Chapter 227: The Parting

“Ahh…”

The sound seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat, hoarse and sluggish. Tian Yishi softly let out a groan, and his body began to tremble slightly, only to calm down quickly. However, the dark, ominous aura that had once faintly lingered on his face now thickened, as if it was about to cover his entire visage.

Lu Xueqi’s palms suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

In that fleeting moment, she finally unraveled the confusion that had been nagging at her heart—the enigma behind why Tian Yishi appeared to have gained some weight.

The long robe that had been taut against Tian Yishi’s body due to an unexpected, uncharacteristic girth now hung loosely. It was clear that he had not actually put on weight; his frame was as it had always been. The apparent reason for his fuller appearance was merely the tightness of his clothing. Now, with the robe slackening and parting, the truth was revealed to Lu Xueqi and Ghost Li.

A hilt of an ancient, rustic sword protruded from the fabric, undulating in the wind. It rested quietly, piercing Tian Yishi’s back.

Ghost Li’s entire body began to quiver, and even his lips lost their color, trembling faintly. His expression suggested that he wanted to scream, but no words came out when he tried to speak.

The intense battle that had raged just moments ago had come to a standstill. Ghost Li and Lu Xueqi stared at Tian Yishi, momentarily forgetting the terrifying presence of Daoxuan Zhenren. Yet, Daoxuan Zhenren made no move to attack them; instead, a cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

His fingers, held as if ready to strike, suddenly bent, and black energy swirled around his fingertips, only to dissipate gradually. In response, Tian Yishi let out a muffled groan, his body shaking violently. He was like a man struck by lightning, his head snapping upwards in a desperate, hopeless gesture.

*Snap!*

Under the watchful eyes of Ghost Li and Lu Xueqi, a broken, stone-like sword pierced through Tian Yishi’s chest, emerging without a drop of blood.

Zhuxian!

This unparalleled, mighty ancient sword had pierced through Tian Yishi’s body.

The dark aura on Tian Yishi’s face seemed to regain a vigorous life, crawling wildly, swallowing his features. His head slowly drooped, sagging to his chest. Then, his body seemed to lose all its strength. The ever-present Red Flame Sword, which had dimmed and left his hand, fell from mid-air. Finally, the short, stout figure that had flashed through Ghost Li’s memory countless times, wobbled, and fell to the ground.

Like a dying meteor, it plummeted towards its final resting place—Earth.

Ghost Li was trembling, his whole body shaking. He had once thought himself strong enough to face all misfortunes, but now, he felt as though he had returned to ten years ago, when despair, like a raging, monstrous beast, engulfed him once more.

“Ahhh…”

He let out a hysterical scream, flying towards the falling figure without hesitation. He moved so fast, like a bolt of lightning, that he caught his master’s body before it hit the ground.

Touch—cold, lifeless!

It was clearly a corpse that had been dead for days, with no trace of warmth. Ghost Li clutched Tian Yishi tightly, his breathing becoming increasingly heavy. Tears streamed down his face, and he did not know when they had started.

“Be careful!”

Suddenly, a voice, filled with urgency, called out from behind. Lu Xueqi’s white figure dashed forward. High above, Daoxuan Zhenren drew a large circle with his hand, and the low, mysterious incantation stopped abruptly.

Ghost Li felt a twinge of alarm, but the grief and overwhelming emotions in his mind overpowered his reason. He could not let go.

This person, this body—his mentor, who had raised him, taught him, and guided him. For decades, he had followed this man, lived, walked, and advanced under his shadow. The memories, each one a thunderbolt, paralyzed him.

How could he let go?

The Zhuxian Sword lit up, its light searing his eyes, making everything indistinct. A familiar, desolate taste from years past enveloped him.

In a flash, Lu Xueqi, with all her might, rushed forward, flinging herself onto Ghost Li, both of them tumbling to the side.

*Boom!*

Flashes of light dispersed instantly. The dazzling halo receded, and the Zhuxian Sword mercilessly emerged from Tian Yishi’s chest, soaring to Daoxuan Zhenren’s side. A strong, slender hand reached out and grasped the hilt. In an instant, the world darkened, and even the few distant stars vanished into the black clouds.

No blood, not a single drop!

Ghost Li seemed to have lost his soul, along with all sensation. He mechanically crawled toward Tian Yishi. Lu Xueqi reached out to help him, but her hand froze halfway.

She suddenly pounced on Ghost Li, grabbing him, her breaths coming in rapid, fearful gasps: “Look at Uncle Tian’s hand…”

*Thunder rolled in the distance,* and the thick, dark clouds finally began to release raindrops.

But these raindrops were black.

As the rain intensified, flashes of lightning cut through the darkness. In the mud, Tian Yishi’s body, one of his fingers, twitched.

Ghost Li froze, his sorrowful expression replaced by uncontrollable joy. He shouted: “Master!”

He darted towards Tian Yishi, throwing caution to the wind.

Lu Xueqi, pale-faced, but with a clearer head, tried to pull Ghost Li back but failed, tearing off a piece of his robe.

Above, Daoxuan Zhenren, enveloped in black energy, stood in the midst of the storm. Rain and wind avoided him. His face, twisted and demonic, gazed arrogantly at the mortals below, as if he controlled their fates.

The Zhuxian Sword in his hand, ancient and enigmatic, flickered with a strange, eerie light, adding to the menacing atmosphere.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Ghost Li rushed forward, but he did not notice that the dark aura on Tian Yishi’s face had not dissipated with his life, but had, in fact, thickened, covering his face completely.

Just as Ghost Li rushed to embrace his master, Tian Yishi’s palm suddenly flipped, infused with immense power, and struck Ghost Li’s chest with the force of a giant hammer.

Ghost Li’s expression froze.

Moments later, his body flew backward, the sound of *cracking* bones echoing. Tian Yishi’s blow, fueled by his formidable cultivation, was devastating. Ghost Li, unprepared, suffered severe injuries, his chest bones shattered and internal organs displaced. Only his mastery of the *Tianshu* and the protective power of Tiantai Temple’s Great Prajna Mantra saved his life. Still, he was thrown three zhang away, blinded by pain, and barely conscious.

But in his mind, the only thought was: What happened to Master? What happened to Master?

*Hahaha…*

A ghastly laugh echoed from the sky. Daoxuan Zhenren, standing in the clouds, laughed arrogantly: “You want to die with me? You want to rid the world of evil? How does the taste of the Zhuxian Sword feel? *Hahaha, hahaha…*”

Tian Yishi’s body slowly rose, each movement filled with a sinister power. The dark aura on his face surged, a horrifying sight.

Tian Yishi’s right hand slowly extended, and the Red Flame Sword, which had fallen to the ground, suddenly lit up, flying back to his hand. Clenching the sword, he took slow, hesitant steps towards the injured Ghost Li.

The black rain intensified, pouring down with increasing ferocity!

*Clang!* Like a dragon’s roar, Lujin emerged from its scabbard. Lu Xueqi, pale-faced, stood in front of Ghost Li, her chest heaving. The rain-soaked white robe added a touch of melancholy.

The rain turned the earth to mud. Blood oozed from Ghost Li’s mouth, staining his clothes. His voice, hoarse and broken, cried: “Master… what… what happened to you?”

Tian Yishi seemed oblivious to any sounds, and the storm had no effect on him. His wooden form moved slowly towards the struggling Ghost Li and the pale, clenched-jawed Lu Xueqi, each step filled with deadly intent.

*Boom!*

A thunderclap resounded overhead, causing even Daoxuan Zhenren to shudder. His expression then changed to one of bewilderment, as if waking from a deep, dreamlike state, grasping for something elusive.

The strange, flickering light on the Zhuxian Sword dimmed in tandem with his odd demeanor.

*Boom!*

The thunder shook the heavens, as if the gods themselves were enraged.

In a flash, Tian Yishi halted, and the dark aura on his face retreated slightly, revealing his eyes.

How long is a moment?

Buddhists say that a mustard seed and Mount Sumeru are one, and a moment is eternity. But how long was that breath of time?

Those eyes, gazing deeply at Ghost Li, saw him struggling in the mud, spitting blood, and calling out “Master.”

The Red Flame Sword burned like a blazing fire, reflected in his eyes.

How long was that moment?

Tian Yishi suddenly turned his head, using all his strength, and looked intently at Lu Xueqi.

Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the wind howled. The Lujin Sword, radiating a faint blue light, stood steadfast in the storm.

Lu Xueqi’s gaze met Tian Yishi’s!

Like thunder, lightning, and a mighty wave, she saw the tumultuous waves in those eyes, staring at her, with an infinite, silent meaning.

The next moment, Lu Xueqi’s face lost all color, her lips nearly transparent.

A thunderclap, and Daoxuan Zhenren’s body shivered, the confused look vanishing. The eerie light on the Zhuxian Sword reappeared.

On the ground, the storm raged on. Tian Yishi’s eyes were once again veiled by the dark aura.

His footsteps, heavy and splashing mud, approached his original target, filled with murderous intent.

“Uncle Tian, Uncle Tian…” Lu Xueqi’s voice was strained, tinged with sorrow: “Don’t come, please don’t come…”

Ghost Li propped himself up, trying to lift his body, but fell back into the mud, his face splattered, but he felt nothing.

He only struggled to look up, watching his resurrected master approach.

The Red Flame Sword burned fiercely, consuming some unseen soul.

In the storm, Tian Yishi advanced. Lu Xueqi’s hand, gripping Lujin, trembled, her face pale as snow.

“Uncle Tian… stop, stop!”

What met her was the Red Flame Sword.

The scorching blade descended, evaporating the rain within three feet. Tian Yishi, controlled by the mysterious art, seemed to have gained, not lost, his strength.

Lu Xueqi managed to raise Lujin to block, but a sharp clang sent her and her sword flying, landing behind Tian Yishi.

There was no barrier between master and disciple.

Tian Yishi paused, the Red Flame Sword raising. Though Ghost Li lay powerless, his eyes were wide open, fixed on Tian Yishi. But the dark aura obscured his expression.

The storm raged, and the world was bleak.

Suddenly, Tian Yishi roared, the Red Flame Sword’s light blinding. It descended towards Ghost Li. Ghost Li did not dodge, nor could he. His mouth slightly open, any sound he made was drowned out by the scorching wind.

*Boom!* Another thunderclap split the heavens!

A lightning bolt pierced the darkness, illuminating the world.

Tian Yishi’s movements froze, the sword hovering just a foot above Ghost Li. Ghost Li could feel the searing heat, about to consume him.

But it didn’t!

Tian Yishi’s actions ceased, the sword’s light fading. A sword tip, glowing with a soft blue light, pierced through his chest from the other side. The Lujin Sword, once again, ran through Tian Yishi’s body and heart.

The storm raged, battering the figure behind Tian Yishi. Her hair, disheveled, and countless water droplets streaming down her face, she was ashen, trembling.

*Boom!*

Three consecutive thunderclaps struck near Daoxuan Zhenren. His body convulsed, and he suddenly curled up, a look of extreme pain on his face. Moments later, he screamed, transforming into a black streak of light, and fled.

On the ground, Ghost Li was stunned, staring at the sword tip protruding from his master’s chest.

No blood, not a drop!

*Clang!* The Red Flame Sword, now dull, fell to the ground. Ghost Li’s face twitched, and his body quivered.

Tian Yishi’s knees gave way, and he knelt in the mud before Ghost Li. The dark aura on his face dissipated, but a faint layer remained, stubbornly lingering.

Lu Xueqi’s hand, gripping Lujin, trembled, but she did not hesitate. She closed her eyes, and the Lujin Sword emitted a soft, blue light. With its millennia-old holy energy, it expelled the dark aura, widening the wound in Tian Yishi’s chest tenfold.

*Ah…* Ghost Li’s hoarse cry, like a desperate beast, tears streaming down his face. Summoning unknown strength, he flew towards Tian Yishi, dragging him away from Lujin, which had just dispelled the last of the dark energy.

Tian Yishi’s familiar face reappeared in the storm.

His eyes were open, perhaps never closing.

Then, his lips twitched, and he smiled at Ghost Li.

Behind him, Lu Xueqi, exhausted, collapsed into the mud.

Ghost Li, looking at Tian Yishi’s chest, knew that his beloved master was at the end of his life, beyond saving.

“Why, why…” he screamed, unable to tell if it was rain or tears. This time, he was facing Lu Xueqi, struggling in the mud to reach her.

But a trembling hand, weak yet firm, pulled him back. Ghost Li, panting, his lips quivering, choked out: “Master, Master…”

Tian Yishi, his breath faint, mustered his last strength and said to Ghost Li: “Not… not her fault… not… her fault!”

Ghost Li grasped Tian Yishi’s hand, feeling only coldness.

Unable to hold back, he wept, his sobs echoing in the storm. He could only repeat: “Master… Master…”

Tian Yishi, gazing at him, his voice growing softer, said: “Old Seventh…”

“Master, I’m here, I’m here.” Ghost Li, his tears falling on Tian Yishi’s hand, pressed closer.

“After I die, you… you take my body… back to Bamboo Peak… to your… your master’s wife…”

Ghost Li nodded vigorously, his face contorted, his body trembling. Under his gaze, Tian Yishi’s breath grew more labored, his voice fainter: “You… you must… persuade her, don’t… be sad… don’t do… foolish… things, ah…”

With a sudden, loud exhale, Tian Yishi’s final words trailed off, and the hand in Ghost Li’s grasp went limp.

Ghost Li froze, his trembling body stilling. The cold, bitter storm seemed to pierce his very soul.

For an unknown amount of time, he whispered: “Master…”

Then, his vision went black, and he fainted beside Tian Yishi’s body.