Lin Shijin understood the meaning of those words, yet within this illusory formation, he could not quite make sense of them.
“What does it mean?” he asked. “This so-called sliver of hope… is it connected to the rat den?”
Sheng Rufei’s fingertips brushed over the writing on the scroll. After a moment’s thought, he said, “It is connected to the rat den, but that chance of survival is exceedingly slim.”
“Of course. We already know the answer,” Lin Shijin murmured. “In the end, no one managed to seize that chance.”
Because the city had ultimately been destroyed.
They stood amid the shattered rat effigy, fragments strewn beneath their feet. Before them, the soul-lights gathered together, and all at once the entire cavern began to tremble.
Darkness fell.
Within that darkness, warmth touched Lin Shijin’s fingertips as Sheng Rufei held his hand. It felt as though countless unseen gazes had settled upon them. A blinding white light flared before his eyes, and in the next instant, the two of them were no longer where they had stood.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Lin Shijin found himself within a boundless expanse of white. He called out, “Shixiong,” yet there was no sign of Sheng Rufei. He took a few tentative steps forward, but the whiteness stretched on without end.
“Shixiong—”
“Sheng Rufei.”
He called twice, but there was no reply. He stopped where he was, looking around. There was nothing but endless white in every direction, with no boundary in sight.
The stillness was absolute. Apart from his own footsteps, there was no sound.
He walked on for some time, unable to tell how long had passed. Gradually, something began to take shape in the air ahead.
Shrouded in drifting cloud and mist, it was at first indistinct. As he drew closer, it became clearer, and he found it faintly familiar.
It was the same enormous rat effigy he had seen before.
The figure inclined its head slightly, its crown hanging low, its body whole and unblemished. Its eyes, once closed, now opened a fraction, gazing down at him with a faintly disdainful air.
Lin Shijin sensed something. Perhaps a remnant of divine consciousness lingered within the effigy, drawing him here.
He drew his longsword, adopting a guarded stance, his gaze fixed upon the towering figure.
The effigy stirred faintly in mid-air, and the entire space began to quake violently. He stepped back twice. A gentle voice brushed past his ear, soft as a passing breeze.
“Do not be afraid. I brought you here… there is something I wish to tell you.”
The voice was mild and gentle, easily inspiring trust. Yet Lin Shijin did not lower his guard. His grip tightened slightly upon the sword.
“You are trapped within this city, are you not? I brought you here to lend you a hand.”
Lin Shijin did not understand. Why would this effigy help him?
He spoke, “Are you human, or of the demon race? Where is my shixiong?”
“You mean the young highness… he remains outside. The rat den is about to collapse. This is a dead city. You will not be able to leave.”
The effigy did not answer his question directly, but continued,
“The curse cannot be undone. Naturally, you will not find any way out. If this continues, the two of you will perish along with this city.”
Its voice remained gentle, carrying a faint sigh.
“You likely do not remember me, but that does not matter… Shouque is reenacting the history of a thousand years ago. What I wish to tell you is this… we have never resented you.”
Lin Shijin stood stunned.
He had not understood any of it, yet those words, “we have never resented you”, stirred something deep within him, and his vision blurred slightly.
He felt lost, as though he knew nothing, yet vaguely sensed that all of this was connected to himself. He recalled how the city lord of Yixiu City had once asked whether he felt regret.
He had not understood then. He did not understand now.
“Your path lies ahead. You should not remain here.”
“The so-called sliver of hope… you are that very hope.” The voice fell softly by his ear.
His body suddenly felt light. Before him, the immense effigy gradually dissolved, and the white light faded with it.
Lin Shijin found himself back where he had been, still within the rat den. The ground shook violently. A touch brushed his cheek. Sheng Rufei stood before him, brows faintly drawn.
“Shixiong?”
With a loud crash, the rat effigies upon the surrounding stone walls shattered and fell, breaking apart upon the ground.
“I was just taken away by the rat effigy,” Lin Shijin said quickly. “It spoke to me. This place is about to collapse. We must leave first.”
He glanced towards the entrance, only to find it already blocked by fallen stone. Taking Sheng Rufei’s hand, he moved forward. Sword light flashed, and the massive rocks hurtling towards them shattered in mid-air.
The soul-lights scattered in all directions. Lin Shijin dodged the falling debris, while wherever Sheng Rufei’s blade struck, a path was carved open.
A barrier appeared before them.
Lin Shijin felt something and turned back. The shattered effigy lay upon the ground, its gaze seeming still fixed in his direction.
The instant they passed through the barrier, the entire rat den collapsed with a thunderous roar, and they emerged into a vast expanse of white.
In the distance, Lin Shijin saw a door. It was likely the exit. He stopped, and Sheng Rufei halted as well, watching him quietly.
“Shixiong, do you have nothing to ask me?”
Sheng Rufei’s gaze rested on him as his fingers tightened slightly around Lin Shijin’s. “I am waiting for you to tell me.”
“What happened to me just now? Was I ensnared?”
“You fainted.”
Lin Shijin understood. He repeated everything the effigy had told him, along with his own impressions.
“It said we would not be able to leave this city.”
“But if we cannot leave, how are we meant to ascend? The Blood Tower may be cruel, but it would not leave no path to survival.”
His voice faltered as he recalled the mention of Shouque. Was it truly reenacting events from a thousand years ago?
“It is as you think,” Sheng Rufei said. “If the Blood Tower has been taken under control, we may indeed be trapped here.”
“Then why tell me this? It should be reported to the elders of the sects…” Lin Shijin’s lips tightened, unease stirring within him as he clasped Sheng Rufei’s fingers. “If the Blood Tower is truly under control, would the sects simply stand by?”
“Perhaps they are unable to intervene, or it is already too late,” Sheng Rufei said, noticing his unease. He lightly touched Lin Shijin’s head. “This is your opportunity. It spares us trouble and allows us to leave the rat effigy purgatory ahead of time.”
“There is no need to be afraid.”
Lin Shijin gradually settled. He held onto Sheng Rufei’s hand, unwilling to let go, and said softly, “Shixiong, as long as you are here, I will not be afraid.”
No matter the circumstance, Sheng Rufei remained composed, as though he had already anticipated everything, unmoved by any outcome.
“Shixiong… do you know something?”
Sheng Rufei shook his head. “No more than you. Do you remember what Fuheng said?”
Fuheng had said many things. Lin Shijin did not know which he meant.
After a brief pause, Sheng Rufei said, “Wuxiang Mountain. Go and find Qiushui.”
“We had intended to take first place, but matters have unfolded beyond our control. We can only do what lies within our power.”
Lin Shijin understood. He gave a quiet acknowledgement. “Then, Shixiong… will you remain with me?”
At first, Sheng Rufei did not answer. After a long moment, he said, “I will.”
Only then did Lin Shijin feel at ease, the unease within him dispersing.
The door was not far ahead.
The moment they stepped through, the scene before them shifted. They found themselves upon a vast stone platform.
Behind them stood a stone gate carved with rat effigies. They were not alone upon the platform. Many others were present.
Lin Shijin swept his gaze across the crowd. He saw numerous disciples from the various sects, along with familiar faces: Su Lian, Xue Ning, Cui Haoxue, and Mo Yan among them.
It was clear they had emerged from the Rat Aspect Hell. Before long, others began casting glances their way, their expressions tinged with astonishment.
“Someone actually made it out of the Rat Hell?”
“Wasn’t that place supposed to be a complete death trap?”
“No one who entered ever came out. I heard you have to save the entire city to escape. That’s nearly impossible.”
“The curse cannot be undone. Isn’t that asking the impossible?”
“It’s already fortunate enough not to be infected.”
The two of them had drawn attention. Neither was using any disguise, and several people nearby were openly watching them.
Su Lian merely glanced at them from afar, raising an eyebrow slightly, but did not approach. Xue Ning seemed about to step forward, only to be held back by Su Lian.
In the distance, the scourge-slayers stood apart as their own group. Cui Haoxue’s gaze rested on Lin Shijin, his expression tinged with complexity.
Lin Shijin guessed that Su Lian had already realised they knew his identity. This was, in effect, a tacit declaration of stance.
“This should be the final layer. Time is nearly up. I wonder why everyone has been gathered here.”
He surveyed the surroundings. It was still within Wuxiang Mountain, though the location was peculiar. Walking to the
edge, he glanced down.
Below lay a bottomless abyss. From time to time, bursts of light flared upward, like molten lava.
When the light surged, a wave of heat rushed up to meet him, searing and oppressive. He immediately stepped back.
At that moment, Fuheng suddenly spoke. “You may already be too late.”
Lin Shijin had not yet had the chance to placate him, and was somewhat surprised he spoke first. “Too late for what? Fuheng, are you no longer angry?”
“There is a formation beneath this platform. If I am not mistaken, it is a Blood Refining Array.”
Fuheng manifested, a shadow of gloom in his expression. “It seems they have no intention of letting you leave alive.”
A Blood Refining Array?
Lin Shijin had never heard of it. He was still standing near the edge when Sheng Rufei pulled him back.
“Do not stand so close,” Sheng Rufei said.
There was nothing to shield the edge. It was indeed dangerous.
Lin Shijin gave a quiet “alright” and stepped a little further away from the edge. He was just about to ask whether Sheng Rufei knew anything about the Blood Refining Array when something caught his eye.
Su Lian and the others were approaching.
Su Lian stood with Xue Ning, while not far off, Cui Haoxue, Mu Wanqing, and Chunhe were all watching in their direction.
“Sheng-shidi, I have something I wish to say to Lin-shidi. Might you grant us a little leeway?”
Su Lian himself looked somewhat troubled, clearly worried that Xue Ning might cause further complications. The Blood Refining Array was about to activate, and neither of the two key figures could be absent.
Hearing this, Lin Shijin tugged lightly at Sheng Rufei’s sleeve. “Is there anything that cannot be said here?”
“Just a few words.”
Lin Shijin noticed Xue Ning’s gaze. His eyes were dark and heavy, fixed intently upon him, and a voice transmission reached him: “I will ask you one last time. Will you come with me?”
If he did not leave now, it would soon be too late.
Lin Shijin heard him. He shook his head at Su Lian, which was answer enough for Xue Ning as well. Sheng Rufei was here. How could he possibly leave?
“If Lin-shidi is unwilling, then so be it,” Su Lian said gently. Opposite him, Sheng Rufei remained guarded.
“After today… if fate allows, we shall meet again.”
It sounded no different from an ordinary farewell as Su Lian withdrew his gaze.
He turned to leave. Xue Ning’s hand clenched into a fist, his eyes still fixed on Lin Shijin, as though willing him to change his mind. But after a long moment with no response, his fist slowly loosened.
The two of them turned and quickly disappeared into the crowd of disciples.
Lin Shijin sensed a faint chill in Sheng Rufei’s aura. He brushed his fingertips against Sheng Rufei’s and leaned closer, lowering his voice.
“Shixiong, can you guess what they said to me?”
In truth, Xue Ning had already told him. What he had in mind, however, was something else.
“Xue Ning told me to leave. Do you think… there might be an ambush waiting for us here?”
Sheng Rufei concealed whatever lay in his eyes, giving a quiet acknowledgement as he glanced towards the distant horizon. “The Blood Tower is sealed. This is the only exit.”
In other words, even if they knew there was danger, there was no way to avoid it now.
“If you went with them, you might be able to leave.”
His tone was light, betraying nothing.
“Then if you went with them, Shixiong, given your relationship with Su Lian, perhaps they could take you out directly.”
Lin Shijin met his gaze. Sheng Rufei had no ready answer to that.
Even as he spoke, Lin Shijin’s thoughts wandered back to what the rat effigy had told him.
It felt as though he stood within a fog, yet he had a vague sense that the truth was close at hand. At the same time, he reached out to Fuheng, asking what exactly the Blood Refining Array was.
“It is a forbidden art, originally used by the demon race to temper their nature. Those who fall within it must slaughter one another until all have fallen. Only the sole survivor may live.”
“So out of hundreds, even thousands… only one survives?”
Lin Shijin felt a little dazed. “Are we inside a Blood Refining Array now?”
“Yes,” Fuheng replied. “This one has been somewhat altered. Coupled with the terrain here, the situation is likely even worse.”
“What do you mean?”
Before Lin Shijin could hear the answer, the clouds veiled the moon.
At that moment, something stirred beneath their feet.
Dark light burst forth from all around. Layers of black mist rose along the horizon. A low hum rang out, as though something unseen had split apart.
A searing wave of heat surged towards him, nearly throwing him off his feet. The entire Wuxiang Mountain trembled. Half the sky was swallowed by black mist, and an invisible force from the array bound every person upon the stone platform.
From below, torrents of molten rock surged upward. The crimson lava mingled with the black mist, resembling layers upon layers of blood-haze.
Lin Shijin seemed to hear something shatter.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a crane motif. Within the blood-haze not far away, a figure emerged.
The man seemed faintly familiar. Lin Shijin had seen him before in Yixiu City, when he had said to him, “Come and see me.”
Now the figure wore a crane-patterned mask. Vermilion earrings flickered in and out of sight within the mist. His form was half-concealed in shadow, and when he spoke, his voice was soft, lingering, almost intimate as it reached Lin Shijin’s ear.
“Xiao Jin… come and see me alive.”
…
At that very moment, within Buye City of the Three Thousand Worlds.
A teahouse was unusually lively. People were gathered in discussion over all manner of happenings in the city: that malevolent beings had not troubled them for a long while; that Feng Rugao, one of the Three Immortal Lords, had slain several elders of the council and had since vanished; and rumours of a divine relic descending from the heavens, its whereabouts unknown.
No one paid any attention to the old man seated in the corner.
His face was sallow and wasted, his eyes dull and clouded. His clothes gave off a sour smell, and the surrounding patrons kept their distance.
The waiter felt a trace of distaste, though he did not show it. He stepped forward and asked, “Sir, what would you like to drink?”
“Sir?”
He asked again, but there was no response. The old man simply stared ahead, his eyes slightly protruding, an unsettling sight.
“We don’t allow people to sit here without ordering—”
The waiter muttered inwardly at his ill luck, but before he could finish speaking, the old man suddenly collapsed onto the table with a heavy thud.
From his neck, dense black runes spread at once, engulfing his entire body. In the blink of an eye, nothing remained upon the table but a pool of black liquid.
