Hundreds of thousands of ghosts poured out of the single crack in the barrier in form of a dark wave that emitted a strong aura full of resentment. The dark entities slowly spread all over the Shuzhong area like an unstoppable plague.
Grandmaster Wu had taken care to put up area barriers over the towns and Shadow Moon Sect's humble residence, but he was only one person after all. He divided his power to protect too many areas at once, so the barriers were not as strong as his usual creations. After being attacked for some time, the barriers that he had painstakingly erected crumbled one by one and woke the elder grandmaster from his sleep with a start.
Each break was like a stab into his chest, and he ended up vomiting blood all over his bedding as a result.
Grandmaster Wu quickly regained his composure and stormed outside to see the disaster unfolding before his eyes.
All over the area, the towns had been maliciously attacked by rampaging ghosts. Blood-curdling screams toned just moments before fresh blood spurted into the air and terrifying sounds of flesh being chewed were heard. A thick stench of blood prevailed everywhere, and the townspeople ran around blindly in search of help. Only then did they remember the Shadow Moon Sect that repeatedly sent their representatives over to warn them, to ask them to leave as far as possible.
What did they do when they received the warning?
They laughed.
They ridiculed the young cultivators.
Look at what happened.
The old man who laughed at Wen Yuan and Ye Zhang stood in the middle of the chaos and stared dumbly at the corpses lying on the ground and the townspeople who were running around frantically. They stepped on the bodies of their kins and friends without a moment of thought. All of them were fighting for survival.
When a ghost possessed him and sucked his life energy dry, blood flowed from his ruptured organs and the seven holes in his body. The old man died before his body even hit the ground. In his hand, he held a pouch of money that had become useless in the face of death. The gold coins were scattered on the ground, stepped on by the fleeing townsfolk in panic.
Grandmaster Wu flew toward the crack swiftly with a barrier around himself to ward off ghost attacks. When he reached the barrier rift, Chu Wanning was already there, doing his best to mend the crack while Mo Ran slashed at the ghosts to protect them both using Mingjing.
"Xia Sini! Go put a barrier around the towns, prevent more ghosts from attacking those who are still alive! I have sent signals to other sects, they are coming soon to help!" Grandmaster Wu instructed.
"Grandmaster, the crack is too big. Let me help!"
Grandmaster Wu shook his head. He could not let such a young, talented person waste away at the front line. He forcefully grabbed Chu Wanning by his back collar and pulled him out of danger, effectively replacing him with one move.
"Grandmaster Wu...!"
Grandmaster Wu turned to Mo Ran.
"Go protect your Shidi," he said.
Mo Ran hesitated.
"But Grandmaster, you need people to ward off the ghosts for..."
Before Mo Ran finished what he wanted to say, two people flew up to them and spoke in unison.
"Let us do that!!!"
Wen Yuan and Ye Zhang both had their swords unsheathed.
"We cannot help Shizun fix the barrier, but we will protect Shizun!"
Mo Ran nodded with a smile.
"Then I will leave it to you two!"
Wen Yuan, "Take care, Mo-xiong!"
Mo Ran flew to Chu Wanning's side. The latter had not waited for Mo Ran at all. He had started to create protective barriers on the ground and ask the common folk to come inside for protection.
Mo Ran slashed at ghosts while pushing the scared townspeople toward the barrier that Chu Wanning put up.
"GOGOGO DO YOU WANT TO LIVE OR DIE!!!"
"I want to live! I want to live!! Esteemed cultivators, please help!!"
The townspeople had been reduced to a group of whimpering and wailing cowards. They had seen with their own eyes how fragile human life was. And how vicious the ghosts could be. Their attitude had changed completely in the face of death.
"Buddha, Gods, all deities, please! Please help!!!"
Mo Ran rolled with his eyes. Occasionally he stole a glance at his little shidi, who was exerting more and more spiritual power without caring for himself. Big beads of sweat ran down his bloodless face. He looked as if he was about to pass out anytime soon.
"Shidi, you..."
Chu Wanning opened his eyes and turned to look at Mo Ran. There was a look of determination in his eyes. And then he vomited a mouthful of blood.
"SHIDI!!!"
The body of a child could not take the pressure as well as the body of an adult. Chu Wanning tasted the iron in his mouth, and he suddenly realized that something was not right. In his past life, he had also gone through a similar trial with a different scenario. At that time, he was unable to taste anything or feel any pain in the illusory realm. So why was it that he could taste his own blood as if he were injured for real?? The pain in his chest was also not imaginary. He was injured for real.
Distracted by Chu Wanning, Mo Ran recklessly let a ghost stab him in the stomach. Mingjing fell onto the ground with a clatter and Mo Ran fell on his knees while holding onto the gaping hole in his stomach. Blood dripped from between Mo Ran's fingers onto the ground.
"!!!"
"Mo Ran...!!!"
Chu Wanning dashed forward and put his arms around Mo Ran's neck. The barrier around him included Mo Ran and repelled the ghost, who angrily tried to attack again and again.
"S...hidi..."
Chu Wanning clenched his jaw. He was right. This illusory realm had been tampered with. The injuries that they carried in this illusory realm would carry over to the real world. Should they die in this trial, they would die in real life! Despite his weakened state, Chu Wanning pressed against Mo Ran's wound and passed some spiritual power to heal the wound.
"Shidi... No..."
Mo Ran tried to push Chu Wanning away, but the latter stubbornly clung to him and kept on passing spiritual power to him. Chu Wanning could not let Mo Ran die in this place.
While the two of them were huddled together on the ground with a bunch of shivering survivors, a loud bang was heard up in the sky. A body fell from the height like a broken doll.
"WEN YUAN!!!"
Both Mo Ran and Chu Wanning lifted their head and stared at the falling figure in shock. Wen Yuan hit the ground and lay there motionlessly.
"WEN YUAN!!! WEN YUAN!!!"
A distressed Ye Zhang was still fighting off the ghosts up in the sky, but he was getting more and more distracted. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he turned to his Shizun and started to beg.
"Shizun, please... Please help. Please help Wen Yuan, alright? Just for a moment.
I will stay here, so please... Please help him."
Grandmaster Wu did not say anything. He was focusing on the crack with no attention to spare.
Ye Zhang kept crying.
"Please, Shizun. Please. I will do anything. Please, please help A-Yuan..."
Grandmaster Wu turned his head slowly to look at Ye Zhang. His brows were furrowed full of reproach. Amidst the flashing lightning, one could see that Ye Zhang was completely heartbroken.
Driven by overwhelming sadness, Ye Zhang stopped attacking the ghosts. When the ghosts sensed his desperation, they launched a combined attack and hit the young man square in the chest. Ye Zhang soon fell from the height and crashed on the ground next to Wen Yuan.
Chu Wanning leaped back to the sky to help Grandmaster Wu, but it was too late. Without anyone to defend him, the elder man became an easy target for the ghosts. The crack had only been mended halfway when he too was struck in the chest maliciously. Another mouthful of blood left the elder man's lips when some of his ribs cracked and some of his internal organs were injured.
Chu Wanning summoned Huaisha and gave Grandmaster Wu the coverage that he had lost. A look of understanding passed between Chu Wanning and Grandmaster Wu. No one needed to say anything. Having worked with barriers for their whole lives, they had long since dedicated their lives to the greater good. It did not mean that they did not care about their disciples. Of course they did. They just had a lot more to care about. They had to care about the whole mortal realm!
While sustaining heavy injuries, Grandmaster Wu stubbornly dedicated what remained from his power to fix the heavenly barrier breach. Chu Wanning's tears collected in his eyes as he saw the elder man dying slowly in front of his eyes for a greater cause without being able to help him at all.
The representatives from all other sects finally arrived at Shuzhong to clean up the ghosts that infested the mortal realm. Cultivators on swords flew toward the ground and immediately started to fight against the stray ghosts.
They still came too late.
Countless bodies covered the ground, all of them died from supernatural causes. A huge amount of blood flowed into the river and dyed the water red. The Shuzhong area was turned into hell within a single night.
Only two people stood side by side to mend the rift at the heavenly barrier. Both Chu Wanning and Grandmaster Wu were exhausted and close to losing their consciousness, but they still had to hold on. There was no one else who could complete the job.
Finally, after working on the rift with all focus and attention that they could spare, the rift was slowly closing.
Chu Wanning and Grandmaster Wu could not afford a single mistake during the critical time.
When the last tiny crack closed down, a loud bang was heard. An elated smile spread over the elder grandmaster's face before it gradually faded along with his consciousness. Grandmaster Wu passed out from overuse of spiritual power. Huaisha disappeared, and Chu Wanning grabbed Grandmaster Wu to cushion his fall.
The elder grandmaster landed softly on the ground thanks to Chu Wanning, but he had done too much. His body had been damaged too greatly during the last attack. Blood flowed incessantly from the corner of his lips but Grandmaster Wu had a smile on his face. He was satisfied with the outcome. The heavenly barrier rift was sealed at last. Humanity was saved. The only job remaining was to slay all the remaining ghosts in the mortal realm.
They didn't need him anymore.
He was done.
Grandmaster Wu turned to look at Chu Wanning and grabbed his tiny hands. He whispered, "Thank you."
And then he closed his eyes and breathed his last. Chu Wanning's lips trembled as tears fell from his eyes. This was how Grandmaster Wu, one of the greatest barrier masters died. He died alone with no one to mourn him. As if he had not done the most heroic deed to prevent the end of humanity.
Chu Wanning lifted his head and saw that the cultivators around him were vanquishing the ghosts one by one. The ghosts dispersed into the air with ear-splitting shrieks, and the confidence of the cultivators grew over time.
They won.
But for what price.
Chu Wanning gently placed Grandmaster Wu on the ground and gazed at the peaceful smile that was carved eternally on his face one last time.
Then he wiped his tears away and started to look for Mo Ran. He did not have to look far.
Mo Ran, the only person wearing the Sisheng Peak uniform, was squatting some distance away with his back facing Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning got up and approached Mo Ran. He was silently staring at Wen Yuan's and Ye Zhang's battered bodies. In death, they looked peaceful and innocent. Mo Ran had taken care to put their bodies side by side so they could be buried together at least.
"Mo Ran," Chu Wanning called. "It is done."
"Yeah," Mo Ran answered with a hoarse voice.
"There is nothing you can do for them. This is already the past."
Mo Ran craned his neck and looked up at the spot where the breach was. After the crack was fixed, it was as if the breach never happened at all. Who would have imagined that hordes of hungry and vicious ghosts were lurking beyond the barrier, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting human beings?
"I thought that my Shizun was the worst," Mo Ran commented. "Apparently he is not the only one."
Chu Wanning stared at Mo Ran in confusion.
"Mo Ran, what are you talking about?"
Mo Ran turned to look at Chu Wanning with a strange light in his eyes.
"Did you not see what happened before? Grandmaster Wu left his disciples to die. How ruthless."
Having stood by Grandmaster Wu and witnessed his selfless sacrifice with his own eyes, Chu Wanning quickly became enraged by Mo Ran's words.
"Grandmaster Wu had saved humanity from utter destruction. Mo Ran, these words of yours are uncalled for."
Mo Ran raised an eyebrow at this little shidi who was glaring at him.
"Ah yes. You can say that because you are not the ones who die because he 'saved humanity from utter destruction'. What about those who died, then? Do their lives mean nothing?"
Chu Wanning clenched his tiny hands into fists in anger.
"If he could prevent their deaths, he would have!"
Mo Ran sneered.
"Those are your words. Whether he could do it or not, should he not know the best?"
Chu Wanning was so angry that he was about to vomit another mouthful of blood and spit it on Mo Ran's face.
How did he dare to belittle Grandmaster Wu's efforts? The elder grandmaster had lost his life in exchange for so many lives!
Mo Ran went to pick up Mingjing from the ground and caressed the blade gently before putting it back to its sheath.
"Mark my words, little Shidi. This will happen again. And then, your Shizun, my Shizun, he will not save any of us just like Grandmaster Wu did not save his two disciples who were shielding the attacks for him."
Chu Wanning could barely believe his ears.
"There is no such coincidence," Chu Wanning remarked.
There was.
Unexpectedly, there was.
Did Shi Mei not die in his past life in a similar circumstance?
Did Mo Ran not blame Chu Wanning over and over again for that?
But Mo Ran could not know that.
The heavenly rift in this lifetime was yet to happen.
He would never know.
Unless...
Unless...?
It could not be...
Could it be...?
Mo Ran turned around and looked at his little shidi. The look on his face was a little too familiar. Mo Ran confirmed Chu Wanning's suspicion with a single sentence.
"I know because it already happened to me before."
It was as if a lightning bolt came down to strike Chu Wanning. He stared at the disciple in front of his eyes.
Of course.
Suddenly everything made more sense.
He alone would not be able to change the course of events in this life so drastically. It turned out that he was not the only one who was given a second chance at life.
This person in front of him was not a sixteen-year-old Mo Ran at all.
He was Taxian-Jun in a younger body. Just like him, Taxian-Jun had also been reborn.
Hurtful memories flashed in Chu Wanning's mind one by one, every each of them containing a sneering Taxian-Jun who abused him verbally.
"You never cared about any of us."
"You are the worst."
"Having you as our Shizun is the worst luck any of us could have."
"You do not deserve Shi Mei at all."
-It hurt.
-It hurt too much.
Chu Wanning bit his lips and tried his best to choke back the tears, but they still fell down mercilessly, exposing his weakness to the person who would be too happy to see him wallow in pain.
Only that this person did not recognize him in his current state. He also did not know that Chu Wanning had also been reborn.
Thinking that he had scared his little shidi, Mo Ran approached Chu Wanning and pulled him into his arms. The little shidi's crying face was familiar for an unknown reason, and Mo Ran did not feel good when he saw tears on the little shidi's face.
"Don't be afraid, Shidi.
I will protect you, alright?
Shizun will not be there for you, but I will.
I will dote on you, and protect you always."
Tears dropped from Chu Wanning's eyes to Mo Ran's shoulder.
-If only you knew, Mo Ran...
-Xia Sini is none other than the person you hate the most in two lifetimes.
Chu Wanning stiffly nodded and softly muttered, "Thank you, Shixiong."
As the heavenly rift had been successfully sealed, the illusory realm cleared after a while. Still in Mo Ran's embrace, Chu Wanning found himself standing inside the cave.
Mo Ran released Chu Wanning and looked down at himself.
"What the...? Why are we still injured?"
Chu Wanning said nothing. Just as he thought, the injuries they had from the illusory realm remained.
Chu Wanning moved to leave the cave, but then he stopped in his track. Mo Ran who was following him out almost tripped on his little shidi.
"Shidi, what...?"
Mo Ran followed Chu Wanning's gaze toward the entrance of the trial cave.
Hung by the entrance was Miss Twenty's body. It swayed ever so gently in the air, and it turned to reveal Miss Twenty's startled face. Her eyes were wide open and her lips parted. It was as if she did not expect to be killed.
Miss Twenty was dead.
The only clue to her murderer was the willow vine that was used to strangle and hang her by her neck. The sharp leaves stabbed into Miss Twenty's neck and caused blood to drip slowly from her neck and form a pool below her body.
The willow vine shimmered in a brilliant, resplendent golden color.