Chapter 481: Sage
The Mad Daoist’s heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly halted in his tracks.
Lin Fan clenched his fists and suddenly looked up.
Yang Qiyuan seemed to sense something and gazed into the distance.
Something’s changed!
The longsword, now less than an inch from Xu Sanyan’s forehead, trembled violently. No matter how hard it strained, it couldn’t advance even another millimeter. The frenzied sword’s wail emanated from this point.
A pair of pitch-black eyes, filled with unfathomable depths, stared back. Their pupils were utterly devoid of color, as if capable of swallowing all existence.
Crack! Shatter!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the sword’s surface. The faint splintering sounds echoed with startling clarity. At a critical point, the blade finally buckled under the terrifying pressure, shattering into countless fragments that scattered in all directions. An invisible shockwave swept across the land, stirring up a storm of dust and sand.
The crimson pillar of light that had enveloped Xu Sanyan vanished instantly, and the sky reverted to its natural hues. Were it not for the ruins of the Imperial Palace serving as stark evidence of the recent events, it would have seemed like nothing more than a dream.
“Could he have…?” Fang Qingge’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“He’s become a sage,” Huan Xi’er confirmed, voicing the unspoken thought.
“A sage…” Mo Xianxian murmured, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. The gulf between people could sometimes be greater than that between humans and pigs. While she and her companions struggled to break through Soul Refinement, Xu Sanyan had already ascended to sagehood.
A fierce light erupted in the Mad Daoist’s eyes. He’s done it?
He actually did it!
His gaze swept Xu Sanyan’s body, the joy in his eyes deepening. There were no blood sores on him!
This proved that breaking through to the Sage Realm using this method wouldn’t trigger the backlash!
Previously, the five sages of the Central Region had been restricted from intervening in worldly affairs and rarely showed themselves, all because of these blood sores. Whether one attained sagehood through righteous or demonic cultivation methods, these festering sores clung like bone-deep tumors, impossible to shake off.
But now, Xu Sanyan had replaced the Gang Wind with Earth Qi Spirit Essence, forging a new path to the heavens!
The Mad Daoist trembled slightly with excitement, his fingers clenching so tightly around his wine gourd that his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t suppress his elation.
“Earth Qi Spirit Essence… Earth Qi Spirit Essence…”
The Mad Daoist’s mind was consumed by this single thought.
Meanwhile, everyone in the Imperial Palace stood frozen, staring blankly at Xu Sanyan like wooden men, unsure how to react.
Xu Sanyan ignored them for now, first reverting from his dao body to his human form. A noticeable hollow appeared on his chest—though he had broken through to the Sage Realm, his previous injuries hadn’t healed. Still, it was a minor matter.
“Hiss~”
Xu Sanyan took a deep breath, a slow smile spreading across his lips. The smile widened, and he could no longer contain himself, erupting into wild laughter.
“Hahahahaha…”
After enduring countless trials and tribulations, it was like parting the clouds to reveal the radiant dawn.
Now that he had finally risen to power, his fate was his own, no longer dictated by the heavens!
Xu Sanyan, his pent-up emotions erupting like a volcano, threw his head back and laughed maniacally, his laughter echoing like thunder across the Capital City.
The world’s balance of power would now be irrevocably altered. The five sages were no longer the pinnacle of cultivation—not with him in the picture!
Xu Sanyan remained unaware that only four of the five sages remained. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t have cared.
Lin Fan, without uttering a word, silently turned and departed. His presence here had become meaningless. He had never played an active role, merely serving as a witness to the birth of a new sage in the world.
“No blood sores…”
An old man from the Imperial Clan Court stared intently at Xu Sanyan, desperately searching for even the smallest sore. He refused to believe that a perfect breakthrough to the Sage Realm was truly possible.
Alas… Xu Sanyan stood naked, allowing himself to be scrutinized. His body was flawless, like white jade sculpted to perfection. Not a single blood sore marred his skin, nor even the faintest scar.
Breaking through to the Sage Realm had completely reshaped his physical form. His meridians now flowed like vast rivers, surging with boundless spiritual power.
From that moment on, Xu Sanyan no longer needed to worry about running out of spiritual power. The heaven and earth spiritual energy flowed into his body without requiring conversion into his own spiritual power, allowing him to manipulate it at will, as effortlessly as moving his arm or finger.
The benefits of his breakthrough extended beyond this. With a mere thought, he could perceive the entire Capital City, sensing even Yang Qiyuan’s slightest finger movement.
He could even see the urine stains on Consort Xiang’s undergarments. The little coward actually wet herself in fear, he thought.
Xu Sanyan’s fingers closed around empty air, and the Holy Ancestor’s Sword, which had been planted in the ground, streaked through the air in a flash of light, landing in his hand. The sword’s radiant blade reflected a dazzling halo, its appearance utterly extraordinary.
Though the Holy Ancestor’s Sword—a symbol of the Qian Kingdom’s supreme authority—had fallen into the hands of an outsider, no one dared to voice any objection.
Xu Sanyan ran two fingers along the blade, erasing Emperor Qian’s lingering aura. The sword once again became an unclaimed object, which he then stored in his pouch.
The sword had left a profound impression on him, nearly costing him his life. Had Emperor Qian possessed a higher cultivation level and been able to unleash the sword’s full power, Xu Sanyan would likely have perished.
The Jade Seal Suppressing Fortune, previously used to suppress the kingdom’s fortune, flew into his hand. Now corrupted by Xu Sanyan’s influence, its spiritual essence had been completely drained, rendering it useless.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his long, slender eyes slightly as he overheard the old man muttering to himself. “What blood sores?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.
Before the old man could answer, the Mad Daoist’s voice echoed through the air. “The sage replaced the Gang Wind with the Earth Qi Spirit Essence, making him the first person in history to achieve this. The other five sages, who relied on the Gang Wind for their breakthroughs, suffered the backlash of the heavenly dao. Their bodies are now covered in bloody sores, causing them constant agony, which they can only alleviate by consuming Blood Food.”
The Mad Daoist’s title had changed as well. He no longer referred to Xu Sanyan as the “holy son,” but as the “sage.”
Xu Sanyan chuckled and shook his head. After a lifetime of villainy, with countless corpses beneath his feet, he had achieved a breakthrough and become a sage. The irony was truly laughable.
Yet he didn’t correct the title. Instead, he asked, “Hall Master, what brings you here?”
Xu Sanyan had sensed the Mad Daoist’s presence long ago but hadn’t bothered to acknowledge him. Now, the Mad Daoist had revealed himself.
The Mad Daoist replied bluntly, “Curiosity drew me here to observe.”
“Hmm.”
Xu Sanyan dismissed him and turned his attention to Emperor Qian, who lay unconscious on the stone steps. With a casual flick of his sleeve, a thunderous explosion erupted. A crimson mist filled the air, and in an instant, Emperor Qian’s corpse was reduced to nothing but scattered bones.
What did it matter if he was an Emperor? What difference did his lofty status make? In Xu Sanyan’s eyes, there was no distinction.
To Xu Sanyan, the world was divided into two types of people: those he could defeat, whom he would trample underfoot and humiliate at will, their only fate being death if they dared resist; and those he couldn’t defeat, whom he would treat with utmost respect until he grew strong enough to crush them underfoot and humiliate them at will.
Looking across the world now, perhaps only the five sages deserved his special consideration.
No, there was more…
Xu Sanyan recalled his journey across the Mist Sea years ago, remembering the countless demonic ghosts lurking within its depths. Even with his current strength, he couldn’t guarantee victory against the strongest among them.
And then there was the young woman he’d encountered in the Hundred Saints Secret Realm—the great elder of the Yaotian Holy Sect. Her power might even surpass that of the five sages.
Considering all this, he realized he still needed to exercise caution and avoid reckless arrogance.
Xu Sanyan lifted his eyelids and surveyed his surroundings. Everyone his gaze swept over trembled, their hearts crawling with dread.
“Tell me… how should I dispose of you all?”
(End of the Chapter)