The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 303 - Xue Meng's Past Life on the Edge of Life and Death

Before the Path of Martyrdom stood a bottomless chasm, left behind by Chu Wanning's previous use of the Corpse-Splitting Technique. Rainwater poured into it with a roaring tumult, like a waterfall cascading down.

High above the ravine, a man in black and gold robes stood with his back to them, holding a broadsword with one hand while defying gravity with his aura.

Upon hearing the commotion, the man's fingers twitched slightly, and he slowly turned around.

It was Mo Ran!

In the howling northern wind, Chu Wanning's heart felt cleaved by an ax as he stared in disbelief at the figure before him. ...What was going on?!

Rumble!

A ghastly flash of lightning illuminated the scene, followed by a deafening thunderclap.

The pale light revealed the Empyrean Trampler's blood-streaked face, which was terrifying to behold. Shi Mo involuntarily took a step back.

Yet Chu Wanning found himself stepping forward two steps without control.

Bloodstains.

His entire face was marred with bloodstains, every inch of exposed skin crisscrossed with cuts and lacerations, flesh turned inside out. He resembled a dismembered corpse that had failed to be properly severed due to the blade's dullness, riddled with gashes from head to toe, yet his eyes still retained a trace of his former handsome features.

"..."

Chu Wanning's lips were pale, standing in the pouring rain as he stared at the living corpse that had been subjected to countless torturous cuts.

The living corpse stared back, pools of blood tears gathering in his starkly contrasting black and white irises.

Heaven-Stepping Lord's consciousness was hazy, memories clashing with each other, souls battling fiercely. Perhaps due to the immense pain, he instinctively used his non-dominant hand to support half of his face.

Dark red blood mixed with raindrops trickled down between his fingers.

His thick eyelashes quivered, carrying the anger of Heaven-Stepping Lord and the confusion of Grandmaster Mo: "Why are you doing this to me?"

Chu Wanning: "..."

"Why are you trying to kill me?" The man asked, dazed, Chu Wanning's reflection reflecting in his eyes. Gradually, his expression became helpless and submissive. He murmured, "Master, have I done something wrong again?"

"No..."

"Did I upset you again?"

Hearing his voice, Chu Wanning's mind was a shattered landscape, everything was in disarray. He thought, is that Heaven-Stepping Lord in the rain? No... No, it's Mo Ran.

Whether it was the Empyrean Heaven-Stepping or Grandmaster Mo, it was still Mo Ran.

Mo Ran, covered in blood, stumbled towards him, his corpse-pale face visible beneath the streaks of blood. His eyes were unfocused, filled with an endless sorrow.

"I must have disappointed you again for you to treat me like this."

The rain seeped into Chu Wanning's bones, leaving him shivering with cold. He watched as Mo Ran took step after step closer, tears streaming down his face—except they were red, like blood.

"Please don't whip me again... I feel pain too... Even if I'm slow and dull... when you hit me... it hurts... Shifu..."

His trembling started subtly, then intensified until he could barely stand, on the brink of collapse.

He fell to his knees, curling up in the midst of the downpour. His stomach felt torn apart by sharp claws, making him seem more like a lifeless corpse than Mo Ran before him.

"I'm sorry..." Chu Wanning's voice was raspy with sorrow, "I'm so sorry..."

Your scars are as long as my guilt.

The venom of your hatred ultimately consumed me.

Kneeling before Mo Ran, he hunched over, trembling, summoning all the courage left in his shattered life to lift his head, only to break down in sobs at the sight of the body he had mercilessly flayed: "It's my fault... I wronged you."

He didn't know where it had gone wrong; perhaps because a living corpse with a fragment of its soul was not truly dead, the Corpse Splitting Spell hadn't taken effect completely.

Mo Ran wasn't dead, but he was teetering on the edge of madness. Memories of pain, frenzy, confusion, and despair from other lives flooded his consciousness.

He was Mo Weiyu, Grandmaster Mo, Heaven-Stepping Lord, and Little Ranying.

Countless shattered pieces formed the broken man before him.

"Mo Ran..."

Hearing his voice, Mo Ran's eyes shifted slightly. He halted, and the rain around his feet turned red with blood, painting the ground crimson.

Pausing for a moment, the man with the fractured consciousness suddenly lashed out in fury, as if possessed by another mind. He began pacing back and forth, his sinister expression appearing even more grotesque on his twisted face.

"Chu Wanning! You hate me to the core, willing to do anything to take my life, isn't that right?"

"I hate you just as much! I wish to tear you into a million pieces, devour your entrails, make you suffer for countless lifetimes! Don't blame me, it was you who killed me!"

His sleeves flapped wildly, and his eyes glared furiously, his hair standing on end as if he were about to pounce on Chu Wanning, strangling him and crushing him into dust.

But like a bow string snapped before it was fully drawn, or a sword broken before it was unsheathed, a sudden explosion echoed. A blue light struck Heaven-Stepping Lord's chest, causing his gaze to dim as he fell silent, his expression tightening. After a few moments of stillness, he slowly straightened up, standing coldly beside the Path of Martyrdom.

Turning around, Chu Wanning saw Shi Mo leaning unsteadily against a rock, still maintaining the posture of throwing the enchanted talismans. His peach blossom eyes glinted fiercely, filled with an intense glow.

"Our reminiscing is over," Shi Mo gritted his teeth, raising two fingers to form a seal. Fixing his gaze on the bloodied Heaven-Stepping Emperor Lord, he said, "You know what's most important. Since you didn't die, hurry and gather those last thirty chess pieces for me!"

"Do it quickly," he said, catching his breath, "There's no time to waste."

Beneath the glow of the talismans, the once-tormented and conflicted face of Heaven-Stepping Lord gradually became as calm as still waters and as cold as frost. The madness in his eyes, the resentment—every trace of emotion vanished.

Heaven-Stepping Lord nodded briefly at Shi Mo, the blade in his hand igniting with light. He replied almost mechanically, "Yes, Master."

With that, he raised his hand to cast a protective spell around Shi Mo. Then, his black robe billowed like an eagle taking flight, heading for the main hall. But just as he ascended halfway, a figure blocked his path.

Chu Wanning stopped him.

Soaked through and utterly broken, his heart shattered into pieces; he wished to turn into dust and be crushed beneath the tempestuous storm.

Yet, he still had to intervene.

"If only more people could live comfortably..."

Those were words Mo Ran had spoken when he was lucid. Thus, no matter how much pain he felt or how exhausted he was, Chu Wanning vowed to endure until the very end.

In a hoarse voice, Chu Wanning called out, "Huai Sha, come forth."

Heaven-Stepping Lord gazed at the familiar golden glow appearing in his palm, a subtle crease forming between his brows.

Huai Sha.

A torrential downpour.

The mortal world was on the brink of collapse. An endless sea of blood stretched before them.

Years ago, they had shared a similar day. On that day, they both spilled their entire blood and exerted their full martial power, battling until the heavens and earth darkened, and the Golden Crow sank in the west.

It never crossed his mind that the duel between master and disciple from their past lives would once again descend upon the earth across the vast expanse of time.

In this life, perhaps destiny is inevitable. Just as Nan Gongsi was fated to die prematurely in his prime, Ye Wangxi was destined to be a noble hero with a tragic end, and the precipice of life and death was doomed to face calamity. Heaven-Stepping Lord and Chu Wanning were destined to confront each other with blades crossed.

Whether it was hatred or love, neither could escape.

"Return, not to return. Summoned."

A deep, smoldering voice reverberated, its greenish glow illuminating the eyes of Heaven-Stepping Lord. Now under Shi Mo's strongest control, his eyes showed no hint of emotion; he was like a hellish mirror reflecting Chu Wanning's cold and solitary figure in the rain.

Sword qi pierced through the clouds, a blade slashed against the downpour!

Amidst the howling wind, two figures, one black and one white, intertwined in a deadly dance, their spiritual currents colliding!

They exchanged moves at lightning speed amidst the storm, stirring up sand and earth, and fierce gusts that sent water droplets soaring like frothy waves in a snowfield or dust from clashing swords. Neither of them held back, giving it their all as they fought from the rear mountain to the foot of the Tower of Heaven.

The intensity of this battle shook the heavens and earth, catching the attention of people both on and off the mountain, who looked up in surprise—

"It's Chu Wanning?"

"Why is he fighting with Mo Ran? Aren't they on the same side?"

Raindrops fell like galloping horses, and at the peak of the precipice between life and death, Chu Wanning's golden light pierced through the sun, aiming straight for Heaven-Stepping Lord's chest! But before the light could reach its target, a deafening explosion echoed, and a blazing sun erupted from the lord's palm like molten lava, engulfing the golden radiance in a volcanic torrent!

"Boom!"

In an instant, shattered tiles and debris flew everywhere, uprooting surrounding trees.

At that moment, Jiang Xi was leading the group in a fierce battle against the chess pieces at the mountain gate. He reacted swiftly, shouting, "Be cautious, everyone!" With that, he swiftly erected a protective barrier to shield those around him. The flying stones, sand, and towering trees all crashed against his barrier.

Jiang Xi found it extremely challenging to hold on. In an instant, he spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing onto one knee with his lips and teeth stained crimson.

"Quickly open your barriers! I can't withstand another attack!"

Many cultivators, now in a panic, frantically set up their own protective umbrellas. They looked up towards the Tower of Heaven, momentarily stunned. What kind of power did Mo Weiyu and Chu Wanning possess...

Before the Pagoda of Buddha, the master-disciple duo's battle intensified. Chu Wanning gritted his teeth, meeting each of Heaven-Stepping Lord's moves with determination. Perhaps, there was no one else in this world who could withstand so many attacks from the Imperial Lord except for him.

Only Chu Wanning could do this.

—The man before him, with his sword flicking and agile footwork, resembled the teachings of Chu Wanning himself. Many times, even in front of the Tower of Heaven, he had personally corrected Mo Ran's posture and drilled the mantras and techniques into him. From an ignorant youth to this very moment where their swords clashed, Chu Wanning had guided him every step of the way.

This was the second climactic showdown between the Northern Dipper Immortal Venerated Chu Wanning and his disciple, the Emperor of Immortals, Mo Weiyu.

In that battle years ago, Chu Wanning had approached with his sword, still holding onto hope. He believed he could save a misguided disciple and thus gave his all.

But in this battle, Chu Wanning knew there was no turning back. Regardless of victory or defeat, the person he most wanted to atone for could never return.

Heaven-Stepping Lord growled, "Block my path, and you die."

Before his eyes flashed the image of Mo Ran practicing his swordplay as a youth, his forehead beaded with sweat under the nascent dawn light as he leapt through the bamboo grove, spinning his sword three times before landing gracefully on the ground.

He turned his head, flashing Chu Wanning a grin that revealed his dimples. "Shifu, Shifu, do you think I've learned well?"

Flames burst forth from his palm, slashing horizontally towards his opponent's chest.

Chu Wanning dodged, and Heaven-Stepping Lord's bloodied hand brushed past the hem of his robe.

But back then, when Mo Ran had accompanied him to practice at the Red Lotus Water Pavilion, it had been this same move. At that time, the young man's hands were still slender and well-proportioned, unmarked by any scars.

When the youth looked at him sideways, he was gentle. Later, with a smile, he took Chu Wanning's hand, saying, "No more fighting, it'll go on forever."

Swords sang, blades howled.

Suddenly, Chu Wanning recalled the time in Jade-Cool Village when Mo Ran had eagerly pulled him along to watch a lakeside theatrical performance. The bronze oars clanged, the drumstrings hummed and clashed.

A singer's voice echoed in their ears, high and clear: "The hero's spirit is spent—"

On stage, a face was painted with vibrant colors, while below, Mo Ran watched intently. As Chu Wanning lifted his head, Mo Ran immediately tore himself away from the eternal sorrow of the past and lifted his gaze from the childhood dreams.

He asked with a smile, "Do you like it?"

His eyes were dark and warm.

Chu Wanning used to find those operas tedious, with their lengthy scripts and drawn-out notes, as if each word was sung as three. He couldn't understand why anyone would find them enjoyable. But at that moment, he desperately wished to be back in front of the village opera stage in Jade-Cool Village.

Pine resin fanned into a blazing fire, and the martial actor blew toward the river, illuminating the world with his performance. How wonderful it would be if that play could be sung for an entire lifetime.

"Zing!"

Suddenly, lost in thought, Huai Sha was struck down by Unreturning!

It had been the same back then. After the divine sword missed its mark, he had instantly retreated, summoning Heaven-Inquiring to temporarily block the attack. But this time, Heaven-Stepping Lord's power had grown even stronger. Before Chu Wanning could step back, the unsheathed black blade was already pointed at his chest.

Heaven-Stepping Lord narrowed his eyes.

His vision was shrouded in gray, unable to discern who the tip of his blade was pointing at. He only knew that his opponent's spirit had waned, like a figure running through the night on Liangshan Mountain, hearing reed pipes and the cries of Chu in all directions.

There was only desperate resistance left in this desperate situation.

"Annoying obstacle."

His thin lips parted as he slashed down with his blade!

Just as life and death hung in the balance, a jet-black folding fan pierced through the air, hurtling straight towards Heaven-Stepping Lord! The fan came with tremendous force, stunning in its impact. Heaven-Stepping Lord immediately retreated, parrying with his blade, but was still forced to step back by the black-gold fan.

In quick succession, three interwoven beams of red and blue light descended from the sky, striking like thunder, entrapping Heaven-Stepping Lord within!

"Who is it?!" Trapped, Heaven-Stepping Lord gritted his teeth in frustration, bellowing fiercely, "Show yourself!"

Dark clouds swirled, and three vague figures stood atop the towering Tower of Heaven. Amidst the downpour, they leaped from the summit and landed steadily before the long staircase. It was then that their faces could finally be seen clearly. There were three of them—

One wore a fox fur headband, with frivolous eyes and eyebrows.

Another had golden hair tied up, his gaze as cold as ice.

At the forefront stood a man in his thirties or forties, clad in shimmering silver-blue armor. His gaze was sharp and intense, his demeanor composed, with a diagonal scar stretching across his left forehead. This man exuded no trace of arrogance; instead, he radiated composure and a profound sense of responsibility reminiscent of Xue Zhengyong.

He reached up to catch the rotating black-gold fan, lifting eyes that no longer held the vitality of youth.

They were the Mei siblings from their past life... and...

A deafening thunderbolt split the sky.

Chu Wanning gazed at that man—

Another Xue Meng from the Mortal World!!!