Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 95 – To Each Their Own Dark Designs

The floating mountain was a thousand feet wide. It was bare and deep azure blue all over. In the middle of it was a black cave that tunneled straight in. Beneath the mountain was a great valley. There was a pool and sculptures in the valley, and when viewed with the surrounding forests, one could imagine that this must have been a truly celestial sight in the past.

Now the pool was dark green and covered with rotten black leaves that emitted a sour odor. The sculptures leaned left and right and were broken in numerous places, showing that a great disturbance had crossed this area.

Two figures faced each other from afar. They stood in the valley, magic power surging all around them. The branches and leaves rustled over the ground.

Daoist Wuyuan’s face was filled with acclaim. “Fellow daoist Gu has truly hidden yourself so deeply. I didn’t expect that your acting would be so perfect that I wouldn’t realize anything at all.” He paused for a moment and continued, “But then again, fellow daoist Gu purposefully antagonized Qin Yu in order to develop public enmity between the two of you and complete your initial plan. By taking advantage and saying that the two of you didn’t mesh well together, you dispelled my original worries. That’s right. With fellow daoist Gu’s skill in sealing array formations, after you saw Qin Yu’s dwelling, you must have realized he knew nothing about them at all. So, you had him follow you and then left him without any scruples at all. Tsk, how admirable!”

Gu Shengping coldly snorted, not denying any of it. His eyes were cold as he said, “Fellow daoist Wuyuan is equally surprising. I didn’t expect that you would arrive here so quickly.”

Daoist Wuyuan shook his head. “No, no, the reason I arrived here so quickly is all thanks to fellow daoist Gu.”

Gu Shengping’s complexion changed. With a loud roar, magic power erupted around him. A little white bug was shaken from his body and pulverized to pieces in midair.

“Position-tracking witch bug!”

Daoist Wuyuan nodded. “Fellow daoist Gu is indeed knowledgeable. But, you should also know that these bugs aren’t easy to raise, so why must you kill it in a fit of rage?” His lips curled up. “Ah, that’s right, I forgot to tell fellow daoist Gu something. My position-tracking witch bug is different from others.”

Gu Shengping stuffily coughed even as he was enraged at the same time. His face paled.

Daoist Wuyuan smiled. “This sort of witch bug is poisonous, but as long as it is alive, its poisonous nature will not manifest. Fellow daoist Gu was just too fast in your actions so even though I wanted to warn you, I had no chance to. But fellow daoist should rest assured. This sort of poison isn’t fatal and it will only hinder your magic power in revolving. In a way, it is similar to the talisman you used when you helped to kill that surnamed Qiu cultivator.”

Gu Shengping roared out, “Despicable!”

Daoist Wuyuan coldly sneered, “When we just entered the cave dwelling, fellow daoist Gu chose to intentionally leave by yourself. Isn’t that also despicable? A pot calls the kettle black, is there any meaning to it?” He stepped forwards. “Fellow daoist Gu, although this place can’t be called some beautiful landscape, it is still a place where an ancient Nascent Soul cultivator is buried. To die here can also be considered an honorable death. Allow me to send you on the way as a favor. I’m sure that the ancient cultivator from the past is lonely here all by himself!”

Bang –

Black magic power erupted, thick like ink. It emitted a yin chill even as a noxious stench spread outwards.

Gu Shengping sucked in mouthfuls of air, the rumbling in his chest becoming increasingly fierce. He quickly held his breath and flicked out his sleeves with a deep roar.

Shua –

Giant talismans flew out. Each one erupted with a brilliant light, each like a star that illuminated the world.

Daoist Wuyuan didn’t dare act arrogant. He carefully stepped back, avoiding the range of the exploding talismans. With a thought, he controlled the black magic power to surge forwards like a tide and corrode and damage the talismans!

Gu Shengping sat down cross-legged and swallowed several pills. His entire forehead was covered in sweat. He wanted to force out the poison from his body, but as the medicinal efficacy spread through his body, the poison toxicity suddenly shot upwards. With a sharp cough, Gu Shengping spat out a mouthful of black blood!

“Haha! Give up already! Everything I create is of the highest quality! Once struck by my poison, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have to put in a great deal of effort!” Daoist Wuyuan cackled, “Break for me!”

Pa –

Pa –

The talismans began to blow apart.

With a miserable scream, Gu Shengping was covered with the black magic power.

Daoist Wuyuan’s lips curled up. “It’s over for you!” He rushed forwards, raising his hand and then bringing it pressing down. As he did, his black magic power combusted, producing endless poisonous fire that would burn flesh and blood without end, until even his enemy’s soul was burned to nothing.

Bang –

The black magic power expanded like an air bubble before it was viciously torn to pieces. A blinding divine light erupted, rapidly blowing towards Daoist Wuyuan. With an angered roar, Daoist Wuyuan was flung away, his arms crossed protectively against his chest. With loud cracking sounds coming from his chest and arms, his bones broke at innumerable points! He plummeted to the ground, blowing apart the dirt as he plowed open a deep ditch and caused mud to splash upwards!

Puff –

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Gu Shengping violently coughed. His dirtied robes were broken all over and the black fire had contaminated his skin, leaving festering pus and blood flowing out from wounds all over. He held a talisman in his hand. It was jade in color and flowed with a brilliant light. “Wuyuan, you want to kill me? You aren’t qualified!”

Daoist Wuyuan clenched his jaws. “Gu Shengping, do you think you can save your life like this?” He lifted his hand and a small black snake crawled out from his sleeve. He opened his mouth wide and bit down on the snake’s head, eating its blood and venom. As he did, his aura began to rapidly steady itself.

Gu Shengping’s complexion changed. He took out a scarlet pill and swallowed it down. With a bitter and miserable chuckle, he said, “I never thought that I would have no choice but to swallow this Five Poison Pill today!” His complexion darkened. “Just like this, 50 years of my lifespan vanishes into thin air. You mongrel Wuyuan, I will never forgive you for this!”

The two sat on the ground, no longer speaking to each other as they used up all their strength to recover from their injuries. Although they didn’t reveal any expression, it was likely there was regret in both their hearts.

It had to be known that there were five people who had entered this ancient Nascent Soul cultivator’s cave dwelling. With their current conditions, if they were discovered by others it would lead to disastrous consequences.

It was because of this reason that the two of them didn’t hesitate to use the most ruthless methods they had to heal themselves.

As for fighting, although they wished to tear each other to shreds, at the very least they wouldn’t try killing each other until they had the strength to preserve their own lives.

Beneath the floating mountain, an awkwardly tense and peaceful stalemate followed.

Qin Yu’s thoughts raced. Magic power suddenly revolved in his body, but just as he was about to take action, a trace of red flashed across his line of sight.

A dazzling color that could take lives!

Qin Yu’s aura immediately quieted down.

With two surprised roars of anger, Gu Shengping and Daoist Wuyuan took action and repelled the red string. But with this collision, their efforts to heal themselves had all come to nothing and they started to gasp out blood once more.

Whoosh –

The red string flew back like a bolt of lightning. Fairy Xiang stepped out. This was a woman who had the looks of someone in their twenties but the eyes of someone in their thirties. She seemed graceful and gentle, like the young lady of a noble family. Even though she had attacked with the intent to kill, she still had a calm and light expression.

“Xiang Ruyu!” Daoist Wuyuan roared out, “You dare to try and murder me!?”

Gu Shengping continued gasping for breath. He had first been poisoned by Wuyuan and now he had to block Fairy Xiang’s strike; his injuries were the heaviest. The hot and tyrannical medicinal efficacy of the Five Poison Pill quickly spread through his body, barely ensuring that his injuries wouldn’t worsen.

Fairy Xiang stood straight, her posture composed. “Since we get along so well with each other, I wonder if two fellow daoists here would let me go?” As she spoke, her eyes brightened as they fell upon the floating mountain above.

“Fellow daoist Wuyuan, fellow daoist Gu, I don’t want to take your lives. As long as you two restrain yourselves from moving, I vow I will not harm you.”

Gu Shengping quickly nodded. “I agree!”

Even though Daoist Wuyuan wasn’t willing, the situation wasn’t in his favor so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and nod.

Fairy Xiang gathered herself. “I thank fellow daoists for the help.”

Her feet tapped the ground and she elegantly flew upwards, falling onto the entrance into the floating mountain. But in the next moment, there was a pitiful wail as Fairy Xiang was sent flying out even faster than she had gone in.

Her skirt had been destroyed, revealing her legs. But as one looked at them, the sight simply stirred up nightmares!

A massive section of her skin had been melted away and was hanging loosely on her body. Her crimson flesh and blood was exposed to the air, and as she trembled in pain, one could see her flesh twitching and twisting. In just a single breath of time, it was like she had been tossed into a frying pan and tossed back out.

Whoosh –

The sound of breaking air rang out. A brilliant blood red beam of light shot out from the forest, sweeping up a tornado of leaves and branches in its wake. Before the three people could regain their senses, the beam of light had broken into the floating mountain.

It was Qin Yu!

When Fairy Xiang flew towards the floating mountain, the summoning of the magic power had transmitted a warning to him, thus he had kept hidden. But the moment she was wounded and sent flying away, the warning had immediately disappeared, and the forcefulness of the magic power summoning had become increasingly fervent. In the moment of the collision, Qin Yu had chosen to take action. The Blood Escape Art erupted and he shot into the floating mountain in a tenth of the time it took for a single breath.

Rumble rumble rumble –

Magic power circulated within his body. He was ready to react with all his strength at any sign of trouble. But luckily, the terrifying repulsion attack of the floating mountain didn’t appear. In several moments he arrived in a giant rock cave.

What entered his eyes was an extremely large and round pool in front of him. The walls were smooth and red, as if they had been dyed red with blood over time. Within the pond, there was nothing else, only bones. Men, women, old, young, it was hard to calculate how many skeletons were stuffed inside the round pool! With just a glance, one could feel the rank smell of blood and slaughter energy rush forth like the shrill cries of countless ghosts.

Qin Yu suddenly realized what this was. It was no wonder why all the people living in such a giant cave dwelling had disappeared.

It could be because they had all been gathered here.

Looking up, one could see a jade platform above the pool. Or, it could even be called an altar. From below the platform, countless black root-like objects drilled out and into the round pool. At this time, the dead wood roots were preventing the platform from falling down.

A skeleton sat cross-legged atop the jade platform. Even after years of erosion, it was still as smooth as jade, emitting a gentle luminescence. Faintly, one could feel a terrifying aura from this skeleton.

Without a doubt, this was the skeleton of the cave dwelling’s master, the ancient Nascent Soul cultivator of the past!

Outside the floating mountain, even Fairy Xiang couldn’t maintain her indifferent expression anymore. Her beautiful face was fiercely distorted with rage. Combined with the terrifying state of her body, she seemed like a cruel ghost that had crawled up from the pits of hell.

Gu Shengping and Daoist Wuyuan were dumbfounded.

The blood red beam of light had passed by in less than the blink of an eye, but with their cultivations they had still been able to see who it was.

Qin Yu…it was actually him!

“You wretch!” With a loud shout, an explosion erupted from the other side of the forest. War Bear strode out like a tiger descending a mountain, his overwhelming momentum dreadful to the extreme. With a punch of his fist, Fairy Xiang was sent flying away. He stepped forwards and hurtled directly towards the floating mountain!

Everything had been going according to his plans, but Qin Yu’s appearance had ruined it all. He had only been able to stare blankly on as Qin Yu flew into the floating mountain.

“The treasures are mine! All the treasures are mine!”

He roared deep in his heart. War Bear spurred his speed to the limit and vanished from sight.

Fairy Xiang spat out a mouthful of blood. She flicked her sleeve and condensed magic power to cover up her terrifying wounds. She clenched her teeth and screamed, “Wuyuan, Gu Shengping, we must all work together! We cannot allow them to take all the advantages!”

Daoist Wuyuan and Gu Shengping glanced at each other. They grit their teeth and forced themselves up.

The three of them were severely wounded. But if they joined forces, they still might be able to put up a fight.

Whoosh –

Whoosh –

Whoosh –

Three people shot into the skies!

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