"Who are you?”
Yun Zhan asked, but his expression seemed as though he wasn’t curious nor surprised. He continued to smirk, not once breaking into a frown.
Someone broke into his formation and got in so suddenly. Not only did he not take it seriously, he felt even more delighted.
The young man's eyes fell on Bai Fanlu, and he quickly moved away, staring at Yun Zhan gloomily, "Let him go.”
It was Xiao Liu.
The inexplicable sense of anxiety in Bai Fanlu's heart grew stronger. He thought that Xiao Liu's abilities might be rather good, but when it came to schemes, the youth was definitely not Yun Zhan's opponent. He had to save himself and couldn't involve Xiao Liu.
Besides, Xiao Liu got to see him in this state...
Regardless of whether it was his concern for Xiao Liu's safety or the feeling of shame, the real source of his anxiety stemmed from another place.
Bai Fanlu had a desperate thought to leave this place with Xiao Liu, otherwise...
Otherwise, he couldn't tell what would happen. While Yun Zhan was watching Xiao Liu, Bai Fanlu hurriedly readjusted his internal energy secretly to find a way to restore his abilities.
There was also the last barrier separating where Yun Zhan and him were. Xiao Liu couldn’t seem to get in, so he had to find a way to get out.
"Young lad, have you made a mistake?”
Hearing Xiao Liu's words, Yun Zhan smiled, "My Shixiong and I are in love, and what we are about to do is a matter of course. Why are you interrupting us?”
Yun Zhan's hand was still hovering around Bai Fanlu's waist, Xiao Liu's black pupils constricted, and he retorted coldly, "You are not Yun Zhan, and he is not your Shixiong.”
Hearing this, Yun Zhan raised his eyebrows slightly, and the corners of his lips seemed to purse, "Oh? How would you know? Could it be...you know Yun Zhan well?”
Bai Fanlu finally found the trace of spiritual energy remaining in his body and intended to use it to activate Cang Jin to relieve his acupoints. But Yun Zhan's flirtatious questioning entered his ears, causing him to tremble lightly.
Xiao Liu?
Knows Yun Zhan?
What does he mean…
Bai Fanlu looked at Xiao Liu glaring at Yun Zhan. At this moment, the youth seemed to notice him, but he glanced at him then averted his gaze very swiftly. This time, it became apparent that he meant to avoid him.
"..." What's going on? Bai Fanlu felt the same strange ominous premonition again.
Bai Fanlu forcefully held back his panic, lifted his fingers slightly, and attempted to manoeuvre Cang Jin, which rested silently on wrist.
Yun Zhan said again, "By the way, Shixiong asked me to show him the blue bird as proof of my identity earlier. I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for reminding me. I have actually seen someone in this room that has the bird…”
Cang Jin lit up for a moment then went dark. Bai Fanlu's breathing was halted, as if he felt something in the air tensed up to the extreme, and he couldn't help but look over at Xiao Liu again.
This time the youth didn't look back at him. He stood upright, and a flow of air pressure swirled around him.
Yun Zhan lowered his head slightly, so that he could show off his leisurely smile, "Shixiong, do you want to know who this is?”
"..." Bai Fanlu felt that he didn't even want to know a thing at this moment, let alone see the blue bird.
Cang Jin didn't obey his orders, or perhaps because his heart and will was not strong enough now, and couldn't control that weapon with just this little bit of energy. Bai Fanlu was secretly anxious, forcing himself not to think about Yun Zhan's words.
This Yun Zhan is a bastard, but wants to frame someone else. He is absolutely crazy!
He is Yun Zhan, only Yun Zhan could be such a scumbag!
Bai Fanlu repeatedly told himself this and refused to doubt for a moment that this person might really not be Yun Zhan—even if there was only a slight possibility.
"But it doesn't matter who he is..." Yun Zhan stood with his arms folded, "They are coming in soon..."
The sound of doors being pushed open outside the corridor, as well as human voices, were getting closer, and everything that happened in the room would soon be seen.
To see Yun Zhan, the next Tianshu Sect Leader, and Bai Fanlu, the foremost disciple in this manner... Gossip and negative opinions would surely run rampant and one did not have to think much to know what kind of impact it would have on their future.
Wang Chongyu's eyes reddened anxiously, his palm was dripping with blood trickling down the hilt and blade of his sword. The gaze he cast upon Yun Zhan was as though he wanted to cut him up alive.
Finally, at the moment when the door was about to be kicked open, Xiao Liu waved his hands, and the air current lingering around him suddenly rushed out, spreading around him with a whoosh.
Boom!
The door was shut again, and the noisy space fell silent, as if isolated from the outside world.
This was an immortal qi barrier.
In order to resist the suppression of the existing barrier, this newly erected barrier must consume an even greater power than the first to be formed.
It was impossible to cast this with any reservations in spiritual energy.
There was still a blue light on the youth’s body, and the blue flame around his waist glowed and quivered, making it hard for anyone to ignore it.
Yun Zhan chuckled lightly, "Aren’t you a capable one?”
"..." Xiao Liu was silent.
Yun Zhan sneered, "Go ahead. There’s still time for you to say what you want to. Otherwise..."
Yun Zhan was directing this at Xiao Liu.
But Bai Fanlu thought that it was for his ears. He, too, wanted to say something as well, but feared that it was too late. He opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound.
Xiao Liu was gazing firmly at him through the thin purple gauze. His face was blurred and Bai Fanlu could only make out that pair of fierce eyes that seemed to pierce directly into his heart.
Finally, Xiao Liu slowly uttered, "I am the real Yun Zhan.”
In the end, no matter how he attempted to hide, he had to admit it.
Wang Chongyu, who was under a fixation technique, was so shocked that he forgot to struggle.
‘Yun Zhan’ smiled without anger, "Who again?”
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Liu raised his voice, "I am Yun Zhan!”
On the bed, there came a faintly suppressed but agonised pant. Bai Fanlu had forcibly broken free from his sealed acupoints, swaying, he sat up. His chest rose and fell sharply as he heaved and he violently raised his hand to tear off the purple gauze on his head.
"Xiao Liu…!”
He must be joking.
Ling Qingzi only told him that someone in the Demon Realm might pretend to be Yun Zhan, but never said that Yun Zhan, who cultivated immortality, might pretend to be someone else.
And his disguise was so meticulously done and flawless…
No, he should say that those were two people with no similarities at all.
It can't be.
Xiao Liu and Yun Zhan...
Absolutely impossible!
‘Yun Zhan’ continued to ask, "You keep saying that you are Yun Zhan, so why don't you transform into your true self and let me take a look?”
He’s right! If the youth is really Yun Zhan, why does he appear like Xiao Liu? He can’t be that stupid!
Bai Fanlu looked on expectantly.
But Xiao Liu stood there motionless and silent.
Bai Fanlu's heart sank a little at this.
With the suffocating silence that pressed down the atmosphere, the last light in his eyes dimmed, as if a flame was at the end of its life, it flickered and extinguished.
‘Yun Zhan’ snorted coldly, and the corners of his lips twitched into a mocking smile, "Can't transform?”
Xiao Liu finally raised his hand, and a light condensed and lit up in his palm.
Bai Fanlu stared at the light in a daze, and his pupils reflected the two beating wheels of light, making his bleak face seem like a dead tree in spring.
However, the light completely sent him falling into an abyss.
A small bird with blue feathers and a red beak appeared in Xiao Liu's palm. It chirped and fluttered its wings. Ignoring any barriers, it flew directly to Bai Fanlu and gently landed on his shoulder.
When the blue bird touched him, Bai Fanlu trembled all over, clenched his fist and leaned on the bed. The blue bird turned into thousands of light spots and disappeared in an instant.
“…”
Bai Fanlu opened his mouth, attempted to say something, but didn’t. The corners of his lips trembled, and a trail of blood slowly trickled down his jaw,
Xiao Liu was ashamed, and was about to step forward, but when he met Bai Fanlu's eyes, which stared at him deeply, his feet seemed to be nailed in place, unable to move.
He couldn’t even address him as before anymore.
‘Yun Zhan’ clapped his hands, "Wonderful! How exciting!”
Bai Fanlu closed his eyes and opened them again after a while. He had already bitten his lips and was holding back, but the bitterness in his throat was filled to the brim, and he had to forcibly swallow it down again.
This time his breathing was rapid and almost out of control, and it took him great effort to maintain his composure.
But even his breathing was full of pain, as if something was hammering down on his heart and lungs, making him want to cry, but also laugh, until he could no longer bear it.
All his inexplicable intuitions had answers at this moment.
All his seemingly baseless suspicions were confirmed at once.
All those times they spent, sacrifices made became scenes of comic relief.
He thought the youth was a fool, but from the beginning to the end, he was the only fool, through and through!
Bai Fanlu spat out a big mouthful of blood.
Then, he fell softly toward the side of the bed like a dead leaf.
“Shixiong!”
Wang Chongyu and Xiao Liu exclaimed at the same time, Xiao Liu’s body was emanating a murderous aura, but was stopped abruptly.
‘Yun Zhan’ embraced Bai Fanu, holding his waist with one hand, and putting the other hand on his forehead.
With four fingers spread out, he seemed to be exerting a slight force.
"What on earth do you want?” Xiao Liu asked fiercely, staring at his hand without blinking, for fear he would strike a blow.
The ring finger of ‘Yun Zhan’ moved in front of Bai Fanlu's forehead, which was covered with dishevelled strands of hair. Then, he revealed a blood-red cinnabar crystal.
Xiao Liu's heart skipped a beat when he saw it, and he whispered a warning, "Don't mess around.”
‘Yun Zhan’ asked back, "How do you know what I want to do?”
Glancing at the young man mockingly, ‘Yun Zhan’ smiled, "But things turned out as I had expected. Your influence on him is really extraordinary.”
"Bai Junming! What do you want? Just come at me and don't hurt him.”
Bai Junming?
Wang Chongyu was taken aback.
‘Yun Zhan’ — should we say Bai Junming, raised his eyebrows a little when he heard Xiao Liu called his name directly, "You can tell? Ah! The duel in Yingzhou wasn’t in vain..."
"What a pity!” Bai Junming grinned leisurely, "Some people won’t cry without seeing the coffin, and they won't tell the truth until the end. Otherwise, why would he have to suffer like this for no reason?"
Bai Junming's hand that was pressed against Bai Fanlu's head suddenly retracted. Bai Fanlu's eyelashes flickered, his brows furrowed, and he seemed to be in great pain.
Bai Junming watched on, and smiled even more sinisterly, as he spoke, "Actually, you should be thankful to me. If it weren't for me, how would you ever get to see this scene that you dream about?”
He glanced at Xiao Liu, "This is not in a dream. Your dear Shixiong’s painful and helpless expression. And this look of desperation. Do you dare to proclaim that you have never dreamed of it?”
"..." Xiao Liu clenched his fists.
Bai Junming quickly released his hand again and sighed, "What did you do to the dream I constructed?All that can and cannot be done, compared to my disguise of you, your own pretence was probably more vivid, right? Do you need me to list them out one by one?”
"You!” Xiao Liu's face reddened in a fury.
Bai Junming showed a look of enlightenment, "Oh, yes, I should wake him up, and tell him everything!”
“Bai Junming!”
Xiao Liu growled, but with such a disturbance, he didn't dare to act rashly.
Bai Junming's fingers slid over Bai Fanlu's forehead again as if he was deliberately wearing down Xiao Liu’s will.
"Look, he is so disappointed because of you, and he has no desire to resist," Bai Jun shook his head in mockery, "It's so pitiful to have been deceived by you for so long..."
Xiao Liu's heart was turbulent, but no matter how anxious he was, Bai Fanlu’s life was held in this person's hand, and he could only endure.
Bai Junming seemed to have finally had enough, "Since this is the case, I will set him free.”
A cloud of black mist sprayed out of his palm, shrouding Bai Fanlu's head.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Xiao Liu charged ahead, but still failed to break through the innermost barrier. He was obviously just a few steps away, but couldn't get close no matter what.
Bai Fanlu raised his head and suddenly convulsed violently. In the black mist above his head, a flickering violet light wheel appeared.
Bai Junming took it into his hand, and released his other hand, causing Bai Fanlu to slump on the ground.
"Look, isn't it pretty? As beautiful as him..."
Bai Junming stared at the light in his palm with incomparable concentration, as if looking at something or someone who fascinated him.
Wang Chongyu was finally able to break free from his restriction. As soon as he made a move, he saw Bai Junming squinting slightly, and close his palm, grabbing hold of that wheel of light.
"Don’t go.” Xiao Liu stopped Wang Chongyu and shook his head at him.
Wang Chongyu tilted his head to look at him, with no concealment of the resentment in his eyes.
Xiao Liu knew what he was thinking right now, it was all due to the fact he had deceived Bai Fanlu and also, Bai Junming's words. But at this moment, no amount of explanation would salvage the situation.
None of them knew what was held in Bai Junming’s hands, that was taken out of Bai Fanlu. Ever since it was retracted, Bai Fanlu had been weird.
"This is his human soul. He let me have it so easily.” Bai Junming smiled obsessively and was infinitely satisfied.
Xiao Liu was horrified as he repeated, "Human soul?”
He actually used the Soul Trap Technique!
Bai Fanlu’s ‘human soul’ was in Bai Junming's hands. Xiao Liu couldn't get closer, and could only watch as Bai Junming slowly curled up his fingers, clamping down on the light ball that was trembling like a rabbit.
"Tell me, if I wanted to destroy it right now, wouldn’t it be too easy?”
As he said, he flicked his hand and Xiao Liu hurriedly stopped him, "Stop!”
Bai Junming halted temporarily, showing an expression of interest, as if he wanted to hear what Xiao Liu had to plead in the end.
"I will give you whatever you want, even if you want my soul, just take it. Please let him go.”
Bai Junming squinted his eyes slightly and smiled, "What a foolish little brat, I am so moved.”
But the smile quickly converged, as if his true colours were only revealed at this moment. Bai Junming gave a ruthless expression and said coldly, "Then, as a show of sincerity, self-terminate your cultivation now.
"…Okay.” Xiao Liu slowly took out Bi Luo.
Wang Chongyu didn't expect that he would agree to this condition. Although he was full of resentment towards Yun Zhan, this approach was obviously irrational. He was about to stop him, when suddenly, he noticed an abnormal movement around him.
The tea cup on the table seemed to be shaking.
It started from a light tremor and escalated to a quicker and more obvious movement.
Xiao Liu also noticed it, and he stopped moving.
Then, there was a loud bang, and the bronze mirror beside the bed split into two.
The crack meandered from the mirror all the way to the floor under their feet...
Xiao Liu suddenly raised his head and looked at Bai Fanlu on the bed.
Bai Junming was about to touch him, but was blasted away by an inexplicable force. When he got hit, his eyes were sparkling and kept his gaze at Bai Fanlu with a sinister smile. With a flick of his sleeves, the man silently disappeared.
Bai Fanlu shrugged his shoulders and slowly sat up on the bed without saying a word.
He was surrounded by a thick layer of black aura causing his robes to lift and flap even without any wind in the room. Soon after, the cold light that was emanating gradually dissipated, and the cinnabar mark was somehow erased, leaving behind a purple willow leaf mark, delicate like a flower, in its stead.
At the moment, his eyes looked as if they were glazed over and had the same mark on his forehead glowing in them. His black pupils now had a thick purple layer over them. He looked as though he’d suffered a horrific qi deviation and lost his sensibility.
"Shixiong...?" Wang Chongyu tried to call out.
Bai Fanlu's eyes widened, and in the next moment it was as though the sky and the earth cracked, and the entire Baihua Pavilion trembled violently.
After a seemingly slow-motion silence, another more powerful spiritual force surged out. No one could see how Bai Fanlu moved, but in the next second, everything surrounding him was reduced to nothingness.
In the blink of an eye, Baihua Pavilion was razed to the ground.
Bai Fanlu floated in mid-air in the midst of the ruins, with his hair fluttering and silently looked down below.
The aura that flowed all over his body continued to radiate like a stormy sea, almost distorting the space.
The leaves and flowers of all the peach blossom trees of Yufang City fell at once because they could not withstand the oppressive energy. But oddly, in an instant they were nourished by another flow of spiritual energy and quickly gave rise to new buds. For a time, the green leaves and red flowers were scattered all over the sky, surrounded by the spiritual energy and wrapped around Bai Fanlu.
It was as if at the same time, the heavens had opened up, the world was facing destruction and also rebirth. The people that were caught in the ruins were enveloped in a mass of purple fog, slowly floated up, but all unharmed.
Time seemed to stagnate, and everyone was in awe of the scene before them.
When the wind stopped suddenly, the swirling flowers and leaves instantly turned to ashes for some reason, and Bai Fanlu leaned back and fell straight down from mid-air.
Among the crowd were some fellow disciples and someone exclaimed, "Dashixiong...isn't that dashixong...how can he..."
When Bai Fanlu fell, the turbulent aura of his whole body was clearly mixed with a powerful demonic energy that could not be ignored!
Xiao Liu cursed secretly, flew up and embraced the falling Bai Fanlu. He concealed the mans’ face, and suppressed the demonic energy coming from him with some enchantments.
Wang Chongyu couldn't catch up, and the two figures had already disappeared into the sky.
Only then did he think of Bai Junming and Wu Yueshuang, but they were also missing.
"Chongyu Shixiong..."
Wang Chongyu turned back when he heard this sound, and saw Yunyi, who was supposed to be back at the Sect.
Yun Yi was frightened, his eyes were reddened, and he asked in a trembling voice, "They told me, Da Shixiong seems to look like...a demon?”
Noo, too much revelations at once! Too much for my poor heart QAQ Leave my bubu alone!
Thank You for the new chapter (♡ >ω< ♡)