Journey to the End of the Night
Chapter 143 - 143 142 Moths to the Flame Not Necessarily Doomed

143: Chapter 142: Moths to the Flame, Not Necessarily Doomed 143: Chapter 142: Moths to the Flame, Not Necessarily Doomed A glimmer of light ignited within his heart, guiding him through the anguish.

Even dense bamboo couldn’t stop the flow of water, nor could lofty mountains hinder the flight of clouds.

In both favorable and adverse conditions, he navigated with ease; such was the path he chose to tread.

People often say that moths fly into flames to their own demise.

He was never a greedy man.

Even if he were that moth, yearning for warmth and light, he could enjoy that momentary warmth if he circled the flame, weary to the extreme.

Thus, he would cherish this opportunity bestowed upon him by the heavens.

The remaining pain dissipated, and the fractured Corpse Pearl was fully restored, now silently embedded within the Yin Yang Tao Fish.

Baili An also realized that during today’s cultivation, he had broken through to the Second Grade Kaiyuan realm, and the settled Corpse Pearl seemed somewhat different.

He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, feeling a sudden chill in his heart, not from a shiver, but an icy cold akin to that of the Netherworld.

A bright red flower grew and spread from his chest, flaunting a bewitchingly vivid red, the red spider lily from the Santzu River.

Among its petals, one burned fiercely, not with heat, but with even greater coldness.

Baili An suddenly felt something, a strange and magical sensation similar to when he had killed Huang Kang and Yang Zhao, as if something new was awakening within him.

Acting on impulse, the Corpse Pearl hidden within the Yin Yang Tao Fish stirred, a fragment of memory from its original owner flashing across Baili An’s mind.

Baili An’s pupils dilated slightly, “A corpse demon Talent…”

‘Talent’ was an ability typical of the dark-born race of corpse demons, each awakening with a different ‘Talent.’

Moreover, the conditions for awakening a ‘Talent’ were extremely harsh, only Shadow Corpses were qualified to awaken basic Talent abilities, and those who could awaken were the rare among them.

The Talent that Baili An had awakened during battle, according to the residual memory of the Shebi Corpse, seemed unknown, as if even a being like the Shebi Corpse couldn’t fathom such a Talent.

But now, Baili An knew exactly what his newly awakened Talent was.

Extraordinary self-healing.

Baili An flicked his index finger, growing a sharp claw-like protrusion that, when forcefully dragged across the back of his hand, left a bloody mark.

The cut was healing even before he could see the blood ooze, the healing process so rapid it was astonishing.

What an unexpected delight.

As he unlocked the first node of human cultivation, his abilities as a corpse demon also enhanced.

Baili An noticed his own peculiarity; he seemed quite different from ordinary corpse demons.

With his current level, he shouldn’t have reached the rank of a Shadow Corpse, yet he had awakened two kinds of corpse demon Talents, which was utterly baffling.

Perhaps, this was due to the Royal Blood he had inherited from the Corpse King Jiang Chen, granting him such a remarkable advantage.

Although he thought so, he felt that his first awakened Talent had implications far beyond just that.

Unable to figure it out, he didn’t dwell on it too much.

After adjusting his physical condition, Baili An stood up from the ground, dusted off his clothes, and began waiting for Wen Hanwei.

In the distant darkness, the sound of sword cries and flashes periodically resonated.

That respectable Sword Qi, filled with awe, attested to Wen Hanwei’s safety at the moment.

Baili An knew all too well that recklessly searching for her in such a perilous place would only bring her unnecessary trouble.

He knew she would return, so he patiently waited.

The Sword Qi illuminated the gloomy Ink Mountain Valley, forcing evil spirits and ferocious beasts from the deep valleys; they surged out like darker-than-dusk tides fleeing, driven out by an imposing white-robed woman.

The creatures, like a stream of black locusts, flowed over the mountain ridges and valleys, then sensing Baili An’s unfamiliar aura, madly charged toward him.

Their numbers were overwhelming.

Against those terrifying evil spirits, Baili An leaned against a piece of wild stone, utterly motionless, not even batting an eyelash.

Puff puff puff!!!

The dull sound of bodies colliding into a blood mist filled the air.

Physical-bodied evil spirits were messily sliced by the Barrier Array Light.

Bodiless yin spirits caught up in the Array Light emitted chilling, ear-piercing screams, dissipating into nothingness.

The Barrier Array Light, thin as a veil, stirred not even a ripple.

Once more, the scene bore witness to the power of the Taixuan’s Ninth Classic.

Baili An watched thoughtfully, wondering how many springs and autumns he needed to cultivate to attain the irrational strength of Sister Wen.

The intelligent evil spirits, witnessing the bloody scene and sensing the power of the Barrier, dared not approach Baili An’s position any longer.

Gradually, the dark tide scattered in all directions.

In that space, apart from the light drizzle, there was silence.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the blood-stained underbrush; a small creature burst from the bushes.

With long drooping ears, a fluffy body, white fur, round watery eyes with red pupils, and a small round mouth, it limped in terror out from the deep forest.

Baili An’s calm expression finally changed.

His leaning body straightened up, staring intently at the grass ahead.

From the depths of the grass lit by Array Light, a low rumbling sound rose, a massive shadow like a night curtain falling from the sky, enveloping the small rabbit on the ground.

The shadow, wrapped in ominous darkness, bore a menacing presence before even striking; yet the ground bound by the monstrous shadow twisted wildly like a devil.

The small rabbit, with short trembling legs, desperately ran despite being injured, moving faster than ordinary rabbits, like a tiny bolt of lightning.

However, the twisting shadow on the ground had already formed a cage, trapping the little creature.

Looking across, dark eyes met the rabbit’s red ones.

A strong wind stirred in the mountain valley.

In the darkness, the Array Light caused a ripple.

Beside the barren rock, the silhouette of the youth had already vanished from its place.

In a flash, he appeared before the shadow, his Autumnwater Sword slicing through the chaotic, blood-stained grass.

The Sword Qi, meticulously controlled, left the grass unharmed but lifted sparkling blood droplets.

Raising his sword, the blade splitting the air, it hummed, reminiscent of a village song amidst the night fishing fires.

The soaring blood droplets, turned into sharp lines of blood in midair by the Sword Qi.

Until Baili An’s arm was raised overhead, his sword tip pointing skyward, the blood lines surged toward the massive shadow hanging above the woods, followed by a tearing sound, the great shadow shook violently two times.

In what seemed an immensely brief moment, Baili An trembled his wrist lightly, plunged the sword tip downward, deeply into the shadowed earth, with a splashing sound.

At the point where the sword met the earth, a large spray of foul-smelling fresh blood emerged.

The true body of that shadow wasn’t before him but hidden beneath the earth.