Chapter 289: Jianwu in the Spotlight
Arch-Immortal Plumdark seemed amused at how Xu Qing was acting. She had seen a lot of people in her life, including ones as good-looking and bashful as this child. However, when she was younger, she had never paid much attention to people like that. Yet now, for some reason, she just felt the urge to toy with him a bit. She took a step closer.
Xu Qing was as stiff as a board and was having trouble breathing steadily. Not only was he immobile, but also, the pressure caused his soul to shiver.
Arch-Immortal Plumdark had now approached so closely that her face was right next to his. She smelled like she had just finished bathing, and considering how close she was, Xu Qing was surrounded by that fragrant aroma, and had no choice but to inhale it deeply. He was so nervous that his face was pale white, and his heart was pounding so loudly you could almost hear it from the outside. He had never behaved like this in the presence of any female disciple he had ever met in the past.
Watching the scene play out, Wu Jianwu was in a complete daze. He even wondered if Chen Erniu and Xu Qing had invited him here from afar just to witness this event. Then he started to feel a bit irritated considering he just wanted to see Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.
As for the old man with six heavenly palaces, he stood by, respectfully averting his gaze.
Only the Captain was feeling wonderful. I had no choice, little Ah Qing. I had to do this. And that hairpin was so expensive. It was all for your own good. You know what they say... ginger gets spicier the older it is. As I expected, she came here with the hairpin I sent....
The Captain blinked a few times when he thought about how much he had spent on the hairpin.
If only she’d come a bit sooner....
While the Captain sighed, Xu Qing stood there, his mind blank. And then, Arch-Immortal Plumdark leaned closer and exhaled softly into his ear. Her warm breath hit him like a bolt of lightning, causing a tremor to pass through him. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss about what to do.
Seeing his reaction pleased Arch-Immortal Plumdark so much that she laughed. It was a soft, beautiful laugh, like the cry of an oriole, so wonderful that anyone who heard it would feel intoxicated. As she laughed, she spun gracefully until she was right in front of him. Along the way, she leaned in such a way that her hip just barely brushed against him.
Apparently, enticing him was exactly what she needed to improve her mood, and now she was finished. A command medallion appeared in her hand, which she placed onto his chest. Patting it gently, she said, “With this medallion, you can go... much deeper into the pocket realm.”
Laughing softly again, she turned and floated up into the sky, like an immortal returning to the palace of heaven. Though no one could see it, she was actually shaking her head.
Every time I see that kid, I can’t help but tantalize him. I really should get out of that habit. Unfortunately... the smell of blood on him has seeped down to his bones. He’s cute, but beneath that is a boundlessly baleful aura. I suppose he’s not a person with ‘light in their heart.’
It was only after Arch-Immortal Plumdark left that Xu Qing felt he could move again. Gulping in a huge breath of air, he looked over at the Captain.
The Captain felt a shiver of fear run through him. Clearing his throat, he said, “Let’s go inside. We spent good money, and time is already ticking!”
Without waiting for a response, he hurried forward and jumped into the vortex. Apparently he was worried Xu Qing might do something to him.
Meanwhile, Wu Jianwu was still standing there in a daze. He looked at Xu Qing, then looked in the direction Arch-Immortal Plumdark had vanished. Finally, he swallowed.
Xu Qing wasn’t paying attention to Wu Jianwu. Instead, he was looking at the vortex into which the Captain had disappeared. Grinding his teeth, he vowed to remember what had just played out, then entered the vortex. With the two of them gone, Wu Jianwu finally took a breath.
We cultivators must never fall for feminine wiles. They won’t do us any good. Women will only distract and confuse us. Cultivators should focus only on cultivation. That’s the way to accomplish amazing things. Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity himself once said that....
In the past, Wu Jianwu had been fully convinced that Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s philosophy was absolutely correct. But now, he was starting to wonder.... In the end, his dao heart was strong, so he quickly cleared his thoughts. Eyes shining with determination, he entered the vortex.
Beyond the vortex they found themselves in a different heaven and earth. It was a huge place filled with concentric rings of mountain ranges. The sky was a rippling spell formation barrier, and the land was made from warding spells. In terms of size, the place was roughly the same as the old Seven Blood Eyes capital city on the continent of South Phoenix. In the middle of the rings of mountain ranges was a huge lake. The waters of the lake were the color of blood, so dark and thick it seemed like the lake itself was actually made from blood.
A huge spike emerged from the lake, so massive it seemed like it could prop up heaven and earth. It was pitch black, and lightning snaked across its surface. It was shocking and ghastly, and emanated an aura that seemed profoundly ancient. It was as if this spike had witnessed innumerable events going back into ancient time. At the top of the spike was a thick chain covered with spell formation markings, which emanated terrifying fluctuations. Shockingly, the chain was attached to an enormous, skeletal snake!
The massive snake was coiled in a loop, with the spike in the middle of it. It was so big it seemed like it was the final mountain range in the middle of all the other mountain ranges. The snake’s head rested on top of the massive spike. It had no flesh on it, and consisted only of pitch-black bone, but seemed just as defiant as the snake had been before death. Within the snake’s long jaw were row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. And one tooth near the front was stained with dried, golden blood.
It was that golden blood that emanated a heaven-shaking, earth-quaking energy. It was both domineering and noble, and was something that could shake the soul of anyone who looked at it.
The scene looked exactly like the engraving Xu Qing and the Captain had seen. The only difference was the feeling. Seeing this in person was vastly different from a mere artistic rendition. That was especially true of the terrifying energy in the spike, as well as the pressure coming off of the skeletal snake. Xu Qing, the Captain, and Wu Jianwu were all visibly shocked, and their hearts were racing.
As for the Captain, he was staring at the dried, golden blood on the snake’s teeth. “I’m such an idiot! Why was I so focused on outside treasures? I can’t believe there’s such amazing stuff inside the sect!! Could that actually be the blood of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity??”
Xu Qing wasn’t paying attention to the teeth. As he scanned their surroundings, he sensed the very strong soul power in the area. In fact, it was so strong it was like a soul sea that caused his Balefire Soulswallowing Scripture to stir of its own accord and start absorbing the soul power.
This is a land of good fortune for opening dharma apertures! Xu Qing thought, yet he didn’t do anything impulsive. Hovering in midair, he continued to closely inspect their surroundings.
Most importantly, there were other cultivators present, not just the three of them. And all disciples, whether from the Dark Serenity Sect or not, had to pay spirit stones to get inside. Of course, those from the Dark Serenity Sect had different qualifications, and had more ways to secure entry. From what Xu Qing could see, the majority of the several dozen cultivators present were from the Dark Serenity Sect. All of them sat cross-legged in cultivation, and most were in the outer ring of mountains. Few were close to the center.
That made Xu Qing think of the identity medallion Arch-Immortal Plumdark had given him.
The closer one got to the center of this place, the stronger the soul power got. Unfortunately, based on what Xu Qing could sense, even if he went deeper inside, three days wouldn’t be enough to open 10 dharma apertures. If he wanted that level of progress, he would need to be inside for about a month. And if the soul power requirement for subsequent dharma apertures increased even more dramatically, a month might not even be enough.
I don’t have nearly enough spirit stones.... Xu Qing turned to look at Wu Jianwu. The Captain, taking in a deep breath, did the same thing.
If the two of them wanted to succeed at their own endeavors, it would all come down to how much this demon snake affected Wu Jianwu.
At the moment, Wu Jianwu was trembling. The moment he stepped out of the vortex and onto solid ground, he was simply too excited to remain calm. His eyes shone with unprecedented brightness as he stared at that massive spike. Carved onto that spike... was a poem.
Xu Qing had noticed that the poem was different from what they’d seen on the engraving, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.
To Wu Jianwu, in contrast, that poem was like the object of his desire. He didn’t need any prompting from Xu Qing or the Captain. Trembling from head to toe, he floated up into the air, stared at the poem, and read the first line in an undertone.
“A heavenly spike to crush a demon snake; an emperor’s blood assimilates the cosmos!” [1]
Xu Qing and the Captain were paying very close attention to the surroundings, yet nothing was happening.
It’s not working? Xu Qing sighed and wondered if he and the Captain had overestimated Wu Jianwu. The snake’s soul had been sleeping for countless years, did it really make sense to expect it to notice Wu Jianwu?
However, the Captain obviously wasn’t willing to give up so easily. Shifting his attention from the surroundings to Wu Jianwu, who was hovering there focused on the poem, the Captain said, “Can you just imagine, Little Jianjian? Think of the magnificent Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, clad in his imperial robe, his imperial crown on his head, an umbrella of nine layers overhead, and his entire person radiating the light of myriad daos. As he leaves the Sea of Endlessness, his first step sinks into the water. He takes a second step, and the water itself offers obeisance.”
As the Captain spoke, Wu Jianwu began to tremble even more dramatically.
“With his third step, he arrives on the Revered Ancient mainland,” the Captain continued. “Back then, this area wasn’t called Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. Instead, a demon snake controlled these lands, and the countless human kingdoms that filled it were nothing but food for it. Seeing that, the Ancient Emperor was furious beyond belief. But what was even more outrageous was that this measly sea snake had the gall to bite the Ancient Emperor! Right on his leg!”
Wu Jianwu was panting now as he visualized the scene the Captain was describing.
“The Ancient Emperor looks down in disdain,” the Captain went on. “With the wave of his hands, he causes the five elements to form a heavenly spike, with which he impales that demon snake. Before leaving, he then writes that very poem onto the spike! Can you see all that in your mind’s eyes, Wu Jianwu??”
Wu Jianwu was having trouble controlling his breathing, and was shaking even harder than before. In his mind, he could see the Ancient Emperor walking out of the sea, and as a result of that visualization, he gradually held himself in the same manner. In fact, for some reason, even his aura somehow began to change. Wu Jianwu loved imitating Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, and had been doing it for so many years that such behavior was part of him now.
As the Captain described the scene, he instinctively imitated it. His facial expression became somber. His eyes filled with disdain. As he hovered in midair, he looked around casually, flicked his sleeve, and read the next line of the poem. “How dare you bite me, you puny little snake; careful, you might get sick and your teeth might break!”
As the words left his mouth, everything around them trembled. It was like a howl of rage had erupted from the most ancient past, filled with hatred, brutality and madness!!
***
In a restricted area in the Soaring Cloud Sword Sect, another howl of rage erupted out, filled with both agony and hatred.
“I should thank you, Xu Qing! If you hadn’t forced me into a spot between life and death, if you hadn’t filled me with endless pain and torment, then I, Master Shengyun, would never have been able to open my 121st dharma aperture!”
Master Shengyun had previously looked like little more than a skeleton, but now he was flying up out of the blood cistern. Blood showered down off of him, revealing an impressive physique, as well as extremely handsome facial features. However, he had no hair on his head. What was more, his right eye was now pitch black, and a golden crow lurked in its depths. That golden crow’s astonishing life force was counteracting the poison within him.
In the moment when he stabilized, Master Shengyun found himself in a spot between life and death, and had thus found his 121st dharma aperture. And that meant that... he now had five life flames!
1. It’s only been a couple chapters, but if you want to check the other version of the poem on the engraving, it was in chapter 286. ☜