Spirit Realm Chapter 585-586

Chapter 585: Setting Sun Islands

“Why?”

In a completely new five-story building, clad in a humble light-green martial practitioner uniform, Xue Moyan frowned at Qin Lie.

This wooden building was situated on Xu Changsheng’s Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix. It sat in the crook of the fire phoenix’s left wing, far from the clusters of wooden buildings at the center of the it’s back. This left it quiet and free of disturbances.

As long as they didn’t scream to communicate, there was no way for any Gold Sun Island martial practitioners to hear what Qin Lie’s group talked about.

Qin Lie had specifically requested to reside in this place.

“Why what?”

Qin Lie stood by the window gazing into the distance. He could vaguely make out the shapes of five big ships that resembled fish swimming across the water.

“Did you insist on joining Xiang Xi only to infuriate the Xing brothers?” Xue Moyan couldn’t quite understand his intentions.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Lie said, “Xing Yuyuan purposely sent us here so that Xiang Xi would kill us with his own hands. Once he did, even if Blood Fiend Sect demanded an answer in the future, they’d be able to explain themselves.”

“I know.” Xue Moyan nodded slightly. “But… the Xing Family shared a past connection with Blood Fiend Sect, not Xiang Xi’s group. Why have you joined them to pressure the Xing Family?”

In the past few days, Xue Moyan noticed that Qin Lie had gotten closer to Xiang Xi and his men. She secretly felt anxious on the inside.

She feared that Qin Lie would work with Xiang Xi to attack the Xing Family.

Although Qin Lie was only a single person and didn’t possess a high realm, she was well aware of the fact that the eight god corpses hidden under the sea made his killing potential outright scary.

If Qin Lie walked with Xiang Xi and treated the Xing Family as a sworn enemy… then the Xing Family would definitely suffer unfathomable losses!

Xue Moyan hoped that he would be able to attract Gold Sun Island and persuade the Xing Family to become an ally of Blood Fiend Sect. She didn’t want him just kill them off.

She still had emotional attachment and unreasonable hopes for the Xing Family.

“If we want the Xing Family to willingly serve Blood Fiend Sect, we mustn’t befriend them entirely. A suitable amount of intimidation and pressure may result in a better and stronger response,” Qin Lie said with a smile. “Don’t worry, senior sister. Once we reach the Setting Sun Islands, everything will become clear.”

“The Setting Sun Islands?” Xue Moyan asked in surprised.

“Xiang Xi has made preparations to face the Xing Family there,” Qin Lie said, nodding. “I will arrange for the eight god corpses to head there in secret and get ready for a great upheaval.”

“Then… whose side will you be on?” Xue Moyan asked.

“Xing Shengnan has always treated me with sincerity,” Qin Lie said in a soft voice.

Xue Moyan gave him a profound look, emotions softly rippling through her bright eyes.

Then she smiled and said, “I can rest easy then.”

She realized that she was starting to understand him better.

When she first met Qin Lie in the Graveyard of Gods, she assumed that he was the one who killed her sisters from Illusory Demon Sect and tried her best to make him pay for it. However, Qin Lie restrained himself and avoided her again and again, unwilling to clash with her directly.

After that, Qin Lie helped her during every critical moment, causing her to mistakenly believe that he liked her and wanted to court her.

When she finally understood that Qin Lie did all of that because of a promise to her father and not specifically for her, she felt both happy… and slightly disappointed.

After fighting beside him within the Graveyard of Gods, she slowly came to know what kind of person he was.

Yet Xue Moyan still hadn’t been able to understand Qin Lie. She felt as though he were a fickle person, as if there were some kind of unknown force compelling him to do irrational things every so often.

Plenty of instances occurred where she thought he had a good heart and wouldn’t take extreme actions, that he would be leave some room for compassion. However, that wasn’t actually the case.

For example, when Pan Qianqian exposed them to the Pan Family, Qin Lie decided that they had to kill her.

He had also demonstrated such capacity for ruthlessness to the Xing Family.

However, the moment Qin Lie said that Xing Shengnan treated him with sincerity, Xue Moyan understood that Qin Lie clearly knew when to hold a grudge and when to show gratitude.

He had not been eroded by malevolence and hatred.

This was why she could rest easy.

Two days later, the bright red evening sun made its slow descent through the sky and bathed the Setting Sun Islands in bright golden light.

The sun shone from a distance and looked as if it were sinking into the ground.

This gorgeous view was what the Setting Sun Islands were named after.

Five enormous ships forged from refined steel gradually came into view, cutting through the reflective waves and heading toward these islands.

“Be a little more careful, everyone!” Xing Yao called out. She stood atop the deck of the Wavebreaker, her attractive face a bright gold in the sunlight. “The Setting Sun Islands are fully developed islands under the control of four of our Gold Sun Island’s enforcers. Xiang Xi supervises them.”

Xing Yumiao never hid the conflicts between the Xing Family and Xiang Xi—not from her. This was why those four of the six enforcers had always disgusted her.

Back when she destroyed the reproductive ability of Bo Boze’s son, Xiang Xi had been the one to jump out and constantly call for proper punishment. He forced the Xing Family to imprison her for a long time, a terrible punishment in contrast to her supposed crime.

She never treated Xiang Xi and the other enforcers as seniors.

“The chief enforcer and his men cannot change anything.” Qi Jing wore an indifferent expression.

Xiang Xi and Bo Boze were only in the early stage of the Fragmentation Realm. Overthrowing the authority of the Xing brothers within Gold Sun Island was just wishful thinking.

So Qi Jing wasn’t worried.

“They won’t be able to overthrow the Xing Family,” Guo Yanzheng said. “But that only holds true so long as they do not borrow outside strength.”

As he said this, three Flowing Gold Fire Phoenixes gradually flew over from another direction.

According to the travel plan, Gold Sun Island’s five ships and three fire phoenixes would stop at the Setting Sun Islands to rest. Only after making a few preparations would they actually return to Gold Sun Island.

Guo Yanzheng sighed softly as he watched the fire phoenixes approach from a distance.

“I just don’t understand,” he said. “Why did Young Master Lie join Xiang Xi? You must have failed to inform him about the grudges between Xiang Xi and the Xing Family. He must have mistakenly thought that both sides are close.”

“He isn’t a member of our family!” Xing Yao shouted coldly. “No one who sides with Xiang Xi shall meet a good end! This fellow who showed up out of nowhere… hmph! In my opinion, he’s nothing but Xiang Xi’s lackey!”

She had no doubt in her mind that Xiang Xi had invited Qin Lie over to cause trouble.

“That’s impossible.” Guo Yanzheng shook his head. He was well aware of Qin Lie’s status as a member of Blood Fiend Sect. “Xiang Xi doesn’t have the ability to invite someone like him.”

“That is irrelevant. He will never reach Gold Sun Island alive!” Xing Yao declared, an icy smile spreading across her face.

Xing Yumiao hadn’t kept his threat a secret from Xing Yao, so she knew that he would personally kill Qin Lie if he didn’t choose to vanish before they reached Gold Sun Island.

Especially considering how Qin Lie stood beside Xiang Xi two days and publicly taunted the Xing Family, she was completely certain that Qin Lie would die.

Qin Lie had enraged every Xing Family clansman but Xing Shengnan!

“He has come yet again!” Qi Jing exclaimed in astonishment.

Xing Yao and Guo Yanzheng looked up, raising their hands to their foreheads to shield their eyes from the evening sun. They watched as a crystalline war chariot flew down from a Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix as expected and approached the deck of the Wavebreaker.

The chariot carried only one person—Qin Lie.

The crystalline war chariot stopped ten meters above the ship’s deck.

Qin Lie looked down at Xing Yao, and in a calm tone, he said, “I’m looking for big sister.”

Xing Wu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his face grim as he started shouting at Qin Lie.

“She isn’t your big sister!” he yelled. “And no one in the Xing Family turns on their own kin!”

“Leave! You’re not welcome here!”

“Go away! Stop bothering us!”

“Buzz off! Go and hang out with Xiang Xi like the villain you are!””

“Someone like you isn’t a part of the Xing Family!”

Xing Family clansmen emerged from the stairway to the third floor one by one, the anger they had been suppressing for days finally exploding forth.

All of them pointed at Qin Lie accusingly and berated him.

Since Xiang Xi and the other three enforcers weren’t around, they yelled without restraint. They treated Qin Lie like the most despicable, shameless person they had ever seen and made sure he knew it.

Qin Lie smiled indifferently. He seemed as if he didn’t care and simply said, “I’m only here to speak with big sister.”

“Shut up!”

Xing Shengnan’s voice boomed from within her cultivation room. She had no choice but to stop cultivating and make her way to the deck of the ship.

Upon arrival, she began screeching at every Xing Family clansman, especially Xing Yao.

“Little brother simply doesn’t know about the relationship between our Xing Family and Xiang Xi,” she cried. “He has only mistakenly placed his trust in Xiang Xi! What in Spirit Realm are all of you doing? Why do you hide the truth from him, then blame him when he makes the wrong decision, huh?”

“Aunt! Can you just… please wake up!” Xing Yao could no longer stand Xing Shengnan’s confused beliefs. “Why don’t you understand? How many times have you been tricked? Why must you make the same mistake over and over again?”

“I am awake! I am more awake than anyone here right now!” Xing Shengnan yelled. “Xing Lie is seventh grandfather’s only grandson. He is my little brother, and a direct descendant of the Xing Family! Why are you treating your own family like this? Are you truly this heartless?”

“Seventh grandfather died more than a thousand years ago! You don’t know about that because father and uncle were afraid that you’d succumb to sadness!” Xing Yaoou screamed, frantically pointing at Qin Lie. “He isn’t a member of the Xing Family! This man… this person that appeared out of nowhere… he’s just like all of those spies who previously pretended to be members of the Xing Family. All of them are despicable, vile scum who want to take down the Xing Family! Aunt… you can’t keep making the same mistake over and over. You can’t keep living in the past. Seventh grandfather died… a-and… fourth uncle died in your arms. You were there when he did.”

Driven by her outrage toward Qin Lie and her disappointment in Xing Shengnan constantly making the same mistake, Xing Yao finally made the truth public.

Many Xing Family clansmen weren’t aware of the truth. The two enforcers on the side of the Xing Family, Guo Yanzheng and Qi Jing, were even more shocked by this revelation.

Then numerous gazes fell upon Xing Shengnan.

Everyone pitied her.

Xing Shengnan’s bulky frame collapsed to the ground. It was as if she had suddenly lost the strength that had supported her all this time. Helplessness shone from her small eyes as she unconsciously muttered to herself.

“D-dead,” she whispered. “All dead. They’re… all dead…”

Standing atop the crystalline war chariot, Qin Lie watched Xing Shengnan break down in both mind and spirit. A complicated look appeared in his eyes.

All of a sudden, he spoke up.

“No matter what my surname may be… in my heart, you will always be my big sister.”

His words made Xing Yao go insane with anger.

“Go away!” she screamed. “Get the hell away from us! Get as far from this place as you possibly can!”

“Kill him! Kill this traitor!”

“Kill him!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

Chapter 586: Falling Out

Qin Lie had come to the Wavebreaker alone.

At this moment, his crystalline war chariot hovered around five meters above the deck of the ship, far from what anyone would consider a safe distance.

The anger of the Xing Family clansmen had been completely set ablaze.

Xing Wu was the first to act, gathering wisps of silvery-white spirit energy around him to form a ferocious snow-white tiger. It was around eight meters long, looked incredibly lifelike, and its figure superimposed onto him.

Sacred beasts like Qilins were signs of good fortune. In much the same way, the Green Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise were also sacred beasts, all of which possessed high levels of intelligence.

The White Tiger that Xing Wu formed was his own cultivated interpretation of the White Tiger. He borrowed its killing aura to enhance his heart, soul, and combat strength.

“Grrraaaaaaugh!”

Xing Wu and the White Tiger erupted into a roar at the exact same time, their superimposed figure pouncing into the air and flying toward the crystalline war chariot. A shockingly potent killing aura rolled off of Xing Wu in waves, and the White Tiger ferociously swiped at Qin Lie with its savagely sharp claws.

After Xing Yao confirmed that Qin Lie wasn’t a member of the Xing Family, Xing Wu no longer had any qualms about killing him.

He respected Xing Shengnan from the bottom of his heart and wouldn’t allow anyone to borrow the name of the Xing Family and hurt her!

“I am not an enemy of the Xing Family.”

Qin Lie wore a strange expression as he unleashed a killing aura of his own, pushing his palm toward the White Tiger’s giant ethereal head.

“Zzzt zzzt zzzt!”

Dense bolts of crisscrossing lightning poured from his hand like a dazzling waterfall of electricity.

They washed over the White Tiger’s head like curtains of beads.

“Crackle!”

The White Tiger made out of Xing Wu’s spirit energy collapsed under the rampaging lightning and swiftly dissipated.

In the blink of an eye, the roaring White Tiger completely vanished.

The destruction of the White Tiger made Xing Wu’s breath grow ragged. Hatred gushing from his eyes, he moved to do something else, but stopped when Enforcer Qi Jing spoke up.

“You aren’t a match for him.” Qi Jing snorted coldly, a frown on his face. “Your realm is lower than his and your spirit energy is much weaker as well.”

However, just as Qi Jing was about to try and capture Qin Lie himself, Guo Yanzheng moved to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He coughed slightly, shook his head, and said, “Don’t.”

Astonishment covered Qi Jing’s face.

“Why?” he exclaimed in a low voice.

Guo Yanzheng smiled bitterly, then secretly transmitted his voice to Qi Jing so that only he could hear what he said.

“He is a member of Blood Fiend Sect and cultivates the orthodox Blood Spirit Art…” Guo Yanzheng’s voice echoed softly in Qi Jing’s ears. “Both first and second island master know about this.”

Qi Jing’s expression changed subtly.

Like Guo Yanzheng, Qi Jing hailed from the Heavenly Calamity Continent, and the Xing brothers had invited him to join Gold Sun Island in much the same way.

More importantly, both his and Guo Yanzheng’s families had been vassal forces of Blood Fiend Sect in the past. Both men had received benefits and care from Blood Fiend Sect in the past, so it held a special place in their hearts.

Furthermore, both respected and feared Blood Fiend Sect even now. This kept them from carelessly attacking any member of Blood Fiend Sect.

“The island masters know about this?” Qi Jing asked in a heavy voice.

Guo Yanzheng nodded.

Qi Jing pondered for a moment, then looked up to Qin Lie and asked, “What in Spirit Realm are you trying to do?”

Qi Jing had kept his voice low while speaking to Guo Yanzheng. Guo Yanzheng had even turned his voice into a thread of sound, transmitting it to Qi Jing to secretly reveal Qin Lie’s identity.

As a result, none of the Xing Family clansmen had no idea what was going on.

In their eyes, it looked as if Qi Jing had suddenly changed his mind just as he was about to attack Qin Lie. This confused them to no end.

They became even more astonished when they heard Qi Jing ask about Qin Lie’s plans. To them, it seemed as if he were giving in to Qin Lie.

“Enforcers! What in Spirit Realm are you doing?” Xing Yao yelled. She knew that she probably wasn’t a match for Qin Lie. In fact, she had hoped that Guo Yanzheng and Qi Jing would kill him, but for whatever reason, they stopped short of carrying out the deed. This left her extremely frustrated. “You already know that person isn’t a member of the Xing Family! What are you waiting for? Kill him!”

Multiple Xing Family clansmen echoed the sentiment at the same time, yelling, “Kill him!”

Weak and dazed, Xing Shengnan continued to lay on the deck in a fetal position. She seemed to be in unfathomable pain, incapable of crawling out of the abyss made from her memories.

She was the only one here with the authority to give orders, and right now, Xing Yao could only be considered a leader in name.

Unfortunately for her, since Guo Yanzheng had told him that Qin Lie was a member of Blood Fiend Sect and couldn’t be harmed, Qi Jing didn’t dare to act.

This only infuriated Xing Yao even more.

Qin Lie didn’t look at anyone but Xing Shengnan.

After pondering for a moment, he said, “I will give you a proper explanation today, big sister.”

Choosing to no longer hang around the Xing Family, he directed the war chariot back to the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix on which he currently resided.

Qin Lie left behind the deck full of Xing Family clansmen who were cursing him and hollering about making sure he died.

Just like that, he quickly returned to the fire phoenix.

Xiang Xi, the other three enforcers, and the rest of their men stood in crystalline war chariots of their own, hovering around the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix.

The moment he saw Qin Lie, Xiang Xi laughed loudly. A wide grin spread across his face, making it seem as if he were about to devour someone.

“Did you go to harrass the Xing Family once again, my friend?” Xiang Xi asked.

Everyone could see that Xiang Xi was a bit excited today.

“Mn. I went down there and toyed with them for a little,” Qin Lie answered nonchalantly.

“Heheh! There’ll be a good show today.” Xiang Xi winked at him. “All you need to do is watch!”

Qin Lie shrugged.

“Then I shall wait and see,” he said, an indifferent smile on his face.

“Haha, you definitely won’t be disappointed!” Xiang Xi slapped Qin Lie’s shoulder without reservation. He then spoke in a grandiose tone. “When the day is done, I shall have the prettiest girl in all of Gold Sun Island entertain you. Once we arrive at Gold Sun Island, you may enjoy any woman you want, haha!””

Qin Lie smiled and kept silent.

All of a sudden, an idea flashed through Xiang Xi’s mind and he smiled strangely.

“Ah!” he exclaimed. “Xing Yao… how about that bitch, Xing Yao? That bitch’s gaze has recently made me quite uncomfortable! Heh, I noticed that she was quite unfriendly to you as well, but she won’t be able to act so arrogantly much longer. Starting today, I’ll have her kneel before you and service you to your heart’s content!”

“Oh?” Qin Lie raised an eyebrow, looking at Xiang Xi skeptically.

“Just watch.” Xiang Xi laughed loudly.

Then he suddenly released a shrill howl and drove his crystalline war chariot toward the ships below, stopping to hover above the Wavebreaker.

Bo Boze, Xu Changsheng, and Xu Jiadong also howled and drove their chariots toward the ships below..

Soon after they began howling, numerous crystalline war chariots shot from the countless Setting Sun Islands, swarming like locusts.

When Qin Lie focused on the swarm, he realized that there were probably close to a hundred chariots of all kinds of colors and sizes.

Every war chariot carried somewhere from three, to five, to even a dozen people. As far as he could tell, a total of around five hundred martial practitioners, all of whom were in the Fulfillment, Netherpassage, and Manifestation Realms, rode those chariots.

All of the crystalline chariots approached the five ships from every direction, surrounding them and the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix of the Xing brothers.

With the four enforcers in the lead, the swarm of war chariots flew through the air like four torrential streams.

Xiang Xi suddenly laughed boisterously and shouted, “Xing Yumiao!”

At that moment, realization spread across the face of every Xing Family clansman.

Even a dimwit would understand what Xiang Xi’s actions meant.

In fact, Xiang Xi’s men controlled three of the five ships. The Xing Family actually controlled just one of the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenixes, the Wavebreaker, and one other ship.

Terror and worry filled Xing Yao, Xing Wu, Guo Yanzheng, Qi Jing, and every singly Xing Family clansmen.

Even Xing Shengnan, who had experienced a mental breakdown earlier, forced herself to calm down when she saw the commotion occurring around her.

She suddenly trembled, pulling herself out of her painful memories through sheer force of will.

“What is Xiang Xi planning?” she murmured, struggling to stand and glaring at the sky.

Nearly a hundred chariots filled the sky, flying above the two boats and the fire phoenix in four groups that resembled streams.

The insane, earsplitting laughter of Xiang Xi and Bo Boze constantly rang throughout the air. Their combined laughter was so loud that it made all of the Setting Sun Islands rumble.

“Xing Yumiao! Xing Yuyuan! Today, I will take revenge for my son! I will slaughter your family to the last man! I will use your blood to wash away the humiliation you put him through!” Bo Boze shrieked.

Standing atop the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix, Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan wore grim expressions.

“Do you understand now, big brother?” Xing Yuyuan sighed.

Xing Yumiao wasn’t as flustered as he could’ve been. He simply nodded and said, “I didn’t think their hatred for me would run so deep.”

Just like with the three great families, not all grudges can be resolved peacefully,” Xing Yuyuan said, a bitter smile on his face.

“Only through the bloodshed and destruction of one side can such a grudge be dealt with!”