Chapter 121.2 The Grand Finale (2)
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Pei Jing found himself trapped in a cave, with the exit already sealed off by the Demon Clan using quicksand. Ahead of him was the cave where giant rocks continued to tumble down.
He calmed his emotions and proceeded forward, growing angrier and more resentful with each thought. Gasping heavily, he inadvertently inhaled gravel tainted with the stench of blood.
It lodged in his throat, causing great agony.
The immaculate white attire was now covered in filthy gray.
Perhaps no one in the world would have imagined that Pei Yuzhi would end up so disheveled in such a cramped cave.
He lowered his head, gazing at the gleaming and cool Execution Sword.
Pei Jing’s voice was hoarse. “You see, you truly deceived me. And that bastard Chu Junyu…”
Speaking of this, he fell silent, closing his eyes and concealing the deep red bloodshot veins.
“He’s waiting for me. Waiting for who I am now.”
Even the sound of his own breath echoed in the cave. With his fingers clinging to the rocks, the young man stumbled to his feet, a short, choked laughter escaping his lips, almost like a cry.
He raised the sword, just as he did deep in Changtian Realm amidst the blooming peach blossoms, where the sword severed the autumn water.
“…the power of primordial chaos, the Primordial Swordsmanship…”
Then he remembered the profound and tranquil depths of the lake, the words of the Goddess with blue and green eyes atop the lotus.
“Such contradiction. You are the wielder of the Execution Sword, and I want you to execute the Heavenly Dao. Everyone wants you to execute the Heavenly Dao. I should tell you about the evil deeds of the Heavenly Dao, to make you hate her with a passion. But strangely, the Execution Sword requires you to be free from resentment.”
Pei Jing curled up in pain within the dim space.
“To be free from resentment. But what does it truly mean to be free from resentment?”
Unprecedented confusion and restless agitation weighed heavily on his mind.
Clutching the sword, he hunched his body and suddenly felt something light land on his shoulder.
A faint glow illuminated his surroundings.
Pei Jing stiffly turned his head and saw a black butterfly. The patterns on its wings were a dark crimson, fluttering and gently releasing silver-blue ashes, like falling snow.
Pei Jing froze.
This butterfly…
He had seen the same one in the midst of the Three Thousand Intoxicating Blossoms…
However, the ferocious and bloodthirsty aura that once surrounded the butterfly was absent in this moment.
It docilely settled on Pei Jing’s shoulder, casting away all its malevolence and evil, resembling a quiet companion. A premonition surged in him. Pei Jing reached out his hand, wanting to grasp it.
As if his movement startled the butterfly, it conveyed to the butterfly that his emotions were stable.
In the darkness, the mysteriously alluring butterfly fragmented into countless pieces.
It burst before his eyes, blossoming into a splendid fireworks display.
In an instant, a blade-like stream of light targeted his brow.
That stream of light contained the power to annihilate heaven and earth.
Upon entering his body, an icy coldness penetrated his very bones, accompanied by a soul-rending pain.
The Execution Sword, which had been dormant until just now, suddenly emitted a resounding hum.
Brilliant radiance illuminated the surroundings, weaving into an infinite realm within a realm.
Before he could fully accept the domineering power, he was already dragged into it.
“Hey—” Pei Jing vanished from the cramped cave as if it were an illusion.
And just one second after his disappearance…
The cascading flow of quicksand that blocked the cave entrance dispersed, revealing the original path.
At the end of the path, having returned from afar, stood the towering Celestial Demon Lord.
Damp hair clung to his cold clothes as he cast a wicked and sinister gaze forward, his lips curving into a bloodthirsty and icy smile.
At that moment in Tianyan City, both within and outside the inner and outer walls, everyone froze in their tracks, raising their heads in fear.
A chilling sensation crawled up from the depths of the earth, seeping into their hearts, chilling their organs.
In this city of wickedness, where evildoers gathered, the winds of change swept through in an instant.
Following a downpour, chaos befell the entire cultivation world.
Yunxiao, the leader of the immortal sects, issued commands throughout the night. Demons and monsters wreaked havoc upon the mortal realm, prompting disciples from all sects to mobilize immediately and protect the people in all directions.
The whole world buzzed with astonishment.
The first rays of dawn cast upon the peak of Yinghui, illuminating the verdant surroundings and stretching towards the suspension bridge. Accompanying Tianya Daoren were the Sect Masters from various continents.
Their expressions turned solemn. “The demonic forces have emerged. Is this news true?”
However, Tianya Daoren didn’t answer their question. Instead, he inquired, “Is there still no news from Tianyan City?”
After a momentary hesitation, an elderly man spoke slowly, “Since Tianyan City closed its gates, no one dared to approach. But last night, even from thousands of miles away, I could see the sky above the city enveloped in a bloody hue, dark clouds obscuring the sun. Something must have occurred.”
“That’s not all,” another person chimed in, “I heard from our disciples that it seemed like the sea was churning within the city, accompanied by constant screams and sounds of tearing. By now, there might not be a single person left alive inside.”
The elderly man, filled with deep-seated hatred for evil, sneered. “The people of Tianyan City deserve their fate, even in death.”
Among the group, Tianya Daoren’s aura grew increasingly restrained.
The others were momentarily stunned, only belatedly realizing that inside Tianyan City… there seemed to be someone different.
It was Pei Yuzhi.
Instantly, everyone fell silent.
Tianya Daoren’s robes brushed against the suspension bridge, and the moss within the marks left by its fractures appeared more vibrant after the rain.
After a long silence, someone spoke up, “Tianya Daoren, it’s your disciple.”
Tianya Daoren’s tone revealed neither joy nor anger. “Yuzhi will be fine.”
The others’ eyes widened in astonishment.
Yunxiao Sect Master, standing on the suspension bridge, spoke with a hint of indifference, “Even if Pei Yuzhi dies, he shouldn’t meet his end in that place. Pei Yuzhi won’t perish in Tianyan City. He considers himself a beacon of hope.”
Leaping down from the golden-leaved phoenix tree, the youthful Phoenix Emperor laughed.
Speckled rays of light, filtered through the leaves, fell upon his shoulders, illuminating the dignified and increasingly sleepy divine beast whose tail had grown longer and matured.
Kneeling on the polished jade-white palace, a group of clan members offered their congratulations for the successful rebirth of their new emperor.
Feng Jin extended a finger, from which surged crimson flames of karma.
The elegant and noble young emperor smiled faintly. “But does he realize he’s risking his life for love?”
Ha, with his attitude, he had the audacity to mock his immature views on love in the past.
Startled, Crimson Iris slowly awakened, opening its eyes with a questioning “Chirp?” sound.
Feng Jin glanced at it and flicked his finger. “Stop with the ‘chirp.’ The Institute of Celestial Ascension is pressing for our presence.”
Similar news reached the Ghost Realm. Unlike the resplendent Fengqiu Palace, this place was perpetually gloomy, with eerie white bones and faint blue flames drifting up and down.
The ten Elders of the Ghost Realm awaited outside the stone chamber in silence.
After a long while, the crack in the stone chamber creaked open, revealing clusters of dim phosphorescent lights.
The hearts of the onlookers leaped to their throats. Before they could develop the deep reverence ingrained in their marrow, their jaws dropped when they saw the young man stepping out of the flames. They were speechless.
Ji Wuduan’s skin remained pale as paper, but there were noticeable differences from before. A red line penetrated his ear bone and traced along the contours of his ear, adding a touch of deathly aura. This appearance involuntarily reminded the ten Elders of the Ghost King who had forged the Asura Path countless millennia ago.
“Young Master…”
Ji Wuduan gently raised his hand, his gloomy eyes and pale eyebrows concealing the truth.
His voice sounded as cold as metal.
“I’m also going to the Institute of Celestial Ascension. Now, disciples of the Ghost Realm, heed my command. Evacuate the city, follow Yunxiao, and face the myriad of demonic entities.”
The cycle of gods and buddhas, the awakening of demons and spirits.
The world of cultivation, vast and enduring through the ages.
Drip, large and round raindrops slid down the veins of leaves.
Unlike the eerie atmosphere outside after the rain, the Institute of Celestial Ascension has always been desolate and tranquil, as if it were only lively when it was filled with disciples in the past.
A winding and serene mountain path leads deeper into the clouds. Xuhan walks at the forefront, his robe gathering specks of light and dust. “When I recruited you to the Institute of Celestial Ascension, I had anticipated such a day. A hundred years ago, we encountered a bottleneck in repairing the Heavenly Ladder. The remaining one-third will likely require the four of you to work together for completion.” He looked up, his three-colored pupils filled with indiscernible emotions. “In the past few days, I’ve pondered the existence and formation of the Heavenly Ladder.”
He stood tall and pointed into the distance. “Take a look at it now. Doesn’t it resemble a sword? A sword that shattered the heavens and earth.”
The four individuals remained silent and solemn.
This place was the site of the ancient battle among the gods, as Xuhan pointed in the direction of the peak of the world’s highest mountain.
A golden beam of light descended from the heavens.
Its radiance was vast, illuminating countless paths of sentient beings.
“The demonic forces will come to destroy it, and until then, the Heavenly Ladder relies solely on you.”
Pei Jing stood in the realm within a realm, feeling a bit bewildered. Here, it was pitch black, resembling chaos.
There was light, but it was disordered, and there were clouds formed at ground level. Before he could tell the differences, a sweetness filled his throat. Clutching his chest, he took a breath of cool air and half knelt on the ground. Wait, there was no heaven and earth here, so where was he kneeling? As his previously confused vision gradually cleared, Pei Jing saw the sparkling lotus flower held in his own palm, and a gentle white light enveloped his surroundings. He was inside the heart of the Transient Jade Lotus!
“Where is this place?”
After a long pause, a voice echoed from above and below. Deep and ethereal, it was difficult to imagine how these two tones coexisted, but hearing them in his ears felt harmonious, like the tolling of bells in a Buddhist temple.
“This is the realm of the Execution Sword.”
Pei Jing was so frightened that he almost sat on the ground. He gritted his teeth and maintained his composure. “Who are you?”
That voice originated from primordial times, resembling a middle-aged man yet also an Elder.
“I should be the one who brought you into this world. I am the consciousness of the Execution Sword, or you can say the consciousness of the heavens and the earth.”
Pei Jing’s pupils contracted.
“Lower your head and look at the sword in your hand.”
Following his instructions, Pei Jing lowered his head and fell silent. Amidst this chaos, the radiance of the Execution Sword became increasingly clear. The flowing light that traversed the blade was pure and sharp.
The old man’s tone remained steady as he spoke, “The heavens and the earth do not possess a tangible form. When rules give rise to emotions, that is considered an error, and errors should be eradicated. The individual you saw does not qualify as the Heavenly Dao. She is merely an erroneous existence.”
After a long silence, he spoke in a deep voice.
“The true Heavenly Dao lies in this sword.”
Pei Jing sat upon the lotus, feeling bewildered.
The old man continued, “Look at this mortal realm, where nothing is eternal. Mountains will crumble, water will dry up, stars will be forever shrouded in darkness, and time can even flow in reverse. Amidst the turbulence of millennia, the only constant may be the sword in your hand.”
The voice seemed to resonate from the depths of the primordial chaos, breaking through the eons.
“I brought you into this world to shatter the error.”
Shatter the error. Shatter the Heavenly Dao.
Pei Jing remembered the look in Chu Junyu’s eyes, and he felt a pang in his ribs, as if his heart was aching. He lowered his gaze and quietly asked, “What should I do then?”
“In this realm, time stands still. The day you can cleave through the primordial chaos with the sword will be the day when your sword is forged, and it will be your way out.”
Cleaving through the primordial chaos.
Just like the creation of the heavens and the earth.
A chill spread from his chest, reclaiming his attention. The power injected into him by the butterfly finally ceased its agitation.
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