Chapter 114
Seeing Wei Jie, she almost called out to him, but the words caught in her throat.
She knew her time was running out. If she stayed too close to him, he might discover her secret.
After her conversation with the old monk, she had made a decision – she would help Wei Jie overcome his final tribulation, ensuring his return to the heavens.
And then… she would leave, a letter explaining her decision, her desire to return to her own time, using the Zhulong statue.
She couldn’t die in front of him. He would be devastated, his grief unbearable. But at least… he would have hope, knowing she had lived, that they might meet again, two hundred years later.
It was a flicker of light in the darkness, a promise of a future reunion.
And two hundred years… it was a long time. Enough time for his grief to fade, for his love to… transform.
Perhaps, by then, he would be able to accept her death…
She looked at him, standing tall on the city wall, her heart aching, then turned to Madam Fu. “You want revenge, don’t you?” she said, her voice firm. “The Dongyuan Emperor… he’s the one responsible for your people’s suffering! His soul… it’s trapped in that statue! This is our chance! Kill him!”
Madam Fu’s eyes widened, her face lighting up, her excitement palpable. She had been waiting for this moment. She barked orders, and the demon warriors, clad in their armor, their weapons gleaming, formed ranks, ready to attack.
But the statue, as it approached the city, suddenly stopped. An axe, its surface shimmering, radiating a powerful aura, materialized in its hand.
It was the divine axe, stolen from his mother’s palace.
The Dongyuan Emperor, sensing his weakened state, had planned this.
He had manipulated the Empress Dowager, using a dream, a threat, to convince her to build a temple, a golden statue, on Fan Mountain. And now, using this statue as his vessel, he would provoke the demons.
He would shatter the barrier, unleash the creatures of the underworld, pitting them against the demons, then, when both sides were weakened, he would intervene, claiming victory.
His divine intervention, his defeat of the demons… the story would spread throughout the mortal realm.
And the mortals, in their ignorance, would flock to his temples, their offerings replenishing his divine power core.
He wasn’t in a hurry to attack the city. He raised the axe, ready to strike the earth.
But a figure, moving like a shadow, intercepted him, crashing into his arm, sending the statue stumbling back.
It was Wei Jie.
He was fully transformed now, his body covered in black scales, his aura menacing, his movements swift and deadly. He wielded the Heaven-Punishing Sword, his attacks focused on the statue’s arm, trying to sever it, to prevent it from using the axe.
The Dongyuan Emperor, realizing his intention, reacted instantly, swinging the axe, its blade aimed at Wei Jie.
Xiao Xiao, watching, her heart pounding, gasped. The axe’s speed… it was impossible to dodge.
But Wei Jie, his cultivation having advanced significantly, his reflexes honed, moved, his body a blur, narrowly avoiding the blow.
They clashed, their battle a whirlwind of motion, a dance of destruction.
Xiao Xiao, observing them, suddenly had an idea. “Do you have any… firewood?” she asked Madam Fu.
“We used a lot of wood to bake the bricks,” Madam Fu replied.
“Scatter it around the statue!” Xiao Xiao ordered.
The demon warriors obeyed, and soon, piles of firewood surrounded the statue.
Xiao Xiao, chanting a spell, ignited the wood, summoning flames, her attack amplified by Tang Youshu, who joined her, his own incantations fueling the fire.
The statue was made of gold, resistant to ordinary fire, but against true fire, fueled by talismans… it would melt. She would force the Dongyuan Emperor to retreat!
As the statue’s golden foot touched the burning ground, it began to melt.
Its movements faltered, its balance disrupted.
But then, a storm erupted, lightning flashing, thunder booming, rain pouring from the sky, extinguishing the flames.
Xiao Xiao, startled, her eyes widening, realized the rain wasn’t natural. It was focused, protecting the statue.
She looked up and saw a face, a woman’s face, formed from the dark clouds, its gaze fixed on them, its expression cold and watchful.
Another deity?
Xiao Xiao, enraged, raised her hand, mimicking an archer, her fingers forming a bow, her energy gathering, forming a flaming arrow, then… she released it, the arrow shooting towards the sky, piercing the clouds, scattering them.
But the clouds reformed, their gaze now fixed on her, their anger palpable.
A voice, cold and menacing, boomed in her mind, a sound only she could hear. “You… you’re Cui Xiao Xiao? How dare you?! Do you even know who I am?!”
She chuckled, her voice laced with a defiant amusement. “Who else would protect a villain like the Dongyuan Emperor? His mother, perhaps? The Queen Mother, descending to the mortal realm to aid her son in his… evil deeds?”
The voice faltered, then said, its tone laced with a chilling rage, “You… you must be Wei Feng reincarnated. Do you even remember? Without me, you wouldn’t even be a deity! How dare you disrespect me?!”
Her suspicion confirmed, Xiao Xiao scoffed. “I’m not Wei Feng! And even if I were, I repaid my debt when I took the blame for your son’s actions, when I endured that heavenly tribulation! You call yourself the Queen Mother, yet you allow your son to harm mortals, to manipulate events! If you were truly righteous, you would send the celestial army, not resort to such… cowardly… tactics! You’re a disgrace! Even a mortal mother wouldn’t be so… blind!”
The Queen Mother, accustomed to praise and adoration, had never been insulted like this.
The cloud-face contorted, its anger a tangible force.
She had entered seclusion to conceal her actions, her soul descending to the mortal realm to find her son.
She hadn’t intended to intervene, but she had to ensure he didn’t make any… irreversible… mistakes.
But the moment she arrived, she saw him, trapped in that burning statue.
She had summoned the rain, extinguishing the flames, but Cui Xiao Xiao, that insignificant girl, had noticed, mocking her!
She was furious, but she wouldn’t waste her time arguing with a mortal. She summoned a beam of light, the Guiding Light, attempting to recall Dongyuan to the heavens.
But he, consumed by jealousy, his anger fueled by Xiao Xiao’s unwavering support for Wei Jie, wouldn’t leave. He had come too far to give up now!
He ignored his mother’s summons, pushing Wei Jie and the approaching demon warriors back with a surge of energy.
He raised the axe again, ready to strike.
Xiao Xiao, her heart pounding, saw Wei Jie, in a flash, turn towards her, his gaze meeting hers, a silent message, then… he moved, his steps deliberate, his expression resolute, towards the axe’s descending path.
Everyone stared, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief, as he sat down, his legs crossed, his eyes closed, his demeanor calm, accepting his fate…
“Wei Jie!” Xiao Xiao screamed, her voice filled with a desperate anguish.
Her demonic bloodline, triggered by her emotions, surged, golden wings erupting from her back, her power unleashed, as she flew towards the statue, her energy forming a shield, deflecting the axe.
But it was too late. The axe had struck, cleaving through his body, splitting him in two.
“No!” she screamed, rushing towards the crater, her hands digging through the blood and flesh, searching for him.
But a blinding golden light erupted from the crater, its intensity growing, forming countless blades, piercing the statue.
The statue tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Blood, a crimson torrent, flowed from its wounds, its voice, the Dongyuan Emperor’s voice, filled with disbelief, echoing through the air. “How… how is this possible? He’s a mortal! Mortals can’t defeat… gods… This… this is impossible! Mother… help me!”
It reached out, its hand trembling, towards the sky, towards the Guiding Light descending from the heavens.
But before it could touch it, its body shattered, collapsing, a pile of broken gold, surrounded by a pool of blood.
Rong Yao, watching from the heavens, hadn’t anticipated this. Her son, on the verge of victory… his soul… destroyed!
She summoned the Guiding Light, desperate to retrieve him, but it was too late. He was gone.
The connection, the bond between mother and son, severed, her grief, her rage, overwhelming her, she screamed, her voice echoing through the heavens. “You… you mortals! You dared to kill a god! The heavens will punish you! You will all pay!”
She raised her hand, ready to unleash her wrath, to summon a heavenly tribulation.
But even a deity, in their grief, in their anger, could forget the rules – a soul, separated from its body, was vulnerable.
She summoned… nothing. Her hand trembled, her forehead, the divine mark, bleeding, her divine power core cracking.
Rain, a crimson rain, fell from the sky. And the cloud-face, its form blurring, began to dissipate.
An old monk, his back towards them, his gaze fixed on the sky, stood on a hill not far from the Demon City. “Amitabha… The Queen Mother… her divine power core is shattered. Even a goddess… must face… mortality… To understand human suffering… one must become… human…”
He waved his hand, and a beam of light shot towards Xiao Xiao, landing in her cloth bag.
But she didn’t notice. She was in the crater, her hands digging frantically through the blood and flesh, her tears mixing with the mud.
But her own power, depleted by her earlier efforts, her emotions overwhelming her, she coughed, blood staining her lips.
A warmth, emanating from the earth, surrounded her, easing her physical pain, but not her grief.
A familiar voice, calm and steady, spoke from above. “One thought… a demon. One thought… a Buddha… He sacrificed himself… to save the world…”
She looked up, her eyes meeting the old monk’s, then scrambled to her feet, grabbing his robe, her voice a desperate plea. “He’s not dead, is he? Where is he? Tell me! Please!”
The old monk, unfazed, said gently, “Young lady, you’ve been away for too long. You’ve forgotten who you are. It was just a dream. Wake up. Dreams… they’re not real.”
He waved his whisk, and the Zhulong statue, its eyes missing, rose from Tang Youshu’s basket, joining the two eyes from Xiao Xiao’s bag, the three pieces merging, a blinding light erupting.
Xiao Xiao tried to speak, but a force, pulling at her, lifted her into the air, her vision blurring, stars swirling before her eyes, then… darkness.
She drifted, lost in a void, voices calling her name, their urgency growing…
“Sect Master! Sect Master! Wake up!”
She sat up abruptly, and the three disciples, who had been huddled around her, jumped back, their faces filled with alarm.
Jiang Nanmu, recovering first, her voice filled with relief, said, “Sect Master, you’re awake! We were so worried! We searched everywhere for you!”
Xiao Xiao stared at them, her mind still foggy. They weren’t in the mirror. They were here, in the flesh.
Had they… traveled back in time too?
But she couldn’t focus on that. She looked around, her voice frantic. “Wei Jie… where’s Wei Jie?”
Ji Wuqi, unable to contain himself, his voice loud and harsh, said, “Hey, Cui Xiao Xiao, are you still asleep? Why are you asking about that demon? He’s been dead for two hundred years! Where would you…”
He stopped, her gaze, cold and sharp, silencing him.
What was this? She had been gone for a day, and her aura… it had changed. He stared at her, his usual arrogance gone, replaced by a hesitant respect.
“What… what did you say? Wei Jie is… dead? Two hundred years… What year is it? Where am I?”
Ayi, seeing her confusion, her disorientation, said, “What’s wrong, Junior Sister? We’re on Qilao Mountain! You fought against the leader of the Two Instruments Palace, and then… you vanished! We searched everywhere for you! Don’t you remember?”
“No! No! I can’t be back! What about Wei Jie? The statue! Where’s the Zhulong statue?!”
She scrambled to her feet, her movements frantic, her gaze searching, then saw it, lying on a barren hillside.
But it was broken, split in two, beyond repair, as if… as if it had been cleaved by an axe…
No! She stood, her gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape, her heart pounding.
Because of her time travel, Qilao Mountain had never been attacked, its forests untouched.
How… how could it be like this? She had returned, but Qilao Mountain… it was still a wasteland.
As she questioned them, her voice filled with a desperate urgency, Jiang Nanmu, exchanging a worried glance with Ji Wuqi, said gently, “Junior Sister, don’t you remember? I told you about Qilao Mountain. It was… a battleground, two hundred years ago. A celestial fire… it burned everything. Nothing has grown here since.”
It was impossible! Before she left, Qilao Mountain had been lush and green! She looked at her Senior Brother, his beard still unkempt, his demeanor still gruff. He hadn’t shaved, hadn’t adopted those refined manners.
“Senior Brother, didn’t Master teach you to be polite? We don’t accept those who are disrespectful!”
Ji Wuqi, convinced she was delusional, his voice softening slightly, said, “Did you hit your head? When did Master ever say that? I’ve always been like this. You know me.”
She stumbled back, staring at the barren mountain, the shattered stone tablets, her mind reeling.
She had traveled to the past, disrupted the timeline… but nothing had changed? Had it all been… a dream? A long, vivid, impossible dream?
She checked her pulse – it was strong, her blood flowing freely, no sign of her illness.
How… how was this possible? Had it all been a dream? Or was she still dreaming?
She summoned a ball of fire in her palm. The flames, steady, strong, split in two with a snap of her fingers.
Her three companions stared, their eyes wide with disbelief. “Junior Sister… when did you learn to control fire?” Jiang Nanmu asked, her voice filled with astonishment.
Cui Xiao Xiao, a water talisman master, controlling fire without even using a talisman…
As she manipulated the flames, her heart calmed. Her energy was strong, her Golden Core stable… this wasn’t her pre-time travel cultivation!
And her clothes… they were the ones Wei Jie had bought for her, two hundred years ago!
Her encounter with him… it hadn’t been a dream!
But what had happened after she was sent back by the statue? Wei Jie… was he truly dead?
She forced herself to calm down, to analyze the situation, to find clues.
She asked about her master, about Yu Ling’er, about the Demon City, about the Dongyuan Emperor.
But her companions, their confusion growing, their answers, delivered with bewildered expressions, only deepened the mystery. Yu Ling’er… she was Master’s fellow disciple, but she had died long ago. They had never met her. And Master… they had buried him themselves. As for the Demon City, the Dongyuan Emperor… they were just legends, figures from ancient tales.
It was as if only she had experienced those two hundred years, her actions, her journey, leaving no trace on the present, like a ship passing through the water, leaving no wake.
Her head ached, and her dog, Jixiang, sensing her distress, approached her, licking her hand.
She knelt, hugging him, her relief, her joy at seeing him again, overwhelming her. But something… something was wrong.
His face… it seemed different. His mouth… it was too big.
But then, a flood of memories, of him, growing older, his muzzle lengthening, his jaw widening… it had always been like this.
He wagged his tail, then, sensing her safety, trotted away, searching for food.
She decided to visit the Sword Sect, to find Qin Lingxiao. Perhaps he could explain what had happened.
The Sword Sect was nearby. She could fly there on her sword.
As she leaped onto her sword, her movements effortless, her three companions stared, their jaws dropping. “Cui Xiao Xiao… you can… fly on your sword?!”
Their master, even in death, hadn’t mastered that technique! How had she learned it?
“Return to Lingshan,” she said, her voice firm, not looking back. “I’ll be back soon.”
And then, with a surge of energy, she was gone, her figure a blur in the distance.
The Sword Sect’s location… her junior sister had pointed it out on a map.
She landed gracefully before their gates, and the disciples, recognizing her, were stunned.
They had just seen her, two days ago.
She was a talisman master, not a sword cultivator!
“Where is Qin Lingxiao?” she asked, her voice sharp, her patience thin.
The disciples, their arrogance unwavering, sneered. “How dare you address our Sect Master so disrespectfully… Ow!”
She had no time for their insults. With a wave of her hand, she sent them flying, then, her movements swift and agile, entered the sect.
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