Sundering Nature

Original and most updated translations are from volare. Please don’t read elsewhere and stop supporting theft.

TL: Zhao

Editing: Krisaia

"If not enlightenment in this life, when then will I reach it?" A sighing voice came from the bottom of the crater. Everyone’s countenance turned ashen.

"I knew it! He’s still alive!" Qing Linglong grabbed her sister and jumped onto Big Beard’s mecha before it took off.

"Shit!" Mr. Xie cursed and retreated to a safe distance, followed by the other guardians.

As the smoke around the crater finally dispersed, a near-divested man was seen at its bottom. He opened his eyes and reached out for the handle of the knife stuck in his chest.

"Liu Meng..." Li Yiming stood up and looked around as he stretched his stiff limbs.

"I’m not dead? Where’s Liu Meng?" Li Yiming gritted his teeth and pulled out the knife.

A sizzling noise was heard, as if his chest was a balloon which had just been deflated. However, instead of blood gushing out, Li Yiming only saw a gaping, tenebrous hole. ’What happened... to my heart?’

"So what if he didn’t die? I’ll just kill him again!" Mr. Xie’s features were contorted by greed and anxiousness of missing the opportunity to finish off Li Yiming.

He extended his hands towards two of his followers and they began to convulse as shadowy figures emerged from their skulls and flew into Mr. Xie’s palms. Invigorated by the power of youth, Mr. Xie’s white hair turned black once more, and his hunched back straightened up as his followers wilted away, turning into two piles of bones.

"Vitality Transferral?" Yun Yiyuan, who was observing the whole scene in secret, snorted in contempt. He knew full well the detrimental effects that the technique had on the user’s body.

"Sky Aging!" Mr. Xie’s eyes shone with a silvery glow and the tip of his fingers lit up. He began tracing in the air until what looked like an old-fashioned watch emerged out of thin air, emitting an explosion of light before disappearing.

"What?" Li Yiming looked up. He could feel a strange energy trying to isolate him from the rest of the world. He then spotted a watch floating above his head and reached out for it but his fingers went through the object as if it did not exist. ’Is this an illusion?’

"A time-based technique? Has he mastered the essence of time?" Eyeglasses countenance sank.

"Mastered might be an overstatement, but he’s close to it. He’s a talented man," Qing Linglong remarked.

"I see. Not a surprise then that he can kill even those who are higher level than him. What’s most damaging isn’t slowing down time or accelerating it, but reversing its flow..." Yun Yiyuan frowned as he deduced Mr. Xie’s biggest asset.

"I’ve lived for a hundred years now. Allow me to demonstrate my powers used to defeat countless enemies against all odds." Mr. Xie was enraged yet confident. He pointed at Li Yiming, and the watch above his head began spinning furiously.

’What?’ Li Yiming has a bad presentiment. Although his body was still stiff from the resurrection, he activated his dance technique once more, dancing to the rhythm of the invisible lines and orbs.

"Kill him." Mr. Xie ordered his followers.

"Go!" The dozens of subordinates rushed to attack Li Yiming, for they knew that his strength was being repressed by Mr. Xie. Their sole objective was to buy time until the full activation of Mr. Xie, and victory would be within their grasp.

Li Yiming grew anxious as he had no time to finish his choreography before being interrupted by Mr. Xie’s underlings. Moreover, the still-spinning watch which floated above his head conferred an ominous feeling — looking at it made him felt as if he was about to face Heaven’s Punishment once more.

"What?" Li Yiming suddenly felt his body become more agile, his movements no longer limited by stiffness.

Li Yiming looked at the lines of shadows which connected him to the watch above his head. All of a sudden, he could feel his heart beating again, all the while seeing the red orbs and luminous lines disappearing. ’My talent... It’s vanishing...’

"Time reversal... that’s a terrifying talent. He’s going to bring Li Yiming back a level!" One of the guardians figured out what was going on.

"So this is his technique... To level down his opponent..."

"Kill him now!" The young tailor raised his chipped blade and slashed at Li Yiming’s head.

"Shit!" Li Yiming had no choice but to stop his dance and jumped back.

"The master’s technique is working! Kill him!" The young tailor smiled as he noticed that Li Yiming’s movement slowed down. This was an unusually effective display of Mr. Xie’s talent, and he attributed it to Li Yiming having used too much of his strength beforehand. As the other followers started their attack, Li Yiming was being driven deeper into a corner.

"That young tailor is pretty strong..." Qing Linglong frowned as she stayed still and watched with her teammates.

"I need to kill Li Yiming with my own hands!" Ying Mei could wait no longer. Her body faded away in the darkness as she dove into her own shadow.

"Wait! It’s not your turn yet." Yun Yiyuan suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

"You..."

"You’re going to die if you go now." Yun Yiyuan seemed like he wanted to laugh.

Seeing Li Yiming continue to struggle under the attacks of his followers, Mr. Xie smiled confidently and continued to pour energy into his technique. One glyph after another flew from his palm into the floating watch.

"Crimson Shadows!" The young tailor picked the right opportunity to unleash his most powerful attack. His giant blade multiplied into three, nine, and finally eighty-one and they all came down on Li Yiming.

Li Yiming frowned and turned back, blocking off another attack in the process. However, as he tried to launch himself away from the attack, the ground beneath him turned into a puddle of mud. His legs sank into the mud, trapping him in place. The more he struggled to get out, the more entangled he became.

"Damn it!" Li Yiming turned around in frustration. He snatched a spear, shook off its wielder and used it as his own weapon. His eyes flashed with bloodlust as he was soon about to trade blows with the young tailor.