Chapter 233: Back To That Key Moment ⑥
TL: Resonance
For the next two to three years, Shang Ke and Yan Lu spent their time in refining competitions. They both have wins and losses, but ultimately ending it with dog abuse mode[1].
As more and more items were available for exchange, the cultivators had lesser and lesser points and could only watch the goodies being exchanged away by other people. After everyone gathered to discuss, they all requested Shang Ke to give them more ways to earn points.
Shang Ke thought about it, and decided to comply with their opinions and reopen the exchange channel. In addition to materials, people can also earn points using various drawings and recipes, and they could exchange every six months.
More and more cultivators poured into the Great Shadow Mountain, and the nearby towns became prosperous because of their arrival. Many big sects began to send people to contact Shang Ke as a gesture of friendship.
Shang Ke openly traded with the cultivators, and although he could not avoid people with sinister intentions, most of them did not dare to look for trouble. Because the defensive array around the Great Shadow Mountain had been increased by several layers, and there were several times more high level cultivators. If this trend continued, it was likely that the Great Shadow Mountain would become a holy place of cultivation as good as other famous mountains and rivers.
However, nothing in the world was unchanging.
Shang Ke’s pills and weapons allowed many cultivators to break through their bottleneck and advance successively. The cultivation world which had been in a decline because of Yan Lu’s killing welcomed the new changes. Although only a few small waves had been stirred up so far, everyone had a sense of joy of finally being able to see the light.
This joy finally reached its climax seven years later.
Someone was about to experience heavenly tribulation, and it was three people at the same time.
One of them was from a large sect. His cultivation had already reached the Separation Stage, just that he hadn’t been able to break through the bottleneck. A few years ago, he came to Resting Teahouse with the intention of trying, and exchanged some rare materials for a Nine Heavens Origin Pill, resulting in him successfully advancing two years later.
The other two were both individual cultivators, and were also the first two cultivators who discovered the Resting Teahouse, Ding Qiyu and Hua Cheng. They were quite fated with the Resting Teahouse. Influenced by Shang Ke and Yan Lu, they soon became dual cultivation partners, and their cultivation improved by leaps and bounds. (It truly was by leaps and bounds.[2])
The three of them just happened to experience the heavenly tribulation on the same day.
In the sky above the Great Shadow Mountain, the wind and clouds changed color and was swirled with black fog. Golden lightning flashed in the clouds from time to time. The great pressure carried the fury of thunder, causing everyone to feel suffocated as if the end of the world was coming.
All the cultivators below the YuanYing stage all retreated three thousand miles away, and those who remained were all experts amongst experts.
Shang Ke originally did not pay much attention to the appearance of the heavenly tribulation. Although it happened in the Great Shadow Mountain, it was mainly aimed at those who were about to undergo the tribulation, and those who had sufficient cultivation level can watch the tribulation process from outside the tribulation range.
However, when the heavenly tribulation was about to start, Shang Ke gradually realized that something was wrong.
First, it was Yan Lu’s reaction. The veins on his face could be seen and his body’s divine power was in disorder. His murderous aura was surging, and a strong wind was rapidly circling around the two of them, just as if he was facing a great enemy.
The second was the position of the tribulation clouds. As if drawn by some kind of force, the three tribulation clouds surged toward the area where Yan Lu was, gradually forming a new heavenly tribulation above him.
Shang Ke was shocked, and two words suddenly appeared in his mind: “Divine retribution”!
He had speculated about all sorts of possibilities, but had never thought that the divine retribution would come in this form. It used the power of the heavenly tribulation to punish those who were guilty. What was even more frightening was that three tribulations appeared at the same time. If Yan Lu couldn’t overcome it, his soul would definitely scatter.
“Little Mushroom, leave this place!” Yan Lu’s blood was raging, his eyes red, and he reminded Shang Ke in an extremely suppressed voice.
“Quit talking, prepare for the tribulation!” Shang Ke took out a few pills from his storage ring and stuffed them into his and Yan Lu’s mouth.
He had collected materials, refined pills, and made friends with cultivators all these years all for this day!
Then, Shang Ke formed a defensive array with six high grade weapons. Next, he handed to Yan Lu the quasi-immortal weapon he had refined that year.
However, Yan Lu rejected it, “I’m afraid I’ll lose control and fall into the killing devil’s influence. If I hold this weapon, I’m afraid I might hurt you.”
Shang Ke nodded his head in understanding and held the quasi-immortal weapon in his hand.
At this moment, the Heavenly Tribulation started, and dozens of snake-shaped lightning bolts struck down through the sky, forming a rain of electricity. The sky and earth roared, the rocks and mountains shook, and huge waves of air swept out in all directions. All the cultivators who watched from afar felt their heart skip a beat, not to mention the four who were facing the tribulation.
The second and third bolt of lightning followed, each more powerful than the last.
The cultivators who were watching quickly discovered the abnormality. Why were most of the lightning strikes directed at Yan Lu and Shang Ke’s location? They weren’t supposed to be experiencing the heavenly tribulation! Could the heavenly tribulation also miss?!
Boom! A loud sound, as if hitting their heart, made the people tremble.
In the distance, the mountain rocks shattered, and the grass and trees were flying, as if a god was wielding a sledgehammer and destroying the world.
Yan Lu was covered in blood, his eyes sometimes clear and sometimes chaotic, and his breathing was extremely disordered.
Shang Ke assisted by the side, using weapons and arrays to resist the attack of the heavenly tribulation. However, the power of the three heavenly tribution coming at the same time far exceeded his expectations. In just a few moments, he suffered considerable internal injuries.
It was even more serious for Yan Lu. Not only did he have to resist the heavenly tribulations, he also had to restrain his inner demon. Having to fight both internally and externally, he was on the verge of collapse.
Seeing that the fifth and sixth waves of lightning were about to fall, Shang Ke was about to go all out, when he suddenly felt the pressure around him decrease. The lightning exploded in mid-air, weakening layer by layer. By the time it reached them, there was only 30% of its power remaining.
Shang Ke was surprised in his heart, and only after his spiritual sense moved did he understand what had happened.
The cultivators in the vicinity of the Great Shadow Mountain activated their respective defensive array one after another, and united to defend the two against the heavenly tribulation.
Following their movements, more cultivators joined in and their defenses layered on top of each other, forming a strong barrier. However, most of their cultivation had not yet reached the Separation Stage, and they were barely able to resist the Heavenly Tribulation. Every time a layer of defense was broken, one of them would retreat with a serious injury. By the time the ninth Heavenly Tribulation strikes, no one dared to fight with the might of Heaven.
The people could only pray for Shang Ke and Yan Lu silently in their hearts.
The ninth strike came crashing down and the fierce cold light suddenly shone. Everyone subconsciously closed their eyes.
A loud boom can be heard. The ground trembled, and the wind was like a sickle, cutting across the skin and causing a stinging pain.
A moment later, the trembling stopped and everything became calm. The people slowly opened their eyes, and the first thing they saw was a white light in the shape of an arc faintly floating in mid-air.
Just how powerful is its defense that it can still maintain its operation under the power of the heavenly tribulation? And…
“I don’t know if it’s just me, but why do I think that defense shield looks like a… mushroom?” A cultivator suddenly said.
“I don’t think it’s just you, it really is a mushroom.” His companion affirmed his judgment.
As the mist cleared, a large mushroom clearly appeared in front of everyone’s eyes. Its white light shining like a queen, standing proudly in the world and looking down upon all beings.
Shang Ke sat weakly in the pit. He looked at the quasi-immortal weapon in his hand, then looked at Yan Lu who fainted beside him, and was speechless for a long time.
This guy actually designed the defense shield of the quasi-Immortal weapon into the shape of a mushroom! It’s not that he looks down on mushrooms. It’s just that the roundness and cuteness of mushrooms completely doesn’t match with the powerful and domineering image of the quasi immortal weapon okay?
This mushroom-con is really incurable.
Shang Ke put away the half-damaged quasi immortal weapon, then carried Yan Lu on his back and walked into the basement he built in advance.
Yan Lu’s condition was not that great. All of his cultivation vanished, he was badly injured and was breathing very weakly. But Shang Ke was happy in his heart. That’s right, he was happy to see his man being just barely alive. Because the more serious Yan Lu’s injuries were, the shorter the time the divine retribution would last and the greater the chance of survival.
Shang Ke carefully cleaned up Yan Lu, fed him the treatment pills, then helped him lie down on the bed and slept with him.
Before he fell asleep, he was still thinking to himself that when their injuries recovered slightly, he would thank those cultivators who came to their rescue…
Because he had over exhausted himself, Shang Ke slept for three days before waking up. But when he woke up, he found that Yan Lu was gone. Only a note was left on the table with five words written on it : I want to be alone.
Alone my ass! Who is Jing Jing[3]? Is it as handsome as a mushroom? Wasn’t it just your cultivation being destroyed? What’s there to think about!
Shang Ke tore the note into shreds. He still didn’t know that it wasn’t just Yan Lu’s cultivation being destroyed, but that he would never be able to cultivate again. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to Yan Lu who had always been arrogant. He could be ruthless, he could abandon evil and be kind instead, he also dared to fight against the fate of heaven, but the only thing he could not bear was the thought of becoming a good-for-nothing waste. Not only would he be unable to protect Little Mushroom, he would also become a burden to him.
Yan Lu dragged his weary body and walked slowly along the destroyed mountain and forest, his eyes full of unwillingness and anger.
“Ah—damn it!” A fist punched the tree trunk, and Yan Lu’s face turned ashen : Fuck, that hurts!
He withdrew his hand stiffly, and hung his head in silence, looking very lonely.
It was unknown how long had passed, but Yan Lu suddenly raised his head. The loss on his face disappeared and was replaced by bewilderment.
He looked around and felt that his surroundings were very unfamiliar. He had completely no idea where he was.
“Little Mushroom, Little Mushroom…” Yan Lu looked around for the familiar figure and kept calling his name.
At this moment, a white shadow jumped out from the bushes and jumped about at Yan Lu.
“Rabbit…” Yan Lu remembered. Little Mushroom had told him before that if he got lost, he should open the pouch hanging around his neck.
Yan Lu took out a piece of silk cloth from the pouch, on which three solutions were written on it.
He automatically filtered out the first two. Following the third solution, he took out the communication talisman in his storage ring and crushed it. Then, he squatted on the spot and waited quietly.
Time passed very slowly, and with each passing moment, Yan Lu’s fear increased, as if he were the only one left in the world.
Little Mushroom, Little Mushroom, Little Mushroom…
It was unknown how long had passed, but suddenly, the rustling of leaves could be heard. Yan Lu suddenly raised his head and saw that familiar figure walking towards him.
He rushed over without hesitation and hugged the person tightly.
“Little Deer?” Did he switch personality again? Shang Ke hugged him and gently comforted him.
After he had calmed down, Shang Ke reproached, “Let’s see if you still want to be alone in the future!”
Yan Lu looked puzzled: “Who is Jing Jing[3]?”
Shang Ke : “That’s a lazy guy who always pops up when someone is feeling irritated. He seems like he can do everything but actually does nothing.”
“Then I definitely would not think. I like Little Mushroom who can do anything.”
Shang Ke: “…”
When they returned home at night, Shang Ke helped wipe Yan Lu’s back as he said to him, “Little Deer, no matter what you have become, I will stay by your side.”
Yan Lu’s body stiffened. Then, Shang Ke heard him say, “I have become a waste. I’m afraid I will never be able to cultivate again.”
“So what?”
“Being unable to cultivate means that I will experience a mortal’s life, sickness and death. How can I stay with you when I only have a few decades left to live?”
“Yan Lu, even if we can only stay together for a few decades in this life, we still have a next life. No matter how many times you reincarnate, I will find you. So, don’t feel bad and don’t give up. Our fate will never be broken as long as our soul doesn’t disappear.”
“But when the next life comes, I won’t remember you. Every day I spent with you is my most precious treasure.”
“I will help you remember, then create new memories with you.”
Yan Lu turned his head and gazed deeply at Shang Ke, as if to carve him into his soul.
“Yan Lu, I suddenly have an idea. After we recover, how about we leave everything here behind and travel outside?”
“Mnn, I will listen to you.”
A month later, Shang Ke sent out invitations widely, inviting cultivators from all four directions, and exchanged his remaining pills and weapons for a few thousand silver taels and low and middle grade materials enough to fill a few storage spaces. This pricing was almost as good as giving them away for nothing. Everyone understood that he was expressing his gratitude, so they did not refuse, thinking that there would be opportunities for friendship in the future anyway.
It wasn’t until several months later when they realized that Shang Ke and Yan Lu had left the Great Shadow Mountain at some point, and their whereabouts were unknown since then.
Not long after, in the towns where mortals gathered, two doctors who travelled on foot appeared. They have great medical skills and provided free medical treatment to the poor, saving countless people’s lives.
These two people were Shang Ke and Yan Lu. With everywhere as their home, they traveled the world in search of a way to cultivate again. At the same time, they made use of their medical skills to help the world and accumulate good deeds. They didn’t have lavish clothes and food. They went all over the world, ate in the wind, slept in the open and were very poor.
Yan Lu, who had been so energetic and daring in the past, got rid of his hostility and quietly enjoyed his life until he was old. However, Shang Ke was still as handsome and elegant as before, his style unchanging.
“Little Mushroom, I’m very sorry.” Yan Lu sat on the boat, looking at the slowly moving mountain range in the distance and suddenly said.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Whatever happened in this life is affected by what happened in our last life. If I hadn’t killed too many people in my past life, how could I have dragged you into suffering with me in this life?”
“Do you feel that you have suffered?” Shang Ke held the fishing rod in one hand and rested the other on his bent knee, looking at him with a tilted head.
Yan Lu was stunned. He recalled his experiences for the past few decades, then smiled and said, “Mmnnn, I don’t.”
That’s why, don’t be sad. Shang Ke gave a look and turned his attention back to the fishing rod.
After a while, he heard Yan Lu’s old voice again: “Little mushroom, remember your promise, we will meet in the next life, and…”
I love you.
The voice disappeared.
Shang Ke did not look back, but two lines of tears slowly slid down his cheeks.
Even though he knew they still had a chance to meet again, he still felt so sad he couldn’t control himself. This man had to painfully experience seeing his death in every life, and in this life, it was finally his turn…
After Yan Lu died, Shang Ke buried him under a cliff. Then, he destroyed his own cultivation and turned into a mushroom, planting himself on Yan Lu’s grave. The rabbit became their guardian spirit beast.
After a thousand years, a new mushroom demon was born. It was picked up early by the cunning rabbit, creating another love story…
Footnotes:
[1] Lots of love and plenty of abuse for single people.
[2] 一日千里 – The meaning itself is by leaps and bounds. 日 is also sometimes used to express having sex which was the pun intended in the brackets.
[3] 我想静静 – In the note Yan Lu wrote 我想静静, meaning he wished to be alone. 想 on its own can mean think or miss, so Shang Ke was roasting Yan Lu, questioning what is there for him to ‘think’ about. 静静 is pronounced Jing Jing which Shang Ke made a pun asking who is Jing Jing because Yan Lu had written “I ‘miss’ Jing Jing”
MyQnote : now finally shang ke experience himself how hurt it was for his man to face each of his death😭😭😭