Chapter 157: Tarnish the reputation of Chong Da

Xuan BaiShe stood at the center of the now perfectly smooth plain of ashes, the wake of his devouring having erased every last trace of life or death within a radius of several kilometers.

His eyes, ink black with violet pupils, fixed on the horizon where the silhouette of the Great Pagoda of Sealing seemed to mock the gray immensity of the tomb. His Omega Heart beat with sovereign power, infusing his Dantian with purified Khao energy that firmly stabilized his second stage of Overlord.

He had initially intended to hunt down Chong Da immediately to put a premature end to the Path of Humans, but his strategist mind, inherited from his Immortal Sage Heart, imposed a more nuanced reflection.

’ Chong Da possesses fifty thousand points of luck. At this level of fortune, the Dao protects its chosen one with an almost desperate fervor. Killing him now would risk triggering a karmic backlash that even my Devourer Physique would have trouble digesting without issue.’

He turned his gaze toward the Yin mist that still lingered in the distance. A narcissistic and cruel smile stretched his lips.

’ On the other hand, if I let this blind monk achieve his goal, if he manages to break the seals of the Ashura,’ he continued in his inner monologue. ’ The two entities will confront each other in a duel of transcendental laws. When both are exhausted, drained of their Qi and their will, I can appear as the Celestial Judge to devour them simultaneously. The banquet will be much more refined if the main dish is seasoned with the despair of a demigod and the fall of a son of luck.’

Consequently, BaiShe decided to change roles. He had to become again, for a time, the vulnerable and heroic young master in the eyes of the world. He deactivated his Devourer form. His black hair became silvery again, and the blackness of his eyes faded to make way for the clarity of his heterochromatic pupils. He used a tiny fraction of his own Qi to reopen the wound on his shoulder that he had simulated in front of Zhi Mei. The silvery blood began to flow again, staining his now torn black silk tunic.

He set off toward the area where he had separated from the holy templar. He walked unsteadily, simulating extreme exhaustion, his breath becoming short and wheezing.

Meanwhile, Zhi Mei wandered in the clouds of Yin Qi, her heart tight with an anguish she could no longer repress. She had summoned her azure lotus to repel the shadows, but her vision remained blurred by tears of guilt.

" BaiShe... " she murmured, her voice lost in the whistling of the wind. " If you perished because of me... if I let the Executor die a second time... "

Suddenly, her senses as a 5th stage Overlord detected a familiar signature. A silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness, wavering, seeming to carry all the pain of the world on its shoulders.

" Miss... Mei... " articulated a weak and melodious voice.

Zhi Mei froze. She saw BaiShe, covered in dust and silvery blood, advancing toward her unsteadily. She let out a cry of relief mixed with horror upon seeing the state of her companion. In a heartbeat, she was at his side, her metal-gloved hands supporting his torso to prevent him from collapsing on the scorched ground.

" BaiShe! By the Dao, you are alive! " she exclaimed, her breath caressing the jade face of the young master.

BaiShe let his head fall heavily against the Sidhe’s shoulder, inhaling the wild lotus scent emanating from her armor.

" This young master... cannot leave you alone... " he murmured before closing his eyes, simulating a perfectly orchestrated loss of consciousness.

Zhi Mei did not waste a second. She knew that the Immortal Grave was too unstable a place to heal wounds of this magnitude. She deployed her azure Qi wings and, pressing BaiShe’s body against her chest, she soared into the sky, leaving this domain of death toward Mount Hua.

...

*Upper Realms, Summit of Mount Hua, Monastery of Eternal Peace*

The arrival of the Holy Templar carrying the bloodied Dao Executor caused a shockwave among the monks. The jade bells rang out, announcing a spiritual emergency. BaiShe was immediately transported to a healing chamber, a room with fragrant wooden walls where pure yang Qi was concentrated by ancient formations.

While the healers busied themselves around the young master, Zhi Mei was summoned before the council of the Ancients of Mount Hua. She stood at the center of the audience hall, her armor still soiled by BaiShe’s silvery blood. Facing her, the monks in saffron robes observed her with increasing gravity.

" Explain to us, Holy Templar, " began the dean, his voice like the distant rumble of thunder. " How could the Judge have been so wounded under your guard? " 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Zhi Mei clenched her fists, her fury against Chong Da finally exploding.

" It is all Chong Da’s fault! " she cried, her voice echoing against the stone vaults. " That coward abandoned us in the middle of a tide of Yin entities. He was not seeking purification, he was not seeking balance. He fled toward the Pagoda of Sealing with the intention of breaking the chains of the Ashura to seize its power! "

A murmur of horror ran through the assembly. The monks looked at each other, the betrayal of one of Buddha’s disciples being news that sullied the reputation of Mount Hua.

" Chong Da... the Path of Humans... " murmured an Ancient. " He has therefore succumbed to the ambition of becoming the true Buddha at the expense of the Executor’s life. "

" BaiShe sacrificed himself to protect me while Chong Da left us to the wolves, " continued Zhi Mei, her blue eyes burning with icy hatred. " If any harm comes to the Judge, I swear that the Temple of the Dao will demand a blood compensation for this betrayal. "

While the monks began to organize patrols to intercept the fugitive, Zhi Mei returned to BaiShe’s chamber.

Inside, calm reigned. Xuan BaiShe was lying on a bed of white silk, his bare torso partially covered by bandages impregnated with rare ointments. When he sensed the saint approaching the door, he slowly opened his eyes. An imperceptible smile stretched his lips.

[Ding! Chong Da’s reputation has been permanently tarnished within the orthodox sects. The disgust of the Ancients of Mount Hua has caused a massive rupture in the karmic threads of the Son of Luck.]

[Ding! You have obtained 20,000 Luck Points!]

’Twenty thousand points,’ thought BaiShe with narcissistic satisfaction. ’Chong Da’s fall begins with his own legend. Soon, he will be nothing more than a beast hunted by those who once venerated him.’

The door opened gently, letting Zhi Mei enter. She stopped at the foot of the bed, observing the pale face of her protector. She seemed to have aged several decades in a few hours, the weight of guilt marking her delicate features.

" BaiShe... " she murmured as she approached.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her trembling hand approaching the young man’s before stopping a few millimeters away.

" Forgive me... " she said, her voice breaking in a stifled sob. " It is my fault that you were put in danger. I am the Templar, I was supposed to be your shield, and yet... it is you who shed your blood for my survival. I failed to detect the betrayal of that cursed monk. "

BaiShe slowly turned his head toward her. He extended his valid hand and covered Zhi Mei’s, feeling the porcelain skin tremble under his touch. His heterochromatic gaze was filled with a poisoned kindness that penetrated directly into the saint’s soul.

" Do not say such nonsense, Miss Mei... " he replied in a suave and reassuring voice. " Logic dictates that one cannot predict the blackness of the human heart before it manifests. Chong Da made his choice, and I made mine. Protecting a pearl of your value is not a sacrifice, it is a necessity for the balance of this world. "

Zhi Mei shook her head, her blond hair with azure reflections whipping her shoulders.

" No! You do not understand... If you had disappeared, my life would no longer have had meaning. The Temple trained me to serve you, but my heart... my heart refuses to see you as a simple tool of destiny... "

She wanted to continue her justification, to list her failures to obtain penance, but she did not have the time.

BaiShe exerted a slight pressure on her hand to pull her toward him. Zhi Mei, surprised, leaned forward. Without leaving a moment for doubt, the young master sealed her lips with his in a deep and possessive kiss.

Zhi Mei remained petrified for a microsecond, her sapphire eyes widening in shock. She felt BaiShe’s warmth spread within her, a subtle energy of lust insinuating itself into her own meridians. The scent of frosted lotus and divine blood created a sensory intoxication that swept away her last defenses. She finally closed her eyes, her hands coming to rest on BaiShe’s muscular torso, seeking to lose herself in this embrace.

The kiss became voracious, an exchange of Qi and emotions where the saint abandoned her piety to submit to the will of her Judge. BaiShe savored the taste of her lips, mentally noting that the templar’s dependence on validation had just crossed a point of no return.

When he finally straightened up, he saw Zhi Mei whose cheeks were scarlet red and whose gaze was completely veiled by a new devotion, more carnal than religious.

" You belong to the Dao, Miss Mei... " murmured BaiShe against her lips. " But you forget that the Dao... it is I who embody it now. "

He pulled her against him again.