Love & Redemption
Chapter 242: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Chapter 242: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Fainted!! Kaiming (Part One) I posted three times!! Fellow students, look over here~~

Sorry, because of a glitch this afternoon, my Chapter "Kaiming (Part One)" was uploaded four times.

Then, I tried to set it to private in the backend, but was told that subscription novels cannot be set to private~~~

I’m going to faint now, it’s the weekend, and the editors can’t fix this issue~~

Let’s do this: for the next three days, I will modify the duplicates into new Chapters, sorry for the trouble I’ve brought everyone!!!

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Chishui River is the sole river leading to Kaiming Gate of Kunlun Mountain. Legend has it that Kunlun Mountain stands eight thousand zhang tall and houses the Heavenly Emperor’s residence in the Lower Realm, with gods guarding this sacred palace on his behalf. The palace has nine gates in total, and the one facing the morning sun to the east is Kaiming Gate, guarded by the nine-headed Kaiming Beast, with steep cliffs that ordinary people simply cannot scale.

At this moment, everyone stood on a large bamboo raft, drifting downstream along Chishui River. Xuanji looked into the distance with keen eyes, where water and sky blended seamlessly. It was unclear just how long this Chishui River was; they had been drifting for a whole day yet the end was nowhere in sight, not even the shadow of Kunlun Mountain. The landscape on both banks gradually became desolate, with vast swaths of forests and mountains whisking by, leaving people standing on the water wondering whether they were witnessing a picturesque scene or if they were themselves within a painting.

Of course, the idea of drifting downstream on a bamboo raft was Liu Yihuan’s idea; it was really unnecessary for cultivators like them to go through such trouble and take so much time, but since mortals wished to reach the Holy Land, they couldn’t possibly fly there directly with Sword Control, however much they might want to. They needed to tread the ground step by step instead; perhaps this was the boundary set by the gods for mortals, an insurmountable chasm forever separating gods from humans.

Zi Hu, growing bored, kept pestering Wuzhiqi, insisting that he tell a story. Wuzhiqi was the oldest living among them, certainly knowing all kinds of rare and strange things from ancient times.

Wuzhiqi then laughed and said, "Well, I’ll tell an ancient legend, though I don’t remember it all that clearly. It is said that the Heaven and Asura World were in constant strife, with the Asuras being fierce and war-loving Demon Gods, while those weak immortals from Heaven couldn’t possibly defeat them! So, they kept losing ground until Heaven resorted to a stratagem and captured a very powerful Demon God."

He suddenly stopped speaking, only smiling and asking, "Guess what happened next?"

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

Wuzhiqi laughed heartily and shook his head.

Liu Yihuan pondered for a moment before speaking, "If it were me, and I had no bold and skilled Heavenly Gods on my side, I would persuade him to fight for me instead. Instead of punishing the Demon God, Heaven took him for their own use?"

Wuzhiqi rarely showed a look of admiration, but now he gave him a big thumbs-up, "You clever lad! I’m really impressed with you! Is your heart made of Linglong crystal? How do you always guess right on the first try?"

"Heaven really did win over that Demon God, but unfortunately, he didn’t want to conflict with his former comrades. The Heavenly Emperor treasured his martial prowess too much to blame him, so he was treated well in Heaven, with fine wine and meat. And then..."

"And then what?" everyone asked eagerly.

Wuzhiqi shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips, "There’s no ’then.’ That Demon God suddenly disappeared, and nobody ever mentioned him again. Some guessed he still longed for Asura World and snuck back. As for what truly happened, nobody knows."

"Tch!" Everyone let out disappointed hisses. What kind of storytelling was this? Just when it got exciting, it was over.

The bamboo raft gradually slid toward the downstream, the river suddenly widened, and the current became rapid. The raft surged forward as though about to take flight. The green forests on both banks seemed to have reached their end too. Upon turning around the abrupt bend of the river, a vast and open space emerged, with towering rocky mountains on both sides shooting up into the clouds. It was hard to believe that these massive stone mountains formed naturally; they stood like towering guards on either bank, arranged in an extremely orderly fashion. If these weren’t naturally formed, who could have such divine skill to create such a spectacular sight?

But what was most peculiar wasn’t these orderly arranged massive stone mountains, but the color of the mountains themselves, which tinged slightly red as if bathed in a thin layer of rosy light. The further back one looked, the deeper the red became, eventually turning into a vivid blood-like color.

"Something is wrong here," Liu Yihuan abruptly spoke up, "After the turn, I have not heard any birdsong, nor are there any fish in the river. Listen... apart from the sound of water, there’s none other."

Wuzhiqi laughed softly, "I must admit, you catch every anomaly. You’re right, we’re about to enter the domain of the gods, the climate and feng shui here are naturally different from before. Birds and fish, they are creatures of the mortal world, how would they dare to come near this place."

Hearing they were close to Kunlun Mountain, Xuanji stood up at the front of the bamboo raft and peered far ahead. Reddish stone mountains slipped by on both banks, and aside from the swirling current’s sound, the world was silent. This silence was majestic and solemn—a silence unchanged since time immemorial—as the Heavenly Gods secretly peered down from the Upper Realm with feelings of perhaps pity, envy, or indifference.

Heaven and Earth were here, instinctively instilling fear in everyone. Xuanji pursed her lips, and like her, in this place, at this moment, no one wanted to speak, nor dared to.

The river, which had been a clear azure before, had turned a dark, blood-red hue. The winding river was shrouded in a scarlet mist, resembling a gigantic vein.

Wuzhiqi suddenly leapt up in the silence, cupping his hands around his mouth and childishly bellowing several times, startling everyone who rounded their eyes at him. He gave a he-he laugh, rubbing his head sheepishly, "I just can’t stand such a dead, oppressive place. A few shouts make me feel better."

After speaking, he opened his throat and started shouting again. At first, it was just simple yelling, but then the sound began to climb, like the roar of a dragon or the cry of a phoenix. The clear, resonant calls echoed between the blood-like rock mountains, as if singing or making a heart-wide call. Xuanji couldn’t help but open her mouth to yell loudly, followed by Zi Hu, Liu Yihuan, and finally even the most composed Yu Sifeng began to join the ruckus. The five of them stood on the raft like fools, shouting and dancing, acting as if possessed by madness.

After Wuzhiqi had shouted for a while, he yelled loudly, "Heavenly Emperor, old fool! Wait up! Daddy is coming over for tea!"

His voice wandered back and forth between the two riverbanks, ’Tea time, tea time,’ as if he had all along regarded the trip to Kunlun Mountain as simply going for tea. While the echoes still lingered, a cold, elderly voice came from the riverside, "What evil spirit dares to run amok at the base of Kunlun Mountain!"

They had not seen a single person on their journey so far, and now, suddenly hearing a voice, they all hurriedly looked back, only to see a blue-clad figure standing on the distant shore. Though he was too far away and small as a sesame seed, his voice had traveled such a great distance clearly and without dispersing, which was indeed astonishing.

Seeing the raft drifting quickly, Wuzhiqi laughed heartily, "Being outrageous, am I? Then tell me, is the Heavenly Emperor’s tea any good?"

The man didn’t speak but snorted coldly and began walking toward the Chishui River on foot. Seeing his stumbling gait and evident old age, everyone became concerned. Zi Hu quickly called out, "Old sir! He’s just joking, please don’t take it seriously! The river’s currents are strong; don’t come down! You’ll be in danger!"

The man seemed not to hear, stepping onto the river’s surface without sinking at all, steadily approaching the raft. Seeing him walk on such turbulent waters as if on flat ground, everyone was taken aback. He wasn’t walking fast, and his step was wobbly, unsteady, but somehow he was getting closer and closer, the sesame-sized figure now as big as a plum.

Wuzhiqi’s face paled slightly, murmuring softly, "Not good! It’s a Divine Witch! Damn it, aren’t they supposed to hide in their mountains? How did they end up here today!"

In the midst of their conversation, the man had come much closer, his figure now clearly visible. He was dressed in floating blue robes, as if about to ascend to immortality, with a silver beard a foot long under his chin and neatly tied white hair at the back of his head. He also held an ironwood cane that, most peculiarly, did not sink when placed on the water.

Wuzhiqi and Liu Yihuan grabbed the paddles and rowed fiercely forward. Riding with the current, they sped up even more, quickly leaving the man far behind again. After pursuing for a few steps, the man stopped and said coldly, "I think I remember who you are now! Wuzhiqi, you truly are recklessly bold! To secretly escape the Netherworld!"

Wuzhiqi sneered mockingly and said, "I’m terribly sorry, old man, I can’t remember who you are at all! Hard to believe you still remember me at your grand old age."

The man said nothing but raised his hand and threw his black iron cane into the water with a "plop." Liu Yihuan exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, the old man’s angry, he threw his cane away! Wuzhiqi, don’t you know to respect your elders and care for the young?!"

Wuzhiqi didn’t speak either, just paddling furiously. The bamboo raft flew like an arrow, rushing forward at high speed. Up ahead was another dangerous bend in the river, and curiously, the stone mountains on both sides joined together at the top, forming a massive arch. The color of the rocks was no longer blood-red but glittered golden, white mixed with gold.

Wuzhiqi looked back and saw the figure of the old man had shrunk to the size of a sesame seed, standing steadfast on one leg. Wuzhiqi cried out, "Now I remember! He’s Wu Lv, one of the Ten Divine Witches! Quick, hurry! Once we’re past the Dragon Gate, he won’t be able to touch us!"

Before he finished speaking, Mr. Wu Lv lifted his other foot high and stamped it down fiercely. Chishui River shook violently, like boiling water, and a towering wave of red loomed and surged towards them, whooshing over and turning the bamboo raft into a useless leaf, pushing it to the very top in an instant.

The five people hurriedly grasped the bamboo raft, trying to stabilize it amidst the giant waves, but to their shock, the waves split apart with a "whoosh," and the raft plummeted through the gap. Despite Xuanji and Wuzhiqi’s myriad of abilities, they were helpless, obediently falling into the Chishui River as the parted waves suddenly closed and smashed them deep underwater.

Xuanji flailed underwater, but the current was too strong, and countless whirlpools raged around her. She was trapped by the force of the whirlpools and couldn’t rise to the surface for a moment. The river water was extremely dark and muddy, and a vague shadow approached, pulling harshly on her arm, yanking her out from the largest whirlpool. With arms and legs flailing, she finally surfaced.

The river was still churning, boiling over, and Xuanji looked around to see Yu Sifeng not far from her, waving at her. It was indeed him who had saved her. Xuanji swam hurriedly towards him. Right then, Wuzhiqi, grasping onto Liu Yihuan and Zi Hu, also surfaced. Soaked through, all five were in a pitiful state.

Turning back to look for the bamboo raft, they saw it had been shattered by the giant waves, scattering on the river surface, quickly sucked to the bottom by the whirlpools. The five clung tightly to the stones on the riverbank to avoid being dragged down by the undercurrent. Wuzhiqi wiped the water from his face, a wry smile on his lips, "This old man, what a ’warm’ welcome he’s given us!"

Liu Yihuan said weakly, "Weren’t you supposed to flood the Heavenly Court with water? Isn’t Xuanji the War God? How come neither of you can handle an old man."

Wuzhiqi retorted angrily, "Didn’t you say we should respect our elders? He’s an old man; how could I bring myself to rough him up?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than they saw yet another towering wave rise in the distance, and what was terrifying was that something massive seemed to be hidden within the oncoming wave.