Chapter 116

After Bai Ling withdrew, Qi sat alone in the Heart‑of‑the‑Pond Pavilion, silent, simply gazing quietly at the clouds swirling around the starry waterfall, the cloud sea clear of dust, the mountains and rivers filled with their reflected scenery.

Translation: Seeing Bai Ling retreat, Qi sat alone in the Heart-of-the-Pond Pavilion, never speaking, just quietly watching the cloud-wrapped star waterfall, the cloud sea clear and dustless, the river and mountain shadows filling the view.

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Translation: Qi did not know why, only feeling his heart suddenly rise as high as heaven and earth, worldly sounds growing distant.

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Translation: The lotus flowers in the pond swayed, catching a hint of Qi's gaze; he walked over and saw a pure fragrance surrounding them, crystal clear and flawless.

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Translation: "Quite fortunate."

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Translation: Qi reached out, plucked it, and threw it far away; the lotus turned into a stream of light and vanished at Tian Ji.

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Translation: A string of prayer beads appeared in Qi's hand, each bead like a jade seed, his fingers gently rubbing them.

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Translation: After Qi touched each bead, the prayer beads instantly scattered into the marsh water and disappeared.

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Translation: Countless star pillars dimmed and lost their light, the water vapor in the water eye receded by half, and countless cloud chains rose into the sky, tugging at the clouds above.

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Translation: The myriad zhang of rosy light surrounding Cloud Dream Marsh sank into the water, yet no reflection appeared; thunder cracked on the horizon, dark clouds blanketed the sky, and before they could fall, they slowly dissipated.

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Translation: Cloud Dream Marsh no longer brimmed with illusory sights; the spiritual vitality that once filled the great marsh grew scarce, and even the spiritual energy became thin.

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Translation: Seeing this, Qi smiled, his divine power activating the Innate Stellar Grand Formation; the formation bases representing twelve full moons ran at full speed, and beneath the great sun, moon shadows appeared in the sky, making the whole Cloud Dream Marsh display a scene of sun and moon shining together.

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Translation: Twelve lustrous white light pillars fell straight into the water, yet likewise grew dim.

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Translation: Qi then revealed his true form, gathering the living beings of Cloud Dream Marsh and the fortune of all beings on his person into the great marsh; the merit continually accumulating on the Merit Golden Wheel was also poured in, dyeing the marsh water golden.

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Translation: But these merits were quickly fading; after a moment's hesitation, Qi also threw the Water-Subduing Divine Staff and the five innate spiritual treasures previously given by the water gods into the marsh.

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Translation: Instantly the water surface boiled, but after a moment it returned to calm, and the Water-Subduing Divine Staff was expelled by the marsh water.

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Translation: Qi merely smiled, threw it in again; the consciousness of Cloud Dream Marsh appeared, encircling him, made a full turn, and then sank back into the water.

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Translation: This time, the Water-Subduing Divine Staff was not expelled by the marsh water, the marsh's spiritual vitality did not recede further, and the once-dim star pillars recovered slightly, though still not as before.

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Translation: The lost water vapor and spiritual vitality did not return, merely ceasing to diminish, barely maintaining the status quo.

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Translation: Qi knew this state would last a long time, for Cloud Dream Marsh would not give up; the innate divinity gestating within it was willing to go this far, which was already its limit.

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Translation: Jade Capital Mountain.

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Translation: The scene on the Fortune Jade Disc was pulled back to Cloud Dream Marsh, spiritual light flaring up and flickering continuously.

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Translation: Hongjun slightly raised his brows, hesitated a moment, then lowered his eyes as if seeing nothing.

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Translation: A crack suddenly appeared on the Fortune Jade Disc; seeing this, Hongjun felt pained, rose to his feet, and poured countless merit into it.

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Translation: Until that crack on the Fortune Jade Disc was mostly repaired, merit could no longer enter, being actively excluded.

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Translation: Seeing the Fortune Jade Disc no longer absorbing, Hongjun sat back on his meditation mat, lowered his brows and eyes, as if entering stillness.

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Translation: The Fortune Jade Disc's fluorescence continued to flicker, but seeing Hongjun unmoving, it gradually faded, leaving only that extra crack lingering on the surface.

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Translation: Hongjun appeared to be in stillness, but was actually deep in thought; he did not know what had happened again at Cloud Dream Marsh, but he knew he could not intervene.

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Translation: With war imminent, Qi's status was too special, and being close to Yang Mei, he now had to reduce any actions that might affect the war, lowering risk.

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Translation: Otherwise, if Yang Mei, heir to the Supreme Emperor Dao Lineage, changed his mind and interfered in his battle with Luo Hou, or directly merged with the Heavenly Dao, it would be a loss outweighing the gain for him.

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Translation: Moreover, that formation's side is formidable; it seems to have undergone some change, becoming much stronger, so as long as nothing happens, he can tolerate it, as long as it does not affect the emergence of the Heavenly Dao.

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Translation: He believes Luo Hou is the same, but he would rather Luo Hou go in his place, though he does not know if that can be fulfilled.

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Translation: Western Sumeru Mountain.

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Translation: The World-Annihilating Great Mill turned ceaselessly, awakening Luo Hou in his cultivation, presenting a crude map where the location of Cloud Dream Marsh glowed.

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Translation: "Eastern Continent? Why doesn't Hongjun intervene?"

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Translation: Luo Hou was somewhat puzzled; normally such matters of unknown origin are handled by Hongjun, especially since they occur in the Eastern Continent.

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Translation: Luo Hou felt a hint of interest, but had no desire to go take a look or act directly; he merely gathered his divine power in his eyes and gazed at Cloud Dream Marsh on the map.

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Translation: Watching star pillars and moonlight pour down, cloud and water vapor churning, he exclaimed in surprise:

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Translation: "Two top-tier formations, yet they can combine without affecting each other, filling each other's gaps, and the scale is so vast—no wonder Hongjun doesn't want to go."

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Translation: Luo Hou himself is highly skilled in formation arts, so he could see at a glance that Cloud Dream Marsh is now enveloped by two grand formations.

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Translation: But precisely because he understands formations so well, that is why he is so shocked.

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Translation: "As for this formation, whoever wants to go may go; anyway, I won't."

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Translation: Luo Hou had no desire to act; in the Primordial Wasteland there is no one who has proven the Primordial Origin Dao, and with his current cultivation merely in the Primordial Origin Dao, facing such a massive combined formation, merely surviving within it would already be difficult.

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Translation: For Luo Hou, since he is not in the West and this formation of such scale cannot be moved, as long as he does not deliberately seek death by entering it, it will have no effect.

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Translation: "I never expected there to be someone so accomplished in formations in the Primordial Wasteland; why would he pursue such an immovable formation?"

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Translation: Luo Hou racked his brains in vain; although the formation is powerful, it is too cumbersome—if enemies do not enter its attack range, it is merely a turtle shell, of little use.

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Translation: But no matter what, he simply could not go to Cloud Dream Marsh; for someone unfamiliar, going there would just be bad luck.

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Translation: If he went, the only thing it would prove is that his mind is faulty; otherwise, it would be nothing.

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Translation: The World-Annihilating Great Mill seemed to have a crack forming; Luo Hou merely glanced at it and said:

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Translation: "If you want to crack, crack away; it's just about uniting with the Dao—one cannot stake one's life on it, at worst I'll follow the Great Dao into Chaos."

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Translation: As soon as he spoke, the World-Annihilating Great Mill fell silent instantly.

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Translation: Luo Hou then said:

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Translation: "I pursue union with the Dao because it would let me quickly gain invincible ability within the Primordial Wasteland, and I also have a decent chance."

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Translation: "Even if I fail to unite with the Dao, I still have a retreat; letting me go to Cloud Dream Marsh would not only shatter my hope of union, but might also cost me my life."

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Translation: "With my formation skill, getting out alive is not hard, but if I want to emerge unscathed or lightly wounded, that's impossible; going in is easy, but how would I come back?"

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Translation: "Hongjun and Yang Mei would not let me escape easily, especially Yang Mei—for some reason I always feel he wants to kill me."

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Translation: "If I am seriously injured, I will surely not escape this calamity!"

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Translation: Luo Hou's words were as firm as a hammered nail, yet the World-Annihilating Great Mill gave no response, seeming like a mere spiritual treasure devoid of any sentience.

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Translation: Luo Hou snorted, then immersed himself in cultivation beneath the Bodhi tree.

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We should not translate line 59? It's a note; we should output it as is? The instruction: translate each line. It's a Chinese line "(本章完)". We should translate it: "(End of chapter)". Keep the brackets? Probably translate meaning: "(End of chapter)". We'll output as "【59】 (End of chapter)". Ensure it's a single line.

Now after all lines, output ===TITLE=== and translate the chapter title: Rahu – whoever wants to go may go; I, however, will not.

Title translation: "Luo Hou: Whoever Wants to Go May Go; Anyway, I Won't."

We need natural English. Could be: "Luo Hou: Those Who Wish to Go May Go; Anyway, I Won't Go." But keep concise.

Let's do: "Luo Hou: Whoever Wants to Go May Go; Anyway, I Won't."

Now

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With the great battle looming, Qi's position is too unique, and he is also familiar with Yang Mei, so he must now curb any actions that might influence the battle to reduce risk.

Otherwise, if Yang Mei, heir to the Tai Huang Dao, changes his mind and interferes in his battle with Rahu—or directly merges with the Heavenly Dao—it would be a futile loss for him.

Furthermore, the grand formation is formidable; it appears to have changed, becoming much stronger. He can tolerate it as long as nothing occurs, provided it does not interfere with the birth of the Heavenly Dao.

He believes Rahu feels the same, but he would rather Rahu go in his stead—if only he knew whether that could happen.

Western Mount Sumeru.

The World‑Destroying Grindstone turns ceaselessly, rousing Rahu from his cultivation and displaying a rough map on which the spot of Yunmze shines brightly.

"The Eastern Continent? Why doesn't Hongjun manage it?"

Rahu is a bit puzzled; usually, matters with unknown origins are overseen by Hongjun, and this is no exception, especially as it lies in the Eastern Continent.

Rahu felt a flicker of interest, yet he had no desire to visit or intervene; he simply focused his divine power into his eyes and looked at Yunmze on the map.

Gazing at the falling star‑pillars and moonlight, with clouds and vapors roiling, he was suddenly startled and exclaimed:

"Two supreme formations, yet when combined they do not hinder each other; they complement each other's shortcomings, and their scale is enormous—no wonder Hongjun refuses to go."

Rahu, being highly adept at formation arts, could instantly see that Yunmze is now surrounded by two great formations.

But it is precisely his deep understanding of formations that makes him so shocked.

"As for this formation, let whoever wishes go; I, however, will not."

Rahu doesn't even feel like acting; there is no one in the wild who has attained the Mixed‑Yuan Dao, and with only his present Mixed‑Yuan cultivation, facing such a huge combined formation, merely surviving would be a challenge.

For Rahu, being outside the West and the formation being immobile, as long as he doesn't deliberately walk into it to die, it will have no impact.

"I never thought there would be someone in the wilderness so skilled in formations; why would he pursue this immovable grand formation?"

Rahu puzzled over it; although the formation is powerful, it is overly bulky—if the enemy stays outside its attack range, it is just a turtle shell, useless.

But regardless, he simply cannot go to Yunmze; for someone who doesn't understand it, going there would be nothing but misfortune.

If he went, it would merely show his brain is addled; it would achieve nothing else.

The World‑Destroying Grindstone appeared to be developing a crack; Rahu gave it a brief look and said:

"If you want to crack, let it crack; it's only about merging with the Dao—we can't gamble our lives; at worst I'll follow the Dao into chaos."

These words caused the World‑Destroying Grindstone to fall silent at once.

Rahu then said:

"I seek union with the Dao because it would grant me swift invincible power in the wilderness, and I still have a good chance."

"Even if I fail to unite with the Dao, I still have a fallback; sending me to Yunmze would only destroy my hope of merging—and might even get me killed."

"With my skill in formations, getting out alive wouldn't be difficult, but emerging unharmed or only lightly injured is impossible; going there is easy, but how would I get back?"

"Hongjun and Yang Mei won't let me slip away easily, especially Yang Mei—I somehow feel he wants to kill me."

"If I am seriously wounded, I will surely not escape this disaster!"

Rahu's words were as decisive as a hammer on an anvil, but the World‑Destroying Grindstone offered no response, appearing as a lifeless spirit treasure.

Rahu let out a scoffing laugh and then sank into meditation beneath the Bodhi tree.

(End of chapter)