Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 140: Hanging by a Thread

Shi Jingzhi had never experienced the sensation of being “on the verge of death”.

His memories of those desperate moments were vivid, yet over the course of two decades, the bitterness of those memories had faded. This time was different. The knife that slid across his throat chilled him to the bone, followed by a burning, stabbing pain. Su Si’s strike was precise, not severing his windpipe, but the gushing blood still left Shi Jingzhi in utter shock.

It felt as if he had plunged into a frozen lake, every move requiring immense effort. All sounds seemed muffled, merging into a fuzzy cacophony. A heavy sense of fear surged, nearly consuming him.

Shi Jingzhi wished to pass out. However, his heart pounded uncontrollably while panic and terror caused tingling sensations throughout his limbs, forcing him to stay conscious. An overwhelming fear bore down on him, causing intense headaches. He could see nothing, grasp no one; his mind was filled only with suffocation and terror.

It felt like being trapped in a lightless chamber, hearing unseen instruments of torture being prepared. Such torment was too much for any ordinary person, let alone a Child of Desire.

…Was Yin Ci, buried underground for over eighty years, also in such agony?

Thinking of Yin Ci in a daze, Shi Jingzhi regained a bit of clarity. Amidst the suffocating pain, it seemed he had grasped a helping hand, settling his spirit.

But as he gradually regained lucidity, Shi Jingzhi faintly felt something else.

As his life ebbed away and his senses faded one by one, a very faint awareness emerged—

Around him, it felt like he was bound by countless unseen “fine roots”. Numerous vital qi flowed through them, continuously pouring into Shi Jingzhi’s meridians. He felt like a bizarre plant, vaguely sensing the boundaries of this odd “root system”.

When they first discovered the secrets of the flesh idol, their speculation was correct.

At the end of these “roots” were cities housing the Imperial Celestial temples. Cities like Yidu, Qizhou, and Yongsheng, densely populated metropolises, channeled particularly abundant vital qi. People knelt before the statues, praying with earnest desires. Qi, tainted with desires, was siphoned by the magic, ultimately flowing into Shi Jingzhi’s flesh and blood.

…But this was something they had already guessed.

These qi poured in ceaselessly, day and night. Not only were they enough to keep him alive, they threatened to overwhelm him. Shi Jingzhi cautiously felt this “temple root system” that spanned the entire nation, trying to decipher its mysteries.

The cold embrace of impending death clung to him, making coherent thought especially challenging. Unbeknownst to him, he lost all connection to the external world. Fighting to retain his sanity, Shi Jingzhi forced himself to delve deeper—

Despair arrived in a flash.

As if sensing Shi Jingzhi’s struggle, another force emerged from the void. It was chaotic and dim, but carried an oppressive aura, like a giant hand poised to strike, gently enclosing Shi Jingzhi within.

The force’s appearance and disappearance was but a fleeting moment. It was like a firework exploding in the dark, its transient light illuminating the shadows, or ripples in murky waters upon hitting unseen reefs.

Fortunately or unfortunately, only in that split second, Shi Jingzhi’s dwindling concentration happened to be fully focused on the “temple root system”. Thanks to this force, he inadvertently “saw” another outline.

Roots.

His “temple root system”, which spread across mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, was entirely enveloped by another set of “roots”.

These were denser, more hidden, and even more terrifying. Their growth direction was opposite to normal plants, with roots pointing towards the sky, reminiscent of the intricate roots of a millennia-old tree. Even with an inexhaustible supply of vital qi, for a time, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t locate the origin of these roots.

All he saw were countless tendrils piercing the earth, their tips emerging above ground, drawing the essence of all things. The minuscule portion that protruded above the ground consisted of the grayish-red “bare branches”.

…The same “bare branches” that were intertwined within Yin Ci’s body, granting him immortality.

These bare branches were scattered from north to south, densely piercing the sky, outnumbering the temples by thousands, if not tens of thousands. If Yan Budu’s jade eye could reveal the entire land, all its splendors would likely be obscured by these grayish-red bare branches. Only because common folks could neither see nor touch them had they lived in peace until now.

The ordeal wasn’t over. Suppressing his fear, Shi Jingzhi took another step forward.

Though his original intent was merely to probe the Immortal Assembly, with no second chance at a near-death experience, he had to see everything clearly. Gathering all his strength, almost sacrificing half his life, he recklessly continued his search.

The more he probed, the more absurd and terrifying everything became. In his daze, Shi Jingzhi felt like an insect trying to measure an elephant—this monstrous entity seemed boundless. With his head pounding and on the brink of losing consciousness, he barely managed to discern the “trunk” of this entity.

Like roots hanging upside down with the tips of the roots, this monster’s “trunk” also delved deep into the ground, its shape twisted to the extreme. As for its thickness… If the vast land of Great Yun were divided into ten parts, the thickness of this “trunk” would occupy one or two-tenths.

Below was pure darkness. His mind was nearly boiling, his body nearly fainting, truly unable to see further.

Shi Jingzhi exhausted all his strength but could only perceive a strange corner. His artificially made “shrine root system” was sparse and fragile, merely a shallow layer. In comparison, it was like the tender roots of young rice, hardly worth mentioning.

Shi Jingzhi hovered motionlessly in the darkness, seeing bare branches rising into the sky above, and below, they became increasingly thick and twisted, merging into the unimaginable gigantic entity. With only a vague sense, it suffocated him.

So, this was the case.

No wonder Yin Ci couldn’t use his inner force; his disciple wasn’t a “leak”. As soon as he merged with the roots, Yin Ci’s meridians connected with this “upside-down giant tree”. No matter how profound Yin Ci’s inner force was, no matter how he cultivated in the future, he could never circulate his inner force—how could a pinch of salt make a roaring river salty?

For some unknown reason, Yin Ci connected with the “upside-down giant tree” and obtained its vital qi; thus, he couldn’t die normally.

…So the Imperial Preceptor used Yin Ci’s body as a foundation and created flesh idol temples. They experimented generation after generation, imitating a “small root system” to extract the vital qi.

The Child of Desire of successive generations were nurtured by this small root system.

Unfortunately, the man-made imitation was extremely crude, naturally inferior to this naturally grown monstrous entity. Too much of anything was bad. With the chaotic vital qi, being infused day and night; not only did these Children of Desire not become immortal, but they also had shorter lifespans than ordinary people.

Those ambiguous and mysterious places seem to have answers now.

Why the magic in his blood was incredibly complex, unlike that of ordinary people, and showed traces of artificial modification—it was modified from this monster, naturally intricate and hard to understand.

Why Great Yun experienced the phenomenon of “Heaven’s Displeasure”—the man-made small root system was naturally crude, incapable of such intricate tasks. But with such a vast monstrous entity, even if the “useless” people were drained to death, it was probably possible to reward the robust laborers with a bit of vital qi.

[Minor illnesses or injuries in livestock could be cured immediately. But if the disease is troublesome or the root is hurt, kill and eat it quickly; otherwise, you’ll just waste the feed.]

Who could have predicted that Yan Qing’s casual remark would prove prophetic?

Indeed, something was breeding and controlling them. In a fleeting glimpse, he saw it clearly.

Thinking of this, Shi Jingzhi shuddered.

If this malevolent entity was more straightforward, could it drain a person in a short time? What was summoned by the Invitation to God Formation? …Did the Imperial Preceptors of the past already know about this “giant tree”?

Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but probe those branches again. In his heart now, they were no longer grotesque monsters but pens of judgment that controlled life and death.

Surprisingly, this time, he perceived something.

Among the countless roots, the “upside-down giant tree” had two roots that were particularly twisted, with a texture quite different from the surrounding roots. They were flesh-colored; one was close to him, undoubtedly connected to Yin Ci. The other extended into the distance, its end invisible.

Who or “what” was connected to that end?

As for the appearance of this “upside-down giant tree”, and what lay in the depths of the darkness, Shi Jingzhi no longer had the strength to sense or imagine.

He was overwhelmed by profound despair.

Previously, Shi Jingzhi thought his opponents were just the Immortal Assembly and, at worst, an elusive “immortal”. Now, he realized his opponent was too massive, too ancient, and too powerful. He hadn’t even figured out how to destroy his “small root system”, let alone face this colossal malevolent entity.

In the grand scheme of things, worldly affairs were child’s play. If Jiang Youyue had known about the “upside-down giant tree” from the start, if the Imperial Preceptors had a way to negotiate with this monstrous entity, then he was merely an ant in the universe. Even with thousands of loves and hates, he couldn’t withstand a flick from the fingers of such powerful beings.

Even if he were as persistent as the old man moving the mountains*, it would take countless generations. Now, with his limited lifespan, he couldn’t even take slow steps towards that goal.

*A well-known fable about the virtues of perseverance and willpower, emphasizing the idea that no obstacle is too large when faced with steadfast effort. You can read the story by going to the Wikipedia.

He couldn’t win.

No matter how he thought, Shi Jingzhi couldn’t find a way out.

…He couldn’t win; he couldn’t think of any solutions.

What could he do facing the current situation in front of him? If he refused the Shirou, he would undoubtedly die. This death wouldn’t be instantaneous. With the Shirou in hand, he would have to endure continuous hesitation and torment before death. If he didn’t refuse the Shirou, his resistance along the way would be nothing but a redundant joke, like drawing legs on a snake.

The most fatal thing was, Shi Jingzhi still didn’t know what would happen after eating the Shirou. Just this unknown hope alone was enough to produce thousands of excuses, igniting all his restless desires.

In his utter despair, a chilling thought pierced through Shi Jingzhi’s heart—

How easy it would be if he also didn’t have a human heart now.

At first, all he did was wholeheartedly strive for survival, thus navigating through the martial arts conference set up by the Immortal Assembly and, after much hardship, obtaining the Shirou. Such simple and interesting matters; he didn’t need to consider any darkness, nor have any doubts. The moment he swallowed the Shirou and before the unknown took place, he might even feel incredibly happy.

Yet, he couldn’t even bring himself to hate Yin Ci. Every time he thought of that man, his full-blown resentment couldn’t hold back, all transforming into bitterness and grievance.

Perhaps, going mad might be easier. Whether it was ending his life or losing his sanity, it was better than facing the torment of despair. Looking at it now, it seemed that the Children of Desire were destined to go down this path—hoping for an impossible ending, and willingly walking down the path of self-destruction.

But he still cherished a bit of warmth in his heart. He hadn’t watched the lanterns with that person, hadn’t tasted enough of the feeling of living with someone without any burdens. He didn’t want to die.

…He had nowhere to go, but he couldn’t stop either.

In this suffocating despair, Shi Jingzhi opened his eyes. His lips were chapped, his throat itched painfully, and he couldn’t speak a word. Seeing the concerned eyes of Yin Ci, before Shi Jingzhi could decide what expression to wear, tears streamed down on their own.

‘How embarrassing,’ he thought.

But he just couldn’t stop those tears. Under the other’s gentle gaze, all the despair and grievances seemed to burst forth. Unable to control his emotions, Shi Jingzhi moved abruptly, desperately hugging Yin Ci, trying to escape from the world for a moment.

Yin Ci seemed to sense his despair and didn’t rush or question him. The man just spoke softly, as if nothing mattered, even if the sky were falling.

His tortured beloved still didn’t know the absurdity hidden behind his “immortality”. Nor did he know the other side of this beautiful world, what kind of bizarre scenery it held.

Shi Jingzhi swallowed, feeling a tearing pain in his throat. He held Yin Ci even tighter and finally uttered a hoarse sentence.

“I’d give up everything, just to leave you alone.”

His tears were still not wiped away.

“How can I… be willing.”

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