Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Before the Black Divine Stele could fall down, it had broken into pieces with a boom.
Meanwhile, Kong Lanyou flew through the broken Divine Stele, and strided to King Zhongying. She was covered by the saint light of seven colors like an unparalleled Peac.o.c.k G.o.ddess.
With each step, she had come dozens of kilometers closer. The heaven and the earth had become relatively small underneath her steps.
"How's it possible?" King Zhongying found it hard to believe.
The Universe Divine-Stele Palm had always been the proud knowledge of King Zhongying, which could break all defenses and attack all enemies.
How could it be cracked so easily?
Kong Youlan didn't give much time for King Zhongying to think. She arrived and hit the center of his brow with one finger.
Lines of seven-colored brilliance were gathered to her fingertip.
It had drained the Spiritual Qi from the area of about 500 kilometers, disordering the Rule of the Heaven and the Earth.
King Zhongying pinched his palms again and displayed the Hundred Saint Power.
Behind him, the shadows of 100 saints all raised one hand to hit Kong Lanyou.
Fizz.
The finger of Kong Lanyou penetrated the palm of King Zhongying.
Then she transformed her finger into a palm, and hit three palm prints in a row on the palm, chest and left brain of King Zhongying.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Being hit three times, half of the evil Qi of King Zhongying dispersed. His body was indented, his neck broken, and blood was being spit out of his mouth. He flew away rightwards.
The Peac.o.c.k Fire contained in Kong Lanyou's palm burnt the body of King Zhongying. Whatever method King Lanyou took, he couldn't put out the flame.
His body began to melt like burning iron.
King Zhongying realized the gap between him and Kong Lanyou and dared not to fight any longer. He landed on the White Bone Altar, then rode it to fly to the Pluto Sword Tomb.
In just a blink, he disappeared from the horizon.
Only Blood Emperor Qingtian could resolve the Peac.o.c.k Fire on his body. So he had to go back quickly.
Kong Lanyou stood in midair, looking at the escaping King Zhongying. She didn't stop him.
She let him run away deliberately.
"It will cost at least 20% of Blood Emperor Qingtian's strength to resolve the Peac.o.c.k Fire on King Zhongying."
She looked downwards and stared at Yintuoluo. "Master, shall we go to the Pluto Sword Tomb?"
Yintuoluo looked at the land, which was covered by burning flames after the battles. He sighed, "We can't let the felons kept in the Underground Spirit Prison out. Otherwise, it could be devastating for human beings."
"Now that the flames of war have been lit in the Sikong Zen Temple. I can't keep myself out of the worldly affairs any longer."
"Let's go! Let's meet Blood Emperor Qingtian, and see how powerful the Immortal Vampires have become after 800 years."
Kong Lanyou cast another look at Zhang Ruochen, and finally made a step. It was like she had crossed some barrier between the heaven and the earth. When she put down her foot, she had arrived at the Pluto Sword Tomb.
Yintuoluo raced to the Pluto Sword Tomb as well. Only Zhang Ruochen, Sikong One, Sikong Two and Sikong Little were left in the Sikong Zen Temple.
Now that Lanyou and Yintuoluo have gone to the Pluto Sword Tomb, together with the ambush of the imperial army, Underground Spirit Prison should be safe, Zhang Ruochen thought secretly.
The Immortal Vampires were the enemies to all human beings, n.o.body wanted them to release Pluto no matter how.
"Say! Where is the Second Royal Prince of the Immortal Vampires?"
Sikong Two rubbed his head.
Zhang Ruochen glanced around, and didn't find the Second Royal Prince.
Maybe he had run away in the chaos? Or died in the repercussions of the Saint Battle?
Zhang Ruochen didn't think further, but sat down with his legs crossed. He swallowed a mouthful of Xuanwu Saint Blood, and strived to recover his Holy Qi with one saint rock in each hand.
The strength of Zhang Ruochen had recovered about 70-80% by daybreak.
Zhang Ruochen stood up, relaxing his wrists and ankles. He stood halfway up the mountain, and looked down to its base.
The lush and green mountain woods were turned into scorched earth completely. Flames were still burning in some spots, melting the soil into magma.
A smell of cooking spread from the Sikong Zen Temple.
Zhang Ruochen stood up and came to the dining hall of the temple, guided by the smell of cooking.
Sikong One, Sikong Two and the 3 or 4-year old Sikong Little were seen sitting at the three sides of a yellowish brown wood table, eating.
There was corn porridge, steamed buns, bamboo shoots and some green fruit. Although there was no meat, the meal looked scrumptious.
The battle of life and death that happened outside the Zen Temple had turned the land within about 500 meters into red soil. It was incredible for them to keep on eating and sleeping like nothing had happened.
Sikong One saw Zhang Ruochen walk in, put down his bowl at once and hit the table with his fist. He shouted, "Second Junior Brother, watch the way you eat! You are more of a beggar than a Buddhist. Don't you see Mr. Zhang coming in? Bring him a bowl of rice and hurry up!"
"Oh!"
Sikong Two put down his bowl and walked to the kitchen right away.
Sikong One smiled at Zhang Ruochen with his big face. "Second Junior Brother is too young to know things. Mr. Zhang, please don't be angry with him. Sit, sit. We always provide enough food in our Zen Temple."
Zhang Ruochen walked to a table near the window, and sat down. He looked at the Buddha Tower and the red flowers winding on the rails outside the window. Magically, his mindset became extremely peaceful.
The Zen Temple was a truly serene place, and his coming had broken the tranquility here. Zhang Ruochen felt a little ashamed.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help to sigh.
"What are you sighing for?"
A clear and sweet voice was heard opposite him. It was as beautiful as the spring flowing on the stone, and the wind blowing the moon.
Zhang Ruochen looked at his opposite and found a beautiful white haired woman sitting there. No one knew when she had sat down.
Zhang Ruochen looked to his right immediately, and found an old monk beside the table of Sikong One and Sikong Little. He appeared all of a sudden, but he sat quietly in the chair, like he'd been there all the time.
Apparently, Kong Lanyou and Master Yintuoluo had just returned to the Sikong Zen Temple.
Zhang Ruochen asked at once, "Kong…Senior, did the Immortal Vampires retreat to the Pluto Sword Tomb? What's the result?"
"You should answer my question first."
The beautiful eyes of Kong Lanyou looked straightly at Zhang Ruochen like two black gems, as if she wanted to see through him.
Zhang Ruochen pressed his lips and calmed down. He pointed to the red flowers winding on the window lattices, and said, "Look, life is so beautiful. And yet we are destroying it. Shouldn't I sigh for it?"
Kong Lanyou shook her head lightly, and said, "No, it's not right."
"Not right?" Zhang Ruochen asked her in reply.
Kong Lanyou kept shaking her head, and didn't blink. "You shouldn't be so calm as an ordinary person. When I sit opposite an ordinary person, he should be frightened to stand up and bow respectfully to me, keeling on the ground. But, you didn't."
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, and knocked the table with a finger. "Do you wish to see me like that?"
"Of course not."
Kong Lanyou said again, "You are trying to hide your ident.i.ty from me. Even I can't spot a weak point. So before we returned to Zen Temple, I told Master Yintuoluo that I wanted to see your reaction when you took off your mask."
"Did you see it? Would you tell me what I was like?" Zhang Ruochen's voice trembled a little.
After he went to 800 years later, he had been working hard to hide him and his secret.
Sometimes he would forget what he was originally like.
Kong Lanyoou's eyes were a little red. "I saw some sadness, worry, and a little loneliness. You shouldn't have such feelings if you didn't go through the great ups and downs of life."
Zhang Ruochen just sat there silently. He didn't dare to look at Kong Lanyou.
He would like to tell everything to Kong Lanyou at once, however, some negative thoughts occurred to him, and prevented him from making the decision.
"The family name of Crypt of Sacred Central is Kong, not Zhang."
"When the Kong Family took over the imperial government of Sacred Central Empire by then, they took away the royal rights of the Zhang Family as well."
"Are the woman's words trustworthy?"
The voices were like demonic spells appearing in Zhang Ruochen's mind, together with pictures of b.l.o.o.d.y scenes.
"Mr. Zhang, your food."
Sikong Two carried a wooden plate to the table. He put a bowl of porridge, a small dish of bamboo shoots, three steamed buns and four pieces of green fruit in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Sikong One shouted from the other direction, "Don't you see that Master and Senior Kong are back? Go and bring two more bowls."
"Right on my way."
Sikong Two raced to the kitchen with his wooden plate right away.
Zhang Ruochen exhaled slowly, trying to adjust his emotion and avoid the influence of his obsession.
His spirit recovered gradually. And he drank the porridge, holding it with two hands.
So refres.h.i.+ng and sweet. How delicious!
Kong Lanyou seemed to have perceived that he was at a risky state, so she didn't put pressure on him.
She picked up a steamed bun, twisted a small part off it with her slender fingers, and put the part in her mouth. She chewed slowly, in a way which was full of grace.
Neither Kong Lanyou nor Zhang Ruochen needed to feed on grains. But the two did enjoy the rare serenity in the Sikong Zen Temple.
Zhang Ruochen pretened to look at Kong Lanyou casually.
Her way of eating was quite lovely. The lips were like flawless lotus tips, touching each other slightly. While she ate, snow white teeth would appear from time to time, each of which was like a pearl.
Now she looked nothing like the Saint Elder of Sacred Central Crypt, but the girl 800 years ago.
It was as if they'd travelled back to the beginning, eating, taking morning courses, practicing sword and studying together.
Zhang Ruochen valued the moment very much, for he knew that it might never happen again.
He wished fervently that one thing should also happen like the past. Chi Yao would take away the steamed bun from Kong Lanyou's hand, eat a little, then put the bun in Zhang Ruochen's bowl. And she would laugh, "Lanyou, you eat too much. What if you put on weight? You should give it to your cousin. Let him eat more."
But it would never happen.
