Stranger Danger

“One last thing. You seem to think that I do not dare not leave your body, and that you are my only choice. You are wrong.”

Xuanyuan Xin continued without waiting for Jiang Yunlai’s response. “It is not that I do not dare to leave your body, but because I am unwilling. It costs me strength to switch to a new host, and I need my strength to kill the traitors. If possible, I do not want to waste my strength on such meaningless things.”

“But if you insist on challenging me and pushing me, then I do not mind killing you and finding myself a new partner.”

Jiang Yunlai’s expression changed again and again for a moment. Finally, he apologized, “This junior was too greedy. This junior agrees to senior’s conditions and begs for your forgiveness.”

In the end, he compromised a little[1].

Although he couldn’t be sure if Xuanyuan Xin was telling the truth, he was certain that she could deal him a grievous blow.

That was why he did not dare to take the risk, did not dare to gamble his life away.

Although he did not want to hang around the tiger for even a second, he did not want to drive the tiger into a suicidal frenzy either. All things considered, it was wiser to stop while he was ahead.

“At least you’re not too bull-headed. Remember, this princess does not tolerate rejection, much less humiliation!”

“Yes, this junior will engrave this to my heart.”

Jiang Yunlai replied submissively, “Now, please swear the oath, imperial princess.”

Xuanyuan Xin did not reply. Instead, she lifted Jiang Yunlai’s left hand and condensed a single drop of translucent, silvery blood on his fingertip.

“Dark yellow primal chaos, unparalleled Heavenly Way, long river of fate, ancient majesty, celestials, demons, ghosts and gods, myriad spirits illuminating, irresistible fate, searching cause and effect…”

While touching Jiang Yunlai’s forehead with his hand, Xuanyuan Xin mumbled some sort of long and difficult, ancient and profound incantation in a mysterious and rhythmic voice. Over time, a great yet transparent river gradually appeared in the sky, vast, infinite, and seemingly endless. It seemed to be both here and not here; right in front of Jiang Yunlai’s eyes, and not at all.

Jiang Yunlai felt truly small and meek, fearful and reverent before the river. It was because the river was none other than the river of fate, the expression of the rules of the Heavenly Way and the place where all fates gathered and dispersed.

The living creatures of the world, the red dust and myriad manifestations, everything was contained within this river like fishes or dust, never to be free.

Celestials, Buddhas, gods or demons were beings that had transcended the Five Phases and the Three Realms, but even they could not escape the bindings of the river of fate.

It was precisely thanks to the bindings of the river of fate and the restrictions of the Heavenly Way that even transcendental beings could suffer tribulations. Even they could experience prosperity and decline, life and death.

In ancient times, a Dao Oath was an oath made with the river of fate as the core; an oath specifically used to restrict a transcendental being. Those who disobeyed it would face fate’s punishment and suffer all kinds of tribulations.

But of course, not even the river of fate was omnipotent. In ancient times, there existed beings called Colossuses who stood above Immortals. They were powerful beings who were strong enough to jump out of the river of fate and be rid of its influence. However, Colossuses were exceedingly rare, and every single one of them was an eternal founder of sorts such as Taozu, the Progenitor Demon, Siddhartha Gautama, and so on.

Was Xuanyuan Xin a Colossus?

Obviously not. If she was, then she wouldn’t be secluding herself in the Kunlun Ruins just to survive. She wouldn’t have been tricked by her fellows and fallen from grace.

Xuanyuan Xin could never break free from the Dao Oath she had sworn.

“Should I break this oath, may fate exile me, and may myriad tribulations stand in my way. This I swear to fate and the Heavenly Way!”

Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Xin’s ceremony had reached the end. When she said her final words, the drop of blood transformed into a silver fish and leaped into the air. It landed inside the river of fate and caused many ripples.

After that, the river of fate disappeared into nothing.

Even though the river of fate was gone, it would be a long time before Jiang Yunlai finally regained his wits. Only those who had witnessed the river of fate with their own eyes would know how fickle fate was, and how terrifying the Heavenly Way was. This fear only grew the more powerful one was.

“A Dao Oath cannot be broken, and fate cannot be deceived. You can relax now,” Xuanyuan Xin said after swearing the Dao Oath.

“You are a woman of your word, imperial princess. This junior is impressed!” Jiang Yunlai said honestly.

“Save the nonsense. Just remember your promise.”

Xuanyuan Xin said, “Speaking of which, you should leave this place as soon as possible.”

“What do you mean, imperial princess?” Jiang Yunlai voiced his doubt, but Xuanyuan Xin did not answer him. At the same time, he regained control of his body.

Xuanyuan Xin hadn’t left though. Her blood was still entrenched inside his body.

“Dao Brother…?”

It was at this moment a clear light arrived, and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial appeared before him. “This poor Taoist just sensed a powerful presence just now. It felt like the river of fate? What happened here?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just an outburst of qi when I was procuring the woman’s blood earlier, and her body shriveled up all of a sudden,” Jiang Yunlai lied through his teeth. He wasn’t about to tell Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial about Xuanyuan Xin as a matter of course.

“How can this be?” Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial examined Xuanyuan Xin’s body closely. “Judging from the fact that her vigor is all gone… Dao Brother, you did not procure all of her blood, did you?”

“No, only a drop,” Jiang Yunlai answered.

“A drop? But—” Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial wanted to say more, but the chaos and nothingness around them suddenly began to churn. The currents of chaos became much stronger, and what felt like an infinite amount of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi burst out of the rift and turned into a massive storm.

“We need to leave!”

Jiang Yunlai and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial blanched and flew upward at the same time.

The storm of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi was right behind them.

As the two Sages flew away, they did not notice that the seven lifeless celestials chained to the altars of the Supreme Eight Celestials Realm Locking God Restriction at the bottom of the Nine Nethers Rift suddenly opened their eyes and made an expression that looked both like a cry and a smile. At the same time, blood flowed profusely down the corners of their eyes.

When Jiang Yunlai and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial escaped the Nine Nethers Rift and returned to the Kunlun Ruins, they looked behind their backs just in time to see a titanic pillar of murky qi shooting into the air. They kept flying.

The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi was spreading in every direction and causing everything within five hundred kilometers to wail like a demonic domain.

“The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi in the Kunlun Ruins has gotten much worse!”

Standing just beyond this domain of darkness, Jiang Yunlai and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial felt the air and watched the terrifying phenomenon with a deep frown on their face.

The dark area around the Nine Nethers Rift had become much worse and grown at least five hundred kilometers in radius. The concentration of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi in the Kunlun Ruins was also several times richer than before.

Jiang Yunlai and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial exchanged a glance with each other but did not say anything. They knew full well that this outbreak had happened most likely because of what they did back at the bottom of the Nine Nethers Rift.

Jiang Yunlai withdrew his gaze a moment later, saying, “We confirmed that the Kunlun Divine Palace isn’t here, Dao Brother, so let us continue our search. Quickly.”

“I agree. Do you have a plan, Dao Brother?” Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial asked.

Jiang Yunlai replied, “First, we meet up with Silver Moon and Dao Brother Supreme Origin. We will kill that Stranger together[2]. Then, we split up and search for the Kunlun Divine Palace and slumbering celestials.”

1. And so guaranteed that he would suffer a total and crushing defeat down the line. Bro, if you’re going to be such a coward you might as well just be a good boy from the beginning… ☜

2. This confirms that they were in communication with each other, and JYL and CRSC’s response to their fellows’ plight before this was, “Deal with it.” LOL. ☜