Chapter 233: Deception by Noise
Deep within Yumen Pass, in the underground of the Nanling County Prince’s Mansion, in the vast underground cave where the God Realm Yumen’s operation core is located.
Hong Bian, dressed in a moon-white robe embroidered with threads of gold depicting the Miracle Flower, sat cross-legged on the ground, his expression solemn.
In front of him, a massive structure resembling a giant heart, the operation core of the God Realm, floated in mid-air, emanating a dazzling, molten glow. A hint of dragon patterns could be seen surging within, a manifestation of the power originating from the core that constructed the God Realm—the Abyss Dragon Frame.
His four disciples—thief Ma Se, bandit leader Gur Suwan, wolf boy Surush, and cannibal monk Zhang Xuan—waited silently.
After a long while.
Hong Bian turned around, smiling as he looked at the four and said, “When His Highness the County King brings the Shaman King before Yumen Pass, I will activate the God Realm Yumen, causing it to retreat into the Jade Gate Desert. At that time, everything inside Yumen Pass will be sealed within…”
“To successfully suppress and seal the Shaman King, the God Realm Yumen requires a more powerful force…”
“Moreover, when the God Realm Yumen was constructed, it was intended to repel external enemies and suppress demons; it never considered sealing in living people, especially tens of thousands of them. This is a shortcoming of mine, and I must remedy it.”
Upon hearing Hong Bian’s words, a tremor ran through the hearts of his four disciples, and their brows furrowed.
Their strength was considerable. Apart from Surush, the other three had followed Hong Bian for years, accumulating profound knowledge.
Hong Bian’s words led them to guess that the so-called “stronger force” and “remedy” meant integrating his own powers and existence into the God Realm Yumen.
The success rate of merging two God Realms is generally quite low; even if one is not a complete God Realm, it is still the case. But… with the blessing of a miracle, it is surely possible!
This action is imperative!
Regardless of the current strength of the God Realm Yumen to suppress the Shaman King, the risk of failure is extremely high. Just considering the lives of the tens of thousands of beings within Yumen Pass, he must do this.
Since the rise of the Shaman King, the various tribes roaming the vast Gobi Desert around Yumen Pass have frequently looted caravans and travelers, their methods more brutal and vicious than those of horse bandits, and with greater organization and discipline…
Even if the County King of Nanling and Hong Bian successfully use the God Realm Yumen to suppress the Shaman King, it is highly likely to result in a mutually destructive outcome.
At that time, without the Shaman King’s control and the protection of the Longxiang Army Armor Soldiers, without sealing the God Realm Yumen, the vast majority of Yumen Pass residents, whether staying behind or fleeing, would face inevitable d*ath.
This has already been proven by facts. Even before Longxiang reclaimed the states of Gua and Sha, those Huihu tribes had previously engaged in “killing, arson, and tormenting infants for amusement, leaving a scorched earth for five thousand miles.”
The God Realm Yumen, built upon slaughter and suppression, must integrate the rich fragrance of the Miracle Flower and the vibrant God Realm prototype within Zawen Temple to maintain life inside after sealing, preventing the tens of thousands of beings within Yumen Pass from being trapped to d*ath in the God Realm.
Under the protection of the fragrance of the Miracle Flower and that vibrant God Realm prototype, whether it takes a few months, waiting for the Tang reinforcements to arrive, or a few years, until the leaderless Huihu and Tubo tribes either weaken or retreat, the crisis can be resolved, and the God Realm can be reopened.
This is something that the Nanling County King and Hong Bian can manage while dealing with the Shaman King.
Earlier, when Hong Bian put away the God Realm stored in Zawen Temple and hurried to the operation core of the God Realm Yumen, the four had already faintly guessed at his thoughts. However, upon truly hearing Hong Bian’s imminent d*ath news, a surge of sorrow arose in their hearts.
In a certain sense, what Hong Bian was about to do was a sacrifice!
To offer everything he possessed as a sacrifice to the God Realm Yumen, granting it even greater power to suppress the Shaman King, and to provide the living beings temporarily sealed within the God Realm, completely isolated from the outside world, a chance to survive.
Seeing the four in silence, Hong Bian shook his head, saying, “You need not be sad, for this is the best way for me to return, and it is a joyous matter… Furthermore, I am not truly dead; I have merely merged into every part of the God Realm Yumen, living on in another form.”
The son of miracles, awakened in the illusion, chose to return to the illusion, forever sleeping, in order to avoid being consumed by destructive offspring, becoming a helper that ignites war across the land… In Hong Bian’s view, this is the best ending for him.
After a pause, Hong Bian looked at the cannibal monk Zhang Xuan and said, “Zhang Xuan, you have followed me the longest. When the God Realm Yumen retreats into the yellow sands, are you willing to continue to stay by my side?”
Upon hearing Hong Bian’s words, the giant of a man, significantly taller and more robust than an average person, like an iron tower, momentarily froze before quickly regaining his composure, realizing that Hong Bian wanted him to guard outside the County Prince’s Mansion to prevent small-time crooks from infiltrating the God Realm operation center for destruction.
“I am willing!” Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan responded.
“Very good!” Hong Bian nodded, turning his gaze to the wolf boy Surush. “Surush, although His Highness the County King has already sent several people to seek help from the Sage, I still have some worries. You are fast, so you can set out with the letters I entrusted to you earlier.”
“After delivering those letters for aid… Haha, haven’t you always missed your wolf pack over the years? Once the matter is settled, go back to find them! But remember, do not harm anyone again.”
Surush, seemingly sulking with Hong Bian, turned his face away and grumbled, “Okay.”
Hong Bian smiled and shook his head, shifting his gaze to the bandit leader Gur Suwan and thief Ma Se. “Since it has been decided to merge into the God Realm Yumen, this physical body of mine has lost its meaning of existence. However, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Shaman King, it must be moved away from Yumen…”
“Gur Suwan, Ma Se, both of you, having rich experiences from roaming far and wide before joining my teachings, take my remains and split into two routes, one heading north and the other south, and find a way to hide and seal it away. How does that sound?”
Gur Suwan and Ma Se exchanged complex glances with Hong Bian, then silently stepped forward and clasped their fists together, saying in unison, “We will not disgrace our master’s orders!”
Hearing this, Hong Bian looked at his four disciples with gratitude in his eyes, smiling and nodding, before waving his hand, saying, “Good, very good. I am so pleased to have disciples like you. I truly wish to stay with you a little longer, but His Highness the County King will soon return with the Shaman King. We must prepare…”
“Surush, Zhang Xuan, you two go!”
“Gur Suwan, Ma Se, you stay for now and leave with my remains later.”
After saying this, Hong Bian turned around, facing the giant heart constructed from the Abyss Dragon Frame, and closed his eyes.
Behind him, the four silently bowed three times in respect to his back, then the wolf boy Surush and the cannibal monk Zhang Xuan hurriedly left the underground cave, leaving only the bandit leader Gur Suwan and thief Ma Se standing in place, gazing at Hong Bian’s back, their expressions deepening.
Moments later, the fusion began.
Hong Bian summoned the God Realm prototype temporarily stored within his body, and then, using the foundation of the God Realm prototype—his Miracle Flower—he began to dismantle that structure which had originally stood in Zawen Temple.
The massive golden solidified spell formula and the vegetation filled with spirit energy disintegrated into complex components and vibrant spirit energy, forming a torrent that surged toward the operation core of the God Realm Yumen floating in the center of the underground cave.
Accompanied by a flash of dazzling light and continuous faint rumblings, the enormous “heart” resonated with spirit energy, enveloping the countless components above.
Then, the roar erupted again!
The high-pitched booming sounded as if it would tear eardrums apart and shatter brains.
Along with the rumblings, a fierce wind swept in, rushing into the passages on the walls of the underground cave, emitting howls resembling beastly roars.
Countless dust particles rose, nearly solidifying into a forceful spirit energy that churned the ground, producing a translucent ripple resembling water waves.
When the spirit energy from the operation core of the God Realm Yumen merged with the spirit energy emanating from the God Realm prototype after a long period of brewing, Hong Bian fixed his determined gaze on the colorful, dreamlike flower floating in front of him, taking a deep breath.
As his chest rose and fell, the entire world seemed to take a profound breath with him, and in that inhalation and exhalation, he felt an indescribable terrifying power bestowed upon him. He slowly extended his hands toward the Miracle Flower in front of him.
Hands pressed together, crushing with force!
In an instant, a solemn and distant melody echoed in the air, seemingly singing a ballad.
“The soul originating in the illusion, its existence is the proof of miracles.
It brought forth gold, covering the earth.
It brought forth swords, ending wars.
Cattle and sheep abound, food flows endlessly, sweet wine flows like rivers…”
The shattered Miracle Flower, wrapped in the massive spirit energy continuously surging from within Hong Bian, transformed into endless, sparkling sand flowing like the starry sky, surging toward the operation core of the God Realm and the previously disassembled components of the God Realm prototype.
The next moment, ripples surged from the spirit energy, the torrent rolling in. High-level spirit energy users Gur Suwan and Ma Se found themselves within it, and even while pushing their spirit energy to the limit to protect themselves, they still felt as though they were about to be crushed, having to crawl on the ground to avoid the pain.
Those solidified spell formula components made of gold, under the pull of the splendid flowing sand crafted from the Miracle Flower and the total spirit energy of Hong Bian, began to orbit around the operation core of the God Realm Yumen like satellites entering their predetermined orbits, slowly and orderly spiraling around it.
The operation core, originally radiating a fierce light, became even more brilliant, resembling a blazing sun.
As this “sun” rose, Hong Bian’s consciousness gradually grew hazy.
In the midst of the dimness, visions of various precognitive dreams he had experienced flashed through his mind.
He saw the Miracle Flower, bearing the world, crawling with insects, its petals wilting under the poison of the insects, yet reviving in the winds and rains brought by the dragon.
He witnessed the flames of war burning down the city walls, iron hooves trampling upon life, as the Shaman King spread chaos and slaughter across every mountain and sea of this world.
He saw a great serpent, not belonging to this world, descending with flames from the sky, bringing sinful royal authority…
But this time, the great serpent did not shatter the walls of Yumen Pass, and the sinful royal authority did not set fire to the grand place.
“…”
Those two fellows…
Heh, unexpectedly, His Highness the County King was right again; they really seemed to mean no harm.
Or perhaps, they were truly changed by His Highness the County King?
Hong Bian thought with relief, emptying his mind, allowing his consciousness to sink into darkness.
The fusion was complete.
As the God Realm prototype constructed based on his own powers fully merged with the operation core of the God Realm Yumen, his body visibly aged and withered, and a golden figure was faintly seen flying out from within him, merging into the operation core of the God Realm.
A few seconds later, the moon-white robe supported by Hong Bian’s body suddenly collapsed, ceasing to sing the song describing his powers.
Gur Suwan and Ma Se, having waited for a long time nearby, paused for a moment before rushing forward, finding under the moon-white robe withered and blackened fingers, leg bones, eyes, heart, and brain, as if they had rotted and then weathered.
Without any communication, the two exchanged somber glances for a moment, then carefully collected a portion of Hong Bian’s remains and swiftly left the underground cave, exiting Yumen Pass, with one heading south and the other north, fleeing far away…
————
On the other side.
Driving the truck, Lu Yibei and her group sped towards Yu Men Pass and, when they were about seven or eight kilometers away, caught the whiff of bl**d and burnt scents drifting from afar.
As they advanced and the distance to Yumen Pass shrank to five kilometers, taking advantage of the towering terrain, they saw rivers of bl**d, mountains of corpses, and flickering lights hiding amongst the massed Shaman King’s army outside Yumen Pass.
As expected, Yumen Pass had indeed been surrounded, and Zhu Sanming and Li Tietou exchanged worried glances, instinctively clutching the iron boxes in their arms.
Was it truly possible to get through the Shaman King’s army and deliver the two iron boxes into the city?
At this moment, Lu Yibei’s voice reached them.
“There are so many enemies; this is a bit troublesome!” She turned to Shen Baiwei and asked, “Cutie, do you have a good plan?”
“Hmm…” Shen Baiwei pondered seriously and replied, “Forcing our way through definitely won’t work; we can only think of a way to create a diversion…”
“Well said!” Lu Yibei clapped her on the shoulder, saying, “We’ll make noise on the east side while they hit the west side!”
Shen Baiwei, “???”
What is that? What do you mean by doing it your way? If you want to risk your life, do it yourself; why drag me in?
(Whining, I got too into writing and lost track of time…)
