Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 106: Peace in the World And Four Seasons In Harmony

Perhaps the people of Nuan Yan Pavilion will forever remember this battle, even more vividly than the war between the two realms.

Because this time, it was more hopeless than any previous battle, a struggle at every step, a situation where retreat and advance were both impossible.

Perhaps they wouldn’t have the chance to remember this battle at all, because… it seemed they might never escape this illusion.

Xianyue Tianzun had initially thought that her magic weapon had dispelled the illusion, but she hadn’t expected to still be surrounded by it.

What she saw was flat ground, and with a light tap of her toe, she attempted to leap away, only to trigger a mechanism within the array.

The illusion was so intricate, it was terrifying, with one layer following another.

It was like entering a nightmare—thinking one had awakened and subconsciously done something, but in reality, they hadn’t woken up, nor had they done anything at all.

She thought she had broken the illusion, and the illusion seemed to have been dispelled. Just as she let her guard down, she realized she was still within the illusion, and the earlier scene of breaking it was merely part of the illusion itself.

The illusion clung to her like a ghost, like a shadow underfoot—she couldn’t shake it off or escape it.

The combination of the array and illusion was extremely clever. The designer of the illusion knew the one who set up the array, and the two worked together in perfect harmony.

They even predicted what the people trapped in the array would do in response, laying other traps in wait for them.

They were like puppets on strings, manipulated to move within the array, stepping only where the array designer intended.

One wrong step led to more missteps.

They wanted to escape, but couldn’t, because they had no other options. Under such circumstances, they could only respond in the way they did.

The array master had anticipated their every move.

This sense of being controlled made them feel the presence of a power far beyond their own—a power of absolute calculation.

The control of the illusion—Si Ruoyu.

The guidance in setting up the array—Guannan Tianzun.

The completion of the array and predictive calculations—Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao had foreseen many things and had even accounted for the fact that Xianyue Tianzun was not unintelligent.

However, when he saw that Xianyue Tianzun was the first to find him and even knew that he was the array’s core, he was somewhat surprised.

At this moment, Xianyue Tianzun was gravely injured, but a twisted smile appeared on her face, a smile full of madness. “Arrogant child, just because you have a bit of intelligence, you think you’re in control? When I dominated the cultivation world, you were nothing more than a lowly creature chasing pleasure. While others practiced diligently, you took the easy way out. Open your legs, and you can cultivate. It seems you’ve really found your limitless potential!”

Chi Muyao kept his eyes fixed on Xianyue Tianzun, his gaze calm and steady, like a deep, still well. While his protective barrier remained intact, he was still making predictions about her.

Despite her provocation, he remained unfazed, knowing it was a deliberate taunt from her. Naturally, he wouldn’t let his guard down in such a situation.

He raised his chin slightly, unafraid. “I don’t dare to be overly arrogant. If I were truly that capable, I wouldn’t have to resort to such an indirect approach with this array. It’s been months, and I’ve let you cling to life. Clearly, I’m not skilled enough.”

In this illusionary array, where they fought with indirect methods, it had been months, yet they still hadn’t managed to kill all seventeen Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Nuan Yan Pavilion.

Nascent Soul cultivators were simply too difficult to deal with.

If it weren’t for the overwhelming difference in strength, Chi Muyao wouldn’t have used such an exhausting and soul-draining method.

Xianyue Tianzun maintained her mocking expression. “Do you know, we’re merely here to distract you? The real threat to your Dao partner is already by his side!

“By now, enough time has passed that he’s probably already driven your Dao partner into madness.

“I’ve heard that because of the connection to the Hui Flames, once he goes mad, he won’t differentiate between friend or foe. He’ll kill anyone in sight. I wonder what kind of battle he’ll have with the other people of the Qingze Sect. The scene of mutual slaughter—how marvelous it must be.”

Chi Muyao’s expression remained calm, completely unperturbed. After hearing her words, he even gave Xianyue Tianzun a smile.

His features were strikingly beautiful, like a peerless jade, and his smile was as radiant as the morning sun, causing flowers to bloom in abundance.

Seeing his flawless face, Xianyue Tianzun couldn’t help but feel a surge of hatred.

Chi Muyao softly said, “In fact, when I first heard of your arrival, I already considered the possibility that if someone could bribe your loyal companion, perhaps you could also bribe a senior within Qingze Sect’s protectors.

“Could you have possibly pulled a diversionary tactic? Luring away all my attention while planting a heavy piece within Qingze Sect?

“I’m someone who, when it comes to those I care about, tends to become suspicious. That’s why I prepared in advance, tampering with the protector’s seat and informing Sect Leader Xi. While Sect Leader Xi is safeguarding him, he’s also left a part of his mind to observe everyone else. If anyone attempts to pull a trick during the protection ritual, that person will be immediately eliminated by the Sect Leader. So, your grand plan of driving Xi Huai mad won’t succeed.”

This was also why Chi Muyao said he believed seventy percent of Yu Yanshu’s words.

He wasn’t sure if Yu Yanshu knew about the mole in Qingze Sect. After all, Yu Yanshu hadn’t mentioned it.

If Yu Yanshu didn’t know, then Xianyue Tianzun had kept it hidden.

But if Yu Yanshu knew and kept quiet, then Chi Muyao could only accept that Yu Yanshu had changed. Perhaps he didn’t want Xi Huai to succeed in advancing and sought to preserve Nuan Yan Pavilion’s standing.

Thus, he had a genuine desire to cooperate with Chi Muyao in killing Xianyue Tianzun, but at the same time, he didn’t want Xi Huai to ascend.

If it was the latter, then Yu Yanshu would inevitably become an enemy to both Chi Muyao and Xi Huai in the future.

Chi Muyao didn’t want to think too poorly of Yu Yanshu, so he chose to see things in a better light.

For now, he only wanted to quickly deal with Xianyue Tianzun.

Hearing Chi Muyao’s words, Xianyue Tianzun’s expression gradually collapsed, as if she had been truly exposed by him.

Her final trump card was gone.

It had been six months since Xi Huai had entered seclusion.

They had begun their sabotage three months after his seclusion, fearing that if they delayed any longer, Xi Huai would have already successfully ascended.

Afterward, they had been trapped in the illusion array, enduring a battle of attrition for over three months.

At this point, it was still unclear what was happening with Xi Huai on the other side, or if the person she had planted inside Qingze Sect had succeeded.

With no news, no breakthrough, and the situation in a deadlock, it was truly frustrating.

Xianyue Tianzun glared angrily at Chi Muyao, her gaze fierce, and then she laughed, saying, “As long as I kill you, it’ll be over!”

Once Chi Muyao was dead, the array would break, and the remaining shrimp soldiers and crab generals of Qingze Sect wouldn’t stand a chance. By then, they would break the mountain-guarding array, storm into Qingze Sect, and even if the protectors and those advancing in cultivation went mad, their trip would not be in vain.

At the same time, Chi Muyao moved.

He realized that as he was maneuvering against Xianyue Tianzun, four other Nascent Soul cultivators were lurking nearby. At this moment, all five of them attacked together.

They had finally realized they should band together, and what Chi Muyao feared most was now happening.

He sensed that Azure Fox Ancestor had been seriously injured.

Although Azure Fox Ancestor could control cultivators for his own use, if his enemies didn’t care about the lives of their comrades and insisted on killing him, his combat and defensive abilities weren’t strong enough to resist for long.

Yu Yanshu was in the same position. He had just advanced to the Nascent Soul stage recently, and his battle experience was still no match for the seasoned elders.

As for the other seniors in Qingze Sect, they were probably all injured to varying degrees by now.

Some of them were guarding their designated areas, not daring to leave. Otherwise, unfamiliar with the layout of other parts of the array, they would, like the people of Nuan Yan Pavilion, fall into the illusions and get injured by their own array.

Chi Muyao, being the array’s core, was always cautious. He had carefully helped others heal their injuries, but after being targeted by Xianyue Tianzun, he no longer had the chance to heal anyone, spending more time dodging within the array.

Today, he was finally surrounded.

Seeing Chi Muyao being besieged, Si Ruoyu, who had been hiding in the shadows, had no choice but to appear and help him.

There were only the two of them left, and neither had particularly strong combat abilities.

Their group had managed to hold out for three months, which was no small feat. They had already bought Xi Huai a lot of time for his advancement.

At this moment, Chi Muyao only thought about how everyone else could survive.

If he really couldn’t hold on, he would retreat into Qingze Sect’s mountain-guarding array with the other seniors under the cover of the illusion array. Within the array, they could at least hold out a little longer and regain some energy.

Once they recovered, they could fight another battle within Qingze Sect.

The commotion caused by the destruction of the mountain-guarding array would also attract the attention of other demonic sects. By then, those sects that were friendly with Qingze Sect might come to help.

However… demonic cultivators were generally unpredictable. If they learned that Xi Huai was in seclusion, they might take advantage of the situation and hinder his ascension.

At that point, it would be hard to tell if those who came were friend or foe.

That would be the worst-case scenario, and Chi Muyao prayed constantly, hoping that things wouldn’t descend into such chaos.

Gradually, Chi Muyao began to panic.

The five enemies were attacking the two of them, and seeing how difficult Chi Muyao was to deal with, they decided to kill Si Ruoyu first.

As long as Si Ruoyu died, the illusion would disappear, and that would solve a lot of problems.

Surrounded and under concentrated fire, Si Ruoyu was gradually overwhelmed.

Xianyue Tianzun finally saw Si Ruoyu and, already bloodthirsty, grew even more excited, shouting, “Zhishan, after hiding for so long, you finally dare to show yourself?! Prepare to die!”

The others also chased after Si Ruoyu, launching relentless spells and sword rain, each strike deadly.

“You old nun!” Even though Si Ruoyu was retreating step by step, she didn’t lose in verbal sparring. “Back then, though people didn’t like you, at least your appearance wasn’t bad. Now you’re old, ugly, and bad-tempered. I heard even those who used to love you don’t want to look at you anymore. You’re only killing me to vent your anger.”

“It was Guannan who was blind, seduced by your charm techniques!”

“Hah, I do know charm techniques, but I wouldn’t have dared use them on him back then. It would’ve exposed my identity, but he still liked me. He was even willing to leave Nuan Yan Pavilion for me. Doesn’t that just piss you off?”

Xianyue Tianzun, furious beyond words, attacked even more viciously.

Just as Si Ruoyu was about to be stabbed, a sudden burst of flames erupted between them. Upon closer inspection, a massive bird had flown out, spreading its wings wide enough to block out the sun, launching several waves of fire-dragon flames at Xianyue Tianzun.

Si Ruoyu was startled by the sight of Qiuqiu. This bird had been well-trained by Chi Muyao, flying proudly with a majesty comparable to a dragon.

But just as she admired Qiuqiu’s grandeur, the bird flapped its wings and let out a weak “chirp.”

The contrast of this mighty bird making such a “wimpy” sound made Si Ruoyu laugh.

At the same time, a dragon’s roar echoed, followed by a giant dragon soaring into the sky.

The moment the dragon appeared, it blocked several incoming attacks, its enormous body coiling around Chi Muyao, shielding him.

Chi Muyao walked over to Si Ruoyu, positioning her behind him as he faced Xianyue Tianzun and the others.

Si Ruoyu was slightly surprised. The once scrawny child she had carried back to Hehuan Sect was now strong enough to stand in front of her.

Chi Muyao took out Hehuan Sect’s magic weapon, a tuanshan fan, transforming it into a sword. He declared loudly, “If there must be a villain in this story, then let me be that villain.”

If the plot demanded an eternal conflict between good and evil, and if the villain was destined to face trials and be besieged, then he would take on that role.

He didn’t ask for much. He only wanted Xi Huai to be safe, and Xi Huai was all he cared about.

All Chi Muyao had originally wanted was to fish and drink tea, living a leisurely life in the book.

But if it was for Xi Huai, he was willing to change.

“What nonsense?!” Xianyue Tianzun raged, continuing her attack.

The other cultivators also joined the fray, surrounding them.

With a dragon and a bird fighting alongside them, the two from Hehuan Sect coordinated their attacks.

The blazing flames were intense, and even though neither of them had fire-element spiritual roots, they endured the heat, with the golden bell helping to block some of the damage.

Chi Muyao’s control of the dragon, even when fighting in tandem with Qiuqiu, wasn’t as smooth as it would have been with the Xi family, given that his spiritual roots weren’t compatible.

They had to remain within the protective range of the dragon, enduring the bitter struggle.

All they could see were the fiercely burning flames, the mingled blood, and the attacks from various techniques merging into the swirling smoke.

Within the illusion, the sun shone brilliantly, like the blazing remnants of sunset cracking open the seams of the sky, revealing beams of light.

Moments ago, Chi Muyao’s eyes had reflected a calm pond disturbed by worry, but now, they had gradually returned to a state of serenity.

He stood protectively in front of Si Ruoyu, whispering, “Don’t worry, Master. Your disciple will keep you safe.”

Despite being from Hehuan Sect, at the crucial moment, he was still every bit the man.