Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 146

Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, known as the Four Symbols.

Since the establishment of the Special Administration Bureau, this lamp had been kept in the deepest corner of the warehouse, numbered 001, covered in dust for a long time. It wasn’t that others didn’t want to bring it out for use, but because it couldn’t be used before. Among the Four Symbols, only three were in place. It was only when Zong Ling infused her own divine essence that this Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp truly came to “life”.

Zong Ling was the Black Tortoise among the Four Symbols.

“The Four Symbols determine the stars, the myriad gods gather their troops. The North Star burns the bones, the mysterious water cleanses impurities. With this lamp, extinguish a thousand evil spirits, eliminate all demons, begone!”

As Long Shen chanted the spell, each word enunciated from his mouth, the bronze mythical beasts on the corners of the lamp slightly moved, and four rays of light shone from their corners, converging into a rainbow in the center of the lamp, transforming into starlight, and condensing into a brilliant flame in an instant. Before the demonic qi had a chance to escape, it seemed to be held firmly by an invisible hand, unable to move.

The radiance of the Fixed Star Lamp grew brighter and brighter, like moonlight illuminating the night, dispelling the darkness. Long Shen released his hand, and the lamp remained suspended in mid-air, unwavering.

Otowa Yasuhiko, who was outside, immediately sensed that something was amiss. He had already sensed the demonic qi entering Long Shen’s body, indicating that the great task was about to be completed. In the next moment, an ominous premonition connected to his flesh and blood emerged. Otowa Yasuhiko hesitated for a second before deciding to retreat immediately. But it was already too late.

Just as this thought arose, he saw a surge of light in front of him, breaking through the oppressive demonic qi and rushing towards him.

Without saying a word, Otowa Yasuhiko turned around and ran!

His path was blocked.

It was a white tiger formed from condensed white mist. Its front half crouched down slightly, while its eyes were fixed on him, exuding a dangerous aura ready to strike. On his left, right, and behind him were a dragon, a phoenix, and a turtle, all formed from the same white mist. They guarded the four directions, blocking all of Otowa Yasuhiko’s escape routes. No matter how the demonic qi raged and howled, it couldn’t break through the encirclement of the Four Symbols.

Above his head, an overwhelming sword intent surged, rushing toward him with a killing intent!

Otowa Yasuhiko looked up and saw a sword light descending from the sky with unstoppable force. Wherever it passed, the demonic qi wailed and dispersed, turning to dust and disappearing in a puff of smoke. His eyes turned bloodshot as he shouted and raised the Kusanagi no Tsurugi high above his head. Black demonic qi erupted from his body in an instant. Even if the Longyuan was formidable, his demonic sword was the strongest!

The earth shook, and the mountains crumbled. People who were sound asleep in the middle of the night were awakened, but they soon became unfazed. For this island accustomed to frequent tremors, earthquakes were nothing out of the ordinary.

However, at the Atsuta Shrine, Wu Bingtian, Li Ying, and the others were filled with alarm.

The clash between the demonic qi and the sword qi caused a massive explosion. The ground cracked, bricks and stones were sucked into a vortex, and the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, as if everything in the world was about to be destroyed.

“The enchantment is about to break!” Wu Bingtian exclaimed.

The inevitable shattering of the enchantment was at hand, but breaking at this moment might not be a good thing. Under the shockwave of the explosion, no one could escape unharmed. Wu Bingtian and Li Ying hid in a relatively safe corner, watching the surroundings transform. Finally, the true world that had imprisoned them for countless days and nights was revealed. In the corner of his eye, Yin Buhui saw Tang Jing still clutching a dilapidated ancient qin, kneeling there, about to be engulfed by the explosion. He quickly rolled and crawled over, forcibly pulling Tang Jing away.

Just as he dragged him away, the shockwave swept through the spot they had just been, destroying everything in its path.

The powerful explosion quickly spread. As far as the eye could see, the trees and buildings within the shrine were reduced to ruins. Even Wu Bingtian and the others, who reacted swiftly, could only take refuge in the narrow space between two collapsed pillars.

In the distance, panicked cries for help could be heard, but Wu Bingtian and his companions were too preoccupied to attend to others. Moreover, this was Otowa Yasuhiko’s territory, and the shrine priests and shrine maidens outside must have known his true identity. They were reaping what they had sown.

Compared to the distant screams, what echoed in everyone’s ears was Otowa Yasuhiko’s unwillingness and resentment as he was forced to retreat inch by inch.

“Long Shen, do you think that defeating me will make everything fine?” accompanied by the thunderous sound of collapsing buildings, a wicked laughter resounded. Otowa Yasuhiko’s voice was hoarse as he spoke, enunciating each word. “Did you really think that all eight stone tablets had to be destroyed in the Eight Directions Demon Suppression Array to cause complete destruction? You are gravely mistaken!”

He realized that the sword qi that had trapped him and prevented his movement suddenly paused. This was undoubtedly because Long Shen had heard his words and harbored doubts.

Otowa Yasuhiko couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “You Chinese have a saying, ‘Attack the east while striking the west.*’ I lured you all here, from beginning to end. It was all part of a plan! Killing me is useless. The Abyssal Passage will open soon, and when that happens…”

*Idiom referring to a strategic tactic where one deliberately creates a distraction or diversion in one direction to mislead or confuse the enemy while the actual attack takes place from another unexpected direction.

As he spoke, the demonic energy qi from his hand holding the Kusanagi no Tsurugi engulfed his entire being, transforming into a tumultuous mass of demonic qi that merged with the sword light!

Terrifying killing intent broke through the demonic qi and surged towards Otowa Yasuhiko. His face changed dramatically as he realized in horror that his own demonic qi was gradually being consumed by the sword light. Even when he used his entire body’s demonic qi, he couldn’t mount a counterattack. It started from his limbs, then his body. The powerful demonic qi and vitality he had painstakingly cultivated and maintained every day with fresh hearts were devoured bit by bit by the sword light, leaving no trace of remnants.

No!!!

Since his transformation into a demon, he had believed that he had obtained the power of eternal life. At this moment, he truly realized that he was about to disappear completely from this world. He felt the fear that comes before death. He hadn’t witnessed the complete arrival of the dark world, he hadn’t gone to the Abyssal Hell to obtain supreme power. He didn’t want to disappear. As the one who opened the Abyssal Passage, he deserved to be rewarded!

How many people died because of him, and he took pleasure in it, enjoying the superiority of watching others struggle in pain. He had once mocked those who were cowardly and afraid of death, ridiculing them for lacking courage and integrity. However, it was only at this moment that Otowa Yasuhiko realized that he too feared death, feared disappearance.

With wide eyes and a distorted face, he exerted all his strength to struggle, but it was futile. He could only remain conscious and watch as his body, transformed by demonic qi, was torn apart bit by bit and crushed into pieces. The pain made him involuntarily scream at the top of his lungs, but amidst the explosions of the surrounding barrier, his voice seemed so insignificant.

In the intense light, Otowa Yasuhiko opened his mouth wide as tears streaked down his face. He gradually disappeared until there was nothing left. The residual demonic qi was trapped by the four divine beasts, futilely struggling, and eventually was completely crushed by the sword light, reduced to dust.

The light slowly dimmed, and the four divine beasts roared silently as they transformed into rays of light and flew back into the lamp.

Long Shen landed on the ground and bent down to pick up the lamp. The brilliant starlight on its surface had vanished, and the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp had returned to its old, unremarkable appearance, weathered and mottled.

The commotion of the explosion finally subsided.

Wu Bingtian’s chest heaved heavily, and a buzzing sound seemed to echo in his ears. He struggled to get up but was hindered by Li Ying’s leg pressing on his abdomen. The smoke and dust choked his nostrils as Li Ying coughed a few times. “Boss Wu, it feels like my leg is broken.”

Wu Bingtian forced a pale smile. “It’s fine. I still have an arm. As long as we’re alive, everything will be alright!”

Yu Buhui also dragged Tang Jing over. Tang Jing was already seriously injured and was now in a semi-conscious state. However, he still clenched his fist tightly, and no one could pry it open. Inside was Ding Lan’s lingering soul that Ming Xian had entrusted to him.

Seeing this, Wu Bingtian sighed. “Don’t try to force it open. Let’s take him back first and then deal with it.”

As the smoke cleared, the few of them sat or stood, looking at the courtyard that was once an enchantment had now been razed flat.

With no buildings to obstruct their view, their sight became wide open. They easily noticed that not far away, Kitaichi Eiko was lying on the ground, lifeless. Since the moment she was possessed by the demonic qi, she was no longer herself. Just now, when the sword light absorbed all the demonic qi, she died in the explosion. Fujikawa had spared no effort, sacrificing a life to revive her, but ultimately failed to realize his dream of reviving his legacy.

It wasn’t meant to be his; it never was.

As for Asaka Yasuhiko, he finally paid the blood debt he owed.

This executioner of the Nanjing Massacre somehow evaded legal judgment after the war without paying the appropriate price for the hundreds of thousands of lives he took. He even transformed into a demon, assuming a new identity, and continued to enjoy wealth and luxury in the mortal realm.

The vengeful spirits of the unjustly killed lingered day and night, crying out for justice in Nanjing, where the imbalance of karma remained unrectified. Before the tombstones, no amount of flowers could soothe the vivid memories of the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, unable to pacify the souls beneath the earth who died with grievances. But now, this demon had finally received the retribution he deserved. He was reduced to dust and ashes, his soul completely extinguished in the manner he feared the most. From then on, he would cease to exist in the world, neither in heaven nor on earth, not even in the abyssal hell he yearned for.

Not a single thought of his remained.

A cold night wind blew across their faces, brushing past them. The calm after the great battle felt more like the beginning of a storm.

Long Shen stood silently, devoid of any joyous expression.

“Did you hear what he said before he died?”

“I heard it.” Wu Bingtian wiped his face, as if trying to wipe away the dust and exhaustion.

“I heard it too.” Yu Buhui frowned. “His implication was that he intentionally lured us to Japan and had made other arrangements against the Eight Directions Demon Suppression Array?”

“I think it’s just his nonsense talk. When a person is about to die, they will always try to grasp at any straw to save themselves!” Wu Bingtian spat. “That son of a bitch should count himself lucky for not leaving a corpse behind. Otherwise, I would bring his ashes back to Qingcheng Mountain and perform rituals every day, so that he would never find release for eternity!”

It was rare to hear Director Wu, who always spoke officially, curse so vulgarly. Li Ying couldn’t help but want to laugh.

Every part of their bodies reflected pain, but what made him slightly uneasy was not his own injuries. He couldn’t help but raise his head. The night sky was silent, the mist dispersed, but dawn was still far away.

……

Thousands of miles away, on Kunlun Mountain.

The moon reached its zenith, casting a bright light on the snow-covered mountain top, making it as bright as daylight. Zong Ling and Che Bai walked along the steep mountain road, leaving behind long footprints. This was a path that had never been artificially opened. The mountain walls were almost vertical, but the footsteps of Zong Ling and Che Bai remained steady and unhurried, as if they were strolling in a leisurely courtyard.

They had been on Kunlun Mountain for quite some time, guarding it almost day and night. However, this mountain range was vast beyond imagination. Even they couldn’t explore every corner. Until now, they had just finished traversing two peaks and were preparing to climb to the summit of the third.

“It’s been a long time since I came here.”

Che Bai stopped and looked at the contours of the mountains illuminated by the moonlight below, with a slightly nostalgic tone in his voice.

“I once thought of visiting Kunlun again before I died. I didn’t expect this wish to be fulfilled ahead of time.”

The two of them smiled at each other, sharing a smile that held countless memories and precious moments. Humans always lamented that their time was too short, wishing to go back to the past and make up for all their regrets. But people like them—how could they not have regrets? Precisely because life was long, some regrets not only wouldn’t fade away with time but would become even clearer, etched deeply in their hearts.

That was why when Zong Ling saw Long Shen struggling internally, she couldn’t help but remind him not to follow in her own footsteps and leave regrets for the rest of his life.

“My lifespan is coming to an end. I had thought that when that day approaches, I will return…”

Che Bai’s tone was calm, even with a hint of anticipation. The end of life, for them, wasn’t a regretful period but an inevitable conclusion. Being able to cultivate into human form, living for thousands of years, witnessing countless changes in the world, they were already much luckier than most creatures in the world.

But before he could finish his words, a puzzled expression suddenly appeared on his face.

It wasn’t just him; Zong Ling’s expression also froze. Both of them instinctively turned their bodies towards the southern peak.

A bright light rose there, followed by a sound.

A tremendous explosion echoed through the entire valley, creating numerous reverberations that reached them from a distance.

The magnitude of the sound wave shook even the mountain beneath their feet.

An earthquake couldn’t cause such commotion. Both of their faces changed drastically, instantly having unfavorable associations.

“What is that place?” Che Bai asked.

Zong Ling took a deep breath and slowly said, “If I’m not mistaken, it should be the Lengele Gorge.”

The moon, at some point, had been obscured by dark clouds. Thunderclouds rolled in the sky, illuminating it momentarily, but there was no storm, only consecutive dry thunderclaps. The lightning struck precisely at the locations of the recent explosions.

“This is bad,” Zong Ling murmured, gazing in that direction.

“Who was responsible for inspecting that area? How could they miss it?” Che Bai smiled wryly. “I’ll go and take a look first!”

After saying that, he didn’t retrace their steps down the mountain. He leaped directly into the shadows of the mountains and disappeared.

In the night breeze, Zong Ling seemed to let out a low sigh. The sound of her sigh blended into the wind and quickly dissipated. Then, she also followed suit and leaped down.

……

The radiant sun slowly rose from the sea surface, dyeing the dark blue water with a golden and sparkling hue, as if it had been sprinkled with a layer of gold.

Dong Zhi played with the small and exquisite golden apple in his hand, lifting it high and allowing the sunlight to cast a halo upon it.

Below him was a reclining chair with a soft cushion, a sunshade above his head, and a pair of sunglasses hanging on his forehead. If it weren’t for the lingering pain from his previous injuries, he would have thought that everything that had happened before, including the zombies on Diana Island, the octopus monster in the labyrinth, and the ancient sea serpent that formed the island, were all just a midday dream during his vacation on a ship.

“You seem unhappy.” One tentacle reached the end of the reclining chair, and the head of Octopus Meika slowly emerged.

Its eye, which had been damaged by Dong Zhi, had already healed, wrapped in a pink membrane. It was said that after a while, when the membrane falls off, its eye would grow back.

Dong Zhi smiled bitterly. “Can you give a warning before appearing next time? Showing up so suddenly, you almost scared me to death!”

Recently, the octopus had been learning Chinese. Liu Qingbo and Zhang Song didn’t have much patience and couldn’t be gentle and persuasive teachers. This responsibility fell on Liu Si’s shoulders. Li Han’er and Yang Shouyi occasionally took part as well. According to them, the octopus had a stronger language learning ability than ordinary people. Once it learned Chinese Pinyin, it could remember vocabulary and short phrases after hearing them once. It had already started using its tentacles to practice writing square characters for heaven, earth, and humans.

Dong Zhi felt that before long, the octopus might even learn how to draw talismans. At that time, perhaps he could recommend it to join the Hezao Sect as a named disciple and enhance the reputation of the sect.

As for the Ice Demon Elizabeth, she had no interest in exploring knowledge like the octopus. When she heard that Meika was going to China with Dong Zhi and the others, she immediately waved her hand and returned to the Arctic Ocean. Of course, before parting, she didn’t forget to threaten the organizing committee, demanding that they send her reward to the Arctic Ocean as soon as possible. Otherwise, she would personally go and claim it without further delay.

Perhaps due to the excessively long lives of spirits, there was no trace of melancholy between Meika and Elizabeth’s parting. Perhaps it would only be after Meika truly achieved human form that it could gradually experience human emotions.

“Su, dden, ly*.” The octopus imitated his tone, always eager to learn. “What does that mean?”

*Clarity: Dong Zhi’s comment about showing up [suddenly], the Octopus is asking what [leng bu ding] (冷不丁) means.

“It means sudden and by surprise,” Dong Zhi explained.

The octopus asked, “Then what does ‘sudden and by surprise’ mean?”

Dong Zhi sighed. “…Why are you asking countless ‘whys’?”

The octopus inquired, “What are countless ‘whys’?”

Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched. “Alright, let’s not discuss these kinds of questions. Why did you come to find me?”

The octopus replied, “No reason. I came up to bask in the sun and found you staring at the golden apple. Didn’t you win the championship? Why are you still not happy?”

Dong Zhi said, “I’m not unhappy. I just miss home.”

Wherever Long Shen was, that was his home.

He missed Long Shen.

The octopus tilted its head and looked at him, then sighed. “Humans are truly complex beings.”

Dong Zhi replied, “You have started to yearn for human society. This curiosity of yours is already similar to humans. The seven emotions and six desires are not exclusive to humans; you also have them. It’s just that because your living environment is relatively simple, your emotions won’t fluctuate as much.”

As he said this, Dong Zhi suddenly realized that the explanation he just gave actually applied to Long Shen’s change of mood. He couldn’t help but laugh.

The octopus blinked its remaining eye. “Can you slow down? I didn’t understand.”

Dong Zhi was about to tell it that it would understand in the future when he saw the American William walking over from the other side.

“Sorry to interrupt your leisurely vacation time. The organizing committee sent people to investigate, but they haven’t found any escaped zombies yet. They will continue to intensify the search,” William said as he sat down on a nearby reclining chair and let out a comfortable groan.

“I envy you Chinese the most. After winning the competition, you don’t have to worry about anything. The whole journey back is filled with eating, drinking, and relaxation. On the contrary, we still have to continue working!” William exclaimed.

Dong Zhi shrugged. “Well, you’re the host country. You chose such a place to hold the competition, yet you didn’t even know that the island was a sleeping sea serpent. You caused the trouble, so you have to deal with it. How are the Russians doing?”

William sighed. “We searched for a long time and still haven’t found any survivors. Anna is really lucky!”

This year’s competition ended in chaos, as everyone was involved in the upheaval. The death of the sea serpent didn’t mean the complete end. For the organizing committee, there were even more troublesome things waiting for them.

First, there were the zombies on Diana Island. Although Dong Zhi and the others had killed those zombies, nobody knew if any zombies had rushed into the sea when the sea serpent caused the tsunami and flooded the islands. Those infected zombies carried both demonic qi and viruses, and ordinary attacks couldn’t eliminate them. If they bit any sea creatures, and considering that the world’s oceans were interconnected, it could lead to an even greater disaster.

It was all caused by the organizing committee, so naturally, they had to clean up the mess. It was said that the Americans had almost completely sealed off the area near the incident and were conducting a thorough salvage operation. It was expected that the work would take several years to complete.

After the news of the invasion of demonic qi, which Dong Zhi and the others had brought in advance, the organizing committee didn’t pay much attention to it. They treated it as an experience during the competition. Little did they know that the remnants of the Heavenly Demon had already infiltrated their ship to the Senluo Archipelago, becoming the biggest variable in the competition. If it weren’t for Dong Zhi’s desperate effort to attract the Heavenly Thunder to kill the sea serpent, they would have all been devoured by the sea serpent by now, let alone lying here enjoying sunbathes.

Despite their efforts, all the teams suffered heavy losses. While both the United States and China had their own share of casualties, at least they were still alive. The Russian team, on the other hand, was nearly wiped out on Rose Island when Anton was possessed by the demon. Only Anna managed to escape with injuries, boarding a speedboat and surviving in the end.

It is said that due to the frequent accidents in this competition, various organizations from countries and regions have protested to the organizing committee. It is expected that the number of participants in the next competition will be significantly reduced. However, in stark contrast to this, Dong Zhi’s reputation soared.

Although Dong Zhi himself was well aware that it was the combined efforts of everyone that ultimately led to the sea serpent’s destruction by the Heavenly Thunder, including the coordinated use of forbidden techniques by Zhang Song, who was currently resting in bed, others didn’t know all the details. In their eyes, it was as if they were being overturned in the waves, exhausting all their strength, and on the brink of despair when this Easterner descended from the sky, summoning thunder and ultimately saving their lives.

After this incident, not only did the British and the French dare not pick a fight with Dong Zhi and the others again, but even during their return journey, there were always people coming over to thank Dong Zhi or invite him to their hometown as a guest. Aside from gratitude, the strong, relying on their abilities, could earn the respect of their opponents. Everyone preferred to have a powerful friend rather than an enemy or rival.

“Dong, to be honest, I’m lucky to know you.” William suddenly sighed and leaned toward him.

Dong Zhi quickly moved away before the other person could rest his shoulder on him and said with a shudder, “Your sigh makes me feel like something bad is about to happen.”

William protested, “How can my noble character be so fragile in your eyes!”

Dong Zhi:  “Just say what you want to say!”

William suddenly changed his expression to a cheerful one. “I just wanted to ask you to speak well of me to Han’er before I come to China!”

Dong Zhi was surprised. “Are you serious?”

William protested, “What makes you think I’m not?”

Dong Zhi coughed. “I thought you were joking.”

“Of course not!” William exclaimed. “I can open up my heart and show it to you!”

After he finished speaking, he realized something was wrong. There were still many people on the deck, and they all turned to look at them with strange expressions.

“William, you change your mind faster than the weather at sea. Weren’t you talking about liking Miss Li yesterday?” Lilith raised an eyebrow.

Next to her was Li Han’er, who had come to the deck with her for fresh air, and she gave William a smirk.

William was taken aback. “No, no, no, Han’er, you have to let me explain! The words I just said were not meant for him, Han’er!”

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Kinky Thoughts:

Knowing William’s luck, he’s probably going to come to China right when the Earth Demon awakens…

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