Chapter Fifteen: Life Is Worthless as Straw

Originally locked in fierce combat, the Master and Liu An suddenly found themselves summoned into the mortal realm. Both halted their movements and surveyed their surroundings, their gazes swiftly fixing on the young Daoist riding a donkey.

The Master spoke first, “Bound by love across three lifetimes, now enlightened at Qilin Cliff, seeing through worldly attachments, emerging with unparalleled grace—truly a prodigy.”

The young Daoist, recognized by his gait, dismounted from the donkey and stood midair, bowing respectfully to the two figures.

“Master, look at me! Your disciple is right here,” Jian Yi greeted the Master with a playful flourish of his sword.

The Master glanced at his own disciple, then back at the young Daoist, shaking his head in disbelief at the trouble he had invited by taking such a pupil.

Liu Xiaosheng caught the change in the Master’s expression and couldn’t help but tease, “Your disciple’s quite something.”

“Lucky for the Master, you’ve arrived just in time. I haven’t yet inherited your sword-gourd; I can’t afford to die young,” Jian Yi said cheerfully.

The Master chuckled warmly, “Your filial piety is genuine, indeed.”

Liu Xiaosheng’s face twitched slightly as a thought crossed his mind to expel the rebellious Liu An from the sect.

“That’s enough. Do you think I don’t exist? Two old fossils repeatedly ruining my plans—today, I will make you pay,” the Master declared with disdain.

Both men sneered in response.

The Master conjured a jade ruler in his hand, while Liu Xiaosheng slowly expanded a gourd in his palm.

“You wretched beast, flaunting the remaining luck of the National Golden Dragon, thinking we have no way to deal with you. You’re nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well. Today, I shall sever your shadow and strip you of one realm.”

In an instant, the heavens darkened and the stars shifted; the surroundings morphed swiftly into misty mountain ranges.

The Ghost Mother lifted a mountain, compressing it to the size of a palm before hurling it fiercely.

The Master did not dodge; instead, he lightly tapped the air with his index finger, stopping the flying mountain atop his fingertip.

With a gentle flick, the compressed mountain rocketed back, hurtling toward the Ghost Mother.

By now, the Ghost Mother revealed her true form—mountain-sized, with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a spider, countless snakes writhed atop her head, tongues flickering.

Seeing the mountain barreling toward her, she struggled to move but was too slow. The mountain pierced through half her body, green pus oozing from the wound, splattering the surrounding peaks and trees, which melted upon contact.

“Despicable, despicable!” the Ghost Mother roared furiously, her voice echoing through the mountains.

“Silence,” Liu Xiaosheng spoke a single word with commanding power, and silence blanketed a hundred-mile radius.

The Ghost Mother remained immobilized, panic rising within her. “How can these two old bastards be so strong? Weren’t we agreed that no immortals would set foot in the mortal realm?”

“Today, I sever one of your realms,” the Master said, tossing the jade ruler toward her.

“No! You cannot do this! How dare you treat me so! Are you not afraid that my true form will descend and annihilate your souls?” she screamed.

“Since the Master has stripped you of a realm, I shall sever your shadow,” Liu Xiaosheng declared, opening the sword-gourd. A torrent of sword qi burst forth, forming a river of blades that scoured the Ghost Mother’s form.

The sky trembled as a woman’s face appeared, gazing down upon the Master and Liu Xiaosheng.

“You have done well. Today you harm my shadow, but I will repay you a hundredfold when the time comes.”

“All talk. If you’re so bold, come descend to the mortal realm. One strike is all I need to kill you. If you truly seek revenge, open the Heavenly Gate—then I’ll come up,” Liu Xiaosheng retorted disdainfully.

“Enough. The trouble is settled. Let us cease fighting and leave the rest to those youngsters,” the Master said.

“Agreed.”

Their conversation ended.

Meanwhile, within Linjiang City, the giant infant furiously pounded the ground to vent his rage. The young Daoist, having exerted all his strength to repel the Ghost Mother’s strike, slumped atop the donkey to recover.

“Something’s amiss. This mansion city conceals a very subtle formation, but it seems to have activated,” Jian Yi observed.

The earth cracked, countless buildings collapsed into rubble, and a blood-red beam soared skyward, forming a luminous dome that enveloped the area.

A cauldron emerged from deep underground, suspended in the sky. Flames erupted from within, erupting into fireballs that crashed to the ground, quickly turning the city into a sea of flames.

Countless townsfolk’s blood seemed drawn like tributaries into a river flowing into the cauldron.

The giant infant clapped his hands gleefully, utterly indifferent to the surrounding inferno.

Liu An stared in horror at the unfolding scene.

“Senior Brother, I don’t understand—what are they doing?” he asked.

Jian Yi sighed, “They’re refining pills from living humans. Such a grandiose act. To these strong ones, longevity and breaking through realms mean nothing compared to mortal lives. Brother, this is the harsh truth.”

“Why? Why must it be this way?” Liu An struggled to comprehend. Yesterday the city had been lively; now it was a hellish forge, where after death, blood was drained for alchemical concoctions.

“Senior Brother, please act to stop this!” Liu An’s hoarse voice gripped Jian Yi’s hand in earnest.

Jian Yi dared not meet Liu An’s gaze. He sighed deeply, “The Dao of Heaven is cyclical. Their deeds will surely be ensnared by karmic flames; divine punishment will come in full. Brother, we must not involve ourselves. These consequences are beyond our bearing.”

“Look at that giant infant. Could it truly be as you say? Today’s calamity was not born overnight. Why, after decades, centuries, have they not yet faced retribution?” Liu An shouted in anguish.

Jian Yi was left speechless.

As they spoke, the cauldron trembled violently, and thunder rumbled as black clouds gathered above it.

The once pitch-black clouds slowly turned blood-red, and wails and cries echoed from the heavens.

Heaven’s wrath poured down as thunderbolts as thick as buckets struck the cauldron fiercely.

The ancient black cauldron’s carvings of exotic beasts glowed, and a mysterious black turtle reared its head, roaring skyward, shielding the forming blood pill within its shell.

Lightning struck faster and harder until the final bolt descended. The solidified black turtle let out a last roar before dissipating into the ether.

The pill was complete. The intricate formation beneath the city faded into stillness, its colors draining away. The side of the ancient cauldron engraved with the black turtle cracked, crashing heavily to the ground.

Yet the blood-red pill remained suspended in the air.

The giant infant rose from the ruins, greed shining in his eyes as he lunged toward the pill, reaching to seize and swallow it.

A pink figure streaked forward like a beam of light, snatching the pill before the giant infant could grasp it. This was the four-tailed celestial fox Jian Yi had threatened the previous night.

“How dare you! A mere little fox, so brazen as to covet such a precious pill!” A towering figure wielding an iron rod approached, each step shaking the earth.

“Considering your ancestor remains, release the pill. I guarantee your safe departure,” another figure arrived, riding a black wind that howled.

Truly, this day was filled with tumult and spectacle.