Chapter 66: What Love and Hate, Such Boring Things…
“Black Mist Bird is a big fool, an idiot, bald, a fat chicken…” Song Yilou muttered a whole string of insults. Seeing that there was still no movement around them, he looked at Yun Wuxiang in confusion, drilled into the cage, tugged at his sleeve, and complained, “How can there be such a cowardly bird? I’ve insulted it this much and it still won’t come out.”
Sensing Song Yilou’s resolute desire to seek death, Yun Wuxiang decided to grant his wish. With a slightly hoarse voice, he whispered, “Dao Zun Jiangzi, towards Dao Zun Tianqing…”
The birdcage suddenly moved, shaking violently as if someone had picked it up and was shaking it fiercely.
After the cage stopped shaking, Yun Wuxiang, who had locked himself to the bars, looked at the black mist filling the cage, then looked down at Song Yilou, who had rolled over and crashed into his leg. “It’s here.”
Song Yilou, lying flat on his back, reached an arm up, grabbed Yun Wuxiang’s leg for leverage, spun, jumped up, flipped in mid-air, all in one smooth motion, and landed perfectly.
Feeling the sensation of his thigh being grabbed, Yun Wuxiang’s gaze landed on Song Yilou’s back, and he lifted his leg to deliver a kick right to a certain someone’s rear.
“Black Mist Bird, you’re finally willing to come out… Ayayaya!” Kicked by Yun Wuxiang, Song Yilou stumbled unsteadily right in front of the Black Mist Bird, which had just condensed its physical form, and immediately launched a horizontal slash with his saber.
Bang!
The blade stopped about half a meter away from the Black Mist Bird, as if it had struck an invisible barrier.
The blast wave blew aside the stray hairs on Song Yilou’s forehead. The crescent ghost mark was shifting toward a full moon, like an extremely slow-moving clock face rotating at a speed undetectable to the naked eye.
A thunderous boom entered his ears. Yun Wuxiang glanced outside the cage from the corner of his eye. The giant vines summoned by Mu Mian were dissipating. The vines, hundreds of meters tall, stretched so high that one couldn’t see the top from the ground. As they dissipated, a patch of thorny brambles faintly flashed within the vines.
As one fell, the other rose. The death of the sacrificer pushed Song Yilou’s power to the next level. Another section of the ghost mark on his forehead blackened; it was only a hair’s breadth away from becoming a full moon.
The mist on the Black Mist Bird twisted and jumped, then it closed its eyes. The pitch-black giant bird stood in the cage, turned its head, and said to Yun Wuxiang, “Tianqing would never use something as damaging to the harmony of Heaven as a Sacrificial Array. You are more cold-hearted than she is.”
Yun Wuxiang: “Oh, so what?”
Song Yilou waved his saber at the Black Mist Bird non-stop, like chopping vegetables. Every strike stopped at the exact same spot, unable to advance an inch, but he just wouldn’t stop, continuously hacking at the air, interjecting midway: “Hey, are you ignoring me?”
“You’re not allowed to look at the Temple Master or talk to the Temple Master! I called you out here to die, not to chat!”
The Black Mist Bird said to Yun Wuxiang, “Your taste in choosing a Dao Companion is highly problematic.”
Even though it was covered entirely in black mist and no expression could be seen, Yun Wuxiang could sense its disgust toward Song Yilou. “He’s not my Dao Companion. Don’t spread rumors casually.”
Song Yilou turned around, looking wronged, and said faintly, “Temple Master, the entire Immortal Realm knows we are Dao Companions. How can you not acknowledge my status?”
Yun Wuxiang’s eyelid twitched. He recalled that Song Yilou had placed him on a ranking board in the Immortal Realm. When Jin Hongqi found him, he brought two greeting gifts, one of which was prepared for his Dao Companion. It was evident what kind of monstrous shape this rumor had mutated into in the Immortal Realm.
The Immortal Realm… if there’s nothing important, I’d better just not go there.
Yun Wuxiang looked at the Black Mist Bird, changing the subject: “He’s been insulting you for so long, aren’t you going to settle the score? Don’t you care about your pride?”
“How can the words of an ant enter my ears?” Beneath the Black Mist Bird’s calm words lay the absolute arrogance and contempt of the strong. Even though its tone didn’t leak these emotions, that was exactly what made this haughtiness all the more real—condescending and taken for granted.
Under such a massive gap in strength, some would look up to and follow it, some would yearn and strive, some would bow and submit, and some… would want to ruthlessly stab it with a knife!
The blade flashed, leaving a cold white afterimage in the air, slicing open the black mist to gouge out a patch of colorful feathers inside. Song Yilou laughed out loud: “I told you I was going to chop you.”
The Black Mist Bird turned into a cloud of black smoke and flew out of the cage. Its double pupils opened, its gaze falling upon Song Yilou’s forehead. The ghost moon there had become a complete full moon. The center of the ghost moon gradually faded into a slightly transparent white, and an eerily cold, desolate white orchid bloomed from within the ghost moon.
“Crystal Ghost Orchid. Why are you able to use the power of Dao Zun Shuji?” Upon seeing the Crystal Orchid, the Black Mist Bird immediately turned to look at Yun Wuxiang. Only after confirming that the Tianqing Mark showed no reaction did it sigh in relief.
Thank goodness, this guy isn’t the reincarnation of Dao Zun Shuji.
Yun Wuxiang was also looking at Song Yilou. After the orchid appeared, the yin qi emanating from Song Yilou shifted to a completely different tier. The icy chill pierced through flesh and blood, seemingly wanting to freeze the soul.
In Yun Wuxiang’s perception, the sense of danger brought by that yin qi was on par with the Azure Heaven Qi and the Demonic Phoenix Qi.
Dao Zun Shuji’s origin was a ghost. It seemed Song Yilou had a fortuitous encounter in the ruins of the maze; no wonder he was able to manipulate the maze’s mechanisms.
“Probably because I’m naturally beautiful. The Dao Zun found me pleasing to the eye and was willing to help me achieve my heart’s desire.”
Song Yilou rested the saber on his shoulder, swung his arm, and pointed the tip of the blade at the Black Mist Bird: “I already agreed with the Temple Master to tear you to pieces in exchange for fulfilling my long-cherished wish. Black Mist Bird, just be kind and help me out.”
Before his words finished, he had already rushed out of the birdcage, arriving in front of the Black Mist Bird, swinging his saber to unleash a blade beam swirling with extreme yin qi.
“Crazy brat!” The Black Mist Bird flapped its wings to dodge while scolding angrily.
Ghostly hands formed from yin qi reached out, grabbing at the Black Mist Bird. With the orchid atop his head, Song Yilou’s ghost pupils held the obsession and killing intent of having locked onto prey. “Why are you dodging?”
“Today, I will absolutely… chop you up!”
Yin qi and demonic qi violently clashed outside the cage, plunging the world before their eyes into pitch-blackness. Unable to see the battlefield clearly, Yun Wuxiang simply stopped watching. He sat quietly in the cage, eating Tianqing Fruits and focusing on repairing his meridians.
Arrogant and unbridled laughter rang out from the sky, accompanied by furious bird screeches.
Song Yilou’s energy was truly overflowing. He had just finished fighting the Wood Demon and was now fighting the Black Mist Bird.
Boom!
After a massive explosion, the black mist was swept away by a gale.
“Temple Master, look quickly! I told you it was a fat chicken!”
Yun Wuxiang looked toward the source of the voice. Within the black mist, a colorful bird with double pupils revealed more than half of its body. Its brilliantly luminous wings seemed to glow in the dim environment.
Gorgeous feathers, divine double pupils. It should have been an awe-inspiring divine bird, except its feathers were a bit too fluffy. Compared to the graceful silhouette outlined by the black mist, this bird’s actual body size was four or five times rounder. It was more than adorable and endearing, but its majesty was greatly reduced.
The Black Mist Bird’s breed probably wasn’t a chicken, but visually, it certainly looked very rotund.
“Hmph!” The colorful, round bird let out a cold snort. Black mist enveloped its entire body again. It instantly appeared above Song Yilou’s head and brought a wing down, turning Song Yilou into a shooting star that smashed into the ground right in front of Yun Wuxiang.
Striking twice in a row, Yun Wuxiang once again watched Song Yilou crawl out of a crater, couldn’t help but marvel at how durable, fall-resistant, and unkillable this guy was.
Covered in ash and debris, Song Yilou’s ghost eyes—black sclera with red pupils—gleamed with a ghostly smile: “Temple Master, look at the sky.”
Yun Wuxiang looked up and saw semi-transparent ghostly hands of yin qi wrapping around the Black Mist Bird, grabbing its wings, legs, and neck, tearing at it in different directions.
The Black Mist Bird struggled twice, its entire body twisting before abruptly splitting into several pieces. Just as Song Yilou kept chanting, it was torn to shreds by the ghost hands.
Scattered black mist drifted away from the ghost hands, floating off like ungraspable light smoke, only to gather together to the side and reform its shape.
Its double pupils, carrying a mix of weirdness and divinity, swept over the two people on the ground. It swept over the Gui Gu’s seemingly normal but internally crazed eyes, reading his chaotic, ferocious inner voice.
The Black Mist Bird cursed silently and let out a long screech. The piercing sound was like a blade stabbing through the ears and into the brain. Amidst a dizzying blankness, Yun Wuxiang felt his auditory system get destroyed, all sounds fading far away from him.
Watching Song Yilou’s mouth open and close, Yun Wuxiang said, “Write it down, I can’t hear you.”
Song Yilou closed his mouth and didn’t write anything. He just looked at him with those ghost eyes that could scare a child to tears if shown in public. Grabbing Yun Wuxiang’s shoulders with both hands, he slowly drew closer.
A sharp pain pierced the tip of his ear; sharp teeth bit down hard on his earlobe. Next, a soft, wet object brushed past the edge of his ear canal.
“Temple Master, I really want to eat you.” Dark ghost words fell beside his ear, yet Yun Wuxiang could only perceive a bone-piercing chill.
“Stay away from me. You are very cold.”
Dao Zun-level ghost qi was extremely yin and cold. It was freezing.
The damage caused by the Black Mist Bird’s roar seemed to have an unshakable lingering effect. Yun Wuxiang continuously cast healing spells on himself, yet still couldn’t hear any sound.
Song Yilou turned his head to face Yun Wuxiang, smiled at him, placed a hand over his heart, and grabbed.
Yun Wuxiang felt his body lighten, as if all weight had been stripped away from him. His lost hearing also returned.
“The Temple Master’s soul also has white hair.” Song Yilou lifted a strand of Yun Wuxiang’s hair, gazing fervently at the soul before him. “I finally get to see it.”
A thud sounded from behind as an object hit the ground. Yun Wuxiang turned his head and looked down at the physical body lying on the ground, sharing his exact face. The crimson pupils looked like crystal clear red glaze—beautiful, yet cold and lifeless.
So my soul left the body. Having confirmed his current situation, Yun Wuxiang withdrew his gaze and looked at Song Yilou, who was playing with his hair: “Where are my emotions?”
“I also want to know.” Song Yilou spoke softly, a peculiar smile curling the corners of his lips. “I originally thought the Temple Master simply lacked love and hate, but it turns out you have nothing at all.”
“It shouldn’t be like this. Ah, I know.” Song Yilou narrowed his eyes. His pale, bloodless finger tapped Yun Wuxiang’s forehead. “It’s this thing.”
What was on his forehead? The Tianqing Mark.
After a moment of thought, Yun Wuxiang understood what his current state was: “The Tianqing Mark is protecting me. The Duohong Qi erodes the divine sense much faster than the physical body. The enhanced effect of the mark has resulted in…”
“Temple Master, I have already torn the Black Mist Bird apart once. You saw it. Now, I’m going to take what I want.” Song Yilou grasped Yun Wuxiang’s hand, interrupting him.
Yun Wuxiang: “You’re equivocating and taking advantage of loopholes.”
“Temple Master, who made me run out of time and patience to keep waiting? It was you.” Song Yilou turned the tables, accusing him: “In this game, you were the first one to cheat.”
“I never agreed to play a game with you. The fault doesn’t lie with me.” Yun Wuxiang was never one to be twisted up by Song Yilou’s twisted logic.
“My only fault was insufficient cultivation, which is why I couldn’t solve the problem at the very beginning and left you pestering me until now.”
“How heartless. We clearly got along so well recently, yet the Temple Master still never thought about keeping me around.” Song Yilou reached out, covering Yun Wuxiang’s forehead, and smiled. “Neither of us has changed.”
You are still rational and indifferent.
And I still want to see your soul clearly.
Ghost qi permeated the air, covering the Tianqing Mark.
In an instant, Yun Wuxiang felt as if he had stepped out of a safe box and into a highly polluted gas chamber.
Intense malice surged wildly. The desire to slaughter, the desire to destroy things.
Yun Wuxiang’s eyes darkened. When he closed and reopened them, his voice carried an extra layer of suppressed hoarseness: “Song Yilou.”
“Oh my, failed again.” Pinched between Song Yilou’s fingers was a withered heart-shaped petal—a dead Qing Gu (Love Gu).
“A demon once told me that Inner Demons are not complete demons. They don’t have their own physical bodies, no past of their own. From the very beginning of their birth, they are merely shadows of the main body. Even if they succeed in possession, under the influence of the main body, they still won’t have an independent self, nor will they have their own love and hate. In essence, they are nothing more than the lingering demonic obsession of the main body.”
“I thought they were short-sighted. The Temple Master is not like that at all. You have your own Inner Demon. How could something like a demonic obsession give birth to an Inner Demon?”
Song Yilou let out a contemptuous sneer, rubbing the withered Qing Gu between his fingers. A resentful unwillingness surged in his smile as his ghost eyes looked at Yun Wuxiang, clinging with a bitter, lovelorn grievance as if looking at an unfaithful lover: “But my Qing Gu has never been successfully planted on the Temple Master!”
Yun Wuxiang reached out, grabbed his collar, his tone sinking. His pupils contracted towards the center, the vertical slit pupils characteristic of demons staring at the ghost cultivator in front of him: “Are you done talking?”
“Since when did you become so long-winded? If you’re going to do something, hurry up and do it. I have no patience to listen to your complaints right now.”
“What love and hate, such boring things. Is that what you care about? You just want to see me act like a fool after falling in love with you, to satisfy your own curiosity.”
Having lost the suppression of the Azure Heaven Qi, his malice ignited by the Duohong Qi, Yun Wuxiang was highly aggressive. Every sentence was like a sharp thorn, full of mockery and disdain.
“A childish brat who holds a grudge when his curiosity isn’t satisfied.”
Translator’s Notes: Hello again! Song Yilou’s obsession reaches new heights here.
- Dao Zun Shuji: Forgiving Self Dao Venerable, a ghostly ancestor whose power Song Yilou seems to have tapped into.
- Qing Gu (Love Gu): A parasitic insect/magic used to force romantic affection, which Song Yilou has repeatedly failed to implant in Yun Wuxiang.
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