Journey to the End of the Night
Chapter 100 - 100 100 Spiritual Power

100: Chapter 100: Spiritual Power 100: Chapter 100: Spiritual Power That year, his wrist had been injured by his father, blood gushing out, attracting countless locust-like demons to feed upon him.

He was emptied of his organs, his blood drained completely, and he still remembered the prolonged, horrific agony, worse than having his head severed—a despair beyond words.

Only a thread of his chaotic soul remained, refusing to be scattered by the fierce gales between heaven and earth.

Then he saw the light.

A light within the dark, damp depths of the Abyss, which pulled him back into the brightness of the Mortal World.

For many years, he and his sister Lin Yuan were children picked up by the Mountain God Father and brought into the Mountain Realm, and everyone said that the Mountain God Father’s affection for Lin Yuan surpassed that for him.

Because Lin Yuan was carefully protected within the Ten Li Lake, far from the conflicts and demonic disturbances of the world.

Whereas he, Lin Guiyuan, had to shoulder the responsibility of the Mountain God’s son, guarding Kongcang Mountain on behalf of the Mountain God Father, and driving away the sea demons and evil spirits from the Demon Realm.

Time and again he returned, his body covered in wounds, the pain known only to himself.

Yet he knew that was not the case.

The Mountain God Father had brought back both Lin Yuan and himself, but it was he who had received the most.

He had died once, and rebirth from death was a Forbidden Technique.

Still, the Mountain God Father had used half of his Divine Power to recreate his organs for him and reunite his soul.

Rather than say he was the son of the Mountain God, it would be truer to say he was the lifeblood of that half of Kongcang Mountain.

Just now, the Mountain God Father had apologized to Baili An, indicating he had not given him a complete Kongcang Mountain.

It wasn’t that he did not want to, but rather that he could not.

The old man’s voice rang out helplessly, his heart unable to bear Lin Guiyuan’s tragic state.

“All things have their causes and effects, you were fated to live one life but must endure the torment of death twice.

This is a trial set by fate for you.

Death does not signify a dead end; a dead end does not signify a hopeless journey.

Child, you only need to remember one thing, you no longer live as the son of the Mountain God, for now, the responsibility of guarding Kongcang Mountain does not fall on you.

From today onwards, you are a mountain ghost, the guardian of your new master, the new Mountain Lord’s mountain ghost…

This…

is your responsibility.”

Lin Guiyuan treasured the old man’s words that arbitrarily changed his destiny as if he had received a solemn oath, nodding with great importance.

A single word, a single brand.

It was also the shackle of sin he could never shed.

“Annihilation…

signifies a new beginning, this is…

your era, exiled…

for ten thousand years, the homeland…

is no longer there, no longer there…” His hoarse voice grew weak like old vines and crows amidst ancient trees, the oil spent, the lamp dry, better to return home.

The soil of the Divine Realm, eternally preserved, the homeland is not gone but it’s no longer in his heart.

Exiled for too long, he had forgotten what his homeland looked like…

Yet ultimately, he faded away among his own family and homeland.

No regret for being exiled in this life…

Atop the withered, failing ancient tree, a crimson starfire ignited, resembling fire, and yet like the old man’s departing aged life.

The starfire took away the ancient tree’s remnants, gently rising into the sky amid the Star River as if summoned by some magical power.

Lin Yuan looked up at the night sky that was soon to dawn, her lips trembling slightly.

…

…

Having made his final farewell, Baili An found himself with increasingly more matters to attend to.

The Mirror Realm below the Mountain Realm, the place where the Divine Tree elder fell, was indeed, as Wen Yu had thought, a place where treasures were deeply hidden.

It was a Divine Mansion shrouded in shadow, geographically complementing the one outside whose seals had been destroyed by the river of blood and Crystal Core.

The abilities and Cultivation Techniques learned by Lin Yuan and Lin Guiyuan all originated from within.

With his modern knowledge being far too deficient, Baili An spent his days submerged in the Divine Mansion, absorbing knowledge.

He didn’t know if it was because he had inherited the Mountain Seal, or if it was due to his extraordinary talent, but he was able to read through the Divine Mansion’s tomes in a glance, without forgetting anything.

For ten days, Baili An did not rush his cultivation, nor did he seek a Cultivation Technique to quickly increase his power.

After all, stabilizing the situation in the Mountain Realm was the most urgent task at hand.

Now that he had inherited the position of the new Mountain Lord, he naturally could not manage things recklessly without understanding.

Fortunately, his ability to learn was incredibly strong.

After ten days, having left the Divine Mansion of the Mirror Realm, Baili An already had a preliminary plan.

That day, Baili An was sitting under a tree fiddling with a black heart he had harvested from Yang Zhao.

In one hand, he held the heart, and on his knees rested a blank wooden plank, while his right hand wielded a sharp carving knife made to his specifications by Lin Guiyuan.

A few black-bound sheepskin books lay at his feet.

The heart made of some unknown stone material, larger than an adult’s fist and pierced through by Lin Yuan’s single strike, could nevertheless reveal countless hair-thin lines within it, lines that Baili An certainly wouldn’t have recognized in the past.

Thankfully, there were corresponding records and explanations in the tomes of the Divine Mansion.

These were talismanic lines, and not the ordinary ones drawn with cinnabar for diagrams.

The remnants of spiritual aura within each stroke and line told Baili An that they were countless runes etched out with brilliant and pure spiritual power.

Ultimately replicating a human heart and then imbuing it with magic to control it.

This was the Puppetry of the Demon Sect.

The process might sound simple, but it was as difficult as trying to fill the sea with sand.

Cultivators defy the heavens as a matter of course, yet those gifted with spiritual power are only seen in legends.

Baili An had once asked Jin Sheng how to cultivate spiritual power, only to be rewarded with a disdainful roll of the eyes.

The answer given was that even he was not qualified to answer this question.

For even the Tianxi’s Thirteen Swords barely scratched the surface in the field of spiritual power cultivation.

How could he give a correct answer when he himself had not yet learned to walk?

Human capabilities are limited, and to have any achievements in the Sword Dao is already immensely difficult.

Jin Sheng believed he had the luck and talent to ignite his Sword Soul, but more so, it relied on his diligent effort and sweat.

He did not think of himself as the monster everyone spoke of.

For those who could be considered monsters, besides those three contemporary Immortals and Houtu from the Central Netherworld, there were few monsters among the younger generations.

And for those who could cultivate both spiritual power and follow the Immortal Path, apart from that white-dressed woman from the Taixuan Sect who must not be provoked, he really could not think of anyone else who could compare.

While Jin Sheng scoffed at his presumption, Baili An used the carving knife in his hand to deduce and complete the myriad of runes within the black heart and the thousands that were severed by one strike.

He then drew a complete diagram of the talismanic lines on the blank wooden plank as if it were a flat distribution map.

Jin Sheng, always sharp-tongued with his sarcasm, subtly changed his tone as he observed Baili An’s gaze.

Then, Baili An put down the black heart, picked up a new plank, and after memorizing the fully scribed talismanic lines, he held the plank and closed his eyes.

Jin Sheng, leaning on his sword by the tree, gave Baili An a glance and let out a sneer.