The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 302 - Soul's End at the Peak of Life and Death: Wushan Hall's Demise

Wushan Hall was once known as Danxin Hall. After Heaven-Stepping Lord ascended to power, he rearranged the layout, dividing it into three sections: the front hall, central courtyard, and the rear palace.

The two Mei brothers didn't enter directly. Instead, they stood at the entrance, waiting for Xue Meng to join them. The elder brother then informed him, "Something's off with this palace; it contains a soul-disorienting mist."

"What is a soul-disorienting mist?"

Mei Hanxue explained, "It's a kind of fog that resembles the mystic arts of the Eight Trigrams and the Art of Concealment. Treading Snow Palace has one in its plum blossom grove, and it never dissipates throughout the year."

Xue Meng asked with a sullen face, "What effect can it have?"

Mei Hanxue explained, "It will confuse the invaders and make them lose their way." He continued, "This kind of mist doesn't affect our own people, but it distorts the surroundings for intruders, creating illusions that prevent them from finding the actual entrance or exit. You know about the phenomenon people call 'ghosts hitting the wall,' right? It's something like that."

Xue Meng: "...."

Mei Hanxue said coldly, "They're buying time. There might be a battle going on in the rear hall."

Mei Hanxue then inquired, "What should we do? Can we bypass it?"

Mei Hanxue shot him a glance. "You lived in Treading Snow Palace for over twenty years, and you're asking me?"

"Cough." The younger brother felt a bit embarrassed and turned to Xue Meng. "There's no other choice. We'll have to go in and search for the source of the miasma to dispel it." Noticing Xue Meng's expression, he reassured him, "But don't worry, this is what I'm best at. I often used the maze of plum blossoms in the back mountain of Treading Snow Palace to hide from female cultivators who came looking for trouble. Give me one incense stick's worth of time, and I should be able to solve it."

At this, his elder brother's face darkened, and his voice was as cold as ice.

"You really have the nerve to say that."

Xue Meng had no interest in their banter at the moment. He strode forward and pushed open the main door of the Wu Mountain Hall with a creak.

It was like a malevolent ghost opening its stench-filled mouth. The lacquered vermilion doors slowly swung open, revealing flickering lamps within an eerie silence. As Xue Meng stepped inside, he could indeed sense a faint floral scent in the air.

He turned around to find that the Mei brothers were gone. Presumably, before the miasma dissipated, each of them would see something different, unable to see one another.

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from the lofty throne in the grand hall.

"Xue Meng..."

Gusts of chilly wind swirled, and a black veil fluttered. Startled, Xue Meng exclaimed, "Mo Ran?!"

That voice sighed. "Is it you? Have you come?"

Xue Meng's throat convulsed, and he straightened his back, stepping forward into the dimly lit palace hall with his sword raised.

The tip of the sword parted the heavy curtains, and then he saw.

High above sat a handsome man with a pale face, his eyes tightly shut. The man reclined diagonally on a throne of molten gold, wearing a nine-tassel gemmed crown. His brows were jet black, sharp and angular, and though his nose was high, its curve was refined. His light-colored lips were pressed together, revealing little emotion.

It was Heaven-Stepping Lord.

Heaven-Stepping Lord's complexion was terrible, deathly white with a faint tinge of blue, as if he had just suffered from a severe poisoning. Before him lay a fruit platter, filled with deep purple grapes and pale pink apples, a vibrant kingdom of colors presented on a silver tray. But the man on the imperial throne did not even blink. He didn't look.

An illusion? Reality?

The distinction wasn't clear. Xue Meng's mind buzzed, and when he came back to his senses, he heard himself say, "Mo Ran, you...?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord appeared to be still in a light slumber, his eyes remaining closed, but he responded, "...What?"

Perhaps it was because the man before him seemed so weak, or maybe it was because Xue Meng had already vented all his endless anger in the midst of the storm. Now, facing this apparition on the high throne, exhaustion surpassed his anger.

He didn't know if Mo Ran would respond or what the point of all this was. He just numbly murmured, asking the questions that had been weighing heavily on his chest:

"Why did you do all these things... Have you been reborn? You... You and Shifu... Were you really..."

Heaven-Stepping Lord, of course, didn't answer. He merely hummed softly before slowly lifting his eyelids.

In the dim light, he glanced at Xue Meng: "By my calculations, it's already been two years since you and Shifu last saw each other, after parting ways at Treading Snow Palace in Kunlun."

Xue Meng was taken aback: "What?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord smiled and continued talking to himself: "Xue Meng, have you missed him?"

Xue Meng was startled, asking: "What Treading Snow Palace in Kunlun? What two years apart? What nonsense are you spouting?!"

This illusory scene before him was actually the final conversation between Mo Ran, who had taken his own life with poison, and the Xue Meng from that past life. It was also Heaven-Stepping Lord's last words left on earth.

The illusion had formed randomly, coincidentally replicating the situation before the two had been separated by life and death in their previous lives.

But Xue Meng was unaware of this. He was confused and indignant, anxious and afraid. He glared at the man seated before him and demanded, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord's gaze was fixed on him, yet it seemed to be looking through him, at an imaginary shadow that didn't exist.

He spoke to that shadow as if it were there, "Give it back to you? Nonsense. Don't you use your brain? Given the deep grudge between me and my Master, how could I possibly allow him to live on this earth?"

Xue Meng fell silent.

Yes... This was an illusion. Even if he didn't respond, Heaven-Stepping Lord would continue his monologue. He was conversing with someone invisible to Xue Meng.

What was he saying?

Amidst the buzzing in his ears, Xue Meng didn't understand much of the sentences Heaven-Stepping Lord uttered. However, the man seated on the imperial throne had such a frenzied and cold expression, filled with obsession and contradiction, which sent chills down Xue Meng's spine – this wasn't his brother. He couldn't recognize him.

Heaven-Stepping Lord continued his ranting, "Are you reminding me of how he beat me to a pulp before everyone, forcing me to kneel and confess my sins? Or are you trying to recall how he stood in front of me time and again for you, for someone irrelevant, spoiling my plans and hindering my great endeavors?"

This tyrant resembled a blind, clawless wandering dragon, desperately preserving its last vestige of ferocity amidst the mire.

He rambled on, his words bordering on madness and obsession, his appearance malevolent but revealing profound exhaustion beneath.

He said, "We were master and disciple after all. His remains rest in the Red Lotus Water Pavilion on the Southern Peak. He's lain in a lotus, preserved well, as if he's merely sleeping."

He added, "His body relies on my spiritual energy to keep it from decaying. If you miss him, don't waste your breath here with me. Hurry and go while I'm still alive."

Xue Meng climbed the long staircase, his Snow Phoenix tightly clenched, damp with sweat. "What on earth are you talking about..."

In his previous life, who had died?

Whose remains were placed in the Red Lotus Water Pavilion?

Whose body relied on the Heavenly-Stepping Lord's spiritual energy to remain incorruptible... Who?

Actually, from the Heavenly-Stepping Lord's words and the grave he'd seen before the Tower of Heaven, Xue Meng already knew the answer. But his mind seemed to be frozen with ice, his teeth chattering as his lips clashed together.

Who had died... Who had died??

His face twisted suddenly, and he rushed into the hall. Reaching for Mo Ran's clothes, his fingers passed right through the illusion.

The Heavenly-Stepping Lord's face was inches away, his voice hoarse. "Go. Go see him. If you're too late, once I die and my spiritual energy is cut off, he'll turn to dust."

As the words faded, the man's eyes drooped dejectedly; the poison had begun to take effect.

In contrast, Xue Meng's eyes widened, his entire body trembling with disbelief.

How had things come to this? What other absurdities had transpired in this mortal world?

"You killed him?"

Xue Meng's voice quavered, on the verge of breaking. "Did you kill him?"

"..."

"Have you known everything since your rebirth? Have you actually known all along?"

Of course, no one would answer him, but Xue Meng still asked the question.

There were many answers in this world that brought no joy, only torment. Yet, one would still seek them out, knowing full well the pain they would inflict.

Which was love – the cruel truth or the gentle lie? And which was hatred?

"If you already knew... why did you lie to us? Big Brother... How could you bear it... How could you be so heartless..."

Before him was the near-convulsing face, a sight no one would look good in amidst the effects of such a deadly poison. Blood trickled from the corner of Heaven-Stepping Lord's mouth as he propped himself up, swaying unsteadily to his feet and stumbling out of the hall.

"Where are you going?"

Xue Meng reached out towards the ethereal figure.

"You're going to—"

Suddenly, his fingers sank into warmth.

Xue Meng jolted, the floral scent in his nostrils vanishing as the black-golden figure, walking towards dusk, crumbled into nothingness.

"Mo Ran?!"

There was no Mo Ran anymore.

The illusion vanished, leaving Xue Meng with a dazed and fragmented expression. Dreams and illusions, past lives and present, which were real, and which were false? The Door of Time and Death had cracked open, intertwining their former mortal world with their current reality, making it impossible to discern what truly happened, which Mo Ran was the genuine one, and which version of himself was authentic.

His gaunt face, with its shattered expression, looked pitiful, even his gaze was unfocused.

After a long while, his eyes gradually regained clarity.

In the brown irises, Mei Hanxue's figure was reflected.

"Snap out of it," Mei Hanxue released his hand and tapped his forehead, causing Xue Meng to wince in pain.

"It's over."

"..."

Xue Meng remained stiff for a while before he finally came back to his senses. With almost all his strength spent, he murmured, "I'm sorry..."

Mei Hanxue pressed his lips together. "There's no need to apologize. This kind of illusion is very mystical. The heavier your heart, the more terrifying the things it conjures."

Xue Meng lifted his gaze, his black eyes still moist as they looked at him.

He actually disliked conversing with Mei Hanxue, but at this moment, the person in front of him seemed like the only real and stable existence amidst an illusion. He couldn't help but speak in a hoarse voice, "What about you? What did you see?"

Mei Hanxue didn't answer right away. After a moment's pause, he smiled, "Over a thousand maidens I've harmed in the past decade. Ah, what a tender and seductive trap, truly vexing for someone like me."

"..."

Just then, they heard a deafening explosion coming from the rear palace hall.

Mei Hanxue's gaze turned cold as he drew his sword, saying, "Let's go."

Xue Meng and Mei Hanxue followed closely behind. Passing through the downpour in the courtyard, they arrived at the rear palace hall to see a resplendent figure in white and gold scaling the roof beams. Upon spotting the intruders, the figure paused, lowering its eyes. A rumbling thunder illuminated its face.

Mei Hanxue frowned, his expression grim, "Mu Yanli?"

A sharp cry echoed from ahead, "Sister Mu, ignore them and run!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yanli, although reluctant, quickly retreated. By the time Xue Meng and the others reached the scene, the rear palace hall was in ruins, filled with debris and burning timbers. Flames licked the broken rafters, silk curtains, and tapestries burned fiercely, their red tongues spitting towards the sky amidst rolling black smoke.

In the midst of the devastation, two swift white silhouettes clashed in mid-air, their battle stirring gales and igniting sparks! They moved so fast that it was like lightning, colliding and separating in the air.

The sound of clashing metal rang out, followed by flashes of golden and blue light. Bricks and tiles were sent flying as a sturdy log, resembling a sleeping dragon, stirred to life, rising high from the rubble. On the other side, a surging blue wave of spiritual energy burst forth from beneath the shattered golden bricks, its waves rolling fiercely.

Figures darted, one to the left and the other to the right, landing atop a colossal tree and the crest of a surging wave.

Xue Meng's face paled abruptly. "Master!"

Regardless of what truth he knew, concern for Chu Wanning in times of peril had become Xue Meng's instinct.

Mei Hanxue narrowed his eyes, facing the splashing mist, muttering, "Shi Mingjing…"

The two figures battling amidst a tempestuous storm were none other than former master and disciple, Chu Wanning and Shi Mingjing.

But there was something odd: Shi Mingjing's entire body was enveloped by a powerful spiritual current that clearly belonged to the Immortal Emperor. His exposed skin was crawling with black runes, and his veins bulged grotesquely.

Xue Meng rushed forward. "What's going on?!! Shi Mo, Shi—"

With a thud, Xue Meng was bounced out of the combat zone. Struggling to his feet, he found himself facing a golden hibiscus barrier.

Chu Wanning's expression was terrible. He said in a chilling tone, "Don't come any closer."

Mei Hanxue stepped forward, standing beside Xue Meng. He stared at the unusually potent spiritual energy flowing from Shi Mo, frowning. "…Strange. He's using his own water-based techniques, but the power being emitted is entirely someone else's."

For but a brief moment, Chu Wanning and Shi Mingjing clashed with lightning speed, their spiritual energy fully unleashed. The overpowering aura left the other three onlookers gasping for breath.

The Supreme Immortal of the Northern Dipper maneuvered amidst swirling willow vines, wielding the golden sword Huai Sha in his hand. A flash of sword light illuminated his eyes, sharper than the blade itself. He moved with the agility of a swallow, striking down fiercely at Shi Mo!

"Chu Wanning!!"

Shi Mo's cry of anger was nearly distorted.

"I spared your life twice across two lifetimes—and this is how you repay me?!"

With that said, there was a resounding boom as he raised his hand to form seals, and a deep blue barrier suddenly sprang up in front of Shi Mo, forcibly halting Chu Wanning's assault.

Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the barrier hadn't appeared out of thin air but was created by an unsheathed and unfamiliar broadsword – None Return! The violent spiritual currents flowing within Shi Mo were all from Heaven-Stepping Lord, causing None Return to mistakenly acknowledge its new master and respond to Shi Mo's summons, serving him instead.

In Chu Wanning's eyes, a shadow lingered. He said, "No, you've killed me in both of your lifetimes."

The golden sword was withdrawn with resplendent light, and the barrier that Shi Mo had conjured was already showing faint cracks. Chu Wanning somersaulted in mid-air and kicked forcefully at the fissure, using the momentum to retreat. Then, he threw Huai Sha towards Shi Mo! Thunder roared as dark clouds rolled across the sky. Amidst the tempestuous winds, rains, and lightning that shook the lands, Huai Sha pierced through Shi Mo's barrier with a sudden, fierce force!

Shielding with the Unreturning Barrier, Shi Mo was, after all, not Mo Weiyu.

Unable to withstand the power of Huai Sha, his saber slipped from his grasp and clanged as it embedded itself into the ground. Immediately after, the Divine Martial Golden Sword pierced straight towards Shi Mo's chest!

"Ugh..." Shi Mo barely managed to dodge, but while he avoided his heart, he couldn't evade elsewhere. With a swish, blood splattered as Huai Sha tore through Shi Mo's shoulder, dripping back into Chu Wanning's palm.

Shi Mo crashed back onto the ground amidst the rubble, yet still struggled to cover his wound and stand up.

His eyes flashed with intense fury and malevolence. "Why did you stop me?! What good does it do to stop me?! Does stopping me bring the dead back to life? Does it make your lives easier? Does it return these two worlds to how they once were?!"

Chu Wanning swooped down from above, landing on his toes before standing amidst the debris.

Soaked through with both wounds and blood, his expression was detached, more unlike Chu Wanning than ever.

What he had just said was true.

The Eight Sorrows Long Hate Flower had devoured his lover, so in both lifetimes, he had died at Shi Mingjing's hands. Twice.

"It's already too late for anything you do! Do you know what you could have done to prevent all this?!" Shi Mo was almost mad. He bared his teeth at Chu Wanning and roared, rain pouring down around them but unable to extinguish the flames of hatred. "You should have returned to the past after opening the Gate of Life and Death in your previous life, killed Mo Ran, sliced him into a thousand pieces, torn his corpse apart, burned him to ashes, and crushed them to dust! You should have killed him!"

"..." Chu Wanning's gaze was icy cold.

"What nonsense about starting over or redemption! A joke! It's precisely because you wanted to save him, because you didn't want to kill him, that I could obtain his revitalized spirit core! That's how I reforged the Immortal Devouring Emperor, leading to this present situation!" Shi Mo laughed uproariously as he spoke.

His gaze was like snake fangs, scorpion claws, and bee stingers, oozing venom.

Through gritted teeth, Shi Mo seethed, "It's all because of you... You can't do it. Weren't you trying to stop me? If you had dealt the killing blow sooner, everything would have ended, and what business would I have had?!"

"You're the one who brought this misfortune upon these two worlds!"

"Don't think of yourself as the honored Yu Heng, the Northern Dipper Immortal Sovereign of the Night. What have you accomplished? You've achieved nothing! It was by exploiting the spatial rifts you left behind that I unlocked the mysteries of the first forbidden technique and reopened the Gates of Life and Death. You have a share in the destruction of this realm too... Hahaha, hahahahaahaha—"

Laughter as sticky as a spider's web, as grim as a vulture's gaze.

He tumbled and rolled, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, the demonic patterns on his body fading bit by bit. But he cared not, exerting every effort to spew the most venomous insults, cursing the person before him.

Be it past infatuations or affection, all had vanished in the downpour like smoke.

Perhaps he had underestimated Chu Wanning, or overestimated himself. Once brimming with arrogance, he believed that Chu Wanning could be his plaything, something to amuse him with a tight leash. His life was not a necessity. But at this moment—

"If I could start over..." Hatred and coldness flickered in the peach blossom eyes as Shi Mo clutched his blood-soaked shoulder, "...I would definitely kill you."

The last trace of demonic patterns vanished.

The formidable spiritual energy within Shi Mo dissipated abruptly.

Once again, the one lying on the ground was the ordinary Butterfly-Boned Beauty, Xizi.

Shi Mo panted softly, gazing at Chu Wanning through the rain.

He had just used his final move – Borrowing the Gods. He had employed this technique before, in front of the reborn Mo Ran, on that night at the Linling Island inn.

It was more like consuming a spiritual medicine than executing a move. The medicine was refined from the blood of the Immortal Emperor Beyond the World, granting him Mo Ran's power for about an incense stick's worth of time.

Though this borrowed strength was not Mo Ran's true might and fell short, it was sufficient in many crucial situations.

This time, his failure to defeat Chu Wanning within a short period indicated that he had exhausted all his tricks.

He was well aware of this.

Xue Meng watched from the side, his scalp tingling with unease and uncertainty. He croaked, "Master? ... Shi Mo?"

Though his voice was faint, Shi Mo had fallen not far from Xue Meng, so he heard him and turned his head. Their eyes met, leaving Xue Meng's mind blank.

Staring at him for a moment, a glint suddenly flashed in Shi Mo's eyes. Then, a melancholic smile slowly formed on his exceptionally handsome face.

"Young Master..."

Xue Meng jolted.

In a daze, Shi Mo's gaze still held the same look as before, his features unchanged. He appeared so helpless and vulnerable, reaching out to Xue Meng without saying much.

Xue Meng stood right at the edge of the barrier. If he couldn't resist taking just one step—no, half a step would be enough—then...

At that moment, Bu Gui, which was inserted into the ground nearby, suddenly burst with a brilliant radiance! Everyone was startled, their gazes drawn to the deadly blade. Without any warning, it began to emit a fierce glow, flickering between scarlet and emerald hues a dozen times before bursting forth with a powerful surge!

Mei Hanxue cried, "Be careful!" and pulled Xue Meng back from the brink of the barrier.

Then they witnessed Bu Gui pierce through the earth and soar into the tempestuous storm, streaking like a dazzling meteor straight towards the restricted area at the back of the mountain!

This scene was also witnessed by the cultivators who had begun their assault on the mountain and were currently engaged in battle with the chess pieces. They were all astonished. "What is that?"

"What's happening?"

Shi Mo narrowed his eyes, crouching on the ground to observe the sudden burst of red light spreading across the rear mountain. The crimson glow seeped into his pupils, and he closed his eyes to sense it with his fingertips. After a moment, Shi Mo suddenly understood what was happening. He snapped open his eyes, an ecstatic expression on his face.

"Heaven-Stepping Lord!!"

Chu Wanning swiftly turned his head, his complexion deathly pale.

Shi Mo broke into a long, boisterous laugh, a fierce glint in his eyes. "He's not dead... Hahaha... He's actually not dead!" With an unknown surge of strength, he got up from the ground. Before anyone could react, he pressed on several acupoints to stop the bleeding. Then, with his blood-soaked robe flaring out, he leaped onto the roof tiles in an instant, bounding through the garden in just a few steps.

"Master..."

Chu Wanning couldn't linger. He glanced at Xue Meng before turning to Mei Hanxue. "Please take care of him." He himself soared through the air, closely following Shi Mo's figure.

Shi Mo's movements were graceful, and his agility in martial arts was on par with his master's. They moved one after the other, with Shi Mo unable to shake off Chu Wanning, and Chu Wanning likewise unable to seize him immediately. In the blink of an eye, they reached the rear mountain, but what lay before them made them abruptly halt, overwhelming them with shock and awe.