Chapter 310: [Sisheng Peak] The Last Card

There was light.

When Mo Ran opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a purplish-red sky. He blinked his eyes slowly and turned his neck slowly. Then, he stood up – he realized that this was not the sky. Instead, it was a palace made of amethyst.

Because the palace was so large, a single brick was comparable to a carriage, so he mistook it for a cloud.

A tall man stood in the distance, leaning against the window as he looked out.

The man was wearing a robe of indistinct texture and was barefoot. He held a luminous glass in his hand and absent-mindedly rotated the amber liquid within. Outside the window, there was a tree of bright red flowers, with bits of silver falling from their hearts.

There is no such dress, no such flower.

Mo Ran was certain that there was no such palace in the human world.

"Where am I?" he asked.

The man's fingertip stopped moving and turned his face slightly to the side. However, because it was reflected by the light, Mo Ran could not see his face clearly.

"You are quite calm, Hero."

"…"

The man drank all the wine in his cup in one gulp. He casually placed the cup on the windowsill and walked towards him.

Soon, Mo Ran could see it clearly. This man had a face slightly similar to Gouchen the Exalted, the first blood-red spider mole under the corner of his eye. His lips were very thin, and he didn't seem to have a very good temper.

"I am the second generation Sect Leader of the Demon World." The man spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on Mo Ran's reaction. "You're in the Devil's Palace now."

Mo Ran was silent for a moment, then said, "… If you don't say anything, I will treat you as the Emperor Yanluo."

The man chuckled. "Do you really believe that you're dead?"

"No." Mo Ran looked into his eyes. "I don't think so. But I don't think I'm still alive."

The Demon Lord's smile became even more obvious. "You're right."

He stretched out his hand and the black dragon scale gloves easily pierced through Mo Ran's chest. However, Mo Ran did not feel any pain.

"You are not a living person. You are just a soul that has been gathered."

Mo Ran did not make a sound.

The Demon Lord said lazily, "My ancestor set a rule that unless one is hostile to the God of Heaven and can destroy Fuxi's forbidden technique, one cannot return to the Infernal Realm… You did it for them, my hero."

Mo Ran said gloomily, "That's not what I wanted to do. That's Hua Binan…"

"He is a bastard of gods and demons. He once swore that he would never harm his own kind. But he did not."

"… Are you saying that he harmed Song Qiutong?"

"No." He raised his hand and caressed the face of Mo Ran Soul. "You know who I'm talking about."

"…"

"You have already sensed it from the moment the Infernal domain's gate opened." The Demon Lord's gaze was as sharp as a knife. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have promised that little immortal that way in the end, you actually know it all in your heart."

Mo Ran did not utter a word, his two eyelashes drooping.

The Demon Lord slowly straightened his body, his tall stature casting a dark shadow on the ground. He said, "Mo Weiyu, you should know that in this world there is an extremely special kind of Butterfly-Boned Beauty. They would not shed golden tears, nor would they have any demonic aura. If they did not recognize their ancestors, then even the Mount Huang Evil Spirit who was with the beauty would not be able to detect them. As a result, even in death, some people would not discover their true identities…"

Mo Ran said dryly, "So what?"

The Demon Lord laughed, "So what? You should be well aware that the overbearing spirit energy that this kind of person can inherit from the ancient demon is the same as the lord of Huabi, Song Xingyi, many years ago."

As he said that, his fingertip suddenly lit up with a purple black brilliance. He pointed his finger towards Mo Ran and the light immediately floated into Mo Ran's soul. At the same time, Mo Ran felt a vigorous energy surging through his three souls and six souls, which was then completely absorbed by itself.

The Demon Lord looked at the scene before him and said with a smile, "Look, you really can absorb my race's energy."

"…"

"I'm talking about you." Demon Lord said, "You are another special Butterfly-Boned Beauties after Song Xingyi. It's just that you never noticed it yourself. Hua Binan didn't notice at all."

Mo Ran lifted his eyes.

The Demon Elder held his hands behind his back and looked outside the window at the floating flowers once again. "Pitiful, he once promised that he would never hurt his tribe and said that he would protect every Butterfly-Boned Beauty that could be guarded. But he hurt you for a lifetime."

Mo Ran stood up from the ground. He was not in the mood to listen to such nonsense. Whether it was being killed or being used, it was all in the past.

Right now, he was only concerned about one thing: "Can I still go back?"

"Go where?" The Demon Lord turned his head to glance at him. "The human world?"

"The human world."

"What's so good about humans? A bunch of ants? You have power and courage, and you are from my race." The Demon Lord said indifferently, "It is precisely because you are a demon. I am able to summon your soul and summon you back to the Demon Palace. If you stay here, you will have a lifespan of ten thousand years."

Mo Ran smiled. "I'm sorry, I am only allowed to be served by others. I have never served anyone."

The Demon Lord stared at him with his red eyes. He did not say a word, but only scrutinized him and criticized him a little.

"… Fine." Mo Ran said, "There is only one exception. I am willing to serve him."

"You serve a piece of wood?"

"He's not a piece of wood."

The Demon Lord rolled his eyes. "I'm being polite when I call him that, Little Immortal. He's not even a god, he's just a rotten seedling planted by an old man in Shennong." Seeing that Mo Ran was getting more and more angry, the Demon Lord stopped talking. He turned his body and leaned against the window with his slim waist. "Are you stupid?"

"You have to know something. If you really plan on going back, you will still not get the supplies from the demon race. You can only live for a few decades, or a hundred years at the most."

Mo Ran had been tense the entire time, but when he heard this, he actually smiled. "That long?"

"…"

"In the human world, it's truly a long life."

The demons seemed to be somewhat perplexed, but also a bit annoyed. "Humans are but ants, what can they do in a few decades? What could they do for hundreds of years? You have torn apart the Time and Life Gates and have grasped a Zhenlong chess match, and I am afraid that even Fuxi's elder would be angered half to death by you in the sky. You possess such talent, yet you are willing to be a stalled bastard." The more he said, the more unhappy he became. In the end, he bluntly said, "Idiot."

At first, the demons thought that he was angry, but after a while, upon closer inspection, they realized that he was trying to hold back his laughter.

Demon Lord, "......…"

Mo Ran looked up and smiled brightly. "How do you know?"

"…"

"In the mortal world, many people call me stupid."

The Demon Lord rubbed his brow. He looked as if he had a headache. He almost moaned, "How can there be such a humiliating demon…"

"I never felt like a demon. I only vaguely sensed it the moment the Devil's Gate opened."

The Venerable One glared at him.

Mo Ran laughed for a while and stopped laughing. He looked at the Demon Lord and said, "No matter what, I still have to thank you for protecting my soul."

"I appreciate your talent."

Mo Ran shook his head. He did not plan on continuing this conversation with the Demon Lord.

He only used those eyes that had once moved the hearts of countless people to sincerely and earnestly look at the man in front of him, and then said, "But I'm sorry. I want to return to the human world."

"…"

No one said anything.

"The reason." Finally, the Demon Lord said stiffly, "Give me a reason."

"Because I promised someone."

Mo Ran said.

"I promised. I will return to him."

—

The Taxue Palace.

At this moment, the snowfall on the Tianshan Mountains had stopped, and the Heavenly Rifts had finally closed. The torrent of events from his past life was like an absurd dream.

The first multicolored light gradually penetrated, filling the heaven and earth with a vast and tranquil scene.

"Chu-zongshi!"

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster!"

Someone was calling to him in his ear, and his consciousness slowly returned to the cage.

Chu Wanning opened his eyes, his gaze was devoid of emotion. It was as if two lifetimes worth of dust had settled in his eyes. For a moment he thought he was on Sisheng Peak, awakened one winter afternoon by the noise of his apprentices. It was similar to the dark and cold Wushan Palace, where Liu-gonggong sighed beside the couch and called him back to the human world.

After a long time, his eyes gradually became clear. His brown eyes turned as he looked at the cultivators that surrounded him. It was snowing, and the night was already dark, with faint red clouds appearing in the depths of the clouds.

He slowly closed his eyes and said hoarsely, "Mo Ran…"

It was as if a dead youth was responding to his yearning, or was it because his obsession was too deep, causing him to hallucinate — He suddenly saw several streaks of gold-red flowing out from the cracks of the life and death gate, sliding past the rouge colored sky, and flying into the distance…

What was that?!

Chu Wanning suddenly opened his eyes, but it was not because of the shouts from the crowd. It was because of the streaks of golden red.

... What was that?

His extinguished hope was ignited by those wonderful lights. He struggled to his feet, but no one held him, and he said nothing more. Chu Wanning staggered along with the golden light, followed by the anxious voices of the crowd.

"Chu-zongshi…"

At this moment, the sand had finally been completely washed away. Everyone knew that Mo Weiyu was not a sinner, but the price was too great. It was unknown just how much meaning this sort of innocence had behind it.

But just as Mo Ran did not care about the opinions of others, he knew himself, he was muddle-headed, he was arrogant, he was addicted to himself. Chu Wanning was the same. Both of them were asking for the same thing, but they had no regrets.

"Shizun!"

Xue Meng wanted to chase after him, but before he had even taken a few steps, he heard a commotion from within the crowd.

A disciple from Guyue'ye's side shouted in panic, "Sect Leader! Sect Leader, what happened to you?!"

Xue Meng was stunned. He suddenly turned his head to push away the crowd, but Jiang Xi had already collapsed into the snow. Beneath his were large puddles of blood.

"What's going on?!" Guyue'ye's elder shouted in anger, "Wasn't it fine just now?! How could this be?!"

Some disciples pointed at the scar on Jiang Xi's waist timidly.

"Yes… Did he get hit by a sharp weapon in the torrent earlier? The Sect Leader was afraid that the situation would get more chaotic, so he didn't say anything…"

The air was filled with the smell of blood. Before dawn, Jiang Xi lay in the settled world with his eyes closed.

"Hurry up and treat your injuries!"

"What are you waiting for! Save him!"

Xue Meng's state of mind was greatly shaken. His mind was in a mess. In his hands, he was still holding Xuehuang that Jiang Xi had given him. He turned his head, wanting to chase after him, but he only moved half an inch before he knelt on the ground and started crying loudly.

He did not know how remote the mountains and rivers were. Where was the place where love and hate no longer existed? Lifting his head, the mortal world no longer had the company of the old. Those arrogant and proud youngsters who fought on the path of the sword had already ridden on the mortal world and would never return.

On the boundless Qiushan Snow Road, Chu Wanning looked at the golden red light flying towards the horizon towards the distant mountains…

"Believe me, I will do my best to see you."

"I'll wait for you in another world."

A shiver ran down his spine, but Chu Wanning didn't dare to think too much about it. Before he saw the truth with his own eyes, he didn't dare to dream too much.

At this time, the rising sun had already pierced through the darkness of the great abyss, pulling itself up from the ground from the cold and dreary night before. The golden light shined on the mountain road that had suddenly turned completely upside down. The first rays of the sun rose, illuminating the vast sea of people, celebrating the survival of the world with golden splendor.

Chu Wanning stared at the rising sun, his fingertips twirling talismans as a golden light flashed.

"Ascending Dragon — Summon!"

A long howl. His candlestick dragon broke through the wind in the snow, its huge body coiling in a sound like a great bell.

The little dragon raised his eyes and saw that the world of mortals was still alright. Joy filled his heart, and he couldn't help but joke with his Master again, "Is everything calm now?"

"Yes."

"Finished?"

"Yes."

The paper dragon was even happier now. It flew a full circle in the air before landing again. Then, just like every time it saw him before, it teased, "Oh right, Chu Wanning, why are you always alone?"

Chu Wanning stood quietly in the wind, the snow seeds rustling against his long eyelashes. He could not help but think back to what Mo Ran had told him before he left, and he felt his heart beating like a drum. After a long silence, he raised his head and said to the paper dragon, "Take me to a place."

"Where?"

Chu Wanning got on the dragon's back as it stood up, facing the wind and snow, looking down at the silver dress on the ground. The sun shone brightly and became brighter and brighter. Finally, in the morning light, he said to the colossal dragon, "Let's go to the Nanping Mountains. I'm going to see him."

The Azure Dragon at the moment wanted to make up some nonsense, but in the end, the horned beard raised, and no longer said anything.

Actually, it also knew where its master wanted to go and who he wanted to find. It let out a deep, sonorous roar, and before it could reach the ninth heaven, Chu Wanning glanced back at the magnificent sight of the mountains and rivers.

The sky was clear, the clouds were floating. He traveled through the snowy and misty Kunlun Road, chasing after the golden light. Finally, he sped towards the distant river lake where the light rain had just fallen.

Mo Ran had promised him that he would come back.

Thus, he believed in him. He wanted to go to the place where they had last parted and meet up with him.

"Say… Is that golden light coming from his soul?"

Candle Dragon was churning in the sea of clouds, "If you ask me, who should I ask?"

"Do you think the souls will return to his body?"

Candle Dragon barely managed to say: "Probably…"

Soon, they arrived at Nanping Mountain. Without any hesitation or doubt, Chu Wanning seemed to be certain where those streaks of golden red light would go. He rode the Wind Carnage Dragon and landed outside of the bamboo forest in the depths of Nanping Mountain.

"The person you're looking for is here?"

Chu Wanning did not reply. He got off the dragon's body and felt as if there was a heavy weight on his chest, making him unable to breathe.

"I saved Mo Ran's body here earlier." His fingers were trembling uncontrollably. "So if his soul can return, then…"

He originally wanted to say that it would definitely be here, but the words were already on the tip of his tongue, so he didn't continue speaking.

What if it wasn't here?

He still wanted to give himself a chance. He didn't want to die from his words.

Candle Dragon, surrounded by plants and vegetation, shook his head: "Then what if he doesn't return?"

"…"

"What if those golden lights scatter before they reach this point?"

"…"

"What if —"

Chu Wanning suddenly turned around, his eyes fierce and bloodshot. "Then I'll burn you and bury you with him."

"Aiya, I'm so scared."

Candle Dragon turned into a ray of golden light, his huge body turned into a small snake, resting on Chu Wanning's shoulder. It hit its owner on the cheek with its head.

It knew Chu Wanning's personality, so it didn't take it seriously. It sighed, "Looking at your expression, why do I feel like you want to get buried with him more?"

As he spoke, he scratched the back of Chu Wanning's head with the tip of his tail.

"For what?"

"I'm afraid if I don't scratch you, you'll faint." The little dragon sighed and slapped his tail, "Your face is so ugly."

"…"

"It's just like those gamblers who have a lifetime worth of savings and walk into the casino for their final bet."

Chu Wanning, for once, did not refute it. Instead, he closed his eyes.

The little Candle Dragon said it was his life savings, but it was wrong.

That was his disciple from two lifetimes, his lover from two lifetimes, and the kind of fool who would use his flesh and blood to fall into a quagmire even if he had to live two lifetimes.

The rest of his life.

The mountain path was long and snowy.

In the distance, there was a thatched cottage that was in a state of disrepair. Chu Wanning stood in front of the thatched cottage, his fingertips trembling. In front of his was an old and dilapidated wooden door, but it seemed even heavier than the door to the Infernal domain. His Adam's apple moved, and his blood flowed.

He was as stiff as a block of wood. He raised his hand several times, but it always fell off the moment he touched the door.

The little candle dragon: "Aiya, if you don't push the door, then I'll do it, I-"

The door opened.

It was not Chu Wanning who pushed it away, nor was it the candle dragon who knocked it away.

The door was originally ajar. Most likely, the breeze had pity on him, and could not bear to see his sad state. The wind then blew open the thin door of wood with a creak.

Chu Wanning stood outside the house.

He could see the open space in the hut. The trees had not budded yet, but the branches were covered with a thin layer of snow. When the wind blew, the snow scattered into the golden dawn.

Then, it covered a man's shoulders.

Hearing the commotion, that person's figure paused for a moment before slowly turning around.

The light and shadows moved, and in an instant, it was as if the earth had been rejuvenated and the summer sun had risen.

All the sounds of the wind, snow, and leaves that Chu Wanning could not hear before had returned to his ears at this moment. Everything in the world surged back into his heart.

He stood on the spot and wanted to run forward, but his limbs and bones seemed as if they were filled with lead. He couldn't move a single step. At this time, it was as if Chu Wanning heard the cicadas chirping at the foot of Heaven-Piercing Tower many years ago.

That was the best time of his life.

The handsome youth walked towards Elder Yuheng, who was leaning against a tree. He walked towards the beginning of everything, the beginning of the two's tangled fates.

"Chu Wanning…"

The dragon poked him in the waist.

Only then did Chu Wanning manage to regain his composure. However, his throat was still tied up and he was unable to say a single word.

He walked slowly to the man standing under the dead wood, to the end of everything, to the end of the pain of two lifetimes, to the end of the world.

The wind blew through the leaves of the forest, causing them to shiver. Chu Wanning seemed to have stepped over countless times, finally arriving in front of that man.

It was just like how, many years ago, a young Mo Weiyu had stood firmly in front of Chu Wanning.

He looked up and grinned.

"Xianjun Xianjun."

The voice of the past is still in the ears, and when they met again, two lifetimes have passed.

"I've been looking at you for a long time, why won't you pay attention to me?"

The empty valley was quiet and serene, and the multicolored light was pure and clear. It was as if only the two of them were left between the heaven and earth, and there was nothing else. Mo Ran was wearing a robe. His face was still pale from the initial recovery.

He watched as Chu Wanning walked out of the morning glow and came before him. His pitch-black eyes gradually revealed an expression of extreme gentleness.

"Shizun…"

The wind had stopped. Between the clouds, the morning light of a tree scattered across the bloodstained world.

"I saw a devil. And then I had an interesting experience, and I wanted to tell you…"

The turmoil of the apocalypse had passed.

After many years, at the place where the blood was falling…

Maybe some new plum blossoms would bloom.