Chapter 150, part 3. …don’t even think of leaving me behind!

Proofread by Snake

Changming supported Yun Weisi, but Immortal Luomei did not fall behind either.

The demonic qi swirled around, turning into a black owl so large that it blotted out the sky before swooping down at them!

All their barriers and defenses were rendered useless against the force. The Sifei Sword was overpowered by the demonic qi and had no time to respond to anything else. He could only grab Yun Weisi and avoid the sharp blade, pathetically hiding from the attack.

The deadly whirlpool kept shrinking bit by bit, and the bird puppet that had breached a corner of the barrier had long since been torn into shreds by the demonic qi.

After being exposed, Luomei had no intention of letting them leave this place alive.

If they looked up into the sky, they would have seen that it had been engulfed by the demonic qi that rose endlessly like waves and soared like clouds.

The sand that had covered the sky had been replaced by the demonic qi at some point, and the world around them was now permeated with a demonic aura. The broken formation seemed to have repaired itself, but Chi Bijiang was no longer in sight and Jiufang Changming could not determine the position of the eye of the changed formation.

The giant owl was aiming for them, but suddenly, a flow of overwhelming spiritual power reached it from the side!

That was Ren Yousu.

He was using a long spear instead of a sword.

Jiufang Changming seized the moment and coordinated his attack with Ren Yousu’s.

“I know!” Chi Bijiang’s clear voice reached them, “Eight pillars, eight dragon bones—first, we must crush them!”

As soon as she said this, Yun Weisi rushed towards the Zhen Building.

The eight dragon bones that served as the pillars of the formation were placed in the eight buildings where they lived.

Almost at the same time, two other people leaped towards the Qian and the Kun Buildings.

They were Yao Wangnian and the master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Ouyang.

Fu Dongyuan followed them closely together with Ren Yousu’s son, Ren Haishan.

Li Muxing felt that her skills were lacking, but since they still had a sliver of hope, it was better to take the initiative and try than to await her doom. She gritted her teeth and ran towards the Kan Building.

Her clothes fluttered behind her back. As she turned to look back, Li Muxing saw several cultivators who had decided to move with her.

Before Immortal Luomei showed his colors, no one had dared take sides easily. However, now, having seen a demon and people fighting against it, they clearly knew whose side to take.

In this moment of mortal danger, even the fact that the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had colluded with demons was not all that shocking to everyone.

The eight buildings and the stones underneath them shattered. The earth shook as violently as if a mountain nearby had crumbled, and the people here could barely find their footing. The demonic qi washed over them, and many cultivators could not withstand the attack and moaned in pain as their meridians cracked and their blood started oozing from their eyes.

“Daoyou Jiufang, Luomei has become one with the formation. Check where his demonic aura is the weakest and attack in that direction with all your might!”

Chi Bijiang had almost been overpowered by the erosion of the demonic qi, but Jiang Li had rushed towards her and used his own body as a shield. Her voice now sounded almost as if she was sobbing.

Jiufang Changming looked at Luomei. The latter had been tightly enveloped in demonic aura, and no weaknesses could be spotted easily.

But there was one.

One of his eyes was full of dense fog, but the other was red and slightly swollen, almost bleeding.

“Sword, come!”

This opportunity was hard to come by. Jiufang Changming summoned his sword with an incantation and merged with the blade!

Not even half a moment had passed between the moment when he thought of his sword and the transformation. As if he felt this, Yun Weisi turned his head abruptly, but all he saw was a blindingly bright sword that lunged itself towards Luomei like an arrow!

His heart skipped a beat and he followed Jiufang Changming without a second thought.

Neither to the sky, neither to the ground, don’t even think of leaving me behind!

“Aaah!!!”

A shrill cry almost pierced Chi Bijiang’s ears. She could not bear it any longer, staggered and collapsed.

Jiang Li, who had embraced her tightly, fell to the ground too. They tried to huddle up to avoid the broken stones that were constantly falling. Their spiritual powers were in chaos, and the entire place was shaking. Some things kept cutting through their clothes and skin, but Chi Bijiang only tried to cover Jiang Li, completely disregarding the fact that her own back had been mutilated.

She was ready for this day to be her last one—she was even ready to die here together. After all, Luomei was really impressive, so strong that even after she had pointed out the weakness of his formation, nothing had really changed. And surely, she did not expect Jiufang Changming to manage to stop their enemy. However, quite some time passed, there were fewer stones flying around, and nothing else seemed to move.

Chi Bijiang raised her head slowly.

The sandstorm had ceased, and the demonic aura had almost scattered away. The gloomy clouds above their heads were gone, revealing a clear sky.

Almost the entire Zhengrong Mountain Villa had been razed to the ground. Everything was in chaotic ruins, and whatever structure that had not collapsed, had still toppled over. Dead and wounded people were all over the place. These people were cultivators, individuals who had transcended a mundane existence, yet in front of a being like Luomei, they were like hopeless children with no means of defending themselves.

The most dumbfounded ones were the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.

Their clan master had suddenly changed, and what was good and evil in their eyes had exchanged positions. Clan master Jiang and Yao Wangnian, who had been condemned as traitors by Luomei, had turned out to be victims of slander.

The main culprit was now standing on his knee with his head slightly hung down. Blood dripped down from his eyes to the ground, where it solidified.

“Luomei?”

Ouyang came closer with a stern expression, testing the waters.

Ren Yousu was faster. The master of the Kunlun Sword Clan just thrust his spear forward. Surprisingly, as soon as he touched Luomei’s perfectly intact body, it swiftly discolored and collapsed like a sand pagoda. A light breeze blew away the sand, leaving not a trace behind.

“Is he really dead?” Ren Yousu was astonished. He hurriedly pulled back his hand and turned back to look at his friend.

Ouyang nodded. “He is.”

Ren Yousu gasped and staggered. Were it not for his spear that was planted firmly into the ground, he would have fallen down.

“What about daoyou Sun?!” Li Muxing inquired loudly, as she fumbled her way forward.

“His surname was never Sun.” Fu Dongyuan came forward, taking large steps, “His name is Jiufang Changming.”

That man had clearly been hiding something since he fought against that man while pretending to be Sun Wuxia. Now, after seeing his battle against Luomei, Fu Dongyuan knew for sure that not only was the man hiding his true abilities, but he had even used Fu Dongyuan as a stepping stone in his plans!

At first, he wanted to settle the score and after the dust settled, he would make an arrangement for another battle with the man. He did not want his opponent to hold back or to give him a pretentious lesson. All he wanted was a genuine and honest exchange of experience. Yet Luomei had suddenly died and that man was nowhere to be seen?!

Right, what about daoyou Jiufang and daoyou Yun?

Chi Bijiang looked around in confusion, trying to scout out their figures. But, even after searching for a long time, she was unable to single them out from the sea of people.

In a corner that escaped everyone’s attention, Yao Wangnian struggled to get up to his feet and walked away from the crowd unsteadily.

The skies were high above and the clouds in it were boundless, but there was no place for a ghost cultivator to call home.

“Did you see that? You’re free now. You don’t have to be his puppet, you won’t be shackled by your teacher’s fake kindness.”

Chi Bijiang lowered her head. Her tears fell down on Jiang Li’s face, which was so thoroughly covered in stains and dirt that it was almost impossible to see his original appearance.

She received no answer. She rested her head against his neck while sobbing. His skin, that used to be warm, was now almost cold.

As she was crying for him so bitterly, Chi Bijiang did not see his finger twitch slightly.

Changming also wanted to know where he and Yun Weisi were.

A moment ago, everything had been submerged into a murky mass as the sun and the moon switched positions. The moment he pierced Luomei’s eye, he lost control over his own body and could only allow the violent storm sweep him away. He spun in the air powerlessly until a hand grabbed his arm. Even if the sky crumbled or the ground cracked, Yun Weisi would not let go.

Even in this chaotic state he could guess who the owner of this hand was. He subconsciously struggled to grip it too, clasping their fingers together.

He vaguely heard loud voices. It seemed that they were close to a place where someone lived.

Changming frowned and opened his eyes slowly.

Yun Weisi had come to his senses earlier than him and was looking at Changming. Seeing that the latter opened his eyes as well, Yun Weisi did not hide a sigh of relief.

They had survived once again?

“Where are we?”

“Outside the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.”

Jiufang Changming froze: “Why are we here?”

Yun Weisi shook his head. His mind was full of thoughts of Changming and he did not care enough to look around.

Jiufang Changming closed his eyes to check his condition and realized that apart from small external wounds, strangely, he had not suffered any serious injury.

“Who is this!”

“Who came!”

They heard the steps of a large crowd reaching them, and soon, the two men were surrounded by disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.

They had no intention of hiding anyway. Two people sitting right in front of the gates to a sect would be discovered in no time.

Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi looked at each other. The latter asked: “May I ask which emperor is currently in power in the secular world?”

The disciples who were guarding the gates looked at each other at a loss before finally answering: “It seems the daoyous are hermits. May I ask your names? Did you come to participate in our dashixiong’s wedding reception? Nowadays, the world is divided between three major forces: the You Country, the Luo Country, and the Zhaoyue Dynasty.”

Someone noticed that their clothes were torn and their hair was disheveled and could not help asking: “I bet these two either came here to beg for food or belong to some questionable sect. Don’t cause trouble here and come with us first!”

He reached out to grab Jiufang Changming even before he finished talking.

Obviously, Yun Weisi would not allow him to touch even the sleeves of his shizun’s robes. He waved his hand lightly, and the disciple stumbled down with a gasp.

The disciples were angered by his actions and reached out for their swords, ready to attack!

“What is happening?”

Suddenly, three people approached them. The voice of the person who spoke loud enough to reach them from afar. “The guests came from afar, how can you be so rude?”

One of the three spoke: “I was so excited today after the hexagram divination that promised the arrival of an esteemed guest. Unfortunately, although many people came and left, no one really stood out. Seeing how I’m about to run out of my mighty luck at your clan, Clan Master Fu, you must take responsibility!”

Hearing the voice, the disciples bowed down.

“Greetings to Clan Master!”

“There is no need for that.” Fu Dongyuan waved his hand dismissively, answering to his companion, “What does your divination have to do with me?”

Yet the eyes of his obviously astonished companion were riveted on Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi, as if he had seen a miracle.

Fu Dongyuan could not help looking at them too.

And as soon as he saw them, he froze!

After coming back to his senses, he grabbed Jiufang Changming’s sleeve immediately, acting even more impolitely than that disciple of his sect:

“Jiufang Changming, it’s time for you to pay me back with that battle that you owe me!”

~The End~

Snake: 

I started helping out with this project back in 2021, and I can’t believe we’re finally at the end of the main story! Time really flies. ^^;; I’m really thankful to Jinyu for translating Estranged and getting me so invested in it, haha. A thank you to everyone who’s been patiently following the translations all this time too!

Jinyu:

Regarding the formal part.

Firstly, we also have 3 (5) extras. I certainly don’t mind translating the ones about XJX and ZKY, but I’m not sure about the rest.

Secondly, Sun Leaves has graciously provided an (almost) spoiler-free character list, thanks a lot~

Thirdly, as for the next novel, I won’t start until I’m sure I love the novel I have my eyes on.

If you have other questions, feel free to ask anything!

Now, to the less formal part.

Three years, and now the translation is over… I’ve forgotten what life without these deadlines is ;;

I would really like to thank Snake, the proofreader of my dreams and a wonderful person overall, and all the other amazing people who helped with this translation, especially Lucia. Also, I’m extremely grateful to my rl friends, P. and SH, who were physically forced to help me yet still supported me; also, thanks to my little sis who motivated me and I actually love her more than I let on (she’ll never see this anyway).

And, of course, I wouldn’t have finished this translation if it wasn’t for all the readers who have left comments and encouraged me to never give up  Seriously, if no one read this novel, I wouldn’t have bothered and left after like c70.

Anyway, this novel has its strong sides and its weak points, but I don’t regret sticking to the end. I hope you’ve enjoyed this story too!

P.S., After almost a year, I finally found a physical copy of Shenshang in Beijing: