Love & Redemption
Chapter 243: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Chapter 243: The Final Volume: I am Liuli - Two: Enlightenment (Part One)

Faint! Kaiming (Part 1) I’ve sent it three times!! Classmates, look over here~~

Sorry, because there was a glitch this afternoon, I accidentally uploaded Kaiming (Part 1) four times.

I wanted to unblock it in the backend, but it told me that monthly subscription novels cannot be unblocked~~~

I’m about to faint. It happens to be the weekend, and the editors can’t solve this problem~~

So here’s what I’ll do, my updates for the next three days will include new Chapters in place of the three extra ones. I apologize for the inconvenience!!!

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Chishui River is the only river that leads to the Kaiming Gate of Kunlun Mountain. Legend has it that Kunlun Mountain is eight thousand zhang high, with the Heavenly Emperor’s residence of the Lower Realm atop it, where various gods guard this sacred palace on his behalf. There are nine gates in the palace, and the one facing the rising sun in the east is the Kaiming Gate, guarded by a nine-headed Kaiming Beast, flanked by steep cliffs impossible for ordinary people to climb.

At this moment, everyone was standing on a large bamboo raft, drifting downstream on the Chishui River. Xuanji looked into the distance, where water merged with the sky. The length of this Chishui River was unknown; they had been drifting all day and still hadn’t reached the end, not even catching a glimpse of Kunlun Mountain. The scenery on both banks gradually became desolate, with vast forests and mountains passing by. Standing on the water, one might not be certain whether they were witnessing a picturesque scene or were themselves within a painting.

Of course, the idea to drift down the river on a bamboo raft was Liu Yihuan’s. Normally, cultivators like them wouldn’t need to bother with such a time-consuming endeavor. However, mortals who wish to travel to the Holy Land cannot simply fly there with Sword Control. They must travel step by step on foot, which is perhaps the limit set by the gods for mortals. Between gods and humans, there is always an insurmountable chasm.

Zi Hu was bored and pestered Wuzhiqi to tell a story. He was the oldest among them and knew all sorts of strange and rare tales from ancient times.

Wuzhiqi then smiled and said, "Well, let me tell you an old legend, though I don’t remember it clearly. It’s said that the conflict between Heaven and the Asura World was incessant. The Asuras were all valiant and warlike Demon Gods, how could those frail immortals of Heaven stand a chance against them! Consequently, they were driven back step by step until the Heavenly Court conceived a plan and captured a very powerful Demon God."

He suddenly stopped speaking and just smiled, asking, "Guess what happened next?"

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

Wuzhiqi laughed heartily and shook his head.

Yu Sifeng pondered for a moment and then said, "If it were me, and I lacked valiant War Gods on my side, I would convince him to fight for us. Did the Heavenly Court not punish that Demon God, but instead recruited him?"

Wuzhiqi showed a rare look of admiration and gave him a vigorous thumbs-up, "Smart kid! I am convinced by you! Is your heart made of crystal? How do you guess right every time?"

"The Heavenly Court really did win over that Demon God, but it’s a pity he was unwilling to conflict with his former comrades. The Heavenly Emperor valued his martial prowess and didn’t want to blame him, so he was well taken care of in Heaven, with fine wines and meats. But then..."

"Then what?" everyone eagerly asked.

Wuzhiqi shrugged his shoulders and curled his lip, "There’s no ’then.’ That Demon God suddenly disappeared and was never mentioned again. Some people guessed he still longed for the Asura World and secretly returned. What actually happened, nobody knows."

"Pfft!" Everyone jeered. Who tells a story like that! Just as it got exciting, it was over.

The bamboo raft gradually slid downstream, the river suddenly widening, the currents turbulent, the raft seeming as if it were about to take flight, vigorously surging forward. The verdant forests on both banks appeared to come to an end. Ahead was a sharp bend in the river. After turning the bend, the view opened dramatically, revealing towering rocky mountains rising into the clouds on both sides. It was hard to believe these colossal stone mountains were naturally formed, as they stood on both sides like majestic sentinels, arrayed in a highly orderly fashion. If they weren’t naturally formed, who could have crafted such a spectacular scene with such divine artisanship?

What was even more bizarre wasn’t the orderly array of giant stone mountains, but the color of the mountains themselves, slightly reddish, as if touched by a thin layer of rosy light, growing deeper in hue further on, gradually turning into the color of fresh blood.

"Something is off here," Yu Sifeng suddenly spoke up. "Ever since we turned the corner, I’ve not heard any bird calls, and there are no fish in the river anymore. Listen... apart from the sound of the water, there’s nothing."

Wuzhiqi chuckled lightly, "I’m really impressed by you, no anomaly escapes your notice. You’re right, because we’re about to enter the domain of the gods, naturally, the climate is different from before. Birds and fish, they’re creatures of the mortal world, how would they dare approach this area."

Hearing that they were about to reach Kunlun Mountain, Xuanji couldn’t help but stand at the front of the bamboo raft, looking far into the distance. The stone mountains on both banks were like blood, swiftly passing by. Apart from the rapid water, there was not a sound in heaven and earth. This silence was solemn and reverent, an unchanging quiet through the ages. Heavenly Gods in the Upper Realm secretly peered down, perhaps with pity, admiration, or indifference.

In this place, at this moment, everyone instinctively felt a sense of dread. Xuanji pursed her lips tightly, and like her, no one wanted to speak, nor dared to.

The river had also changed from its previous blue clarity to a dark red hue, the winding riverbed suffused with the color of blood, resembling a giant vein.

In the midst of the deathly silence, Wuzhiqi suddenly jumped up and cupped his hands around his mouth, childishly bellowing several times, startling everyone. Their eyes widened in shock as they stared at him. He chuckled, sheepishly rubbing his head, a bit embarrassed, "I can’t stand places that are so dead and oppressive. Shouting a few times—I feel better."

Having said that, he let loose and began to shout again. At first, he was just bellowing simply, but his voice gradually escalated, eventually resonating like the roar of dragons and phoenixes. The clear sound echoed between the blood-like stone mountains, as if singing and also like a cathartic rallying cry. Xuanji couldn’t help but open her mouth and start yelling as well, followed by Zi Hu, Liu Yihuan, and even the normally composed Yu Sifeng joined the madness. The five of them stood on the bamboo raft like fools, shouting and yelling, flailing their limbs, looking like they had gone mad.

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

The voice lingered and roamed between the two banks, "having tea, having tea," as if he had always treated the trip to Kunlun Mountain as a tea visit. While the echo’s remnants still hung in the air, they heard a cold, aged voice from the shore saying, "What evil spirit dares to be so unbridled below Mount Kunlun!"

They hadn’t seen a single person on their way here. Suddenly hearing a voice, they all turned around quickly, only to see a figure in blue standing on the distant shore. He was so far away that he appeared as small as a sesame seed, yet his voice carried that far without dissipating, truly a marvel.

Wuzhiqi saw the bamboo raft drifting quickly and figured the man wouldn’t be able to catch up. He laughed heartily, "Being unbridled, huh? Then tell me, is the Heavenly Emperor’s tea any good?"

The man didn’t speak and just sneered. He began to walk into Chishui River. Seeing his staggered step and aged appearance, everyone began to worry, and Zi Hu hurriedly called out, "Old man! He’s just joking! Please take no offense! This river flows fast; don’t come down! It could be dangerous!"

As if he hadn’t heard, the man stepped onto the river and didn’t sink at all, steadily walking towards the bamboo raft. Seeing him walk over such a rapid current as though on solid ground startled them all. He was actually not moving fast, his steps unsteady, looking a bit unstable, but for some reason, he kept getting closer—one moment a sesame size figure, now the size of a plum.

Wuzhiqi’s face changed slightly, and he whispered, "This is bad! It’s a Divine Witch! Dammit, aren’t they supposed to be hiding in the mountains? How did they come here today!"

As he spoke, the man had drawn much closer and his figure became clearly visible. Dressed in flowing blue robes that seemed ready to lift him into the heavens, he had a silver beard under his chin over a foot long, and his white hair was neatly tied behind his head. In his hand was a black iron cane, and most peculiarly, the cane also didn’t sink into the water.

Wuzhiqi and Liu Yihuan grabbed the paddles and rowed hard forward. Already moving with the current, their efforts propelled them even quicker, and in no time, they had left the man far behind. The man chased for a few steps, then stopped there, motionless, speaking coldly, "I think I remember who you are now! Wuzhiqi, you truly are brazen! To think you have escaped from the Netherworld on your own!"

Wuzhiqi cracked a mocking smile and said, "Well, I’m really sorry, old man, but I can’t remember who you are at all! It’s admirable that you still remember me at your advanced age."

That person did not speak, only lifted his hand to throw his black iron cane into the water with a "plop." Liu Yihuan curiously said, "Oh no, the old man is angry; he’s even thrown away his cane! Wuzhiqi, haven’t you heard of respecting your elders and caring for the young?!"

Wuzhiqi did not speak either, just paddled hard, and the bamboo raft shot forward like it was flying. Up ahead was another dangerous bend in the river, and curiously, the rocky mountains on both sides joined together at the top, looking like a huge archway. The color of the rocks was no longer blood-red but instead glinted with gold, white mixed with gold.

Wuzhiqi looked back and saw the old man’s figure had shrunk to the size of a sesame seed, standing there firmly — on one foot. Wuzhiqi yelled, "Now I remember! He’s Wu Lv, one of the ten Divine Witches! Go! Hurry! Once we cross the Dragon Gate, he won’t be able to do anything to us!"

Before he had finished speaking, he saw Mr. Wu Lv raise his other foot high and slam it down fiercely. The Chishui River suddenly became agitated like boiling water, sending giant waves smashing from behind. With a loud crashing sound, the bamboo raft turned into a useless little leaf, instantly pushed to the crest of the wave.

The five desperately grabbed the raft, trying to stabilize it in the huge wave, but to their shock, the wave split open with another "whoosh!" The raft crashed harshly through the gap in the water. Even with all the skills Xuanji and Wuzhiqi possessed, they were helpless and fell into the Chishui River. The divided waves abruptly closed over them, smashing them deep into the water.

Underwater, Xuanji flailed desperately, but the current was too strong, and countless whirlpools raged around her. She was caught by the force of the vortices and had no way to surface. The river water was extremely dark and muddy. A vague shadow approached from the side, grabbed her arm fiercely, and pulled her out of the biggest whirlpool. Using her hands and feet, Xuanji finally managed to surface.

The river remained turbulent as if boiling. Xuanji looked around and saw Yu Sifeng not far away, signaling to her. Indeed, it was he who had saved her. Xuanji quickly swam towards him. At that moment, Wuzhiqi, holding onto Liu Yihuan and Zi Hu, also emerged. The five were soaked through, totally bedraggled.

Looking back for the raft, it was already smashed into pieces by the giant waves, scattered across the river surface, soon to be swept to the river’s bottom by the vortices. The five clung tightly to the rocks on the bank, preventing themselves from being dragged down by the undercurrent. Wiping the water from his face, Wuzhiqi bitterly joked, "What a big welcome gift from the old man!"

Liu Yihuan said feebly, "Aren’t you the one who can flood the Heavenly Court with a great flood? Isn’t Xuanji a War God? How come you both can’t handle one old man?"

Wuzhiqi snapped back, "And didn’t you say we should respect the elderly and love the young? He’s an old man; how could I have the heart to grapple and fight with him!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another towering wave rose nearby. More terrifying still, something enormous seemed to be hidden within the wave, thundering towards them.

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