Chapter 153 Freedom and Hatred
Chapter 153 Freedom and Hatred
He crossed the plains, rushed into the dense forest, jumped into the river, and after estimating that he had run a hundred miles, Li Wuxiang entered the mountains. He jumped among the mountains for a while, then closed his eyes and stopped feeling. He held up this skin bag and let it drift with the midday mountain breeze. When he opened his eyes again, he had fallen into a dense, airtight primeval forest that blocked out the sun.
He released his flying sword, dug a deep hole in the thick humus layer under a big tree, jumped in, and then extended his tentacles to cover the hole with fallen leaves and rotten soil.
Afterwards, he entered the Xuanguang Mirror and sensed the connection between him and Zhao Qi——
? ?
He couldn't feel Zhao Qi...or the Blood God!
He was killed by Wu Meng at the Coffin Mountain! ?
A feeling of panic and despair came over him, as if he had become a lonely person in an instant. But Li Wuxiang immediately suppressed this emotion, tried again, and exited the Xuanguang Mirror.
No... After Zeng Jianqiu and the others were taken into Lingshan, he went to find Lou He and then went up to the coffin mountain. Although he didn't say a few words to him and Pan Muyun when he saw him again, according to Zeng Jianqiu's personality, since he knew that Zhao Qi was his friend, if Zhao Qi was killed in Lingshan, he would definitely tell him about it first.
His cave was destroyed? He couldn't become the Blood God anymore?
That's good! This way the Sword Sect's people won't be able to find him!
Li Wuxiang put the Xuanguan Mirror into his stomach and slowly curled up in the cave.
It was completely dark here, without a trace of light, so even with his eyesight he could not see anything.
He forced himself to empty his mind in the darkness and think of nothing. After more than ten breaths, thoughts began to line up and emerge in his mind one by one.
This feeling of being in a desperate situation was something I had experienced more than once in my previous life. The first thing I had to sort out was whether there was any imminent threat that was about to come in the near future.
No. As long as I don't go to Lingshan anymore, the people of the Sword Sect will have no other way to find me in a short time.
And the threat from Xuanjiao is imminent, so they will deal with those people first.
How would the people of Jianzong view Jiang Jie's death? They would think that they might be a spy of Xuanjiao, and they used some magical power to plot against Jiang Jie. This is unbelievable, but if a person can find and touch the Donghuang Seal in the lower world, this reason makes sense.
Is Jiang Jie really dead?
He is a Yang God. According to the Sword Sect, his soul is immortal, which is equivalent to half a god. The scene before his death was indeed the five signs of decay of a celestial being. If they can find Jiang Jie in Lingshan, will Jiang Jie explain?
Not very optimistic. The last thing Jiang Jie did before he died was to look behind him, as if he saw something.
If what he saw was an external evil, then no matter whether he felt he was innocent or not, he would no longer ask the people of the Sword Sect to accept him.
And if it was really because the foreign evil was mentioned and its method of taking over other people was mentioned, and the matter was known to a second person, that the foreign evil killed Jiang Jie, then Jiang Jie would never tell the people of the Sword Sect about this matter.
Perhaps all he could do was to tell them, "Don't seek revenge on Li Wuxiang, and never contact him again."
However, there was a worst-case scenario that made Li Wuxiang's heart sink to the bottom - being able to kill a land sword immortal without any warning in Youjiuyuan...
He was not sure whether Jiang Jie's soul was killed together.
Jiang Jie once said that the Taiyi True Spirit in his body was not a living thing, but more like a kind of authority and luck... But even so, even this kind of true spirit couldn't protect him?
He thought about this for a while, and suddenly his mind went blank. He felt that all his thoughts were meaningless.
Someone could give him the answer.
External evil.
Jiang Jie said at the end that the only one who still controls the cycle of life and death is the Underworld Mother Earth.
This external evil should be the Mother of the Underworld.
Its situation seemed bad... It looked pale, decayed, and dying, but wasn't Nether Earth Mother also involved in the suppression of Donghuang Taiyi? Why did it end up like this? Did the Six Sects of the Mysterious Sect turn against it again? Did they suppress it as well?
Then why did it expose You Jiuyuan and kill Jiang Jie? Shouldn't they be allies?
Li Wuxiang leaned against the wall of the cave in the darkness and sighed.
Fuck your ancestors. He cursed for the third time today, gathering his Dan power and concentrating his consciousness, just like he was meditating and breathing.
Li Wuxiang once threatened it when Coffin City asked for its help.
At that time, I thought that since it possessed me, its situation should not be very good and its means of interfering in the world were limited, so perhaps we could temporarily establish a mutually beneficial relationship.
However, now he is not sure whether the method he mentioned when threatening it will work, nor is he sure whether the incredible strength it displayed is only because it is in a place like Youjiuyuan, or whether it is also the same in the world of the living.
He waited in the darkness. It was very quiet around him. Gradually, there were the sounds of wild animals running around and low roars, and then it became quiet again.
Li Wuxiang waited for two days and nights, and then suddenly realized something -
Maybe the external evil will not come again.
To it, I may just be a small tool.
Display magical powers and grant slight benefits so that it can enter the Nether Nine Abyss and do what it wants - expose its position, attract the Xuanjiao, severely damage or destroy the Sword Sect.
Then, I was useless.
He let the thought linger in his head for a while, then he leaped up, penetrated the soil, and jumped onto the crown of a towering tree.
Looking around from here, there are vast mountains, lush forests, clear blue skies, and no one in the world.
This world is extremely vast, with no end in sight. So Li Wuxiang closed his eyes, swaying gently with the breeze, and slowly his mind calmed down.
He opened his eyes again.
A deep resentment and anger grew in his heart. He did not want to suppress them, but he did not let them go either. Instead, he let them slowly settle in his heart and condense into... the willpower that Mei Qiulu mentioned.
He didn't know how to explain this thing, but he felt that this feeling seemed to make his skin slowly become warm and fresh.
He can accept being used by others, no matter in his past life or this life, he cannot avoid such a relationship wherever he goes. He can also accept being in a low position and having to obey orders, because this is also the rule that exists wherever there are people.
However, he could never accept the humiliation of being used and then discarded, even if the other party was a spiritual god, a golden immortal, the mother of the underworld, or something else.
However, if he was really abandoned, it would mean that from the moment he opened his eyes in this world until now, he had truly gained freedom.
What you need to do next is not for the sake of spirits or external evil, but entirely for yourself.
He had to get to the bottom of this matter. He had to know who he would hold responsible in the future.
Li Wuxiang gently rose and fell on the tree canopy, recalling some memories from his heart. When he was in the lower world, when the evil spirit descended upon him with the help of Li Ke's flesh and blood, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in that brief state of omnipotence, many more things appeared in his head.
He was now slowly awakening those things, as if he was struggling to recall many things that were about to be forgotten... The information about the Netherworld Sect and the Netherworld Earth Mother was the most preserved among the six mysterious sects. What happened in the Netherworld Nine Abyss might be explained to Lou He, but it was difficult to find Lou He now. However, among the thirty-six sects, there were a few sects that were quite knowledgeable about such things.
For example, the Tianxin Sect where Cheng Peixin belongs.
The founders of the Tianxin School are Kuiyin Zhenjun and Jingzhongxian.
The fortune and rules that this immortal in the well mastered during his lifetime were closely connected to the Suyao Taiyin Emperor of Taiyin and the Netherworld Earth Mother, because in the folk beliefs of this world, the moonlight reflected in the well is also the incarnation of Taiyin, and the well itself is also believed to be connected to the Netherworld. Since everyone believes this, it is true - this "idealism" is also part of the human destiny achieved by the power of will.
You must first go to the Tianxin Sect and find out everything about the Netherworld Mother.
However, before that...
Li Wuxiang turned around and looked behind him. You Jiuyuan was not in this world, so anywhere could be the direction of the Sword Sect.
It should have been two or three days now. Have the people of the Sword Sect recovered from their initial shock and anger, and slowly realized that something is actually a little wrong?
Li Wuxiang looked at the small sword in his hand.
The Six Mystical Sects should be attacking soon...
……
Zeng Jianqiu opened his eyes and felt his mind clear and his body comfortable, as if... as if...
He took a deep breath, sat up suddenly, and looked around.
He was at Jiuzhu Peak, in Mei Zhangjian's room. He knew all this when he fainted, but...what happened? He gathered his energy and immediately felt the endless energy in his body again. Before, he was still at the stage of refining essence into qi, but now he seemed to have reached the stage of refining qi into spirit. However, hadn't his cultivation already...hadn't his youth and lifespan been exhausted! ?
He sat on the couch in a daze for a while, then heard the door open slightly. He turned around and saw that it was Master Cui Jian who walked in.
As they were from the same sect, he and Cui Daocheng were naturally familiar with each other, but their relationship was not very good. Everyone knew that Cui Daocheng had a prejudice against the Jiuzhu Peak lineage, especially because of his own background, so Cui Jianzhu was more indifferent to him.
But at this time, Cui Daocheng had a faint smile on his face. After entering the door, he stood two steps away from the couch, looked behind him, then took a step back and sat on another couch.
"I used the Wansui on you and Pan Muyun. He woke up earlier and went back to my place." Cui Daocheng smiled, "Your Senior Sister Mei has some things to do at Dadong Peak, so I'm here to watch over you. This Wansui item is the first time our sect has used it on cultivators below the Jindan level. Do you feel anything is wrong?"
Zeng Jianqiu was stunned for a moment, then felt relieved.
It must be because of what Li Wuxiang did in the coffin city. Hey, that kid, he can make trouble wherever he goes!
So he circulated his energy again and observed it carefully for a while: "It's okay, I feel good, Brother Cui, thank you for taking care of me - where is Li Wuxiang? Has he come to Youjiuyuan?"
Cui Daocheng nodded: "I am here. I was also at Dadong Peak before. I came here to ask you something about him. You know, he has formed a pill."
Zeng Jianqiu was delighted, and this joy was for Li Wuxiang.
Then there was another joy, this joy was because of the simple joy just now.
"I know. Then... he is the eleventh Jindan in our sect. Is he going to hold the sword? Or control the sword?"
Cui Daocheng smiled and said, "Junior Brother Zeng, let's just say what we have to say. You know that I don't like your Jiuzhu Peak lineage very much. But when it comes to the sect's major affairs, you should also know that I will not follow my personal preferences. You and I must be the same in this matter. So I came here to ask you, do you think that if Li Wuxiang becomes the sword holder and sword master, will it bring disaster to the sect? You can treat yourself as me and help me make a decision."
"Him? Haha..." Zeng Jianqiu laughed, raised his hand and touched his head, frowned slightly and thought for a while, "If you ask me, Senior Brother Cui, he is a man with many thoughts, unlike the rest of us. But as the saying goes, we should judge by deeds rather than by heart. He risked his life to save me in Jinshui, and the same was true in Coffin City. He told me most of his own affairs, and the only things he didn't say were his past experiences. However, there are many past experiences of our sect that we are unwilling to talk about, so I don't take it to heart."
"If you're talking about bringing disaster to the sect, hehe..." He looked at Sword Master Cui, "It's possible. But if something like that happens, it must be what you think our lineage does - what you do is not to your liking, and you think it's not good for the sect. As for whether he will do something bad on purpose, since I was the one who taught him the skills in the first place, I can guarantee with my life that he will never do that."
Master Cui sighed, "There's no need to guarantee your life. There aren't so many things in the world that can be said for sure. When a sect invites someone in, it's all based on their character, but there are times when a character can be uncertain. Junior Brother Zeng, you mean that you think Li Wuxiang is not a wicked person. Then, what about the evil in him?"
Zeng Jianqiu was stunned: "External evil? What external evil?"
Master Cui Jian said nothing, just looked at him.
Zeng Jianqiu felt a chill in his heart. He realized that Cui Daocheng's question to him was not just about whether he wanted Li Wuxiang to be the swordsman or the sword master.
But external evil? He frowned, wanting to ask if Cui Jianzhu was making up a charge, but he froze the next moment.
“Outer evil…” Zeng Jianqiu took a breath slowly, “When we were in Jinshui, he did ask me about the Outer Evil… Master Cui, what happened to him?”
Cui Daocheng stared at him for a while and said, "Think about it carefully and tell me exactly what he asked you."
Zeng Jianqiu straightened up and looked him in the eye: "Master Cui Jian, what happened to him?"
Cui Daocheng was silent for a moment: "You shouldn't call me Cui Jianzhu - I am now temporarily taking over the position of the leader."
Zeng Jianqiu heard this sentence clearly, but he felt that he didn't understand what it meant. He felt that his mind was empty for two or three breaths, and then he slowly came back to his senses. He looked into Cui Daocheng's eyes, opened his mouth, and felt that the words he said were foggy, as if they didn't come out of his mouth -
"He... in Jinshui, after we defeated Ranshan Sect Master Zhao Kui, he asked me privately what the External Evil was, and I told him. Then he asked me if the External Evil could know what the person whose body was possessed was thinking, and I answered him."
"He...he..." Zeng Jianqiu was in a trance for a while, "Yes, when he was fighting Zhao Kui, Zhao Kui's evil spirit entered his body, but he forced Zhao Kui out. I can't figure out how he did it. He told me that he practiced a method to ward off evil spirits, but when he asked me about it later, it seemed like he knew nothing about cultivation... Master, what happened to Senior Brother Jiang!?"
"Senior Brother Jiang is dead."
"...death...yes?"
"His body decayed and he passed away. His soul could not be found in the old capital or the sacred mountain."
Zeng Jianqiu was speechless for a moment. Cui Daocheng thought for a while and said, "It happened yesterday. Li Wuxiang came to You Jiuyuan the day before yesterday and went to the lower world yesterday, saying that he wanted to find Wansui to treat you and Pan Muyun. Kong Xu followed him to the lower world and saw that he used Wansui to invite something to possess his body and found the Donghuang Seal hidden in the lower world. He didn't move the thing, but Kong Xu accidentally moved it, so You Jiuyuan was shaken. Senior Brother Jiang said that You Jiuyuan was exposed because of this."
"After that, he came up on his own. He didn't leave immediately, but asked your Senior Sister Mei to take him to Dadong Peak. When we arrived at Taiyi Palace, Li Wuxiang said he had something to discuss with Senior Brother Jiang in private, so he went to the backyard. We waited in front for three hours. I couldn't help but go over to see, and found that Senior Brother Jiang's body had decayed and passed away. Li Wuxiang carved two words on the ground - 'It wasn't me' and 'Li Wuxiang stayed.'"
Zeng Jianqiu sat beside the bed in a daze and clenched his fists: "It wasn't him who did it."
He inhaled slowly, "It wasn't him. Cui Jian... Master, he asked me if the external evil could know what the person whose body was possessed was thinking. If there was an external evil in him, then he didn't do it willingly. If he helped the external evil to kill Senior Brother Jiang, why did he leave those two words? Why did he do it when you were all here? Senior Brother Jiang is a person who can be seen by anyone in the sect if they want to. Why choose that time?"
"You... you think it was the external evil in Li Wuxiang that killed Senior Brother Jiang? But Senior Brother Jiang is a Yang God! Even if the clone of the Emperor of Xuanjiao descended, as long as he was in the Nether Nine Abyss, what could he do to him? What kind of external evil could be so silent... that even his Heavenly Soul and Primordial Spirit could not be found!?"
"According to common sense, it should be the possibility you mentioned." Cui Daocheng stood up and sighed, "Li Wuxiang knew that he could not refute it at the moment, so he fled immediately. This was a smart move. If he can come back in a few days, this possibility will be even greater. But according to common sense, there is nothing that can kill Senior Brother Jiang in You Jiuyuan."
"You taught him the skills, and Mei Qiulu led him into the Nether Nine Abyss. All of you in the Jiuzhu Peak are involved in this matter, and the mountain should be closed. But the war with the Xuan Sect is imminent, so let's wait until we get through this disaster. For now, we still have to work together."
He walked to the door, and Zeng Jianqiu raised his head: "Brother Cui, what if it is really as I said? What about Li Wuxiang?"
Cui Daocheng paused but didn't turn around: "If you were the leader, what would you do? You also said that we judge by deeds, not by heart."
He walked through the outer room and onto the stone platform of Jiuzhu Peak—the four sword masters and the three sword masters were waiting in the yard.
Cui Daocheng was silent for a moment, then he exhaled: "Just as we thought, it shouldn't be Li Wuxiang, but something else... except for the restriction of the Plum Palm Sword."
Xiao Jing had already glanced into the room: "Then... Senior Brother Cui, this matter must be strictly forbidden to be spread outside, but many fellow disciples know about it, and now..."
Cui Daocheng shook his head. "No, spread it. Spread the exact situation at that time, saying that Senior Brother Jiang, the Land Sword Immortal, was killed by Sword Sect disciple Li Wuxiang and his body and soul were destroyed. This was a power struggle within the sect. Everyone in the Xuan Sect must know, the sooner the better."
(End of this chapter)