Archfiend

Chapter 239: Danxia Temple (Finale)

“Child… you say… this world is shaped like a sphere?” Xiaoqing’s heart was beginning to waver.

Endless solitary, several thousand years of loneliness. She was even more lonesome than the star-crossed beauty of Cui Hu’s rosy affair! [1] 

These things wouldn’t be useful to her if she didn’t escape one day.. Although a new and odd magik treasure failed to achieve parity in trading her treasury, using a few things she didn’t need to trade for this magik treasure called “television” was a great boon to her current situation. Furthermore, she would be able to understand all kinds of various matters around the globe.

These days, she no longer considered the question of leaving in the near future. In order to construct this 200,000-square-kilometer secret realm, she and Fahai had already used up all the qi that they were capable of mobilizing. Yet who could’ve expected that Wei Zhongxian was surprisingly left here by that mortal Ming Guangzong!

A millennium later, the emperor’s designs were finally exhibited to these two supreme greater demons!

“Not a single one of junior’s words are false.” Xu Yangyi had already committed himself fully to this drama. He sincerely cupped his hands and said: “Everyone is trapped here. I speak the truth; come heaven or hell, I dare not let either of you out. However, junior can still offer some benefits to the both of you.”

Everyone who was still conscious silently turned their heads and spat on the ground, sharing the same sentiment. Even Mao Ba’er was no exception.

Listening to such… competent marketing was all that they thought about. It was merely a pity… that if Fahai and Xiaoqing were able to leave… it was unknown how they would feel upon seeing a street packed with televisions and then making a comparison to the items they had paid out…  

“Very well.” A myriad schemes and strategies in her heart, Xiaoqing faintly nodded after several minutes: “I want to see this magik treasure in thirty days. If a single word that you’ve spoken is false…” 

She gazed coldly at Xu Yangyi: “My escape is merely a question of time. At the longest, another five centuries will past. At the shortest, another two to three. If you are deceiving me… even if you flee to the ends of the Earth, you will still be within reach of This Palace’s hand.”

Finished speaking, she opened her mouth and spat out an azure writ medal. Xu Yangyi immediately heard Xiaoqing’s voice echo at the side of his ear: Xiang Province, Tianzi Mountain. This item will lead you to find the treasury I left behind. You may take one treasure with this writ medal.

As expected, Xiaoqing had left behind a back-up!

In his heart, Xu Yangyi laughed. He took the writ medal and stowed it into his storage ring. This was the treasury of a demon king who transcended Core Formation! It was unknown which one of her avatars had constructed this treasury, but an item able to enter Xiaoqing’s discerning eyes was in all likelihood no less than the Rootless Nine Bends Aqua!

“In that case, junior will be certain to bring the television within the month. But remember, this treasure mustn’t touch water.”

“With all speed.” Xiaoqing suppressed her heart’s longing and said indifferently.

“Yes.” Xu Yangyi didn’t leave: “I have another treasure that’s able to chat with people a thousand miles away. As long as the receiver’s information is stored inside this magik treasure and the device can be orientated, contact can be made at any time. The time lag doesn’t exceed three seconds…”

“What?” This time, Fahai’s complexion changed: “You actually have this strange treasure?”

Once more, everyone turned their heads back and spat, all of them holding the same thought. Listening to Xu Yangyi’s words, they guessed what the item was… 

A cell phone!

Good… Once the television is finished, it’s the cell phone. But after the cell phone is done, what else is there? Anyways, you can’t bring in a computer for them, right?!

“This treasure… What is its name?” Fahai questioned, his gaze like fire.

“Cell phone.” Xu Yangyi cupped his hands and said: “Junior will bring all the magik treasures together that form a set.”

Such as headphones, data cables, and so on… 

Fahai spoke no more. He simply hung his eyes low, sunk into deep contemplation.

Xiaoqing… He wasn’t worried about the people she was acquainted with. Was there any among them that hadn’t already passed away? Who would she be able to find?

However… he was different! Good or bad, he was the master of Jinshan Temple! Even if Jinshan Temple had died away, Buddhism had many burning joss sticks and disciples! Even if hundreds or thousands of zealots were sacrificed, as long as one of them arrived before him, all situations would surely cycle back in reverse!

This treasure… He HAD to obtain it!

He ceased the machinations in his mind. The passion of his gaze lightened by a sliver and his heart smouldered. However, his mouth became even more gentle and weak like clouds and winds: “Young fellow… you know, if you’re deceiving me… If there is a day when This Sage Lord escapes, I will completely obliterate you in mind and soul even if you flee beyond this world.” 

“Junior dares not.” Xu Yangyi cupped his hands even more sincerely: “But this treasure also can’t come in contact with water. In addition, this treasure doesn’t allow senior to make one-way connections. The other party has to also have this treasure for communications to work.”

“Not just this, the other party’s secret connection code is required, and senior’s secret connection code has to be known to other. Once both sides establish a connection, it’s impossible for the connection to be lost unless the magik treasure in the other’s possession is damaged. Even during seclusion, this connection is certain to be immediately received!”

There was actually such a convenient treasure!

Fahai’s pupils needled. In the modern cultivation world, wasn’t it said that qi was becoming progressively weaker and the era had entered the End of Days? Yes… this should’ve been so. They had no choice but to develop the crafts. Nonetheless, thanks to this, how would they otherwise be capable of possessing such a fast magik treasure? Even he still required a period of time to prepare a connection with someone who was separated by a vast distance.

“Continue speaking.”

“Yes.” Xu Yangyi nodded: “This treasure is divided into three ranks. The first is called Telecom. Their signal… No, their communication quality is the worst. Usually, the sound quality will be fuzzy. The second is called Xiaomi. There’s no question about communicating within the country. The third is called iPhone. One can even communicate with foreign cultivators. But likewise, you have to know the other party’s contact details.” [2]

The gears of Fahai’s mind turned ever so slowly. 

In his thoughts, Xu Yangyi laughed grimly. Even if you think more, you still won’t be able to imagine the subtleties in this! You really think this era is called Cultivation Civilization in vain? Even if our realms are worst than ancient cultivators, which item these days wouldn’t be considered a treasure by ancient cultivators if it was put forward?

That wasn’t to mention the sects of the past. To what level of sect cohesion would they have to improve to in order to accomplish the feats of a single man with a cell phone? How many vassal sects of rogue cultivators would come forth from a room equipped with a television and computer?

“Telecom, Xiaomi, and iPhone. The names of this treasure is rather strange… It is not according to any kind of naming method that I know of.” Fahai mumbled to himself and glanced at Xu Yangyi: “Could it be that you are deceiving me?”

“Junior dares not.” Xu Yangyi gestured at the crowd of people behind him: “All the people here use this treasure. Senior can ask as you wish.”

Once more in concert, everyone nodded their heads like young chicks pecking rice.

Fahai leveled a steely gaze at Xu Yangyi. After several seconds, he coldly snorted and a copper key floated out from the crown of his head and flew towards Xu Yangyi.

Below Jinshan Temple, look for a golden brick. Like Xiaoqing, his voice was secretly relayed: This key can only take one treasure. Moreover, you must do as I say and find an old friend of mine. If he is still alive in this world, you must get his information and inform me of it.

However, Xu Yangyi didn’t take the key. He murmured to himself for a short moment and said awkwardly: “Senior, this isn’t enough.”

“Junior…” Fahai gnashed his teeth and forcibly suppressed the thought of using his life source to slap Xu Yangyi into dust and ash. He was a grand high-level cultivator. How can any one of my stored treasures not be enough for a Qi Condensation insect like you to enjoy for the rest of your life?! How can you be so picky!

“Know contentment… only then can you live long and prosper.” Fahai finished saying these cold words.

Nevertheless, Xu Yangyi replied neither slowly nor hurriedly: “Senior, that’s just how it is. I still don’t know which rank you’re going to choose. That’s the first. The second is that how much energy would I have to spend to help senior find your good friend from back then? Manpower? Rather than this, I might as well not come through with this deal.”

Crack… A crisp sound was heard from behind Fahai. It was the sound of his fists tightly wringing together. He was unexpectedly being haggled by a Qi Condensation insect! A kind of extreme disgust surfaced in his heart. After a long time, he said coldly, his voice strange: “In that case, it depends on what you see, yes?”

“Junior naturally recommends the iPhone. This device was crafted by a foreign senior, a Grand Artificer named Jobs. Xiaomi and Telecom both have the problem of having a short usefulness period…” 

“Then it is the iPhone.” Fahai seemed to study Xu Yangyi as if he saw everything clearly: “As expected, an artificed magik treasure of a foreign cultivator. Jobs was it? Could he be a descendant of Qidan’s Qiao Clan? iPhone? He takes the phoenix as his totem? Each name is stranger than the last.” [3]

In a flash, a kind of IQ-crushing feeling arose within all the present people’s reverence towards this senior, indescribable in its ascension. Fahai remained taciturn for several seconds and then sighed. His gaze flashed and the copper key flew back. A silver key flew in front of Xu Yangyi.

“My treasury has altogether twenty-six treasure. With this key…” He gritted his teeth somewhat painfully: “You can take three items from within. But, you must also deliver this magik treasure called a ‘cell phone’ within the month.”

“Very well.” Xiaoqing said indifferently: “If there’s nothing else, be quick and scram from Danxia Temple… Besides…” She eyed Xu Yangyi, absent of an iota of emotion: “Boy… you best pray that you don’t come across This Palace again.”

She had pondered very much, contemplated many ways to entice Xu Yangyi. Danxia Temple continued to filter out countless people, but unexpectedly, she and the sole living people had struck up a deal in the end.

A human’s mind was odd like so. After Wei Zhongxian appeared, she immediately realized that perhaps her thoughts of escape this time were hopeless. However, under the worst premise of this hopelessness, an acceptable proposal had suddenly appeared. As for hatred, she did admittedly hate these people. Surprisingly, they hadn’t saved her. And yet such hatred was strangely far less severe than what she had imagined.

“If so, this slave will bring everyone out.” Wei Zhongxian laughed.

“Hold on.” Xu Yangyi furrowed his brows: “We have another a companion. After we entered, we didn’t see him.”

Originally, Yao Xintan had come in together with him yet failed to appear again.

“Master, I am powerless regarding this matter.” Wei Zhongxian shook his head: “This land, the deepest part of this place, is a space transformed by the two immortals. There are endless perils. If he didn’t emerged at the start, he was probably incapable of appearing…”

Xu Yangyi sighed, bearing a faint sorrow as he surveyed all around. The end… Everything had come to an end.

This Danxia Temple journey, braving the risks of entering the last inner temple… finally came to an end here… The billowing climaxes, the mutual deceptions, and mortal struggles along this path were akin to smoke passing the eyes. A thousand people had entered, but all who ultimately survived were these people.

“The path of cultivation has always been a tribulation of bristle and thorn.” These words slipped out from his mouth, and he glanced at the bottom of Danxia Temple again, nodding: “Let’s go.”

“But before this, I hope to help master with all my power.” Wei Zhongxian laughed. His hand flickered. In an instant, Fahui’s head fell to the ground!

Fahai merely glanced, simply aloof. Xiaoqing was further unmoved.

Although Wei Zhongxian wasn’t a cultivator, he had been forcibly promoted by someone to a Foundation Establishment cultivation. At this moment, this cultivation still remained. Killing Fahui who had already received heavy injuries didn’t need too much effort. 

“This man harbored evil in his heart. He was not of the same path as master’s.” Wei Zhongxian pursed his lips: “Is master satisfied?”

Xu Yangyi shot an eye towards Fahui’s corpse and nodded. Leaving this person behind was a calamity.

Wei Zhongxian laughed: “Before leaving, this slave still has one last question.”

“Can master sense the Animus Armament?”

Xu Yangyi gently felt outwards and suddenly lifted his head. To his surprise, he discovered… that he could actually sense Wei Zhongxian’s “life” inside!

It was state that was difficult to describe. Wei Zhongxian was obviously a dead man, yet here, Wei Zhongxian was akin to an object of his creation! Xu Yangyi could destroy the other at any time! But most importantly… Wei Zhongxian was just like Li Zongyuan, communicating with his spiritual sense!

Now wasn’t the time to ask about these things… Xu Yangyi’s gaze wordlessly glanced at everyone. In his heart, he directed a final command at Wei Zhongxian and nodded: “Go.”

A streak of white light brightened. Everyone disappeared from where they stood.

[1] “Cui Hu’s rosy affair” is a story concerning a literary talent named Cui Hu and a beautiful unnamed girl. It takes place during the Tang dynasty. There are several versions of the story I have seen, but they always start out the same. Cui Hu arrives at home and knocks on the door for water, thirsty. A beautiful girl arrives, and he is dumbstruck by her beauty. She hands him water to drink, but because he is so dumbstruck he doesn’t say anything the entire time and only asks for more water. He never speaks to her, but there is a clear feeling between the two. He eventually leaves, the peach blossoms “tapping” his shoulder to remind him (this is why the poem is known as A Face and a Peach Blossom. The ending then diverges: 

1: Cui Hu returns a year later on the same day because this girl is continuously on his mind. When he returns, he learns that the girl married and his opportunity is missed. He writes a sad poem to express his feelings and leaves. (One version sees that the girl has already married when Cui Hu returns so he writes the sad poem) Cui Hu returns a year later on the same day but doesn’t find the girl. He leaves behind the poem to express his feelings and takes his leave. The girl then reads the poem and fall ills because she thinks she has missed an opportunity to meet a good man. Cui Hu finds out and the pair are united. They marry. 

2: Cui Hu Returns a year later on the same day but doesn’t find the girl. He leaves behind the poem to express his feelings and takes his leave. The girl reads the poem and is so sad that she dies. Cui Hu later on hears her father’s crying and talks to the man, blamed by the father for having killed his daughter. Cui Hu meets the girl and she is revived. They both get married and live happily ever after. 

[2] Telecom/Xiaomi are what I believe to be Chinese Mobile companies. Well, I think iPhone would be self explanatory, but it is an Apple product. 

[3] 爱凤 - Chinese slang for iPhone. The second character here is phoenix. This is why Fahai is getting confused/making assumptions about Steve Jobs. Literally means "Love Phoenix" The Qidan people are said to be turkic/uyghur in origin.