Chapter 73

#Asking Nothing of Others!

Lord Lord God activated his spell, and the grasses, trees, and stones of Que Mountain gradually transformed into the solid walls of the Undying City.

Before long, even the main hall of Que Mountain where we were located had been completely “hollowed out.” Beneath us remained only Lord Lord God’s formation, still spinning. He and I sat atop this glowing formation, nearly suspended in midair, surrounded by Xie Zhuo’s barrier.

Que Mountain had now fully merged with the Northern Wastes. On the vast land of the Northern Wastes, the circular city began to reveal its future grandeur and magnificence.

I looked at Lord Lord God, who had torn Que Mountain apart, and my eyes burned faintly with heat.

I tried to calm myself, silently reciting Kunlun’s meditation technique again and again in my heart.

At this moment, all I wanted was to purge the evil miasma from my spirit. I didn’t want to bring even a single trace more of that evil into the Northern Wastes—or into this world.

But just as I began to find my rhythm, I suddenly heard a strange wind from the ground below. The sound grew louder and louder, to the point I could no longer ignore it.

When I opened my eyes and looked, I was horrified!

Countless people, tainted with the aura of evil, were rising into the air!

And these weren’t strangers. They were…

The people of Que Mountain!

Just as Lord Lord God had said—within merely two days, the Evil God had taken control of everyone.

His methods were far more sophisticated now than back in the Snow Wolf Tribe’s homeland, or in the Mirrorwood Forest. Those under his control had completely lost their sense of self.

Dragged by black miasma, they were like marionettes on strings, flying up into the formation midair—like moths to a flame, like locusts swarming through the skies—crashing down upon Xie Zhuo’s barrier with a thunderous boom!

The barrier withstood their first wave of attack.

And their ferocious, twisted faces pressed up against the transparent barrier—I saw them clearly.

They struck at the barrier Xie Zhuo had left to protect Lord Lord God and me. Some used miasma, some used blades, others used bare hands, teeth—attacking by any and all means.

They wanted to tear the barrier apart and rush in—to tear Lord Lord God to shreds.

The Evil God controlling them must have understood Lord Lord God’s intention. He was trying to stop the Undying City from being completed.

Xie Zhuo’s barrier was strong, but he wasn’t here. Without him, it could not withstand such relentless, unceasing assault for long.

I saw a fracture appear in one spot on the barrier. The controlled crowd noticed it too.

They surged toward it, frenziedly attacking the weakness.

I knew—Xie Zhuo must be entangled below by even more evil miasma.

Lord Lord God was still focused on building the city; he couldn’t be distracted. Here, only I could protect him.

The Undying City must be completed.

I stood up and drew the sword from the waist of the young soldier’s body I was inhabiting. I positioned myself in front of Lord Lord God, eyes fixed on the breach in the barrier.

I gathered all the soulforce I could muster, sending it coursing through my limbs.

Crack—

The moment a rift appeared in Xie Zhuo’s barrier, a streak of black evil miasma shot into the formation.

I poured my soulforce into my sword and slashed down diagonally—cutting down that first strand of miasma!

There was no time to breathe. The crack in the barrier widened.

I focused, guarding Lord Lord God, and struck again—cutting down a small child who had squeezed through the breach.

I didn’t allow myself to feel pity just because it was a child.

I only knew—if I couldn’t protect Lord Lord God here today, countless more children in the future would end up the same.

The breach grew larger. I stayed by Lord Lord God’s side—cutting down anyone who came close.

That day alone, I slew more people than on any day I ever fought in Kunlun.

When they died, there was no blood—only black miasma, saturating the air around me.

I could feel the impurities within my own body stirring restlessly—but I forced them down.

I don’t know how much time passed, how many swings I made, how many people I cut down—I was reaching my limit. Even the body of this young soldier was on the verge of collapse.

I was wounded—bitten, my arm sliced open, my chest struck by evil energy—but I held on with all I had. I didn’t let a single trace of evil touch Lord Lord God.

But I knew—I was a spent arrow.

I—

A blast of black miasma sent me flying. I crashed to the ground, rolling almost to the far edge of the barrier. Behind me, the intact portion of the barrier kept the evil at bay, though they clawed and shrieked outside.

When I looked up—a girl with a long sword was stabbing straight toward the center of the formation—toward Lord Lord God.

My eyes widened in shock. I had no time to even cry out before a gust of wind rushed past.

The light of the barrier behind me surged. As the breach sealed, a sword pierced through the girl’s chest.

Xie Zhuo had arrived—just in time.

He stood before Lord Lord God, sword still embedded in the girl—it hadn’t yet been withdrawn.

I struggled to my feet and walked toward Xie Zhuo.

I thought he’d pull his sword out quickly. But even when I reached him, he hadn’t moved.

I looked at Xie Zhuo, then at the girl’s face…

A familiar face.

I had once borrowed her body—used her hand to grip a pen beneath the Que Mountain gates and write the name “Xie Zhuo.”

But now, she too had been possessed by the Evil God—reduced to an empty shell of evil.

Xie Zhuo had killed her with his own hands.

“Xie Zhuo,” I called his name hoarsely.

His pupils trembled faintly.

I used my sword to steady myself, step by step returning to Lord Lord God’s side. I didn’t stand beside Xie Zhuo. Instead, I faced away from both of them, holding my sword as I faced the snarling evil miasma trapped outside the barrier.

I said, “Their lives have already been taken by the Evil God.”

I didn’t allow myself to look at Xie Zhuo’s expression. I forced myself to stay calm, to be restrained. My voice was steady, nearly without emotion.

“Even if it torments us—we must keep going. Keep fighting. Keep loving.” I gritted my teeth to keep my voice from wavering. “Love yourself, and love this world. It will get better. We will win.”

This time—we must win.

Xie Zhuo didn’t reply. But I heard the sound of a sword being drawn. The girl’s body tore apart, and black miasma poured from her chest—turning into smoke before Xie Zhuo, just like all his clansmen before.

“Protect him…”

Xie Zhuo left behind just three words. I saw the barrier above us flash and suddenly shrink—at that same moment, he surged out from within it.

Before the evil spirits could react, he was already among them—reaping them down in a furious slaughter.

This was already the second time.

But this time—every person he cut down had once given him warmth. They were all citizens of Que Mountain.

And there were far more of them than the Snow Wolf Tribe.

In the distance, the Undying City was almost complete. The height of the circular wall now nearly matched what I remembered—soon it would be level with the height of this place, which had once been the main hall.

Behind the overwhelming tide of evil miasma, I faintly saw the break of dawn approaching.

So we had already fought through the night.

So the Undying City was completed by Lord God Ji in just one night.

In the end, when the massive city gates were finished, I saw the Heart of Que Mountain floating before Lord God Ji suddenly dim. With a crisp sound, it shattered before him, falling apart completely.

Lord God Ji’s body tilted slightly to the side, and I immediately stepped forward to support him.

“Lord God… the city, is it finished?”

He nodded, his face as pale as death.

Just then, the evil spirits that had been frantically attacking the barrier suddenly all stopped.

They floated eerily in the air, their appearance even more horrifying than before in their madness.

I couldn’t tell what the evil god intended, so I simply stayed close by Lord God Ji, my body instinctively shielding him.

A flash of light burst within the barrier—Xie Zhuo had returned.

Even he seemed puzzled by the sudden stop in attacks.

He glanced back at me and Lord God Ji, saw that we were both unharmed, then turned his guarded gaze to the evil spirits outside.

But Lord God Ji did not stop. Though utterly drained, he still summoned his inner energy and formed a hand seal.

He spoke, “The Heart of Que Mountain is destroyed. The spiritual veins of Que Mountain are severed. From now on, within this city of the Northern Wastes, there is no more soul power. Surviving immortals of Que Mountain may not leave this city. When encountering evil spirits—slay them without mercy.”

His voice was not loud, but I knew that through the seal in his hand, he had sent this message across the entire Northern Wastes.

He was informing the cultivators not yet corrupted by the evil miasma of their future duty.

But the moment his words spread, the evil spirits outside the barrier all twisted their mouths into eerie grins, letting out bone-chilling cackles as they stared at us.

Their laughter and voices sent shivers down my spine.

Just as my back tensed with fear, I heard them speak in unison: “Ji, you use this city to trap us—but you will never leave it either.”

The scene was terrifying, yet Xie Zhuo and Lord God Ji showed no fear.

Lord God Ji gently pushed me aside and straightened up.

Then the evil god, speaking through all the possessed, continued, “My evil miasma is undying, eternal. And you, Lord God—even with your longevity, you will eventually perish. In this struggle of trapped beasts, I will win—sooner or later.”

Lord God Ji’s expression remained calm. His lifeless complexion only made him seem more divine.

He took a deep breath, as if savoring the final trace of Que Mountain’s presence.

“Then so be it—no death, no rest.”

As his words fell, in the very next instant, his body emitted the same glow as the Heart of Que Mountain.

Xie Zhuo turned in stunned alarm.

Even the evil god seemed to be burned by the radiance, and countless evil spirits shrieked in agony in the air.

He was refining his divine body—transforming into a spiritual soul.

To battle the evil spirits—to the death.

This happened right before my eyes, before I had any chance to prepare.

The divine light of his self-refinement pierced through my soul.

In that moment, I felt the evil miasma that had unknowingly infected my soul be instantly eradicated.

The soul of the young soldier clinging to me was peeled away, my soul swept out of his body like a breeze.

The light passed through me, bringing a warmth gentler than sunlight, softer than the spring breeze.

In that instant, under the glow of the distant dawn, it felt as though all darkness in the world was being washed away.

Outside the barrier, every person corrupted into an evil spirit dissolved within the light.

And amidst that glow, I saw a black shadow darting swiftly out from behind the evil spirits.

That silhouette!

It was Zhu Lian!

“Xie Zhuo, catch him!”

Xie Zhuo moved without hesitation.

Afraid of losing him, I rushed to Xie Zhuo’s side and followed in pursuit.

As we left together, I turned back for one last look at Lord God Ji, still suspended in the spell formation. Light rippled from him like waves, spreading across the Northern Wastes.

It swept away all evil spirits, cleared away the “black clouds” in the sky. This was the final act of Lord God Ji as a god.

“The power the evil god gathered in the Northern Wastes has been purged,” his voice seemed to come from afar. “If he is trapped within this city, then fight him here. If he escapes… Young Master Xie Zhuo—”

“I will destroy him,” Xie Zhuo quietly replied.

After that, there was no more sound from Lord God Ji.

I only saw the stone necklace on Xie Zhuo’s neck flash blue—a hidden spell seemed to activate within it.

Chasing Zhu Lian’s fleeing figure, we reached the edge of the Undying City.

By then, the light from Lord God Ji’s body had spread to the city walls.

A massive barrier was forming over the Undying City.

At the same time, eight large characters appeared over the city gates: “Exterminate all evil spirits, no death, no rest.”

The strokes were bold, clear, and resolute.

Outside the Undying City, wind and snow surged. Light fell from the sky, gradually forming a transparent barrier around the city, sealing even the snowstorm out.

This became the third layer of defense for the Undying City, encapsulating the entire city.

From this point on, the city allowed entry—but no exit.

But just before the snow barrier fully formed, I saw a figure slip into the blizzard beyond.

Xie Zhuo chased after him relentlessly.

Just as he reached the edge of the snowy barrier, it fully descended, sealing to the ground.

My heart sank. Had Lord God Ji blocked Xie Zhuo? As soon as the worry rose in me, I saw Xie Zhuo pass straight through the barrier—bringing me, clinging to him, along as well.

Without a word, Xie Zhuo continued pursuing Zhu Lian.

I, however, couldn’t help but look back at the Undying City, now slowly being buried in snow.

I could no longer see the light in the sky, nor the spirit of Lord God Ji. I didn’t know where he was now.

I only knew—he would remain there, forever.

And from the moment I left the Undying City, I had been following Xie Zhuo.

I no longer dared take any “shortcuts,” no longer dared to harness others’ anger or despair to quickly possess their bodies.

As I once thought, I no longer wished to add even the slightest strength to the evil god.

And I couldn’t truly empathize with or understand another person’s soul.

So I remained in spiritual form, always at Xie Zhuo’s side.

But I didn’t sit idly. I kept cultivating my soul, so even in this form, I could slowly regain some soul power.

I was preparing—preparing for the moment just before we “separated.”

I would re-enter my own body, become stronger than my soul.

I would kill myself—then tell Xie Zhuo everything, and finally, completely destroy the evil god.

With this belief, I followed Xie Zhuo in his pursuit of Zhu Lian—from the Northern Wastes to the Southern Sea, and from the Southern Sea to Penglai.

Fortunately, Lord God Ji’s self-sacrifice had gravely wounded the evil god, and Xie Zhuo’s relentless pursuit gave him no time to rebuild his forces.

After the construction of Undying City, all the remaining Main Gods had made thorough preparations. Every immortal mountain had raised its own barrier, ready to fend off any possible attack from the Evil God.

For many years, the Evil God was no longer able to recreate the tragedy of Que Mountain in the world.

And I knew just how much Xie Zhuo and the Main Gods had sacrificed to maintain this state of affairs.

One year, two years, ten years, a hundred years…

Day after day, as long as the Evil God still existed, Xie Zhuo continued to fight, never stopping for even a single day.

I followed him, running across nearly every corner of the world.

I watched him get hurt. I watched him grow. I watched him become more and more like the Xie Zhuo—or rather, Xie Xuanqing—I remembered.

Then, one day, he arrived at Kunlun.

There, in Kunlun, he fought a brutal battle with Zhu Lian. At the most critical moment, he sealed Zhu Lian, along with the Evil God inside him, in a mountain cave within Kunlun.

Afterward, gravely wounded, he made his way to the Snow Bamboo Forest.

No longer able to hold on, Xie Zhuo collapsed among the snowy bamboo, leaning against a stalk as he sat with closed eyes, his whole body reeking of blood and injury.

And it was on that day that “I” showed up, basket in hand for digging bamboo shoots, cluelessly wandering into the forest.

Hovering above, I watched as fate—and some measure of chance—finally brought us together.

At that moment, seeing my own figure finally standing beside Xie Zhuo, I was overwhelmed with emotion. But I didn’t feel like crying, nor laughing. As a soul, all I could do was let out a soft sigh from deep within.

“I’m finally here to stay by your side, Xie Zhuo…”

And the moment I sighed from the depths of my soul—

I saw my past self, basket on her arm, stand beside Xie Zhuo for a bit, then suddenly—

Turned to leave!?

How could I just walk away!?

How dare I!?

I had to stay!

Panicked, I didn’t think at all. I instinctively used the soul techniques I’d practiced all these years, stirred the soul energy around me, and with a sharp flick of my soul—

Whoosh!

A flash of silver light shot straight toward “me,” Fu Jiuxia!

Of course, I didn’t actually mean to kill myself—it just got out of control for a second!

The silver light was about to pierce straight through the chest of my not-yet-immortal self!

My heart clenched—just then, Xie Zhuo, leaning against the bamboo, instinctively raised a hand. He pulled “me” right into his arms.

The silver light grazed “my” ear, brushed past Xie Zhuo’s cheek, then lodged itself into the snowy bamboo behind him, piercing through it and into the ground, melting the surrounding snow and ice.

And then “I” froze, stunned in Xie Zhuo’s damp, bloody, dangerous embrace.

“I” looked up at him—he’d already lost consciousness.

In disbelief, “I” slowly sat up from his arms, scratched my head, then hoisted him onto my back.

I watched from above as “I” carried Xie Zhuo toward the cave where we would later exchange vows.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

So that’s how it was…

Turns out…

You can’t wait around for fate—when it comes to love, you’ve got to take matters into your own hands!