Chapter 1328: If a Saint Dies...
Chapter 1328: Chapter 1328: If a Saint Dies...
The Inconstant Great Saint returned to the Thought Sect after a long absence, seeking a thread of fate.
Unfortunately, he arrived slightly late; at this moment, Ning Fan had already slain the Green Palm Fate, ending the confrontation with the various Saints of the Thought Sect.
After asking his brothers about the origins of the fate, the Inconstant Great Saint felt regret fill his heart, difficult to let go.
His spine remained as straight as a millennium-old pine, yet the inner roots felt as if the main vein had been gouged out. Just by standing here, he felt unsteady, as if the ground beneath him were spinning.
"Even though I sensed Yun Zhao’s fate, I still arrived late..."
He was late once again...
Once again... he failed to fulfill his duty as a father...
If he had sensed Yun Zhao’s fate earlier, if he had returned to the sect sooner, perhaps he could have met that Nifan and traced some fate on the other to find the bones and souls of his two children...
Yun Ye, Yun Zhao, how can your father find you... how can he... bring you home...
His regret was like an ancient pond drained to the last drop, its bottom resting endless past events, each a grave mistake, the pond’s surface dried into muddy pits, unable to fish out, retrieve, or forget...
"Second brother..." Seeing his second brother in distress, the Ancient Thought Saint also felt sorrow but did not know how to console him.
However, Qin Yue Saint and Shi Jing Saint keenly detected certain key pieces of information.
"Second brother has returned this time because he sensed Yun Zhao’s fate? Isn’t he here for Yun Ye?" Qin Yue, Shi Jing, both Saints were surprised.
In fact, the Inconstant Great Saint had two sons.
The elder son named Yun Ye, with talents considered above average, but his disposition was very determined. Without relying on his father’s protection, he forged his own path through arduous cultivation, ultimately becoming an Immortal Emperor, taking Taichang as his imperial title, symbolizing the formation of Taichang from Inconstant. This son had a promising future, yet he joined the Zi Dou Immortal Domain unadvisedly, ending not well...
The second son named Yun Zhao, descended accompanied by the Dao Image of Nine Mountains Unpredictable Rain, born with Saint potential, reputed as the best successor to inherit the Inconstant Great Saint’s legacy. If he lived till Dao formation, this son was highly likely to become the seventh Saint of the Thought Sect... Unfortunately, he met sabotage, fell in youth, passing away at just the first step of cultivation...
On Ning Fan, Qin Yue and Shi Jing both felt Taichang’s (Yun Ye’s) fate, which was indisputable.
Yet second brother said he returned for Yun Zhao’s fate, such a surprise...
Second brother’s senses were the sharpest, being Yun Ye and Yun Zhao’s father, blood-related, since he spoke, he couldn’t be wrong.
In other words, not only did the Demon Venerable Nifan bear Taichang’s fate, but also Yun Zhao’s fate? This is rather unusual!
Why would the prematurely deceased Yun Zhao be tainted by the fate of a demon hunted by the three realms? This matter is perplexing, too strange and dangerous to ponder deeply...
Both Yun Zhao passed away too early; about this child, Qin Yue and others lacked impressions, therefore failing to sense related fates. If sensed, several layers of thinking would be required for assurance...
"Sigh..." The Inconstant Great Saint merely shook his head and sighed, not planning on explaining much to his brothers.
Ultimately, he had only vaguely sensed the fates of his two children, specifics he dared not assert.
Saints act with careful planning before moving, yet he returned without full assurance these were truly his children’s fates.
He just doesn’t want to miss even a slim chance of hope...
He needs more information, more clues, to draw conclusions. He further hopes to meet Ning Fan in person, to explore more from him, but missed the best opportunity...
Fortunately, Qin Yue Saint still had an unpurged flower seed from Ning Fan, the fate between the Thought Sect and Nifan remains untorn, residual flavor left...
Like a life-and-death catastrophe on the chessboard at its brink, perhaps with skillful use, miracles are not impossible...
The Inconstant Saint: "Give me a portion of the flower seed within you..."
He unexpectedly requested the flower seed, voluntarily allowing it to infect him, representing confidence and a gamble.
Qin Yue Saint: "Second brother might not know, once parasitized by this flower seed, that demon’s sight can directly surveil you... Ah, could second brother be intending..."
The Inconstant Saint: "Mo Wen, Mo Zhan... I have my plan, not intending to involve you all, unrelated to you. If risk arises, I bear it alone. If punishment follows, I endure alone... I don’t want to miss it again, even if seeing the sky clear without rain, yet I must step within the clouds, seek a conclusion to feel at peace... And if all this truly is someone’s scheme against our Thought Sect’s six Saints, resolving this by sacrificing myself, it’s a practical solution, there’s no loss. I’ve lived too arduous, prolonging useless existence, rather wishful sleep upon fulfillment..."
Qin Yue and others were startled on hearing: "Second brother mustn’t harbor thoughts of ending life!"
The Inconstant Saint: "This is not ending life, but equivalent exchange. Desiring to obtain something from the Ghost God, without paying an equivalent price, it’s impossible. You know my nature and my methods, should understand I never make losing deals. I’ve long prepared, just waiting for an opportunity, a possibility. Then, if this body still fails to return both sons, I would settle second tier, bargain for your safety, clear third brother’s calamity, break barriers for eldest brother, this indeed wouldn’t be bad..."
The Inconstant Great Saint deeply believed that as long as he carried the flower seed, Ning Fan would eventually be tempted to gaze at him, secretly observe him.
Then perhaps he could seize the opportunity, borrow the Ghost God’s power to discern some insight, obtain something from Ning Fan...
At this moment, Ning Fan seemed to have other matters to attend, or harbored concerns, indifferent to regard him, this Nirvana Saint.
But he could wait.
Wait for someone to lower their gaze, and then... act!
Thus he halted all travels, stayed within the Thought Sect, began patiently waiting.
He returned to the cave dwelling of old, having not been back for many years, yet inside the cave was spotless, as sect disciples regularly cleaned it.
He couldn’t see, but he could feel it. As his hand brushed over the desk, the memories left by everything were instantly clear in his mind.
Clearly, he could feel the memories of everything, yet he couldn’t read the memory of the flower seed within his body... This greatly surprised the Wuchang Saint. He was astonished that Ning Fan’s abilities were too extraordinary, even capable of defending against Ghost Spirit talents, certainly not an ordinary person!
This was something most Primordial Saints could not achieve... Demon Venerable Nifan, indeed cannot be underestimated.
The cave dwelling of Wuchang Saint was also within the Ghost Valley Forbidden Area, located atop one of the Divine Maiden Twelve Peaks.
There are many legends about the Divine Maiden Peak.
For instance:
It is said that in ancient times, a certain realm was plagued with a water calamity, and the Whitebone Flame wreaked havoc across the world. The Netherworld Sparrow Goddess, unable to bear the slaughter of the common people, stole the Immortal Mechanism, broke her own feathers, and built twelve Xuanyuan Divine Ships, intending to end the water calamity, yet was unsuccessful.
The Divine Ships vanished with civilization, sinking into the Sea of Years, yet because their materials contained Mount Buzhou Ridge, they found new life here in this barren place, transforming into twelve mountain peaks, with unyielding persistence throughout the ages.
These are the Divine Maiden Twelve Peaks.
And also:
In ancient times, the Netherworld Sparrow Goddess, searching for someone, between these peaks realized the Soul-Cutting Art of the Ancestral Image of Years, ultimately gaining insight, eventually folding her soul into paper, eternally falling into abandonment...
There are many similar legends, truth and falsehood hard to determine, with many contradictions among them.
Wuchang Saint was not interested in similar legends, but his two children loved to hear these tales.
Outside the cave dwelling was the Unrained Pavilion, it was not built by him, rather it was an ancient monument existing before he constructed the cave dwelling here.
He sat in the pavilion for an entire night, reminiscing about the past when his two children pestered him for stories in this pavilion.
What stories could he possibly tell? His life, apart from the dull cultivation, was filled only with slaughter and a sea of blood.
Should he tell the children about the past of subduing evil, slaying demons, and exterminating monsters? It would be too bloody.
Or perhaps tell them of stories of guiding wandering souls, and the romance between human and ghost? It would be too dramatic and taboo.
After much deliberation, he only dared to speak of mundane experiences like patrolling mountains and seas, but his storytelling was dull, and the children did not enjoy hearing about: encountering foes and defeating them in one strike, there was no thrill, no twists and turns, just monotonous recitation.
So he opted for a compromise, trying to recount some ancient legends of the Divine Maiden Peak, which surprisingly appeased the two hairy children.
Legendary tales are delightful to hear! They have beginnings and resolutions, climaxes, heroes, emotional drama, and occasionally, a twist.
The two little ones were particularly fond of the stories of the Goddess saving the world.
Every time the tragic ending came, where the Goddess sacrificed herself but failed to save the world, the younger son would cry his eyes out, and even the precocious older son would look somber and unsettled.
Hehe, teasing children was really quite fun!
Yun Zhao: Waaaa! When I grow up, I want to be like the Goddess, a great hero! Defeat all the bad guys, avenge the heroes!
Yun Ye: Silly boy! How could you defeat the bad guys when even the Goddess couldn’t.
Yun Zhao: I can beat them!
Yun Ye: You’re confident now, but if danger really comes, you’ll definitely cry your eyes out again.
Yun Zhao: I won’t cry, and I’m not afraid! If danger arises, my brother will surely protect me!
Yun Ye: ...
Yun Ye: I can’t be bothered to protect you! Besides, you don’t need my protection! Everyone says you’re destined to become a Saint, your future will surely surpass mine by thousands of times.
Yun Zhao: Brother is the strongest!
Yun Ye: ... Don’t say such silly things! Your brother is just of moderate talent, compared to you, I’m just grass... But if you really encounter any danger and want my help... it’ll cost you!
Yun Zhao: Brother, I have no money...
Yun Ye: Then you’ll owe me!
Uncanny: Hehe.
Back then, the Wuchang Saint only found teasing children amusing, the so-called pleasure of family, nothing more than this. He saw the harmony between siblings and felt deeply gratified but never imagined unforeseen circumstances would befall the son of a dignified Saint.
The tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be destroyed by the wind.
He was too confident, too calculated in his actions, too blunt in his words, and because of this, he was caught by the enemy’s schemes, leading to the untimely death of his youngest son and a rift with his eldest, causing him to leave the sect and never wish to see him again...
In the pavilion, there was a blue stone table, displayed were the blue-glazed wine vessels he used in his younger days, rustic in shape, seemingly crude, yet fired so thoroughly.
On each wine cup, there were words "Life is like rain, passersby like clouds, cultivating like a void, in drunkenness like reality," the handwriting equally crooked, written by the two little ones, yet the content were words often murmured by him when slightly drunk, overheard by the children.
The set of wine utensils, in terms of magical treasure grade, isn’t even a magical treasure, just ordinary items, yet he cherishes them dearly.
Because it was a gift handmade by his two sons, meant to wish their unworthy father a happy birthday.
Ha...
Saints do not keep track of years, why would they care about birthdays.
However, he truly treasured this gift, immensely fond of it... even though it’s truly made rather poorly.
Others didn’t understand, so he said "crude pottery is the most nourishing," still inseparable from it, bringing it out wherever he drank. Until that day, when his eldest son quarreled with him in the study, he drank to drown his sorrows, hurt beyond words, and couldn’t even hold the wine cup, which dropped to the ground, breaking into nine pieces—he silently crouched down to pick up the pieces, suddenly feeling two small fingerprints left by his children on the bottom, like unopened flowers...
Yun Ye: Father, why didn’t you save Little Brother! With your extraordinary cultivation, if you had been willing to abandon the task at hand and rushed to save him, perhaps you could have made it in time!
Wuchang Saint: ...
Yun Ye: Speechless, are you? Just to save the ants of a country, a realm, you gave up the last chance of survival for your child; to me, all you’ve done is mere hypocrisy! So hypocritical it makes me sick! Between the majority and the minority, you chose the majority, didn’t you, even if that tiny minority is your own flesh and blood!
Wuchang Saint: ...
Yun Ye: Or perhaps, you’re not even hypocritical! Just focused on completing the task, aiming for a higher position! Is the task more important than family! Even as a Nirvana Saint, are you still unable to be content with the status quo!
Wuchang Saint: It’s not like that... I don’t know what you’ve heard from others, this matter is far more complex than you imagine... Stop! Where are you going! At this moment, you shouldn’t leave the sect! Do you know...
Yun Ye: I’m going to retrieve Little Brother’s remains! Since Father isn’t willing to do it, I will! If Father wants to stop me, draw your sword! After all, in your eyes, I’m just that insignificant minority!
Wuchang Saint: Nonsense! You cannot leave! I have different plans for this, and the reasons cannot be revealed to you; it’s all for your own good!
For my own good...
Ha.
Bang!
Wuchang Saint’s answer was only the sound of Yun Ye slamming the door as he left.
A small wooden door became the insurmountable barrier of misunderstanding between father and son.
After this, as long as Wuchang Saint was in the Thought Sect, Yun Ye refused to return; only taking advantage of Wuchang Saint’s work-related absences to visit relatives and fellow disciples.
Acquainted to being estranged from his father, his true thoughts remained unknown.
Seeing this, Wuchang Saint chose to leave himself. Even on days without work or tasks, he traveled far, not returning, so that Yun Ye could return at any time without worrying about his presence being a nuisance.
He couldn’t tell Yun Ye that, if not for Yun Ye’s rash actions, he had a way to make amends, to change the fate of the premature death of Yun Zhao and bring him back.
Now, trying to save the younger son again would come at a cost a hundredfold heavier, beyond what he, a Nirvana Saint, could bear. A misstep could even implicate the sect brothers, as well as his only remaining eldest son...
The younger son was already virtually impossible to rescue, and he wrestled with the decision to abandon the original plan, to give up the younger son for completeness but could not bear to, hesitating indecisively.
And at that time, he unexpectedly heard from others about his eldest son joining the Zi Dou Immortal Domain, worsening the situation further...
Later, when his eldest son finally fell into eternal absence, he exerted all efforts to prevent it, but was still too late...
He felt immense regret, yet it was too late, nothing could be done.
Resolutely, he finally decided to do whatever it took to bring back his two children, yet he had missed all opportunities, no hope left.
He embarked on an endlessly distant journey, seemingly traveling far, but in reality, it was self-exile, unable to forgive himself...
However, unexpectedly, amidst the twists and turns, a new possibility emerged.
In the person of Demon Venerable Nifan, he sensed a trace of possibility!
The Divine Art Chant was undoubtedly the aura of Yun Ye!
But besides that, there seemed to be a trace of the Heaven Prying Rain Technique (a rain technique) on Nifan, resembling Yun Zhao, yet fearing it was just an illusion...
This causality, he couldn’t see through, nor dare to ponder deeply.
Afraid the result would not be what he wished, yet also afraid the result would be as he thought.
He originally thought Yun Ye joined the Zi Dou Immortal Domain because of youthful impulsivity, recklessly acted due to being manipulated.
But now, he finally discovered another inconceivably possible reason...Every action of his eldest son seemed like a carefully thought-out choice, and this choice faintly showed signs of success...
It seemed he never understood this child from the start...
When Yun Ye left in anger, saying he was going to retrieve his brother, could it be...he actually did it?
Maybe joining the Zi Dou Immortal Domain was for this very reason...
Could it be that his eternal absence was also for this reason...
Exchanging the passing of one person for the return of another...
But how could that be possible!
With Yun Ye’s mere Immortal Emperor cultivation level, how could he accomplish what even a Nirvana Saint couldn’t!
The cost he paid, was it really just eternal absence, or...more...
There can’t be no cost...
As a father, he simply couldn’t imagine what this implied...
"Truly...a foolish child..."
"But undoubtedly, you have fulfilled your responsibility as an elder brother. Compared to you, I, as a father, am truly inadequate..."
"So this last time, my stance is neither that of the Thought Sect nor Mountain and Sea..."
"If there truly is hope to be found, if the hope you conveyed at all costs arrives, I am willing, as a father, to rest eternally in this Sea of Ghosts and Gods, in exchange for your return...even if you never intend to forgive me..."
Once, the Great Emperor Tai Chang, to find his younger brother’s soul, joined the Zi Dou Immortal Domain at all costs, eventually achieving his wish.
Now, the Wuchang Great Saint wishes to gather his two sons’ souls, with this resolve, can also burn away everything.
Far beyond reach, the Frost Moon Great Saint flipped through the Scroll of Destiny, though not witnessing everything happening in the Thought Sect firsthand, she understood the outcome predetermined by destiny.
"The matters predestined by fate, you cannot escape."
So said the Frost Moon Great Saint.
...
Ning Fan himself never expected that he had only let three Thought Sect Saints be parasitized with flower seeds, and two of them had been removed.
Yet somehow, a fourth Thought Sect Saint had inexplicably been parasitized with his flower seeds...
The significance of this act, Ning Fan couldn’t discern for the time being and was temporarily too lazy to probe the other’s intentions.
Then suddenly, like a flash of insight, he understood the causality related to the rain ancestors in his mind...
The Third Realm of Tianren is terrifying!
In that instant, Ning Fan became aware of the hidden fact that Wuchang Great Saint had two sons.
The eldest son named Yun Ye, turned out to be the Great Emperor Tai Chang.
The second son named Yun Zhao, was astonishingly...the rain ancestors!
Ning Fan initially thought that his causality with the Thought Sect was limited to the Divine Art Chant of the Immortal Emperor Tai Chang.
Now he realized that his causality with the Thought Sect was far deeper and more troublesome than imagined...
If the Divine Art Chant of the Immortal Emperor Tai Chang wasn’t heavy enough in causality, the rain ancestors’ causality was not to be underestimated.
Not to mention how much benefit Ning Fan had gained from the rain ancestors, but merely by being the son of the Heaven Separation Sect, with his original name Yun Fan, even without direct blood ties to the rain ancestors, the causality wouldn’t be light...
"If they cannot erase me using the Thought Sect, they’ll use my sins to erase the Thought Sect...is this the true intention of the mastermind behind the scenes?" Ning Fan pondered.
Demon Venerable Nifan is suspected to be a descendant of Great Emperor Tai Chang, a descendant of the rain ancestors.
Great Emperor Tai Chang, the rain ancestors suspected to be descendants of the Thought Sect.
Such causality is already immensely unfavorable, if the Thought Sect truly shows any good will towards Ning Fan, it might result in complete destruction...
Alternatively, perhaps the causality of Great Emperor Tai Chang and the rain ancestors isn’t the biggest explosive point; there are still larger causative links yet to emerge, capable of dooming the Thought Sect...
What a headache...
It’s unlikely they’ll really expect me, just a mere Second Step practitioner, to worry about the six saints of the Thought Sect... Those saints of high standing will surely have strategies in response...
"Luckily, I’ve already knocked down the three old masters, forming only wicked cause with no good deeds. But if there’s still causality involving the rain ancestors, knocking down only three old masters might not suffice to clear relations with the Thought Sect, to prove innocence... In view of the rain ancestors, if time allows, I should weave more wicked cause with the Thought Sect. By seizing more benefits, the other party might avoid disaster and escape, seemingly sowing beneficial causes to eventually yield good results for both sides... Hmm?"
Unexpectedly, he thought of Manzhi...
Suddenly feeling a sense of questioning Manzhi, understanding Manzhi, becoming Manzhi, how strange...
By sweeping away random thoughts, Ning Fan continued to focus on pursuing the fifth Fate Wielding—Purple Palm Fate.
Do you know where Purple Palm Fate hides?
He has set his sights on the Zi Clan, seeking a hidden dangerous item from them, just to have a life-or-death showdown with Ning Fan!
At this moment, how could the Emperor of Fate not understand what level of power Ning Fan possessed!
According to his estimation, Ning Fan’s current strength has already surpassed that of a Low Era Primordial Saint! If he couldn’t obtain Saint-level power, he wouldn’t stand a chance, utterly doomed to die!
That’s why he set his sights on the Zi Clan.
Among the ten great secret clans, if one were to ask which had the strongest foundation, it would undoubtedly be the Zi Clan!
The founder of this clan, the [Tongbi Ape Saint], was the same clan as the Purple Dou Immortal Emperor. In terms of hierarchy within the clan, he was even Purple Dou’s elder.
Before Purple Dou had reached Dao, the Long-armed Old Ape was also not a Saint, but he recognized Purple Dou’s unparalleled talents, voluntarily abdicating to support Purple Dou as the new Clan Leader.
When Purple Dou wished to cultivate the Immortal Dao and embrace the path of a Demon Immortal, the Long-armed Old Ape opposed the crowd, supporting Purple Dou’s choice, and guided Purple Dou on the path to immortality.
When Purple Dou needed weapons, the Long-armed Old Ape would probe for information to inform him.
When Purple Dou wanted to establish an Immortal Domain, the Long-armed Old Ape led the clan to join him, eventually following the Immortal Emperor into battle, dying with him.
When the Old Ape Saint was alive, the Zi Clan was highly disciplined, serving as the arm of the Immortal Emperor.
After the Old Ape Saint’s passing, the Zi Clan’s conduct became increasingly arrogant. Furthermore, after Emotions Controller slaughtered all of the clan’s elders, the remnant Zi Clan completely lost their restraint, becoming nothing like what they once were.
The appearance of the royal family at the end of a dynasty is exactly what the Zi Clan appears to be today. This is the law of the Heavenly Dao, unavoidable and not something simple policies can cure, as human nature has always been this way, unchanged through the ages.
If human nature doesn’t change, then even through countless ages and millennia, with shifts in Dao practices, abundance of all things, and no lack of food and clothing, chaos will still repeat.
What needs improvement has always been more than just material; it’s also the spirit. Only when both advance in harmony, can ideals possibly become reality.
Alas...
The Zi Clan, which once practiced Purple Dou’s ideals, had long since fallen and been assimilated by the mundane.
But this wasn’t a concern for the Purple Palm Fate.
He only cared about one thing: could he succeed in seizing the [Primordial Saint’s Remains] of the Old Ape Saint by infiltrating the Zi Clan this time? If possible, he might be able to contend with the overpowered Ning Fan...
"This Purple Luck Body was preserved from the beginning to seize the Ape Saint. Everything I’ve cultivated aligns with the Zi Clan’s Dao! To make this even more likely, I even chose the Zi Clan’s discarded Zi Chuan as a pawn, planning carefully... The only thing I didn’t expect was that this move to seize the Old Ape Saint would actually be for dealing with the butterfly... This back-up plan was originally to deal with Emotions Controller, but who would’ve thought he would be beaten into a one-eyed fool by the mere butterfly and scared into fleeing in panic... That so-called Great Honored Emotions Controller is just a coward, without as much backbone as I have!" said Purple Palm Fate disdainfully.
Though he spoke disdainfully, in truth, he felt a pang of jealousy that Emotions Controller had found a way to escape with his life. If he had such a method, he wouldn’t mind enduring a moment of humiliation and temporarily avoiding a disadvantageous situation...
Sigh...
That butterfly is truly a star of misfortune!
Let’s hope this mission goes smoothly, Old Ape Saint, oh Old Ape Saint, lend me your skills to wield the sun and moon, and compress mountains...
And so, he stealthily infiltrated the Northern Heaven’s [Corpse Demon Ancient Domain] — the new territory of the Zi Clan!
The old territory had been reduced to ruins by the Emotions Controller.
The new territory housed a Saint’s skeleton, but since the seal wasn’t perfect, the corpses’ Qi couldn’t be contained, resulting in the entire star domain being invaded by corpses’ Qi, turning into a dangerous region overrun by corpse demons.
There existed within the domain fantasies of sacrificing all beings and refining a Saint Corpse Demon.
It is ominous when a Saint falls.
When any formidable being perishes, overwhelming Evil Qi is released, and the bones of a Saint, preserved for long, will inevitably cause calamity.
Within the Corpse Demon Ancient Domain, many demonesses lurked and cultivated, most skilled in refining corpses.
Purple Palm Fate had barely escaped to this place before being targeted by several oblivious demonesses.
It was his fault for deliberately concealing his aura while fleeing, fearing detection by Ning Fan too soon...
Thus, to ordinary folks, the dignified Emperor of Fate seemed nothing more than a weak and hapless prey, frantically escaping.
The reality was quite the contrary.
He was never weak; he was a high and mighty Immortal Emperor! He only appeared inept before Ning Fan. If the enemy were anyone but Ning Fan, he wouldn’t have such a reputation.
"This old man looks like prime corpse material, no one, everyone stay back!"
Finally, someone in the shadows couldn’t hold back any longer.
With a domineering voice, countless cracks suddenly appeared in the void, out of which emerged a bald, burly man.
As soon as the bald man appeared, he unleashed his full Crossing True Momentum, intimidating others while charging recklessly at Purple Palm Fate.
This infuriated Purple Palm Fate!
I’ve been painstakingly concealing my aura, and here you are, blatantly releasing your absurd Crossing True Momentum, exposing my location for your satisfaction!
This person must be a lackey of the Butterfly Sect, deliberately making things difficult for this old man!
You already have the path to your doom!
"Water Mirror Technique, Seven-Colored Sword!"
Purple Palm Fate didn’t want to waste time with a group of ants; his attack was a lethal strike. A beam of seven-colored sword light slashed forth, and the bald man, who had yet to report his name, was immediately turned into a mist of blood. The resulting force rippled out, cutting through the starry sky, leaving a crack that would take a hundred years to heal, and dozens of abandoned stars nearby were also shattered by the sword light.
This was with Palm Fate controlling his strength, unwilling to waste his mana; otherwise, the power of this sword would have been even more exaggerated.
The might of one sword nearly scared these trailing demons to death; each one was terrified, their souls fleeing, and they scrambled to escape. Purple Palm Fate, however, couldn’t be bothered to chase them!
He had no extra time to waste on mere ants!
His anger was immense now, and he urgently needed to seize the corpse of the Old Ape Saint to calm down. No one should dare waste his time!
"The new territory of the Zi Clan is hidden somewhere in the Corpse Demon Ancient Domain. Without knowing the entrance coordinates, even a Quasi-Saint would have difficulty invading. But I am different from ordinary people! Water Mirror Technique, Cause and Effect Line!"
Purple Palm Fate took out a string of Beads of Karma from his storage pouch, muttering incantations under his breath. In an instant, rolling white mist surged around him, converging into a virtual shadow of a Causal Beast behind him.
But the eyes of this shadow were already listless, clearly forcibly borrowed by Palm Fate, not willingly.
What a joke!
The Causal Beast is most sensitive to causality and wouldn’t dare assist Palm Fate in dealing with Ning Fan.
Even the Causal Beast wouldn’t provoke Ning Fan back then, and now it fears him even more.
It’s a pity...
Today’s Palm Fate is no longer the Palm Fate of the past; he’s in a state where he will do anything to survive.
If it were usual times, he would have respected the Causal Beast by three points (out of a full three points). At this moment, no matter if you are a Causal Beast or an Apple Beast, as long as you obstruct my escape, I will hit hard, not caring in the slightest about provoking something!
Nothing is more terrifying than butterflies!
"Cause and Effect Line, show me the way!"
He took out a still beating heart preserved by a Secret Technique, using its karma to sense the hidden coordinates of the Zi Clan’s territory.
This heart was taken from an unfortunate one named Zi Chuan, a person driven out by the Zi Clan. Though expelled, he was still considered a prodigy of the younger generation in the Northern Heaven.
Unfortunately, the status of a prodigy is of no use, just a pawn in the eyes of a dignified Immortal Emperor...
Using the karmic sense from Zi Chuan’s heart, Palm Fate quickly discovered the coordinates of the Zi Clan’s territory.
Thus, he transformed into a seven-colored light and teleported there!
He raised his hand, and a beam of seven-colored sword light instantly blasted a huge spatial rift at the hidden entrance of the Zi Clan!
Invasion, and a frontal one at that!
But this is the only recourse; without a frontal invasion, Palm Fate couldn’t enter the Zi Clan!
"Who dares to trespass into our clan!"
Upon seeing the gateway shattered, angry voices burst forth, all coming from the Zi Clan cultivators.
An Immortal Emperor of the Zi Clan swiftly broke through the void, raising his hand to summon countless purple straws, unleashing a killing move intending to capture Palm Fate for questioning.
They didn’t even go through the formal process of exchanging names before acting!
Casually inquiring a name without waiting for a response from Palm Fate, they directly wanted to take him down, obviously thinking that destroying this soul remnant would be more convenient.
This only made Purple Palm Fate laugh.
A laugh of extreme anger!
Fine, fine, fine! Even if this old man acts recklessly, caused trouble in the first place, sought conflict, and unreasonably shattered their main gate! But ask yourselves, haven’t you done anything wrong?!
If you had voluntarily opened your doors, why would this old man have to spend so much effort finding the coordinates to break your gate!
Yet you dare to strike mercilessly, without conscience!
This old man can see that you’re a lackey of the Butterfly, fated to perish here!
If it were the initial Palm Fate, he might have been courteous to the Zi Clan, lowering himself to seek their help, to explore the possibility of jointly opposing Ning Fan.
What a pity...
The Palm Fate of today has been betrayed multiple times and trusts no one anymore!
Companions are untrustworthy; they would throw an Ancient Divine Spear at you.
A saint cannot be trusted; either they are seconds to the butterfly, or they actively kneel and lick the butterfly’s boots.
In this world and this realm, all living beings are either worthless or lapdogs of the butterfly; none can be trusted!
"Only the Fate Wielding and Destiny can be the final answer on the path of cultivation. No matter how many times I’m beaten, I am determined to master Fate and Destiny, or else, I will abandon this Dao, willingly!"
"The Causal Blade, Destiny!"
The Purple Palm Fate’s fingers formed a sword, bringing forth sword light, an endless Barbarian Flash converged at his fingertip, coalescing into limitless sword shadows, instantly slashing at the Zi Clan Immortal Emperor.
This emperor’s Dao title was Chi Shi; he possessed the cultivation of the Eternal Six Tribulations, and he was close to breaking through to the Seventh Tribulation.
He wasn’t among the weaker Immortal Emperors, yet he couldn’t even glimpse the sword light of Palm Fate, having already been struck by it, instantly spewing blood and flying backward.
This is the Causal Blade: first the effect of the hit, then the cause of the sword strike. If one cannot break through the cause and effect within, there’s no avoiding this sword!
"You are... South Heaven’s Emperor of Fate! You are the Southern Heaven Immortal Emperor, why act against our Northern Heaven Secret Clan!" The Red Corpse Great Emperor felt his heart leap with fear.
If not for his strong physical body, just this one sword would have been enough to destroy him. Is this person truly the rumored Emperor of Fate? When did Palm Fate gain such power, or has he been hiding it all along, now truly revealing his foundation... But why choose this occasion to reveal himself, and why risk universal condemnation, trespassing into the most powerful foundation of the ten great secret clans, the Zi Clan, without even asking for help, thinking he alone can suppress the entire Zi Clan!
Who do you think you are!
Do you think you are the Great Honored Emotion Controller!
"Red Ass Nine Transformations!" Although the Red Corpse Great Emperor was shocked by Palm Fate’s strength, he was not overly terrified. With a shake, he transformed into his true form of a dark giant ape.
The enemy is strong, but this is the Zi Clan!
No matter how mighty Palm Fate is, can he surpass our entire Zi Clan!
This emperor only needs to delay a bit, and countless powerful clan members will come to help. Most of them are in seclusion, coming here will take some time but not too long.
This emperor just needs to hold out a little longer...
"Causal Blade, Destiny!"
Seeing that a full-powered strike could not kill the Red Corpse Great Emperor, Purple Palm Fate immediately swung the second sword.
The same causal sword light, equally unavoidable, the Red Corpse Great Emperor once again spouted blood and flew backward. Moreover, all his good fortune light involuntarily burst from his body, collapsing layer by layer!
For each collapsed layer of good fortune, an equivalent portion of the Red Corpse Emperor’s vitality was annihilated.
At the moment the last layer of good fortune collapsed, the Red Corpse Emperor could not even protect his Immortal Emperor True Spirit, even though True Spirits are difficult to extinguish, he still lost all vitality in this instant, disintegrating into strands of golden light, and then the emperor’s Qi dissipated into the world.
A distinguished Six Calamity Immortal Emperor, and a member of the secret clan, was killed by just two strikes of Purple Palm Fate’s sword.
"Spare him, Daoist!" Urgent voices from the Zi Clan’s experts came from afar, seemingly trying to stop something, but too late, it was already over.
Purple Palm Fate extinguished the Red Corpse Emperor with two swords, yet wasn’t utterly relaxed. Relying solely on the Purple Luck Body to unleash one’s trump cards, it was still a bit taxing.
Seeing more Zi Clan Immortal Emperors swiftly rushing to support, Purple Palm Fate dared not linger. He casually collected the Red Corpse Emperor’s storage pouch and immediately raced towards a certain forbidden area of the Zi Clan, following the direction of the causal line.
He had no time to waste, nor to engage with this group of Zi Clan experts!
He must, without delay, seize the remains of the Zi Clan’s Old Ape Saint, and then... duel Ning Fan to the death!
He must complete his plan before Ning Fan realizes everything!
...
Unfortunately.
Purple Palm Fate did not notice.
The dispersal speed of the emperor’s and evil Qi from the fallen Red Corpse Great Emperor in this area was unusually fast—too fast in fact.
If asked why...
It was because someone was devouring these benefits.
If not Ning Fan, who else could it be?
He was just standing right here, quietly watching Purple Palm Fate’s arrogance while analyzing Purple Palm Fate’s various methods and intelligence, meanwhile consuming the emperor’s Qi and evil Qi left by the other’s killings, and secretly unleashing Fu Li’s Black Luck on Purple Palm Fate, constantly eroding his good fortune.
"Corpse Demon Ancient Domain..."
Some past events suddenly surfaced in Ning Fan’s mind.
Those are matters related to the fake Sparrow Godson.
In the past, the fake Sparrow Godson invited Ning Fan to steal Dust Flower, besides Ning Fan, the fake Sparrow Godson had also invited several Daoist friends for assistance.
Among them was one known as the Four-eyed Demon Monarch, originating from the Corpse Demon Ancient Domain.
In the confrontation with the fake Sparrow Godson, Ning Fan eventually saved two people.
One was Fairy Hanwux from the Northern Heaven Grand Cold Palace, and the other was the Four-eyed Demon Monarch.
Four-eyed: [I cannot thank you enough! After today, I will wait for the Boundary Gate to open and return to Northern Heaven. If Brother Ning ever needs anything in the future, feel free to come to the Northern Heaven Corpse Demon Ancient Domain to find me. Whatever the request, I, Qu, will climb mountains of knives or plunge into seas of fire, I will not fail Brother Ning’s trust!]
That person must be a straightforward fellow, capable of gratitude, perhaps someone worth befriending, or maybe he was just speaking on the surface.
The former Ning Fan had also considered coming to the Corpse Demon Ancient Domain given the chance, to find some Corpse Demon Hearts, and refine Ancient Demon Puppets comparable to Shedding Void experts...
Today’s him, probably no longer needs the help of those low-level puppets...
Suddenly recalling these causal events naturally had another reason.
With Ning Fan’s level of perception, upon entering the Zi Clan’s territory, he detected the presence of a corpse puppet here, identical in aura to the Four-eyed Demon Monarch of the past.
The Four-eyed Demon Monarch, who once claimed to climb mountains of knives or plunge into seas of fire for Ning Fan, had already perished, hunted by Zi Clan cultivators, and refined into a corpse puppet.
As a demoness, dying is quite normal.
To this, Ning Fan felt no sorrow; his relationship with Four-eyed wasn’t deep enough to warrant sorrow, just a casual acquaintance met a few times.
He had casually saved this person, perhaps the other saw him as a life-saving benefactor, yet he only saw the other as a casual Daoist friend met a few times.
In the vast sea of people, sharing a drink wouldn’t be impossible.
Separated by life and death, neither sadness nor joy, only a slight sigh, letting him die would be acceptable.
Letting him... die...
Within Ning Fan’s Dao Heart, an understanding began to emerge.
Not born from the Four-eyed Demon Monarch, this chance encounter merely triggered the enlightenment—the long journey walked to this day, has been the river converging into the sea.
The Zi Clan, the same race as Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign...
If Master Zidou’s kinsmen became the tumor of the Purple Dou Immortal Domain, what should be done...
When people die it’s just the lamp going out, reincarnation rekindling the flame...
When immortals die it’s like thoughts scattering, never to return in this life...
If a saint dies, what then...
At the beginning of an immortal, is there inherently nothing, rise to the path to heaven, enter the picture of the sea...
What about the beginning of a human...
Ning Fan fell into contemplation.
Probably because of sentimental feelings brought on by the sights, arriving at the Zi Clan, having come to a place where the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign once came...
...
Far, far away, inside a classroom.
While teaching students, Purple Dou suddenly seemed surprised, then smiled.
"I originally planned to use Jichen’s hand to impart the complete ’Lamp Fire Chapter’ to him; now it seems, it may not be necessary..."
No need for Purple Dou to teach again!
Ning Fan is just a small step away from comprehending the complete ’Lamp Fire Chapter’ on his own!
Simultaneously, the students in the academy were still distressed over how difficult the new textbook was to understand.
"The ’Lamp Fire Chapter’ that the teacher is newly teaching is so difficult, is there really anyone in the world who can learn it!" Jichen, who was temporarily allowed to enter the classroom, looked at the wordless new textbook, feeling it was harder than a heavenly book.
How is this new! Is it not still a heavenly book!
Looking around at his classmates, each with a headache as big as a bucket, he suddenly felt a bit balanced mentally.
"It’s not that I’m too stupid, it’s purely because this textbook has issues! As a freshman, to be on par with these students who have stayed back countless years, I’m not bad at all!" Jichen thought to himself.
"Sigh..." Seeing the students unable to comprehend even after a long time, Purple Dou felt helpless.
Can the gap between people truly be so great...