Chapter 482: Pseudo Sage?
Xu Sanyan’s tone was calm, yet everyone sensed the icy menace beneath his words, like Yanluo delivering a final ultimatum, demanding their lives.
“Run!”
The old man from the Imperial Clan Court roared, streaking toward the horizon. The others reacted instantly, scattering in a desperate scramble.
“Heh heh heh…”
Xu Sanyan’s face twisted into a savage grin. Too late to run now!
“Ah~!”
“Don’t kill me…”
In an instant, the Imperial Capital was drenched in blood, crimson light soaring into the sky. Screams echoed through the air as some roared in defiance while others fled in terror.
Tang Huanhuan turned and left. The Imperial Capital no longer held a place for her. She resolved to find a place where Xu Sanyan could never find her, unable to bear the sight of him any longer.
Fang Qingge shook his head, sighing inwardly. He glanced at Yang Qiyuan before soaring toward his sect.
Yang Qiyuan remained silent, abandoning his impulse to reveal his identity. He followed Fang Qingge’s departure.
Huan Xi’er and Mo Xianxian also left, intending to deliver the news. The Dragon-Taming Daoist and the other void harmony realm cultivators had accompanied the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple to the Chaotic Cloud Mountains. If they had survived, they would likely return directly to their mountain gates rather than return to the Capital City.
Three days later, two earth-shattering news items swept across the land, eclipsing even the death of the sage from the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple in their impact on the human heart.
First, the Qian Kingdom’s Dragon Vein had been seized, Emperor Qian had perished, and all his officials had been executed. The kingdom’s power center was utterly destroyed, and the Imperial Palace itself had become a desolate wasteland. It was said that blood had seeped a foot deep into the ground, and yin winds howled day and night, carrying with them a palpable aura of resentment that soared to the heavens.
Apart from a few Consorts, maids, and eunuchs who managed to escape, no one else survived within the Imperial Palace.
Some brave commoners ventured into the palace under the cover of darkness, hoping to steal treasures, only to hear eerie howls mixed with the yin wind—the anguished wails of restless ghosts. The atmosphere was utterly terrifying.
If left unchecked, this place might eventually spawn ghosts and become another forbidden zone, a place where the living dared not tread. The city’s residents fled en masse, abandoning their homes, and the Imperial Capital gradually transformed into a ghost town.
The second piece of news: someone had broken through the Mirror to Attain Sagehood, becoming only the sixth sage in nearly ten thousand years!
Moreover, this sage had achieved enlightenment through an unconventional method, drawing even greater attention.
This method defied the heavenly dao’s backlash, leaving the sage unscathed by bloody sores and free to wield their power at will—a threat far greater than the combined might of the other five sages.
Furthermore, this sage’s moral compass was notoriously flexible, or perhaps entirely nonexistent, as evidenced by their past actions.
The sages of old were like powerful, awe-inspiring weapons—too costly and impractical for everyday use. Yet possessing such a weapon was essential; only those who wielded it could claim to be among the Central Region’s top cultivation sects.
But this newly ascended sage was different. He could wield this awe-inspiring weapon as if it were a common blade, without restraint, acting entirely according to his will.
Most importantly, the protagonist of both these earth-shattering events was the same person:
Xu Sanyan!
He was the one who slaughtered the Imperial Palace, and he was also the one who broke through the Mirror to attain Sagehood!
From this day forward, his name would resound throughout the world, known to all, understood by none.
Even Yu Anwei, secluded within the Mist Sea, heard this name.
As the Mist Sea slowly expanded, it had already engulfed many cities. Having been isolated for so long, Yu Anwei relished hearing news from the outside world, and no matter how trivial or significant the events in the cultivation world, none escaped her ears.
In her pavilion, she kept over a dozen captives—men, women, and children—all seized along her journey. They passed the time by chatting with her, sharing news of the outside world’s changes, making her days quite pleasant.
“Xu Sanyan…”
Yu Anwei had no idea that this Xu Sanyan was the same person she had encountered in the Hundred Sages Secret Realm years ago, nor did she realize that she still had a tiny sliver of her toenail in his possession.
“Using Earth Qi Spirit Essence to break through to the Sage Realm—that’s the same method the Yaotian Holy Sect used. It’s far better than that ridiculous Gang Wind absorption technique,” Yu Anwei sneered, her expression brimming with disdain for the five sages.
Before emerging from seclusion, she hadn’t realized how severely the cultivation world’s traditions had been severed. Even the methods for attaining sagehood had vanished into the river of history. She certainly never imagined anyone would be foolish enough to attempt a breakthrough using Gang Wind, let alone succeed.
What was even stranger was that others had followed suit, resulting in five sages in quick succession.
Initially, she had been wary of these five sages, fearing they might gang up on her. Her own strength was greatly diminished, and facing five opponents alone could indeed be dangerous. But after encountering that “bald donkey” sage, her concerns vanished.
This is supposed to be a sage?
He merely wore the skin of a sage, his core remaining in the void harmony realm—a state between void harmony and true sagehood. He was far stronger than ordinary void harmony cultivators but still weaker than those who had genuinely reached the Sage Realm.
A pseudo-sage?
“Heh heh heh~”
Yu Anwei couldn’t help but chuckle. In a way, these individuals were remarkable for having pioneered a new realm.
Fortunately, the cultivation world’s traditions had finally been restored. With Xu Sanyan’s successful example, future cultivators would no longer need to take such circuitous paths.
“Well, at least they’ve done one good thing…”
“Woof!”
The dog’s bark echoed through the mountains and forests as Xun Ancai raced through the woods, the Seven-Headed Dog leading the charge. Dozens of Dog Clan people followed close behind, their spears glinting in the sunlight as they pursued the fleeing beast.
Whoosh!
A spear sliced through the air, piercing the beast’s abdomen with deadly accuracy. The Seven-Headed Dog lunged forward, its fangs tearing through the prey’s throat. Blood dripped from its teeth as the creature struggled briefly before falling still.
“Huff…”
Xun Ancai wiped the sweat from her brow, her face showing signs of fatigue. Though she had recently completed her Seventh Blessing, granting her exceptional strength and vitality, even she couldn’t withstand days of relentless hunting. They had been hunting in the mountains for over ten days now; it was time to return home.
Xun Ancai had long shed her former naivety, her movements now decisive and authoritative, carrying the weight of leadership. She was increasingly resembling a true clan chief.
Under her guidance, the Dog Clan had grown stronger by the day. With the Snake Clan and Bear Clan no longer competing for resources, food had become more plentiful, leading to a surge in newborns this year.
Whenever she saw the children of the tribe, her mind would always drift back to that man—the one who had helped her so much, the one who had even been the driving force behind her ascension to clan chief.
I wonder how he’s doing… Why hasn’t he come back to see me after all this time? Is he angry?
Xun Ancai had no choice. As clan chief, she had to prioritize the tribe’s interests. Xu Sanyan’s ambitions had been too great; she couldn’t satisfy them, nor could she ever have.
Sigh…
Shaking her head, Xun Ancai sealed away those memories, refusing to dwell on them further.
“Let’s head back.”
The group returned to the tribe with their abundant game. After settling the day’s affairs, Xun Ancai followed the familiar path back to her cave. Before she could enter, the Seven-Headed Dog suddenly barked excitedly, as if it had sensed something.
Woof!
(End of the Chapter)