Chapter 444 - 221: Dare Not Hate_2
Chu Xuan shook his head. The headache came quickly and went away just as fast. His eyes were filled with a complex expression as he murmured to himself, "So that’s how it is..."
Indeed, he was the one who personally wrote those three words before the third righteous versus evil war.
In the past, Chu Xuan had hidden this trump card, the Six Souls Banner, very deeply. He had thought more than once about cursing Shangguan Yu to death, but he always worried it wouldn’t work. After all, that guy seemed to carry a "Child of Destiny" template, with luck, aptitude, and talent not inferior to his own.
Oh, but without the "Celestial Water Returning Ruins Technique" refining his body’s constitution, Chu Xuan’s cultivation talent wouldn’t compare to his.
Sometimes he even wondered if this guy was also a transmigrator.
If it weren’t for Shangguan Yu’s every word and deed being so incredibly native, with no special reaction to his own "innovative inventions," Chu Xuan really would’ve come clean to him.
Ultimately, Chu Xuan operated under the belief, "If I accidentally alert him, I won’t have such a good chance again," so he kept this lifeline buried until he could confront him at the last moment.
According to Chu Xuan’s plan, even if he fell, he could resurrect, but Shangguan Yu’s death would be absolute.
The final victor must be me!
Such an important matter, Chu Xuan had of course mentioned to Ji Mingyu when giving his last instructions, though not in detail. He merely said that if things went smoothly, Shangguan Yu was doomed.
Yet, from Ming Yu’s perspective, the guy ascended to the celestial realm safely, so after Chu Xuan revived, she never brought it up, so as not to shake his confidence.
Neither expected that Shangguan Yu hadn’t ascended and was still lingering in the human realm.
Yes, after Chu Xuan regained this part of his memories, he immediately guessed that rascal was pulling strings from the shadows, explaining why the Shangguan family’s actions were so peculiar.
Moreover, how did the Shangguan family know the precise timing of his resurrection?
Most likely it was because the reappearance of Six Souls Banner stirred the curse, allowing Shangguan Yu to once again sense its presence.
However, he couldn’t ascertain the place precisely, so he could only issue commands, having his underlings search like finding a needle in a haystack, leading to Gu Haitang’s secret approach to Chu Xuan’s side for investigation...
So, in what state is Shangguan Yu now?
Chu Xuan was deeply puzzled. Now that he had recalled the curse-killing capabilities of the Six Souls Banner, he knew the curse method varied depending on the enemy’s realm.
For those in the first three realms, the curse kills them instantly; cultivators from the middle three realms get their souls collected by underworld envoys; those from the latter three realms suffer "the five declines of heaven and man" upon them.
Moreover, the curse-killing intensity correlated with Chu Xuan’s own realm. If there was a huge disparity, say he was in the first realm and the enemy in the ninth, the effect would be poor.
If it was the opposite, Chu Xuan ninth realm to the enemy’s first, the effect would be exaggeratedly strong.
Back when he cursed Shangguan Yu, it was a ninth against ninth realm situation, neither weakened nor strengthened. Chu Xuan relied on his great mastery over the Six Souls Banner to set a trigger condition – "explosion upon weakness," for this cursing attempt.
Likely it triggered during his heavenly tribulation, how did that not kill him??
All in all, Chu Xuan found it somewhat unbelievable, leading him to suspect Shangguan Yu to be in a poor state, after all, enduring "the five declines of heaven and man" for six or seven hundred years sounds terrifying.
Oh right, although Chu Xuan had now written Shangguan He’s name down, he couldn’t initiate a new curse kill.
Because the old curse hasn’t ended; either Chu Xuan outlasts Shangguan Yu till death, or he erases the name, else this function is considered a failure.
It’s not that the six banner tails can only curse one person, but rather the number must be determined from the beginning, and the worshipping time doubles with the number. Once concluded, everyone gets cursed at once.
If more targets are needed, it must wait until the previous curse ends.
Of course, Chu Xuan wouldn’t erase Shangguan Yu’s name. Are you kidding? You take it off, and he’ll probably come right at you for revenge!
Not to mention Chu Xuan’s currently in the fourth realm, Shangguan He in the eighth, with such great disparity, the curse might not prove as effective.
After pondering a bit, Chu Xuan still wiped off Shangguan He’s name. Although this time the effort spent wasn’t successful, it did lead him to key information, figuring out who his real enemy was.
Once the Six Souls Banner was put away, Chu Xuan sighed, after all the twists and turns, it’s still this old rival.
However, this time I am weak while the enemy is strong, I can only temporarily hide and grow slowly, fortunately, it seems Shangguan Yu is not in good shape and hasn’t shown himself to besiege me, leaving room for maneuver.
So long as the other party’s condition doesn’t improve quickly, by the time Chu Xuan matures, this old guy would be nothing but a skeleton in a tomb.
Switch cultivation or not? Chu Xuan pondered this silently.
"Let’s go." Chu Xuan casually put away the Array Plate, taking Qingqing’s hand.
Qingqing was a bit confused, wasn’t it about curse-killing? Is that it?
Chu Xuan explained to her while, under the protection of the charming heads, they flew out.
In fact, he didn’t know where to find Qing’er and the others now, so he directly took out three Copper Coins and a tortoiseshell, using Hexagram Divination to divine.
Then Chu Xuan’s expression became somewhat odd; Qing’er and the others were very far from here, if his calculations were correct, they headed towards Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace.
Did they think he would return to the sect to recover?
Ah well, since they went to Daoist Palace, they would naturally meet the master, from whom they would surely get precise news about him.
With this, Chu Xuan felt it unnecessary to run another trip, following the initial plan, taking Qingqing to the Northern Ancient Battlefield.
...
Days later, in the hidden retreat of the Shangguan family, in the underground One Escape Hall, Shangguan Yu sat at the head, listening to Shangguan He and Shangguan Wentian’s reports.
He was tormented by "Heaven and Man’s Five Decays" to a wretched state, hence always cloaking himself in darkness, never showing his true form.
After hearing the reports, from the darkness came a raspy, peculiar voice, "You did well, especially Wentian. Your successful curse has confirmed to me Chu Xuan is indeed Tian Xie."
"But since he did not die on the spot, I reckon he’s still alive, that guy is incredibly resilient."
Shangguan Wentian bowed his head and cupped his fists, "This subordinate is inadequate."
Shangguan Yu shook his head, "That’s quite enough. Your weapon has been forged; go claim it in the side hall."
"Thank you, Ancestor!" Shangguan Wentian respectfully saluted again and stepped back.
Then Shangguan Yu turned his gaze to Shangguan He who stood silently aside, looking at him for a while, he suddenly asked:
"Do you hate me?"
Shangguan He was shocked, hastily shaking his head, "Why does the Patriarch say that?"
Shangguan Yu simply stared at him fixedly, his gaze seemingly substantial, filled with an invisible oppressive force.
The old man finally spoke in person, "No hatred."
"Is it truly free of hate or just afraid to hate?"
Shangguan He paused, just about to speak, when Shangguan Yu waved his hand, "Forget it, I clearly understand many in this family hate me."
"But, soon, inform them it will be soon."
"Once Chu Xuan dies, when that thing comes into our hands, not only will I be liberated, but the Shangguan family shall rise from the ashes and step out of their hidden residence."
"The former top righteous sect, the Profound Celestial Sect, will be rebuilt; they will take pride, honor, in their surname."
"Trust me, I will compensate you all as much as I can. Before the Profound Celestial Sect dominates the world, I will not ascend and depart."
Shangguan He earnestly agreed, took his leave, and exited.
The great hall returned to its solemn silence, but from the darkness at the lead came a suppressed, contorted groan to the utmost, today was the fifteenth.
The monthly full moon day, when "Heaven and Man’s Five Decays" are at their peak, even staying inside the Array Secret Hall, Shangguan Yu’s whole body, from flesh to soul, felt pain like having his heart gouged out...
Yet amidst the extreme groaning, laughter suddenly burst forth, "Tian Xie, Tian Xie! This game, will still be won by me!"