Chapter 93: Rebirth

　　“What is happening?” The formation master found the power of the angry souls was decreasing. He pushed aside the beautiful woman pouring him wine and walked to the cliff to look down. He saw auspicious clouds twisting and fighting with the black mist.

　　“Did the mortal world’s former princess join Splendid Cloud Sect or the buddhist cultivators?” The formation master said hatefully, “Those bald donkeys never meddle. Why are there buddhist lights here?” A cultivator from the mortal world not being bullied in Lingyou World was a lucky matter. How could she build ties to the buddhist cultivators in such a short amount of time?

　　The buddhist cultivators here were not ordinary people. From the light, this buddhist cultivator most likely had reached enlightenment and cultivated their manifestation.

　　“Sage, what should we do?” The evil cultivator saw the bald donkeys come to meddle and had a bad feeling.

　　“What to do?” The formation master turned to look at the evil cultivators behind him. “Don’t these monks care about being benevolent and concerned? Go into the city and kill some people. See if the monks continue to chant or come stop you.”

　　“Sage, these monks…”

　　“What, you are experts of the evil cultivator world—do you fear those bald donkeys?” The formation master smirked. “Or do you only dare to fight evil cultivators?”

　　“Us lowly ones understand.” The evil cultivator who spoke knew that the sage was fickle in his emotions. He feared if they delayed, they would die by the hands of this sage before they were killed by the bald donkeys.

　　“Good.” The formation master finally had a smile. “I am old now, I like obedient juniors.” He turned around and saw an evil cultivator who was standing motionless and sighed. “Child, are you afraid?”

　　“Sage, forgive me.” This evil cultivator shook his head in fright. “Sage, forgive me.”

　　“Do not be afraid, I am a person who cares for the next generation.” The formation master smiled and used spirit energy to grab the evil cultivator and pull the other in front of him. Then his fingers tightened, and he broke this person’s neck.

　　“This way, you will never have to be afraid.” He took out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers clean and turned to say gently to the other evil cultivator, “Why are you not moving?”

　　When he finished speaking, the other evil cultivator flew off the cliff towards the city.

　　The formation master’s smile disappeared. He kicked the corpse next to him off the cliff. “Trash.”

　　The female evil cultivator who had been serving him trembled all over in fright. He glanced at the curled up female evil cultivator, neatened his hair and then disappeared into the sky in a streak of white light.

　　“The dead born, the six paths of reincarnation…”

　　Fatan opened his eyes and looked towards the city gates with a frown.

　　“Master, please continue. Leave the rest to me.” Huan Zhong held the Dragon Roar sword and jumped off the clouds. Looking at the evil cultivators flying into the city, he swung his sword. Sword energy cut through the throats of the first few evil cultivators and they fell down.

　　“How come there are sword cultivators here?” The remaining evil cultivators found they had lost several fellows in an instant and stopped their steps. They stood around each other and looked in terror at the gates.

　　The closed city gates opened and a man dressed in white robes walked out sedately.

　　“Sword cultivator!”

　　“Not, it is Spirit Master Zhong Xi!” The evil cultivator with the highest cultivation sweated. A century ago, his master had died by this man’s sword This man’s sword was ruthless, and he was more ruthless than his sword. Why did this cultivator who should have been in Radiance Sect appear in the mortal world?

　　“Flee.” Who could match Spirit Master Zhong Xi? He sent a message signal into the air in hopes that the formation master would come save them.

　　“Since you have come, why leave?” The city gates had a noxious rotten odor, and corpses which had not yet been cremated were in the nearby pits. The Dragon Roar shone with blinding golden light in Huan Zhong’s hand. His eyes were cold as he flew to block the evil cultivators’ path.

　　“Zhong Xi, we are this many—we do not fear you…” The leading evil cultivator’s voice trembled. He gripped his talisman tight as he shouted for other people to face Huan Zhong while he sought a chance to flee.

　　These evil cultivators who usually strutted around fell easily under Huan Zhong’s sword. The soil under their feet was stained by blood.

　　The leading evil cultivator turned and fled. Yet before he flew far, he heard a wind blow by his ear. His left arm fell off his body and he dropped into the big corpse pit.

　　“Spirit Master Zhong Xi. As a sword cultivator of Lingyou World, you meddle too much.” The evil cultivator constantly peeked back towards the mountains in hopes that the formation master would arrive soon. “These mortals have short lives. Why do you care about this matter? Do you not worry about causing trouble for yourself?”

　　Huan Zhong kicked him into the pit and looked down at him. “Each person in this pit was innocent and died with discontent. Starting today, your soul will stand guard here until all the people have reincarnated before your soul can leave.”

　　“No, no, no…” The evil cultivator shook his head, turned and wanted to climb out from the mound of corpses. A sword energy flashed by him. He fell down with the people he had harmed, his eyes wide. The formation master he had been waiting for was still absent.

　　Huan Zhong grabbed at the air and caught a blue shadow. He bit his finger and drew some seals on the soul before throwing it back into the mass grave. “If the angry souls here do not dissipate, you will never be allowed to cross over.”

　　He waved his hand to burn all the corpses in the pit. Huan Zhong put away the Dragon Roar sword, looked at the burning flames, and then flew in the direction the evil cultivator had been looking in.

　　On the cliff, with the palace and table that had not been cleaned up, a beautiful female cultivator knelt by the jade table. She raised her head and saw Huan Zhong suddenly land. Seeing the Dragon Roar sword in his hand, she shrank back in fright. Then she pulled her clothing down to show white shoulders, and ran towards Huan Zhong with flowing tears. “Transcendent, save me.”

　　“Stay back.” The Dragon Roar sword was unsheathed. Huan Zhong looked expressionlessly at the female cultivator and scanned her from head to toe. “Where is he?”

　　“Transcendent, you speak of the villain who kidnapped me?” The female cultivator pressed her red lips together seductively. “Maybe he detected Transcendent’s presence, was afraid and fled.”

　　She thought—which sect did this transcendent come from? He was so good-looking. The world most likely had no one else who could wear white robes and look so tempting.

　　“Fortunately Transcendent has come, otherwise this servant…”

　　Before she finished speaking, the sword already penetrated her spirit platform. She bent and covered her abdomen, her eyes wide in disbelief. She had even used her seductive art. Yet in a situation like this, a man easily felt a desire to kill her?

　　“This is not possible…” Even before death, the female cultivator did not believe this truth.

　　This definitely was not a man…

　　Huan Zhong did not look at the woman on the ground and continued forward. These evil cultivators were shrouded in fiendish energy all over. He did not know how many they had killed. He never wasted words on evil cultivators like this. Letting them live a moment longer in the world was being ruthless to the people who had died by their hands.

　　##

　　Fatan led his disciples and sat on the clouds as they chanted the Past Life Sutra for three days and nights. At the dawn of the fourth day, Fatan opened his eyes. Looking at the Withering of Ten Thousand Bones which had lost half of its power, he stood up and sighed, “The angry souls have crossed over, but someone needs to release the souls locked in the formation.”

　　“I will go.” Lin Hu stood up.

　　Fatan shook his head. “No, the souls in the soul-storing formation are the people here. Right now, they are weak and have lost their intelligence. Nothing can happen to them. You are only a stranger to them. If you go near, you will be attacked.

　　“This formation is too malicious. The souls in the soul-storing formation are oil in an oil lamp. While the flame in the lamp has been extinguished, the oil cannot be carelessly poured out.”

　　“Elder Lin, leave this matter to me.” Kong Hou held Phoenix Head as she walked in front of Lin Hu and bowed to him. She turned and looked towards the dawning sky. “From the day I was born, I enjoyed everything the people gave. Back then, I could not help them. Today, I cannot let them not have a peaceful death.”

　　“Miss Kong Hou…”

　　“Be safe.” Huan Zhong looked deeply at Kong Hou and touched the hairpins in her hair. “We will wait here for your return.”

　　Kong Hou’s eyes curved in a smile. “All right.”

　　“Master!” Lin Hu frowned. While the fiendish energy and resentment had been suppressed, the danger had not truly been resolved. Why was Master unconcerned about letting Miss Kong Hou go alone?

　　Huan Zhong ignored him and pulled his hand back from Kong Hou’s hair. He smiled slightly, his eyes warm. “Go, I will be here.”

　　Kong Hou nodded. She jumped off the clouds and flew towards the eye of the formation.

　　Huan Zhong took a few steps forward until Fatan murmured the Buddha’s name and stopped.

　　The wind on the clouds was strong and caused Huan Zhong’s robes to flap. He turned to look at Fatan who was sitting cross-legged, threw out his flying sword and jumped on it to chase after Kong Hou. Near the formation eye, he stopped and gripped the Dragon Roar sword.

　　When Kong Hou came to the formation eye, she was stunned by the scene. Countless wailing souls reached with their arms, attempting to climb out, but were pulled back again and again. Their heads and arms were twisted and squeezed together. No one could break free.

　　Kong Hou walked next to the formation. A black hand grabbed her foot. This hand was withered but it was the hand of a half-grown child. She bent down and lightly patted this arm before unhesitatingly jumping down.

　　“First there is heaven and earth, the water, and everything else, clear energy removing the turbidity. Heaven and earth birth the yinyang, the yinyang the two poles, the two poles the four manifestations…”

　　The souls attempted to pull her, wanting to step on her shoulders to leave this place trapping them. Kong Hou closed her eyes and sat down with Phoenix Head, her fingers on the strings.

　　These people were born here, and buried here, but should not be trapped here.

　　The music was melodious like the most peaceful and gentle requiem, slowly comforting these souls who had lost their clarity of mind. Her hair was in disarray, her clothing was old, and her ears were filled with wails of pain and discontent.

　　All she wore was of Lingyou World, but herself and the sound she created were not.

　　The people in the city watched as Kong Hou jumped into the formation filled with angry souls. Some people saw their relatives in the formation, others saw their friends, and also the increasing number of wounds on Princess Kong Hou’s body.

　　They grew silent.

　　“It’s raining…”

　　Drops of rain fell—not bitter rain, but sweet rain.

　　As the rain came down, the furious and screaming souls in the formation calmed down. Their damaged clothing gradually became whole and bright, their wounds gradually healing.

　　The music did not stop. The rain continued.

　　The rain drenched Huan Zhong’s hair and fell down along his chin. He looked unblinkingly at the young girl in the formation, his long eyelashes wet.

　　“Amitabha.” Fatan slowly opened his eyes. “A good song to calm souls. This old monk has not heard such a beautiful song for many years.”

　　“Master, this is… a Soul-Calming Rebirth Song?” The disciple Xuan Wu said, “This Miss Kong Hou only has Mind Activation cultivation—how can she play such a powerful song?”

　　“Benevolence does not distinguish between old and young, so of course it also does not distinguish between cultivation.” Fatan put his hands together and recited the Buddha’s name. “If this woman joined our buddhist sect, her comprehension would be greater than all of you. A pity…”

　　The song stopped. Kong Hou’s hands were covered in blood. She opened her eyes and saw the souls in the formation turn into dots of light to fly towards the path of rebirth.

　　Translator Ramblings: Huan Zhong is too famous. He needs to go disguise himself as another kind of cultivator. Otherwise, everyone will make the “powerful sword cultivator” = “Zhong Xi” connection.