Chapter 166 - Intense Fight
The thick stench of blood, enveloped TongTian Peak of Qing Yun Hill, even the spiritual water Kylin guardian who was usually languid, at the moment also appeared restless, constantly swimming back and forth in the ice pool and making low roars. And the various Good Faction people who were in the Crystal Hall, every one of them looked grim and looking down to the foot of the mountain. After the Rainbow Bridge was the huge YunHai public square, at this moment, a fierce and brutal fight had been going on for a day and night.
[Translator’s note: YunHai literally means a sea of clouds. I am not sure which one it meant so I used YunHai for now.]
Even though they had already expected the horror and cruelty from this fight with the demonic beasts but the harsh reality of the scene still struck a chill into many Good Faction members’ hearts. The demon beasts attacked up the mountain, like a gale of storm sweeping across, although the Good Faction members continued to make attacks from the sides but the enormous torrent formed by the innumerable beasts did not care about the small number of enemies making sneak attacks, like a thunder rumbling, like an angry tide, sweeping up, routing whoever instantly. And those people who was trying to obstruct and attack, felt helpless, facing the black masses, killing one or two or even a dozen demons, it almost did not amount to anything!
And like that, their original strategy of using the mountain's’ natural defenses to slow down the beasts, in a blink, were damaged beyond repair by those brutal beasts. The Good Faction men were forced to retreat up TongTian Peak, until the beasts reached YunHai public square, Reverend DaoXuan and the rest acted decisively, gathered and concentrated most of the Good Faction strength, to face the enemy at the public square, at that moment, brilliant lights from the hovering magical weapons in the sky, above TongTian Peak YunHai, flesh and blood sprayed, miserable cries heard incessantly.
The dark tide, waves after waves crashed over frenziedly, and before them, hundreds of Good Faction people, half stood on the ground, half in the air, numerous colorful brilliant lights created a colourful cold city wall, emitting ice cold light.
The demon beasts, as if they knew not pain or fear, like a huge tide surged over, at the almost several miles wide light wall, crashed onto it with their bodies, in that instant, the dazzling gleam quivered, lights flashed crazily, the chilling cries like a dense shower of rain instantly swept past TongTian Peak summit, piercing directly deep into the heart.
The several hundreds beasts at the forefront at that instant were turned into minced meat and blood by the cold brilliant light, the thick blood stench like a violent wind, [woo] brushed past the ears, the sky of blood rain burst opened with a crashing sound and slowly fell, little by little, landed on the Good Faction people’s faces, hands.
Making one nausea upon smelling!
Before they could compose themselves, another wave of beasts had arrived, the initial smooth light wall immediately received an enormous crushing force, a number of areas were pressed in, creating an irregular crooked sight. And there were even a few areas, disciples with slightly weaker power, undetermined will who did not hold their weapons properly, with the huge impact, in the loud roars, instantly when the beasts charged up, several fell onto the ground, in the tragic cries, no one again saw them.
Outside Crystal Hall, Reverend DaoXuan, PuHong Master, as well as Yun YiLan looked grim. Reverend DaoXuan glanced at the both of them, both nodded at the same time.
Yun YiLan said, “We will follow senior brother’s lead."
Reverend DaoXuan expressionlessly turned back, looked down at the foot of the mountain for a while, saw above YunHai, that screen of light was pressed tightly by a huge wave of black, among the people, a few of the weaker ones was swaying in their places, looked like they could not hold on much longer, at times miserable cries were heard, and the smell of blood in the air was turning more and more intense.
His brows wrinkled, abruptly looked up, saw high above the sky, the dark clouds loomed, in the horizon where the wind and clouds scurried across, there seemed to be an indistinct mysterious figure. Reverend DaoXuan stared deeply, after a moment, turned around, Xiao YiCai who had been following behind him, stepped forward, Reverend DaoXuan indifferently said, “You can go!”
Xiao YiCai acknowledged and quickly turned around, waved his right hand and flew up first, following behind him was close to a hundred Good Faction people, although the number of people was not as much as the people at the square but the brilliant lights from their magical weapons were dazzling, far surpassing the disciples below, at one glance, obviously they were all elite disciples of the various Good Factions branches and some independent immortals, under the leadership of Xiao YiCai, the group of people flew down to the critical fight in the square.
The clash of thunders, lightnings scurried around randomly in the sky, it looked as if they were back to that storm many years ago. Just that for some reason, even though the sky was raining, there was still an unusual bright moon in the horizon, very bright and very white.
The feeling of rain hitting upon the face, so cooling…
Zhang Xiao Fan woodenly looked back, the wind and rain whistled, that tiny small village, finally quietly faded. He could not help but reached out and tried to catch something but only empty air. Just that behind him, PuZhi that pair of eyes, quietly looking at his figure.
The next moment, he was already in that familiar room, the unique smell of the Big Bamboo Valley, as the surroundings surfaced, so familiar and intimate. Distantly he could hear his senior brothers’ chats and faint laughters, and Da Huang and Xiao Hui’s frolicking sounds, and that so familiar footsteps sounds, a young girl smiling like a flower, burst into the room, laughed and shouted, "Big lazy bum, quickly get up, go up the mountain and do your homework of chopping the bamboos…”
His body trembled, suddenly, the wall of defense he had built up in his heart for several years shattered, collapsed.
Tears flowed down his face!
The withered palm stretched out from behind, tapping him gently on the shoulder, that kind voice whispered, "What's the matter, boy, why are you crying?”
Zhang Xiao Fan whipped around, looked at the compassionate face, his body could not help but tensed. He stared deep into the eyes in front of him, longing to see deep inside this kind old monk’s heart but PuZhi’s gaze had always been so calm and deep, no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to see.
One word by one word, as if he was growling, asked, “Why, did, you, why, did, you choose me, why must you do that?"
PuZhi did not answer, still looking that compassionately at Zhang Xiao Fan, other than benevolence, it was still calmness, there was no agitation of emotions, not to say any regrets!
Everything around him disappeared again, leaving only the two of them in the whole world. Zhang Xiao Fan, no, looking at him right now he seemed to have transformed into the devil, fierce blood-red gaze once again took over his eyes, from head to toe emitting an aura of killing intention, [pu] a light sound, his clothes splitted opened at the front, the Soul-devouring evil stick glimmering with faint dark red light rose up, horizontally in front of his chest.
PuZhi’s eyes finally was shocked for a moment, slowly looked to that ominous object. At the top of the stick, that Sinister’s Orb that was glowing brightly right now, lines of dark red covered the entire orb, as if it was also staring at him, with a feeling of sneer.
The heavy choking stench of blood, appeared suddenly before Ghost Li out of thin air and then it rushed over like an avalanche, like a violent gale blowing, PuZhi’s monk robes flapped in the wind, staring blankly, that vicious red light with a trace of despair, like a trapped animal, charged over.
He did not show the slightest intention to evade, standing there, motionless, the next moment, that despair and fierce red light passed through his body, stopped slowly behind him, condensed to form Ghost Li’s figure.
The old monk slowly lowered his head, slowly looked at his body, and then, he sighed, his head hung down, his body slowly fell to the side. Behind him, Ghost Li abruptly turned around, looked at PuZhi, the expression on his face like a violent storm, rapidly changed, gradually, the ferocious look quietly faded, the anguish look again surfaced, the red light in his eyes dimmed, he stared woodenly at that body which was slowly losing life, in that instant, made a heart-wrenching scream!
"Ah!…"
The black stick fell to the ground, he seemed to lose all of his strength in an instant. Thunders exploded in waves in the sky, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, in the whistling wind, a chill landed in his heart.
He stumbled to PuZhi, the soil underneath his feet seemed to have become muddy, every step consumed a great amount of his energy, he kept falling and climbing up again, using all of his strength he crawled to that withered body, and finally, he struggled to PuZhi’s side.
With one grab, he firmly grasped the withered hand, these past several years, this, the most intimate palm grasped in his hand, his eyes were already wet.
"Teacher...teacher…” He choked back, quietly crying, tears streaming down his face, with some hysteria, "Why, why, what exactly is this for?"
PuZhi struggled to turn around, looked at this man who as if had once again became that helpless young man, his face was so pale, his lips trembling, however, eventually he did not say anything.
The withered palm, slowly raised, stretched out in front of the young man's face, shaking non-stopped in the storm, all of the wind and rain seemed to fall into his hand. Zhang Xiao Fan stopped crying, raised his head and looked at him.
Both of their eyes met in the storm, both stared at each other, froze, became still, turned unfamiliar and distanced…
PuZhi's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he did not, following which, his hand gently fell, without the slightest sound.
Life, seemed to have left in that instant!
The young man was stunned, his entire body seemed to have turned rigid, slowly bent his head, looked at his hands, "I killed him, I killed him..."
Then like the surrounding strange atmosphere, a strange change suddenly happened in his body, the next moment, his face revealed a ferocious vicious look, turned into Ghost Li, the next moment, appeared extremely in pain, as if he had turned into that once simple Qing Yun disciple Zhang Xiao Fan. Just beside the body of PuZhi, he struggled in pain.
In the sky, under the firmament, the wind and rain still howling, a scene of desolation!
Xiao YiCai and the other elite disciples joined the battle, immediately controlled the situation. And this group of disciples obviously already had an understanding among themselves, forming into small groups, they flew straight to the most intensive part of the battlefield, the gaps which had been attacked by the beasts, suddenly received backup from these new forces, immediately bounced back, those beasts which were attacking, in a blink of an eye, beheaded and reduced to nothing, the entire screen also turned brighter and more solidified, indestructible.
Among the crowd, the most dazzling place, would be the centre of the screen, Lu XueQi holding TianYa Celestial Sword, like a fairy from the Nine Heavens stood proudly in the clouds, in the thousands rays of light, TianYa like a bloody knife of massacre, rains of blood sprayed wherever it went, broken fragments of bones, piled up to a small hill under her feet.
As the time wore on, not to mention those ferocious beasts having some apprehension towards this cold beautiful girl whose clothes had turned from white to pink, even the Good Faction members behind Lu XueQi, were all shocked. At this battlefield of life and death, Lu Xueqi did not care for life or death, sweeping the length and breath, often charging into the mass of beasts within a hair’s breadth apart, raising showers and showers of blood of rain and wind.
But, on her face, there was not an expression at all, there was no fear or pain, no shock or abhor, even the bloody stench of the beasts’ blood which had spilled onto her, she who had always loved cleanliness, Lu XueQi did not have any reaction. She only fought on, using all of her strength, in the rain of blood and wind, her cold yet beautiful face, seemed exceptionally touching, shocking the rest and no one dared to go near.
An hour passed by quietly, the black torrent was still pressing against that light screen but in the end did not break through it. The public square which was once like a paradise, had lifeless bodies and stains of bloods turning into rivers, in the dark sky, the dark clouds loomed low, coldly watching it all.
Suddenly, deep from within the beasts, from an unknown place suddenly a strange sound rang out, like a horn but also like a howl, the sound seemed mournful and forlorn, as if on the night of the full moon, there were lone wolves howling to the moon. Following the sound, the masses of beasts which had pounced forward one after another, unafraid of death, suddenly stopped, stopped their attacks and then slowly retreated, creating a distance from the Good Faction.
And over at the Good Faction side, the light curtain following the temporary ceasefire, also started to dim down, and in the next instant, filling above the sea of clouds, was the heavy panting sound of countless people.
On each and every one's body, seemed to be stained with blood, the desolate and strange colour of blood dyed the entire sea of clouds, on the stretch of open space created between both sides, there were bodies everywhere, some demons, some humans.
Most of the Good Faction disciples whom were in the air had descended, seizing the time to catch their breaths, who knows when those barbaric beasts would attack again. Only a few highly skilled disciples was still flying vigilantly in the air, watching the front.
Xiao YiCai frowned tightly, looked away from the distance, the demon beasts a stretch of masses, black and pressing, unable to see the last of them with a glance, at this battlefield of life and death, they were still unable to see the end of it. He gently sighed in the heart, turned around, suddenly was stunned, saw not far from him, Lu XueQi was quietly standing in mid-air, the stench of blood blew over, the clothes dyed red by the blood gently fluttered.
On that unparalleled face, there wasn’t any trace of anger, only staring ahead, at that mass of black.
Xiao YiCai’s brows wrinkled, intuitively felt something was very wrong with Lu XueQi’s emotions, was going to go up and ask when suddenly in the mass of beasts, a roar was heard once again, the next moment, like the sound of thunder rumbling, the galloping sound of footsteps, the black torrent like an unceasing tsunami, again charged over. And this time, among the beasts, other than those ferocious ones, there were giant demons, baring fangs and brandishing claws, heading over.
In that instant, the Good Faction people each started to stand up, the brilliant lights of the weapons flew up dancing to the sky, once again forming an enormous curtain wall.
Xiao YiCai was immediately distracted, the momentarily uncertainty of Lu XueQi, he had cleanly forgotten. At the moment, in everyone’s eyes, was only that black tide, from far approaching, galloping and howling, carrying the breath of death, surging over.
Like a thunder in the silence, tearing the Heavens and Earth, the deafening sound this time, was from the crash of the black tide against the light screen. The pressure of death seemed to have instantly increased, the broken bodies and bones once again fell upon like showers of rain, bodies torn up were thrown into the air, piercing onto the sharp claws.
The giant demons which had joined the battle far exceeded the ordinary beasts, most of the Good Faction’s weapons had no effect on their bodies. And when those creatures’ sharp claws swiped past, instantly it would be a scene of blood rain and wind. In a blink of an eye, the Good Faction who was caught off guard by these seven, eight giant demons, a few gaps appeared in the light screen, the entire light screen immediately wavered, struggling to stay up.
High up above, Yun YiLan, PuHong Master and the others’ countenances changed, Yun YiLan frowned and looked to Reverend DaoXuan but saw him looking grim, the tragical cries below the mountain travelled over, the corner of his eyes seemed to be twitching but for some reason, the distinct ordinary-looking face did not have any expression, not a word or gesture too.
Yun YiLan looked away, was silent for a moment and once again looked down to the foot of the mountain.
The fights turned more and more intense, the Good Faction disciples at YunHai all knew the fight had reached its critical phase, everyone was desperately fighting, using all of their strength, even to the extent that most of them at this moment, made hysterical howls, no different from those beasts, maybe, even if they were Good Faction people, in the face of life and death, probably not much difference from those demonic beasts?