Love & Redemption
Chapter 241: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Chapter 241: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Fainted!! Kaiming (1) I sent it three times!! Classmates, look over here~~

Sorry, because of a glitch this afternoon, I uploaded Chapter Kaiming (1) four times.

Then I tried to unlock it from the backend, but was told that subscribers could not unlock it~~~

I’m about to faint, it’s the weekend now, and the editors can’t solve this problem~~

How about this, I will modify the extra three Chapters into new Chapters in the next three days of updates. I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused!!!

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Chishui River is the only river that leads to the Kaiming Gate at Kunlun Mountain. According to legend, Kunlun Mountain is eight thousand zhang high and has the Heavenly Emperor’s residence in the Lower Realm, with various gods guarding this sacred palace for him. There are a total of nine gates in the palace; facing the east toward the sunrise is the Kaiming Gate, guarded by a nine-headed Kaiming Beast. There are also steep cliffs, which ordinary people cannot climb at all.

At this moment, everyone stood on a large bamboo raft, drifting downstream on the Chishui River. Xuanji looked into the distance with keen eyes, where the sky and the water merged into one. They didn’t know how long this Chishui River was. After drifting with the current for an entire day, they still hadn’t reached the end, not even catching a glimpse of Kunlun Mountain’s shadow. The scenery on both sides also gradually became uninhabited, and as large tracts of forests and mountains passed by, one standing on the water could not tell if the scene was picturesque or if they themselves were within a painting.

Of course, it was Liu Yihuan who came up with the idea of drifting on a bamboo raft. Normally, as cultivators, they didn’t need to go through such troubles and time-consuming methods, but since mortals wished to visit the Holy Land, they couldn’t just fly there with sword control. They had to walk step by step, which was probably the boundary the gods set for mortals: between gods and humans, there is always an insurmountable gulf.

Zi Hu grew bored and kept pestering Wuzhiqi to tell a story. Among those present, he had lived the longest. If there were any strange and fantastic tales from ancient times, he would certainly know them.

Wuzhiqi thus laughed and said, "Alright, let’s talk about an ancient legend, though I don’t remember it very clearly. It’s said that Heaven and the Asura World were in constant conflict. The Asuras were warlike Demon Gods, and the weak immortals of Heaven were no match for them! So they were defeated step by step until Heaven finally resorted to a stratagem and captured a very powerful Demon God."

He suddenly stopped speaking and just asked with a smile, "Can you guess what happened afterward?"

Everyone just blankly shook their heads. Zi Hu tentatively asked, "Did they kill him?"

Wuzhiqi laughed and shook his head.

Yu Sifeng pondered for a moment before saying, "If it were me, and I had no warlike Heavenly Gods on my side, I would persuade him to fight for us. Heaven didn’t punish that Demon God but took him into its service instead?"

Wuzhiqi showed a rare look of admiration and gave him a vigorous thumbs-up, "You smart kid! I’m truly impressed with you! Is your heart made of crystal? How can you guess everything right on the first try?"

"Heaven really did take that Demon God into its service, but unfortunately, he was not willing to conflict with his former comrades. The Heavenly Emperor treasured his martial prowess and could not bring himself to blame him, so he was well-kept in Heaven, pampered with fine wine and meats. Later..."

"What happened later?" everyone asked in a rush.

Wuzhiqi shrugged his shoulders and pouted, "There was no ’later.’ That Demon God suddenly disappeared, and no one ever mentioned him again. Some guessed he still pined for the Asura World and sneaked back. What really happened, no one knows."

"Tch!" Everyone uttered a hissing sound of disapproval. What kind of storytelling was this, leaving them hanging at the most exciting part!

The bamboo raft gradually slid downstream, the river suddenly widened, and the current became swift. The raft seemed as if it was about to fly, incessantly rushing forward. The lush green forests on both banks seemed to end as well, and right in front of them, after a sharp bend in the river’s course, their view suddenly opened up, revealing steep rocky mountains on both banks soaring into the clouds. It was hard to believe these massive rock mountains were naturally formed; they were like majestic guards stationed on both banks, arranged with extraordinary regularity. If they weren’t formed naturally, who could have possessed such divine craftsmanship to create such a spectacular scene?

But what was even more peculiar than the orderly arrangement of these massive rock mountains was the color of the mountains’ surfaces—slightly reddish, as though painted with a layer of faint rosy light, the red deepening further back, eventually turning into the color of fresh blood.

"Something’s not right here," Yu Sifeng suddenly spoke up. "After turning the corner, I haven’t heard any bird sounds at all, and there are no fish in the river either. Listen... apart from the sound of the water, there is no other noise."

Wuzhiqi laughed lightly and said, "I’m really impressed by you, able to spot any abnormality. You’re correct because we are about to enter the domain of the gods, where the climate and feng shui are naturally different from before. Birds and fish, those are all creatures of the mortal world; how would they dare to approach this place?"

Xuanji heard that they were about to reach Kunlun Mountain and couldn’t help but stand up at the front of the bamboo raft, peering into the distance. The rock mountains on both sides flowed past like blood, and between heaven and earth, apart from the rapid sound of the water, there was no other sound. This kind of silence was solemn and austere, eternally unchanging quietude. The Heavenly Gods stealthily peered down from the Upper Realm, whether with pity, with admiration, or with ruthless detachment.

Heaven and earth stood before them, inspiring an instinctive fear in anyone who beheld. Xuanji pursed her lips tightly, and everyone, like her, at this place, at this moment, neither wanted to speak nor dared to.

The river, which had been a clear azure before, had now turned a dark shade of red, winding like a series of crooked veins filled with blood.

Wuzhiqi suddenly jumped up amidst the deathly silence, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let out a childish howl several times, startling everyone. They all stared at him wide-eyed. He chuckled and scratched his head, a little embarrassed, "I just can’t stand places that are this suffocating. Yelling a bit makes it feel more bearable."

After saying that, he started to shout loudly once more. At first, it was just plain yelling, but then the sound began to rise gradually, turning into something resembling the chant of dragons and the cries of phoenixes. The clear and resounding calls echoed between the blood-colored mountains like a song, or a liberating cry from the heart. Xuanji couldn’t help but open her mouth and scream as well, followed by Zi Hu, Liu Yihuan, and finally even the most composed Yu Sifeng started to fool around. Five of them, like fools, stood on the bamboo raft, shouting and dancing, looking utterly mad.

After Wuzhiqi had yelled for a while, he shouted loudly, "Heavenly Emperor, old fart! Wait for me! I’m coming to have tea with you!"

The voice lingered between the two riverbanks, echoing the words "having tea, having tea," as if he had always equated his journey to Kunlun Mountain with having tea. The sound still hung in the air when an old, icy cold voice unexpectedly rang out from the shore, "What evil spirits dare to be so insolent at the base of Kunlun Mountain?"

The group hadn’t seen anyone on their way here, and suddenly hearing a voice, they all hurriedly turned around, only to see a figure in blue standing on the distant bank. He was so far away that his figure seemed as tiny as a sesame seed, yet his voice could travel this far without losing any of its intensity, which was truly astonishing.

Seeing that the bamboo raft was drifting away quickly, Wuzhiqi laughed heartily and said, "Insolent, huh? Then tell me, is the Heavenly Emperor’s tea any good?"

The figure did not respond, but merely snorted coldly and began to walk towards the Chishui River. The crowd, seeing his staggered gait and apparent old age, began to worry; Zi Hu quickly called out, "Old man! He was just joking, please don’t take it seriously! The river is very rapid; don’t come down! It could be dangerous!"

The man acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, stepping onto the river’s surface without sinking and walking steadily toward the raft. Everyone was shocked to see him walking on such a fast-flowing river as if on solid ground. His movements were not fast, and he seemed rather unsteady, but for some reason, he was getting closer; the once sesame-sized figure was already as big as a plum.

Wuzhiqi’s countenance shifted slightly as he murmured softly, "Not good! It’s the Divine Witch! Damn it, aren’t they supposed to be hiding in the mountains? Why are they here today?"

While he was speaking, the figure had come much closer, clear and visible. The man was dressed in a flowing blue robe, appearing almost celestial. Silver whiskers under his chin reached over a foot long, white hair was neatly tied behind his head, and in his hand was a black iron walking stick. Most peculiar of all, the walking stick he propped on the water did not sink in either.

Wuzhiqi and Liu Yihuan grabbed the oars and began to paddle vigorously. Since they were already going downstream, this made them even faster; in a few strokes, they had left the man far behind. The man chased after them for a few steps, then stopped there, not moving anymore, and said coldly, "Now I remember who you are! Wuzhiqi, you truly are recklessly bold! How dare you escape from the Netherworld on your own!"

Wuzhiqi sneered with a twisted smile and said, "I’m really sorry, Mr. Wu Lv, I can’t remember who you are! It’s tough for you to still remember me at such an old age."

The man did not speak, he merely raised his hand and threw his black iron crutch into the water with a "plop." Liu Yihuan exclaimed, "Oh no, the old man is angry, he even threw away his crutch! Wuzhiqi, don’t you know to respect the elderly and care for the young?!"

Wuzhiqi didn’t say a word either, just rowed hard, and the bamboo raft surged forward like flight, speeding ahead. Up ahead was another treacherous turn in the river, and remarkably, the stone mountains on both sides joined together at the top, resembling a colossal arch. The color of the rocks had also changed from blood red to a gleaming golden hue with a touch of white.

Wuzhiqi turned his head and saw that Mr. Wu Lv had once again reduced to the size of a sesame seed, standing still—on one foot. Wuzhiqi shouted, "I remember now! He is Wu Lv! One of the ten Divine Witches! Hurry! Move! Once we pass Dragon Gate, he won’t be able to do anything to us!"

Before his words had faded, they saw Mr. Wu Lv’s other foot lift high and stomp down fiercely. Chishui River suddenly shook violently, like boiling water, and towering red waves rose from behind, howling as they surged forward, crashing over. The bamboo raft became a useless little leaf in the giant wave, instantly pushed to the peak.

The five of them hastily grabbed onto the raft, trying to stabilize it amidst the giant waves, but then, with another "crash," the waves split open in the middle! The bamboo raft plummeted through the crack in the water, and despite Xuanji and Wuzhiqi’s myriad abilities, they were helpless and obediently fell into Chishui River. The parted waves abruptly joined together again, smacking them deep into the depths.

Xuanji frantically moved her arms and legs under the water, but the current was too strong, with countless whirlpools wreaking havoc around her. She was trapped by the force of the whirlpools and couldn’t rise to the surface for a moment. The water was extremely dark and murky. A shadowy figure came over to her side and yanked her arm fiercely, pulling her out of the largest whirlpool. Xuanji flailed her limbs and finally managed to float up.

The river continued to churn restlessly, like it was boiling, as Xuanji looked around. She saw Yu Sifeng not far from her, waving, and it was indeed him who had rescued her. Xuanji swam towards him hurriedly; by this time, Wuzhiqi had also surfaced, grabbing onto Liu Yihuan and Zi Hu. The five of them were soaked to the bone, completely bedraggled.

Turning back to look for the bamboo raft, it had been smashed to pieces by the giant waves, scattered across the river surface, and quickly sucked down to the riverbed by the whirlpools. The five clung tightly to the rocks on the shore, preventing the undercurrents from dragging them away. Wuzhiqi wiped the water off his face and said with a bitter smile, "That old man really gave us quite the welcome gift!"

Liu Yihuan weakly said, "Aren’t you able to flood the Heavenly Court with a great deluge? Isn’t Xuanji the War God? How come both of you can’t deal with one old man?"

Wuzhiqi retorted angrily, "Didn’t you say to respect the old and love the young? He’s an old man, how could I have the heart to lay a hand on him!"

Just after he spoke, towering giant waves rose again not far away, and what was fearful was that something enormous seemed to be hidden within the waves, thundering toward them.