CH 78

Chapter 78: Thousands and Thousands of Soul Lamps



Mt. Luo, Mi Zong Forest. 



Here, there were eerie and strange giant trees, jagged and odd rocks, and a foul mist pervaded the air. Even wild beasts were unwilling to come live here. Only some underground reptiles and small beasts would stick their heads out from time to time. From time to time, some scavenging night demon birds made unpleasant honking cries.



Lingbao Xianzun’s clothes were ragged, his face was covered in stubble. He has long lost his former graceful bearing. He was hiding in a damp and narrow rock cavity. Hearing the night demon birds’ cries, he was so scared that shivered and he buried his head lower, lest his tracks be discovered by the Inextinguishable Peak.



Since three thousand years ago, when a god was born on the Inextinguishable Peak, the immortal realm has turned into a mountain of ​​corpses and a sea of blood.



The deity did not allow anyone to see his face, nor did he allow anyone to utter his name. Everyone could only vaguely refer to him as the Master of the Inextinguishable Peak, or shenjun. 



He was devoid of feelings and did not understand compassion. Under his feet were raging flames that burned all living things. In the flames were crawling red giant pythons. Around him were countless red Nirvana Butterflies, blotting out the sky and covering the earth, obstructing heaven from view. Everywhere, were rivers dyed red with blood, bones piled up into mountains. All creation perished.



This was the cultivation world’s most terrifying and darkest period. Sixty percent of big and small sects alike have been slaughtered. The Blood Demon Sect, the Hidden Moon Sect, the Longhu Sect, the Lingshan Sect, and the Golden Phoenix Manor… regardless whether they were righteous or evil, regardless of sect, regardless of status, regardless of wealth, regardless of cultivation level, as long as they were targeted by the Inextinguishable Peak, they would be uprooted and completely destroyed.



Everyone was driven into a panic. No one knew what criteria the Inextinguishable Peak used to deliver death. They only knew that when the skies are tinted a beautiful red and the Nirvana Butterflies dance, the god of the Inextinguishable Peak would descend. And any prey he set his eyes on, whether they resist or surrender, whether they beg for mercy or flee, would all fall into the most ruthless and horrifying hunt. After death, some people would fall into a desperate hell where even their soul couldn’t escape… Occasionally, there would be some fish who would slip through the net, granted forgiveness. Afterwards, they would be scared out of their wits, unable to comprehend why they were let off with their lives. 



Lingbao Xianzun’s Water Mirror Villa was also slaughtered. Fortunately, he was not within their sect’s grounds that day and he escaped with his life. The cultivation technique he practiced was the Hidden Turtle Skill, he was an expert at concealing his existence and possessed many methods to escape. Over the years, he has hidden in the East and laid low in the West. His was a world without sun as he lived like a mouse in a sewer. Several times, he had slipped up and suffered severe injuries. His original Fen Shen cultivation base had been knocked down several layers, and his body was riddled with scars, battered and exhausted.



He was in great pain, but the Inextinguishable Peak’s pursuit was carried out at a steady pace, unhurried but not slow. Still relying on him to flee and escape, to do everything he could to resist, and when he thinks of him as safe, he would then appear, like a cat playing with a mouse, using a thin thread to keep him hanging on the edge of despair and luck. He wanted to die but was also reluctant, wanted to live but didn’t know how to…



Lingbao Xianzun couldn’t help cursing, not understanding how he could be so unlucky, to be targeted by terror, to be chipped away at bit by bit, to be hunted down for thousands of years without letting it go.



The night demon bird made a terrifying cry once again, as if mocking him.



The birds in the world may be spies for the Inextinguishable Peak. As long as a bird appears, it may bring danger. 



Lingbao Xianzun’s slightly relaxed body tightened again. He quickly strengthened the defensive formation in the Mi Zong Forest a few more times, making the fog thicker. In many places, he installed many double puppets with which he can switch positions. These were to ensure that his pursuers would get lost within this forest, giving him time to fight for his escape.



A gorgeous glow appeared in the sky, and nine beautiful Xuanming birds flew out, dragging gorgeous red tail feathers and pulling along a gorgeous golden magic ship. There were countless immortal and yao birds sitting or standing on the magic ship. The Zhongming bird combed its feathers; the Bird of Paradise let out a beautiful singing voice; , Red-crowned Cranes and Peacocks danced lightly and gracefully, rushing to display their feathers.  With admiring eyes, they piously fawned over the beautiful god sitting behind the curtain of beads. Though they failed to elicit any response, they had neither complaints nor regrets. 



The magic ship stopped above the Mi Zong Forest.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

The pair of delicate maids transformed from Biyiniao, carefully opened layer after layer of bead curtain. They then stood on either side in attendance, not daring to speak, not daring to look directly. 



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For this reason, he always wore a snow feather cloak made of snow bird feathers and ice silk. It tightly covered his body from head to toe, not even a strand of hair would peak out. On his hands, he wore spotlessly white beast skin gloves, preventing him from coming into contact with anything. He wore a veil made of Mermaid beads and shark silk, layer over layer, fold over fold, covering the beauty that could cause the collapse of a world. The only faintly visible were that pair of emotionless, dark golden phoenix eyes, like blazing infernos sealed by ice, the pinnacle of restraint and control. 



The birds gathered up their feathers. They stopped singing, and lowered their heads.



Shenjun slowly walked past the bead curtain and looked at the world disgustingly. Even after cleaning for so many years and eliminating the dirtiest things, he still felt very uncomfortable. The air was pervaded with a nauseating smell. It was hard to breathe.



Let it be. It was time to end this happy game.



The last prey has already been played to its last gasp. It was worthless to continue tormenting its body and spirit. 



He looked coldly at Lingbao Xianzun, who was desperately hiding himself in the dark. A bright flame ignited in his palm, and several beautiful Nirvana Butterflies flew out of it. With a burning aura, they spread open their wings of flame and flew towards the little panic-stricken mouse hiding in the stinky sewer.



Lingbao Xianzun noticed the red clouds in the sky. He saw red butterflies rushing forward, and realized that even the fog of the Mi Zong Forest could not stop the danger. He struggled to activate the double puppet, to switch positions with him as he tried to escape again… …



But where could he escape to? Which place has he not tried?



Lingbao Xianzun stopped his steps in a daze.  He finally found that there was nowhere to escape to, nowhere to go… 



Is this what despair feels like?



In his hesitation, raging fire ignited from all directions, swallowing the entire forest, burned all the magic formations. Amidst the flames, snake-like vines wriggled, penetrating into the ground, blocking all means of retreat with the countless red Nirvana Butterflies fluttering in the sky. They made up an undefeatable net of death. 



When life is at its end, there is no need to escape.



Lingbao Xianzun unexpectedly felt relaxed. Like a doll without consciousness, he slowly knelt on the ground, waiting to be torn to pieces and fall into a more painful hell. 



The terrifying god with his red butterflies descended in front of him. 



Lingbao Xianzun raised his head. He wanted to try to beg, hoping that the matter would be ended with only death. Suddenly, he felt the dark golden phoenix eyes looming behind the veil seemed a bit familiar. It seemed that he had seen it many years ago… He thought for a while, and remembered the sects that were first wiped out. He recalled the tragic destruction of Golden Phoenix Manor. He thought of the Longhu Sect, of the Green Rainbow Sect, of the Blood Demon Sect…



The spheres of influence of these sects were far apart. The way they handled matters was different. But all befell the same fate…



What did they have in common? 



A mortal boy with the same dark golden phoenix eyes slowly emerged in the memory of Lingbao Xianzun. Shockingly gorgeous, beautiful and unbending but his bones were forcefully broken, his wings snapped off,  dragged into the abyss of desire, for them to play with, for them to taste. They never thought of this as wrong. They spent money to buy slaves to play with. It was to be expected as a matter of course that they should use their bodies to serve and please their masters…



He seemed to remember that the boy was given away, having gotten tired of playing with him. His appearance was then ruined by his new owner and he went crazy.



What was the name of that boy?



Lingbao Xianzun said in horror, “Yue Wu-…” 



Before he could finish his words, the gloved hand quickly stretched out, tightly blocking his mouth, blocking his voice, blocking the name that should not be said.



Lingbao Xianzun understood everything and shed tears of regret. He knew his fate and didn’t dare to take a chance. If, back then…



There are no ifs in the world.



The hot flames followed the hand blocking his mouth. It poured in from his mouth, burning his throat. His organs gradually turned into black ash, and every inch of his skin dried up. He turned into nourishment for the vines that drilled out of the ground. 



After his agonizing death, there was no relief as his sinful soul was drawn out and placed into a special soul lamp.



Shenjun lowered his head and saw that charred ash had stained the white gloves. He frowned, displeased, and extended his hand to the Biyiniao beside him.



This pair of Biyiniao, named Xiao Zuo and Xiao You, were born on the Kunyu Tree in the spiritual sea. They had very little contact with the outside world and were pure of heart and mind. Since the birth of the god, they have voluntarily become his personal maids, waiting upon him by his side.



Xiao Zuo carefully removed the soiled gloves for him and burned them without leaving any trace. Xiao You quickly took out the gold box full of clean new gloves, held it in front of the god, and let him choose its replacement. 



Shenjun fussed for a long time. He put on the new gloves and flew into the air.



The Blood King Vine drilled out of the ground and coiled around that soul lamp.



The red clouds receded, the Nirvana Butterflies disappeared, and the ship finally left the ruined forest.



… 



The Inextinguishable Peak, outside the temple.



The god carefully placed the newly retrieved soul lamp on the rock wall, ensuring that the soul inside would continue to suffer the raging inferno of the Inextinguishable Peak, being tormented day and night. He then used a formation to forbid the soul’s painful anguished wailing so as not to affect the peace and quiet.



He liked to collect soul lamps of the horribly sinful.



In three thousand years, the number of soul lamps has changed from two to hundreds of thousands, all of which were placed on the rock wall. Every night, the Inextinguishable Peak would be full of lights, like a vast sea of ​​stars, so unimaginably beautiful… 



Back then, at the nine-storied pagoda, that person once said that the lights were beautiful and the memories were very sweet.



If that person comes back and sees these lights, he’ll surely love it…



They could sit within the golden tower, drink and chat merrily while admiring the lights every night. He could taste that sweet taste once again.



Such a scene, thinking about it made him really happy… 



…



The golden tower was called Wutong Tower. It was filled with the most beautiful gems in the world. It was a forbidden place at the top of Inextinguishable Peak and it was the happy home he had prepared for that person. Those who entered without authorization were put to death.



Inside, he set up twelve layers of beaded curtains and countless barrier enchantments, blocking all from seeing inside and cutting off all the filth in the air. Incense made of herbs was burned everywhere. This scent that was similar to the smell of that person, made his breathing a little more comfortable.



The god passed through the barrier and took off the veil. He took a few deep breaths of the herbal fragrance. He then took off the snow feather cloak and stepped into the bath, carefully washing his body. Although the body of the god after his rebirth was unstained by any filth, he would always remember what the person said: The air is full of invisible bacteria, so you should wash frequently and maintain cleanliness. 



He washed very carefully.



He tortured the soul named Zhao Ye countless times, and yet he couldn’t find the location of that strange system. So he analyzed the mission requirements, then erased all traces of the past so as to have that mistake of a name disappear from the face of the world.



He wanted to become the correct answer. He would wait for that person to come back to perform his mission again. He would court that person once again and they would become a Daoist couple.



His body was clean and perfect now, untouched by any dirty thing. 



He would never ever be a mistake again.



Shenjun walked out of the bath. His slightly damp black hair wound around his heels. A huge red phoenix totem stretched out on his back, the long tail feathers gliding over his thin waist, carrying with it the most gorgeous beauty. He put on the red ice silk robe and slowly walked to the mirror. He stretched out his hand, and touched the increasingly bewitching and beautiful red teardrop mole under his left eye in disgust. It was an existence that he could not get rid of by all means, as if it had already fused with his soul, constantly reminding him of how strong and terrifying his desires were.



He has already tasted the pinnacle of delicacies, and he was already incapable of suppressing his body’s desires.



He wanted that sweet soft kiss. He wanted that pair of clear eyes. He wanted to touch that fair skin. He wanted those extremely frenzied emotions. He wanted that person, wanted him so much he couldn’t bear it… 



He was tortured by desire and pain every night. He woke up every day surrounded by despair and loneliness. Everyday, he wanted to die.



However, he didn’t dare die…



He was afraid that man would come back, and finding that he wasn’t there, wouldn’t want him anymore.



Such a thing was more terrible than death. 



He curled up in the darkness, holding the white pebble tightly, kissing it over and over again. Sobbingly pleading:



“Qingshi, I miss you…”