Chapter 1291: The Fall of the Immortal Chu Vast Land—An Inevitable Outcome
Chapter 1291: The Fall of the Immortal Chu Vast Land—An Inevitable Outcome
"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"
"What is the meaning of this from the Primary Hope Holy Church? Without any evidence, they dare question the identity of the Primary Hope Saintess? Does the Sacred Hall intend to appoint a new Saintess?"
"Our Immortal Chu Vast Land has always acted with integrity. When have we ever colluded with the remnants of the Black Disaster? This is nothing but a baseless accusation!"
In the palace, many elder ministers wore expressions of fury as they angrily denounced the Primary Hope Holy Church's arbitrary actions.
A suffocating, dreadful atmosphere loomed over everyone present.
Yet, Chu Gucheng remained silent, his gaze cold and indifferent as he stared toward the palace gates.
Elder Jin, Ouyang Ji—the Young Master of the Unfettered Heavenly Palace—Old Woman Xing Ying from the Ardent Ruins Cave, and the other distinguished guests who had not yet left the Immortal Chu Vast Land all watched the scene unfold in silence.
Chu Xinyue, who had been impersonating the Primary Hope Saintess, also stood in the grand hall.
As she observed the panic and unease among the ministers, her face still bore traces of bewilderment. She couldn't understand where things had gone wrong—why had it come to this?
The real Primary Hope Saintess was still imprisoned in the Spacetime Cage. She herself had been responsible for guarding the Saintess all this time, so how had the news leaked?
Apart from her father and a handful of others, no one knew they had imprisoned the Primary Hope Saintess.
How, then, had the Primary Hope Holy Church learned of it?
Chu Xinyue's mind was in turmoil. For a moment, her vision even darkened, and she failed to hear the voices of the elder ministers pleading for her intervention.
"Your Majesty, I demand an explanation."
At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from outside the imperial palace.
Accompanied by a violent, terrifying aura, dark clouds surged across the distant sky, pressing down like a collapsing firmament, filling everyone with dread.
Amidst the clouds stood a towering figure clad in armor—none other than Champion General Chu Heng.
Behind him followed the former Grand Tutor, Han Feng, Chu Bai, and others, their expressions grim. The Grand Tutor's face, in particular, was etched with deep sorrow and disbelief.
Champion General Chu Heng had led his army back from the border at an alarming speed.
However, the main force had not accompanied him to the capital, remaining stationed outside.
"Champion General..."
Many ministers in the court turned their heads at the sound of his furious shout.
The face of the Eldest Prince, Chu Wushang, grew even paler as he struggled to remain standing.
When his gaze swept over Champion General Chu Heng and finally landed on the pair of jade pendants tightly clutched in the general's hand, his expression crumbled into despair.
He had no idea how the missing pendant had ended up in Chu Heng's possession.
But now, seeing that pendant, it all made sense—why Chu Heng had abandoned his post and rushed back from the border overnight.
Chu Gucheng's expression was as deep and unreadable as still water. His eyes shifted slightly, settling on Chu Heng, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed his otherwise immovable face.
Coldly, he asked, "Champion General, you abandoned your post, disregarded the safety of the border, and withdrew your troops, putting the Immortal Chu Vast Land at risk. What punishment do you think you deserve?"
Chu Heng descended from the sky, striding into the palace with heavy steps. His icy gaze swept over the assembled ministers before finally settling on the Eldest Prince, Chu Wushang, whose face had turned ashen.
"At this point, Your Majesty, you still intend to shield the Eldest Prince?" Chu Heng's voice was laced with undisguised fury. "I have been utterly loyal to the Immortal Chu Vast Land. Over the years, I've expanded its territories, fought countless battles, and achieved innumerable feats. Yet in the end, is this how you repay me?"
As he spoke, he unfurled the pair of matching jade pendants in his hand, his eyes burning with cold rage.
Chu Gucheng's gaze shifted to the pendants, his tone devoid of emotion. "I fail to understand your meaning, Champion General. Have I not treated you well? I regarded you as my own, taught you techniques and divine abilities since childhood, provided you with endless resources and opportunities, and placed immense trust in you, allowing you to rise to your current position."
"And now—do you intend to betray me by siding with outsiders?"
The ministers in the hall were stunned.
Many who were unaware of the truth couldn't fathom why Champion General Chu Heng was so enraged that he would defy orders and withdraw his troops from the border.
But a few who guessed the reason paled in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
Seeing that Chu Gucheng still feigned ignorance, Chu Heng's heart grew even colder.
He had initially felt a twinge of guilt for his actions today, but now, that sentiment vanished entirely.
It was true that Chu Gucheng had treated him well—his achievements were built upon the Ruler's unwavering support.
But it was also an undeniable fact that Chu Gucheng had used him as a pawn, turning a blind eye as his own son humiliated Chu Heng's wife.
Before arriving at the palace, Chu Heng had already contacted Han Feng, Chu Bai, and the others, retrieving the other pendant.
When the two pendants were reunited, they formed a unique domain, replaying the karma of that day and allowing him to reconstruct the scene of his wife's humiliation.
The images that surfaced had filled Chu Heng with such fury that his vision blurred, his hatred so overwhelming he wished he could turn back time and slaughter the vile perpetrator on the spot.
Before witnessing those scenes, he had imagined countless possibilities—but none had prepared him for the truth.
But he had never imagined that the true culprit would be the eldest prince of the Immortal Chu Vast Land—his childhood friend, Chu Wushang.
This truth struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned and unable to believe it. He even doubted whether he had seen it wrong.
Chu Heng knew that his wife, Qing Lan, and the eldest prince, Chu Wushang, had been childhood sweethearts.
Before he was adopted by the Ruler Chu Gucheng, Qing Lan and Chu Wushang had always cultivated together, growing up carefree and innocent, harboring mutual affection.
Later, Qing Lan had married him because his sincerity had moved her.
Chu Heng had always treated the eldest prince Chu Wushang as a brother and had never overstepped boundaries.
It was only after receiving Qing Lan's firm assurance that she had no romantic feelings for Chu Wushang and only saw him as an elder brother that he had begun pursuing her.
He had never known that Chu Wushang held such deep obsession for Qing Lan, even believing that she had betrayed him by shifting her affections.
And this very reason was the true cause of the tragedy—on the night of the Ruler Chu Gucheng's birthday banquet, after Chu Heng had left the imperial capital, his wife had suffered humiliation at the hands of the eldest prince, Chu Wushang.
Now, no matter how much Chu Heng regretted or raged, it was already too late. Regardless of why Chu Wushang had committed such an atrocity that day, he had to make him pay—otherwise, how could his wife rest in peace beneath the Nine Springs?
"At this point, words are meaningless. Since the Ruler insists on shielding the eldest prince, why not let the assembled ministers witness the truth?"
Chu Heng's expression was icy, his gaze like frozen blades, making the very void tremble.
With a wave of his hand, the pair of matching jades hummed as they flew out, their ancient surfaces erupting with radiant light.
A hazy glow spread through the air, forming a blurred domain in the void, within which scenes began to materialize.
It depicted a grand complex of majestic buildings, with towering eaves and ornate pavilions. A stunning woman, clad in white fur with a flowing shawl draped over her shoulders, stood in a quiet courtyard, gazing into the distance with a trace of sorrow between her brows—as if worried for her husband, who was away at war.
Though Chu Heng had concealed the woman's face with his magic power, all the ministers present recognized her—she was Qing Lan, the Champion General's wife.
"Could this be a reconstruction of the night the Champion General's wife was murdered?"
A minister gasped softly as he recognized the scene.
Every person in the grand hall turned their attention to the unfolding images, their gazes fixed intently.
Before this, many in the Immortal Chu Vast Land had investigated the cause of the Champion General's wife's death, and some had even attempted to reconstruct the scene—but all had failed.
Now, Chu Heng had somehow succeeded in restoring the events of that night.
In the blurred images, Qing Lan stood in the courtyard, speaking with her maidservant, expressing concern that the Beast Court and Purple Sky Mountain's aggressive movements might endanger the Champion General.
Everything seemed normal, with nothing out of place.
Chu Gucheng watched coldly, his pupils contracting as the scene shifted—until another figure appeared, at which point his expression twisted in shock, as if he could not believe his eyes.
"What?!"
Many ministers exclaimed in unison, some even rising to their feet, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Chu Heng's heart ached as he watched the scene again, but he did not stop it—only withdrawing the matching jades when the moment of his wife's humiliation approached.
The grand hall fell into an eerie silence, with no one daring to speak.
"This is the full account of what happened before Qing Lan's death," the Champion General Chu Heng said coldly, shattering the silence.
"How could it be...?"
The ministers were utterly stunned, their minds reeling, unable to accept the truth.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, how could they have believed that the true culprit was the eldest prince, Chu Wushang?
That steady, dependable eldest prince, whom so many ministers had placed their hopes upon?
Now, countless gazes turned toward Chu Wushang, filled with disbelief—including those of Chu Gucheng's descendants.
The eldest prince's face was slightly pale. He did not meet their eyes, instead slowly closing his own.
It seemed he already knew his fate was sealed the moment Chu Heng had presented the evidence.
And his reaction, in the eyes of those present, was tantamount to admitting that he had been the one to commit the atrocity that day.
"Why...?"
Chu Gucheng's face darkened, as if he could not believe what he had just witnessed.
"The truth of these images is plain for all to see. Now, I only ask the Ruler to give me justice."
Chu Heng's voice was frigid, his gaze locked onto Chu Gucheng's shifting expression.
He did not believe that Chu Gucheng was only learning of this now.
Someone at the Ancestral Dao Realm must have intervened to erase the karma and cover Chu Wushang's tracks.
After all, without Chu Gucheng's permission, how could Chu Wushang have possibly enlisted the help of an Ancestral Dao Realm expert from the Immortal Chu Vast Land?
And now, Chu Gucheng pretended ignorance—who was he trying to fool, besides those ministers who knew nothing of the truth?
"I have wronged you... I never imagined Wushang would do such a thing..."
Chu Gucheng looked at Chu Heng with deep sorrow, his voice trembling as if his heart were torn with pain, unable to accept the truth.
Yet many ministers still felt their heads buzzing, their vision darkening.
"What has happened to the Immortal Chu Vast Land? Is this calamity fated to befall us? With formidable enemies at our gates, how could such an inconceivable incident occur within our own ranks?"
Champion General Chu Heng merely watched Chu Gucheng coldly, unmoved.
At this moment, the eldest prince, Chu Wushang, who had closed his eyes earlier, finally spoke, "I have failed my father's trust and the high expectations of all the ministers. Everything that happened that day was my doing. Afterward, I used an ancient artifact to erase the traces of causality. Later, fearing that the Champion General might uncover the truth prematurely, I forged my father's decree to ambush and eliminate the Champion General's trusted aides on the road and purge all his informants in the capital..."
"I am unworthy of being the eldest prince of the Immortal Chu Vast Land. My actions were beastly beyond measure, bringing shame upon the Immortal Chu Vast Land and my father."
He looked at the assembled ministers, his expression pained and remorseful, as if genuinely regretting his deeds, though his gaze gradually settled into calm indifference.
"Why, Your Highness? Why would you do such things? This is utterly unlike you!"
Many elder ministers were heartbroken and unwilling to believe that Chu Wushang could have committed such acts.
A bitter smile tugged at Chu Wushang's lips as he shook his head slightly. "Qinglan became an obsession and inner demon I could never attain. I deserve this fate."
At the same time, he glanced at Chu Heng, his eyes flickering with something akin to guilt before settling back into icy detachment.
"You have betrayed my trust and disgraced your position as the eldest prince of the Immortal Chu Vast Land. I have always upheld justice and strict discipline. Today, I shall set aside personal ties for righteousness and give the Champion General the justice he demands—before all the ministers."
Chu Gucheng's face was stern as he coldly regarded Chu Wushang.
The moment his words fell, he flicked his sleeve and struck out with a palm aimed directly at Chu Wushang's brow.
Thud!
Blood and bone fragments splattered across the hall.
Despite Chu Wushang's Dao Realm cultivation, under Chu Gucheng's wrathful strike, there was no chance of survival—his Primordial Spirit shattered instantly, collapsing into nothingness.
Of course, to the onlookers, it was clear that Chu Wushang had long resolved to die, offering no resistance.
Witnessing this scene, the ministers who had been about to intervene froze in shock, unable to believe their eyes.
Had the ruler of the land, Chu Gucheng, truly just executed his own eldest son before them all?
The sheer ruthlessness of Chu Gucheng sent chills down many spines.
Even Champion General Chu Heng had not expected Chu Gucheng to be so merciless—willing to discard even his own flesh and blood without hesitation.
Yet, from the moment he presented his evidence to Chu Gucheng personally executing the eldest prince, everything had unfolded far too swiftly.
Had Chu Gucheng anticipated this outcome long ago? Had Chu Wushang already been prepared to die?
"Wushang is dead. He has paid the price for his crimes. I trust this resolution satisfies the Champion General?"
After personally executing his son, Chu Gucheng slowly closed his eyes, as if concealing his grief.
At this point, Chu Heng could say no more.
The justice he demanded had been delivered—the eldest prince's life in exchange for his wife's. What more could he possibly ask for?
Yet, none of this alleviated the suffocating fury and resentment in his heart.
This vengeance had not been exacted by his own hand. Letting Chu Wushang die so swiftly left him with a bitter taste of dissatisfaction.
"With our enemies pressing upon us, I implore the Champion General to prioritize the greater good. The safety of countless subjects of the Immortal Chu Vast Land now rests in your hands."
Chu Gucheng spoke again, seemingly composed once more.
Chu Heng nodded. "Your Majesty need not worry. I understand my duty and what must be done."
Chu Gucheng gave a slight nod and said nothing further, though a fleeting shadow of sorrow crossed his gaze when it brushed over Chu Wushang's corpse.
Then, as the ministers began deliberating countermeasures for the crisis facing the Immortal Chu Vast Land—
Boom!
A vast, surging ripple erupted from the far reaches of the heavens. The very fabric of space trembled violently before splitting open into a terrifying chasm.
Someone, from the other end of spacetime, was forcibly tunneling a passageway into the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
Brilliant, dazzling radiance tore through the cosmos like a monstrous hand reaching from beyond the firmament, rending the heavens asunder.
Sacred, blazing light rained down in flurries, spilling from the newly formed spacetime tunnel. The barriers between worlds seemed to turn translucent under its glow.
Vague silhouettes stood on the other side of the passageway, their gazes fixed upon the Immortal Chu Vast Land.
"The Immortal Chu Vast Land has colluded with the remnants of the Black Disaster, imprisoned the Primary Hope Saintess, defied natural order, subverted cosmic law, and crossed the bottom line of the Primary Hope Civilisation. We call upon all righteous factions to unite and annihilate them!"
The voice pierced through the vast reaches of the Great Universe, reverberating across the lands of the Immortal Chu Vast Land. Countless cultivators and living beings trembled, their ears ringing with shock.
On the other side of the spacetime tunnel, shadowy figures multiplied, more and more gathering as if preparing to cross over and descend upon this realm.