The Immortal’s Poison

The next morning, Wen Leyang woke up before dawn to greet his family elders. With surprise he discovered a huge jar that was placed in First Uncle’s courtyard. The boiling medicinal wine was enshrouded in thick smoke, a dozen of Wen family’s youth was soaking in the jar with their faces filled with agony. Wen Tunhai clasped his hands behind his back, pacing in front of the tile jar.

 Wen Leyang counted silently. He realized that eleven years had passed in the blink of an eye since the day he used the Wang Zai Mantou Snack to pass the tenth year final examination.

 The three families Wen, Miao, and Luo, abided by their family laws last year. They performed the tenth year examination; but because this time they had already achieved a breakthrough in the grand master Tuo Xie’s cultivation method, they completely abandoned all sorts of peculiar arts and skills that the three families invented in the past two thousand years. They only selected the disciples with firm foundation establishments. There were more disciples who passed the test than ever before. The Wen family itself had a dozen disciples who managed to be enlisted into Tuo Xie’s sect.

 After a period of time, the youths crawled out of the big jars one by one. They waved around the Faulty Punch to dissolve the strong poison from the medicinal wine. They hastily slammed themselves against the surface of the ground. The First Uncle shouted loudly and corrected the youths on their Faulty Punch’s moves.

 Wen Leyang chuckled as he stood aside, he looked at them with eagerness to try.

 The First Uncle bustled about for a while before walking to Wen Leyang’s side. He pointed to the new generation of Tuo Xie’s disciples as he laughed, “This gang of bastards are lucky, in the future every one of them will be stronger than me!”

 Wen Leyang sniggered, “You can just intentionally teach them one or two incorrect moves you know.”

 The two uncles and nephews were chatting and laughing. Chang Li and Zhui Zi were dressed in travel attire, walking side by side out of the house. Wen Leyang was not sure whether to cry or laugh… on the grand master Chang Li’s shoulder was surprisingly a set of… fishing rods.

 Chang Li giggled, “This is interesting!”. She walked to the depth of the great mountain with Zhui Zi, Wen Leyang too hastily followed behind them.

 In recent years, Chang Li spent a great deal of time on the Nine Peaks Mountain. She found a lake in the depths of the mountain easily. The three of them sat in a line on the edge of the lake, they would only need to bend over slightly to see their reflections in the crystal clear, blue water. The water was rippling, elongating their reflections in an amusing manner.

 Chang Li’s expression was solemn, but her gaze was filled with excitement. They started bustling about as they prepared the bait and cast the rod. Zhui Zi seemed to have since become accustomed to this. She muttered, “If you have the balls… you would last until the end and not use your supernatural powers to blast the fish!” She turned around and asked Wen Leyang, “Those matters that we have discussed yesterday, is there anything else that you do not understand? You ought to ask now.” As she was saying that, she puffed up her chest lazily, and took in a deep breath of the wilderness.

 Wen Leyang too breathed deeply. Feeling lazy and comfortable, he could only feel his heavy limbs and bones. He laughed, “The first thing that I don’t understand is – Third Brother was transformed into the god level body, yet the giant sword Molten Metal Fire Bell was refined by him laboriously. Why did he not retrieve the sword?”

 Zhui Zi’s steadfast smile immediately turned into astonishment, “Why are you not asking about the matters that we didn’t have time for yesterday!”

 There were a few matters that had yet to be clarified since yesterday but because of the late timing, she planned to explain more today. Zhui Zi did not expect that and Wen Leyang had new questions to ask again.

 Zhui Zi laughed from rage, “Let alone you, the few of us have been trying to figure this out for the past few years but failed. How could a cultivator discard his own treasured weapon of Sword’s Resolve?”

 Wen Leyang was not sure how to react. He hastily went on to the next question, “Why did the Third Brother stop sensing his other two split bodies at that time?”

 Kong Nuer had a total of three split bodies. The First Brother led the Landhopper to blast against the chaos’ root system on the wastelands, he died under the encirclement of a group of demon immortals four years ago. The Second Brother used his own body to seal Red Pot on Desert Rebel Mountain. Two thousand years ago his large group of disciples and himself were massacred by the grand master Tuo Xie. The Third Brother on the other hand seized the god level body and turned into the real Kong Nuer. He condensed the heaven’s cone nails to suppress Xiang Liu. In the end he was nowhere to be found.

 Within the jade box’s recordings; the most confusing part for Wen Leyang was that First Brother and Second Brother were apparently alive at the time, yet how did the Third Brother stop sensing their presence?

 Chang Li finally positioned her fishing rod, she turned around and interrupted. “The heavily-mustached man that came out of the wasteland to capture me was also very peculiar. Connect these two events together and think about it.” Her face was filled with seriousness as she stared at the fishing line, her huge eyes did not even blink once.

 The heavily-mustache man, who was killed on the Goddess Peak by Wen Leyang and the rest, was apparently just a split body. Yet he was completely unaware that he was one. He even worshipped Kong Nuer as his master teacher.

 Wen Leyang was initially confused, now that Chang Li reminded him, he became even more puzzled.

 Chang Li did not acknowledge anything else after that. She concentrated on fishing but fortunately, there was still Zhui Zi.

 She observed Wen Leyang’s sulky appearance. Zhui Zi could not help but laugh, “You are not skilled in magic art. If you were to think about this yourself, you will never figure out anything in a hundred years. Come, listen to my explanation.” As she was saying that, Zhui Zi was deep in thoughts for a moment. She spoke slowly, “The other two split bodies’ primordial spirit, were tempered by Kong Nuer’s god-level body. That was why the Third Brother lost contact with them. That’s why the heavily-mustached man on the wasteland was unaware that he was a split body!”

 The god-level body tempered with the split bodies’ memories, he changed their status not into his split bodies, but as his disciples?

 Wen Leyang was feeling rather surprised, but he still refrained from asking anymore.

 Zhui Zi seemed to see through Wen Leyang’s thoughts. She shook her head gently, “This magic spell was not meant to change the split bodies’ memories solely, but also to change the genus of the split bodies’ primordial spirits in accordance. The only purpose of this magic spell was the entire life vitality force that was received by the split bodies. It would all be channeled into the body of the god level body!”

 The existence of a split body was meant to help the god level body’s cultivation, but not for surrendering the power of its entire body for the god level body’s allocation.

 Generally, the god level body was only capable of removing fifty percent of life vitality from his split body. After Kong Nuer was done casting the magic spell onto the split bodies’ primordial spirits; other than the inherent life vitality force that was created when the split body had taken form, all the spirit primordial energy that was acquired from future cultivation would be extracted by the god level body.

 However, the split body would lose his memories from this spell too, and also his connection with the other split bodies.

 Zhui Zi gave a forced laugh as she heaved a sigh, “Red Pot had never heard of this magic spell before, let alone the few of us. It was only after he dissolved the evil soul and received the ancient knowledge, only then did he realize that such an Art of Devilry existed!”

 

Wen Leyang had utterly no knowledge about magic spells, and he did not have the intention to learn about the principles. It was enough for him to just understand the purpose of this magic spell.

 At this point Chang Li suddenly cheered. She pulled up her fishing rod… not only was there no fish on the hook, but the bait was also gone as well.

 Chang Li was not dejected at all. She hung another piece of dough bait soaked in butter onto the fishing hook. She turned around to Wen Leyang, “The god-level body altered the primordial spirits of the First Brother and Second Brother amongst the split bodies. They were turned into tools that were used by the god level body to absorb spirit primordial energy!”

 Wen Leyang finally understood the situation thoroughly.

 The heavily-mustached man on the wasteland led the Landhopper to blast against chaos’ root system. That was then passed through the layers of magic formation on the reversed tower and converted the mighty power of the tremendous force that enshrouded the giant egg into the Spirit Primordial Energy of the heaven and earth. It was finally absorbed by this split body, then channeled into the body of the god level body.

 It was the same for the heavily-mustached man on the Golden Horn Peak of Desert Rebel Mountain. He was the formation’s eye of the Liang Li Immortal Formation himself. He used his body to suppress Red Pot. The tremendous force that was generated from Red Pot’s struggle, and the immortal formation’s suppression, finally turned into the god level body’s life vitality.

 On the other hand, Zhui Zi explained additionally, “That Kong Nuer was cultivating in the profound Art of Heaven and Earth, while Red Pot was a monster that inherited the power of the sun and moon. These two sets of energies complemented each other and originated from the same source. This was why Kong Nuer wanted to suppress Red Pot!”

 Kong Nuer’s god-level body used the immortal formation to take Red Pot’s power back in those days. This gush of energy needed no conversion at all and could be directly absorbed into his body.

 Wen Leyang shook his head as he gave a forced laugh. “The chaos’ root system, the power of Red Pot, how incisive was this Kong Nuer’s god-level body attempting to become at the time…”

 Unexpectedly before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Zhui Zi. “Kong Nuer’s god-level body was of course very incisive, yet he was still far behind from the level that you are imagining. Otherwise he would never be killed by the split body Third Brother. The energy that he extracted, was mostly used in other purposes.”

 Zhui Zi spread the long silk in the jade box in the wind. She pointed to that sentence that was circled by Chang Li using a red pen ‘why is he still staying in the mortal world?’. She spoke to Wen Leyang, “Everything that Kong Nuer’s god-level body did, was befallen onto this sentence!”

 Chang Li turned around in the midst of pressing affairs. She took the credit for her achievement smilingly. “I was the one who discovered the meaning behind this sentence back then!”

 “The ‘he’ that was referred to by the split body Third Brother in this sentence, was Kong Nuer’s god-level body. A person as remarkable as Kong Nuer originally. After he had absorbed the energy from the chaos’ root system, it was afraid that he had since crossed the god’s punishment and ascended into heaven as an immortal. He would absolutely not idle in the mortal world.” When Zhui Zi was done speaking, she was afraid that Wen Leyang could not understand her. She paused for a few seconds before continuing, “In my past life, I once fought with Kong Nuer in a battle. Based on his cultivation base at the time, he would never stay in the mortal world absolutely!”

 Perhaps it was because the mountain wind was cool and refreshing. Perhaps it was because of the joy from yesterday night. Wen Leyang’s thinking was precise and clear now. He soon understood Zhui Zi’s explanation, “So you are saying that… Kong Nuer used all these energies to shield himself against the god’s punishment?”

 Zhui Zi laughed, circles upon circles of smile lines rippled from the corners of her lips all the way into the air and floated afar with the wind. “This is almost what I meant to explain. He absorbed all these energies into his body, and launched some unknown profound magic spell, to forcefully keep himself in the mortal world!”

 When a cultivator was crossing a god’s punishment, there were two types of circumstances. The cultivator would either be struck to death by the nine heaven’s divine thunder, or he would cross the punishment successfully and ascend into heaven as an immortal from then on. It was absolutely impossible for the third circumstance to take place. Kong Nuer’s god-level body had achieved mastery in his cultivation base earlier, he had been staying in the mortal world all along.

 Zhui Zi and the rest speculated from this that Kong Nuer absorbed the tremendous force. Not purely to enhance his cultivation base, but so he could stay in the mortal world.

 Others were cultivating heaven. They were aiming to ascend into heaven as immortals. Kong Nuer cultivated for heaven and until the end, he exhausted his efforts into staying in the mortal world, and refused to ascend into heaven.

 Wen Leyang understood the idea of ascending into heaven. Following that he thought of another person, he laughed and asked Zhui Zi in slight puzzlement, “That burly man who helped me to break the ghost formation on Shiwan Mountain… his divine power was shocking. Why did he not cross the god’s punishment yet?”

 Zhui Zi coughed. She humored Wen Leyang in one sentence, “That man is not a human, but a monster like Red Pot. He was from heaven and earth, there is no need for him to cross the god’s punishment.”

 Wen Leyang answered with an ‘oh’. He thought carefully and meticulously about everything that he found out since yesterday. A few minutes later he suddenly squalled as he jumped up high into the air. He spread out his limbs midair, and slammed onto the ground flatly. He infuriated Chang Li so much she grabbed a rock and tossed the rock onto his head. “Be quiet, do not scare away my fish!”

 He had finally understood about Kong Nuer, Wen Leyang could only feel a stretch of ease washing over his heart.

 Three heavily-mustached men, three unique lands of a wasteland. Desert Rebel Mountain, Black and White Island. Three sets of unbelievable and miraculous magic formation. Zhui Zi’s memories of her past life, all sorts of ideas and formation charts in the jade box left behind by the Third Brother. There was an unknown amount of clues that were interwoven together here. A group of experienced and knowledgeable demon immortals discussed repeatedly. They exhausted their mental powers and spent countless efforts. Only then they finally understood Kong Nuer and his doings before the Black and White Island’s great formation was completed!

 Countless queries from the past few years’ encounters like why was the heavily-mustached man unaware that he was a split body? Why did all three heavily-mustached men have the exact same appearances? The relationship between the three unique lands, and why was Red Pot suppressed back in those days was solved.

 Zhui Zi watched as Wen Leyang was acting like a clown. She laughed charmingly. She was about to mock him, when she suddenly frowned. Her face was filled with vigilance as she looked towards the sky.

 Chang Li was fishing, a puff of silver-colored demonic energy suddenly erupted in her pupils. She raised her head and looked towards the sky as well.

 Wen Leyang thought that an enemy was approaching. He stood up from the ground stiffly and followed the two demon witches’ gaze. A moment later Wen Leyang suddenly let out a fearful cry. He stretched out his hands and pulled at Chang Li and Zhui Zi strenuously, “Both of you, who’s going to cross the god’s punishment?”

 The sky that was initially bright and clear had dimmed. Puffs of black ink-like dark clouds were changing shapes continuously, surging towards the Nine Peaks Mountain from all directions wildly! Violent lightning was spreading in the dark clouds, vanishing immediately after a flash. It was as if it was an evil beast from the primitive times, baring its fangs aggressively and jeering at everything in between heaven and earth!

 Zhui Zi did not speak. One of her hands did nothing and allowed Wen Leyang to continue holding her. Her other hand’s five fingers oscillated rapidly. She was counting the thunder clouds that were accumulating over the entire sky.

 Chang Li’s expression was savage. Her delicate arm flung once as she struggled free from Wen Leyang’s hand. She laughed in a slightly sinister manner, “No one is crossing the god’s punishment, this is not the god’s punishment cloud either! Ride on wind and expel thunder, swallow fire through a thousand miles’ plunder, this is the profound Taoist sect’s top skill of Thunder Magic Spell!”

 Zhui Zi had stopped counting. Her tone was filled with disbelief, her face was filled with astonishment as she spoke to Chang Li, “This is the magic spell that is launched from the Jilong Mountain!”

 Chang Li too gave out an ‘oh’, soon after the murder intent on her face wiped away her surprise. “So it turns out that there is a power for them to depend on, no wonder!”

 

Zhui Zi too did not speak anymore. She continued to launch her spell to chase after the magic spell in the sky, while she started calculating again.

 Soon after, Wen Nine and Wen Thirteen’s voice echoed far from the direction of the Wen family village. The two silly uncles’ cultivation base was unsurpassed right now. The sound of their shouts echoed through the entire Nine Peaks Mountain in a flash. “The four grandfathers issued the command, to summon all the Wen family disciples to return to your garrison quickly, the Nine Peaks Mountain… is… sealing!”

 Wen Leyang howled loudly. He responded from afar. He started moving and rushed towards the village. The two demon immortals too followed closely behind his back. Chang Li was still sneering, while Zhui Zi was calculating continuously towards the thunder clouds.

 Wen Leyang dashed rapidly, while he asked Chang Li softly, “What is going on actually?” From Chang Li’s words earlier, she seemed to be hiding something.

 The dark clouds that covered the sky had already formed into an irresistible force. The two top demon immortals’ solemn expressions made Wen Leyang’s heart suspend in the air too.

 Chang Li scoffed coldly. “Not long before your return to the mountain, the Jilong Sect suddenly sent a message to the Nine Peaks Mountain, and asked all of you to hand in your double doom/disaster of Sun and Moon.”

 One month ago, Wen Leyang was still looking at his digital watch and counting days in the ghost formation under the subterranean cavern. Ever since the supreme leader Zi Que died on Nine Peaks Mountain, the Jilong Sect that had been sealed all along suddenly came out into society. Soon after they started sending letters to the disciples of Wen Bucao repeatedly. They did not mention the matter of revenge in the letters. They were only asking for the Wen family to return their sect’s utmost precious Double Doom of Sun and Moon.

 When the Five Blessings were gathered on the Nine Peaks Mountain back then, the Wen family and the Jilong Sect were involved in the best of three matches. The Wen family won over the treasured weapons and their reputation in a perfectly justified manner.

 The First Grandfather was furious. He immediately sent Wen Tunhai along with the two silly uncles to the Jilong Mountain to start a war. Chang Li did not speak anymore. She followed Wen Tunhai and they were about to descend from the mountain, yet the little supreme leader Liu Zheng was still loyal to the Five Blessings’ code of brotherhood. He consoled the Wen family and the demon cat desperately. He rushed to Jilong Mountain by himself in an attempt to advise the current supreme leader, the enlightened Qing Niao who left behind his arms in the Wen family village.

 No one had paid attention to this matter initially. Just by depending on the cultivation base of the Jilong Sect’s disciples, even if a thousand years had passed, they were still too weak to be struck by Chang Li’s one hand. Since Liu Zheng agreed to bear the responsibility for this matter, the Wen family too did not speak of anything else. No one told Wen Leyang about this after he returned home as well.

 Yet no one had expected that the arrival of this thundercloud, with its imposing manner, would be strong and powerful as such!

 The three of them had yet to reach the village when Zhui Zi suddenly stopped walking. Her hand was pinched into the magic conjuration gesture. “I am done with my calculation, there are a total of two Thunder Magic Spells. One spell was cast into the village, while the other was cast onto the Place of Birth, Life, Sickness, and Death!”

 Jilong Sect’s intention was clearer than ever. They were attempting to uproot the entire Wen family, even the chickens and dogs were not spared – utter extermination!

 Zhui Zi had turned around when she was speaking. Her graceful figure dashed against the wind, and disappeared out of Wen Leyang’s line of sight immediately. She left behind a line, “I am going to protect the Red Leaves Forest, the demon cat shall protect the village!”

 The dark clouds were heavy in sound. The roaring sound of muffled thunder connected into one, as if a train was shuttling through the cloud. Wen Leyang had only used a few minutes to make his way from the depth of the mountain back to the village, yet the sky had completely darkened. The dark cloud was so heavy it was about to crush heaven and earth – that was pinning down onto the village less than a few meters away.

 Wen Leyang was so furious his eyelids were throbbing. He was cultivating the cultivation method that turned his human body into a saint. Even if he was not afraid of the heavy, divine thunder that was roaring and arriving soon, yet he had no way to protect the village from it. If it was not for the two demon immortals’ presence in the village, Wen Leyang could only watch helplessly, as the shocking thunder blasted the Wen family’s growth for the past two thousand years into a few puffs of smoke!

 Chang Li’s face was hanging with a rare solemness. After she entered the village she instructed Wen Leyang softly, “Do not make a move recklessly first. If anything were to happen, you must wait for me to test the power of the thunder magic spell before we discuss any further!” Upon saying that she sat cross-legged in the center of the village. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing slowly. A moment later, a puff of sinister and unusual demon wind rolled, the raging howls of a demon beast surged skywards from the village.

 Chang Li was muttering the demon incantation in her mouth. The gale that was accompanied by the demon beast’s hissing and roaring grew stronger and stronger, until Chang Li finally shouted, “Lash out!”

 The demon wind was so thick, it was impossible to tear apart. It suddenly exploded with a loud bang and the entire village suddenly sank into death-like silence!

 Wen Leyang’s telegnosis ability shook once. Grass bud-like demon blades were growing out slowly from the ground of the Wen family village. The demon blades were small, yet blooming with countless streaks of cold radiance in the darkness.

 The dark clouds that had already converged together suddenly boiled, followed by a grand shout that echoed from the edge of the sky. “Thunder, swallow, annihilate!” The sky and land that were suffocating in the darkness exploded into pieces by silver light all at once. Purple-colored lightning as thick as a child’s arm, similar to a startled den of snakes suddenly bore out to the edge of the sky. It was like a puff of heavy rain and boundless waterfall, suddenly splashing towards the Nine Peaks Mountain!

 At the same time the Thunder Magic Spell exploded. The demon blades on the ground soared suddenly and surged towards the edge of the sky magnificently. They converged into a black-colored sea of demon blades that collided with purple-colored divine thunder, covering the sky in layers of entanglement!

 From afar, the sky of the Wen family village was covered in a streak of thunder and countless demon blades were fighting and killing one another brutally. It was hard to count the flashes of lighting that was churned into pieces, or how many demon blades were struck away! While the dark clouds in midair were converging continuously, streaks upon streaks of thunder light poured. The demon blades on the ground grew rapidly, and attacked the endless thunder clouds!

 Wen Leyang, the two silly uncles, Mumu and the family elders of the Wen Bucao were standing right next to Chang Li. Everyone was staring in bewilderment at the violent battle before their eyes.

 Zhui Zi’s voice echoed from the depth of the great mountain afar, “The Thunder Magic Spell is fierce and forceful, send over someone to destroy the magic altar!”

 Chang Li opened her eyes slowly. Her pitch black and mischievous pupils had turned into a charming silver color now. She enunciated her words, “Listen to me Wen Leyang, the opponent is preparing an altar to conjure the magic spell on the Jilong Mountain. In order to guide the Thunder Magic Spell to attack the Nine Peaks Mountain, immediately descend the mountain. Go to Jilong Mountain now and kill that group of Taoist priests on behalf of me. Destroy their magic alter! Otherwise on the Nine Peaks Mountain, blood enough to float the pestles will be shed!”

 Chang Li’s words were clearer than ever. Just by depending on Zhui Zi and her power, they could never resist this great thunder!

 Wen Leyang was shocked and infuriated. He calmed the fear and shock in his heart with great effort. He asked Chang Li in a low voice, “How long can you withstand them?”

 Chang Li laughed to his surprise, “I cannot tell. It is not a problem for me to withstand three to five days, possibly more than ten days. Any longer than that, there is no need for you to return…”

 Mumu guided the zombie as she squinted her eyes. She walked in front of Wen Leyang and reminded him seriously. “The Jilong Sect is capable of launching such a magic spell. I am afraid that… anyhow you ought to be more careful!” She paused for a moment, “There is no need for you to worry about the family’s situation. The cultivation method of me and the two silly uncles… even though we may not be able to protect the village, it is not a problem for us to save the people under the Thunder Magic Spell!”

 Firstly, the two silly uncles and Mumu could not catch up to Wen Leyang’s speed. Secondly, the village insisted that they stayed in case Chang Li and Zhui Zi failed to withstand until Wen Leyang was done destroying the magic altar. They would still need to depend on Mumu and the silly uncles to save the people.

 Moreover, within the divine thunder that covered the entire sky, the possibility of the enemies ascending the mountain and ambushing them was not high – but they still could not be caught off guard.

 Wen Leyang too did not waste time talking nonsense. He suddenly exploded into a chain of savage howls in rage. He moved under the escort of Chang Li’s demon blades and transformed into a streak of rage. He vanished before the crowd’s eyes in a second.

 This time, the honest man was truly infuriated!