Chapter 1189 - The Crane Fairy’s Recognition
The outer ring of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals.
The depths of a valley shrouded in black mist.
“Someone killed Junior Apprentice Brother Shan Ning!” a cold voice said emphatically.
Boom!
Black mist churned, lightning rumbled, and radiant arcs of golden electricity flashed. The entire valley trembled violently.
Upon closer inspection, an ancient ritual ground stood deep within the valley.
A thin man sat there cross-legged, naked from the waist up. His skin was coppery, and his long hair was disheveled. Numerous black chains bound him, making him seem like a condemned prisoner.
Yet now, his blood-colored eyes shone with startling murderous intent. Even the densely layered chains covering him shook violently.
“In all the years since the ancient era, no one has ever dared treat a Custodian with disrespect, yet now, someone was insane enough to murder Junior Apprentice Brother Shan Ning! His crimes are worthy of death!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
An explosive rumbling rang out, and the black chains covering the man’s body exploded, link by link.
Monstrous ferocity surged from the man’s thin body, soaring into the firmament and shaking the wind and clouds on all sides!
As if a primordial demon god were sloughing off their fetters and re-entering the world.
The thin man rose to his full height, stretched out his right arm, and reached for the dome of heaven.
Whoosh~
A bundle of the power of the surrounding Laws condensed in his palm, transforming into a curtain of light. The curtain reflected Su Yi stepping on Shan Ning, then cutting him down!
When the thin man saw this, he seemed deeply enraged. His eyes were bloodshot, and his coppery skin swelled as blood-red demonic glyphs arose on its surface.
“I don’t care who you are or what your reasons were. I’ll claim your head, strip you of your soul, and slowly torture you to death!” The thin man’s voice was low, his words like the ravings of a demonic good. They were rife with bone-deep hatred.
“Brother Wei Heng.”
Suddenly, a man in a blue shirt appeared at the entrance to the valley. He had a bronze treasure mirror on his back.
He arrived before the thin man in a flash. “Based on what I saw, Shan Ning broke the rules first by attacking the trial-taker. In doing so, he violated the first precept of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals.”
Whoosh!
The thin man, Wei Heng, stared daggers at the man in blue. “Jing Feng, my junior apprentice brother is dead, but you... are talking about the rules?”
His voice was sinister and imposing.
Jing Feng, the man in blue, looked a bit startled. He said in a low voice, “I came here because I heard the news.”
“Then there’s no need to waste time talking. Let’s go kill him!” Wei Heng said coldly before striding off.
Jing Feng laughed bitterly, then murmured, “Back when we were chosen as Custodians, the five of us became sworn siblings. We vowed to live and die together, and to retreat and advance alongside each other. How could I... possibly shrink back now...?”
He took a deep breath, then chased after Wei Heng.
Along the way.
“Brother Wei Heng!” A thick-boned, course-featured, valiant-looking man appeared out of nowhere.
He carried a ten-foot bronze staff on his shoulder, and his entire body emanated a tyrannical, imposing, ferocious aura.
Meng Zhan.
He too was a Custodian.
“I intend to violate the first precept to avenge Shan Ning. Are you willing to accompany me?” Wei Heng’s eyes flashed like lightning as he looked at Meng Zhan.
Meng Zhan said with staunch conviction, “I’ve already learned of Shan Ning’s death, and I came here to join you in killing his enemy!”
“Good!” Wei Heng said no more on the matter.
They were sworn brothers; there was no need to say anything else.
“We’re going to the Thousand Currents Wasteland first. When we reach the place Shan Ning died, we’ll be able to sense his killer’s aura and seek him out,” Jing Feng hurriedly explained.
“Let’s go!”
The three Custodians disappeared in a flash.
The Thousand Currents Wasteland, the banks of the lake of lava.
A gray-robed elder carrying a bamboo staff stood before a crater, examining something. His aged face was utterly overcast.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Space rippled, and Wei Heng’s group appeared out of nowhere.
“I just knew you’d come too, Ol’ Huang.” When Wei Heng saw the gray-robed elder with the bamboo staff, an uncharacteristic, gratified look appeared on his icy face.
Huang Sanjia!
He too was a Custodian.
The gray-robed elder pointed at himself. “Shan Ning is dead. If I don’t help you get revenge, I’ll be ill at ease for the rest of my life.”
“Have you detected the killer’s aura?” asked Wei Heng.
“You’ll have to wait a little longer,” said the gray-robed elder. “Shan Ning’s body and soul were destroyed by an incomparably taboo, tyrannical power. Not even ashes remain. I performed a divination earlier, and I suspect the killer used the power of... reincarnation!”
Reincarnation!!!
Wei Heng, Jing Feng, and Meng Zhan were startled. It seemed they found this hard to believe.
“If it makes sense, I think I understand why Shan Ning couldn’t help but attack a trial-taker,” said Jing Feng, a complicated look on his face.
Reincarnation!
Back in ancient times, they saw it as a forbidden yet supreme Grand Dao. Only the sovereign of the Netherworld’s Infernal Palace was qualified to master it.
But to the Custodians, reincarnation had an altogether different significance.
Rumor had it that only the power of a forbidden Grand Dao like reincarnation could shatter the invisible shackles festering the Custodians and restore their freedom!
“Isn’t this good news for us? We can avenge Shan Ning, and if we grasp the power of reincarnation while we’re at it...” Wei Heng’s eyes surged with ferocious light. “We won’t need to fear the backlash of the first precept ever again. We can even... shatter our ancient fetters, regain our freedom, and leave the cage that is the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals!”
The other Custodians were obviously worked up too.
“Before we do any of that, we need to determine our target’s whereabouts.” Jing Feng took a deep breath, then said hurriedly, “Ol’ Heng, let me help you grasp our opponent’s aura.”
“Very well!” Huang Sanjia nodded.
......
A divine mountain shrouded in mist and covered in flowing streams and waterfalls. An ancient palace stood at the peak, near a churning sea of clouds. It was a magnificent sight.
Unless they saw it with their own eyes, no one would have believed this seemingly blessed mountain was located in the outer ring of a forbidden zone like the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals.
Whoosh!
A red-haired man in Daoist robes appeared on the peak, seemingly out of nowhere, then arrived before the palace.
“Daoist Brother, an hour ago, Sixth Custodian Shan Ning met with disaster, his body and Dao destroyed. Wei Heng is now leading three other Custodians away from the places they protect. They’ve gathered together to seek revenge for Shan Ning,” the red-haired man softly delivered his report.
He looked young, and his hair was as red as fair. His skin was fair, and he had handsome features, but when his eyes moved, they revealed the mark of the vicissitudes of countless years.
“How did Shan Ning die?” a muddled voice emanated from within the temple.
The red-haired man said at top speeds, “He left his post without permission, and a trial-taker by the name of Su Yi killed him in the Thousand Currents Wasteland.”
“Why would Shan Ning leave his post?”
“I suspect it’s connected to the mysteries of reincarnation.”
“Reincarnation!?” That muddled voice resounded from within the palace once more, this time with a hint of surprise.
Shortly after, a dwarf-like figure emerged from the ancient palace. His hair and beard were white as snow, and he looked amiable. He was just three feet tall, but his every gesture was utterly dignified.
The red-haired man subconsciously lowered his head, not daring to gaze directly at him.
“No wonder Shan Ning went so far as to violate the first precept...” the elderly dwarf sighed.
“Daoist Brother, Shan Ning violated the rules first. He was killed by a trial-taker, but he brought it on himself,” said the red-haired man. “Now, four other Custodians are acting in blatant disregard of the rules to avenge him. This is a severe violation of Venerate Flooding Heavens’ rules. Tell me... how should we respond?”
The elderly dwarf sank into silence. Finally, his expression shifted inscrutably. “Yuan Mu, we too are Custodians.”
The red-haired man, Yuan Mu, furrowed his brow. “What do you mean, Daoist Brother?”
The elderly dwarf smiled. “What I’m trying to say is, when it’s time to follow the rules, we should follow the rules, but when it’s time to prioritize our bonds... we should prioritize our bonds.”
Here, he turned to face the ancient palace. “Yuan Mu, if we resolve this properly, it will be an enormous stroke of good fortune for both of us. But for now, let’s wait a while longer.”
Yuan Mu’s expression filled with uncertainty. He vaguely understood what the dwarven elder was getting at, but he dared not recklessly jump to conclusions.
Bonds? Rules? Good fortune? What does it mean? And what are we waiting for?
Yuan Mu sank into a long silence.
......
The Black Blood Ruins. This was a stretch of the outer ring the beast skin map marked as “safe.”
Here, the dome of heaven was covered in black clouds as dense as lead, while the ground was covered in collapsed ruins. They stretched into the distance, seemingly without limit.
Countless long-dried puddles of black blood were distributed throughout the ruins.
A misty rain fell continuously, and a stifling, overcast atmosphere hung in the air.
Deep within the ruins, there stood a dilapidated Daoist temple with only the mottled glow of a single lamp for light.
Rain fell in droplets the size of pearls, clattering against the tiled eaves.
A snow-white immortal crane sat within the collapsed temple shrine.
She sat there with her legs crossed like a human cultivator, and her feathers were like jade. The depths of her gaze shone with dreamline, illusory Dao Light.
“If not for the damaged, incomplete Laws of the Dark and Gold Star Realm, someone of your aptitude would have stepped onto the Path of Heaven’s Ascension a long time ago,” said the crane in a gentle voice. “But it’s not too late. You’ve already earned my recognition. When you enter the secret origin grounds, you’ll have an opportunity to contemplate the most ancient and pure of Dark and Gold Chaos Power. It won’t be difficult to become a World King then.”
The Heavensdeath Demon Empress stood not far away, her eyes shining like stars and a delighted smile on her lips. She inclined her head in respect. “Thank you for your help, senior!”
She had been transported to the Black Blood Ruins as soon as she had entered the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals. Not long after, she had met this self-proclaimed Custodian, the Crane Fairy, and learned about trial-takers and the secret origin grounds.
More importantly, although this was their first time meeting, and all they’d done was chat a bit, she’d already received the Custodian’s recognition!
Everything had gone far too smoothly.
So smoothly that even an ancestor of Demonism like the Heavensdeath Demon Empress couldn’t help but feel as if she were dreaming. It just didn’t seem real!
“No need to thank me. This was a stroke of fate. More importantly, your talent and latent potential are shocking; I naturally don’t mind lending you a hand and giving you an opportunity to explore the secret origin grounds,” the Crane Fairy said gently. When she looked at the Heavensdeath Demon Empress, her eyes carried a hint of gratification.
The Heavensdeath Demon Empress was just about to say something when the sound of hurried footsteps emanated from the distant, smothering curtain of rain.
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