Chapter 162: Together in Life and Death

Shang Ruwan stared blankly at Mo Tiange; she didn’t understand what Mo Tiange meant.

Mo Tiange, who kept her gaze fixed on Yao Zixiu’s floating figure, said slowly, “‘This life eternal day’—this life is eternal and eternity is one day. In this place, whatever you wish can be realized, aside from leaving. You wanted a peaceful haven, so this place gave you a peaceful haven. He wants to be able to hold his head up high, so this place let him hold his head up high.” Mo Tiange dropped her gaze to look at Shang Ruwan; there was both pity and sadness in her gaze. “Therefore, nothing is real. The past three years you experienced wasn’t real, and his core-formation also isn’t real.”

Shang Ruwan looked thunderstruck and remained in a daze for a long time.

Mo Tiange continued on: “This Illusory Formation will show whatever we desire deep in our hearts. Big Sister, what you wanted most was a peaceful life for the two of you, and what he wanted most was…”

Mo Tiange didn’t finish what she wanted to say, but Shang Ruwan already understood what she meant. After staring blankly for a long time, Shang Ruwan finally asked, “Then… what will happen in the end?”

Upon seeing Shang Ruwan’s expression, Mo Tiange barely had the heart to tell her the answer, but she had no other choice. “…Fellow Daoist Yan already fell. We realized she entered a trap and was blinded by the illusion—she died because her blood essence was exhausted…”

Shang Ruwan was shocked. She seemed to have lost the ability to speak and just stared stupidly at her husband, who was still floating in midair with black fog coiling around him.

Dead… What he wanted most…

…

A memory of the first time she met her father’s newly received disciple ninety years ago entered her mind—

“Your name’s Yao Zixiu? Do you know who I am?”

Although that little teenager had unyielding arrogance in his eyes, he didn’t take her as a child playing around. Instead, he cautiously gave her a deep bow. “Greetings to Senior Martial Sister.”

Her equally young self smiled complacently, uttered several fake coughs and nodded. “En, you have manners!”

Their eldest martial brother watching on the sidelines said teasingly, “Little Junior Martial Brother, you’re still a bit older than little junior martial sister, so you should call her junior martial sister.”

“This…” The teenager looked at her then said earnestly, “I entered the group later than senior martial sister, so I ought to call her senior martial sister…”

Shang Ruwan was very happy, so she rushed towards their eldest martial brother and shouted, “It’s senior martial sister! Senior martial sister!” She then turned around to look at that teenager and patted her small chest. “Little Junior Martial Brother, I’ll protect you from now on!”

She remembered when she just built her foundation seventy years ago—

“What’s so good about that kid?! Be obedient and listen to Father—marry your Big Brother Ni!”

She was kneeling motionlessly in front of her father; she held her head high, showing that she absolutely wouldn’t give in.

“Unfilial girl!” Her father suddenly lost his temper; his palm swung towards her.

Her father, who was in the peak stage of the Foundation Building realm, showed her no mercy with his slap. She vomited blood, and her meridians were severely damaged. Nevertheless, she still gritted her teeth, unwilling to yield.

Her mother wept next to them. “Wan’er, just listen to your father!”

Listen? No! She struggled to crawl up, used all her strength to kneel in front of her father then said word by word, “If Father forces me, I’ll kill myself!”

No one had ever dared to disobey her father like this, including herself. But this time, she didn’t regret it.

She remembered sixty years ago when he finally built his foundation—

“Father, junior martial brother’s built his foundation!” She ran happily into the hall.

There wasn’t even a bit of happiness on her father’s face. He said coldly, “If you didn’t secretly give him the Foundation-Building Pills you stashed, how could he possibly have built his foundation?”

She was stunned, confused why her father, who agreed to this matter, was so indifferent.

“Father, isn’t little junior martial brother a disciple you accepted personally? Why are you…”

“Hmph! If it wasn’t because there was once a Core Formation cultivator in his clan and I thought his clan definitely had some treasures, why would I have accepted him as my disciple, considering his aptitude?” She never expected her father would say such things.

“Father!” she shouted in disbelief. “You… You’re using little junior martial brother!?”

“What do you mean using!?” Her father looked indifferent. “Had I not accepted him as my disciple, how could he have gotten dozens of years worth of the good life he enjoys now? How could he have built his foundation? Wan’er, your Big Brother Ni still holds you dear in his heart and he built his foundation long ago. With his aptitude, it wouldn’t be hard for him to advance to the middle stage within another ten or so years. You better change your heart!”

“Father, you… Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t force me to marry Big Brother Ni?”

“Today’s not yesterday; there’s no place for your willfulness now!” Her father’s expression was filled with complacency and peppered with indifference. “The bride price your Uncle Ni put forth was a Dustless Pill—something Father’s been seeking for many years! With that Dustless Pill, Father may be able to enter the Core Formation realm in one go! Wan’er, Father’s path towards the Core Formation realm lies in your hands!”

She remembered that night—

“Junior Martial Brother, let’s go! Let’s go!” she said tearfully while grabbing his hands.

The little teenager back then was already a serious, gentle young man. He held her hands in astonishment. “Senior Martial Sister, what’s wrong?”

She said between her tears, “It’ll be too late if we don’t go now! Father still wants me to marry Big Brother Ni, and Ni Clan already proclaimed that even if I die, they’ll still carry me into their family!”

He froze; his expression turned pale with fright.

“Junior Martial Brother, it’ll be too late if we don’t go now! My mother’s soft-hearted, so she let me out. We only have one night; tomorrow…. tomorrow, I…”

“This…” He looked conflicted, but after a long time, he finally clenched his teeth. “Alright! Senior Martial Sister, let’s go! We’ll go to faraway places so they’ll never find us again!”

She remembered the day they got married—

There were no guests, no wedding clothes—there was only the ice-cold moonlight and two lonely silhouettes.

“Heaven and Earth are my witnesses; the bright moon is my intermediary. I, Shang Ruwan, am willing to marry Yao Zixiu and be his wife. In this lifetime, I will never leave nor forsake him.”

He also said his vows: “Heaven and Earth are my witnesses; the bright moon is my intermediary. I, Yao Zixiu, am willing to have Shang Ruwan as my wife. In this lifetime, I will be with her in life and death.”

The freezing night wind blew, and not too far from them, a herd of wolves howled. However, she only felt happiness in her heart.

“Senior Martial Sister…”

“You still want to call me senior martial sister now?”

He was startled, but a smile soon appeared on his face. “… You were originally younger than me; I’ll call you Little Sister Wan from now on, is that alright?”

She also smiled then said softly, “Big Brother Xiu.”

…

It’d been sixty years. Although they didn’t have a permanent dwelling and they didn’t progress much in their cultivation, she always felt very satisfied. Her wish was very difficult to fulfill; aside from him, no one else could make her happy. At the same time, her wish was also very easy to fulfill; as long as she was with him, she felt happy.

Her tears fell. This was the first time she realized that happiness was so, so far away.

“Be careful!” Mo Tiange grabbed Shang Ruwan and hastily pulled her back.

The cloud of black fog floating in the air suddenly burst. Yao Zixiu opened his eyes; his momentum became much more oppressive.

Core Formation realm! No matter what the cause was, the current Yao Zixiu was undoubtedly in the Core Formation realm! Inside this Illusory Formation, this illusion would only disappear if one’s thoughts changed; otherwise, the illusion would be no different from reality!

Mo Tiange turned around to look at the others. Fangzheng, Lu Xiangxin and Wang Xiangzhi all had astonished expressions on their faces. Once he regained his train of thought, Fangzheng gave them a look then exclaimed in a whisper, “Let’s go!”

The five of them, including Shang Ruwan who was being pulled by Mo Tiange, fled to a faraway place.

However, in the next second, the majestic momentum behind them suddenly soared.

“AH—” Two blood-curling screams came through. Lu and Wang, who’d fallen behind, were blasted away; one slammed against a tree trunk while the other fell on a Five Elements Platform; both vomited blood. It was unclear whether they were still alive or not.

“Stop!” Yao Zixiu bellowed.

Mo Tiange instantly turned around. Somewhere not too far behind her, Daoist Fangzheng also stopped and turned around.

Right now, Yao Zixiu’s eyes were all red as if they were burning with a raging blaze. The robes on his body were fluttering despite no wind being around. The momentum of a Core Formation cultivator gushed from him.

Yao Zixiu slowly ran his arrogant, unfeeling gaze over them—it felt as if he was looking at several ants.

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It was only when his gaze finally fell on Shang Ruwan’s body that there was a slight change in his bone-chilling presence.

He said, “Little Sister Wan, we can go back—I can take you back! HAHAHAHA…” In the end, he actually burst out laughing. His laughter sounded extremely arrogant and mad.

Shang Ruwan slowly shook off Mo Tiange’s hold then walked forward step by step.

“Big Sister Shang!” Mo Tiange couldn’t help but call out to her. She could see that although Yao Zixiu hadn’t been possessed by the devil during his cultivation, his mental state was indeed possessed by the devil. He could still recognize Shang Ruwan now, but who knew whether he’d still retain his rationality in the next second?

Shang Ruwan stopped for a moment then turned around and smiled at her. Mo Tiange didn’t know why, but she felt Shang Ruwan looked even more in despair when she smiled than when she cried. Shang Ruwan said softly, “Little Sister Ye, you’re very kind; thank you. This matter has nothing to do with you. Wait a moment… then you can go.”

Mo Tiange was stunned. Shang Ruwan’s words meant…

But Shang Ruwan already turned around and flew towards Yao Zixiu.

Yao Zixiu reached out, smugly taking her into his arms. “Little Sister Wan, are you happy?”

Shang Ruwan shook her head. “I’m not happy,” she said dully.

A slight wrinkle appeared on Yao Zixiu’s brows. He asked anxiously, “Why? All these years, hasn’t it always been your wish to go back? Now we can go back in a just and open way; your father can no longer say anything about us!”

“Really?” There was a bone-chilling coldness in Shang Ruwan’s gaze. “Big Brother Xiu, is your current cultivation level real?”

Yao Zixiu was startled but soon after, he said with indignation, “Little Sister Wan! What do you mean? My cultivation level’s certainly real! Come and take a look—” He pulled Shang Ruwan’s hand as he was impatient to prove himself. “This is the cultivation technique I just got. As it turns out, there really are fated chances here. The master of this place was a cultivator with great divine power. After he passed away, his cultivation technique was sealed in this place, and I happened to obtain it…”

Shang Ruwan watched his smug face indifferently; there was only profound sorrow in her heart. After a hundred years, she finally got a clear look at this person, her most beloved person. As it turned out, cultivating had always been the most important thing in his heart. As it turned out, this was the kind of outcome he had always desired.

Shang Ruwan took the Jade Slip in Yao Zixiu’s hand then inserted her divine sense into it. Soon after, she sneered as she threw it back to him: “Big Brother Xiu, look at it yourself; what kind of thing is this?”

Yao Zixiu doubtfully took the Jade slip back. Right after, his expression changed.

Mo Tiange didn’t know what exactly was going on, but she had a rough understanding. The so-called fated chances were just part of Yao Zixiu’s fantasy, so there was naturally no such cultivation technique inside that Jade Slip—it was most likely empty or loaded with rubbish. Once Yao Zixiu saw it, he naturally realized something was wrong.

“Impossible! This is real! This is real!” At first, Yao Zixiu just mumbled to himself, but in the end, a fierce expression appeared on his face. He turned around, glaring furiously at Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng. “You two stole it, didn’t you!?”

“Big Brother Xiu!” Shang Ruwan shouted as she grabbed his sleeves. “The others have nothing to do with this. This is an Illusory Formation, so it made you see illusions!”

“Illusory Formation? Illusions? No, you’re lying to me, you’re lying to me!” Yao Zixiu’s momentum surged. He shook Shang Ruwan off his arm, causing her to cry out in fear as she fell from the air.

Under Yao Zixiu’s stare, Mo Tiange didn’t dare to move. She could only look on helplessly as Shang Ruwan was flung away.

No matter how weak Yao Zixiu was before, he was a genuine Core Formation cultivator inside this Illusory Formation. Even if Mo Tiange was conceited, she would never think she could defeat a Core Formation cultivator. If she fought him, she wouldn’t be able to defeat him; if she ran, this valley was constrained in size—she wouldn’t be able to flee from him. Should she enter her Virtual Sky World then? But in order to enter the Virtual Sky World, she had to say the incantations; she would need around three seconds at least. Nevertheless, Yao Zixiu was watching them now. If he saw them making a move, he might attack and immediately kill them—she didn’t even have one second.

“Big Brother Xiu!” Shang Ruwan was obviously wounded, but she still tried hard to crawl up. “Big Brother Xiu, don’t! Don’t! You’ll be possessed by the devil!”

“Little Sister Wan, you don’t need to say anything further! Do you think I don’t know?” Yao Zixiu’s eyes were deep red, making him look more and more like a monster. “That year, your father accepted me as his disciple only because he took fancy to the amassed wealth of my Yao Clan! In order to persuade him to let you marry me, I gave him the secret technique of Yao Clan’s ancestor as an offering, but what did your father do? He still wanted you to marry someone else! Furthermore, when I became useless to him, he even had intentions of killing me!”

“What?” Shang Ruwan was stupefied. “My father, he…”

“You must’ve not known, right?” Yao Zixiu smirked. His calm, gentle demeanor was nowhere to be seen. His sinister face seemed more and more terrifying. “That year… that year, it wasn’t because he loved you, his daughter. It was because I offered him the amassed wealth of my Yao Clan! But even after I offered that to him, he only let us off for ten years! The day you came looking for me, I already received news that he wanted to kill me! I originally wanted to leave by myself, but you came looking for me… I-I couldn’t give you up…”

“…” Shang Ruwan was speechless; her lips were trembling. So that was what happened… so that was what happened! It was no wonder he was so eager to cultivate; it was no wonder he… he must’ve wanted to take revenge after he advanced to the Core Formation realm, right?

She suddenly wept. As it turned out, there was no solution to all of this… no solution at all! She thought it’d be enough if she convinced him, but he unexpectedly had those motivations! Even if he was willing to leave this Illusory Formation, his heart would always be intent on taking revenge.

“Little Sister Wan.” Yao Zixiu once again turned gentle. “Don’t worry. For your sake, I won’t kill him. It’d be enough for me as long as I abolished his cultivation! Hmph! All these years, I’ve always asked around for news about him. Your father hasn’t succeeded in forming his Gold Core. Retribution; this is definitely retribution! Hahahaha…”

Once he had his fill of laughter, he shifted his gaze towards Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng. He said leisurely, “Well, I’ll start with you guys. Come, let me see your skills!”

Mo Tiange’s and Daoist Fangzheng’s expressions sank. Both grasped either their magic tool or magic weapon.

Yao Zixiu looked like a cat playing with mice. He didn’t attack them right away; instead, it seemed like he was really waiting to see their skills.

After a moment of silence, Mo Tiange said, “Fellow Daoist Yao, you don’t believe this is an Illusory Formation?”

“I believe it is!” Yao Zixiu held his head high and said, “However, my advancement to the Core Formation realm wasn’t an illusion. If it was only an illusion, I wouldn’t have such clear feelings, a sense that I’ve really become strong…”

He was still thinking, but Mo Tiange laughed. “Correct! It’s a feeling, but a feeling can be mistaken.”

“You—” Having his beliefs continuously denied, anger blazed in Yao Zixiu’s eyes. He lifted his hand; spiritual aura gradually gathered on his palm and formed a sphere.

Mo Tiange and Daoist Fangzheng became even more anxious. Core Formation cultivators were able to materialize spiritual aura. This kind of spiritual aura sphere undoubtedly wasn’t an attack Foundation Building cultivators like them could withstand it!

“Big Brother Xiu!” Shang Ruwan shouted, “Big Brother Xiu, let them go, please! If you want to take revenge, they have nothing to do with it…”

“Shut up!” Yao Zixiu bellowed. “In the cultivation world, killing a few people doesn’t count for squat—you’re too soft-hearted!”

“I’m just afraid you’ll be possessed by the devil…”

“Possessed by the devil? So what if I become possessed by the devil?” Yao Zixiu sneered disdainfully, “If I can obtain formidable power, I’ll willingly get possessed by the devil! Besides, what’s so bad about being possessed by the devil? That Master Song Feng is a great late stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but doesn’t he also like to slaughter the innocents as well? We’ve never seen his cultivation level affected by him being possessed by the devil either. Inner Demon? Losing morality? Everything’s fake, fake!”

Shang Ruwan could no longer persuade him. She just stared blankly at Yao Zixiu, whose arrogance was now surging. Her tears continued to fall as she said sorrowfully, “Then what about me? What are you going to do about me? If you’re possessed by the devil, what should I do?”

“…” Yao Zixiu was silent. His expression became somewhat softer. It was as if her words touched a soft spot inside his heart.

At that moment, Mo Tiange gave Daoist Fangzheng a meaningful glance. Both came to a tacit understanding and secretly prepared themselves…

“Big Brother Xiu, do you remember the vows we made that day? I, Shang Ruwan, am willing to marry Yao Zixiu and be his wife. In this lifetime, I will never leave nor forsake…”

Shang Ruwan wiped off the bloodstain on the corner of her lips. She then flew unsteadily; her hands were extended towards him. “Big Brother Xiu, don’t leave me…”

Yao Zixiu couldn’t help but reach out to hold her. His voice also became softer. “I, Yao Zixiu, am willing to have Shang Ruwan as my wife. In this lifetime, I will be with her in life and death…”

Shang Ruwan finally showed a smile as she went to lean on him.

They saw Yao Zixiu instinctively pull her into his embrace—

A magic tool suddenly appeared and ruthlessly pierced Yao Zixiu’s heart.

“AH—!!!” It was actually Shang Ruwan’s tragic cries.

That dagger-shaped magic tool was now embedded in Yao Zixiu’s heart. Yao Zixiu grasped its handle and pulled hard, pulling the dagger out of his chest, causing blood to gush out of his wound. Although staggered for a moment, he managed to keep standing.

He looked at Shang Ruwan, who fell on a Five Elements Platform after he tossed her aside with a wave of his hand. Furious, he shouted regardless of his wound, “You… You actually wanted to kill me!?”

Shang Ruwan, who had fallen on a Five Elements Platform, couldn’t even move an inch. However, there was a smile in her gaze. “Big Brother Xiu, in this lifetime, I will never leave nor forsake… That being the case, we… might as well die together…”

With each word she said, blood gushed out from her mouth, so by the time she finished speaking, she was all bloody.

Mo Tiange couldn’t bear to keep looking at them. She suddenly regretted it; why did she have to tell Shang Ruwan that death was the result of being tricked here? Since Yao Zixiu wasn’t willing to abandon his illusion, he’d ultimately die, so Shang Ruwan…

Together in life and death, together in life and death… she never thought those sweet romantic words between lovers in the secular world could be realized in the cultivation world, but now…

“Little Sister Wan…” Yao Zixiu was stunned. He floated in the air in a daze; blood flowed incessantly from his heart, but he was completely oblivious about it.

“Core Formation, Core Formation…” he suddenly muttered, “I’ve advanced to the Core Formation realm, but Little Sister Wan…”

All of a sudden, he seemed to have realized what happened; he rushed over, threw himself towards Shang Ruwan then pulled her up, shouting loudly, “LITTLE SISTER WAN! LITTLE SISTER WAN!”

Shang Ruwan still smiled although she could no longer move. Mo Tiange could see that she… was dying.

“Little Sister Wan, you…”

But Shang Ruwan no longer said anything to him. She quietly closed her eyes; her breaths gradually slowed.

“LITTLE SISTER WAN!” Yao Zixiu cried out. Both tears and blood gushed out from him.

They then saw Yao Zixiu’s skin gradually losing its color. It was as if he was gradually decaying, and slowly… he turned into a robe-wearing skeleton.

However, that skeleton was still holding Shang Ruwan’s corpse tightly.