Mahayana 119
BGM: 【MV】24 Hours with Camellya - A Private Record
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Chapter 119: Mutual Pursuit or Heading in Opposite Directions
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
Part 1
Although the Wraithwood Village was home to countless souls, its enormous size meant that the ghosts were not densely packed.
Working together, Xiao Yifeng and Zhan Xian were about to enter the true depths of the Wraithwood Village, where villages of every size lay packed tightly together.
These settlements were the gathering grounds of the Wraithwood, and the Wraithwood Village itself was nothing more than a vast patchwork of countless such hamlets.
There were two ways through the Wraithwood Village. One was to charge directly through its heart.
The other was to skirt the perimeter, making a long detour around the edges.
Yet with Xiao Yifeng fighting at full power, how could he be troubled by a few wandering spirits? He made his decision in an instant and flew straight towards the centre of the Wraithwood Village.
As he ventured deeper, villages multiplied around him like a spreading stain. Lanterns burned brightly, streets teemed with passers-by, and at first glance it all felt eerily ordinary, no different from the living world.
But the moment Xiao Yifeng flew overhead, everyone below turned to look at him at once. Their appearances changed instantly, becoming twisted and terrifying, as the ghosts of the entire village surged towards him.
Xiao Yifeng paid these wandering spirits no mind. He continued straight towards the centre, striking down only the Wraithwoods that attacked him directly, while ignoring the Wraithwoods screaming and chasing after him from behind.
No one knew how vast this Wraithwood Village truly was. Xiao Yifeng had been flying for a long time, yet still had not escaped. Everywhere he looked were lonely spirits and the wailing of Wraithwoods.
He could not help feeling frustrated. It seemed he had fallen into a ghostly maze. This cursed place clearly had its own tricks. Unfortunately, he could not see through them, and rushing through would not be easy. All he could do was continue charging ahead in the most straightforward way.
The ghostly maze was born from massive ghost villages. Xiao Yifeng knew that if he kept smashing his way forward, he would inevitably run into one of these large settlements. Once he broke straight through it, the maze would collapse.
His strategy was blunt but effective: turn the entire area upside down until the Wraithwood Village itself could no longer tolerate him and chose to dismantle the maze.
When exhaustion finally set in, Xiao Yifeng sat down cross-legged where he was, entirely unbothered. Zhan Xian stood guard, more than capable of keeping him safe.
In fact, she seemed to grow stronger with every kill. Not a hint of fatigue showed on her. To her, these Wraithwoods were nothing more than premium sustenance.
Elsewhere, Su Miaoqing moved cautiously, following Xiao Yifeng’s instructions to the letter as she attempted to circle around the outskirts of the ghost village and slip away.
She flew low, keeping close to the ground. The ghosts here could not harm her, but their mere existence was unpleasant enough to make her avoid them.
Su Miaoqing spent an entire day navigating the Wraithwood Village. She encountered several small settlements and avoided them all without hesitation. Then she spotted a village of moderate size and slowed.
It looked peaceful to an almost suspicious degree. Lanterns glowed warmly, villagers bustled about, traders sold their wares, and the sounds of chickens and dogs filled the air. It felt alive. Normal.
The village look so normal that she thought she might finally ask someone for directions.
The instant she stepped into the village, time itself seemed to stop. Every sound vanished, and every person turned to stare at her together.
In the next instant, their faces contorted grotesquely as they transformed into hideous evil spirits and hurled themselves at her. The abrupt shift shocked Su Miaoqing so badly that she nearly burst into tears.
She was swiftly surrounded, hemmed in by countless of evil ghosts, trapped deep amidst the Wraithwoods.
She fought back with all her strength, cutting down the ghosts that rushed her, but there were simply too many. No matter how fiercely she resisted, she could not break free.
Yet a faint golden flame danced around her hands, exerting a natural restraint on the ghostly horde. It differed from her previous flames, seemingly infused with a trace of the Immortal Bird’s fiery aura.
Elsewhere, Xiao Yifeng realised he had been circling endlessly, another entire day slipping by. His temper finally began to boil over.
At that very moment, Xiao Yifeng spotted a village ahead swarming with Wraithwoods, clustered together as though laying siege to someone within. From deep inside, a woman’s sharp, defiant cries echoed faintly.
His spirits instantly surged. Had he, by some stroke of fate, stumbled upon Su Miaoqing? Without hesitation, he stowed the Immortal Slayer Sword, summoned Luò Hóng instead, and deactivate the Formless Heart Sutra, reverting to the orthodox Nine Scroll of Heavenly Inquiry.
He sped towards the embattled village, but ghostly silhouettes flickered everywhere, obscuring his view of whoever was trapped inside.
Certain that no one else could have arrived so swiftly, he decided at once. Channelling ghost-slaying Daoist power into his blade, he let out a fierce cry and plunged straight into the fray.
After all, the Heaven Inquiry Sect walked the Dao, and their arts were forged to cleanse spirits and suppress the dead.
He swept both hands outward, scattering countless ghost-suppressing talismans that flew towards the spirits, tearing many of them apart. He charged straight into the mass of ghosts, rushing towards the woman they were surrounding.
The besieged Su Miaoqing sensed someone cutting in from outside, and her heart leapt with joy. Could it be Xiao Feng had arrived?
Her courage surged at once. She could not let Xiao Feng look down on her. With a sharp cry, three enormous image of phoenix rose behind her, circling her body and scorching all the ghosts away as they flew towards the newcomer.
Xiao Yifeng soon fought his way into the horde of ghosts. Seeing the graceful and captivating woman within, he noticed her face light up as well. She smiled and said, “I never expected Fellow Daoist Wu Chen to be so chivalrous!”
“Why is it you?!” Once he recognised her, Xiao Yifeng’s expression froze, and he almost turned around and left.
“Does Fellow Daoist Wu Chen really despise Yaoyao so much?” Mo Shuiyao said sweetly. “When I saw you rush in to save me, I was truly delighted.”
“Our paths do not align,” Xiao Yifeng said coldly. “There is no reason for us to walk together.” With that, he turned, intent on cutting a path of blood out of the village.
Yet Mo Shuiyao rose into the air alongside him. Xiao Yifeng could not shake her off, and with her strength rivaling his own, and the encirclement still unbroken, he had no choice but to let her to follow him.
Elsewhere, Su Miaoqing rushed towards her rescuer and froze in place. Before her was a handsome man wielding a folding fan, fighting his way towards her.
“I never thought it would be Fairy Su,” Lin Xiao said, laughing openly. “I heard your voice from within and came at once to save you.” He swept to her side, a storm of folding fans unfolding around them, sealing off the vicious ghosts.
Su Miaoqing had never imagined that the one rushing in would be Lin Xiao, much less that he would risk himself to rescue her. For a brief moment, surprise flickered across her face.
She quickly steadied herself and eyed him with guarded caution. Everyone here coveted her Source Blood, after all.
“Fairy Su, there’s no need for such suspicion. I bear a Wood spiritual root; your Source Blood is of little use to me. And for a woman of your beauty, I would sooner protect than harm,” Lin Xiao said, smiling gently.
“Hmph. Empty words,” Su Miaoqing said coldly.
“Since fate has brought us together, and you appear to have separated from Fellow Daoist Wu Chen, why not travel with me? United, we stand stronger,” Lin Xiao said, extending the invitation.
Su Miaoqing wanted to refuse him, but the surroundings were filled with terrifying, eerie ghosts, and she could not help feeling afraid. Moreover, with her current strength, breaking through without using her Source Blood would be extremely difficult.
After a quick moment of thought, she lifted her chin proudly and said, “If you are truly afraid of these vengeful spirits, this fairy may allow you to accompany me for a while.”
Lin Xiao was momentarily stunned, then laughed softly. He nodded and said seriously, “Then I shall trouble Fairy Su.”
Thus, the two joined forces and fought their way out of the village. The sheer power of the flames Su Miaoqing unleashed made Lin Xiao look at her in a new light.
The folding fan in Lin Xiao’s hand, forged from some unknown material, also possessed a special lethality against ghosts, which could not help but pique Su Miaoqing’s curiosity.
Seeing Su Miaoqing look his way, he could not help but smile lightly and say, “The ribs of this folding fan of mine are made from Soul-Taming Wood, which is why it is especially effective against these ghostly creatures.”
“Hmph. As if I care about your shabby fan,” Su Miaoqing replied, showing no appreciation for his attempt to please her.
Both of them wielded wide-area techniques, one wood, one fire. Their coordination magnified their strength, and it did not take long before they cut their way beyond the village.
They swiftly broke free from the encirclement, leapt into the air, and left the ghost-ridden settlement far behind.