Faxiang, who stood at the front, softly recited a Buddhist invocation. A moment later, a round pearl shimmering with solemn, dignified golden light rose from his hand. At first, that radiance seemed still attached to Faxiang, but as he urged it on with his spiritual power, the golden light suddenly blazed forth. With the pearl at its center, golden radiance surged in every direction like a tide. Zhang Xiaofan stood where he was, almost under the illusion that he heard a whistling “whoosh” by his ear, and the golden halo had already swept past him.
Everyone present had their faces tinted faintly gold. At the same time, a wave of ease passed through their hearts; even what little tension they had was soothed in an instant. In the blink of an eye, that vast space was bright as day. If not for the savage, grotesque rocks and the writhing bats, one might almost have thought they had arrived at some Buddhist paradise.
Li Xun, who had always looked down on others, now showed a trace of astonishment. Standing to one side, he said in surprise, “The Reincarnation Pearl!”
Faxiang glanced at him and said, “Senior Brother Li has keen eyes.”
Li Xun’s tone, however, seemed to have grown somewhat more polite toward Faxiang. “You flatter me. Senior Brother Faxiang is the one with profound cultivation.”
By the light of the “Reincarnation Pearl,” Zhang Xiaofan could now clearly see that beneath his feet was indeed clean, solid ground. Looking up, he saw that on the rocky ceiling above, those black bats had somehow vanished, yet that “rustling” sound was still distinctly by his ears.
He looked more carefully a couple of times before realizing that on the cave ceiling behind them, countless black bats were still gathered overhead. But directly above the solid ground where the few of them stood, a thin red line ran across the ceiling rock, looking almost like a vein born within the stone itself.
With that thin red line as a boundary, the countless bats all clustered and pressed together outside it, yet not a single one crossed the red line. And just a few feet from where they stood, the foul, bloody stench of bat droppings outside was gone as well.
Faxiang looked around and said in a deep voice, “There is much that is strange about this place. Everyone, you must be careful.”
How could the others not know? But after finally stepping onto clean ground, once they had checked the surroundings and found nothing unusual, the first thing most of them did was straighten out their clothes. Standing beside Zhang Xiaofan, Zeng Shushu took off his shoe, poured out the disgusting things inside, and said softly to Zhang Xiaofan, “For the first time in my life, I’ve learned that walking on a clean road is such a comfortable thing!”
Zhang Xiaofan smiled and quickly cleaned himself up as well, feeling somewhat better all over. After a while, seeing that everyone was about ready, Qi Hao said, “Let’s go.” With that, he led the way deeper into the cave.
The others all followed. Very soon, as their footsteps carried them forward, the space behind them once again sank into endless darkness.
And ahead, it was as if the darkness were a monstrous beast, spreading its arms and revealing a ferocious grin, welcoming their arrival.
A single point of light in the darkness slowly moved onward.
They walked like this for who knew how long. This ancient, profound cave seemed to have no end. Though it remained very spacious, it twisted and wound, turning this way and that. Apart from the general sense that it was sloping down into the depths of the earth, it was almost impossible to distinguish direction.
The rustling of the bats at the cave entrance could no longer be heard. In this darkness, aside from everyone’s footsteps, there was no other sound. Zhang Xiaofan felt the dampness around him growing heavier and heavier, and had no idea how deep underground they had gone.
The “Reincarnation Pearl” that Faxiang had brought forth still emitted golden Buddhist light, illuminating everyone. At the very front, Qi Hao, in case of any accident, had also brought out the Six Harmonies Mirror. The two treasures shone in answer to each other. After they had walked like this for a while longer, Qi Hao, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped and raised a hand to those behind him. “Slow.”
Everyone immediately stopped.
All around was silence, without the slightest sound.
The light from the “Reincarnation Pearl” and the “Six Harmonies Mirror” gradually brightened. Before everyone’s eyes, the cave ahead suddenly split into two forked paths, deep and幽 dark, pitch-black, leading to who knew where, like the gaping mouths of demons. And in the middle of the road, also at the center of the two forks, stood an enormous stone stele fully as tall as six men. Carved upon it were four blood-red characters:
The Heavenly Dao Is Mine!
※※※
Li Xun of Fenxiang Valley snorted and said angrily, “Demonic fiends, and they dare falsely claim the Heavenly Dao!”
Faxiang, however, frowned. He looked at the stone stele a few more times and said, “Before I came, I heard my honored master, Reverend Puhong, mention that eight hundred years ago, the Demon Sect did indeed have such a stone stele in this cave. But at the time, it was already split apart by a single sword strike from a great divine power of our righteous path. Seeing it again today, why is it completely intact?”
At this moment, Yanhong of Fenxiang Valley, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke. “Look at the lower fourth of the stele. Is there not a fracture mark?”
Her voice was soft and charming, and hearing it made one’s heart stir. Moreover, this was the first time the people of Qingyun Sect had heard Yanhong speak, and they were all slightly surprised. Everyone stepped forward and examined it carefully. Sure enough, they saw a faint crack there, slanting upward and dividing the entire stone stele into two halves. At the crack, the texture of the stone showed a dark red color, but if one did not look closely, it was absolutely impossible to see.
Qi Hao nodded and said to Yanhong, “Junior Sister Yan is very attentive.”
Yanhong smiled faintly, then lowered her head again and said no more.
Qi Hao looked at the stone stele a couple more times, then turned to everyone and said, “Since this stone stele has already been repaired, it can be seen that those Demon Sect fiends are most likely here, doing some shameful business. It seems we have come to the right place after all.”
Faxiang continued, “Senior Brother Qi is right. At present, this cave is filled with dangers on every side, and the first difficulty lies right before us: of these two forked paths, which one should we take?”
Qi Hao pondered briefly, then said, “Senior Brother Faxiang, just now you mentioned that your master, Divine Monk Puhong, once spoke to you of this place. Did the venerable elder mention this fork?”
Faxiang nodded and said, “My honored master did indeed speak of it, but he too learned it from the previous generation’s patriarch. It is said that during the great battle between the righteous and demonic paths back then, behind both of these forked paths were lairs of Demon Sect fiends. As for the present situation, even he was not very clear.”
Everyone fell silent. After a while, Qi Hao looked at the other three from his own sect, then said to Faxiang and the others, “In that case, I think it would be better to split into two groups. The four of us from Qingyun Sect will inspect the left fork, while Senior Brothers Faxiang and Fashan, along with the two from Fenxiang Valley, inspect the right fork. If anyone encounters Demon Sect fiends, let out a long cry as a warning. What do you think?”
Faxiang was silent. Though he knew perfectly well that splitting up like this was not a good thing, the cave was deep and secluded, and no one knew how far these two forked paths extended. If they took the wrong one and had to turn back, they might lose too much time. Besides, everyone present was an elite of their respective sects; it was not necessarily true that they could not protect themselves. At once he turned to look at Li Xun and Yanhong of Fenxiang Valley. Seeing that neither of them objected, he said, “Then we shall do as Senior Brother Qi says. Everyone, take utmost care.”
As he spoke, whether intentionally or not, he glanced at Zhang Xiaofan again.
Zhang Xiaofan’s heart stirred. He felt that this Senior Brother Faxiang truly seemed to regard him differently, but on his face he only returned a smile.
Qi Hao nodded, cupped his fist toward Faxiang and the others, then led Zhang Xiaofan and the other three into the left fork. They had taken only a few steps when the light behind them shifted, then gradually disappeared. It seemed Faxiang and the others had also entered the right fork.
Qi Hao walked at the very front, raising the Six Harmonies Mirror above his head. Urging his immortal power, he made the mirror cast down a pale yellow halo that enveloped all four of them.
Compared to the cave they had walked through before, this forked path was much narrower. At the same time, the rocks on both sides jutted out sharply, with pointed protrusions everywhere. Zhang Xiaofan was careless for a moment and nearly got himself cut. The only thing that remained the same was the eternal darkness all around. Here, it seemed as though there had never been even the faintest glimmer of light.
The four from Qingyun Sect were in no mood to speak. Qi Hao, especially, walking at the front, was wholly focused, guarding against whatever unknown danger lay ahead.
They walked for a long time again, so long that Zhang Xiaofan could not help but suspect that even if their side encountered Demon Sect fiends and let out a long cry, whether Senior Brother Faxiang’s side would hear it was still a question.
Just then, a sudden change occurred. In the passage where they were advancing, from the seemingly eternal dark silence all around, there suddenly rang out a tremendous “wu-wu” wail like ghosts weeping, deafening and terrifying to hear.
The four were greatly startled. Qi Hao was just about to speak a warning when his body shook violently. From the endless darkness in every direction, strange lights of all colors lit up and simultaneously rushed toward the four of them in the passage, striking the halo of the Six Harmonies Mirror.
The force was so great that even the Six Harmonies Mirror swayed. Qi Hao’s body shook even more violently, and he could no longer speak. He hurriedly steadied his mind and poured in more strength to maintain the protection.
The ghostly weeping grew louder and louder, making their heads spin and their eyes blur. Zeng Shushu, Lu Xueqi, and Zhang Xiaofan protected Qi Hao in the center. They saw countless streaks of light repelled by the Six Harmonies Mirror, only to curve in midair and viciously turn back to charge again. In the darkness, no one knew how many enemies were hidden, nor how many magical treasures were flying through the air.
Qi Hao’s face was pale, his hands tightly forming incantation gestures. Though they were under siege by magical treasures from outside, the Six Harmonies Mirror gradually stabilized. Its halo grew brighter, and just as the people of Qingyun Sect were about to breathe a sigh of relief, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly realized that the hard earth beneath his feet had moved.
His thoughts stirred, but before he could react, he heard Zeng Shushu cry out urgently, “Careful, underfoot there’s—”
Before he could finish, a tremendous crash drowned out the howling that filled the air. In an instant, everyone felt the mountains shake and the earth tremble. A massive force abruptly surged up from beneath their feet, blasting the ground to pieces. The four from Qingyun Sect were sent flying in different directions. The Six Harmonies Mirror could protect the surroundings, but it could not defend against the ground beneath. This sudden attack erupted from within; at once its light scattered in all directions and fell back onto Qi Hao’s flying figure.
In the darkness, countless streaks of light whistled past, as if letting out triumphant, wild laughter, and separately charged toward the four who had been split apart.
Zhang Xiaofan had been standing toward the front. Pushed up from below by that great force, his whole body flew forward involuntarily. Yet after all, he had cultivated at Qingyun Sect for many years. Though startled, he did not panic. He placed the fire poker he had long been holding in his hand before his chest, and that familiar icy sensation flowed through his entire body. The “fire poker” emitted a faint dark-green glow in midair, directly facing several streaks of light pursuing tightly from behind.
A moment later, one dark-red light reached him first. Zhang Xiaofan immediately smelled a bloody stench and nearly vomited. He hurriedly held his breath and drove the fire poker forward. The dark-green light swelled, blocking that dark-red glow. Beneath the fire poker’s radiance, for some unknown reason, the dark-red light suddenly dimmed considerably.
From some unknown place in the darkness, there suddenly came a low sound of surprise and suspicion.
Just then, two more streaks of light, one yellow and one gray, also rushed over, striking the fire poker together. Only by their light did Zhang Xiaofan finally see clearly: the dark-red light from before was a small dark-red fork, covered with thick bloodstains; the yellow light was a treasured sword three feet long; and the gray light was extremely strange—it was an enormous fang from some unknown wild beast!
Zhang Xiaofan’s body was still in midair. He had already stabilized himself, but unexpectedly, after being struck by these three magical treasures, though the “fire poker” held them off in the air, the tremendous force still drove his entire body straight backward. No longer able to control himself, he slammed heavily into the stone wall beside him, half his body sinking into it as stone chips flew everywhere.
Golden stars burst before Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes, and pain stabbed deep into his back and organs. But he knew this was a matter of life and death, and desperately gritted his teeth to endure the pain. He landed on the ground and saw those three life-seizing objects turn in the air, then viciously charge down again.
In the darkness, who knew where those controlling the magical treasures were hiding?
Zhang Xiaofan struggled awkwardly to fend them off. Clenching his incantation gesture, he gave a sharp cry, and the fire poker flew upward through the air. In midair, it collided with the incoming yellow flying sword and the beast fang. With a tremendous crash, they each recoiled. He then hurriedly threw himself forward and rolled away. The dark-red fork pursuing close behind was unable to stop in time and, with a rumble, struck the stone wall behind where he had just been standing. Broken stones flew wildly; it had actually blasted a large hole into the wall.
At this moment, the gray fang chased after him again, smashing down toward his head. The sharp tip of the fang gleamed coldly, especially striking in the darkness. Seeing its momentum, Zhang Xiaofan did not need to think to know what would happen if this strange magical treasure struck his body.
Zhang Xiaofan clenched his teeth, both hands tracing through the air. The fire poker moved according to his will. With a flash of green light, it appeared above his head and collided with that fang. In midair, there was only a low, muffled sound, and a crack suddenly appeared on the fang.
From far away came a startled cry, filled with pain and astonishment.
But Zhang Xiaofan had no time at all to savor that tiny, pitiful joy. In the blink of an eye, the yellow flying sword had already rushed before him again. Zhang Xiaofan could not react in time. Sweat broke out on his forehead. In that moment of danger, he shouted loudly, shook both hands, and his whole body floated upward, merging into the dark-green light of the fire poker.
The yellow flying sword showed not the slightest mercy. In midair, it curved and rushed up again from beneath his feet. Above was the fang, below was the flying sword. Zhang Xiaofan trembled all over and had no time to think. He curled up his body and chanted an incantation. The fire poker’s green light blazed forth, wrapping him tightly within.
“Boom!” Two tremendous sounds rang out almost simultaneously, one above Zhang Xiaofan’s head and one beneath his feet. The enemy’s two magical treasures were knocked back in opposite directions. The fire poker trembled in the air. Zhang Xiaofan gasped for breath, his heart having almost stopped beating at that instant. In that moment of illusion, he almost instinctively thought he had seen the fire poker shatter into fragments.
Fortunately, this fire poker, made from who knew what material, though ugly, was actually extremely tough and remained completely undamaged. Judging from the flying sword and fang, however, their light had dimmed; they were most likely damaged. That said, after the fire poker suffered such a heavy blow, the green light it had raised to protect Zhang Xiaofan also scattered away.
Zhang Xiaofan was overjoyed and was just about to recall the fire poker when a sharp pain suddenly came from his shoulder. Half his body went weak, and his mind went blank. Lowering his head, he saw a dark-red fork protruding from the area between his chest and shoulder, having pierced all the way through, while crimson blood gushed out without end.
It was that dark-red fork from before, taking advantage of Zhang Xiaofan’s moment of slackness to ambush and severely wound him.
Zhang Xiaofan saw that on the little fork, the color that had originally been dark red now seemed to brighten, as though it had awakened upon smelling blood.
He let out a low moan and had meant to reach out and pull the fork free, but suddenly, as the blood-colored traces on the dark-red fork deepened, a shadow in the darkness seemed to appear out of nothing, rising from the fork and immediately clinging tightly to Zhang Xiaofan’s back.
The owner of this dark-red fork seemed to have been parasitically attached to the magical treasure.
Zhang Xiaofan felt dizzy and weak, unable to shake off the fiend behind him. Besides the pain at his wound, there now came an itching numbness; most likely there was also deadly poison on it. He looked from the corner of his eye but could not see the fiend’s face behind him. He could only see the pair of hands gripping his shoulder tightly, withered and filthy, reeking unbearably of blood and stench.
From afar came a burst of wild laughter, and behind him there also came a sinister voice. “Stinking brat of Qingyun Sect, you brought this death upon yourselves. Be good and give me your essence blood!”
Zhang Xiaofan had no time to understand the meaning of his words before the fiend’s actions made it clear. He saw the fiend within the shadow open his great mouth and bite onto the left side of Zhang Xiaofan’s neck, gulping down his blood. At the same time, the dark-red fork grew even brighter, as though it too were drinking blood.
Zhang Xiaofan was terrified to the extreme. He felt all the blood in his body rush toward his throat, his body growing light and floating, while the strength throughout him slowly drained away. Even the fire poker in midair could no longer be supported and fell down.
In this scene, in that daze, he suddenly seemed to have returned to the past, to that secluded valley.
Into that nightmare!
The fire poker fell from above his head. When it landed before him, it emitted a faint green light, as if calling to something. Zhang Xiaofan grabbed it, and at once felt the icy sensation within the fire poker surge wildly, like a furious tide.
The blood in his body flowed out without cease, sucked away by that fiend. At this moment, Zhang Xiaofan could no longer hear any sound from the outside world. He only roused the last bit of strength in his entire body and, like a trapped beast making its final struggle, thrust the fire poker, flickering with green light, fiercely toward the fiend behind him.
The fire poker was blunt and edgeless, yet at this moment it treated that body of flesh and blood as if it were tofu, driving in with irresistible force.
The fiend behind him trembled and stopped drinking blood. As if unable to believe it, he turned his head to look at Zhang Xiaofan, and Zhang Xiaofan saw him at the same time.
In the unseen depths, there seemed to be the low, cold laughter of demons from the Nine Netherworlds, and also as if someone’s heartbeat sounded in the darkness. Zhang Xiaofan’s hand, gripping the fire poker, felt wave after wave of heartbeats, like the flow of blood through veins, and like the cheers of demons!
The light on the dark-red fork rapidly dimmed. Behind him, endless darkness surged over.
At the instant the darkness swallowed Zhang Xiaofan and that fiend, Zhang Xiaofan, in his half-unconscious state, saw a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
On that fiend’s face, which had originally been covered in wrinkles yet still full, the flesh shriveled in the space of a moment. Blood and meat turned into dry skin, clinging to bone.
The next moment, darkness surrounded him.
What had been lost was regained. An endless stream of power came from the body of the fire poker and melted into him.
Zhang Xiaofan came back to his senses, but stood frozen where he was. The wound on his shoulder still hurt, but the gushing blood had already been stopped by that unknown power. Yet for this youth, at this moment, he noticed none of this at all. In his mind, only one thought churned and surged:
What have I done? What have I done?