Chapter 486: The Origin of Heavenly Tribulation

Xu Sanyan’s outstretched hand paused momentarily before pressing down with unwavering resolve.

“Mmm~” The girl let out an involuntary moan but offered no resistance.

“Is that comfortable?” Yu Anwei asked curiously, leaning against the doorframe.

“Why don’t you try it yourself?” Xu Sanyan suggested, his fingers curling slightly as he gave the girl’s flesh a playful squeeze, generously inviting Yu Anwei to join in the pleasure.

“No thanks, I have my own,” Yu Anwei replied, shaking her head. She wasn’t interested in that kind of thing, and besides, hers was considerably larger.

“You’ve reached such a high realm in such a short time. You must be the Xu Sanyan whose name has been spreading like wildfire across the world lately, right?” Yu Anwei remembered him from their brief encounter long ago, though they hadn’t exchanged names back then.

Xu Sanyan didn’t answer directly, instead asking, “Why did you leave? Weren’t you comfortable in the secret realm?”

Yu Anwei tilted her head back, her gaze piercing through layers of clouds as if reaching the heavens themselves. “How could a tiny secret realm compare to the vastness of the world outside? Besides…”

“There are heavens beyond the heavens.”

“Hmm?”

Xu Sanyan paused, sensing a deeper meaning in her words. “What do you mean?” he pressed.

Yu Anwei lowered her gaze to meet his, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Do you really want to know?”

“Please enlighten me,” Xu Sanyan said, withdrawing his hand from her chest and clasping his hands respectfully.

He had long suspected that this world might not be the only one. The strongest evidence was his own existence.

He wasn’t originally from this world, having crossed over for reasons unknown. If he came from elsewhere, could others have done the same?

Moreover, the secret realm fruit in his possession was an artificial world. If they could create such a thing, why couldn’t others?

Perhaps the very world they inhabited was like the secret realm fruit—a creation of some supreme being, crafted through heaven-defying means.

In fact, with his current cultivation level and sufficient materials, Xu Sanyan could attempt to create a small world similar to the secret realm fruit. Though its capacity would be limited, it would be more than enough to sustain mortal life.

Boom!

A sudden, earth-shattering roar interrupted Xu Sanyan’s thoughts. He turned to see the flesh giant collapsing to the ground, while the daoist figure fled rapidly into the distance, clearly in dire straits.

Yu Anwei glanced at the scene indifferently, uninterested in who won or lost. It was merely a diversion to alleviate her boredom. She had no interest in even a second glance at Pseudo-Saints like Dang Yunshu.

Once the path of cultivation veers onto a wrong turn, it reaches its end. There would be no further progress in this lifetime.

Xu Sanyan steadied his mind and slowly asked, “Are you suggesting… there are living beings beyond the Heaven’s Veil?”

“I’m not certain. I’ve never been there myself, but…” Yu Anwei suddenly changed the subject. “Do you know how powerful the Yaotian Holy Sect was thirty thousand years ago?”

Xu Sanyan was puzzled by her sudden question but replied, “I’ve heard tales. They say the sect boasted several immortals and hundreds of Sage Realm experts.”

The Hundred Saints Secret Realm was named after this very reason.

Yu Anwei nodded, then shook her head. “That’s correct, but not entirely accurate. The ‘hundreds’ of Sage Realm experts you mentioned were only those counted before the heavenly tribulation. The Yaotian Holy Sect flourished for over a hundred thousand years, producing countless sage realm cultivators. Even if only one in a hundred achieved immortality, there would be far more than just a few immortals. Do you know why?”

Xu Sanyan was taken aback. He hadn’t realized the Yaotian Holy Sect had existed for so long. Had it not been for the world-destroying heavenly tribulation, it might still be thriving today.

“Could it be… they transcended this realm?” Xu Sanyan looked up at the sky.

Yu Anwei didn’t answer directly. Instead, she chuckled. “Heh… You must know of the Four Venerables Seeking Immortality Sect, correct? I heard that during your void harmony, you refined a heavenly dao. This method is identical to that used by the four venerables. You must have inherited their legacy, haven’t you?”

Yu Anwei made no mention of Xu Sanyan’s city massacre. In her eyes, it was a trivial matter.

“Yes, I indeed used the Great Formation created by the four immortals,” Xu Sanyan admitted.

He saw no need to deny it. He recognized that this woman was of the same ilk as himself, lacking any sympathy for the weak.

The two were not enemies, nor were their interests intertwined, allowing them to converse calmly.

Yu Anwei explained, “The four of them joined forces to establish a Great Formation, hoping to cultivate a ghost immortal capable of transcending this realm. Unfortunately, they ultimately failed.”

“But…” Yu Anwei paused, “they weren’t the only ones. The Holy Sect was also exploring beyond this realm—and they succeeded!”

Xu Sanyan’s eyes widened, a suspicion forming in his mind. He murmured softly, “Could it be… that the cataclysmic heavenly tribulation was related to this?”

Yu Anwei remained silent for a moment before replying solemnly, “…Yes.”

“Hiss…”

Xu Sanyan gasped again, his fingers instinctively reaching out to caress the girl’s chest.

He had always believed that the heavenly tribulation thirty thousand years ago was a backlash from the heavenly dao, triggered by the Yaotian Holy Sect’s insatiable greed in exploiting the world to sustain itself. But the truth was far more ironic: the Yaotian Holy Sect had ultimately brought about its own destruction.

Indeed, human curiosity is both the catalyst for progress and the shovel that digs one’s own grave. A moment’s carelessness can lead to self-destruction.

As Xu Sanyan pondered, his fingers unconsciously tightened. The girl frowned but dared not speak. Though she had lost her cultivation level and memories, her primal instincts had sharpened, allowing her to sense that both the man and woman before her possessed the power to kill her effortlessly. She could only endure in silence.

“Those vanished immortals…”

“Perhaps they’re dead, or perhaps… they’re still alive.”

“You mean they truly went beyond the boundaries of this world?”

A wistful look appeared in Yu Anwei’s eyes. “Exactly. That includes the Holy Lord. Do you think the Peach Blossom Secret Realm—oh, you call it the Hundred Saints Secret Realm—is under my control because of my own abilities? It’s because the Holy Lord is gone. If he were still here, even a heavenly tribulation might not be able to destroy the Holy Sect!”

Yu Anwei clearly held immense faith in the so-called Holy Lord, even believing “He” could withstand the heavenly tribulation.

“Is this Holy Lord you speak of truly so formidable?” Xu Sanyan asked skeptically. “Can He really withstand a world-destroying calamity?”

Yu Anwei nodded solemnly, showering the Holy Lord with lavish praise. “He is the greatest figure in history, unmatched by any other!”

“You were born too late to witness the golden age of cultivation,” Yu Anwei said, gesturing toward where Dang Yunshu had been standing. “In that era, even cultivators in the Sage Realm like him were considered inferior to some void harmony cultivators.”

She sighed. “It’s not entirely your fault. After the heavenly tribulation, the Dao traditions were lost, countless lineages severed. You’ve been stumbling through the ruins, and it’s remarkable you’ve even made it this far.”

Xu Sanyan curled his lip. Isn’t that still your fault? If you hadn’t caused such chaos, how could the lineages have been severed?

Thinking this, Xu Sanyan pinched the girl hard in anger, causing her to wince slightly and her breathing to quicken.

(End of the Chapter)