Chapter 1333: Was I So Wrong? (1/2)

Chapter 1333: Was I So Wrong?

The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea looked at the violet-robed man behind the shield and coolly said, “Lord Wu, you must surely know you can’t succeed. Why keep trying?” [1. Lord Wu's surname is a character which, although a real Chinese surname, also means ”wizard.” Incidentally, this is the only time that he is actually referred to by name in these next few chapters. The rest of the time he is referred to as ”the violet-robed man” or ”Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea.” Er Gen does this pretty often with minor characters. In order to make the narrative flow a bit more smoothly, I'm going to use Lord Wu in most places, instead of the other two ways of referring to him.]

Off to the side, the Outsider Dao Sovereign’s clone smiled, and a flicker of derision appeared in his eyes.

The violet-robed man inside the shield, Lord Wu, didn't respond. His eyes were tightly shut, and his face was pale white. Based on the cultivation base power swirling within him, he was obviously trying to achieve a breakthrough.

Earlier, he had been fighting with the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, and the two of them were evenly matched. But then the Outsider Dao Sovereign’s clone suddenly appeared and, when he joined forces with the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, they were just too powerful. Lord Wu had been forced to put his own status as Lord of the Fifth Mountain and Sea on the line; he had shattered his Mountain and Sea crown to create the shield which was currently keeping him safe. Then he took advantage of the brief respite from the fighting to attempt to force a breakthrough.

He knew that the only way to be able to continue fighting would be to break through from the 5-Essences level to 6-Essences. If he couldn't... then the Mountain and Sea shield he created would eventually fail, and he would be at their mercy.

Now that he was inside the shield, he had few options. In fact, he was trapped, and the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea and the Outsider Dao Sovereign clone had far too many methods of slowly refining him.

In fact, that was exactly what they were doing right now. Black flames emanated off of the clone, surrounding the shield. The raging inferno caused cracking sounds to ring out; Lord Wu was slowly being refined into a medicinal pill.

The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea laughed. “You might have destroyed your Mountain and Sea crown, but you’re still a Mountain and Sea Lord. After refining you into a Mountain and Sea pill, I’ll consume you and once again be able to wield the power of the Mountains and Seas!”

As soon as the 1st Heaven descended, he had been stripped of his status as a Mountain and Sea Lord. However, if he could consume Lord Wu, then he would once again be able to unleash Mountain and Sea power!

When Lord Wu continued to ignore him, the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea gave a cold snort. “Stubborn fool!”

Lord Wu’s eyes snapped open, and he glowered at the old man. “I might be a stubborn fool, but that’s better than being like you... a traitor to the Mountain and Sea Realm!”

During the course of their battle, it had become clear that the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea was not an Outsider, but rather, was a cultivator of the Mountains and Seas!

When the Lord White of the Seventh Mountain and Sea defected, that was a completely different matter. He was an Outsider in disguise, who had plotted and schemed his way into his position. The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, however, was a complete and utter traitor!

“Traitor?” The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea stood there quietly for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. It was a sinister laugh, filled with madness and obsession. “That’s right, I am a traitor. So what?!

“Considering my latent talent and good fortune, if I hadn’t been born in the Mountain and Sea Realm, and hadn’t been held back by my status and bloodline, then I could have long since stepped into the 6-Essences level. In fact, I might even be a Paragon!

“I've practiced cultivation for 33,000 years. I'm a Mountain and Sea Lord at the peak of the 5-Essences level. Yet what does that get me?

“The Mountain and Sea Realm is sealed by the 33 Heavens, cursed. Held back! The highest cultivation base is the peak of the 5-Essences level. Was turning traitor for the purposes of increasing my cultivation base really so wrong?

“Cultivators practice cultivation for themselves. Who cares about one's family and one’s people? Everything can be cast aside in the pursuit of a great Dao. To further my cultivation, I cast off all past Karmic ties!

“Besides, the Mountain and Sea Realm... can’t possibly win this war. A wise man submits to the circumstances. Can you really find fault with my choice?” As the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea spoke, his voice grew louder and louder until he was shouting. It was almost as if he wasn’t speaking to the violet-robed Lord Wu, but rather, himself.

The Outsider clone stood off to the side, laughing, and the scorn in his eyes grew deeper. Apparently, that scorn was directed, not just at Lord Wu, but also at the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea.

The Lord Wu looked at the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea, the pain in his heart visible on his face. “With our home gone and our people gone,” he said, “what is the point of existing?”

He had known the Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea for ten thousand years, and had considered him a close friend. And yet, this was how things were ending.

“You say we’re sealed, and that’s true,” he continued, “but that doesn't mean we’re without options. Look at Ksitigarbha! He's the perfect example!”

“Ksitigarbha? He controls reincarnation. The Fourth Mountain is unique. That’s the only way he can sidestep the sealing of the 33 Heavens, by means of the power of reincarnation. Considering he has his own Dao, he can even step into the Daosource!

“In all of the Mountain and Sea Realm, who can do that besides him? Nobody! Not a single person can step into the true Dao Sovereign level!

“Well, there are those old-timers, but their qi and blood is on the decline, and they can only explode with power by harming their longevity. What good is that?!

“As for me, I will leave the Mountain and Sea Realm. I will become a cultivator of the 33 Heavens. I might lose my position and my freedom, but... at least I will have a great Dao!

“It won’t take long. In a few thousand years, when the Mountain and Sea Realm is gone, I will still be here. At the very least, I’ll be a true Dao Sovereign, but if luck is with me, I might be a Paragon! I will definitely have an important place in the 33 Heavens!” The Lord of the Sixth Mountain and Sea began to laugh loudly.

Lord Wu could only look on bitterly. No matter how rapidly his cultivation base rotated, the gap separating him from the 6-Essences level was too great.

Actually, this was not the first time he had faced such a situation. It was over 10,000 years ago that he had first reached the point of being able to break through. However, despite trying on multiple occasions to do so, he had always failed.