Chapter 1494 - 807: Clouds Rising, Clouds Falling (Double-Length)

His head was severed, but his eyes closed.

The Ancestor Hall was in a state of chaos, completely transformed.

The roof had a large hole of three or four zhang, a broken, fallen ebony table lay across the hall, and five-tiered memorial tablets scattered on the ground, whether shattered or stained. An incense burner rolled into a corner, incense ash mixed with blood and muddy dust rolled across the floor. Most of the Everlasting Lamps were shattered, lamp oil flowing and shimmering, occasionally a still-burning fire flickered, casting wavering light and shadow inside the hall, smoke choking the air. The hall doors, affected by Sword Qi and thunder, tilted and cracked open, eaves occasionally dropped broken tiles, producing delicate sounds.

Considering the state of the Ancestor Hall, the entire Liuyun Palace, from the mountain entrance plaza to each temple building, was practically destroyed. The Three Pure Ones Hall roof had a large hole, the God of Wealth Hall was split into two, and in front of the Spiritual Official Hall, pools of blood hadn't yet congealed... Everywhere flying eaves and bucket arches were severely damaged, lacquer peeling, a scene of desolation; only mountain winds wailed, sweeping over the ruins.

Chen Yi glanced at the charred remnants before him, this was supposed to be the so-called Immortal's Relics, legend says those who ascend have flawless glazed bodies, yet it isn't entirely true. Someone like Master Yunzhou who fell into becoming an Evil Immortal, forcibly ascended resisting Heavenly Thunder, ends with dying and disappearing.

The cold wind whistled through the hall, that charred mass scattered like incense ash from the edges. Just now a Heavenly Thunder caused Master Yunzhou to scatter his Divine Qi along with the Divine Soul, naturally returning to dust, within moments only leaving that blood-stained, tattered vestment robe covering it.

Chen Yi turned his wrist, slowly sheathing Hou Kang Sword, and with a faint click, the remaining Bright Hall radiance retreated into the Heart Lake World.

Tai Sha Sword belatedly flew back from afar, hovered beside him, the blood glow flickering, emitting a low hum, as if unsatisfied, yet extremely unwilling.

Chen Yi glanced at it, extended his finger, and lightly tapped near the sword guard.

"Quiet."

Tai Sha Sword's hum abruptly stopped, the flowing blood glow on the blade quickly restrained, becoming obedient.

Chen Yi no longer paid attention to it, instead surveying the surroundings of this ruin caused by the fierce battle. Events from drinking tea and discussing Tao with Master Yunzhou, to the sudden appearance of White Lotus Saint Mother, then to the ascension accident, demonic battle, thunderstorm descent and divine escape... developed so quickly, with such danger, even with his experience, he found it unexpected.

He frowned slightly, rapidly sorting through the clues in his mind.

Inspection Department... Those spies disguised as incense customers and vendors had obviously gotten news early, stationed defensively here. They probably knew Master Yunzhou's ascension might prompt a visit from an old White Lotus Sect friend. But they likely didn't anticipate it would be White Lotus Saint Mother herself, nor did they foresee Master Yunzhou would fall into demonic possession, rising to kill, ultimately triggering such a drastic change. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent people with mediocre martial arts, who were slaughtered immediately by Master Yunzhou, unable to exert any effect.

As for the White Lotus Sect... Clearly they suffered a heavy blow on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, with loss of top combat power, Mother of Non-Birth also wounded and dormant; logically they should lay low for a while.

Yet unexpectedly White Lotus Saint Mother appeared in Western Jin, seemingly with a clear target, this matter is of great importance, must quickly send word to Zhou Yitang.

But before that, Chen Yi lifted his gaze towards the relatively intact guest quarters within the depths of Liuyun Palace.

During the fierce battle, he had spared some attention to the movements towards the guest quarters. It seemed to remain secure, unaffected, nor did he sense any intense energy fluctuation. With his family Great Yin's cultivation and vigilance, as long as they didn't actively enter the battle's central area, self-preservation should not be an issue.

Yet... ultimately, it's better to confirm with one's own eyes.

Chen Yi didn't linger, began walking over the chaos-covered ground towards the hall's exterior, Tai Sha Sword silently following.

With a few leaps, he traversed the damaged corridor, arriving before the guest quarters, seeing a female crown with a hat and green robe pause by the window frame, letting out a breath of relief.

Inside the guest quarters, the dim twilight through the window illuminated the faces of three people, whose expressions still held shock.

Chang Yuzi slumped on a mat, eyes vacant, gaze falling on Yin Weiyin, the Daoist subconsciously stroking his short beard, startled, the nun appeared calm but absent-mindedly turning prayer beads...

Their expressions were as if they had just seen an inconceivable scene, slowly recovering from astonishment.

This layman from nowhere... could actually invoke the Evil Extermination Heavenly Thunder...

Yin Weiyin slowly relaxed his stance, composedly smoothing his slightly disheveled sleeves, as three others noticed with peripheral vision someone coming through the corridor, gradually turning their heads.

The newcomer had dust on his robe, slightly tousled hair tips, a knife at the waist, a sword on the back; all three knew it was the female crown's attendant, but the Daoist froze first, staring at Chen Yi's face for a moment.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh, exclaimed in a low voice: "It's... it's you! Just outside, battling Master Yunzhou and that witch... it was you!"

The nun's eyes flickered with surprise upon hearing, hands clasped, softly reciting a Buddha's name.

The most intense reaction came from Chang Yuzi.

He stared at Chen Yi, lips trembling, face pale as paper, trying to speak but unable to form words, finally after a pause, he asked:

"Sect... Sect Leader, how... how is he?"

Suddenly the guest quarters fell silent, only the wailing wind from outside could be clearly heard.

Chen Yi looked at the Great Yin sect's high priest, whose mind was already torn asunder, and said calmly:

"He's dead."

Chang Yuzi's body shook fiercely, as if his spine was extracted; if not for a hand supporting the nearby tea table, he would've collapsed.

He stared blankly towards the ruined Ancestor Hall.

After a long while, he regained some presence of mind, hurriedly rose, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then turned towards Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin, bowed deeply,

"Thank you... both of you, for freeing Liuyun Palace's Sect Leader."

Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin exchanged a glance, silently returning the bow.

The Daoist recited "Blessings of Infinite Heavenly Venerable," and the nun followed with "Amitabha Buddha," a Daoist and a monk, as if granting spiritual release, or acknowledging the golden boy and jade girl's virtue.

Not long thereafter,

Chang Yuzi personally escorted them out of the mountain gate.

Now many elders of Liuyun Palace were scattered, momentarily he alone presided over leadership.

"I cannot escort you beyond this," Chang Yuzi had recovered from initial shock, said slowly, "The temple is in disarray, it needs tidying."

Chen Yi listened, a grand ascension at Liuyun Palace turned into a bloody scene, Sect Leader fell into demonic possession; even cleaning the aftermath, not only would spirits waver inside, but external troubles abound, future prosperity would diminish; from top to bottom vitality was severely harmed, this sect suffered foundational damage.

Yin Weiyin spoke, "Such unforeseen changes, the unpredictable whims of heaven, may you grieve and accept what has occurred."

"I can only hope, that by striving to my utmost, the sect will survive this calamity." Chang Yuzi wore a bitter smile.

"Your resolute Taoist Heart is evident; future achievements are possible."

"Layman, do not comfort me unnecessarily. I am merely doing my best, with no time to find solace in adversity."

"I am not comforting. Misfortune rests on blessings, and blessings conceal misfortune," the female crown said, gently shaking her head.

Chang Yuzi heard these words, and as the mountain wind swept through the desolate Liuyun Palace and reached him, he had a vague sense of insight, though he couldn't quite grasp it.

"I won't stay long." Yin Weiyin turned around and said.

"Layman,"

The two were suddenly called to stop and turned back.

"Thank you."

Chang Yuzi hastily raised his hand and bowed deeply.

Behind him, the once-intact Liuyun Palace was now in ruins from top to bottom, but the mountain gate remained unharmed. The couplets above the gate, taken from Jiangxin Temple, were still intact:

Clouds morning after morning, morning after morning disperse.

Tides long after long, long after long ebb.

Chen Yi paused for a moment and looked at the couplets again, feeling a different kind of emotion.

The clouds rise and fall, the tides rise and ebb.

..................

..................

"Have you seen my prowess?"

As soon as she got into the carriage, Yin Weiyin asked in a clear voice. She sat gracefully to one side, her veil hat was long set aside, revealing her exquisite face.

She lifted the curtain and looked at the street scene that was fading into the distance, appearing nonchalant in her questioning, though she knew that Chen Yi could tell she wasn't as calm as she appeared.

Chen Yi furrowed his brow slightly, expressing some doubt, "That heavenly thunder… was it really drawn by you?"

Although he had speculated due to the astonished expressions of others at Liuyun Palace, knowing for sure it was Yin Weiyin, Chen Yi still found it hard to believe.

When did his family, Great Yin, become so formidable?

"I can draw Thunder Talismans, so why wouldn't I practice the art of attracting lightning?" Yin Weiyin responded with a rhetorical question, then raised her nose slightly, "If it weren't for the two consecutive Heavenly Thunders I drew, you would have been deeply entangled in danger long ago."

Chen Yi merely smiled, accepting the sentiment.

Being deeply entangled in danger was an overstatement; Master Yunzhou was already wounded by the Tai Sha Sword. Without Yin Weiyin attracting the lightning, it would have indeed been troublesome, and the two might have truly escaped.

"So, you are quite impressive, eh? My Jade Girl really has her use after all."

Chen Yi grinned, stretching lazily.

Yin Weiyin felt slightly displeased hearing this and furrowed her brow, "When have I ever been useless?"

This display of divine might had added some assertiveness to his family's Great Yin. In the past, Chen Yi would have gone to great lengths to suppress it, even if he was excited. However, even now, he seemed uninterested, resting his face in his hand, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

"Today, you also saw Master Yunzhou, who had bitterly cultivated for hundreds of years. Once his Heart Demon arose, all his efforts were wasted, his life ended, and his path extinguished, without even a chance for reincarnation.

This shows that if the Taoist Heart is unstable, no level of cultivation is worth anything. Since you and I have already engaged in dual cultivation, our energies are linked, and we must be united and diligent, without sloth."

She paused slightly, seeing Chen Yi still looking out the window, his profile somewhat blurred. Her tone became more earnest, "You possess the Heavenly Vision, your talents are already exceptional, and you have... various encounters. If you are willing to settle your mind, to explore the Great Dao with me and enhance our cultivation, it might not be impossible to glimpse the door to immortality. Even if unforeseen changes occur and immortality remains elusive, further cultivation can increase our aid to each other during dangers, like today..."

As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered, with a hint of shyness, yet she persisted in a cool manner, "The key to dual cultivation lies in perseverance, blending Yin and Yang, compensating for shortcomings. You have lately... been somewhat lax. You should practice diligently moving forward, not wasting the opportunity."

…She continued speaking incessantly, her voice lingering in the carriage like a stream in the mountains, gurgling ceaselessly.

But, as she spoke, her clear eyes turned slightly, and when she looked at Chen Yi, she found him still resting his face on his hand, his gaze slightly lowered, fixed on the view outside.

The scenery outside the window rapidly receded, initially with the outlines of shop banners and pedestrians visible, but as dusk fully swallowed the horizon, the lights grew sparse, and the houses, alleys, and trees blurred into deep shadows, flowing incessantly backward as if without end.

Chen Yi's gaze fell on these blurred flowing shadows, as if looking at something, or perhaps seeing nothing at all, with a hint of... melancholy between his brows.

What was he feeling melancholy about?

Yin Weiyin could not comprehend for a moment.

Suddenly, hearing the sound beside her stop, Chen Yi, who did not respond earlier, came to his senses and said:

"Luan Huang, what were you just saying? It seemed I was absentminded."

The female crown's cool eyes lowered slightly, reflecting silently for a moment before saying, "Nothing much, just advising you to become an immortal."

He neither agreed nor disagreed, simply shook his head with a smile, "No need to advise, I don't know."

After speaking, he stretched lazily, stood up, and retrieved some paper money from the cabinet under the carriage seat, then knelt on one knee, using the chair as a desk, saying:

"Let me write a letter to my master first."

Upon hearing this, Yin Weiyin, reciting the Supreme Forget Love Technique, said with complex thoughts, "Go ahead, don't expect me to help you grind the ink."

"Hmm, I can do it myself."

"..."

The female crown lowered her slender eyebrows, her clear eyes closed, thus sitting in meditation like an old monk in contemplation, as if a master encountering a stubborn stone and not knowing how to direct it.