Nightfall

Long Qing awoke and was greeted by a thick fog, rotten leaves carpeting the ground and endless pain in his entire body .

He could not find any reasonable answer for surviving a fall from the cliffs . Perhaps the trees above the mist had cus.h.i.+oned his fall, or maybe the thick yet soft carpet of rotten leaves and mud beneath him .

Long Qing felt that his survival was because of the will of Haotian, just like what he had said in his conversation with the uncle in the Zhishou Abbey . If he was really the legendary person in the prophecy who carried the will of Haotian, Haotian would not allow him to die so easily .

He had not died, and this fact gave him confidence, but at the same time it brought loss and fear . He did not know what to do with his life now .

Long Qing had broken many bones despite the softness of the mud and rotten leaves . However, what truly pained him was not his physical injuries, but the two powerful auras in his body that were in constant conflict .

The Halfman Taoist"s aura in the Tianqi state was set free from its mental restraint when he fell unconscious . It roared and burst out from the senses in various parts of his body . It took the form of several sharp, steel knives and sc.r.a.ped on his flesh and bones, attempting to shake his Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi into rubble .

The aura from the Heavenly Power Pill was constantly repairing the cracks in his bones and tears in his muscles . They invigorated his vitality and repaired his Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi from the rubble according to the last remaining shadow .

This process of continuous destruction and restoration was extremely painful .

It didn"t hurt when he was in a coma, but after he regained consciousness, he felt the pain everywhere . Long Qing"s face paled and a miserable groan emerged from his blood-soaked teeth, echoing into the quiet valley .

Long Qing almost fainted again shortly afterwards due to the immense pain . However, he knew how important it was to stay awake right now . If he remained unconscious in the poisonous and dangerous forest, he would not stay alive for too long . He would be abandoned at that time, no matter how benevolent Haotian was .

With a howl of pain again, he slammed into a rock beside him, breaking a rib . The fresh pain overwhelmed the other pain he felt . Just before he fell into unconsciousness, he fought for a moment of clarity . He regained his wits, sat in a lotus position and began to meditate and heal himself .

Time pa.s.sed slowly .

Long Qing"s face was pale . The blood on his taoist robe had long congealed . He sat in the rotten leaves and did not move . His chest did not rise or fall, as if he were not breathing . He looked like a corpse that had been dead for quite some time . Meanwhile, the two auras within his body were still fighting .

The power of the Heavenly Power Pill and the Tianqi state aura of the Halfman Taoist cleared out the original aura in his body . He became an empty bucket for the poisonous air around him to enter, changing every particle of his body .

Even after what felt like a long time, the light in the dense forest beneath the valley was still as dim as it would be at twilight . Long Qing"s body trembled slightly and he spat out a mouthful of blood .

What was incredulous was that the blood was black!

It might be due to the poisonous mist in the area, or some other reason . The black blood looked like ink or dirty water in the mud .

Several days earlier, a black peach blossom had grown on the boat on the southern sea . Long Qing had plucked the black peach blossom and put it on his chest . He had not taken it off after that .

The black peach blossom on his chest was tinged with blood as he fled the cliff and Zhishou Abbey . It was tinged black and red, making it look horrifyingly gorgeous . It was painted over with black blood again and now it glistened . Then, the light faded as quickly as it came, leaving behind a pure black, the color of cold darkness .

Sitting amongst the rotten leaves, Long Qing seemed to have become a black peach blossom himself . His body temperature was frigid and the cold spread to the air surrounding him . He seemed to become a part of the mist and the rotten leaves .

A spotted, poisonous snake wandered amongst the leaves . It circled Long Qing, but did not seem to sense anything strange before leaving .

A mountain monkey with a ghostly face also appeared . It chattered in the forest as it dangled back and forth . It squatted beside Long Qing and scratched its head, behaving cheekily . It called for its mates and then left, bored .

Withered leaves fell .

With a gust of wind, the withered leaves flew again .

Long Qing remained seated, not knowing anything, not sensing anything . He had blended into the surroundings .

Not even the sharp perceptive senses of a cultivator would be able to separate him from the nature around him .

This was the most obvious sign that Long Qing had entered the Knowing destiny State .

He remained like this for quite some time .

Eventually, Long Qing opened his eyes and regained consciousness .

His eyes no longer held gratefulness for having survived, and there was no sense of uncertainty about the future, no pain, but calm and indifference . He felt at peace with himself and the world .

He stood up .

The black peach blossom on his chest grew darker, as if it was about to drip with darkness .

Then, a peach blossom formed by pure aura bloomed behind Long Qing .

It was his peach blossoms in the year of his birth .

It was also black .

Just in the moment of the blooming of this black peach blossom, the mist in the dense forest was shrouded in an atmosphere of silence .

The colorful snake that was resting under rotten leaves stiffened and suddenly died . The monkey with a ghostly face screamed in horror and fled further away .

In the pursuit of the army of South Jin Kingdom, especially with the joining in of the Divine Hall"s Judicial Department, only a dozen or so remained from those who fled . Only five of the cavalry commanders were still alive .

These people who were once honored in the West-Hill Divine Palace had now become sinners . They fled like dogs, living in the forests at the peripheries of the West-Hill Divine Kingdom .

Someone died almost every day and several were abandoned because of their severe injuries . They did not know how long the exile would last . But what made them desperate was that they did not know what was waiting for them in the end . Even if it was only hopelessness, they at least wanted to know where the end was .

They were sinners from the West-Hill Divine Palace . In Haotian"s world, no other country dared to take them in . Only the Tang Empire had the power to, but the Empire would only be willing to chop their heads off .

What would the end of their exile be?

How will they die?

Zi Mo was very thin and tired . There was only numbness in his eyes .

He looked at the wilderness at the foot of the mountain in the twilight . He looked at the land that belonged to the Kingdom of Song . He knew that the Taoist temples there had received their paintings . They would not be able to hide in the civilian world .

He thought about how the beginning of their journey and how he had made a wish to the dark skies silently . He was pained when he murmured, "I will give my life and spirit to Yama for as long as I live . I will not be afraid of the world"s end . But . . . how arrogant I was . Would Yama care about you and me? Even if you wanted to sacrifice, could you get close enough to such a mighty existence?"

"A guide is required for mortals who wish to approach greatness, and it is a long process . "

A cold voice suddenly rang on the edge of the cliff .

Zi Mo"s expression changed . Ten other fugitives behind him held up the weapons in their hands and looked at the edge of the cliff alertly, ready to attack .

A young man stood on the edge of the cliff, looking in the direction of the setting sun .

He wore a black taoist robe and blocked the setting sun, so the figure looked extremely dark . The cool autumn wind from the wilderness crept along the cliff, flipping up the edges of his robe, which let rays of light pa.s.s through from time to time .

The fugitives had all lived in the West-Hill Divine Palace for a long time . They looked at the man on the edge of the cliff and felt as if they were hallucinating . They seemed to be looking at the shadow of Haotian .

Or the shadow of Yama .

After fleeing for days, their nerves were strained to the point where they were about to break . The camping site they had chosen was secluded . However, they did not expect to be discovered by the man who approached them quietly .

To them, someone who could creep up on them silently would definitely be very powerful . He could only be a powerhouse from the West-Hill Divine Palace, if not a master of Haotian Taoism in the Kingdom of Song .

The fugitives had their power taken and could not hope to beat this powerhouse in Haotian Taoism . They were engulfed by hopelessness when they heard the voice .

Despite their despair, they forced themselves to fight . Since they were going to die anyway, then this might be their last battle . They would die valiantly .

However, no one moved .

Because the young man in the black taoist robe standing on the edge of the cliff gave people the feeling that he was unchallengeable .

Also, Zi Mo had suddenly knelt behind the young man, crying bitterly .

Following that, more people recognized the young man, especially the four previous commanders of the cavalryman of Divine Hall . They ran towards the edge of the cliff, shaking, and knelt behind Zi Mo . They cried loudly to the young man"s back like lost sheep who have found their owner .

Commander Zimo looked at the man"s back tearfully . He said in a trembling voice, "My Priest . . . Everyone said that you had died . But you"re alive . . . That"s great . "

A commander with a broken arm cried loudly, "My lord . . . My lord . . . I knew that you would not abandon us . You"re finally back!"

Long Qing turned around and looked at his former subordinates . He said, "Will you follow me again?"

The cries on the edge of the cliff halted and everyone kowtowed .

Zi Mo raised his head and looked at the scars on Long Qing"s face . Then, he looked at the black peach blossom on Long Qing"s chest . He thought of the rumors and discovered to his shock that not only had the Priest not died, his cultivation state had grown far better than the original!

Then, a gust of cold aura entered the hearts of Zi Mo and the others .

It came from Long Qing .

And from his words .

"I have indeed died, but I do not know if I saw Haotian or Yama when I died . There was a light after I died, and I thought about many things . However, I only understood when I heard what you said, Zi Mo . Perhaps I am not the son of Heaven"s orders . "

Long Qing looked at the skies and said thoughtfully, "Perhaps . . . I am son of Yama?"

Long Qing awoke and was greeted by a thick fog, rotten leaves carpeting the ground and endless pain in his entire body . He could not find any reasonable answer for surviving a fall from the cliffs . Perhaps the trees above the mist had cus.h.i.+oned his fall, or maybe the thick yet soft carpet of rotten leaves and mud beneath him . Long Qing felt that his survival was because of the will of Haotian, just like what he had said in his conversation with the uncle in the Zhishou Abbey . If he was really the legendary person in the prophecy who carried the will of Haotian, Haotian would not allow him to die so easily . He had not died, and this fact gave him confidence, but at the same time it brought loss and fear . He did not know what to do with his life now . Long Qing had broken many bones despite the softness of the mud and rotten leaves . However, what truly pained him was not his physical injuries, but the two powerful auras in his body that were in constant conflict . The Halfman Taoist 39 s aura in the Tianqi state was set free from its mental restraint when he fell unconscious . It roared and burst out from the senses in various parts of his body . It took the form of several sharp, steel knives and sc.r.a.ped on his flesh and bones, attempting to shake his Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi into rubble . The aura from the Heavenly Power Pill was constantly repairing the cracks in his bones and tears in his muscles . They invigorated his vitality and repaired his Snow Mountain and Ocean of Qi from the rubble according to the last remaining shadow . This process of continuous destruction and restoration was extremely painful . It didn 39 t hurt when he was in a coma, but after he regained consciousness, he felt the pain everywhere . Long Qing 39 s face paled and a miserable groan emerged from his blood soaked teeth, echoing into the quiet valley . Long Qing almost fainted again shortly afterwards due to the immense pain . However, he knew how important it was to stay awake right now . If he remained unconscious in the poisonous and dangerous forest, he would not stay alive for too long . He would be abandoned at that time, no matter how benevolent Haotian was . With a howl of pain again, he slammed into a rock beside him, breaking a rib . The fresh pain overwhelmed the other pain he felt . Just before he fell into unconsciousness, he fought for a moment of clarity . He regained his wits, sat in a lotus position and began to meditate and heal himself . Time pa.s.sed slowly . Long Qing 39 s face was pale . The blood on his taoist robe had long congealed . He sat in the rotten leaves and did not move . His chest did not rise or fall, as if he were not breathing . He looked like a corpse that had been dead for quite some time . Meanwhile, the two auras within his body were still fighting . The power of the Heavenly Power Pill and the Tianqi state aura of the Halfman Taoist cleared out the original aura in his body . He became an empty bucket for the poisonous air around him to enter, changing every particle of his body . Even after what felt like a long time, the light in the dense forest beneath the valley was still as dim as it would be at twilight . Long Qing 39 s body trembled slightly and he spat out a mouthful of blood . What was incredulous was that the blood was black It might be due to the poisonous mist in the area, or some other reason . The black blood looked like ink or dirty water in the mud . Several days earlier, a black peach blossom had grown on the boat on the southern sea . Long Qing had plucked the black peach blossom and put it on his chest . He had not taken it off after that . The black peach blossom on his chest was tinged with blood as he fled the cliff and Zhishou Abbey . It was tinged black and red, making it look horrifyingly gorgeous . It was painted over with black blood again and now it glistened . Then, the light faded as quickly as it came, leaving behind a pure black, the color of cold darkness . Sitting amongst the rotten leaves, Long Qing seemed to have become a black peach blossom himself . His body temperature was frigid and the cold spread to the air surrounding him . He seemed to become a part of the mist and the rotten leaves . A spotted, poisonous snake wandered amongst the leaves . It circled Long Qing, but did not seem to sense anything strange before leaving . A mountain monkey with a ghostly face also appeared . It chattered in the forest as it dangled back and forth . It squatted beside Long Qing and scratched its head, behaving cheekily . It called for its mates and then left, bored . Withered leaves fell . With a gust of wind, the withered leaves flew again . Long Qing remained seated, not knowing anything, not sensing anything . He had blended into the surroundings . Not even the sharp perceptive senses of a cultivator would be able to separate him from the nature around him . This was the most obvious sign that Long Qing had entered the Knowing destiny State . He remained like this for quite some time . Eventually, Long Qing opened his eyes and regained consciousness . His eyes no longer held gratefulness for having survived, and there was no sense of uncertainty about the future, no pain, but calm and indifference . He felt at peace with himself and the world . He stood up . The black peach blossom on his chest grew darker, as if it was about to drip with darkness . Then, a peach blossom formed by pure aura bloomed behind Long Qing . It was his peach blossoms in the year of his birth . It was also black . Just in the moment of the blooming of this black peach blossom, the mist in the dense forest was shrouded in an atmosphere of silence . The colorful snake that was resting under rotten leaves stiffened and suddenly died . The monkey with a ghostly face screamed in horror and fled further away . In the pursuit of the army of South Jin Kingdom, especially with the joining in of the Divine Hall 39 s Judicial Department, only a dozen or so remained from those who fled . Only five of the cavalry commanders were still alive . These people who were once honored in the West Hill Divine Palace had now become sinners . They fled like dogs, living in the forests at the peripheries of the West Hill Divine Kingdom . Someone died almost every day and several were abandoned because of their severe injuries . They did not know how long the exile would last . But what made them desperate was that they did not know what was waiting for them in the end . Even if it was only hopelessness, they at least wanted to know where the end was . They were sinners from the West Hill Divine Palace . In Haotian 39 s world, no other country dared to take them in . Only the Tang Empire had the power to, but the Empire would only be willing to chop their heads off . What would the end of their exile be How will they die Zi Mo was very thin and tired . There was only numbness in his eyes . He looked at the wilderness at the foot of the mountain in the twilight . He looked at the land that belonged to the Kingdom of Song . He knew that the Taoist temples there had received their paintings . They would not be able to hide in the civilian world . He thought about how the beginning of their journey and how he had made a wish to the dark skies silently . He was pained when he murmured, I will give my life and spirit to Yama for as long as I live . I will not be afraid of the world 39 s end . But . . . how arrogant I was . Would Yama care about you and me Even if you wanted to sacrifice, could you get close enough to such a mighty existence A guide is required for mortals who wish to approach greatness, and it is a long process . A cold voice suddenly rang on the edge of the cliff . Zi Mo 39 s expression changed . Ten other fugitives behind him held up the weapons in their hands and looked at the edge of the cliff alertly, ready to attack . A young man stood on the edge of the cliff, looking in the direction of the setting sun . He wore a black taoist robe and blocked the setting sun, so the figure looked extremely dark . The cool autumn wind from the wilderness crept along the cliff, flipping up the edges of his robe, which let rays of light pa.s.s through from time to time . The fugitives had all lived in the West Hill Divine Palace for a long time . They looked at the man on the edge of the cliff and felt as if they were hallucinating . They seemed to be looking at the shadow of Haotian . Or the shadow of Yama . After fleeing for days, their nerves were strained to the point where they were about to break . The camping site they had chosen was secluded . However, they did not expect to be discovered by the man who approached them quietly . To them, someone who could creep up on them silently would definitely be very powerful . He could only be a powerhouse from the West Hill Divine Palace, if not a master of Haotian Taoism in the Kingdom of Song . The fugitives had their power taken and could not hope to beat this powerhouse in Haotian Taoism . They were engulfed by hopelessness when they heard the voice . Despite their despair, they forced themselves to fight . Since they were going to die anyway, then this might be their last battle . They would die valiantly . However, no one moved . Because the young man in the black taoist robe standing on the edge of the cliff gave people the feeling that he was unchallengeable . Also, Zi Mo had suddenly knelt behind the young man, crying bitterly . Following that, more people recognized the young man, especially the four previous commanders of the cavalryman of Divine Hall . They ran towards the edge of the cliff, shaking, and knelt behind Zi Mo . They cried loudly to the young man 39 s back like lost sheep who have found their owner . Commander Zimo looked at the man 39 s back tearfully . He said in a trembling voice, My Priest . . . Everyone said that you had died . But you 39 re alive . . . That 39 s great . A commander with a broken arm cried loudly, My lord . . . My lord . . . I knew that you would not abandon us . You 39 re finally back Long Qing turned around and looked at his former subordinates . He said, Will you follow me again The cries on the edge of the cliff halted and everyone kowtowed . Zi Mo raised his head and looked at the scars on Long Qing 39 s face . Then, he looked at the black peach blossom on Long Qing 39 s chest . He thought of the rumors and discovered to his shock that not only had the Priest not died, his cultivation state had grown far better than the original Then, a gust of cold aura entered the hearts of Zi Mo and the others . It came from Long Qing . And from his words . I have indeed died, but I do not know if I saw Haotian or Yama when I died . There was a light after I died, and I thought about many things . However, I only understood when I heard what you said, Zi Mo . Perhaps I am not the son of Heaven 39 s orders . Long Qing looked at the skies and said thoughtfully, Perhaps . . . I am son of Yama