Archfiend

Chapter 227: Danxia Temple (46)

It… was a bodily sensation of a place leaving the body.

“Fellow Daoist!” “Commander!” “Spud!” “You…”

An untold number of alarmed cries suddenly rang out. Each person saw that after Xu Yangyi retreated from Wei Zhongxian’s mouth, his person was fine. However, his left arm was but empty space!

“Pant… Pant…” The sound of cool gasping spread out from between Xu Yangyi’s teeth. His pale lips shivered incessantly. He was already soaked with blood from head to toe. His body had sustained heavy injuries, and his left arm was lost. However, he didn’t look towards his wounds but rather straight at the corpse puppet.

Wei Zhongxian was motionless. He… had just stiffened in place like so. After five seconds, the four Buddha wheels on his entire body exploded into a radiance that filled the sky in a twinkling!

Rustle… The corpse puppet’s five sensory organs all opened and rays of pure white qi slowly ascended into the sky from them. It was as if Wei Zhongxian was evaporating.

Infinite, limitless, and separated somewhat far away, a skybound light pillar of white qi was all that could be seen. It revolved in the unbounded lotus sea.

This heart-shaking berserk qi swept across the entire neighboring space! On the ocean surface, it looked like a hurricane had blown through. Tides rose and fell in succession  and the surrounding lotuses looked back in harmony!

“This is…” Fahui resisted the feeling of his body on the verge of collapse. He gritted his teeth and used his monk’s robe to block his face, looking at the scenery. Only the white skybound spiritual light was seen in the center. In the surroundings, four spiritual lights, black, white, azure, and violet in color, erupted and dyed the sky with rich and vast colors.

“Succ… cess?” His eyes were fairly red. No one was willing to die. Even if his eyes were swimming, he was still begrudging to blink away from this scene.

However, every place that his eyes touched was a multicolored domain. He couldn’t clearly see at all!

Xuan Chengzi didn’t speak, merely sheltering his face. Right now… qi hurried and rushed like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers clashing head-on! Through the seams of his fingers, he observed the five-colored spiritual light. Even though it was piercing to the eyes, he was still unwilling to part his gaze from it.

Countless eyes forcibly resisted the multicolored spiritual light that bewildered the pupils. They looked towards the space above the lotusless ocean surface. Even if they couldn’t see in such a situation, they had heard their clansmen say that this was a qi leakage after the destruction of a seal. The whereabouts of the mighty figure who had crafted Wei Zhongxian into a corpse puppet were unknown. After several centuries, the elimination of the corpse puppet had actually leaked out qi in this manner.  

However, at this time, the corpse puppet suddenly produced a frightened voice. Although the voice wasn’t loud, everyone heard it all too clear!

“Awakened… She… has awakened… She has awakened!”

This was the final screech of the corpse’s existence in this world. After this voice, the sky flashed with dazzling white light. In the end, everyone could endure no more and closed their eyes.

As soon as the white light flashed, it died away. When everyone opened their eyes, Wei Zhongxian no longer had a trace of qi. In this instant, he was truly dead. He returned again several hundred years into the past, a ghost going back to the netherworld.

Shortly afterwards, he was like a marionette cut from its strings, plummeting down with a rumble!

SPLASH!!! In the pond water, a person-tall ocean spray splashed up! Wei Zhongxian had once been dismembered into five parts. This time, his extremities completely separated! There was no further black qi connection among them. 

“Amitabha…” Fahui’s face revealed a mournful color. He glanced at all the copper men on the lotus leaves who had already died in battle. He turned towards the corpse puppet on the lake’s surface: “You ought to descend to the eighteenth layer of hell.”

“Daofather above…” Xuan Chengzi was the sole survivor among Greenwall’s Four Swords. His grieved expression carried a sliver of relief, and he sighed deeply. He closed his eyes and meditated, saying no more.

Rustle rustle rustle! Endless brilliance still spiraled in the sky, charging straight to the horizon. It was similar to fluttering spirit butterflies. Everyone beared a terribly complex feeling, and they watched the unleashed light pillar of qi revolve in the sky.

At this moment, time and space seemed to halt. Among the people still alive, a sensation of escaping mortal danger was spontaneously born.

Victory… Victory! They… had survived from the hands of an old initial-stage Foundation Establishment monster! Experiencing the five Heavenly Opening divine abilities, they survived in the end! From among a thousand, only ten remained! However, they stood staunchly until the end!

“We won?” Zhao Wuye sluggishly stood on a lotus leaf, trembling all over as he surveyed the scene.

“Huff…” Mao Ba’er, Zhao Ziqi, Li Zongyuan, Quan Ningyue, and Fang Cheng sighed in relief in this moment. Without the slightest hesitation, they all collapsed on their lotus leaf.

“We survived… Great…” Fang Cheng glanced at the oppressively black sky and finally closed his eyes. He could no longer hold on.

The scene was calmly dreadful. After an unknown passage of time, Fahui stood up and bowed deeply towards Xu Yangyi: “Benefactor, Mount Song’s Shaolin Temple will remember this grace.”

Xuan Chengzi’s gaze flashed. Fahui actually came from Mount Song? It was no wonder… that he could endure for such a long time!

However, this thought merely flashed in his mind. He struggled to stand up and also bowed deeply: “Xuan Chengzi… In place for the deceased Qing Jingzi, Wu Weizi, and Ling Xiaozi, I offer my thanks to Fellow Daoist…”

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist… for avenging this poor Daoist’s three apprentice brothers.”

Sister Nine and Yi Old Five didn’t speak. Their eyes narrowed into slits, and they deeply eyed Xu Yangyi. They took his silhouette and branded it in their hearts. Afterwards, they shut their eyes.

They were unwilling to have this man as an enemy. Not only did he treat his foes mercilessly, but he was likewise merciless to himself!

I really don’t know… At the same time Sister Nine closed her eyes, she noiselessly sighed. She truly did not know… where on earth this monster came from… 

Currently, none were aware that underwater, the last chain on a shadow body—a red chain—loudly crumbled apart! The four other Buddha wheels on the chains were all eliminated.

Below the water, it was quiet. Very quiet.

An unknown amount of time passed. Countless air bubbles slowly floated up from underwater. Soundless and silent, unknowing and unaware...

On the water’s surface, Xu Yangyi laid down on top of the Chasing Skylark. The pain of his severed arm tormented each of his nerves. Nonetheless, he didn’t have too much time to feel pain. Xuan Chengzi and Fahui bowed to him. He accepted and to accept was a proper matter. Looking to his heart, there was no shame; a clear conscience.

If it weren’t for him, not a single person present was capable of surviving! But right now, he had an even more important matter to do!

The Animus Armament. At this moment, his long-cherished wish had finally come full circle. For it, he hadn’t hesitated to find Daomaster Jadewave and look for an expert archeologist. In order to solve its mystery, he didn’t hesitate to personally enter the bottom of Danxia Temple. At long last, now was the time to unravel all of its secrets.

Suddenly, the half box on his chest emitted a golden light that filled the sky. With a swooshing noise, it flew away from his chest by itself! In the next second, this golden light transformed from a sliver into a domain! Ultimately, it actually covered as far as the eye could see!

Swish swish swish… In the sky’s curtain, violet talismans all around had already become a backdrop. In this instant, boundless golden light sprinkled down. They were cheering and in high spirits, endlessly happy for reuniting after a thousand years!

The screen of golden light slowly fluctuated in the sky. It was transparent, pure, and holy… but carried an inviolable mighty pressure. It was akin to a god’s descent.

Boom… From some unknown place, the gentle sound of a wooden fish echoed. Afterwards, the entire sky silently but audibly rang out with a stretch of wooden fish sounds.

In the scene, the corpse was scattered across a hundred meters. However, following the emergence of these wooden fish sounds and their slow beating… the bloody air surprisingly grew weak. The tension of battle was unconsciously brushed away from the heart and replaced with a kind of post-fight tranquility and spiritual purity.  

Swoosh… In the wake of these wooden fish noises, a white character appeared in the sky little by little. It wasn’t large, but it was able to occupy the human eye. It wasn’t magnificent, but it was able to cover a person's spirit.

This character carried a mysterious charm that anyone, including cultivators, were unable to describe with words. It was like an ink painting unhurriedly spreading open.

Xu Yangyi’s gaze slightly flashed. He hadn’t expected that the two parts of the Animus Armament united could actually give rise to such a scene. Studying the already faintly discernible character in the sky, he couldn’t help but read it aloud: “Dao… Dao?”

However, following his recital of this word, the entire space started to tremble! It was different from Wei Zhongxian’s divine abilities from just now. This time… there wasn’t any divine ability! This word had caused space to shake! It was as if Danxia Temple was unable to bear this word!

“This is!” Originally, Fahui already looked like he was soon to die. Once he saw this scene, he suddenly jumped up with a strength that was unknown in origin, swooshing! Cold sweat slid down from his forehead drop by drop. His entire monk robe was swelling by itself in the absence of the wind! He watched everything before him incredulously!

“Huff… This… This is… T-this is impossible… I-It’s only a legend…” At this moment, Xuan Chengzi forcibly braced his heavily wounded body and jumped up. He felt his heart speeding up into wild palpitations!

They came from the three great ancient sects. There were some old secret tales passed down through the successive generations. The time was too long. Never had anyone witnessed them, and they had already become legend!

“Dao Realm…” Xuan Chengzi’s entire body was shivering. Without warning, he devoutly kneeled on his flying magik artifact. His voice was hoarse and his face revealed zealotry: “D-Disciple Xuan Chengzi! I respectfully welcome the Emperor Armament of Daoism coming into the world!!!”

Thud thud thud! This wasn’t the sound of wooden fish. Instead, Xuan Chengzi was kowtowing on his magik artifact as if his life depended on it. Blood quickly flowed down from his forehead, yet he was totally unaware!

Animus Armament… These two words emerged in Xuan Chengzi’s and Fahui’s hearts.

This… was the worldly anomaly of an Animus Armament’s true emergence… Fortunately… Fortunately this was the bottom of Danxia Temple! Otherwise, if this harmonized in the outside world, all above Foundation Establishment would be able to see this strange phenomenon!

All that filled Xuan Chengzi’s eyes was Xu Yangyi’s figure. All that remained in his heart was a believer’s hot blood. Presently, even if Xu Yangyi wanted him to die, he wouldn’t make a noise! Knocking against his magik artifact, he abruptly recalled something. He quickly spat out a mouthful of blood and a blood-dyed silver sword-core that made a humming noise.

He was already looking towards Fahui with an obvious murderous aura. However, the murderous aura in Fahui’s eyes was no less than his!

Moments ago, the two super sects had exerted all power to collaborate. But now that the Animus Armament had come into being, a struggle of orthodoxies came under way!

“I truly didn’t expect…” Fahui coughed out a mouthful of blood: “That Fellow Daoist Xu… was actually hiding an Animus Armament on his person…”

“No need for more words.” In this instant, Xuan Chengzi and Fahui were burning their lives. Xuan Chengzi waved, and his sword core droned and flew in front of him: “In the struggle of orthodoxies, there is nothing more but war.” 

“If you want to lay hands on Fellow Daoist Xu, you’ll have to step over this poor Daoist’s corpse!”

Fahui’s expression was gloomy. Never had he expected this… He absolutely hadn’t! At the bottom of Danxia Temple, Wei Zhongxian’s corpse actually concealed such an item! In his present state, he wasn’t Xu Yangyi’s and Xuan Chengzi’s opponent any means! 

As for Xuan Chengzi, he steeled his heart to protect Xu Yangyi. 

As he had said, he would go on until death put him to an end!