Mahayana 105
Chapter 105: The Sea of Blossoming Red Spider Lilies
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
Before long, the Road to the Yellow Spring abruptly ended, leaving everyone suddenly surrounded by a vast ocean of blossoms. Acting without hesitation, Liu Yue seized upon a random direction and drove the group forward in their desperate push to escape.
On the way forward, their strikes sent the red spider lilies scattering, petals bursting into the air, and as if misfortune truly never comes alone, the drifting petals thickened the flowers’ scent. Everyone felt their minds grow hazy, memories from the past rising unbidden like ghosts.
Liu Yue, leading the group, began swinging his blade with increasing madness. They’d already reached the end of the Road to the Yellow Spring, there was no such thing as turning back now.
Xiao Yifeng reacted instantly. He grabbed Su Miaoqing by the arm and darted to the side, putting distance between them and the frenzied Liu Yue.
But Su Miaoqing herself was in daze. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes unfocused, she looked utterly lost, as though trapped in some fevered dream.
Xiao Yifeng felt his head grow heavy, his vision beginning to blur. Acting quickly, he quietly circulated the Formless Heart Sutra from Formless Temple.
He gently took Su Miaoqing’s hand, silently chanting the Ice-Pure Mantra of the Heaven Inquiry Sect to keep her mind clear. Even while doing so, he managed—albeit barely—to drive back the incoming skeletons. But Su Miaoqing’s cheeks remained flushed, her expression strained with confusion.
“Miaoqing… just sleep for a bit. When you wake up, you’ll be fine,” he murmured.
With that, Xiao Yifeng made a decisive choice and rendered her unconscious. He and Su Miaoqing weren’t like the others. Even if she fainted, she would still be safe with him. The rest of the group, however, were wary of one another, trust like this simply didn’t exist among them.
He knew that if he stopped here, all of them would be trapped and left to become just another set of skeletons on this cursed road.
The group had walked straight into the illusion woven by the sea of red spider lilies, and the first to fall under its spell was Lingyun.
Lingyun was laughing hysterically, lost in whatever nightmare or fantasy the illusion had shown him. His whisk brush swung wildly in his hands, striking friend and foe alike.
Liu Yue, at the front of the group, was barely holding himself together. He had breathed in the most of the flowers’ scent, and it showed, one of his eyes burned with madness, while the other fought desperately to stay sane.
Unexpectedly, the two least affected were Xiao Yifeng and Mo Shuiyao, a perfect echo of the day they awakened at the Gate of the Dead.
The Formless Heart Sutra kept Xiao Yifeng’s thoughts razor-sharp, while Mo Shuiyao’s background in illusioncraft meant this environment was almost too comfortable for her.
Luo Yun, Old Demon King, and Lin Xiao clung to consciousness by sheer will. Lin Xiao’s resilience was expected, but the other two’s endurance hinted at hidden depths Xiao Yifeng hadn’t noticed before.
The fact that Luo Yun and Old Demon King could still cling to their sanity surprised Xiao Yifeng; clearly, those two carried far more hidden cards than they let on.
“Fellow Daoist Wu Chen,” Mo Shuiyao said lightly, though tension edged her voice, “why don’t we break out together? If we stay here and they spiral out of control, they might be even more dangerous than these skeletons.”
Xiao Yifeng lowered his gaze to Su Miaoqing nestled in his arms, then nodded politely. “Your concern honours me, Fairy Mo. Since I alone can stay lucid, it’s only right that I take responsibility and lead our companions out. This time, let me clear the way.”
He turned to the group. “Keep your distance, being too close might cause the illusions might latch onto you. Fairy Mo, if you wish, you may advance with me.”
Mo Shuiyao instantly understood the subtext in Xiao Yifeng’s instructions. He wanted the group to keep some distance so that, should they succumb to madness, they wouldn’t harm him.
But by having them follow in his wake, he could appear noble, the righteous cultivator bravely guiding his companions to safety.
Meanwhile, their presence behind him would conveniently help slow the skeletons surging from the rear. Far wiser than attempting a two-person breakout. A neat, elegant plan with multiple advantages tied into one.
Mo Shuiyao covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. “In that case, this humble woman shall obey.”
Once Mo Shuiyao gave her assent, Xiao Yifeng acted without a moment’s delay. He wrapped himself and Su Miaoqing in layers of protective magic, seized Luo Hong sword, and surged forward like a spearhead.
The blade danced, releasing the Thousand Sword Art in a brilliant storm. Quietly, he crushed a fire-phoenix talisman.
and from behind him, a majestic phoenix of pure flame burst into the air, crying out as it swept forward, reducing the skeleton horde to cinders.
With Su Miaoqing secured against his chest, Xiao Yifeng cleaved forward relentlessly. Sword-qi exploded from every strike, smashing the remains of the scorched skeletons as he carved a path out of the nightmare.
Mo Shuiyao’s form blurred into a drifting phantom, spiralling protectively around him. She moved with deadly elegance, appearing out of thin air, striking once, then fading away like mist. Every blow landed with surgical accuracy, shattering a skeleton cleanly, her tempo was rapid and relentless.
Together, the pair surged forward, tearing a path through the battlefield in the field of flower.
Seeing this from afar, Lin Xiao gathered his wavering spirit. His folding fan whirled into a storm of shimmering projections, encircling him like a defensive gale as he charged after them, fighting his way out.
The Old Demon King, naturally, refused to lag behind. Ignoring everyone else entirely, he brandished his twin hooks and chased after Xiao Yifeng’s group without hesitation.
Following them were Luo Yun and Liu Yue. Luo Yun glanced at Liu Yue—still caught in the illusion—and sorrow flickered in her eyes. She plucked her yaoqin lightly.
The harsh, grating twang sliced through the air, jolting Liu Yue awake at once.
Liu Yue cast her a look full of gratitude before his gaze drifted back to old daoist Lingyun, who was thrashing his whisk around like a madman. Liu Yue exhaled a weary sigh.
“Fairy Luo, go with the others first.” He clenched his teeth—and shot off in old daoist Lingyun’s direction.
Luo Yun could only sigh softly, cradling her yaoqin(jade zither) as she lifted gracefully into the air to rejoin the fleeing group.
Fighting the illusion gnawing at his mind, Liu Yue bit his own tongue, forcing clarity back into himself. With a roar that shattered the haze—“Wake up!”—his golden blade unleashed a fierce arc of light and slashed toward old Daoist Lingyun.
The sudden killing intent jolted daoist Lingyun; a cold sweat broke out as he instinctively dodged aside.
Fortunately for him, Liu Yue’s strike was not aimed at his neck, but at the skeleton lurking right behind him.
Liu Yue’s bellow tore through the air like a Buddhist lion’s roar, fierce enough to shake Old Daoist Lingyun partly back to his senses. A faint glimmer of clarity flickered in the man’s eyes.
Swooping over, Liu Yue seized him, twisted his arm behind him, and locked him in place. “Daoist Lingyun!” he barked. “If you trust me, stop resisting and let me drag you out of this mess!”
“In this state, what could I possibly have to mistrust? I leave everything to you,” Lingyun replied, then calmly shut his eyes, cutting off all five senses without hesitation.
Liu Yue breathed out in relief. Thank heavens the old codger wasn’t as pig-headed as he feared. Hauling Lingyun with him, he sped after Luo Yun.
It didn’t take long before he spotted her ahead, slowing her pace just enough for them to catch up. Her jade-like fingers flicked lightly across the strings of her yaoqin, sending out a melody like a rippling brook—fluttering butterflies, dancing cranes—lively, clear, and soothing to the very spirit.
“Fairy Luo… You were actually waiting for me?” Liu Yue asked, astonished.
When Liu Yue flew up to her, Luo Yun greeted him with a luminous, blossoming smile. “I never imagined there would still be cultivators as warm-hearted as you, Daoist Liu Yue. Meeting you left me feeling rather ashamed… so I waited here, hoping I might be of some help.”
Barely able to keep his mind clear, Liu Yue shook his head. “My thanks, Fairy, but this is no place for talk. Let us get out first.”
Luo Yun inclined her head and, together, they accelerated, pursuing Xiao Yifeng’s group.
But things were far from smooth sailing ahead. The very edge of the flower sea was within reach when two fearsome skeletons stepped out to block the path.
The power pulsing from their bodies was unmistakably late stage of Golden Core realm. To retain such strength even in death, they must have been Nascent Soul realm experts in life.
One of them had crushed Xiao Yifeng’s Fire Phoenix with a single, casual grasp. To be so close to escape only to encounter such monsters made Xiao Yifeng’s heart sink like a stone.
Mo Shuiyao and Lin Xiao landed beside him, faces taut as they faced the skeleton guardians.
And several metres behind, Old Demon King descended quietly, eyes glinting with thoughts none of them could quite read.