Chapter 132 — The Fierce Spirit
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 5
Only from the deep darkness at the cave's heart came the Lich's faint, distant voice: "Elder Brother, in life and in death you were a hero without peer. It is only that we are now the same kind of creature. Why must you..."
The fierce spirit shrieked shrilly, a wail of desolation, as though a blazing fire were consuming his heart and lungs.
Silence fell within the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression. Plainly the Lich had gone far.
The fierce spirit fell silent. After a moment he slowly turned toward the stone statue at the cave mouth. His vast white body twisted slowly, and gusts of white vapor coiled about the stone woman like blue smoke.
"Goddess..."
A low choking sob, born of grief and vicissitude from a world apart, carrying a faint note of helplessness, echoed quietly between heaven and earth. And his figure too began to drift apart, slowly fading in the black vapor and sinister wind.
Before the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression, calm returned, as though nothing had happened at all. Only the woman's stone statue still stood there quietly, and the never-ceasing cold shrieking, from deep within the cave, calling on and on.
That sound seemed sharper, more bitter still.
In the Central Plains, in the south, Mount Huqi.
Beneath the desolate mountain range lay concealed the main hall of the Nether King Sect of the Demonic Cult, where countless disciples came and went in ceaseless bustle.
In the deepest part of this place, within a vast natural cavern, the Nether King stood expressionless upon a platform, gazing down at the two ancient marvel-beasts in the blood pool below.
The Kui Ox soaked in the bloody water, motionless, its eyes gone dim. And the Yellow Bird, which had struggled so fiercely not long ago, seemed now suppressed by some eerie force; its spirit too had flagged, and it floated quietly in the blood, no longer stirring.
The Fuxuan Cauldron, suspended alone in midair, glowed with red light and turned slowly, casting beam after beam of red radiance down to enshroud the Kui Ox and the Yellow Bird.
A thick stench of blood filled the cavern.
A black shadow flickered, and the most mysterious figure in the Nether King Sect, Master Gui, flew up to appear at the Nether King's side.
The Nether King looked at him. "How goes it?"
Master Gui was dressed somewhat like that mysterious figure who had appeared in the southern lands, the Lich—both in black robes, both with faces veiled in black gauze. Only his voice sounded somewhat older.
Now the black gauze stirred slightly, and he gave a small nod. "It is nearly done. The Kui Ox is subdued; within three days the Yellow Bird too can have its spirit drawn into the formation. The Four Spirits Blood Array is already half complete."
The Nether King said nothing and slowly nodded.
Master Gui said mildly, "Setting aside the orthodox sects—with but half the power of this Four Spirits Blood Array, it is already enough to sweep away the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Confusion Sect."
The Nether King glanced at him. Slowly he said, "What I must deal with is the Canglan Sect's Immortal-Slaying Sword Array."
Master Gui was silent.
The Nether King turned and walked slowly away, saying as he went, "I will hasten the search for the other two marvel-beasts. The affairs here I leave to you."
Master Gui watched that figure recede from behind, strange lights flickering in his eyes—what he was thinking, none could say.
After a long while he turned back, sunk in silent thought. Then of a sudden he sighed, and with a flicker of his form flew back down toward the blood pool below.
Within the ancient cavern, the reek of blood abruptly grew stronger again.
The Nether King emerged from the blood-pool cavern, hands clasped behind his back, and walked the long corridor until he came to a crossroads. After a moment's hesitation a flicker of sorrow seemed to pass across his face, and he turned onto the path to the right.