Chapter Fourteen: Past Clouds and Smoke Reappear Before My Eyes

On what was usually a blazing, radiant day, the sun had today withdrawn its brilliance, quietly hiding behind several drifting clouds, free and unrestrained. Without the sun's fierce illumination, the sky seemed somewhat dim, and the slow, almost imperceptible movement of the clouds lent the scene a sense of oppression.

Suddenly, two figures appeared in midair, and without a word, began to battle. The already oppressive silence deepened further with their arrival.

The man, with a casual wave of his hand, summoned a gleaming snake spear, impressive in its majesty. In contrast, Xiao Yin merely picked up a wooden stick from the ground and stepped forward to engage, a sight that evoked a certain desolation.

“Hahaha! You, with not even a proper weapon to your name, dare challenge a true immortal—where does your courage come from? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson for your impudence!” The man’s gaze brimmed with disdain, treating Xiao Yin as nothing, his arrogance almost nauseating.

“Hmph! For someone like you, a wooden stick is more than enough. Save your breath, prepare yourself!” Xiao Yin declared with conviction, then charged at the man.

The seemingly insignificant stick, once in Xiao Yin’s grasp, seemed to gain vitality; under repeated clashes with the snake spear, it suffered not the slightest damage. It was as though Xiao Yin’s cultivation power had temporarily bestowed life upon it—once this power was exhausted, the stick would revert to its ordinary state.

Why does this stick feel so strange in use? It’s nothing like it appears—almost as though it’s a powerful artifact. Could someone be secretly assisting me? Xiao Yin mused, a wicked smile curling on his lips.

Weapons and artifacts collided, demon and immortal confronted one another. Though they appeared evenly matched, their moves had already revealed a winner. Xiao Yin’s crude stick, with a gentle urging of his inner power, unleashed boundless might, enough to overcome even an artifact. The man’s snake spear, though superior, failed to show its potential, its owner wielding it as nothing more than a sturdy weapon—a true pity.

“Damn, this boy really has some skill. That shabby stick can stand against my artifact. I’ll need to use my secret move.” The man frowned, and while Xiao Yin was distracted, he hurled two flying darts at him.

“Hmph! Mere tricks. Watch me destroy your hidden weapons!” Xiao Yin sneered, swinging his stick at the darts.

With a sharp crack, the stick was sliced down by the seemingly inconspicuous darts, its power broken, now nothing but useless debris. Xiao Yin gasped, staring at the ruined stick in his hand.

“Hahaha! Now taste the might of my unique artifact!” The man laughed arrogantly.

The two darts, after flying several yards, spun back toward Xiao Yin, relentlessly pursuing him. Jolted from distraction by the man’s smug voice, Xiao Yin dodged aside, quickly gathering his inner energy. With a shout, “Clouds Unite, Mist Gathers!” he launched his attack.

His energy spun fiercely in midair, swirling the drifting clouds and faint miasma from the ground together, growing larger and faster, forming a massive vortex that enveloped the darts, trapping them within. Xiao Yin closed his eyes, hands parallel, then suddenly brought them together, half-twisting before sending a beam of red light from his left hand, piercing the trapped darts. The vortex shattered; the darts, drained of their power, dropped from the sky.

The man, unfazed, muttered quietly, then calmly uttered, “Merge.” The darts, just about to hit the ground, responded, rising before him. One dart began circling the other rapidly, while the other emitted a light that enveloped them both. The illuminated area expanded, then faded, and in place of the darts appeared a double-layered flying wheel, as large as a golden basin.

With a stride, the man mounted the wheel; the lower layer spun swiftly, stirring the winds, clouds surging around him, impressive and domineering. Snake spear in hand, feet on the wheel, he charged at Xiao Yin.

Now weaponless, Xiao Yin could only desperately unleash his inner energy and red light, hoping merely to survive. The man, smug, thrust his snake spear, aiming to kill.

Just as Xiao Yin thought death inevitable, the red light he had sent unexpectedly entered the snake spear. The spear began to tremble violently, tore free from the man, and flew to Xiao Yin, halting before him. Instinctively, Xiao Yin grasped the spear. To his surprise, it offered no resistance, letting him wield it freely, as though he were its new master.

“Damn it! I spent years trying to subdue this snake spear, every method failed, it never truly yielded. This boy fires a single red light, and the spear submits willingly—how could I endure such humiliation? I must kill him to vent my rage!” The man’s eyes burned with jealous, bitter fury, fists clenched so tight they nearly bled.

“Hahaha! What a fine artifact. In your hands it was wasted, but the spear knows good from bad, choosing a worthy master. Otherwise, who knows how much longer it would have languished as a useless thing!” Xiao Yin mocked.

“You—you vile brat! Prepare to die!” the man roared, charging again atop the wheel.

No longer fearing the wheel, Xiao Yin wielded the snake spear and met him head-on. Now, the spear in Xiao Yin’s hands unleashed endless power, and in just a few moves, he subdued the man.

“Indeed, clothes make the man, saddles make the horse—even immortals need the favor of artifacts! If not for this artifact’s favor, I’d have died in your hands today. I truly ought to thank you—without you, how could I have gained such a fine weapon, eh? Now, tell me, how should I punish you?”

“You’d better let me go. If you harm me, the immortals will never forgive you!” the man threatened, even as a puppet, his arrogance undiminished, thoroughly irritating.

“Oh, how terrifying! Hmph, even now you’re still so arrogant. Watch how I deal with you!” Xiao Yin raised the spear, pretending to stab him. The tip touched the man’s throat, then paused. The man, drenched in cold sweat, eyes fearful, pleaded.

“Hahaha! Weren’t you just swaggering, fearless of heaven or earth? What’s with this state now? Do you admit your fault?” Xiao Yin demanded sternly.

“I’m wrong, I’m wrong! I’ll never trouble that young lady again, please, spare me!” the man begged.

“Hmph! Remember what you’ve said; don’t go back on your word. Well, since you repent, I will—” Before he could finish, a wave of oppressive force seized Xiao Yin, controlling his body. Using Xiao Yin’s hand, the spear plunged into the man’s throat, killing him instantly, then rushed away. Xiao Yin, stunned by this sudden turn, stood holding the bloodied spear, unsure what to do.

“Disaster! I’ve killed an immortal! No—it wasn’t me! Who is framing me, forcing his death upon me? I must leave quickly, hide for a while!” With that, Xiao Yin took up the spear and fled, leaving only the man’s corpse lying on the ground, blood pooling, shocking to behold.

“Ah, another stormy night.” Xiao Yin sighed, gazing out the window. Years had passed since that incident, and Xiao Yin had been hiding, constantly on the run, living each day in fear, unable to relax, jumping at the slightest disturbance—a life without peace.

“Haha, what am I complaining about? To be alive and witness such nights is already a blessing. Thunderstorms or not, I should cherish them. Perhaps by the next storm, I’ll be gone from this world.” Xiao Yin lamented, his troubled face now so different from the playful youth he once was. One could imagine the life he’d led, the heartbreak, disappointment, and despair he’d endured.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the tree before the thatched hut, startling the animals sheltering beneath it, sending them fleeing. Xiao Yin watched, moved. He saw himself reflected in those creatures—sheltering under the tree, terrified by the lightning, with nowhere to hide, at the mercy of fate. Any attempt to resist would end in tragedy.

“What must come, comes.” Xiao Yin murmured.

A bolt of lightning struck straight into the hut, as Xiao Yin leapt through the window into the sky.

“Wretch! Prepare to die!” A figure clad in armor descended from the heavens, rushing at Xiao Yin. “Today, I’ll grind your bones to dust, to mourn my son’s wrongful death!”

“Your son acted unjustly. I only meant to teach him a lesson, not take his life. Someone controlled me, using my hand to kill him. I’m not your true enemy!” Xiao Yin explained.

“Absurd! Simply absurd! Do you realize the snake spear you seized from my son was a profound artifact? With it, no one could approach him, especially as it now recognizes you as its master!” The father’s voice seethed with hatred, as if nothing less than Xiao Yin’s annihilation could satisfy him.

“Utter foolishness! Do you think no one in this world can counter such an artifact? There are always greater powers, greater people. Surely, many sought to destroy your son!” Xiao Yin retorted coldly.

“Infuriating! Stop these excuses! Today, I’ll take your life, no matter what you say!” With that, the father unleashed a terrifying bolt of lightning at Xiao Yin.

“If you’re so stubborn, unwilling to listen, then I’ll see this through!” Xiao Yin summoned the snake spear to meet the lightning.

When spear and lightning collided, the spear emitted a layer of red light, blocking the dreadful bolt. It was clear that over the years, Xiao Yin had refined the spear until it had become a part of him, its power fused with his own, inseparable. The spear was Xiao Yin; Xiao Yin was the spear.