Chapter 518: The Human Heart is Like the Sea

On a mountain peak to the south of the Wuliang Cliff valley, a crowd of people was packed together.

The clear ringing of the God-Striking Whip and the miserable screams of Duan Rong were carried to people's ears along with the whistling mountain wind.

After a moment of silence, the people erupted into discussion.

Xiao Qiwu's three lashes were struck too quickly, one after another; not only did the punished Duan Rong have no time to catch his breath, but even the onlookers had no time to catch theirs.

The appearance of the God-Striking Whip, those eerie whip shadows, and the soul-rending screams of Duan Rong all left the people in shock.

At this moment, with the three lashes finished, the people recovered from their shock, and the sound of discussion finally arose.

Among the crowd, some were saying that Duan Rong had already been whipped to death.

On Lv Qingzhu's face, usually as cold as frost, a rare trace of worry flashed; her fair, moth-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed, just like the ripples on autumn water.

"Dead!?"

The sound Duan Rong had just let out, like a dull knife scraping bone, was indeed hair-raising, and at that moment, Lv Qingzhu's body had also trembled.

After the impact of the three eerie whip shadows and Duan Rong's screams, Lv Qingzhu slowly calmed down; although everyone in the crowd was saying Duan Rong had been whipped to death, her worried expression gradually faded.

Because she knew that Duan Rong had likely already achieved the thirteenth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, and his Divine Soul was so formidable that it far exceeded that of an ordinary person; those three lashes of the God-Striking Whip should not be able to kill him.

Moreover, that night in the deep valley, she had heard some of the conversation between the Ancestor and Zhu He; the Ancestor did not intend to kill Duan Rong, but rather wanted him to fuse the chaotic Artistic Conceptions within Wanxiang Cave.

Although Lv Qingzhu did not understand these words, she knew that Lv Yinlin did not want to kill Duan Rong.

At this time, not far from Lv Qingzhu, a pretty-looking female disciple suddenly sighed and said: "To have such a deeply affectionate lover, who would actually be willing to violate the Sect Iron Law and endure such torture for his beloved wife!?"

Upon hearing this, Lv Qingzhu fixed her gaze on the cliff opposite the valley, where a blurry, unconscious figure was hanging on the execution platform.

Staring blankly at that blurry figure, many past events suddenly flashed through her heart.

Lv Qingzhu's lips trembled, and a look of intense struggle flashed in her eyes.

On the execution platform of Wuliang Cliff, Zhu He flew over, checking Duan Rong's breath while feeding a Medicine Pill into his mouth.

Zhu He's expression was deeply troubled; Duan Rong was now completely unconscious, his breathing was weak, and his body hung limp, as if he had no bones.

Zhu He checked Duan Rong's breathing and pulse, confirming his life was not in danger, and his extremely grave expression finally eased slightly; standing on the execution platform, he looked at Xiao Qiwu not far away and said coldly: "The whipping is done, are you not going to take him down yet?!"

Xiao Qiwu's expression was cold as he said: "Take him down."

Two men in black, standing to the side of the execution platform, immediately took out keys, unlocked the iron chains and shackles on Duan Rong, and placed the unconscious, limp Duan Rong onto the execution platform.

Zhu He looked closely and saw that Duan Rong's face was flushed like peach blossoms, with a layer of cold sweat on his forehead and neck; a trace of unbearable pity flashed in Zhu He's eyes, as he knew Duan Rong must have suffered greatly from those three lashes just now.

Zhu He crouched down and wiped the sweat from Duan Rong's forehead with his sleeve.

Xiao Qiwu gave a look to the young attendant standing to the side, and the attendant hurried over with his hands held empty in front of him.

Xiao Qiwu placed the God-Striking Whip in his hand onto the attendant's hands, then walked slowly toward the execution platform.

Zhu He was wiping the sweat from Duan Rong's forehead when Xiao Qiwu stood behind him and said: "Elder Zhu, please move aside! The three lashes are finished, and I must take this boy to be locked in Wanxiang Cave."

Hearing this, Zhu He turned his head, looked at Xiao Qiwu, and said coldly: "Elder Xiao, these three lashes were struck very well! Truly selfless and impartial!"

Zhu He was mocking Xiao Qiwu for failing to keep his word.

Xiao Qiwu's expression shifted; he suddenly glanced behind him, lowered his voice, and said: "Brother Zhu, I have my own hidden difficulties; this matter can be discussed later!"

Zhu He said coldly: "The whipping is already done; at this point, why must Elder Xiao continue to put on this act."

Xiao Qiwu's gaze tightened, and a look of displeasure flashed across his face.

After Zhu He finished wiping the sweat from Duan Rong's forehead, he saw that Duan Rong's weak breathing seemed to have recovered slightly compared to before, so he pinched his pulse again.

At this moment, Chu Qiushan's voice came from the direction of the Stone Chair. "Zhu He! The three lashes are finished, he must be locked in Wanxiang Cave! Do not obstruct the enforcement of the law there!"

Zhu He flicked his sleeves and stood up, his aura surging as he said: "This old man is merely checking to see if my disciple is dead or not? How does that become obstructing the enforcement of the law? Could it be that if someone dies, I am not even allowed to collect the body?! Since when has the law enforcement of our Taiyi Sect become so cruel and heartless?!"

"You..." Chu Qiushan's face twitched, and he looked at Zhu He with an unkind gaze.

Zhu He's words were quite full of insinuation and veiled criticism, and because he used his internal energy to project these words, they echoed throughout the valley, and everyone watching the execution on the surrounding mountain peaks heard them.

Chu Qiushan's original intention was for these sect disciples to watch the execution and fear the law, serving as a warning to others. But with Zhu He saying it this way, combined with Duan Rong's screams and unconscious state, it confirmed the cruelty of his law enforcement.

A single argument had completely turned the nature of the entire event by one hundred and eighty degrees, which indeed caught Chu Qiushan off guard.

Chu Qiushan suppressed the anger in his heart, looked at Xiao Qiwu, and said coldly: "Elder Xiao, why have you not yet followed the order to lock this boy in Wanxiang Cave!"

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Xiao Qiwu responded, then suddenly scooped up the unconscious Duan Rong and leaped up, flying across the valley like a great eagle. Grabbing Duan Rong with one hand, he suddenly hovered at a certain spot on the cliff, took out an Array Tablet, and pointed it into the air; the void and the cliff face before him blurred and shifted.

Xiao Qiwu then carried Duan Rong and flew into a phantom image, and the cliff face there immediately returned to normal.

Xiao Qiwu brought Duan Rong into Wanxiang Cave, first placing him at the entrance, and he crouched there to check Duan Rong's breathing and pulse as well.

Duan Rong's pulse was surprisingly quite strong, and his breathing was also recovering bit by bit.

A look of surprise flashed in Xiao Qiwu's eyes.

This boy's Divine Soul was actually this formidable; after receiving three strikes of the God-Striking Whip, he still had such a pulse and vitality.

After checking Duan Rong's condition, a realization finally flashed through Xiao Qiwu's mind.

Lv Yinlin definitely did not want to kill Duan Rong!

Since he did not want to kill him.

Then locking him in this Wanxiang Cave...

Could it be?!

Xiao Qiwu's expression suddenly changed, and he looked at the unconscious Duan Rong at his feet as if he were looking at a ghost.

This Wanxiang Cave was originally a place one would only enter after reaching the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm and arriving at the critical node of breaking through to the Dongming Realm, in order to dispel illusions and break through the Mysterious Barrier.

For Lv Yinlin to let Duan Rong enter at this time, he clearly believed that he could also completely break through the chaotic currents of fragmented Artistic Conceptions within Wanxiang Cave and refine the source of Artistic Conception.

"But this boy has only just stepped into the Qi Cyclone Realm, how is that possible!?"

Xiao Qiwu then recalled another piece of news: when Duan Rong formed his Qi Cyclone, he had triggered the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi Tide.

Xiao Qiwu pondered for a moment, then suddenly glanced at Duan Rong and said coldly: "Boy, your natural talent is indeed good, but it is a pity your fate is not!"

To completely break through the chaotic currents of fragmented Artistic Conceptions in Wanxiang Cave and refine the source of Artistic Conception, how could there be no danger?

"Three strikes of the God-Striking Whip, and you didn't die! If I let you die in this chaotic flow of Artistic Conception, who could possibly see the flaw?!"

After Xiao Qiwu finished speaking, he once again grabbed Duan Rong, leaped forward about a zhang, and stopped there.

Xiao Qiwu held the Array Tablet in his hand and pointed once more into the void before him.

The thick, ink-like darkness before them dissipated, and there seemed to be a flickering, interwoven light and shadow; Xiao Qiwu's expression remained unmoved as he threw Duan Rong into that flickering light and shadow, then turned and left.

The moment he turned around, the flickering light and shadow vanished, once again turning into thick, ink-like darkness...

Xiao Qiwu knew very well that even a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm, upon entering this Wanxiang Cave, could fall into the chaotic flow of shattered Artistic Conception, becoming completely lost and having their Divine Soul dissipated.

To break through the Mysterious Barrier within this Wanxiang Cave was inherently an extremely dangerous affair.

Then he would use this dangerous opportunity to let Duan Rong die inside, killing him without anyone knowing or suspecting a thing.

At the execution platform of Wuliang Cliff, Zhu He watched as Xiao Qiwu carried Duan Rong and flew into the valley; his expression was completely gloomy.

Reflecting on it now, he finally understood why Xiao Qiwu had insisted on removing the Yinlu Cicada from Duan Rong's neck at the beginning.

From the very start, Xiao Qiwu had intended to deal a lethal blow to Duan Rong.

"This person, his heart is punishable!"

Zhu He felt a surge of ruthlessness in his heart, then suddenly transformed into a black ray of light, shooting off toward the horizon.

Since this Xiao Qiwu had dealt a lethal blow to Duan Rong with the three strikes of the God-Striking Whip, who knew what he might do inside the Wanxiang Cave?

He was not at ease!

He could not allow Duan Rong to be imprisoned within the Wanxiang Cave, which was under Xiao Qiwu's control!

Zhu He's intention at this moment was to have the person in charge of the Wanxiang Cave replaced by someone from his own side within the Elder Council.

However, this matter was quite thorny to handle in such a rush.

This Wuliang Cliff and Wanxiang Cave were originally places no one cared about; if it were normal times, this matter would not be difficult to manage, but now that Duan Rong had been imprisoned in the Wanxiang Cave by the Ancestor's order, changing the person in charge of the Wanxiang Cave was somewhat sensitive.

This matter still required seeking out the Ancestor!

Zhu He landed in a mountain hollow and walked with urgent steps toward the thatched cottage by the stream.

Chu Wushang was on the roof of the thatched cottage, drying sweet potato strips, when he suddenly saw Zhu He walking over; his expression flickered, for he knew today was the day Duan Rong was to be punished.

Chu Wushang clapped his hands and jumped down from the roof.

Zhu He approached, cupped his hands toward him, and said, "Master Chu, I wish to see the Ancestor."

Chu Wushang brushed the grass clippings off his body, glanced at him, and said, "What? What is the matter again?"

Zhu He hesitated for a moment and said, "I suspect that this person, Xiao Qiwu, harbors murderous intent toward Duan Rong."

Zhu He made this judgment firstly because of Xiao Qiwu's actions, and secondly because of a certain feeling he had. Based on this judgment, he felt that leaving Duan Rong in the Wanxiang Cave, which was under Xiao Qiwu's control, was already highly inappropriate.

Chu Wushang's expression shifted, and he said, "How so?"

Zhu He then said that he had met Xiao Qiwu before Duan Rong was punished, and Xiao Qiwu had promised that he would not deal a lethal blow to Duan Rong during the execution.

But during the execution today, all three whips were struck solidly, and one whip followed another without any pause.

"That Xiao Qiwu was truly surging with murderous intent!"

"Is that so?" Chu Wushang suddenly said indifferently: "When the sky was just turning bright today, I also went to Wuliang Cliff once. And I met Xiao Qiwu."

Zhu He's expression was surprised. "Master Chu also met Xiao Qiwu?"

"Indeed!" Chu Wushang explained: "I went there to convey the Ancestor's order. Duan Rong was to be punished today, and the three strikes of the God-Striking Whip had to be struck solidly!"

"Struck solidly!?" Zhu He's expression froze; he had not expected this to be the Ancestor's order.

At this moment, a trace of hesitation rose in his heart. Could it be that he had misunderstood Xiao Qiwu?

Was it because Xiao Qiwu had received the Ancestor's order that he dealt a lethal blow to Duan Rong?

On a mountain path behind a peak on the south side of Wuliang Cliff, quite a few Sect disciples were walking along the path in scattered groups...

People in twos and threes were all discussing it.

"Three strikes of the God-Striking Whip, he's probably already had his soul scattered... That God-Striking Whip is a treasure refined by the founding ancestor..."

"Even if he didn't die, being locked in that Wanxiang Cave, the prospects are grim!"

"It seems the Sect Iron Law is the Sect Iron Law; for a genius like Duan Rong who can draw upon the heaven and earth's primordial energy when forming a cyclone, once he violates it, the punishment is actually this severe!"

Ximen Kankan had a miserable look on his face, as if he were mourning his parents. It was no wonder he was like this; he and Shen Mizhi had walked all the way here and had barely heard a single good word, as everyone was saying Duan Rong was going to die.

Shen Mizhi's expression was dazed, and she walked with a somewhat stiff body; for some reason, she suddenly felt very cold.

Ximen Kankan said, "Say something! Duan Rong is going to die!"

Having been together for these past few days, Ximen Kankan had discovered that Shen Mizhi was a person with quite a lot of ideas and looked at problems very clearly; at this moment, his heart was in chaos, so he shouted at Shen Mizhi.

Upon hearing the word "die," Shen Mizhi trembled visibly and said in a daze, "If he dies, I will go collect his corpse!"

As she spoke, tears burst from Shen Mizhi's eyes...

Hearing the words "collect his corpse," Ximen Kankan burst into tears with a wail. He remembered all the times he had spent with Duan Rong, and suddenly, sorrow welled up from within. "He... still owes me a Spring Palace Painting..."

When Zhu He returned to Wuliang Cliff again, the crowd on the cliff had long since dispersed, and only some empty Stone Chairs remained standing on both sides of the Cave Abode.

Zhu He walked over, looked at the young attendant tidying up the sundries there, and said, "I wish to see your Master Xiao; please trouble yourself to announce me."

Hearing this, the young attendant turned his head to look at Zhu He, then put down the plates and cups in his hand, stood up, and cupped his hands, saying, "Master Zhu, please wait a moment!"

The young attendant entered the Cave Abode, and after a while, he walked out, cupped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Master Zhu, my master invites you in!"

Zhu He then walked into the Cave Abode.

Deep inside the Cave Abode, Xiao Qiwu was sitting on a beast-skin Stone Chair, sipping clear tea; when Zhu He walked in, he only raised his eyes to glance at Zhu He, but did not stand up to greet him.

The two of them were not getting along pleasantly today.

Xiao Qiwu put down the teacup in his hand and said with an unhappy expression, "Brother Zhu, you have returned after leaving; I wonder what advice you have?"

Zhu He said, "Brother Xiao, today's matter was a misunderstanding. I was just worried and acted rashly; I hope Brother Xiao will not blame me."

Xiao Qiwu's expression flickered, and he knew in his heart that Zhu He had already met Chu Wushang.

Xiao Qiwu's expression was sorrowful, and he feigned a sigh, saying, "I will not hide it from you, Brother Zhu, I also could not bear it. But I could not defy the Ancestor's order. I had no choice but to strike all three whips solidly; for any offense, I ask for Brother Zhu's understanding."

Zhu He said, "This matter cannot be blamed on Brother Xiao; it was I who was somewhat reckless."

Xiao Qiwu smiled faintly and said, "If I had a disciple with such natural talent, I fear I would be even more anxious than Brother Zhu. Talent is hard to come by!"

Zhu He laughed, "Let the previous matter be dropped. While Duan Rong is inside that Wanxiang Cave, I must ask Brother Xiao to look after him; should there be any abnormalities, I would trouble Brother Xiao to inform me, Zhu, in a timely manner!"

Xiao Qiwu said, "Rest assured, Brother Zhu. Not to mention the friendship between you and me, for the sake of the Sect's long-term prosperity alone, I, Xiao, will take good care of him."

Zhu He said, "Then I shall trouble you, Brother Xiao."

The two chatted idly for a few more sentences and drank a cup of tea before Xiao Qiwu personally saw Zhu He out of Wuliang Cliff.

(End of this chapter)