Artifact Chapter 59: I Am The One

Chapter 59: I Am The One

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

It was March, the perfect season for peach blossoms to bloom. The peach blossoms stretched across Kunlai Mountain, covering it in vibrant pinks. From a distance, it looked like a sea of flowers. A gentle breeze occasionally blew, causing the entire field of blossoms to ripple like waves. The beautiful, almost otherworldly scenery of Kunlai Mountain made it easy to lose oneself, unable to break free from its enchanting allure.

Despite the warmth of the season, for Lu Ming, this place felt as if it had been stuck in the depths of winter, with the bitter cold never letting up, as if the northern winds were mercilessly tormenting him. Every second felt like being trapped in an icy tomb, and no matter what, he couldn’t escape this frozen fate.

Lu Ming had been imprisoned by Sang Wusheng for an entire month. During this month, Lu Ming had been at Sang Wusheng’s mercy, his dignity trampled over countless times. Aside from their constant and exhausting activities together, they barely did anything else. Sang Wusheng seemed like a different person, constantly finding new ways to humiliate him, to possess him, as if this would give him total control over Lu Ming. Yet, Lu Ming’s heart remained as firm as a rock, almost devoid of any emotion, except for the occasional stir when Sang Wusheng provoked him. His icy expression would loosen just a little when stirred by desire, but each time this happened, the coldness within him thickened even further.

Lu Ming stood outside the stone cave, his face expressionless as he gazed at the peach blossoms in full bloom, his thoughts distant. He wore a fine black silk robe, but underneath, he was completely bare. His pale chest, lean waist, and long legs were subtly visible beneath the robe. His cold, indifferent face seemed to hide the endless expanse of snow-capped mountains, exuding an almost indescribable chill and an aura of restraint.

Sang Wusheng had just returned and was greeted by this sight. His eyes lingered on Lu Ming for a long moment, his feelings of longing and pain intertwining, creating a complicated emotion that caused his gaze to darken. He hurried over, as if afraid of angering the person before him, and carefully wrapped his arms around Lu Ming’s slim waist. Resting his head on Lu Ming’s shoulder, he took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent, and felt the unease in his heart slowly dissipate.

He smiled softly and whispered in Lu Ming’s ear, “Brother, why are you up so early?”

Lu Ming ignored him, lost in thought as he stared off into the distance, unaware of his presence.

Not frustrated by the lack of response, Sang Wusheng teasingly licked the sensitive earlobe of Lu Ming, then gently bit it. He felt the man’s body shudder and tried to pull away, so he reluctantly released his hold.

A flash of shame and anger crossed Lu Ming’s eyes, and he clenched his fist tightly under his sleeve. The past month, with their almost daily physical encounters, had left deep marks on his body and mind. His body had been completely transformed into one that responded to Sang Wusheng’s every touch, making him weak and pliable. Yet, as the passion faded, all that was left were the intense feelings of shame and humiliation, along with growing hatred for Sang Wusheng.

Sang Wusheng laughed lightly, lifting Lu Ming’s hand with a charming expression. “Brother, I’ve found so many treasures for you. Come with me, and I’ll show them to you one by one.”

Lu Ming remained expressionless, allowing Sang Wusheng to lead him to a stone bench outside the cave. Sang Wusheng pulled out a pile of magical items from his space ring. They emitted a faint glow and had unusual, exotic shapes, clearly not ordinary objects. But Lu Ming’s attention was fixed on a silver-glowing ring on Sang Wusheng’s finger, and his mind seemed to wander for a moment. Time seemed to rewind to years ago when he had given an identical ring to his younger brother, who had treasured it, using it as a symbol of their bond. Unfortunately, time had passed, and everything had changed, making those past moments seem almost laughable now.

Noticing where Lu Ming’s gaze had gone, Sang Wusheng smiled knowingly. He gently caressed the ring on his finger, his gaze soft like the first light of dawn. He sighed nostalgically. “This is the ring you gave me, Brother. Although we’ve been apart for so long, I’ve never taken it off.”

Lu Ming snapped out of his reverie and glanced at him, his voice cold. “You don’t deserve it.”

Sang Wusheng’s eyes darkened, but he held back his emotions, lowering his head to hide the feelings in his gaze. When he looked up again, he forced a smile and pointed to the magical items on the stone table. “I’ve been searching for these for a long time. I wanted to give them to you, but you left for so long, so I couldn’t give them to you.”

Lu Ming glanced at the items on the table. His eyes were drawn to a dark red stone the size of a palm. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands, then frowned. “Is this a magical item too?”

Sang Wusheng looked at him in surprise, thrilled that this was the first time in a month that Lu Ming had not mocked him. He hurriedly softened his voice and said, “This is a rare dream reef from the South Sea, not a magical item. At night, it glows in five colors and emits a beautiful sound.”

Lu Ming toyed with the stone for a moment, then lowered his eyes, disappointed. “So we have to wait until night to see it.”

Sang Wusheng chuckled softly. “Why wait until night? As long as you’re happy, I’d be willing to reverse the heavens for you.”

Once he finished speaking, Sang Wusheng suddenly released his overwhelming spiritual energy. The energy shot up into the sky, like a powerful beam of light piercing through the blue sky. In an instant, the peaceful sky above was enveloped by a mass of dark clouds. Looking around, the entire land was pulled into darkness, and the world seemed to fall into pitch-blackness, as if an eclipse had occurred—an awe-inspiring sight.

Lu Ming stood frozen, shocked by the scene before him, but his heart slowly sank. Sang Wusheng actually already possessed such power. Now, he was intentionally displaying his strength in front of him, clearly warning him. If he remembered correctly, Sang Wusheng was supposed to have a Heavenly Spirit Root, but to his surprise, he had hidden his true abilities. Even Lu Ming had been deceived by him. Moreover, the Heavenly Spirit Root had no bottleneck, meaning its cultivation speed could reach an astonishing level. Given the strength he displayed now, it was certain that he had already reached the mid-to-late stage of Divine Separation.

He Qingci, with a body of superior aptitude and a more mature mind, had reached the mid-to-late stage of Nascent Soul in just over a decade. This was enough to shake the entire cultivation world. But Sang Wusheng had already reached this level, even surpassing the once-talented sect master of Kunlai and the current Immortal Emperor Ze Yu. It would not be an exaggeration to call Sang Wusheng the greatest cultivator the world had ever seen.

Lu Ming sighed bitterly. With his current strength, there was no way he could escape Sang Wusheng’s control. A once-in-a-lifetime genius who emerged only once in tens of thousands of years—he had actually encountered him, and they were now in such an awkward relationship. This person not only bound him with Xuan Iron but had also placed several binding spells on him. If he tried to escape or used his spiritual energy, the demonic energy within his body would override his will, making it impossible for him to escape, with no place to run.

“Brother, look.” Sang Wusheng’s soft voice called out.

Lu Ming snapped back to reality and looked at the seemingly ordinary stone in his hand. After the sudden darkness, the once-unremarkable stone began to emit a faint glow. Gradually, the light grew stronger, with colorful hues shooting straight into the sky like a beam of light piercing through the dark clouds. As the colors changed continuously, it resembled a massive rainbow within arm’s reach. Lu Ming was captivated by the beautiful sight and instinctively reached out to touch the strange stone.

The stone seemed to sense his touch and suddenly emitted a crisp sound. The sound was like water tinkling in a stream, or like a clear spring flowing in a mountain gorge. In the vast silence of the earth, the sound merged into a natural melody, like an orchestra composed of the sounds of nature. For a moment, Lu Ming forgot all worldly concerns, completely immersed in the rare and beautiful moment, unable to pull himself away. He looked somewhat entranced, his mind feeling foggy, and his gaze towards the dream reef seemed strange.

Sang Wusheng immediately patted Lu Ming’s shoulder and said anxiously, “Brother, the object can captivate the soul. You must not be distracted.”

Lu Ming was startled and chanted a calming incantation several times before his mind cleared. He couldn’t help but feel amazed.

At that moment, Lu Ming suddenly felt the earth beneath them tremble. His expression changed, and he instinctively looked at Sang Wusheng. But Sang Wusheng remained unfazed, as if he couldn’t feel it. He continued to smile at Lu Ming with his eyes as gentle as water.

Lu Ming softly asked, “You… don’t feel the ground shaking?”

Sang Wusheng didn’t seem to hear him, still smiling without answering. A sense of unease began to rise within Lu Ming. What was this strange situation? It felt as though he and Sang Wusheng were separated into two different spaces, unable to perceive what the other was experiencing.

Could it be that this stone not only captivates the mind but also creates illusions?

Lu Ming glanced at the dark clouds that still couldn’t disperse in the sky and the Xuan Iron on his wrist. With a sigh of helplessness, he realized that in his current state, he didn’t even have the ability to break free from the illusion.

“Do you want to leave here?” A deep voice suddenly echoed from behind him.

Lu Ming was startled and quickly turned around to look. He saw a figure slowly approaching from the darkness. Using the light from the stone, he could finally make out the person’s appearance.

The person was exceptionally handsome, with lips like they were painted, black hair cascading down his back. Wearing a white robe, he looked even more ethereal, radiating a soft golden glow. He seemed like a god descending from the heavens. His eyes were as calm as the vast ocean, with a hint of sorrow and compassion. Strangely, Lu Ming felt his tense nerves begin to relax, and even he was surprised by his reaction.

The person smiled slightly and stopped in front of Lu Ming. He repeated in a soft voice, “Do you want to leave here?”

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes and asked, “Who are you?”

The person looked at him and a warmth flickered in his eyes. He spoke softly, “I am the one who brought you into this world. My name is Ze Yu.”

Lu Ming’s heart jolted. That name was known throughout the entire cultivation world. Ze Yu was the one who founded the Kunlai Sect, eventually ascended to the Immortal Realm, and became the Immortal Emperor!

Why had the Immortal Emperor, Ze Yu, suddenly descended into the mortal realm? And what did he mean by saying, “I am the one who brought you into this world”?

Lu Ming had a feeling that the countless questions he had buried in his heart might finally be answered by Ze Yu.

 

 

 

 

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