Chapter 219: The Night of the Full Moon, the Hour of the Pig, Time for Rest
The robe, which had been lifted slightly, quickly fell back into place.
Shi Hao stared… He felt like he had seen something, and yet… he hadn’t.
Or rather, he had seen something, but it had been too fleeting, too brief.
He replayed the blurry image in his mind, trying to recapture that moment, the details elusive.
He no longer cared about the Jade Pool, the ancient mysteries, the vastness of the universe.
Nothing mattered more than this.
He reached for Su Mei, his voice husky, “Let me…” He wanted another glimpse.
Su Mei chuckled, “Disobeying your master? Little Emerald, bite him!”
A yelp of pain.
He calculated the remaining time. He could still stay in the Primordial Grotto Heaven for a while.
He didn’t dare stay with Su Mei any longer. This demonic witch was too tempting, her teasing too much for him to bear.
He left the palace and wandered through the ruins, calming himself, exploring areas he hadn’t seen before. The Primordial Grotto Heaven was far larger than he had imagined, most of it a desolate wasteland.
This place must have been magnificent once, he thought, a true paradise for immortals.
The jade and stone here were incredibly durable, harder than any material in the mortal world. Those who had lived here must have been powerful beings.
And the primordial energy that permeated this place, according to the Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei, was similar to the energy he had cultivated, a fusion of Daoist and demonic forces, an energy not found in the mortal world.
But what had happened to those immortals?
What kind of power could have caused such devastation?
He continued walking, his mind gradually calming.
He reached the lake, its surface shimmering, and crossed it, passing through the waterfall, entering the hidden garden.
“Sister Zi Yin?” he called out.
Guided by the faint glow of the Cave Meditating Grass, he reached the giant red peony.
He leaped onto one of its petals and looked around, but she wasn’t there.
Only the slight indentation on the soft bed of stamens, a reminder of their earlier intimacy, remained, a warmth spreading through him.
He looked around. This area was filled with peonies, their blossoms large and colorful, interspersed with other, smaller plants.
But none were as large or as vibrant as the peonies.
A riot of color, a breathtaking display.
Ye Zi Yin’s soft voice came from deeper within the garden, “I’m here.”
Her voice, although not loud, carried clearly, as if she was whispering in his ear.
He followed the sound, past the towering peonies, and reached another section of the garden, filled with strange and beautiful plants he had never seen before.
Three bamboo huts stood nearby, and a well, its water shimmering, likely connected to the lake outside.
A trellis, covered in flowering vines, stood on the other side.
Ye Zi Yin, dressed in a simple robe, a jade hoe in her hand, approached.
“I didn’t expect to find so many plants here,” Shi Hao said, looking around, “It’s completely different from the other side of the waterfall, like another world.”
Ye Zi Yin said softly, “When I first discovered this place, it was also barren. That ancient catastrophe destroyed everything, all the plants, everything.
“But I found some seeds buried deep within the earth, and I brought water from the lake, and gradually, it became… this.”
Shi Hao said, surprised, “You planted all of this, Sister Zi Yin? Even those peonies?”
Ye Zi Yin smiled, “I planted them, but the seeds themselves are… special, and the soil here is fertile. And the waterfall, its source in the void above, brings water from the Celestial Realm, nourishing them, making them grow quickly.”
“And we, the Taisu Immortal Pavilion, have always been self-sufficient, cultivating our own food and herbs. Gardening is… second nature to us.”
Shi Hao said, “Is there anything I can help with, Sister Zi Yin?”
Ye Zi Yin said, “I’m planning to plant more here. Can you dig a channel from the well to this area?”
“Of course,” Shi Hao took the jade hoe from her.
The soil here was hard, almost like stone.
But with his enhanced strength, borrowed from the two women, and the sharp jade hoe, it wasn’t difficult.
He dug a channel, diverting the water from the well, irrigating the soil Ye Zi Yin had prepared and planted, their movements synchronized, a peaceful, almost domestic scene.
Shi Hao smiled, “If I ever leave the jianghu, this would be a nice place to live.”
Ye Zi Yin said, “If you enjoy solitude, perhaps. But it can be… lonely here. It’s not like the mortal world. There are no people, no sounds, just… silence. It can be… unsettling.
“And time flows differently here. A few years here, and the mortal world would be a distant memory, your loved ones gone, your friends dead. It can be… difficult.”
Shi Hao said, “I couldn’t live here alone, of course. But with you, Sister Zi Yin, it wouldn’t matter how long we stayed.”
Ye Zi Yin smiled faintly, not responding directly.
Shi Hao thought that living here with someone you loved wouldn’t be so bad. But for these two women, trapped here together, their relationship strained… it must be a torment.
He helped her plant the seeds, their easy companionship a soothing balm, calming his mind, his energy settling into a peaceful rhythm.
Shi Hao, the jade sword at his waist, stood in the central area of the Primordial Grotto Heaven.
Little Emerald hovered beside him.
Ye Zi Yin and Su Mei stood on either side. Su Mei said, her voice a warning, “Remember, your only target is Yi Shenzi. You’re no match for that ancient beast. But the beast is trapped in the underworld, not here.
“The Melting Sun Demon Lord opened a passage between the two worlds here in Wu Gorge, hoping to draw upon the beast’s power, but it’s the phoenix blood that’s keeping it at bay.
“After you defeat Yi Shenzi, embed this sword, infused with phoenix blood, above the Melting Sun Demonic Abyss. That should contain it, at least temporarily.”
Shi Hao couldn’t help but ask, “Only temporarily?”
Ye Zi Yin said softly, “That beast is beyond our ability to destroy, even ours. Our ancestor, Bi Yingtong, brought celestial energy here, hoping to purify the demonic energy and seal the passage to the underworld.
“But the abyss still exists, likely because of that beast. Its natural enemy is the phoenix. As long as the phoenix exists, it won’t dare to emerge.”
Shi Hao nodded, “I understand.”
The Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei each struck out with a palm, and with a resounding boom, a rift opened above them, a passage to the mortal world.
Shi Hao, carrying Little Emerald, leaped into the rift and returned to the mortal world.
The night of the full moon, the hour of the Pig (9-11 pm), the time for rest.
Yi Shenzi landed on the ground with a thud, a wave of black demonic energy, like a shadowy figure, surging towards the ascending Shi Hao.
“Young Master!” Sha Lingshan, the first to emerge from the chasm, cried out, her voice filled with alarm.
It seemed impossible for him to escape.
He couldn’t fly. His upward momentum would eventually fade, and he would fall.
Yi Shenzi’s aura, a terrifying mix of demonic power and bestial rage, surged upwards like a tidal wave, an unstoppable force.
The moment Shi Hao’s ascent faltered, he would be crushed.
Yi Shenzi began to laugh, a sinister, triumphant sound.
Suddenly, Little Emerald appeared beside Shi Hao, creating a gust of wind that lifted him higher.
He held something in his hand, a smooth, round object that shimmered in the moonlight.
He seemed to be walking on air, his movements defying gravity.
Then, he and Little Emerald flickered, and the wave of black energy washed over the spot where they had been.
Before Sha Lingshan could even react, the terrifying aura vanished.
In the blink of an eye, Shi Hao, now facing Yi Shenzi, a jade sword at his waist, Little Emerald on his shoulder, landed gracefully on the ground.
Sha Lingshan stared, stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
A moment ago, the Young Master had been fleeing, covered in dust and grime, his figure silhouetted against the full moon.
Then, he and Little Emerald had vanished momentarily, reappearing, now facing Yi Shenzi, their clothes clean, their demeanor calm and composed.
Yi Shenzi also narrowed his eyes. His attack, his demonic energy, had been swallowed by… something, then dissipated.
“Yi Shenzi,” Shi Hao said, his voice calm and steady, his foot on a rock, “If you want to live, return to the abyss. I’ll spare you.”
“Arrogant!” Yi Shenzi roared, laughing, and charged towards him, his aura terrifying.
Shi Hao, unafraid, met his attack head-on. Their energies collided with a deafening boom.
Shi Hao stood firm, while Yi Shenzi, coughing up blood, was thrown backwards.
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