Karmic Fire Proving Guilt
The moment they stepped out of the Gate of Life, Yingshi heard a crack. She stiffly lowered her head and found that cracks were appearing on the egg in her arms.
She was dumbfounded for a second, then hurriedly and clumsily loosened her tight grip on the egg, only daring to support it gently. Like a maternity ward intern on their first day of rotation, she instinctively sought Shuangjian's eyes: "Oh no, oh no, how can it be hatching so soon!"
Shuangjian's expression also froze for half a second. Although he had previously realized that the spiritual aura surrounding this egg was faint, almost non-existent, he had never expected it to be so excessively weak that it would hatch in Yingshi's hands in less than five minutes.
According to the standards of the Holy Spirit Mountain, such a hatching speed clearly meant that it was likely no different from an ordinary livestock animal in the mortal world.
Seeing that Yingshi was visibly panicked, Shuangjian lowered his eyes and quickly stepped forward, taking the egg with its deepening cracks from her hands and holding it in his own.
Just as the handover was completed, there were a few more crisp cracks. The top of the eggshell split open completely, and a pink and black, endearingly clumsy little teacup pig popped its head out.
There was no overflowing spiritual light, no changing of the winds and clouds. Its birth was ordinary and mundane, a world away from the scene of the divine eagle hatching in the original novel.
Because it was just an ordinary little pig, the only special thing about it being that it was exceptionally clean and cute.
The little pig struggled to kick its short limbs, shook its head to throw off the eggshell fragments, and then looked up, gazing at Yingshi with its black-bean-like eyes and letting out an oink.
...
The little fantasy Yingshi had in her heart about an Azure Dragon or Black Tortoise shattered along with the eggshell.
But soon, she pieced it back together herself.
Looking on the bright side, didn't she just want an adorably cute spiritual pet in the first place?
Although the little pig right before her looked weak, pitiful, and gluttonous at first glance, it was indeed considered cute.
While Yingshi was observing the little pig, Shuangjian was also staring at the hatched little pig in silence. However, he did not show any signs of disgust. After the remaining eggshells were rapidly gnawed and eaten by the little pig, his palm pressed directly against the little pig's belly, and he still looked natural, holding it steadily.
Perhaps the little pig also liked such a secure embrace. After finding no more eggshells to eat, it immediately shrank its head into Shuangjian's arms, as if it was going to start sleeping right away.
Yingshi watched this scene silently, her eyes burning bright.
Perhaps the gaze she cast over was too hard to ignore. Shuangjian paused slightly and asked her softly, "Do you want to hold it?"
Actually, the reason Yingshi was staring so intently was that she suddenly felt Shuangjian's posture while holding the little pig was somewhat familiar... He had held her like this before in the Tianshan snowfields... Mmm, and in the Wujian Temple too.
She didn't feel anything when she was being held, but now, observing from a third-person perspective, she felt... ahem, how come Shuangjian strangely had the vibe of a devoted husband?
Yingshi blushed and reached out her hands: "Then let me hold it!"
"It's a bit heavy," Shuangjian said, gently handing the little pig into her arms.
The little pig showed no discomfort at the change of environment at all. Without even lifting its head, it simply pointed its curly little tail outward and buried its head into Yingshi's arms, even rubbing comfortably against her.
...
Shuangjian glanced at it wordlessly and pursed his lips.
Yingshi suggested, "Shuangjian, let's give it a name, shall we? What do you think is a good name?"
"It followed you here, so naturally it should be named by you."
"Then how about we call it Xiangxiang? Xu Xiangxiang... following the same format as Xu Maomao." Yingshi pondered while petting the pig. The little pig's body was soft and warm, and felt smooth to the touch.
She walked forward holding the pig, and suddenly stepped on nothing. Even though Shuangjian reacted quickly and grabbed her at the first moment, he could not stop her falling momentum. Instead, along with her, two people and one pig fell down neatly together.
An overwhelming sense of weightlessness descended. Yingshi held back a physiological scream, hugged Xiangxiang tightly in her arms, and tried to levitate with her spiritual power, but the spiritual power was extinguished by the heat wave in the air.
"...The Gate of Death?!"
Yingshi realized that the Gate of Death had come knocking!
The form of the Gate of Death was unpredictable. If it wanted to draw people in, there was simply no hiding from it.
But the Gate of Death's active attacks had a prerequisite. The fact that it could now directly shift to beneath their feet meant that the other seven gates in the altar had already been opened, and someone was trying to leave through the teleportation array connected at the end of all the secret passages.
Because as long as one entered the altar, all eight gates would definitely be activated for a round.
Once someone stood on the exit teleportation array, the untriggered gates would accelerate their appearance beside the disciples.
...Ahhh, how could she be so unlucky again?!
Sigh, but then again, compared to the other three disciples who only came in to suffer, the Gate of Death choosing to swallow them, who had had a small harvest, could still be considered a display of humanitarianism...
The heat wave quickly enveloped their entire bodies, and the world before their eyes suddenly changed.
Inside the Gate of Death, there was actually a crimson lava cave.
Beneath their feet was scorching black rocky ground, and in the center was a boiling lava lake.
It was different from the book.
Of course, this was already the ten thousandth time it was different from the book. The novel I See Frost and Snow could be said to be gradually losing its authority in Yingshi's heart.
But the changing levels of the Gate of Death seemed to be its very own setting. The trials within the gate would spawn based on the greatest fear in the heart of the person who stepped into it. Its mechanism might not target a newly born spiritual pet like Xiangxiang, but for a person, even if they had read the plot, they might not necessarily have the confidence to pass!
Although Jing Fengliu didn't write clearly why, the original male lead in the book feared losing himself the most, so he encountered another version of himself in the Gate of Death, and they had to attack each other.
But this was simply a dead end. The clone's injuries would also reappear on his own body. He either had to kill himself or commit suicide. If he hadn't triggered the summons of the Marrow Cleansing Spring Domain on the verge of death, it would have been an almost certain death ending.
And now, this lava cave... whose fear was it born from?
Yingshi stared blankly at the giant mass of flames coiled above the center of the lake, and heard Shuangjian say behind her ear: "...It is Karmic Fire Proving Guilt."
"...What is that?"
"A type of esoteric sect interrogation."
Shuangjian's eyes turned icy cold.
The esoteric sect's so-called claim was that karmic fire burned the soul directly, without harming the physical body.
For those who entered this array, the deeper their sins, the fiercer the karmic fire would be, and the more intense the agony of burning the soul.
Those guilty of the most heinous crimes would absolutely have no possibility of passing through the karmic fire.
However, the esoteric sect was merciful and provided a method of atonement. As long as one confessed their sins to the karmic fire, their guilt could be reduced slightly due to their sincerity.
Therefore, in essence, this was nothing more than an interrogation, a method used by the esoteric sect to rule its followers.
But when it was moved into the Gate of Death... everything would only become real.
Shuangjian was expressionless, having already let go of Yingshi's hand, clenching his own tightly.
He did indeed want to delve deeper into the Gate of Death to test whether there was still an entrance to a domain inside, but Yingshi absolutely shouldn't be present.
He was terrified of revealing his sins in front of Yingshi—and the Gate of Death accurately captured this point.
He was the one in this space... the most heinous sinner.
"..."
Yingshi noticed Shuangjian's unusual silence and awful complexion, but she opened her mouth and didn't press him with questions.
Based on the mechanism of the Gate of Death, she also deduced that this was what Shuangjian feared.
Is Shuangjian afraid of fire?
Then it was a good thing that on the day the Wujian Temple caught fire, he had already turned into an evil spirit.
No matter what he was afraid of, she first had to speak cautiously. She couldn't accidentally become an accomplice of the Gate of Death and further stimulate Shuangjian's mind.
Spring sun
No matter how confused and helpless she was, she had to try her best to figure it out herself. Knowing that the Gate of Death was targeting him, she couldn't put more pressure on Shuangjian.
Holding Xiangxiang, Yingshi carefully took half a step forward, sizing up the stone steps suspended over the lake under the firelight. Each of them was the size of a square brick, just enough for one person to stand on with both feet... When crossing the river, they had to walk alone. Moreover, spiritual power would be suppressed by the heat wave here, and they couldn't use the flash step.
Across the raging fire, her sharp eyes caught sight of a closed door on the opposite bank—could that be the exit of the Gate of Death?
Although they entered the Gate of Death by falling, the top of their heads was now sealed off, and behind them was a sheer rock wall. Only the opposite bank looked like it had a path.
"...Shuangjian, it seems we have to pass through that ball of flames in the center of the lake," Yingshi said cautiously.
"..."
Shuangjian seemed a bit dazed. Hearing her voice, he was half a beat slow to look at her, and gently nodded.
"But, will Xiangxiang turn into a roast suckling pig?"
When Yingshi asked this question with wide eyes, the flames in the center of the lake seemed to have grown dissatisfied with their standing still. The tongues of fire suddenly stretched over, quickly reaching the shore.
The red light dyed the hem of Yingshi's robe. She did feel the heat was unbearable, but whether it was her clothes or her hair, the places scorched by the fire did not ignite. Xiangxiang raised its head, its wet nose still rooting around in the fire, looking completely undisturbed.
But Shuangjian, who was a few steps away, was different. A raging fire quickly ignited on his body, the flames soaring into the sky like a fallen sun.
"Shuangjian?! Are you okay!"
Yingshi was stunned. She wanted to step forward, but the tongues of fire fiercely formed a wall between the two of them. This newborn flame was different from the fire burning on his body; it actually formed a tangible barrier, making it impossible for her to rush to Shuangjian's side. Shuangjian's voice came from the sea of fire: "Yingshi, go to the opposite bank."
Shuangjian immediately felt the agonizing pain of the raging fire burning his body. However, he had been plagued by the demon core all year round, and his endurance was different from ordinary people. At this moment, his expression remained unchanged as he tried to circulate his demonic energy within the fire to resist the tongues of flame.
Yingshi was indeed a pure and kind person with no worldly attachments. Even the karmic fire could not hurt her in the slightest. This was the best thing that had happened since entering this place.
So, go to the opposite bank and do not look back.
The so-called method of atonement by revealing the truth of his sins to the karmic fire was absolutely impossible for him to do.
Looking into Yingshi's eyes, asking him to admit his constant deception, what difference was it from death?
He couldn't possibly say it.
Even if he were burned to ashes, he would remain silent.
Watching Shuangjian's face begin to blur in the firelight, Yingshi's pupils couldn't help but shrink.
"Why? Why is this fire solely targeting you? How can I save you!" She was worried to death, almost unable to hold onto Xiangxiang, trying over and over again to use her spiritual power that was destined to be scorched away.
Shuangjian did not speak to answer her, or perhaps she simply couldn't hear his voice clearly anymore. However, a strange and shrill voice appeared in the void, answering: "Naturally, it's because he is a person of deep sin. The more lies he tells, the larger the fire will be."
A spirit manifested within the raging fire, continuing to speak with a voice coming from who knows where: "If you want to save him, you might as well force him to confess the guilty deeds he has done. The greatest sin he has committed actually has something to do with you..."
Before the spirit could finish speaking, the firelight suddenly dimmed violently for a moment. Some kind of even more terrifying black mist instantly grew wildly, wrapping around half of the raging fire. The spirit that had spoken seemed to be choked by the sudden black mist, turning into a puddle of roasted white smoke.
The cold and gloomy aura clashed with the heat wave of the raging fire. Not only did it make Yingshi shudder unconsciously, but Xiangxiang in her arms was also twisting uneasily.
"These are lies," Shuangjian said calmly from within the black mist. "Yingshi, you do not need to believe them."
But after he finished speaking, Yingshi noticed very clearly that the fire around Shuangjian, which had originally weakened, suddenly sprang back to life and began to burn fiercely once again.
"..."
Looking at that scene, Yingshi was somewhat stunned.
