Chapter 122: The Curtain Falls
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The air was heavy with tension, the atmosphere at the edge of the crater thick with swirling light and the coppery scent of blood. Broken bodies and battered spirits surrounded the battlefield, and all eyes were on Li Qing Yue, the figure commanding this final stage.
Not far away, Wang Cai Wei, dressed in shattered black-gold armor, stumbled toward Qin Ming. Her once-vibrant face, now pale as paper, showed signs of exhaustion and despair. Gone was her usual radiant smile, replaced by an expression shadowed by sorrow and pain. The protective golden robes of the Beyond she wore beneath her armor were dulled, pierced, and stained crimson with her own blood.
In the past, Wang Cai Wei’s movements had been graceful and poised, but now she rushed forward in broken armor, her steps illuminated by faint light but faltering nonetheless.
Qin Ming, ever composed, stood tall, holding the Eight-Trigram Furnace aloft in one hand like a weapon, while the other radiated his perfected Celestial Light Force, capable of burning even the most powerful Consciousness Light. His expression was calm, though his heart was alert.
He had no ill feelings toward Wang Cai Wei, though he didn’t know her well. He remembered their single outing two years ago—a shared journey marked by her warmth and wit. Those memories, however, had long since faded into the blur of the past. Now, standing before her again, he felt only caution. If she came for the furnace, there would be no room for leniency.
Wang Cai Wei stopped a short distance away, unsteady on her feet but making no move to attack. Her blood-loss paled her already delicate features, giving her an air of tragic beauty. Gazing at Qin Ming, she hesitated, then spoke softly through a consciousness transmission:
“Is it you? From Red Glow City?”
Qin Ming’s face remained impassive, though her words sent a jolt through him. She knew of him, had investigated him. Somehow, despite his golden armor and altered appearance, she had seen through it. But how?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, raising his right hand slightly. The convergence of his Three Great Skills and Eighteen Celestial Techniques radiated terrifying power, as if a small sun burned in his palm.
“I know it’s you,” she said, her tone tinged with desperation. “I need your help. If I can grow strong enough, my family won’t force me into a political marriage. I need the Eight-Trigram Furnace. I don’t want to be a sacrificial pawn.”
Her pale face, once brimming with confidence, now reflected vulnerability and helplessness. Her eyes pleaded as she added, “I remember everything about you. Before we met, my family gave me a dossier about you—your habits, your details. I’m certain it’s you.”
Qin Ming shook his head. “I don’t know who you think I am, but the Eight-Trigram Furnace already has a rightful owner.”
His body tensed as he prepared for a fight, gripping the radiant furnace in his left hand while his right hand’s blazing Celestial Light grew more intense.
“You’re so wary of me but trust Li Qing Yue entirely,” Wang Cai Wei continued, transmitting her thoughts quietly. “Do you even truly know her?”
Her words gave Qin Ming pause. “If you want the furnace, bring me the Sky-Supporting Force, the Tathagata Force, or the Jade Purity Force, or three volumes of exceptional techniques,” he replied, his tone hard.
“She doesn’t belong in this world,” Wang Cai Wei said, her voice sorrowful. “If she ascends with the Eight-Trigram Furnace, she’ll sever all ties with the mortal realm. This is her way. She’ll either lead the Beyond to unimaginable glory, merging all Blessed Lands into a Void-Heaven, or lead them all to ruin in the depths of the Night Fog World during the Great Opening Era.”
Her words resonated with a certain finality. “Once she takes the furnace, she’ll become someone completely untouchable, pure in her pursuit of the immortal path. She’ll sever every bond that could weigh her down.”
Qin Ming frowned, taking a step back to maintain his distance. Her revelations made him wary but didn’t shake his determination.
“I’m not like her,” Wang Cai Wei pressed. “We’re the same, you and I—fighting to change our fates. Help me this once. If I succeed, I’ll make my family rethink their plans. I’ll even swear on the forbidden oaths of the Beyond that I’ll return the furnace to Li Qing Yue after.”
Her voice cracked, her eyes red-rimmed with frustration and grief. Yet Qin Ming remained unmoved. He had seen enough deception in his life to take her words with a grain of salt. Actions, not words, determined trust.
“Whatever you’re saying, I don’t understand,” he replied coolly, keeping his distance. He weighed the consequences—if she recognized him, would she pose a threat when they left the ruins of Luo Fu Immortal Mountain?
Wang Cai Wei sighed, a soft, resigned sound. “People think I smile because I’m happy, but it’s just a mask. Smiles hide what I don’t want others to see. I’ve wanted to cry for so long—my life isn’t my own.”
She took two tentative steps closer, but Qin Ming’s Eight-Trigram Furnace vibrated with power, a warning that froze her mid-step. The tension in the air was palpable, like a thread stretched to its breaking point.
At last, Wang Cai Wei let out a weary sigh and turned to leave. Her retreating figure disappeared into the mist as she exited the ruins.
Watching her go, Qin Ming murmured, “Whether you’re acting or sincere, I hope you find your way.”
The woman he once knew was now little more than a passing shadow in his life, a fleeting figure from a chapter long closed.
As he turned, his attention shifted to the central battle.
The chaotic skirmish had reached its climax. Jiang Sheng Yu, Su Jing Shu, and Hu Ting Wen, though relentless, were no match for Li Qing Yue. They poured everything into their attacks, unleashing their strongest techniques. Yet nothing they tried could penetrate her defenses.
One by one, they fell. Their battered, bloodied forms lay motionless, while the spectators—disciples of the Beyond—looked on in awe. The gap between them and the core disciples had never been clearer.
Li Qing Yue stood tall amidst the wreckage. Her golden armor clinked softly as she removed it piece by piece, letting it fall away. Beneath it, her original battle-worn robes were stained with blood, a testament to the brutal onslaught she had endured.
Her face, unveiled, radiated strength and determination. She stood victorious, the undisputed master of the battlefield.
Li Qing Yue’s dark hair flowed like a silken waterfall, her tall, slender frame exuding both grace and strength. Her skin was luminous, her features delicate and flawless, shrouded in a faint glow and wreathed in ethereal white mist. Despite her battered and bloodstained armor, the added touch of resilience and valor only magnified her transcendent presence.
As she advanced toward Tang Xu Mi and Li Qing Xu, the only two core disciples still capable of fighting, her every step was steady and deliberate.
“I yield! I surrender!” Tang Xu Mi declared without hesitation, his voice firm but resigned. He refused to unleash his strongest technique, knowing it would make no difference.
With a loud thud, he collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily. Blood stained his body, but he laughed—a bitter, weary sound laced with both frustration and relief.
Li Qing Xu hesitated. Should he admit defeat or push himself further, even if it meant paying a terrible price?
But Li Qing Yue gave him no time to decide. She closed the distance swiftly, leaving no room for argument or retreat. The ground beneath them split open with a deafening crack, the force of their clash shaking the crater. Radiant showers of divine light burst forth, and massive stones tumbled from the edge of the pit.
Li Qing Xu unleashed everything he had, but it wasn’t enough. He fell, battered and bleeding, into the rubble. Exhausted, his strength utterly spent, he could do nothing as the purple bamboo staff, a treasured artifact crafted by his teacher to withstand the Celestial Light, was snatched from his grasp.
Holding the staff, Li Qing Yue gazed down at Li Qing Xu. Her voice was calm, yet resolute. “Before entering the ruins of Luo Fu Immortal Mountain, I told you—two years ago, you harmed someone dear to me. Now, I’m here to settle that debt.”
With a resounding crack, she swung the staff and struck his arm. The sickening sound of bone snapping filled the air, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Li Qing Yue showed no mercy. The staff blurred through the air again, shattering his left leg this time.
Even the other core disciples, already injured and watching from the sidelines, felt a chill. They understood her intent. Though brutal, it was a calculated move—she was making a statement.
The Beyond’s higher powers would tolerate such acts, unwilling to let Li Qing Xu’s teacher retaliate recklessly. The influential elders of the various sects had long held disdain for his teacher’s domineering ways. Li Qing Yue’s actions might even earn their approval.
“Nothing makes a stronger statement than taking down Li Qing Xu,” Tang Xu Mi thought, retreating a few paces to avoid getting caught in her wrath. “This is how you establish authority.”
Li Qing Yue delivered six strikes in total. Three broke his arms and leg, leaving him defenseless. The remaining three were less severe, but deliberate—one left his forehead cracked and bleeding, a clear warning.
“My old friend lost his memory for over two years. Compared to that, your injuries are light,” she said. Tossing the bamboo staff like a spear, she planted it in the ground before Li Qing Xu, its faint purple glow shimmering ominously.
Li Qing Xu burned with humiliation, his face twisted with anger. The very staff he had cherished, forged to embody his teacher’s pride, had now been turned against him. In front of so many witnesses, he had been utterly defeated, his dignity shattered.
He had hoped to escape using a secret escape technique his teacher had taught him, but Li Qing Yue had cut him down before he could even attempt it. This was his darkest hour.
“If there are no more challengers, let this mark the end of the battle for the Eight-Trigram Furnace,” Li Qing Yue announced.
Her flowing hair framed her serene yet commanding presence as she surveyed the crowd. Her faint smile softened the piercing gaze that swept over her fellow disciples, as though light breaking through mist. Every step, every movement, exuded an ethereal elegance, as though she might ascend into the heavens at any moment.
From the crater’s edge, Qin Ming watched silently. A sigh escaped his lips. This parting felt final, as though it might be years—decades even—before he saw her again. She was destined for a path far removed from his own, one that led to greatness within the Beyond.
He, on the other hand, would soon return to Red Glow City, a place far from the dazzling Blessed Lands and the splendor of the Beyond. His road would be slower, built on steady, deliberate steps. The distance between them would only grow wider.