Chapter 00239: The End of the Road
# The End of the Road
Chapter 239
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 239: The End of the Road
With a sudden move, Zero Frame took the initiative, without any preliminary gestures.
Expressing his feelings clearly, the impact was deafening, leaving no room for evasion or defense.
Thus, an awkward silence descended in the gradually subtle gaze of Jian Yuan.
"......"
Ji Jue's smile twitched slightly.
"It’s all unexpected, isn’t it, Master Artisan?"
The skeleton translated, "Well, is everyone satisfied now that we are all awkward?"
"Hehe."
Jian Yuan merely smiled faintly.
The skeleton also laughed, but it seemed that the meaning behind their laughter was quite different.
"Sometimes, it is indeed a good thing," he said.
"Very good; you've begun to learn how to use the curiosity of craftsmen."
"Besides that, I have another curiosity," Ji Jue sighed softly, finally revealing his intent without further disguise.
"What was the purpose of your painstaking effort in coming to Spring City, mixing with those fellows, and then taking the time to stir up a small fry like me for so long? What do you actually seek?"
"Is it really necessary to go through all this for such a thing?" Jian Yuan sneered slightly, holding up the skeleton in his hand.
"It’s merely a step in exhausting the path of the decaying remnants. What’s so strange about that?"
In the silence, the skeleton remained quiet.
There was no trace of movement in its spiritual essence, nor any sign of defense or concealment; it looked down on lies and pretense.
Ji Jue also fell silent, sighing after a long pause.
"Why has it come to this?"
"Why not?" Jian Yuan mocked, "Whether in the association or in the profound depths, regardless of the differences between the remnants and decay… From the ancient thieves of fire to the alchemists, and now to the craftsmen, it’s merely a change of name. Does it make any difference? No. Just count the good and evil—or the foolish—anyone who has achieved something is nothing but a madman, a fool, or a calamity, elevating their ambitions, foolish ideas, and beautiful dreams above reality."
"The world is created by such people, Ji Jue," Jian Yuan declared decisively.
"One day, if you are fortunate enough to stand in such a position, you might even be crazier than they are. If you can’t learn, can’t stand it, or can’t endure it, then you should give up your fantasies and go back to being an ordinary person. At least that would count as ‘happiness’ for you."
Ji Jue did not respond.
Jian Yuan slightly turned his head as if listening to something important.
After a long time, he let out a faint sneer and said to someone, "Then bear the consequences."
The communication was cut off.
Jian Yuan raised his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the workshop, looking far into the distance.
"Time is almost up."
He tossed the skeleton back into Ji Jue's arms and waved his hand, "Let me show you what the so-called goodness and evil have turned this world into."
In that瞬间, an invisible barrier was erased.
Then, a high-pitched roar erupted from far away, rising and falling, shaking like a tide, rolling in a vast wave that caused the entire workshop to tremble faintly.
Dust fell like rain, landing on Ji Jue's mottled hair.
He lifted his eyes to see a huge floor-to-ceiling window slowly rising from the wall, and outside, the blazing sky with its bright rays and dark rainbow light clashing together, sparking countless ripples and fragmented light, cascading down to the earth.
Light and point, as delicate as snow, landed silently and disintegrated.
But immediately after, a massive wave broke out, rampaging through everything in its path, ‘dismantling’ it all.
No sound, no turbulence.
Only the quiet collapse and dissipation.
"Do you see? That is the time-wedge of celestial beings. After years of the Taoist transformation, humanity is lost, and time is running out. Yet, before completely returning to the celestial origin, how many can still provide support? Once he resolves to do so, one person can suppress Lu Changsheng and the old dogs of the Wulou Temple."
The vast pure white, almost infinite, filled the skies, with countless dark rainbow lights pressing downwards, advancing inch by inch.
The sky above Spring City thus split in two, with heavy colors overlapping, interlocking like fangs, creating a dizzying spectacle difficult to comprehend.
What could be felt was merely the aftermath of the decree of the celestial origin and the aura of great calamity colliding.
Just the aftermath was enough to shake the entire Spring City to its core.
And there, before the opened window, Jian Yuan watched with folded arms, occasionally raising his hands to point, "To the north, that swirling white mist should be the Lou family’s domain—Five Level Twelve Cities. Based on the transformation, blessed by the mirrors and chaos, it ranks among the top tier of the Lou family’s chosen ones throughout history. It should be the current head of the family, that woman?"
"Uh-huh, she's coming this way; she seems to be heading for you and me. They are resolute in their vendetta, but alas, too far away."
Jian Yuan sneered lightly, seemingly unfazed, his gaze shifting to the strange cloud layers in the west, "The Yu family’s matrix—Frost Fall—does carry a chilly and murderous presence, but alas, one generation is inferior to the last, merely appearances."
"Mmm, that side is indeed more interesting. The Tong family’s domain—Past Letters—divides everything into black and white, allowing for arbitrary writing and modification, indeed well-learned. I seem to recall it being called Tong Ting? Utilizing others' strengths, yet remaining inconspicuous, maintaining an impartial position; quite similar to his father."
Ji Jue turned his gaze in the direction Jian Yuan pointed.
In that area stripped of color, only black and white remained.
There were no earth-shattering changes, calm as a backdrop.
But it was quietly eroding and expanding its territory, allowing the invading evil beings and calamity beasts to rampage and destroy.
Yet, the deeper it went, the more destruction occurred, and the more bizarre its colors and form became until there was no more strength to resist, merging into the ink-black realm, becoming just a corner of an illusive chaos.
More striking was a cluster of blood-red hues, like falling stars, charging in relentlessly, rampaging about impulsively.
"The federal army’s dogs look impressive, but they’re just mass-produced items, suitable for show but worthless in a critical moment."
Jian Yuan couldn’t be bothered to take another look, his gaze falling further distances.
On the main road of Spring City, a winding blood path emerged, alongside a figure casually walking forward amid the attacks of the many corrupted beings, difficult to distinguish gender, as if shrouded in countless illusions.
Everywhere that figure passed, the corpses lay scattered, casually bending down to pick up weapons from the deceased, effortlessly wielding their destruction without mercy, whether swords or spears, cold and unmoved, forcibly suppressing all resistance from the alchemical creations with their abilities, handling it roughly.
But regarding the efficiency of destruction of the alchemical creations…
Ji Jue, as a craftsman, felt his eyelids twitch.
"Another one playing coy," Jian Yuan shook his head.
"Who is that?" Ji Jue asked out of curiosity.
"The director of the Safety Bureau of Cliff City, Lv Yingyue."
Jian Yuan's gaze shifted to the end of the street where several massive monks, seemingly forged from gold and iron, stood.
"Over there are the bald monks of the Wulou Temple; I fear they won’t last long."
It wasn’t clear exactly which side he was talking about.
Yet Ji Jue felt that group of monks was facing ominous end, their faces were written with signs of death.
Somewhere else, layers of illusions swirled, the air filled with countless images, rising and changing, transforming into a tide, permeating reality, flipping the boundary between illusion and reality as one after another incomplete figures crawled out from the shadow behind that graceful girl, seemingly endless.
"The madmen of the Tianxin Society have brought out the real deal this time," Jian Yuan said indifferently.
"Their domain—Transformation into Liberation."
"What about the Dragon Sacrifice Society?" Ji Jue asked curiously.
"Who knows?"
Jian Yuan showed indifference, "That kind of indecisive fellow is likely scheming some trick to sell at a price. No point in counting on them."
"What about you?" Ji Jue asked.
The allied forces charge ahead, while our camp remains as steady as a mountain?
"It’s not the time yet, but it’s close."
Jian Yuan observed quietly, just watching the chaos unfolding outside as the long-awaited onslaught initiated by the Safety Bureau finally commenced.
Under Tao Gong's suppression, the Corrupted Sect's infiltration and pollution over these years escalated into an uproar, yet they could hardly break free.
The aura of upper-level corruption acted like pillars supporting the city, but now, one by one, the pillars were restless, showing signs of cracks.
To contest against this many upper-level corruptions with just one person, yet still have the energy to launch a fierce attack on Lu Changsheng, even appearing to be relatively at ease shows remarkable strength.
That grand and overwhelming aura filled everything, burning away the darkness in Spring City, directly withstanding all pressure coming from the Corrupted Sect.
Now it was just the radiance of light and pure white shifting high above that left Ji Jue in a daze.
"This is what a celestial being is?" he murmured softly.
"Not just that," Jian Yuan shook his head.
"To be assimilated so thoroughly by goodness and still retain humanity is truly difficult. What you see is him using the assimilation of goodness in reverse, drawing on the power invoked through the divine essence of the celestial origin. He acts as a fulcrum, lifting his weight several times over, yet what he needs to do is not much."
"What’s the cost?" Ji Jue pressed further.
"The cost is all that lies before you."
Jian Yuan raised a finger, stretching into the air as if piercing into the celestial dome, and when he withdrew it, an unquenchable flame burned at the tip, crackling.
Extinguishing, it rapidly revived, persistently spreading.
Until Jian Yuan waved his hand, severing one finger, which transformed into dust before it hit the ground.
"Human nature is like a lamp; no matter how strong a celestial being is, how much longer can it emit such brilliance?" Jian Yuan said, lowering his eyes.
"He has already walked down a road to death, disregarding consequences and unable to halt."
He stared blankly at the brilliant light in the sky, shaking his head with regret:
"What a pity."
"Why feign indifference, Master Artisan?" Ji Jue couldn’t help but chuckle coldly.
"Isn’t this all thanks to your kind?"
"Precisely because of this, does it not make me all the more worthy of respect?" Jian Yuan said expressionlessly.
"When facing such a respected enemy, one should employ any means necessary, regardless of cost or consequence, to engage them fully."
In that moment, high above the sky, the originally constricting and rapidly collapsing strange rainbow light suddenly trembled, violently shaking, not hesitating any longer.
In the depths of darkness, a fierce aura shot up into the sky.
It swallowed all the corrupted aura within Spring City, growing stronger, brazenly colliding with the decree of celestial origin.
Unbelievably, at the time of Tao Gong's greatest might, when nearing the celestial origin… they overstepped their bounds and dared to challenge him!
Too reckless, too foolish.
But in this world, how could anything be simply viewed through gain and loss?
Lu Changsheng laughed loudly.
His hoarse and sharp voice reverberated across the heavens and the earth, echoing endlessly.
"After waiting so long, today I finally have the fortune to fight with Tao Gong!"
With such a heroic opponent like Tao Cheng before him, if he chose to avoid battle and hide, how would he differ from a rat?
Tao Gong remained silent, the light blazing intensely.
Thus, stars flickered, the sky shook violently, rainbows shattered, and in a reckless return, countless residual lights scattered, falling to the earth, splashing vibrant halos everywhere.
Meanwhile, in the vast struggle above the heavens, the slaughter on the ground gradually reached a boiling point.
Too quick and too overwhelming.
Even hard to keep up...
All that could be perceived were the moments of separation of heads and bodies, and the fragmentary wreckage, the crimson light shooting out, like an indelible dye, staining the broken roads and ruins.
It was completely impossible to overlook.
So that, at first glance, all seemed drenched in blood.
If he hadn’t been captured, would he be amidst them now?
What about Tong Plant and the others now?
Ji Jue struggled to think, yet his heart felt chaotic and his mind empty.
Thick smoke billowed, fierce flames spread; after a long time, Spring City seemed to ignite once more, as if emerging from a nightmare.
Death spread like a tide, and the sound of collapse was incessant.
The droplets of crimson permeated, layering upon each other, like four cracks extending straight toward the center, ready to again cut and dismantle the entire city shrouded in corruption, ultimately…
Reducing it to complete dismemberment!
All the while, Jian Yuan watched indifferently, unmoving.
With cold eyes, he observed the director of the Safety Bureau charging straight in, smashing through all arrangements, and finally, it seemed he heard a distant sound.
"Well, the timing may still need a bit more work, but it’s not an issue."
He said, "It can begin."
In that瞬间, the massive workshop revealed cracks and suddenly expanded!
Ji Jue witnessed everything changing wildly; the hall shrank, the corridors expanded, buildings swelled, and within the workshop straddling the boundaries of existence, the preheated spiritual furnaces trembled violently, a surge of spiritual essence flooding everything.
The alarm sounded, an invisible force spread, suppressing everyone in their places, not allowing any escape.
Like a colossal machine starting up in an instant, all the components operated in a systematic harmony, the ceiling split open, and countless spiritual circuits extended outward.
Blooming like lotus flowers.
And the entire workshop transformed into a giant pillar, rising steadily, casting a deep shadow over the land.
At the top of the workshop, beside Jian Yuan, Ji Jue once again saw the battered interface, the ruins sealed within the rift.
In the very center of the ruins, the steel remains bound by countless dark chains.
From the corrupting erosion, they transformed into a blackened engine, pulsating like a heart, stirring up a tempest.
It was calling, it was crying out, it was waiting.
Toward itself…
In that瞬间, Ji Jue almost forgot to breathe.
(End of Chapter)