The neurotoxins of the Fei Yi bring excruciating pain, while also paralyzing the nerves, making the limbs lose their ability to move. Jiang Chao Ge watched as Yun Xi fell off the cliff, wide-eyed with despair, struggling to get up but unable to move, unable to even make a sound.
Sisi rode on the back of a zhen niao and swooped down the cliff, but was fanned out by the giant wings of the Fei Yi, and crashed into the treetops, the lush branches and leaves scraping Sisi’s body and face leaving behind trails of blood. Sisi gritted his teeth and climbed towards the treetops, while the zhen niao soared into the sky, shrilly screeching as it flew, soon disappearing into the forest.
Ruan Qiansu forcibly broke through the encirclement of the Fei Yi and, together with Zheng Chen, flew down the cliff.
Yu Ren Shu let out a loud roar, as his spiritual power was released with intense domination, his mace breaking the bones of any Fei Yi that came near him. However, the giant snake was like an indestructible wall, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break through. After tearing open one side of the giant monster’s wings, Long Xiang was heavily injured and could no longer approach this giant beast.
Jiang Chao Ge thought of Yun Xi and Ruan Qiansu, whose fates were unknown, veins bulging in his forehead. He couldn’t move half of his body, only enduring the intense pain and pleading with his eyes towards Zhi Xuan. He had no other choice, he couldn’t watch his comrades die one by one.
Zhi Xuan didn’t have much emotion towards humans other than Jiang Chao Ge, but he couldn’t bear to see him in pain and distress. He tightly grasped his hand and said, “Leave it to me.” He took a deep breath, ready to summon his true form at the cost of his cultivation.
At that moment, a series of loud calls came from the distant horizon. Everyone swiftly turned and saw a flock of dark birds flying towards them.
These carnivorous birds were summoned by the smell of blood, and the leading bird, though smaller than the giant Fei Yi, was still incredibly large, with a greater numbers than the snake’s. The Fei Yi’s were in turmoil, rising into the sky one after another, ready to fight to the death.
“We found it! We really found it!” Sisi laughed on the tree, calling his zhen niao bird over and jumping on its back. He shouted, “Let’s run, we can only resist for a while here. If they decide to fight, they will eat us.”
“Where do we run? Yun Xi and Qiansu are down the cliff!”
“Then we go down there!” Tian Rong snagged Yu Ren Shu and Jiang Chao Ge in his mouth and threw them on his back. “Hold on tight.”
Sisi got Long Xiang and Zui You on the zhen niao. “Quick, while they aren’t paying attention to us.”
The Fei Yi and the wild zhen niao collided in the air, screeches and feathers flying everywhere. The entire sky was covered in their fight, and it was spectacular and brutal. The birds of prey were falling like raindrops, and once they hit the ground, they were torn apart in a mess of blood and devoured.
Jiang Chao Ge now believed in Sisi’s words. The beasts in Kunlun Mountain were all viciously hungry.
They jumped off the cliff in the chaos. Tian Rong’s big claws grabbed onto the rocky surface to slow their descent. In order to not add weight, Zhi Xuan automatically returned to his sword. Yu Ren Shu pressed Jiang Chao Ge, who was half paralyzed, onto Tian Rong’s body and grabbed onto fur. Tian Rong searched for supporting points and climbed down.
Jiang Chao Ge couldn’t move his neck and couldn’t see how deep the cliff was, but from Yu Ren Shu’s heavy and slightly nervous breathing next to him, he could guess the magnitude of the abyss beneath them. He shook his numb tongue and said vaguely, “Hanmen… Lunxi…”
Yu Ren Shu said in a deep voice, “They won’t die, don’t worry.”
Sisi flew beside him, shooting down the flying snakes trying to take advantage of the chaos one by one.
Jiang Chao Ge was in excruciating pain. The Fei Yi’s toxin had spread from his neck to his arms, waist, and legs. What was originally half paralysis was now spreading throughout his entire body. The toxin made him feel like he was experiencing a two-fold torture of fire and ice. Large patches of cold sweat had soaked through his clothes, and his vision became blurry. He could only feel his body going up and down with Tian Rong. If it weren’t for Yu Ren Shu pressing him down, he would have fallen off and died.
Yu Ren Shu shouted in his ear, “Jiang Chao Ge, hold on, we will be at the bottom of the cliff soon!”
Jiang Chao Ge felt dizzy, and the sound of the voice seemed to be coming from far away. He even started to hallucinate.
He didn’t know how long had passed, but the feeling of weightlessness disappeared. Jiang Chao Ge knew he had been laid flat on the ground.
Zhi Xuan was anxiously talking to him above his head, but Jiang Chao Ge could only see his mouth opening and closing without hearing anything. The snake toxin was robbing him of his senses. This beast was so powerful… would he end up like Meng Lao, dying with resentment? He hadn’t avenged Meng Lao yet.
Sisi had something in his hand and shoved it into Jiang Chao Ge’s mouth. He couldn’t chew, so Sisi held his jaw and forced him to chew and swallow. He was conscious, but just like a drunk person, he knew what he was doing but couldn’t make a normal response.
A sharp dagger pierced the wound in his shoulder, cutting away the poisoned skin. He couldn’t feel the pain, since the toxin caused much more severe pain. He stared at Zhi Xuan with wide eyes, only looking at him. He thought to himself, if this was the end, if he died, Zhi Xuan would be the last person he saw. Their bond would last a lifetime.
In this world, he had experienced so much suffering and trials. It was undoubtedly unfortunate for him, but the great fortune within this misfortune was that he had a group of companions who were willing to live and die together, and a partner whom he shared a telepathic connection with and mutually relied on. Even if he died now, he could close his eyes with contentment. After all, the excitement in his life over the past twenty or so years was no less than others’ dull lives for several lifetimes. He saw his vision becoming increasingly blurry, until he completely lost consciousness.
Half-aware, Jiang Chao Ge heard the sound of trickling water next to his ear. He couldn’t help but shiver, slowly opening his eyes.
The flickering firelight in the cave cast an enormous shadow of a hunched black giant, making Jiang Chao Ge jump in fright.
“Chao Ge? You’re awake!” Zhi Xuan exclaimed in surprise.
Everyone gathered around him, looking at him with worry.
Jiang Chao Ge weakly looked around at everyone, but didn’t see Qiansu and Yun Xi. He furrowed his eyebrows, murmuring in a muffled voice, “Where are they?”
Yu Ren Shu’s eyes dimmed. “We followed the river downstream along the bottom of the cliff and came across a waterfall. They might have been swept away. We’re currently beneath the waterfall and haven’t found them yet.” He pointed to his feet. “We only found Yun Xi’s bag with some detoxifying medicine, which temporarily saved your life.”
Jiang Chao Ge took a deep breath, feeling heavy and burdened from head to toe. Conning Qian Su and Yun Xi into joining him on this journey was his selfishness. If something happened to these two, it was all his responsibility. How could he forgive himself?
Long Xiang said, “Brother Jiang, don’t worry. It’s actually a good thing that we haven’t found them yet. Qiansu is powerful, and Yun Xi is clever. They won’t die, and they are probably waiting for us to find them.”
Sisi also chipped in, “Yes, they should also have a few spiritual weapons on them. Zhen Chen is also with them. Let’s rest for a while and continue to search downstream. We will definitely find them.”
Jiang Chao Ge nodded stiffly, although he was still numb all over his body, at least he could move his wrist and neck now.
After resting for a while, they set off.
Jiang Chao Ge leaned against Zhi Xuan’s arms, trying his best to grip Tian Rong’s fur but couldn’t exert any strength, making him feel restless.
Zhi Xuan grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers, whispering, “Don’t try, you can’t move right now. We need to find Yun Xi quickly.”
Jiang Chao Ge forced a bitter smile. “I guess I’m useless now.”
“Temporarily.” Zhi Xuan rubbed his head with his chin.
“During the day… if it weren’t for the timely arrival of the wild zhen niao birds, you would have lost some of your cultivation again.”
“If it can save you, it’s worth it.” Zhi Xuan calmly replied.
Jiang Chao Ge silently looked at the tired group of people. Yu Ren Shu and Long Xiang were both injured, even Sisi had a tired face. He thought about Qiansu and Yun Xi who were still missing… Jiang Chao Ge remembered how they had come this far, it was truly like walking on thin ice and risking their lives. If he could summon Zhi Xuan earlier, the situation would be completely different. He clenched his powerless fists and whispered, “Zhi Xuan, let’s form a bond.”
Zhi Xuan was taken aback. “What did you say?”
“Let’s form a bond, no matter how we do it.” Power, strong power, that was all he craved for – power.
Zhi Xuan was silent for a while before saying, “Okay.” After that, he kissed Jiang Chao Ge’s cheek and held his hand even tighter.
They walked downstream along the river all night but still couldn’t find any trace of Qiansu and Yun Xi. However, they found a fork in the river.
Long Xiang and Sisi searched the fork for a long time, but found nothing. Sisi sighed, “If they were still conscious, they would have left us something, just like how we left signals for each other along the way.”
Long Xiang stubbornly said, “It’s also possible that we’ve gone the wrong direction.”
Sisi nodded, “Wait here, I’ll go and find the way.” He flew into the sky on the zhen niao, circling a few times before landing. “As luck would have it, we’ve reached Mount Taihua. If we climb over it, we will see Xuan Yuan Hill.”
Jiang Chao Ge was excited. “So does that mean we’re very close to Xuan Yuan Hill?”
Sisi nodded.
“In that case…” Yu Ren Shu hesitated. “Should we go and find Qiansu and Yun Xi first or go to Xuan Yuan Hill?”
Sisi said, “We’ve followed the river all the way down and still haven’t found their trace. Either we’ve gone the wrong direction, or they’ve gone further. It’s meaningless to wander around here. It’s better to go directly to Xuan Yuan Hill, which has a clear destination.”
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of struggle. However, there was no better solution at the moment. Kunlun Mountain was so large that finding two people was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Although everyone believed they were still alive, they knew that hope was slim.
Jiang Chao Ge closed his eyes, struggled internally, and said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s go to Xuan Yuan Hill. If they’re alive, they’ll try to find a way to meet us there.”
They rushed day and night, taking only short breaks. Two days and one night later, they climbed over Taihua Peak without encountering any danger. However, a heavy atmosphere of exhaustion and oppression spread among them, making them feel more tired.
Jiang Chao Ge’s body had recovered slightly in the two days, but without a spiritual priest or medicine, he was like a semi-disabled person, unable to move and worsening over time. Zhi Xuan was anxious, but had no way to help. Jiang Chao Ge could only comfort Zhi Xuan constantly. In fact, he was more afraid of becoming a waste himself. He would rather die than live like this.
Sisi pointed to a nondescript mountain in the distance and said, “That’s Xuan Yuan Hill, and we’re less than a day’s journey away.”
Zhi Xuan stood up on Tian Rong and stared at the distance, his eyes flashing with indescribable emotions, as if he had instantly fallen into ancient memories spanning thousands of years and couldn’t break free.
Everyone was excited, hoping for a miracle to happenl.
Zhi Xuan sat down and he turned Jiang Chao Ge’s body around and said, “Chao Ge, look, that’s Xuan Yuan Hill.”
Jiang Chao Ge nodded, “It seems that you still remember.”
“I remember its shape. I’ve stood on the top of Xuan Yuan Hill countless times, roaring and watching birds and beasts flee in terror. It was so much fun,” Zhi Xuan laughed.
Jiang Chao Ge smiled faintly, “That’s something you would do.”
“I also used to drink and chat with Yin Chuan there. Sometimes, just staring into space, we could pass two full moons. The human world was very desolate then, not as rich as it is now,” Zhi Xuan sighed, “I really want to see it again.”
“If we get closer… If Yin Chuan is on Xuan Yuan Hill, I will definitely sense his presence.”
“What does Yin Chuan look like? What is his true form?”
“He’s all white, not like a beast, but like a heavenly god. Although, he pales in comparison to my grandeur,” Zhi Xuan laughed, gesturing to his eyebrows. “When he becomes human, even his eyebrows are white. He’s so ugly.”
Jiang Chao Ge looked at Xuan Yuan Hill in the distance, imagining the scene of ancient beasts of black and white standing side by side, thousands of years ago. It must have been a rare and wonderful sight. He felt a little jealous, after all, besides himself, the person that Zhi Xuan cared about most was Yin Chuan. He almost believed everything Yin Chuan said. They had a thousand years of friendship and were both ancient beasts. Thinking about this made Jiang Chao Ge feel a little uncomfortable.
Zhi Xuan hugged his waist and rubbed his warm cheeks against Jiang Chao Ge’s cold neck. “If you see Yin Chuan, don’t listen to him. Many people can’t help but listen to him. You belong to me. You can only listen to me.”
Jiang Chao Ge thought to himself, “I’ll listen to you, and then you’ll listen to Yin Chuan. What’s the difference?” But on the surface, he still agreed.
For some reason, the closer they got to Xuan Yuan Hill, the fewer the beasts that appeared. Eventually, they couldn’t even spot a single one.
While they felt relieved, they also felt a sense of unease. Poisonous fruits were never eaten by insects, and they were worried that they might be the stupid insects in this scenario.
When Xuan Yuan Hill was within sight, Zhi Xuan’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
“How is it? Can you still not sense Yin Chuan?” Jiang Chao Ge asked.
Zhi Xuan shook his head. “Something is interfering with me.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a beast. It stinks so badly that I can’t smell anything else.”
“Is there a large beast on Xuan Yuan Hill?” Sisi asked. “But it doesn’t seem like it. We haven’t even seen a common bird today, let alone a beast.”
Zhi Xuan said irritably, “It’s so smelly, damn animals, it stinks!”
“Don’t worry, maybe we’re still not close enough,” Jiang Chao Ge touched his hair. “We’ve already arrived at Xuan Yuan Hill. Let’s be patient and keep looking.”
Sisi said, “I’ve been to Xuan Yuan Hill twice, but only up to this point. I don’t recognize the rest of the way.”
“I do,” Zhi Xuan said. “At the moment of sunrise, five to seven in the morning, the first ray of sunlight shines on the east side, where there’s a cave that Yin Chuan used to live. It requires a mechanism to open it.” Zhi Xuan clenched his fist. “Before Yin Chuan died, he requested that Di Jiang bury him there.”
“Good. Let’s go there and wait for the sunrise.”
They went around to the east side of Xuan Yuan Hill, where the vegetation covered the entire mountain peak, making it impossible to see any caves. They found a suitable place to rest, and Sisi made a secret mark on the ground, hoping that Ruan Qiansu and Yun Xi would have a chance to see it.
After several days of traveling, no one had slept well. In this relatively safe area without any beasts, they had a good meal, set up their tents, and decided to get a good night’s sleep.
Jiang Chao Ge was still unable to walk due to his stiff body, and Zhi Xuan continued to hold him in his arms.
Jiang Chao Ge said self-deprecatingly, “If this goes on, my nerves will probably die.”
Zhi Xuan said, “I’ll take you out of the mountain to find a spirit priest. Even if your arms and legs are broken, they can still save you.”
“Okay.” Jiang Chao Ge leaned his head on Zhi Xuan’s shoulder. “Can you still smell that stench?”
Zhi Xuan nodded. “It stinks to high heaven.”
“Why did Di Jiang bury Yin Chuan here? Were they opponents?”
“Maybe Di Jiang respected Yin Chuan, as he has always had dealings with the heavenly gods, and he knew Di Jiang before the war of the beasts. But I dislike the heavenly gods and have never met one.”
“If Yin Chuan is buried here, then his spirit weapon should also be here.”
Zhi Xuan nodded. “Even if we find Yin Chuan’s spirit weapon, how can we take it away? I can only lift it when I’m in my true form.”
“Even if we can’t take it away, we need to make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. I think we can go find Ren Wang and ask him to take over Yin Chuan’s spirit weapon.”
Zhi Xuan snorted, but saw no other options, “Alright.”
“Ren Wang might know how to find Yin Chuan’s spirit weapon wielder. At least four ancient beasts have already awakened, and a great battle is inevitable. We need Ren Wang and we also need Yin Chuan.”
Zhi Xuan tightened his arms. “One day, I will bite to death anything that dares to hurt you, and then take you back to your world, drink with you, swim with you, and share with me an eternal life that will never die.”
Jiang Chao Ge smiled, “Alright.”
On the eve of dawn, everyone woke up and waited quietly for sunrise. When the first ray of light broke through the earth, everyone held their breath and watched as the sunlight appeared on Xuan Yuan Hill. Zhi Xuan took a step forward and began to feel around where the sunlight shone. After a while, they heard a loud rumble, and the vegetation-covered mountain split open, revealing a crack. The crack grew larger and a hidden door appeared, which slowly opened. However, in the end, the door got stuck due to its age, and only a thin gap that could accommodate one person remained.
Zhi Xuan touched the door gap with his slender fingers slightly trembling with distant memories that flooded back, making him feel a little dazed.
Yu Ren Shu excitedly exclaimed, “Is this Yin Chuan’s former residence?”
Everyone was extremely excited, especially Jiang Chao Ge and Yu Ren Shu. They had fled from Tianao City to the north and then traveled all the way to the west, finally arriving in Kunlun Mountains after months of hardship, pain, killing, and they had finally arrived at their destination!
Jiang Chao Ge looked at the narrow door gap, feeling a tension building up inside of him. This was their hope.
Sisi left a mark at the entrance of the cave before taking a step back and staring silently.
Long Xiang asked, “What’s the matter?”
Sisi furrowed his brow, “My task was to bring you to Xuan Yuan Hill, and now it’s done. I’m hesitating whether to go in with you.”
Jiang Chao Ge said, “If you don’t want to go in, you can take whatever you want and return to your village now.”
Sisi tilted his head and thought for a while. “You guys are really unlucky, always encountering terrible things. There might be even more terrifying things inside…”
The others couldn’t argue with him. They had been fighting all the way, even losing Ruan Qiansu and Yun Xi.
“But…it’s really exciting to be with you guys,” Sisi laughed, “since we’re already here, we might as well go in and take a look.” With that, he flashed into the door and waved his arm, “Hurry up and come in.”
Yu Ren Shu shook his head helplessly, and walked in sideways. The others followed suit.
The cave was damp, cold, and pitch-black, emanating a long in-closed odor, making it difficult to breathe.
They lit torches, and the flickering light shone and extinguished several times, but finally, it did not go out. The entrance of the cave was narrow, but the inside was incredibly vast, and it was hard to imagine. It made sense to think about the size of Zhi Xuan, Yin Chuan, and other beasts. It would be too cramped for them to move around even in their own homes.
Zhi Xuan looked around and his golden eyes shimmered, clearly lost in thought.
“This place is really big, does Yin Chuan usually move around here?”
Zhi Xuan shook his head. “This is only a small part. There are more places inside. Yin Chuan’s home is still far away for human feet to travel.”
“Fortunately, we’re not traveling on human feet,” Zui Yu jumped around in the cavern, and the open space was advantageous to their movements.
“Yeah, we are-” Suddenly, Yu Ren Shu shouted, “Zui Yu, be careful–“
Just then, Zui You had jumped onto a whitish stone not far away. The stone sank slightly, and the sound of rotating gears, although faint, could not be ignored in the quiet cavern. The next moment, three rows of sharpened bamboo spears shot out from the wall, aimed straight at Zui Yu.
