Chapter 153: The Tragic End of the Heartless Fairy, Wu Li Forcibly Breaches the Sacred Ruins Forbid
Chapter 153 – The Tragic End of the Heartless Fairy, Wu Li Forcibly Breaches the Sacred Ruins Forbid
The devastating war at the Kunlun Holy Land cemented the absolute supremacy of the Zifu Holy Land, elevating Wu Li as the undisputed sovereign of the Middle Heavens.
In that same year, the colossal spatial traversing array—forged by the Zifu Holy Land at the cost of unimaginable heavenly resources—was finally completed.
Two mighty mortal empires, the Night Moon Country and the Xuanwu Kingdom, officially folded themselves into the Zifu Holy Land’s grand alliance.
Following a brief respite to consolidate his forces, Wu Li once again took the vanguard to launch an imperial expedition.
Only this time, his supreme gaze was fixed upon the primordial demon domains of the Western Continent.
Ten years!
It took Wu Li a mere decade of relentless conquest to force the untamed expanses of the Western Continent to bow its head.
By this epoch-defining moment, a mere seventeen years had elapsed since Wu Li ascended to the throne of Holy Lord.
The Middle Heavens, the Eastern Wasteland, and the Western Continent—through Wu Li’s indomitable martial prowess and unyielding alliances, he had conquered three great domains in less than two decades.
Eclipsed by Wu Li’s brilliant radiance, the myriad prodigies of this generation, no matter the depths of their unwillingness, could only silently retreat from the struggle for the era’s mandate.
As for the remaining Southern Plains and Northern Desert, though they offered no public declarations, their rulers secretly dispatched envoys to the Zifu Holy Land.
“We shall not contend!”
It was true. Wu Li’s momentum had grown so monstrously vast that entire domains chose to shrink back, unwilling to test the sharpness of his blade.
Having successfully subjugated the world under heaven, the Zifu Holy Land promulgated a unified scripture of cultivation.
Though it was but a rudimentary foundation, detailing only the initial five realms, it illuminated a profound, unseen path for all wandering souls beneath the heavens.
Guided by this celestial blueprint, the countless geniuses and eccentric masters scattered across the lands naturally began to weave their own Dao, refining and expanding upon its core tenets.
Thus, the Zifu Holy Land ascended to an unshakeable zenith. In both terrifying martial might and absolute prestige, they stood without peer.
Simultaneously, the fragmented, chaotic system of cultivation that had plagued the world for a millennium found a singular truth.
Fountain, Divine Bridge, Paramita, Divine Sense, True Self, Life Lamp…
These realms became the absolute measure of the Dao, the supreme standard by which all cultivators would judge the depths of their strength for countless ages to come.
With Wu Li actively suppressing the karmic turbulence of the era, the mortal and immortal realms alike settled into an abrupt, golden tranquility.
During this profound silence, a seemingly trivial event unfolded deep within the Zifu Holy Land.
In the nineteenth year of his reign, the Holy Lord of Yaoguang quietly delivered a certain individual into his care.
Shortly after, the Zifu Holy Land hosted an incredibly modest wedding ceremony. The attendees numbered less than fifty, an affair so private it was barely a whisper.
However, just when the flow of fate seemed to placidly follow its prescribed course…
In the twentieth year, the Demonic Monk Xuan Xin arrived at the gates of the Zifu Holy Land, his robes soaked crimson as he carried the limp, bloody form of a woman.
The once ethereally handsome Demonic Monk was now hollowed out and destitute, and the woman cradled in his desperate embrace was none other than the Heartless Fairy of the Hateless Pavilion.
On that very day, the terrifying weight of Wu Li’s wrath crashed upon the entirety of the Middle Heavens.
No one knew what foul machinations had led to the Heartless Fairy’s tragic demise, nor did they comprehend how the indomitable Xuan Xin had been driven to such ruin.
The world only knew that, blinded by raging fury, Wu Li shattered the spatial barriers and charged entirely alone into the depths of the Sacred Ruins Forbidden Land.
For three days and three nights, the heavens above the Sacred Ruins wept as apocalyptic shockwaves and endless roars of slaughter echoed outwards. When the dust finally settled, a heavily wounded Wu Li emerged from the abyss, violently clutching the severed head of Fang Qiancheng.
Before his own bleeding wounds could even scab over, Wu Li summoned his armies and marched upon the Hateless Pavilion.
That ancient sect, a monument of power that had loomed over the Middle Heavens for nearly ten thousand years, was thoroughly and mercilessly wiped from the face of the earth.
……
The Sea of Learning.
“Why did it have to come to this?”
Gazing at the haggard Xuan Xin and the cold corpse of Yao Yingying, Chen Changsheng exhaled a weary, age-old sigh.
He remembered how the master of the Hateless Pavilion, Abbess Miejue, had once attempted to unveil her utterly deranged stratagem to him.
But Chen Changsheng had possessed no interest in entertaining such a stomach-churning web of deceit.
In fact, before he departed, he had leveled a cold warning at Abbess Miejue, intent on forcing her to sever those toxic ambitions.
For decades, the Middle Heavens had been drenched in the blood of constant warfare, the karmic tides shifting with one heaven-shaking event after another.
Because Abbess Miejue’s hand remained hidden for so long, Chen Changsheng had genuinely assumed she had surrendered her madness to the passage of time.
Never in his long years did he expect the Hateless Pavilion to forge a pact with Fang Qiancheng, inevitably giving birth to this senseless tragedy.
After an indeterminate span of silence, heavy footsteps broke the calm as Wu Li strode in, a mangled, blood-soaked head gripped tightly in his palm.
Slowly turning his gaze to the severed prize in Wu Li’s grasp, Xuan Xin spoke with a hollow, ashen voice. “You have slain Fang Qiancheng in my stead. From this day forth, my life is forfeit to you.”
Wu Li’s expression was unreadable as he replied, “I did not sever Fang Qiancheng’s life for your sake. I did it for the Heartless Fairy.”
“Though she once suffered defeat by my own hands, her unparalleled talent and unyielding Dao heart were rarities unmatched by almost any in this mortal coil.”
“A heaven-defying woman of her caliber did not deserve to perish in such a pathetic, miserable manner.”
A broken, bitter smile touched Xuan Xin’s lips. “Justify it however you wish. Regardless, the debt is struck. My life is yours.”
“I originally came seeking to borrow Lifeblood Stones to seal the essence of Yingying’s mortal shell. Since you have bled on my behalf, the karma is locked.”
“As long as breath fills my lungs, this monumental favor will remain etched into my soul. Call upon me when the time comes.”
Leaving those heavy words hanging in the air, Xuan Xin gathered Yao Yingying’s stiffening body back into his arms and walked out of the Sea of Learning, a solitary shadow dissolving into the horizon.
Chen Changsheng watched the grieving monk disappear. He slowly shook his head, shifting his ageless gaze to Wu Li.
“And you? Have you strained your foundation?”
“A few superficial flesh wounds. Nothing that can hinder my Dao!”
“I am well aware of your penchant for honoring tragic heroes, but you challenged a true Forbidden Land. Do not surrender to such blatant recklessness again.”
Enduring Chen Changsheng’s customary reprimand, Wu Li merely curled his lip in a faint, defiant smirk.
“Teacher, the stench of their underhanded methods simply disgusts me. If I were the sort of man who could swallow such indignity and watch in silence, I would no longer be Wu Li.”
“Ah, almost forgot. I pried this from the rotting depths of the Forbidden Land. You should find it of some use, Teacher.”
With a flick of his wrist, Wu Li tossed over a shimmering golden page.
It was the very same esoteric golden page that Fang Qiancheng had guarded so zealously.
Ever since discovering deep within the spirit veins that Fang Qiancheng possessed additional pages, Chen Changsheng’s inner greed had stirred more than once.
Unfortunately, Fang Qiancheng was heavily shielded by ancient Dao protectors and anchored to a Forbidden Land. He had slipped through the net of several carefully laid death-traps.
To finally have the artifact rest in his palm without expending his own blood brought a rare hint of satisfaction to Chen Changsheng’s ancient heart.
“Three of the seventy-two golden pages have now fallen into my grasp. It appears the karmic threads connecting me to this artifact run deep.”
“A pity, however, that the pages from the Kunlun Holy Land and Fang Qiancheng do not align in sequence. For now, it remains a mere curiosity for quiet study.”
Hearing the slight lament in his voice, Wu Li straightened his back. “Do not worry, Teacher. I swear upon my Dao that I will scour the realms and gather all seventy-two pages for you.”
“Save your breath,” Chen Changsheng chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. “Such supreme artifacts abide entirely by the currents of fate. Forcefully seizing the wind will only leave you with empty hands.”
“Besides… my time in this place draws to a close.”
The casual declaration struck Wu Li like a physical blow, a sudden panic fracturing his regal composure.
“Teacher, why the sudden haste? Linger just a little longer! My forces have unearthed vast troves of ancient scriptures recently.”
“You haven’t even scratched the surface of these ancient texts. How can you simply depart?”
Watching the supreme sovereign of the Middle Heavens panic like a desperate disciple brought a warm, knowing smile to Chen Changsheng’s lips.
“Cease your petty schemes. Do you truly believe I am blind to the fact that you’ve been aggressively hoarding the world’s ancient texts just to stall me?”
“I have long since imprinted the unread manuals into my mind. I can digest their Dao at my own leisure, far beyond these walls.”
The light in Wu Li’s eyes dimmed, replaced by a profound, agonizing sense of loss.
Because he knew that when Chen Changsheng spoke with such tranquil finality, the Undertaker’s departure was an absolute, immutable truth.