Chapter 319: The Mud
Zhui Zi helped Chang Li comb the long hair that hung over her forehead.
Chang Li smiled gently. She pointed to the punishment cloud in the sky, “There is not much time for him. If you have anything else to ask, make the best use of your time.”
Zhui Zi had yet to speak when the martial art fanatic San Wei inquired first, “Kong Nuer, whether it was you, or that unfortunate b.a.s.t.a.r.d G.o.d level body, had already achieved mastery in your cultivation… You were still hanging on in the mortal world and refused to cross the G.o.d’s punishment and ascend to heaven as an immortal. What was the reason actually?”
The punishment cloud stopped midair. There was no way to tell when it would explode.
Kong Nuer’s answer sounded a little baffling, “When earth was first separated from heaven and the chaotic world was broken, the heavenly bodies were not in good positions and the world was not wholesome. In the primitive ages, great calamity happened continuously and heavy flood spread all over the place. In the ancient times, demons wreaked havoc while ghosts and monsters ran wild… Yet, it was the humans who were the frailest in the world, multiplied generations after generations ceaselessly. Not only did they become the wisest of all creatures, but they also operated heaven and earth with such emotions!”
The martial art fanatic San Wei did not understand Kong Nuer’s words. He sneered as he interrupted, “Yet before you ascended into the heaven as an immortal, you were a human too. Do not describe yourself like you are a deity!”
Kong Nuer did not take that seriously at all. His voice even sounded like it was filled with smiles, “You are right! Precisely because I was a human too. That was why I felt proud and interested. That was why I wanted to stay behind, to see what kind of place would the world turn into. To see how humans evolved and lived!”
The few demon immortals and sword immortals gazed at one another. No one had expected that the reason for Kong Nuer’s refusal to ascend to heaven as an immortal was so surprisingly strange.
Kong Nuer himself was completely unaware on the other hand. He gave out a burst of laughter that sounded a little self-mocking, but filled with satisfaction, “That was my G.o.d level body’s intention. He wanted to stay behind to watch the ending of this great movie! I did not understand that earlier. I succeeded at seizing the abode afterward, I read the history of the heaven and earth that was recorded by him. I was immersed deep in it. The movie that he did not manage to watch until the end… I truly wanted to continue watching.”
Kong Nuer heaved a sigh as if he had yet to express himself fully, “I am not willing to leave yet!”
The rest of the people had yet to think of what to say, when Tuo Xie’s laughter echoed out from the rock cave, “This is also considered a share of your thoughts and feelings.”
Kong Nuer and the demon immortals and sword immortals on the outside were answering and questioning. Tuo Xie did not try to a.n.a.lyze if the people on the outside were actually his own people. He listened to a point that piqued his interest, before chiming in conveniently.
The two opponents who were like inherent enemies. In two thousand years within the tiny rock cave, they had a match of strength, heart, and tenacity. Other than hitting and killing, they would frequently converse with each other for a while.
During this period of time, despite Kong Nuer’s schemes and psychological attacks, there was even more of the two person’s boredom from not seeing the light of day for two thousand years. In Tuo Xie’s perception, chatting and laughing was one thing, and scolding each other was another. If Kong Nuer was in a bad mood, he would even console him. Regardless of what Tuo Xie was speaking, Kong Nuer could never wish to leave this place for eternity!
“This is more than just my share of thoughts and feelings; it is also my wishes! I wished that I could continue watching all the way, to watch until the end of the world. To see how it is operated by the humans to the end!” Kong Nuer burst out laughing, “In wilder words, when the three great formations were still holding strong, when I was at my peak, the act of moving mountains and s.h.i.+fting seas was as easy as breathing. In my eyes, the mortal people were no different from ants. I precisely enjoy looking at the ants!”
At this point, Kong Nuer’s voice suddenly grew louder and shook the entire sky’s dark clouds. The immortal master teacher’s domineering mannerisms misted all over in the blink of an eye!
“Take a look at the four corners of the world. The three sects of strength, intelligence and magic consider me as the G.o.d. In my perception, the world is nothing but a stretch of tiny courtyards. The humans are a bush of wildflowers while I am the only wild beast. I can act recklessly without restraint. If the mountain appears offensive to my eyes, I raise my hand and blast it into flat ground. If the river appears offensive to my eyes, I stomp my foot and sink it into the earth’s core. I like that bush of wildflowers solely. Seeing it grow roots, grow a new leaf, flower bud, I feel an indescribable joy. Seeing it grow more pleasant, more magnificent, I will then feel happy from the bottom of my heart!”
Tuo Xie was laughing joyously too, “Wild beast and wildflowers, this a.n.a.logy sounds very interesting, and also very well-applied.” He paused for a moment, then he laughed as he spoke, “Everyone is just the same. Everyone is living for that wish for themselves.”
Kong Nuer’s voice suddenly turned lonely, “Soon I will not be watching anymore.”
Kong Nuer’s voice once again regained its prior restlessness, he spoke to the people on the outside, “All of you are here to witness my death, and also to ask for clarification. Very well, I shall grant all of you a clarification!” He did not wait for the others to inquire any more; he started talking about history.
The events that took place in the beginning, was almost the same as Zhui Zi, Chang Li and the rest’s prediction. Kong Nuer’s G.o.d level body cast a spell that turned his split body into the tools capable of absorbing spiritual vitality. The split body First Brother led the Landhopper on the wasteland, he spent all day blasting at the chaos’ giant egg. The split body Second Brother was on the Desert Rebel Mountain, he used his body to suppress Red Pot. The mighty force generated from these two magic formations was transmitted from the split bodies to the G.o.d level body, and used to avert the G.o.d’s punishment for the G.o.d level body.
The two split bodies Second Brother and Third Brother’s memories were altered by the G.o.d level body as such. They forgot the ident.i.ty of their split bodies.
Following that, Xiang Liu came looking for trouble. The G.o.d level body designed the Black and White Island’s great formation of heaven’s cone nail. He received the chain of plans launched by the Third Brother, who successfully seized his abode. In the end, the heavenly water’s lineage was exterminated. The nine heaven’s cone nails were completed. The primordial spirit of Kong Nuer’s G.o.d level body was separated into nine portions and refined into the heaven’s cone nails.
After Xiang Liu was suppressed, the demon-suppressing great formation on the Black and White Island was just the same as the two magic formations on the wasteland and Desert Rebel Mountain. It started transmitting spiritual vitality to the new Kong Nuer endlessly.
Kong Nuer gave a forced laugh, “Everything was very well initially. Then two thousand years ago, something happened!”
Chang Li suddenly laughed, the pride on her charming face could not be washed away by the storm.
The grand master, Tuo Xie, too laughed in the mountain cave.
“The events that took place afterward… you should be the one who talks about it. Just think of it as talking to me!” Kong Nuer gave an unpleasant grunt at Tuo Xie. Yet it made him feel fresher.
It seemed that he was no longer that immortal master teacher who stood high above the ma.s.ses, with a bellyful of schemes, with a cultivation base so deep it was unfathomable. He was just a man with flesh and blood.
“I shall talk about it then!” Tuo Xie continued to laugh, “That bimbo Chang Li!”
Chang Li widened her eyes, she hastily pulled Wen Leyang aside, “What does bimbo mean?”
Wen Leyang dared not tell her the meaning.
Two thousand years ago, Tuo Xie travelled a great distance to the Black and White Island. He found out that there were not only three sword immortals with the Tian-word name generation on the Black and White Island. There was also an immortal master teacher with an exceedingly high cultivation base above them. Tuo Xie was going to bear the responsibility of the demon cat’s trouble. Under the guidance of Tian Yin’s true soul, he immediately departed for the Desert Rebel Mountain.
“I had since made the decision at the time that no one was allowed to live on Desert Rebel Mountain! Whoever wished to hurt Chang Li… I would kill the person.”
Following that Tuo Xie killed a whole lot of people on Desert Rebel Mountain. The disciples and master cultivators serving the seat of the split body Second Brother, were all killed by him!
Chang Li was well aware of this section of past events. When she listened to Tuo Xie’s personal description at this moment, she still could not suppress the joy in her heart. She was beaming with happiness as she displayed her pride.
Tuo Xie’s hummed, “But in the end, when I saw the heavily-moustached man, I realized that something was wrong. His soul was tempered by someone!”
Tuo Xie’s body possessed the forceful, domineering poison power. It was acquired from three arts fused into one. Qing Miao clan’s birth year spell or the Mourning Sect’s Art of Corpse Control, were all combined with the profound method of controlling souls. Tuo Xie had already stripped his witchcraft power at the time, yet his vision remained strong as ever. He could see the heavily-moustached man on Desert Rebel Mountain and his primordial spirit was polished through a spell cast by someone.
Tuo Xie was greatly startled. Not only was he astonished that such unusual art existed in the world, he was even more afraid that the heavily-moustached man on Desert Rebel Mountain was not the real master of the Black and White Island. That there was an even more incisive enemy behind him who was sharpening his knife as he was waiting to get revenge on Chang Li.
Tuo Xie’s voice grew louder and clearer, “The heavily-moustached man on Desert Rebel Mountain was albeit incisive, in order for him to kill. I may not necessarily get injured. On the mountainside, I intentionally endured one stab of his sword in order to remember the strength of his life vitality. Soon after, I urged the birth year spell and destroyed his body to urge his primordial spirit into leaving!”
The person who was suppressing Red Pot on Desert Rebel Mountain, was the split body second Brother. Under the influence of his destroyed dharma body and his severely-injured primordial spirit, it was not the spiritual intelligence that drove the soul into escaping, but his instinct.
Prompted by his instinct, Second Brother’s primordial spirit transformed into the golden light and escaped towards s.h.i.+wan Mountain.
Tuo Xie seemed to be smiling joyously on usual days and in harmony with the rest of the world. Yet once he launched his skill, he would certainly use his method of wrath. He endured the split body Second Brother’s one stab, in order to remember the genus and traits of the other party’s power of life vitality – so that he could track the primordial spirit.
Kong Nuer laughed as he chimed in from the side, “To be able to have such a b.a.s.t.a.r.d like you as my enemy, is considered the good fortune of my cultivation!” Kong Nuer continued Tuo Xie’s topic of conversation, “At the time, I already knew that the water element heaven’s cone nail was destroyed. As for the Heavenly Water’s lineage, I killed every single one of them including the sect leader Lin Li to the manservant who was sweeping the snow down below. How was I going to find another primordial spirit who had cultivated in the purest water to produce a heaven’s cone nail again? In order to mend the great formation, I could only forcefully tear off a portion of my primordial spirit to refine the heaven’s cone nail.”
The demon immortals and sword immortals on the outside dared not even think of this form of incredulous magic art. However, after Kong Nuer tore off his primordial spirit, he was severely injured. Before he could manage to condense the new heaven’s cone nail to take form, the split body Second Brother’s primordial soul then escaped.
Kong Nuer could not bear to see Second Brother end up as a scattered and dispersed soul. He did not know that there was another unlucky person who had arrived. Due to his severe injuries, he risked the exhaustion of his primordial spirit. With the five elements of utmost disposition, he remoulded Second Brother’s body.
Similar to when the grand master, Lue Luo, cast the witchcraft spell that remoulded Zhui Zi, the magic formation arranged by Kong Nuer had the split body Second Brother sleep for a full two thousand years. He had only awakened four years ago.
Wen Leyang had only understood that the five-element demon was the big moustache man from Desert Rebel Mountain. It was only after his dharma body was killed by the grand master’s poison, Kong Nuer then remoulded a new body for him.
While Zhui Zi was also suddenly enlightened, she understood why the Great Guiding Formation connected the two huge mountains together during a fierce battle with the monsters on s.h.i.+wan Mountain.
The Great Guiding Formation that was pa.s.sed down by Kong Nuer to the descendants of heaven’s cone nail, was the guiding destination to where the split body was! The split body First Brother on the wasteland was still alive, while the Second Brother had yet to wake up. That was why the wasteland was guided in. Yet this time the First Brother was already dead. The place that was guided in was then the lone peak where the Second Brother and a group of immortal master teacher’s inferiors were at.
Kong Nuer’s cultivation base had exceeded too much as compared to Tuo Xie’s. Due to his severe injuries including tearing off his primordial spirit, Tuo Xie’s sudden attack, and the almost G.o.d-like Art of Poison; in the end, he could only fall back into the rock cave where he used his power of origin to open.
This rock cave was a small world that was condensed using Kong Nuer’s high cultivation base. Otherwise, in an ordinary rock cave, even if Kong Nuer was injured any more severely, it would be impossible for him to be trapped.
And because of that, under Kong Nuer’s management, Tuo Xie was incapable of attacking his way into the rock cave. Kong Nuer would need to urge his life vitality at all times to resist Tuo Xie. Naturally, he did not have the opportunity to heal his injuries, nor run away from the cave.
Before Tuo Xie entered the cave, he laid down a strong poison around the mountain valley to ward off Kong Nuer’s reinforcement. The skeletons in the mountain valley were the master cultivators that Kong Nuer gathered as his trusted subordinates after the Black and White Island’s great formation was completed. These people’s cultivation base was only stronger than the descendants of heaven’s cone nail, yet no one managed to charge past the prohibition spell.
One of the two master cultivators was there for his lover, and the other was there because he did not want to cross the G.o.d’s punishment. They spent two thousand years trapped in the cave!
Kong Nuer possessed three magic formations which provided him with the true power of spiritual vitality in the beginning. As a result, Chang Li destroyed the Black and White Island and Tuo Xie annihilated the Desert Rebel Mountain. Two out of three were gone. There was only the wasteland’s great formation left, which could avert the G.o.d’s punishment on behalf of him.
It was only until a few years ago, Kong Nuer managed to acc.u.mulate some strength with great effort. He was planning to break out of Tuo Xie’s seal. In the end, he failed to charge out of the cave, but he did manage to transmit an oracle to the outside. This was to instruct a group of descendants of heaven’s cone nails to detain the demon cat, in order to apprehend Chang Li’s soul and bring her to the cave as a threat to Tuo Xie.
Only then it resulted in great chaos during the battle of Mount Hua.
Even Kong Nuer himself did not expect that other than Tuo Xie, there was another person who was capable of killing his split body First Brother. As a result, the proud immortal master teacher made a fool of himself. Not only did he fail to capture the demon cat, he lost the final set of magic formation that was used to avert the G.o.d’s punishment.
The magic formation of the wasteland was ruined, but it still retained some remnant magic formation’s power. Kong Nuer could stay behind for over four years, just in time for the split body Second Brother to wake up. Kong Nuer could not care about looking for trouble with Chang Li. He risked his injuries to send out another oracle. This was to order the five-element demon to lead his inferiors once again and carry out the scheme on the place of the outer fringe.
The group of demon immortals and sword immortals on the outside could finally understand. The five elements demon was actually the split body Second Brother. in the final a.n.a.lysis, Kong Nuer’s scheme on the place of the outer fringe was just the same as the wasteland, Desert Rebel Mountain and Black and White Island. Kong Nuer wanted to absorb the power of endless punishment in the place of the outer fringe so that he could avert the G.o.d’s punishment and remain in the mortal world.
Wen Leyang exhaled slowly. All the worldly affairs had cause and effect, retribution and judgment for sin could not be avoided. If Kong Nuer did not attempt to deal with Chang Li, his wasteland’s great formation would never be destroyed, nor would he accidentally reveal the formation chart of the Great Guiding Formation. Even his final opportunity on the place of the outer fringe was lost too. If it was so, it was unknown for how long would the grand master, Tuo Xie, be locked in a stalemate with him.
Other than arranging the magic formation in the place of the outer fringe, Kong Nuer also ordered his people to kill the entire sect of the Painting Town.
Over thousands of years, the descendants of the moon cone nail exhausted laborious efforts in order to erase the seal mark on their bodies and to rescue their grand master. They managed to hide from Kong Nuer all along. It was only that the scheme of the moon cone nail’s disciples was not worthy of Kong Nuer’s mention. Not only did he pay no attention to the scheme, he went along with them happily.
However, during the battle of Mount Hua, Kong Nuer suffered heavy casualties. The Heavenly Moon’s lineage pa.s.sed down four master cultivators in every generation. Kong Nuer enlisted them due to their actual power. He pulled them back into his own troop to stop the idea of the Heavenly Moon’s descendants resurrecting the moon cone nail.
Kong Nuer was blocked by Tuo Xie. He was under the a.s.sumption that amongst the descendants of Lue Luo, there was some incisive great witch who was still skilled in Lue Luo’s ability to resurrect Zhui Zi. Only then did he order his inferiors to slaughter Lue Luo’s descendants, so that Nineteen, Full Moon, First and Last Quarter Moon could return to their duties once again, and handle tasks loyally on behalf of the five-element demon.
At this point, Kong Nuer seemed to be a little tired. He shut his mouth and rested for a moment. The punishment cloud in the sky was gradually wrapping in layers of silver thread. The punishment thunder was revealing itself indistinctly.
It was not long before Kong Nuer spoke again, he chuckled, “On the other hand I still have a good news. I am the split body that seized that G.o.d level body’s abode. I have already disobeyed the command of heaven once. That is why there is absolutely no chance for me to cross the G.o.d’s punishment this time.”
Zhui Zi smiled brightly, “That is absolutely the best news ever!”
The little supreme leader Liu Zheng who had been silent suddenly took half a step forward. He scolded ferociously, “What a waste that karma has dawned on you too late! What a waste that even if you end up as a scattered and dispersed soul… it is still difficult to honor the kindness of the Black and White Island’s sword immortals… for their generations’ worth of effort in guarding the heaven in solitary!”
Kong Nuer was confused, “How is my state of living or death related to my lineage of Black and White Island’s disciples and disciple’s disciples?”
Liu Zheng’s facial expression was ferocious, he laughed in extreme rage, “On the Black and White Island, the legacy is pa.s.sed down from generation to generation. Every generation of disciples is tasked with the responsibility to guard the heaven. I did not expect that generation after generation, we have been acting as the guard dogs for despicable you and your G.o.d level body, who are evil and sinister! My esteemed master teacher was the enlightened Tian Shu. His kindness was worthy of the heaven and earth. He possessed great supernatural powers, yet he chose to live in seclusion. He did not care about the prosperous and bustling world. He did not pay attention to the honor and disgrace of the mortal world. It was all to guard heaven in solitary, but not because of you, or because of your d.a.m.n schemes, you evil beast!”
Kong Nuer’s voice was loud, “They were guarding the formation because they wanted to detain Xiang Liu. How is that related to my wish of staying in the mortal world! I was using them, yet they were truly guarding the heaven and protecting the world!”
Liu Zheng was about to continue scolding, when Kong Nuer suddenly erupted in a series of laughter, “The G.o.d level body and I are evil and sinister? Take a look at the entire world. There are only a pair of us. The evil people who has committed the greatest deeds in millenniums and megaannums!”
Kong Nuer did not allow Liu Zheng to speak.
“On the wasteland, if the six thousand Landhopper were to escape into the mortal world, how many disasters will it cause? Very well, let us not discuss those barbarians first. That great formation had continuously redirected the force of the chaos’ giant egg and the reversed tower’s formation had taken form for many years. Those things had successfully delayed the endless great punishment of the mortal world for many years!”
“On the Desert Rebel Mountain, Red Pot was suppressed. It is true that the toad was not considered some ferocious and sinister creature. It fancied collecting preciouses inherently. Where did the rare treasures and unusual preciouses in its belly come from? Those preciouses with masters, the masters were naturally killed by it. And those without masters were even more terrifying! Those were the divine armies and heaven’s cauldrons used to trigger the spiritual vitality of the world, to suppress the evil demons and avert great disasters. Those preciouses were swallowed one by one into its stomach. How is that alright, if I were to allow it to continue swallowing those preciouses? The fate of the world would pour out into nothingness sooner or later!”
“On the Black and White Island, the nine-headed Xiang Liu… Is there a need for me to explain anymore?”
Kong Nuer’s laughter grew louder and louder, “That is correct, I am an evil person. Yet the greatest deeds in the world were all committed by me. What do you have to say for yourself!?”
“The Black and White Island detains the ancient evil creature Xiang Liu, so that peace reigns over the land under heaven!”
“The Desert Rebel Mountain suppresses the Red Pot who will never stop eating for eternity so that the mortal world’s fate is maintained forever!”
“The wasteland gathers six thousand barbarians to redirect the power of the chaos’ root system so that the heaven’s path and human affairs can survive for another thousand years!”
“I ensure that the sky is round and the ground is square. I ensure that I bring benefit to all of the mortal world. Why do you even care if the actual purpose of my doing? You will only need to tell me, if all these doings of mine, are good deeds?!”
Liu Zheng was glaring, his chest that was oppressed with unvented anger seemed to be almost exploding in rage. Yet he did not manage to think of one comeback. After he gave out a heavy roar, he bawled and spat out a mouthful of murky blood clot.
Waves of extremely thunder sounded from the punishment cloud.
Kong Nuer understood that the great punishment had arrived. He was not terrified, on the contrary, he laughed as he asked the people outside, “Is there anything else that you do not understand? It is best for you to ask now. Do not always be troubled beyond who is the good or bad man, it is very boring.”
Zhui Zi patted on Liu Zheng’s back gently, she raised her head and asked dully, “I did not understand, why did you leave that box to me? The Molten Metal Fire Bell was the treasured weapon that you spent laborious efforts to refine, why did you abandon it? Moreover, even though you were the embodiment of the seized abode, you were apparently not dead… yet the Sword’s Resolve of the giant sword was sealed by you.”
Kong Nuer’s laughter sounded light, but it was filled with emotions, “Lin Li, Lin Li, you are still the child that I love the most!”
Kong Nuer’s tone of speaking suddenly sounded wispy, he sounded like a person who was talking in his dreams.
“Before the G.o.d level body pa.s.sed down the Black and White Island’s formation chart, I had never regarded myself as a good man before. I did not feel that I was a bad man either. I only knew that I was supposed to follow the G.o.d level body’s orders, to help him to achieve mastery in his cultivation to become an immortal. Yet from the formation chart, I realized that the G.o.d level body was going to erase my memories, and I wondered where did the First Brother and Second Brother go. Without my memories, am I still myself? I was unwilling to forget my memories as a human, and I did not wish to become the tools to absorb life vitality like the First Brother and Second Brother for thousands of years.”
“If I wanted to retain my memories, if I wished to not turn into a tool, then I could only sacrifice you. I could only kill the G.o.d level body. When I had seen through the Black and White Island’s demon-suppressing formation chart, I then understood that even so my plan was to succeed, from the moment you died, I would never be that original split body. That split body who was neither sinless nor virtuous. I casted a spell to seal the jade box, and left it with you. In simpler words, that was the secret confession I left for you!”
“I genuinely had never thought that you would still have an opportunity to retrieve and open that box. Whether my plan of seizing abode was a success or failure, Lin Li would still die tragically. I still could not refrain myself from leaving a confession for you, it was also a confession for myself!”
“The Molten Metal Fire Bell was the same. That Sword’s Resolve was personally sealed by me. I abandoned it, not because I resented it for not being powerful. I was even less afraid that it would reveal my ident.i.ty of seizing abode, but because…”
Thunder suddenly echoed loudly and sonorously from the punishment cloud. Kong Nuer’s voice too grew loud and clear with it.
“But because I wanted to tell myself, that from the day I seized the abode, I would never bring back, find nor see myself from the past anymore!”
“I hate that, why was I his split body!”
“I hate that; I would never see the change of this world anymore!”
Kong Nuer bawled and cried loudly. The thunder was more violent than the rainstorm! The brightness upon the world was telling everyone from the sound of its magnificent explosion that –
It did not matter if your schemes were boundless as the sea
It did not matter if your cultivation base was comparable to the heaven
It did not matter if your arrogant laughter was heard all over the eight extremely remote areas beyond China.
It did not matter if your audacity exceeded the six states of harmonies
When your punishment had arrived, you were nothing but…
A
Pile
Of
Mud!
When the G.o.d’s punishment struck, the rock cave collapsed. Kong Nuer would certainly die. What about… Tuo Xie?
Wen Leyang bore the risk of bullying his grand master. Chang Li was about to leap into the grand master grandfather’s strong poison prohibition spell in an attempt to die for love. He punched her beautiful head and knocked her out.
Chang Li slumped into Wen Leyang’s arms. From the northeast direction of the huge mountain, a loud roar suddenly exploded, “I am a little late. I lost the opportunity to witness the death of that b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
Soon after, the s.h.i.+wan Mountain suddenly shook the land!