Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Sun Zifu’s handsome face was currently pale and sweaty. If he could buy medicine for regret, he would be willing to empty out all his wealth, even if that meant he couldn’t play his double up game in the future. His heart was already pious and aimed towards the heavens, praying to every god and Buddha he could think of. However, this was clearly useless. Behind him he could hear the loud rumbling approaching, the sounds that signaled the end of his life!

But I don’t want to die here…!

As someone who had experienced the higher end of life, he had enjoyed wealth, power, luxuries, and infinite entertainments. When it came to his instinctual desire for life, it was far greater.

For Young Master Sun who had a gold spoon in his mouth from the moment he was born, he was far from coming to terms with his own mortality.

Mm, he was very, very far.

Whoosh –

Whoosh –

There was the sharp sound of tearing air behind him. Sun Zifu suddenly screamed inside, ‘It’s here again!’ Without a care for his image, he rolled to the side and crushed a blue jade slip without hesitation.

A great wind rose up, wrapping around his body and increasing his speed to another level. And just where Sun Zifu had been, the ground burst open and countless tree roots roared out, flailing through the air like countless hands.

After surviving this brush with death, Sun Zifu wasn’t happy at all. Rather, there was even more despair in his eyes.

This was because he had used up the Imperial Wind Jade Slip in his hands. The next time this monster attacked, he would lose his life.

What to do? What could he do?

Don’t panic, I cannot panic. Father said that in all great events I must maintain my composure. Only by remaining as calm as ice can I find that slim hope of survival in the midst of peril…

Sun Zifu’s lips trembled and tears soon began to flow down his cheeks.

I can’t control myself!!

Goodbye, my father.

Goodbye, my mother.

Goodbye, Wenwen, Xiuxiu, Qingqing, Cui Cao…

As his eyes were blurry with tears, Sun Zifu saw a fuzzy figure in front of him. It seemed to hear the commotion and look towards his direction.

After a moment of stunned silence, he grabbed onto this final straw of hope. Sun Zifu screamed out, “Please don’t leave! Save me!”

Qin Yu was startled. He looked at the incomparably pitiful and miserable-looking Young Master Sun who right now had snot and tears rolling down his face. He almost couldn’t recognize this young playboy born to a noble family of the Demonic Path. However, it was just a brief moment of surprise. They had only seen each other several times and it was one-sided. Young Master Sun here had no idea who he was.

In any case, Qin Yu had no good impression of this Young Master Sun. So, he turned without hesitation and left, pretending as if he didn’t hear the cries for help.

Sun Zifu was stunned. He never thought that his piteous cries for help would be rejected in such a cold and callous manner. Didn’t this person have even the tiniest ounce of compassion? This attitude was far too disappointing! But now was not the time to be scared. He knew that if he couldn’t obtain help, he would soon die.

Clenching his teeth, Young Master Sun’s eyes shined with an ominous light. Since you don’t want to be benevolent, don’t blame me either.

Whoosh –

He changed direction. After locking onto Qin Yu’s departing back, he wildly chased after him.

Qin Yu frowned. He soon discovered Sun Zifu’s sinister thoughts and almost laughed out loud from anger.

You want to drag me beneath the water with you? Do you have the skills? If you provoke me, I can just turn around and slap you to death.

But after thinking for a moment, Qin Yu decided to keep his head down and continue forward. He didn’t know what method Sun Zifu used to accelerate to this speed, but he was certain that he couldn’t maintain it for much longer.

Once he slowed down, things would naturally come to an end.

Of course, an even more important reason was that Qin Yu instinctually didn’t want to entangle himself with these tree monsters. He always felt that there was something extremely odd with their appearance.

The chase continued. Soon, Young Master Sun discovered that he couldn’t close the distance at all, much less catch up to this person. He suddenly began to panic.

Are you from a family of runners? How can you run so fast!?

The strength of the Imperial Wind Jade Slip was about to be exhausted soon; he couldn’t just sit here and wait for his death to come. Since the stick didn’t work, he could only try the carrot.

“I am Sun Zifu, a direct descendant of the Sun Family, one of the four great Demonic Path noble families of Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li! Fellow daoist up ahead, as long as you can lend me your aid, the Sun Family will surely thank you!”

The fellow daoist up front: …

Seeing the person continue running without slowing down, Sun Zifu was startled for a moment before he became thoroughly panicked. Although he couldn’t clearly see this person up ahead, his figure seemed unfamiliar. If so, then it was likely that he wasn’t someone who resided in the same circles as him.

So, it was unlikely that he was using expensive treasures like the Imperial Wind Jade Slip to increase his speed. From this, he could deduce that this person up ahead must be extremely strong, otherwise there was no way he could erupt with such speed.

Young Master Sun had already regarded this person as his final hope. When he discovered that the final trump card that was his status was completely useless to this other person, how could anyone not be frightened? From despair he was given hope, and then this hope devolved into despair once more. Unless one personally experienced this wild ride of emotions, it was impossible to imagine it.

“Don’t leave! Don’t leave! I can give you many benefits! Demonic Path cultivation laws, supernatural arts, wealth, beautiful women…as long as you save me, I can give it all to you!”

The fellow daoist up front didn’t even spare him a backwards glance.

Sun Zifu could feel the power of the wind wrapping around him slowly weakening. The blood drained from his face. This was a sign that the strength of the Imperial Wind Jade Slip would soon be exhausted. With a trembling hand he took out a jade bottle. Because of the fear that overrode his senses, his voice was sharp and grating. “I have the blood of a commander level demon beast…”

He suddenly staggered. It was unknown what he tripped on, but Young Master Sun crashed into the ground, his nose drawing a rough line in the dirt. At this moment, even though a bitter and aching pain tore into his mind, Young Master Sun only had a single thought reverberating in his head. This time, he really was done for.

Because he was lying prone on the ground, he could hear the sharp and subtle sounds coming up from deep below, rapidly approaching him. Those terrifying tree roots would soon arrive and tie him down. Then, they would drill into his body and he would become like all those withered corpses he had seen before.

Fear rushed across him like a tide. Sun Zifu could barely breathe. His heartbeat was like thunder in his ears and his field of vision flashed black.

Bang –

The ground wildly trembled. It was like a mountain plummeted into the ground, arousing a terrifying earthquake.

The shaking strength drilled deep into the earth, momentarily blocking those rapidly approaching tree roots.

Then, Sun Zifu felt himself being lifted up and thrown far away.

Clouds surrounded him and the wind was so violent that he couldn’t open his eyes. Before he could adjust himself, there was a loud bang as he crashed into something. There was a heavy impact against his chest and pain swelled forth. His weak and fear-ridden body was already pushed to the point of exhaustion. After the impact he wriggled around a little, but then his head plopped down and he fainted.

Rah –

An enraged roar transmitted from the distance. A massive tree monster with six giant feet made of roots came rumbling forward, a corpse held up before it.

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. He didn’t retreat at all. When he landed on the ground, he threw himself at the tree monster on his own initiative.

Shua –

A brilliant silver light flashed and a pained howl sounded out in response. Qin Yu lifted his right hand and on his ordinary yet not ordinary index finger, lines began to quickly emerge on its surface.

…

Sun Zifu was experiencing a deep and morbid nightmare. In it, he was being chased and hunted down. He ran and ran, but in the end he was thrust into a hopeless situation. In that nightmare, the tree monster wrapped its terrifying roots around him. At this moment Young Master Sun pitifully screamed out and woke up. His hands recklessly waved about, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

But after waiting a moment, the pain he imagined hadn’t arrived. Sun Zifu saw a figure in the shadows staring at him with strange eyes. Then, he saw where he was.

Pitch black and moist, this cave couldn’t even be compared to a pigsty. But right now, to Young Master Sun, it was simply heaven.

This proved that he was still alive! That he had only been dreaming just now!

I’m still alive…still alive…Sun Zifu suddenly realized what it meant to cry from happiness. His eyes flushed red and he crawled up to his feet and respectfully bowed to Qin Yu. Without any small talk, a large number of jade bottles appeared in front of him.

“Thank you for rescuing me, fellow daoist. All of the demon blood I gathered is here. Please accept it.”

This fellow was actually quite smart.

Qin Yu sensed for a moment. He flicked his sleeves and took three jade bottles, not caring for the rest. “I just need these.”

He stood up and walked away.

The transaction had been completed. He didn’t believe he had any reason to stay behind.

Sun Zifu panicked. He never expected this person to be so direct and quick with his actions.

He hurriedly said, “Fellow daoist, please hold on!”

Qin Yu rubbed a jade bottle in his hand, feeling the demonic energy rushing through it. He turned around, a bit annoyed, and asked, “Young Master Sun, is there anything else?”

At this moment, his face was revealed in the flickering campfire.

Sun Zifu’s eyes widened. “It’s you!”

His first thought was: I can’t believe I was so unlucky to really be contaminated by your misfortune!

But as he thought about his current state, the anger that just appeared on his face was rapidly suppressed. He squeezed out a smile and said, “So it was fellow daoist Yao Bin. As they say, fated friends meet everywhere…”

If there was no other choice, who the hell would want to be here with you!

Qin Yu was expressionless. “Young Master Sun, if there is some matter then please speak it. Otherwise, I will bid my farewells here.”

“No!” Sun Zifu cried out, his voice anxious. “Fellow daoist Yao might not know, but there has been a great change within this small world. Not only have terrifying tree monsters started attacking everyone, but the demon beasts seem to have gone insane. And, the most terrifying thing is that the soulguard stones no longer work!”

Qin Yu’s complexion changed.

Sun Zifu took out a soulguard stone from his chest and crushed it. Afterwards, a black light wrapped around him. But soon after, this light shattered and faded away while he remained where he was. He originally kept this stone because he wanted it to serve as a wishful dream that he could still leave. But when he saw that it really didn’t work, his originally ruddy complexion paled. He said with a bitter expression. “Does fellow daoist Yao understand now?”

Qin Yu didn’t hesitate. He took out his own soulguard stone and crushed it.

Just like Sun Zifu, he stayed in this small world.

Qin Yu’s face rapidly darkened. His thoughts began to race. The Demonic Path placed a high value on the cultivators who entered this small world; this could be seen from the soulguard stones they provided.

But now, this life-maintaining method no longer worked. There had to be some great events occurring, and these were definitely earth-shaking events!

Qin Yu took a deep breath and suppressed his tumbling state of mind. “Thank you for informing me, fellow daoist Sun. I will be leaving first.” The small world was much more terrifying right now than it had been moments before. He didn’t want to waste time here.

Sun Zifu was dumbfounded. Did this fellow really need to be so callous and indifferent? Shouldn’t he be the one getting angry? You bastard, I just gave you a vital piece of information!

“Hold on!”

Facing Qin Yu’s impatient eyes, he braced himself and said with difficulty, “Fellow daoist Yao Bin, let me hire you for a high price. Become my bodyguard in this small world!”