grew heavy when he heard this news. "Truly terrifying," he muttered.

"The news that you killed Deng Yu has not spread," Liu Mu said, looking at Xiao Chen. "Otherwise, you would have been crowned king on Mount Tai."

"All the better. I am going into seclusion anyway, and this saves me from trouble." Xiao Chen was indifferent to fame.

"It will get out sooner or later. For now, you are a shadow king."

Xiao Chen took them on a tour of the famous mountains of the Nine Provinces. On this day, they came to Wuyi Mountain.

There Xiao Chen met Chen Fang again, and his heart settled. He finally learned that Chen Fang was safe. At this moment, Chen Fang was still with Fairy Qingyun and her group.

"Xiao Chen, have you learned anything about Ruoshui?" Seeing Xiao Chen moved him to ask urgently. Xiao Chen fell silent for a moment, struggling to recall, and slowly a faint memory surfaced in his mind.

Then Keke opened Paradise Lost. When Chen Fang saw the lifelike stone carving, saw its grieving, mournful, sorrowful expression, he could not control himself. He grabbed Xiao Chen and pressed him hard. "Ruoshui… how is she? Where is she?"

Xiao Chen remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"You bastard, you haven't forgotten everything again, have you?" Chen Fang seized Xiao Chen by the collar.

"Ya-ya ya-ya…" Keke called out softly.

Xiao Chen understood. With a sigh that seemed to bridge another lifetime, he said, "Ruoshui is no longer with us."

"Ruoshui is no longer with us?!" Chen Fang cried out in a wild, broken voice. "What are you saying? What do you mean, no longer with us?" He shook Xiao Chen violently.

"She is no longer in this world."

"How can that be?!" Chen Fang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His hands slowly released Xiao Chen's collar; he stood frozen like a stone tablet. Only after a long time did he come back to himself, and then he broke into loud sobs. "How could this happen?! Who killed Ruoshui? Who!"

He fell to his knees before the stone carving, weeping without restraint. His love was deep and true.

"Why—why is heaven so cruel? I would rather die in her place!"

A question rose in Xiao Chen's heart: Why am I not as grieved as he is? Why do I feel nothing, only a minor emotion touched by a story? Do I have no other feeling? Am I truly cold and almost numb? Or is it because my soul is incomplete, part of it still sealed in the World of Immortality…

"Ruoshui, if I could trade my life for yours, I would do it even now…" Chen Fang wept bitterly. For a man to be so utterly broken moved everyone present with the depth of his emotion.

Fairy Qingyun tried to comfort him and guide him away. Xiao Chen could not say a word. He felt he was far beneath Chen Fang.

"Ruoshui choosing me was a mistake. I should have been the one to leave first," Xiao Chen said, helping Chen Fang to his feet.

"Is that not Chen Fang?" From not far away, a group of five or six young men and women came walking along the mountain path. One of them smiled and said, "Why so sorrowful?"

Hearing the voice, Chen Fang held back his grief and slowly turned around. "So it is the former military scholar—the Flower Searcher, third among the young generation of the Nine Provinces."

The Flower Searcher, dressed in white and holding a folding fan, looked dashing and unconventional. But his peach-blossom eyes were not to everyone's liking. He pulled a seductive woman beside him close and said, "When we get married, Brother Chen, you must come."

Chen Fang put away his sorrow and glanced at them without a word. Xiao Chen had heard of the Flower Searcher before leaving the mortal world, but he had never met him or crossed swords. He knew the man was unrestrained and very promiscuous. Now, it seemed there was some grudge between him and Chen Fang.

"Heh… you still hold it against me? You have someone else in your heart anyway, and you had no real feelings for Sister Lan. It is better to do this and let us be together…" The Flower Searcher stopped there and unabashedly pulled the gaudy woman into his arms. The coquettish, seductive woman gave a frivolous laugh and did not refuse at all.

"I can dissolve the engagement. Do as you please," Chen Fang said dully. When grief reaches its utmost, the heart dies. Having just learned that the woman he loved was gone, he had no feeling left for a woman like this.

Xiao Chen quickly understood what had happened. That woman was Chen Fang's fiancée, arranged by his parents. And now this had happened in front of him. Having a secret affair was bad enough, but to come and provoke him openly meant they were looking for a fight.

"Do you not think this is vulgar and excessive?" Xiao Chen stepped forward to face the Flower Searcher.

"Friend, who are you? This is a private matter," said a few people beside the Flower Searcher, blocking Xiao Chen. "An outsider has no business messing around. Weigh your own measure first. The young master of Jade Cauldron Manor is not someone you can afford to offend."

"Jade Cauldron Manor?" Fairy Qingyun said in surprise. "The first faction in the Nine Provinces to throw itself into the arms of the Xiuzhen world?"

"What of it? Water flows to the low ground, men strive for the heights…" Several of the Flower Searcher's companions began to justify themselves.

Xiao Chen ignored them directly. He turned to Chen Fang and asked, "What are your plans from now on?"

"I want to go overseas with Fairy Qingyun. I do not intend to come back…" Chen Fang's expression was wooden.

"Fairy Qingyun, I entrust my friend to you," Xiao Chen said, bowing to her earnestly. "One day, I will come to see you."

Then he signalled to Fairy Qingyun, indicating that she and her group should leave first.

Fairy Qingyun nodded. "Until we meet again." She understood that Xiao Chen intended to settle his friend's old accounts.

And indeed, as soon as they turned away, the provocation from the Flower Searcher's side stopped abruptly. Several screams rang out, and gouts of blood shot into the air. Xiao Chen had used a Spatial Rend to cleave through those men's bodies, leaving only the woman alive.

"I do not know the details between you and Chen Fang, but you were once his fiancée. I will not kill you. Let Chen Fang settle it himself when he returns one day."

Chen Fang departed for the Overseas Seas. Xiao Chen's heart was finally calm. He bid farewell to Yizhen, Liu Mu, and Niu Ren, intending to go into seclusion.

As he traveled up the Yellow River, he felt there was one more person he should see. Perhaps he ought to visit Changyang Mountain and meet Chiyou.