Chapter 230: The Dark Sky

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy TranslationEven though she does not understand the situation completely, Chang Li confirmed that Wen Leyang had severely injured Yu Lingzi back then. She could then make a wild guess on why the ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ could be summoned by ‘You’ve Got Me’.Chang Li’s eyes were irresistibly bright as she laughed joyously, “His Faulty Punch is capable of breaking all sorts of magic spells!”Wen Leyang had used the Faulty Punch to counterattack Yu Lingzi’s flying sword back then. The Faulty Punch had wiped away the primordial spirit which possessed ‘Firetail’ and slightly loosened the seal on the Sword’s Resolve. This caused it to reveal a bit of its fire elemental soul’s power. ‘You’ve Got Me’ was the king of telepathic bugs, the moment it saw that there was a power of the same element which was beneficial to it, it had immediately pounced over to absorb that power.After Chang Li had finished listening to the story, she realized that Wen Leyang still appeared puzzled and she suddenly recalled something. She hastily shook her head and laughed, “Don’t ask how ‘You’ve Got Me’ could dissolve the soul’s power of the Sword’s Resolve, I don’t know that as well!”To outsiders, even after the seal was broken, they would not know how to refine the soul’s power in it. To ‘You’ve Got Me’ however, absorbing a similar elemental power for its own use was an innate ability.It worked on the same principle of how a top-ranked master cultivator could never cultivate the skill of photosynthesis.Guo Huan had already figured out how ‘You’ve Got Me’ can control the ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ but had lagged by half a second so Chang Li had seized the opportunity to speak first. Guo Huan felt extremely annoyed for a large portion of his dialogue has been usurped by someone else. The best he could do was to add this, “The fiery color of the Sword’s Resolve is still as exuberant as before so the seal should still be there. The bug had only managed to absorb a small portion of its soul’s power previously for if it was completely depleted, the Sword’s Resolve would then be turned into stone dust.”Wen Leyang’s cultivation power was still shallow back then so his Faulty Punch was unable to break the Sword’s Resolve’s seal. This was why it had only leaked a bit of soul’s power which was then absorbed by ‘You’ve Got Me’.Guo Huan sniggered and sounded like he was muttering to himself but in fact, he was speaking to them, “Now that you’ve finally understood the situation, we can understand why ‘You’ve Got Me’ had only been able to summon the ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ sometimes. It was because it had absorbed too little of that soul’s power.”Wen Leyang nodded at first but shook his head soon after. Guo Huan’s statement had sounded plausible at first but he still felt that something was not right.First Elder Wen and First Uncle were beaming with joy at this point. They urged Wen Leyang repeatedly to immediately use the Faulty Punch to crack the seal so that ‘You’ve Got Me’ could absorb all the soul’s power. This means that whoever dares to provoke Wen Leyang hereafter, they would first need to suffer ‘You’ve Got Me’s’ sword!Chang Li noticed that Wen Leyang was hesitating and she mistakenly thought that he was virtuous and sincere which was why he could not bear to destroy the Sword’s Resolve. She chuckled as she consoled him, “The human form split body can think and move. Once it enters society, it would be tainted with humanity so it is straightforwardly a living human being. The Sword’s Resolve, however, is different. Even though it is a split body as well, it is the soul of the giant sword and it is only innately capable of absorbing the spiritual primordial energy of the heavens and earth in order to strengthen the flying sword. It’s no different from the carrot that you frequently eat. Don’t think that refining a Sword’s Resolve is equal to killing a person…”Wen Leyang had not really thought of this yet but after hearing Grand Master Chang Li’s words, he felt a greater resolution in his heart. He then laughed as he nodded and placed ‘You’ve Got Me’ on his shoulder. He lifted the dragonfly-shaped ‘Firetail’, inhaled a deep breath, and suddenly struck it with his other hand. His five fingers oscillated swiftly like wheels as the crisp clinking and clanking sounds soon merged into one. The noise made everyone feel uneasy but ‘You’ve Got Me’ understood its master’s intention. It had straightened and stiffened its plump body and raised its head as it stood on Wen Leyang’s shoulder. It was unknown whether the bug was excited or aroused as its tiny head quivering gently.Chang Li, on the other hand, shook her head, “The bug is on your body and it may not necessarily be able to bear the countercharge of the seal.” She then picked ‘You’ve Got Me’ up in her palm. The bug immediately lay down and rolled around like it was trying to flatter everyone’s big boss.The small sword ‘Firetail’ had started to tremble rapidly following Wen Leyang’s Faulty Punch. Countless stripes of flame rippled on its blade. The flames were burning more and more vigorously and enchantingly while the sword’s blade was so red it appeared as if it was about to spurt out blood at any time.The Sword’s Resolve, which initially felt cool in Wen Leyang’s hand, began to turn hot until he felt as if he was holding a tiny sun which burned fiercely in his hand. The Poison of Life and Death was surging wildly in his body as it tried to resist the heat which was about to invade his body with all its might. Moments later, Wen Leyang’s body shook once and the Ning Jiao’s armor which had been hidden in his body appeared automatically without being summoned in order to protect its master. The giant Bone Snake which was formed from the Ning Jiao’s bones too leaped into the air furiously and circled around the small sword continuously. It revealed a mouth full of sharp fangs as it attempted to retaliate against the Sword’s Resolve.Chang Li’s expression grew stern as she raised her hand and scattered her demonic primordial energy to protect the three family elders and First Uncle Wen Tunhai. After that, under First Grandfather’s request, she then purposely diverted a streak of demonic primordial energy to cover the buried treasure bed…The temperature in the house increased suddenly and Wen Leyang’s entire body burst into roaring flames with a muffled bang. The Ning Jiao’s skin armor had immediately spread out and wrapped itself around Wen Leyang from his head to his toes. It tried strenuously to form a shield between the roaring flames and its master. At the same time, Wen Leyang’s right hand continued to move as he used the Faulty Punch to knock madly onto the ‘Firetail’.The initially clear, clanking sound has turned into the loud noise of forceful thuds like the God-inviting Bell of Peak Palace. Under the strong knocking of the golden-armored warrior, the bell had tolled through the entire heavens! The stalemate between Wen Leyang and ‘Firetail’ went on for almost an hour before the loud, sonorous thuds suddenly turned hoarse. Wen Leyang immediately felt his body get lighter as the scorchingly hot flames which had almost seared into his bone marrow had vanished abruptly. The Sword’s Resolve too no longer felt hot or cold to the touch. It glowed a bright red and the little sword suddenly became crushingly heavy. Wen Leyang’s wrist shook strongly and even his tremendous strength was unable to lift the small sword now.The colossal quake felt like the collapse of Mount Tai. The Sword’s Resolve dropped onto the ground while almost simultaneously ‘You Got Me’ cheered as it shot towards the sword in a dazzling fire arc. It then lay firmly on the sword’s blade and refused to loosen its grip.Wen Leyang understood that the mission has been successfully accomplished at long last. His body was suddenly exhausted and he raised his head as he fell to the ground. Chang Li’s face was filled with reluctance and she shut her eyes tightly just as the back of Wen Leyang’s head was about to crash onto the tiled floor. Wen Tunhai stomped his feet, “Why won’t you give him a hand?!”Chang Li rolled her huge eyes at him, “What if he tore my sleeve again?” Upon saying that, she suddenly shrieked and stretched a jade-like palm towards the First Grandfather who was clearly confused, “Seventy-three thousand!”Wen Leyang had only just stood up when he heard Chang Li talk about that past event. He was so shocked that he almost fell back onto the ground again.First Grandfather has yet to find out about the sleeve incident at the Miao stockade village so the gaze which he shot Chang Li was filled with puzzlement, “What do you mean by seventy-three thousand?”Chang Li was surprisingly patient as she tirelessly explained the relationship between Chanel, seventy-three thousand, sleeve and Wen Leyang. As she was speaking, she had continued to hold her palm against First Elder Wen’s eyes persistently.First Grandfather could hardly stand it anymore. He then looked at Chang Li for a while before he looked at Wen Leyang for another while. His expression gradually turned from astonishment to anger and after he confirmed that the unit value of seventy-three thousand was in Chinese Yuan, his furious expression turned into outrage…After Chang Li had finished recounting that matter, she made an expression which was even more outraged than First Grandfather’s by a million times as she pouted her red lips, “You’ll still need to return me the money.” After she said that, she forced a smile in consideration, “Just make sure that the money is prepared before I leave, you need not rush it at this moment.” She was not in a hurry for the money to be returned. She has already learned that ‘the monk may run away but the temple remains’ after traveling in the world for the past few years.First Grandfather pointed at Wen Leyang shakily. He did not speak for a long while and the wrinkles on his old face were pulled tightly together.Wen Tunhai was at a loss whether to laugh or to cry for though First Elder Wen was good in everything, the older he got the more moneygrubbing he became. Wen Tunhai hastily stretched his body from the side and he made up a topic of conversation to help rescue his precious first nephew, “I’ve been bustling about for a day and I’m so fatigued. The sky has already… Huh?” He was halfway through his sentence when First Uncle looked out the window which was still dark in surprise.Several things have happened since Wen Leyang’s return to the Nine Peaks Mountain. He had reported to his superiors about his highland trip; he had entered the furnace to refine his treasured weapons; the entire village was mobilized to look for the unknown precious treasure; and finally, he had broken the Sword’s Resolve’s seal. More than ten hours have already passed without his notice. Even so, winter’s daybreak usually comes later and it should be daytime by now. He checked his watch which showed that it was already past nine o’clock in the morning. However, the sky outside had remained as dark as night.The people in the house were slightly astonished. Even Chang Li was baffled and blinked in confusion as she joined the others to head out of the house.Those who were outside the house had noticed that the sky was unusually dark earlier but they had thought that it was some unknown astronomical phenomenon. Not one of them had dared to disturb First Grandfather and Chang Li.Wen Leyang unsure of what to do as he raised his head and looked at the sky. There were no stars or moon in the sky nor was there a morning glow or the red sun either. The sky above Nine Peaks Mountain’s looked like it was being covered by a thick and heavy black cloth. After Wen Leyang had looked at the pitch-black sky for a prolonged period, he felt dizzy as if his entire body was being sucked into the darkness, causing him to stagged.Something was floating gently in the depths of the mountain. Wen Leyang narrowed his vision and was only managed to discern after great effort a puff of dark inky-black cloud which looked like a piece of floating cotton. It appeared soft and weak but in reality, it was slowly gaining mass and was cruising speedily from the depths of the mountain towards the Wen family village.Wen Leyang was puzzled as Chang Li, Guo Huan, and San Wei in the jade knife all exclaimed in astonishment simultaneously. Soon after that, Guo Huan laughed grimly, “Chang Li, is this your judgment day?”Chang Li pursed her lips as she shook her head, “How could it be that soon! It must be coming for one of you!”Guo Huan’s voice sounded even more determined, “It’s certainly not one of us!”Many people, including experienced and knowledgeable cultivators such as Ji Fei, Shui Jing, Gongye, the Rainbow Brothers and others, have gathered in the village but they could not figure out what the black-colored cloud was. They pointed at it as they discussed softly amongst themselves with an astonished expression on their faces.Wen Leyang listened to the three top demon immortals who were acting rather courteously as they deferred to one another. Baffled, he asked Chang Li, “What is that? Is it a treasured weapon or a cultivator’s supernatural power?”Chang Li laughed gently but her fine, porcelain-like face was filled with solemnness and her voice was cold, “It’s divine punishment!”Wen Leyang exclaimed in dismay. The first thing which had come to his mind was that the nine-headed snake had escaped Black and White Island and the initiator of evil, Chang Li, was about to be struck by divine punishment! He still remembers the divine punishment which had fallen on Ah Dan in the past. It had come without warning during that occasion as the initially bright sky was suddenly condensed into a puff of burning clouds. Soon after that, the heaven’s thunder then struck repeatedly. However, the sky then was bright whereas the sky now was pitch black without a sense of liveliness.San Wei’s primordial soul spoke up at this point. His voice was thick, heavy and a little hoarse with an unspeakable pleasantness, “I sense that… This is related to me!”Guo Huan yelled all of a sudden, “You motherf*cker! How could you still incur divine punishment?” Guo Huan and San Wei were like locusts on the same rope, they have both lingered in the jade knife with their last breath. If this was really a divine punishment, the jade knife would be destroyed so Guo Huan would also have his soul scattered. It was natural for him to feel angry from embarrassment.Chang Li frowned once again, “San Wei, if the divine punishment is meant for you then it’s yours. However, what do you mean when you said it’s related to you?”The cloud was floating closer and closer now, Wen Leyang could even see it churning clearly. It looks just like a drop of ink which had been dripped into clear water! San Wei’s tone of speaking, on the other hand, was unworried and it even sounded like he was smiling, “That human body was called San Wei, that is not my name. This old monk’s monastic name is Jin Zhao!” Upon saying that, he did not wait for the others to feel astonished or interject as he inhaled a deep breath and suddenly chanted, “Namo Amitabha!”He chanted the Buddhist hymn loudly and clearly until the murky sky suddenly shook once! The sounds of bells echoed indistinctively from afar, accompanying this incantation in a merciful yet wispy manner. There was no wind but the sound floated in the sky, echoing from afar with ceasing!Wen Leyang was not a fool, he had harbored a suspicion earlier but he had not had the opportunity to ask about that. When he heard the remnant soul’s stirring Buddhist hymn, he asked with a solemn expression, “Back then, has this great master ever revealed your true identity to a demon rabbit?”Over a thousand years ago, the demon monk San Duan’s master had not managed to escape the divine punishment. His dharma body was pulverized by the Nine Heavens’ divine thunder while his primordial spirit was severely injured. Out of the remaining two portions, one had been nourished in the ghost’s flesh mushroom in the land of evil spirits by San Duan and that portion was finally devoured by Ah Dan. The second portion of his primordial soul was nowhere to be found at all. The demon monk San Duan had sacrificed his entire lifetime’s cultivation base in Buddhism magic art and knowledge to save his master’s life. Wen Leyang still feels that the monk San Duan who had transformed into the Weeping Buddha was the genuine demon monk but he was actually an indomitable demon who had died without regrets!Over a thousand years ago, the evil soul which had possessed San Wei was finally caught by Hanba and Painting Town. The evil soul had been trapped in the zombie Hanba’s body while the remaining human body without a soul was then tossed into a mountain creek.A few centuries later, the Taoist Priest San Wei had unexpectedly returned to society. An unknown primordial soul which had lost its memory had gained control of that soul-less human body but due to the constant torment of conflict between the malevolent energy accumulated in the human body by the evil soul and the righteous energy of the second soul, this caused San Wei to plan and kill Fifth Brother Hanba. As a result, he was still killed when he got caught in Chang Li and Hanba’s plan. This was the remnant soul which now resided in the jade knife along with Guo Huan.The timeline fits and the matter’s development was accurate as well. The eminent monk’s accumulation of karmic power for over thousands of years had turned into a merciful energy which could not be erased even after his body had been crushed. This was why Xiang Liu’s evil souls’ malevolent energy was not able to subdue him. If it was not for the eminent monk who had been empowered by Buddhism’s wisdom, how could he had cultivated the skill of combining his spirit, energy, and soul in a short few thousand years!As expected, Jin Zhao seems to remember something as he answered softly, “The Great Mercy Temple’s Bu Le?”Chang Li suddenly laughed loudly, “Monk, so it is you! You had saved my disciple once so I shall help you cross this divine punishment!” She then pulled the jade knife from Wen Leyang’s neck.Without waiting for Jin Zhao’s response, Guo Hua also laughed strenuously, “This punishment is too immense. If I’m still in my prime, perhaps I can join hands with you to cross it!”Chang Li shrugged and her expression was indifferent, “I will try to resist as much as I can, the rest will depend on you.”At this point, the old monk Ji Fei pulled the fat monk Shui Jing along as they gathered forward with ashen faces. They did not dare to ask Chang Li directly but they looked at Wen Leyang, “Is it truly the…divine punishment? Is someone crossing the divine punishment?”Wen Leyang nodded with a solemn expression but before he could say anything else, Ji Fei and Shui Jing abruptly screeched in agony together as they ran away. Soon after that, a divine radiance expanded on the Nine Peaks Mountain as the crowd of rogue cultivators from the Gongye family, the Rainbow Brothers, as well as Wei Mo each launched their supernatural power and exerted the cultivation power of their entire lifetime, shouting loudly as they ran towards the foot of the Nine Peaks Mountain.Guo Huan did not know whether he should laugh or cry as he cursed, “These useless young lads, the divine punishment is unrelated to you. As long as you don’t get in the way then you would be affected.”Chang Li was more straightforward and her piercing voice echoed like countless knives which struck each other in a manner filled with murderous intent, “Other than the Wen, Miao, and Luo families, does anyone else want to take one more step to show me?”Every cultivator reacted as if they had just been hit by an immobility spell and they all stood rigidly on the same spot. Each of them had a sorrowful expression as they thought, ‘She’s far too unreasonable!’Chang Li has been acting unreasonably before that word has even existed in the world.To regular cultivators, the divine punishment was only something they have ever heard in legends. They do not wish to see it and dared not see it. Even though Tuo Xie’s disciples have declared that this was a one-to-one killing punishment, the principle was similar to knowing that there was a sniper aiming at the person next to them but they would wish that they could run away as far as possible.Chang Li’s face was still as rosy and cute as before. She stretched out a slim finger as she swept past the group of cultivators, “Witness me as I help this monk cross the divine punishment. No one is allowed to leave!” Upon saying that, she looked with a smile at her relatives including the First Grandfather, the Luo family, and the Qing Miao clansmen, “If any of you are afraid, please descend the mountain. I’ll call you to come home after the divine punishment has concluded.”Though some of the members from the three families appeared stricken, they shook their heads. They would never leave while their Grand Master still remained on the mountain.The cultivators’ expression became even more furious. Those who could leave did not wish to leave, those who wish to leave could not leave. Ever since Wen Leyang, Chang Li, and the others had entered the mortal world in succession, something ghastly has always occurred in the Wen family village.The monk Jin Zhao spoke dully at this point and his tone of speaking does not sound too courteous towards Chang Li, “Thank you to the demon cat, this punishment is related to me yet it is not mine as well!” Upon saying that, he paused for a moment before his kindly tone of speaking suddenly turned into a drunk man’s shrewishness, “I’ve become exceedingly furious the moment I saw that divine punishment! This monk has performed pious deeds for the past millennium but, in the end, I’m rewarded with a divine punishment! You, the demon cat, on the other hand…” The monk Jin Zhao was halfway through his rant when he suddenly laughed, “Have constantly created trouble. I can’t tell how many people’s lives have been harmed and killed by you yet you’re living a flourishing life now. Heh, a sleeve of yours can even cost seventy-three thousand!”As Ji Zhao spoke, his tone of speaking changed three times from dull to furious and finally to wild laughter. However, those on the scene did not realize that the monk was turning crazy from exhaustion. Even as the monk laughed, the crowd also laughed along with him too.Chang Li ignored what he said, “My temperament will remain the same whether I live for a day or ten thousand years! If you were to use your everlasting cultivation in exchange for even a second’s worth of my hypocrisy, I would not agree to do that too. Monk, do you understand me now? All of you are cultivating for the heavens, for the divine, for the Buddha and the High Lord. When you achieve mastery in your cultivation, you become someone else. In my point of view, whether this form of cultivation ends up achieving mastery or is destroyed by divine punishment, the difference is as thin as a hair’s width! You are furious when you saw the divine punishment because you are still unwilling to submit. You’ve become someone else for a thousand years but in the end, you still could not avoid ending your life as a scattered soul so naturally, you would be unwilling to submit!”Chang Li started laughing wildly. The moment she laughed, the rest of the cultivators did not dare to laugh anymore.It seems that the monk Jin Zhao has forgotten that the divine punishment was close at hand as he refuted Chang Li’s words without showing any signs of weakness, “I cannot make any comments about being San Wei for a thousand years. As for my time before that, I had been focused on doing good in the world. I cultivate in peace and I’m at peace when all living things are peaceful, I’m in turmoil when all living things are suffering!”Chang Li did not even need to consider as she pursed her lips and shot back, “If you truly are at peace, why was it necessary for you to feel angry the moment you saw the divine punishment? Do you think that you’re only at peace because you’ve performed some good deeds? Haha! Foolish monk! You feel at peace because you’ve performed the deeds that the Buddha has tasked you to do so no matter how you’ve put it into words, you’re still attempting to cultivate yourself into the Buddha. You are still attempting to cultivate yourself into someone else and this peace that you’re feeling is false!”As the two of them were having a good time in their debate and conversation, Wen Leyang was busy digesting the monk Jin Zhao’s first sentence, ‘The divine punishment is related to him but it was not his’. He finally understood something at this moment as he reached for Grand Master Chang Li’s hand which was holding the jade knife and grabbed her wrist.Chang Li’s gaze abruptly turned fierce as she looked at Wen Leyang in a ghastly manner, “This sleeve here is not cheap too!”Wen Leyang could not care about any ‘seventy-three thousand’ sleeves at this moment as he asked the jade knife without consulting anyone, “So, who is this divine punishment actually for? Is it…”The divine monk Jin Zhao’s voice sounded strong and vigorous as he was debating about the fundamentals of cultivation earlier. There was no longer any anger in his voice, on the contrary, he sounded rather joyous as he chuckled upon hearing Wen Leyang’s question, “Naturally, it is the divine punishment for the other portion of my primordial soul. I had awakened the moment I entered this mountain and I constantly felt a sense of familiarity close by. So, when I saw that divine punishment, I understood that it was the other portion of my primordial soul which is about to cross the divine punishment to be reincarnated soon!”Chang Li and Guo Hua were simultaneously startled as they muttered in unison, “So, it’s Ah Dan who would be crossing the divine punishment instead?”Over a thousand years ago, the monk Ji Zhao’s primordial spirit had been split into two portions. One portion had become the remnant soul in the jade knife while the other portion had turned into Ah Dan’s first blossoming of spiritual intelligence!The monk Jin Zhao exclaimed in surprise, he did not know whether he should laugh or cry as he asked, “That portion of my soul… Is called Ah Dan? Isn’t that name a little too… Childish?”Wen Leyang had finally understood as well that this divine punishment was meant for Ah Dan! Ah Dan had been reincarnated from a zombie baby into a living person when he was struck by the divine punishment. During the first time, the divine punishment had been absorbed by the Thunder Heart Jade. However, the old demon rabbit Bu Le had declared back then that the second divine punishment would likely arrive within three years’ time and its power would be much stronger than the first.If that was so, the divine punishment has arrived and Ah Dan was about to be resurrected now.Wen Leyang did not know that Ah Dan initially still had some time before he could be fully resurrected. However, due to the presence of the monk Jin Zhao’s primordial soul on Nine Peaks Mountain, Ah Dan had received a great influence from it. The little zombie’s mood at this time was also fluctuating intensely like the remnant soul’s as it resided in the jade knife. His heart meridians were almost connected and he was about to be resurrected into a living human being but the ruthless and tyrannical divine punishment was also about to arrive at any moment!Wen Leyang could not help but grit his teeth. He looked at the crowd from the Luo family as he asked anxiously, “Where is Ah Dan? And where is Mumu?”Before his voice could die away, a short and plump little figure appeared on the edge of Wen Leyang’s telegnosis ability. He was staggering as he ran towards the direction of the village with a terrified expression. That dark cloud was floating at a height of around two kilometers above Ah Dan’s head and consistently followed him around.The zombie baby had gone into the mountain to play since yesterday morning. After the monk Jin Zhao’s other primordial soul portion had appeared in the nearby area, even though that had made Ah Dan feel agitated and uneasy, he was still a half-alive baby right now. He did not understand what was going on and it was not until the divine punishment had appeared and followed him around did he start running towards the direction of the Wen family village.Even though the little fatty was shuffling with difficulty and looked as if he was about to fall at any time, he was moving quite swiftly. He had lost his felt cap and sunglasses somewhere along the way and his plump hands firmly covered his bald head. His face was contorted as if he was about to cry but because he was too busy running, he did not have the time to cry yet…