BW Chapter 160

Dark Domain (2)

 

“Wang Bin, you still dare to appear!?” Hehuan Sect Master Qing Mian said coldly, “How many of my disciples did you harm at the Dao Discussion Mountain gathering!”

 

As soon as he said this, the surrounding cultivators who were still in a daze all came to their senses, drawing swords and taking out talismans to set up formations, all vigilantly watching Wang Bin’s every move.

 

“Why must everyone be so tense? I merely heard that the Chongzheng Alliance was gathering here. As the head of the Wang family, it wouldn’t be proper for me to be absent.” Wang Bin smiled and raised his hand to press down, slowly releasing the pressure around his body. His gaze swept over the several people sitting in the main seats, finally locking onto Chu Linyuan. “Wouldn’t you agree, Sect Master Chu?”

 

Chu Linyuan raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down, stood up and walked to the front of the case table, saying, “There’s nothing wrong with Ancestor Wang Bin coming to participate in the gathering, but what you did at Dao Discussion Mountain truly chills people’s hearts.”

 

Wang Bin smiled and said, “That day I was also deceived by treacherous people. Unfortunately, when I came to my senses, it was already too late. I naturally felt extremely regretful… Past events are not worth discussing. Now that the seventeen states are in danger, my Wang family naturally cannot sit by and watch. Regarding the matter I just asked about, please give everyone an explanation, Sect Master Chu.”

 

Xie family head Xie Zhiang said, “Ancestor Wang Bin speaks reasonably. Sect Master Chu, if you know the whereabouts of the Linglong Bone, why not speak plainly? Why must we rack our brains here in vain?”

 

Qingdan Sect Master Jimo Yuan said, “Family Head Xie, we all know that the Linglong Bone has taken human form. Are we, these sects and families, going to oppress a mere child?”

 

“When righteousness is at stake, what’s wrong with sacrificing one child to save millions from fire and water?” said Hanyan Sect Master Han Shuang.

 

“You speak nicely, but if it were sacrificing your newborn son to save the seventeen states, would you be willing?” sneered an elder from Canghai Tower.

 

“Heh, your Canghai Tower has never been clear-headed. That’s the son of the great demon Ning Buwei. What, do you want us to wait for him to grow up and become another Ning Buwei!?” Han Shuang said coldly.

 

“But if we do such a thing, how are we different from Ning Buwei?” Xuanwu Tower’s tower master Qi Xin shook his head. “What wrong has the child committed?”

 

“Then you come up with another solution!” a hot-tempered elder cursed. “We’ve discussed and deliberated so many times, besides pushing this and pulling that, talking in circles, we haven’t found a single workable method! If you ask me, we might as well go directly to the Dark Domain and drag out that bastard who’s causing trouble and kill him!”

 

“Elder Wei Mo, please calm down,” Jimo Yuan said, “The person behind this acts mysteriously and has close ties with Ning Buwei. We still haven’t identified him. How can we take action?”

 

“There was still room for maneuvering before, but now the spiritual energy leakage is getting more and more serious. In my sect, hundreds of disciples originally could have successfully built their foundation, but now only two or three can. Even more elders and disciples in closed-door cultivation were forced to come out, and perhaps countless people suffered from qi deviation….If this continues, the consequences will be unthinkable,” said one sect master with a worried frown.

 

“That’s right. If all the spiritual energy leaks to the mortal realm, the seventeen states will have thin spiritual energy. Forget about ascending to immortality, even maintaining our lifespans will become problematic. By then, how will we be different from mortals who live and die in a day!” Han Shuang nodded in agreement.

 

“We’ve already tried other methods to repair the Eight Trigrams Great Formation, but without exception, they’ve all failed! Sect Master Chu, this matter absolutely cannot be delayed any longer!” Wanghai Sect Master Pei Yutian said with heartbreak. “Please make a decision quickly!”

 

As soon as these words were spoken, many people from the 120 sects and families stood up to echo them, all supporting the Chongzheng Alliance in seizing back the Linglong Bone to repair the Eight Trigrams Great Formation.

 

Qing Mian frowned and said, “Everyone speaks so lightly. Even if we really become so shameless as to trouble a mere child, Wanxuan Academy has always remained aloof from worldly affairs – this is a rule passed down for ten thousand years. There’s absolutely no precedent for bringing people to attack Wanxuan Academy. What then? Do you plan to never send your own disciples there for cultivation again?”

 

The originally noisy crowd fell silent again.

 

After a long while, someone spoke up, “But—if the seventeen states are gone, what Wanxuan Academy would there be?”

 

The words were like a drop of water falling into hot oil, and everyone exploded again.

 

Chu Linyuan’s expression remained calm as he appeared to be deep in thought. After a moment, he looked toward Wei Lian, who sat unmoved like a mountain beside him. “Elder Wei, what do you think?”

 

Wei Lian nodded lightly at him.

 

“Good. Since everyone has great objections to this, let’s proceed with the voting tablets.”

 

Half an hour later, the results were fully displayed in the water mirror.

 

“The Chongzheng Alliance has 120 sects and families. Ninety-seven tablets present, sixteen tablets in the water mirror, seventeen absent and forfeited—” Shen Xi looked toward Chu Linyuan, and seeing he had no further instructions, said in a deep voice, “More than half support taking the Linglong Bone.”

 

Wang Bin smiled and said, “Sect Leader Chu, time is of the essence. Let’s go to Wanxuan Academy today to demand an explanation. How about it?”

 

Chu Linyuan met his challenging gaze. “Since everyone trusts what Ancestor Wang Bin says, then we’ll go to Wanxuan Academy.”

 

Qing Mian threw down the opposing tablet in her hand and sat back in her chair with a dark expression.

 

“Master, shall we go?” the veiled disciple behind her asked softly.

 

“Of course we’ll go.” Qing Mian sneered. “This master wants to see what kind of explanation this group can demand.”

 

At the same time.

 

Qian Prefecture, Louzhou, Wanxuan Academy.

 

Wanxuan Academy’s disciples of different ages and qualifications were distributed on different islands, each with their own specialized classrooms and teaching elders. The precious disciples from the ten great sects and eight great families were placed on the island with the most abundant spiritual veins. Although they had the best resources, this group of pampered young masters was also the most difficult to manage.

 

“Xie Chang’an, Xie Changming, Ge Yunyang!” The head teacher called out names with a dark expression. “Where are they!?”

 

The disciples below looked at the head teacher with blank, innocent expressions.

 

“A bunch of good-for-nothing wastrels!” The head teacher was furious. “Don’t think your family backgrounds and sects are useful here! In my eyes, you’re not even as good as those unweaned babies on Chenguang Island! Each one doesn’t know their place. If you were really thrown out for training, you’d probably die without knowing how you died. Now you dare skip classes…”

 

The head teacher continued his tirade, but the main culprits had long since run away.

 

“I told you long ago that this magical artifact from aunt is a rare treasure,” Xie Chang’an shook the small square cloth in his hand. “Though it looks very much like a rag.”

 

“Brother Chang’an, we left the island and the protective formation didn’t detect us at all. Dean Hao Zheng is teaching in the next room but didn’t notice either,” Ge Yunyang reached out to touch the cloth but was slapped away by Xie Changming beside him.

 

“Don’t break it for my brother,” Xie Changming said. “This is a supreme treasure he finally managed to get from aunt. I even broke a leg for this.”

 

“Your leg was clearly broken by your father for refusing to come to school. I’m too embarrassed to expose you!” Ge Yunyang laughed and poked his leg. “Xie Changming, breaking your leg twice in less than half a year – how does it feel?”

 

“Get lost! Surnamed Ge, I must break your leg today!” Xie Changming grabbed his neck and pretended to hit him.

 

“If you two keep making noise, go back. Don’t follow me and cause trouble,” Xie Chang’an said with great disgust, moving away from them.

 

“No, brother, we won’t make noise anymore,” Xie Changming released the person. “We really want to see the Dark Domain. Last time, no matter how I begged little uncle, he wouldn’t agree.”

 

“Right, they say it’s forbidden territory, but didn’t the demon Ning Buwei kill five hundred cultivators at Xingluo Cliff before? Why can they go but we can’t? They clearly look down on us as children,” Ge Yunyang said. “Let’s go adventure and train to prove it to them, so the head teacher won’t nag in my ear every day. It’s really annoying.”

 

Xie Chang’an glanced at them. “Then you must obey, or I won’t use the Qiankun Cloth to take you out.”

 

“Don’t worry, Brother Chang’an, we’ll absolutely obey!”

 

After walking for a long time, Xie Changming said strangely: “Brother, this isn’t the way out of the academy. Chenguang Island is ahead – it’s full of little brats who can’t even speak properly.”

 

“I know. I’m just going to see a child,” Xie Chang’an said impatiently.

 

“Oh, I almost forgot. Previously you were wronged because of that child and aunt confined you for three months!” Xie Changming slapped his forehead, then said with some confusion, “Brother, is it necessary? He’s just a child. Isn’t it inappropriate to beat him up? What if we beat him to death?”

 

“Who said I’m going to beat him up!” Xie Chang’an punched him on the head.

 

Xie Changming held his head and said aggrievedly, “But you can’t hit me either. Father said I’m not smart to begin with, and if you hit me more I’ll become even dumber.”

 

Ge Yunyang put his arm around his neck and said with a smile, “Brother Chang’an already said he’s just going to look. I’ll also go see my little sister. Let’s go, let’s go. This Qiankun Cloth is really a good thing.”

 

Chenguang Island.

 

Ning Xiu obediently picked up the cloth and wiped his mouth. “Xiao Shan~ finished eating~”

 

“Xiao Shan is so good.” Head Teacher Song reached out and patted his head encouragingly, then looked at Ge Yunxi beside him. “Xixi, are you finished eating?”

 

The little girl sitting beside him, about the same age as Ning Xiu, also nodded obediently and said softly and sweetly, “Xixi~ also finished eating~”

 

“Then you can go play in the courtyard.” Head Teacher Song helped them remove the bibs from their fronts, and watched the two little ones hold hands and toddle into the courtyard.

 

“Xiao Shan~ let’s play with the little house~” Ge Yunxi pointed to the small wooden house in the sand.

 

“Okay~” Ning Xiu nodded and squatted down in the sand with her.

 

The other children ate more slowly than them. The other head teachers were all busy inside, and only a young head teacher sat on the steps watching them play in the sand. He rested his chin on his hand, sleepy with drooping eyes, then suddenly startled awake and yawned loudly.

 

“Xiao Shan~ has good friend~ Mu Mu~” Ning Xiu said seriously to Ge Yunxi. “He can~ live inside~ with Xiao Shan~ together~”

 

“Xixi also has~” Ge Yunxi thought with her head down, “Ah Xiang~ Xiao Lian~ live together~”

 

“Also father~ mother~” Ning Xiu said in his baby voice. “Big brother~ second sister~ third sister~ and little brother~ Yellow Yellow~ Xiao Hei~ all have them~”

 

Ge Yunxi looked at him blankly, frowned and thought for a long time, then said unhappily, “Xixi~ doesn’t have mother~~ only has~ father~ brother~”

 

Ning Xiu stretched out his little arm and patted her head. “Xixi be good~ Xiao Shan’s mother~ lend to you~”

 

Ge Yunxi asked curiously, “Mother~ pretty?”

 

“Pretty~” Ning Xiu nodded proudly. “White white~ tall tall~ fragrant fragrant~ dresses Xiao Shan~ feeds porridge~ the best!”

 

He shook the small silver bell on his wrist. “Look~ mother~ made it~”

 

Ge Yunxi looked at him enviously. “So amazing~”

 

“The most amazing~” Ning Xiu said seriously, “Father so powerful~ but still listens~ to mother!”

 

****

 

“Surnamed Chu, I already said to go this way—” Ning Buwei’s words were cut short as he suddenly sneezed, and the lava under his feet bubbled, nearly singeing his robe hem.

 

Chu Jun handed him a handkerchief.

 

Ning Buwei touched his nose and muttered, “Which bastard is speaking ill of me behind my back…”

 

“Going directly into the vortex is too dangerous,” Chu Jun disagreed.

 

“This is a shortcut. I’ve walked this way once, and using evil qi is very safe.” Ning Buwei narrowed his eyes impatiently. “Are you listening to me or to yourself?”

 

Chu Jun was silent for a moment. “Listening to you.”

 

Ning Buwei immediately sneezed again, looking at Chu Jun with some shock. “I knew you were secretly speaking ill of me in your heart.”

 

Chu Jun: “?”