She had never known her heart could hurt so much.
Having understood that Ruan Zhan was bidding her farewell, realizing what he said, Xiao Xia’s heart felt as if it had been forcibly snatched. The pain was indescribable and she fainted on the spot. It was as if only the darkness of unconsciousness could save her heart from breaking.
“Xiao Xia!”
Wan Li wanted to rush over and check on her, but was stopped by Uncle Bao. “We must save Ah Zhan first. Come with me.” He said and rushed to the edge of the ultimate formation. Due to his severe injuries, he could barely stand without the support of those two yakshas.
Wan Li followed Uncle Bao with a big cloth bag on his back. The bag contained the things that Uncle Bao had collected over the years while running around. In order to help his old friend, he put in his utmost effort. What he gained was not only the strongest spells from various secret sects, but also some magical artifacts and treasures with spiritual power. Ruan Zhan had taken some of them to set up this ultimate formation, while Uncle Bao kept the rest because he had his own plans.
In Ruan Zhan’s mind, Master Long had said this formation was unbreakable, and its name implied as much. However, Uncle Bao had lived a long life and seen much. He understood one thing: everything had a counter. No matter what kind of thing it is, no matter how powerful it is, there will always be something that restrains it.
They just didn’t know what countered the ultimate formation, but not knowing didn’t mean they would give up. Therefore, while Ruan Zhan prepared for his final battle, Uncle Bao instructed Wan Li to prepare to break the formation.
The formation didn’t have a life gate, but it had a death gate and an eye. It was in the same place: that dead locust tree. Since there was no life possible, they just needed to attack the death gate. Since Ah Zhan and his old friend were bound to die at this rate, anything was worth trying despite the dangers.
He had tied various spells, magical artifacts, and spiritual objects together with a rather special and spiritually powerful silk net. This was because invoking these items required different methods and spiritual powers from different sects. However, in a critical moment, he couldn’t handle them one by one, so he used the spiritual net to connect their spiritual energies and then used his own sect’s magic to make these treasures collectively attack one place.
He anticipated that facing off against an old friend would inevitably result in injury, but fortunately, he had a young man like Wan Li, with his unique constitution and exuberant energy, to assist him. Now, he was even luckier to have two more formidable allies. In such a situation, even a one-in-ten-thousand chance was extremely precious and had to be seized. He could see clearly from behind the stone that although Ah Zhan’s had been a good one and almost succeeded, there was still a trace of evil aura in his old friend’s heart that had not been released. Therefore, Ah Zhan failed. The pair had to enter the ultimate formation and face mutual destruction.
The lunar eclipse had passed, and his old friend had already turned into a demon. He definitely couldn’t be saved, but his many preparations were to try and save Ah Zhan’s life, or even just his soul. This child had never done anything wrong and shouldn’t have such a tragic ending.
He had to give Ah Zhan time to eradicate the demon, and then save Ah Zhan himself. Timing would be critical. He only had control over part of the moment. The rest would be up to the heavens. The formation would have to damage Ah Zhan only after his old man. That meant the heavens would have to allow Tian Yi to be wiped out first. Only then could they forcibly break the formation and save Ah Zhan.
If Ah Zhan died first or if they died together, it would all be for naught. He could only wait. Therefore, he was extremely worried. He hope the heavens wouldn’t be blind, and would give the child a path of survival. Let the ultimate formation kill his old friend first. Then, he would try to save his old friend’s only descendant.
He told Wan Li to hold the spirit net as he sat cross-legged near the formation’s eye. He placed both hands on Wan Li’s head, and the two yakshas placed their hands on his back. “Close your eyes and concentrate. Ignore what’s happening inside the formation and wait for my signal. When I say go, release all your energy at once.” He instructed.
This was also dangerous for Wan Li. Various powers will be using Wan Li’s body as a conduit into the spirit net. If the spirit power was too great or if the rebound from the formation was too strong, Wan Li would be the first affected. Wan Li understood this very well, but he still did it without hesitation. This reminded him of his friendship, that brotherhood which transcended blood and life and death. How precious it was!
“What are they doing?” Wan Li had his eyes closed and couldn’t help but ask.
After Ruan Zhan glanced at Xiao Xia, he had turned back. He didn’t know she had fainted. Uncle Ruan, who had turned into a demon, was also very strange. After a burst of rage, he suddenly fell silent, as if he was thinking about something. In the end, he dropped to the ground, holding his head. From outside the formation, Uncle Bao could see the changes. There seemed to be a heavy wind that made it difficult for the two to stand steady. Ah Zhan seemed to have trouble breathing.
“Focus on your task. Don’t get distracted.” Uncle Bao instructed Wan Li. He looked up at the moon and then back to the formation. The eclipse was almost over and the formation was slowing starting to activate. It would soon explode with astonishing killing intent.
He didn’t know what was wrong with his old friend. He merely suppressed his pounding heart and waited for the best opportunity. They couldn’t be off by a single second. They had to act at the best moment, if indeed such an opportunity presented itself.
Within the formation, Father Ruan had to endure the increasingly lethal formation, but also the various scenes flashing through his head. Every time a scene flashed, he felt as if a knife was splitting his head open and boiling water being poured into his skull. He wanted nothing more than to stick his head into the ground and pour his brains out. But despite the pain in his head, he felt waves of coolness emanating from his heart. There was a wisp of evil aura within getting squeezed out by the bursting coolness.
But the scenes flashed by too quickly, and he wasn’t able to grab hold of them. He could now sense the danger this formation posed. Malice surged several times. He wanted to kill the kid in front of him and look for an exit. Yet whenever he thought of killing him, his insides twisted and he bent over from the pain.
Why? Why was that?
Ruan Zhan resisted the killing intent within the formation, feeling as if his soul was about to be blown out of his body by the fierce wind. Seeing his father on the ground in pain, he couldn’t resist helping him up. Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched him, Father Ruan’s visions all vanished. His mind was filled with thoughts of vengeance at being schemed against.
He grabbed Ruan Zhan by the neck, lifted him over his head, and glared at him viciously, saying: “Why would you risk your life to kill me? Do you have a deep-seated grudge against me?”
Ruan Zhan’s strength was far inferior to his father’s. Just now, he had only gained a slight advantage due to the favorable timing and terrain. Now, being in a desperate situation and having reverted to his original form, he was caught off guard and subdued in an instant. He was already extremely uncomfortable from the fierce wind within the formation. Now, with his throat being choked, he couldn’t breathe, and his limbs were powerless, as if he were a ragdoll being lifted into the air.
He couldn’t speak, and just shook his head. He figured so be it. His father had given him life, and now he would take it away. His father had been compassionate all his life, but ended up in such a state. He had also let Xiao Xia down!
Looking into his fearless eyes, Father Ruan felt a mix of anger and confusion, his heart in turmoil. He threw Ruan Zhan aside, his body only stopping when it hit the formation’s invisible barrier. However, he grabbed at the air before Ruan Zhan could get up. Ruan Zhan was sucked back like iron beneath a magnet, suspended up high once again. “So you’re doing this to exorcise evil, for the sake of empty vanity?”
Ruan Zhan still shook his head, so he was thrown out again.
He was grabbed back a third time. “With death at hand, tell me why.” Father Ruan practically roared.
“I just want to save my father, it’s that simple!” Ruan Zhan shouted loudly.
These words hit Father Ruan’s heart like a heavy hammer. He felt uncomfortable, but couldn’t figure out why. This drove him crazy, and he used brute force to attack the formation, crashing into it from various directions, trying to break through. He was extremely powerful. Against the unbreakable formation, the fluctuation of power accelerated the activation of the formation and caused Ruan Zhan to stagger. The rebound force seemed to hit him directly, injuring him all over in just a moment, and he vomited blood.
In a daze and in pain, he raised his hand and unexpectedly cast nightwind cycle. It was a small spell, with no offensive power, but very beautiful, with circles of playful wind rolling forward. At that moment, he recalled the summer night during his childhood when his father used the nightwind cycle to cheer him up. Everything seemed to stop at that moment, and he felt as if he had returned to that moment in time.
Within the murderous formation, the nightwind cycle didn’t get too far before dissipating. However, Father Ruan froze. A needle stabbed into his mind. He took a step forward to stand in front of Ruan Zhan, seeing his face covered in blood and sweat mixed together. A strange sense of affection arose in his heart, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
He looked at the person lying on the ground with an uncertain expression, just about to ask something, when he suddenly heard a snap, as if something had shattered, At the same time, a light appeared in front of him.
For an instant, just a brief instant but seeming like a lifetime, the past suddenly crystallized. Various scenes appeared before him: the newborn pink little thing, the five year old’s stubborn and guarded expression, the ten year old’s rebellious phase when he purposefully messed up his teachings to make him angry, the anger at seventeen, the indifference at twenty and the pretense at thirty, There was also the tenderness when looking at the Yue little lass. All of this came to mind the moment the crystal dagger shattered, swept away by the nightwind cycle. The memories and fatherly love that filled his chest cleared away the last trace of malice remaining in his heart.
However, it was too late.
The ultimate formation was fully activated and the dagger had shattered. The killing intent would wipe out both father and son. The formation wouldn’t stop until everything within it was gone.
If it weren’t for Ruan Zhan previously shredding most of the evil aura on him; if it weren’t for the absolute aura in this formation stimulating the deepest memories of his soul; if it weren’t for the nightwind cycle stirring his heart; if it weren’t for the sound of the crystal dagger shattering, dispelling the last traces of evil, he wouldn’t have gained this moment of clarity in the midst of his soul’s disintegration. And now, he understood that he can no longer save anyone, but the instinct of a father made him want to save his son.
Let him bear the consequences of his own mistakes! He would rather have his soul shattered ten thousand times than let his son get hurt!
Before his eyes, the shards of the crystal dagger flew towards him with fierce momentum. Ruan Tian Yi threw himself at his son without hesitation, completely neglecting to protect his own soul, instead focusing half of his power on Ruan Zhan and directing the other half at the dead locust tree. That was the formation eye and also the death gate. There was no life gate in this formation. He understood this but he was a father. He wanted his son to seek life in the midst of death!
He didn’t know if doing this would work, but his paternal instinct made him do it naturally!
“Cast the net!” Outside the formation, Uncle Bao did not miss this fleeting opportunity.
With his cry, the spirit net, covered with various talismans and magical instruments, also collided with the dead locust tree.
With a thunderous bang, the entire mountain peak seemed to be split open, and an indescribable pressure swept over everyone present. The raging wind swept through, even the mountain rocks were rolling incessantly, dust and sand filled the air, making it impossible to see anything within the scene. The entire mountain clearing was in chaos, but at this moment, the lunar eclipse had completely passed, and the cold moonlight quietly illuminated everything in the world.
After Bao Da Tong completed his task, he rushed over in a hurry. When the dust settled a bit, the first thing he saw was Xiao Xia unconscious on the ground. She stirred, perhaps due to the intense explosion, seeming about to wake up.
In the distance, his father and Wan Li were lying motionless on the ground, and those two yakshas had been blasted away to who knows where. Ruan Zhan was lying on the ground as if dead; the dead locust tree had been blown to bits, not even wood chips could be found, only a desolate broken root remained as proof of its existence; around the dead locust tree, black beads were scattered all over the ground, clearly formed from the dispersed evil energy, still wriggling incessantly; in addition, there was a silver-white thing on the ground, resembling both mist and a thread of water, lying quietly in the crevices of the stones.
“Da Tong, come and help.” Uncle Bao shouted.
Bao Da Tong responded, dropping the Rainbow Sword and the Tattered Banner, and hurried to his father’s side.
“We can’t let the evil aura spread!” Uncle Bao stretched out his hand, and the white thread-like thing automatically floated into his hand. He held the thread in one hand and pressed his other hand against his forehead, silently reciting a Daoist incantation, then threw it into the air. It danced in the air, as if it understood Uncle Bao’s intention, floating and flipping. When those black beads on the ground were swept up by the spell, it strung them together one by one, finally forming something like a necklace, and then flew back into Uncle Bao’s hand.
Bao Da Tong was extremely amazed, but before he could ask, Uncle Bao instructed again: “Help Ah Zhan up, I want to see how he is doing.”
Bao Da Tong followed the instructions, while Uncle Bao squatted down to look at the unconscious Ruan Zhan. After a while, he sighed and said: “His physical body is dead.” Despite Tian Yi desperately protecting him, a shard of the crystal dagger had pierced his heart.