The Cataclysm Descends, Awaiting the Arrival of the Sacrifices
The Cataclysm Descends, Awaiting the Arrival of the Sacrifices
Inside the dungeon, everyone was stunned, shocked by Yu Feiya’s words.
The Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, and the others also widened their eyes, cold chills involuntarily rising up their backs.
They had personally witnessed those True Daoists being slain by Gu Changge’s own hand.
Among them was even an old Imperial Preceptor standing behind Feiya herself, and yet now she was turning a blind eye to the matter, even planning to lure the others down into the world below.
What exactly was her intention?
“So it seems that you seniors do indeed still have a sliver of hope for survival.”
Hearing this, Gu Changge smiled faintly, seemingly unsurprised. He hadn’t expected Yu Feiya to say such a thing, but it worked out perfectly—he could draw all the cultivators of every faction in this place toward it, turning them into nourishment for the sacrifice.
“Perhaps they are trapped somewhere?”
Yu Feiya’s words sent the experts of the various factions and Dao lineages into deep thought. If there was still a thread of hope, they did not wish to see their Founding Ancestors perish.
“It seems we must send people back down into the Profound Sword World to investigate thoroughly and keep ourselves in an invincible position.”
An expert from Godly Spirit Mountain spoke up, nodding as he made his decision to arrange for people to descend into the world below once more.
With such a great calamity befalling the Profound Sword World, blood and fire raging across its lands, this was the perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of the chaos.
Soon after, the many figures within the dungeon all departed, leaving only the people of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty and Gu Changge.
“You may leave as well.”
Gu Changge shook his head lightly. His sleeves swayed, a gentle breeze swept past, and the Restrictions on the Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, and the others instantly dissolved.
“This...”
“What does Young Master Gu mean by this?”
They were utterly shocked, unable to comprehend Gu Changge’s actions or intentions. They exchanged glances, each seeing nothing but bewilderment and confusion in the other’s eyes.
Gu Changge was not only sparing them—he was even undoing the Restrictions on their bodies, planning to set them free?
“The Profound Sword World has suffered such a great calamity, its people plunged into misery. As the supreme experts of this world, it is time for you to put your strength and purpose to use.”
Gu Changge said indifferently. Heaven and earth as the furnace, all living beings as the fuel.
As the finest sacrifices, it was indeed time for these Earth Sword Immortals to serve their purpose.
“Thank you, Young Master Gu, for sparing our lives today.”
“If there is ever a chance in the future, we will surely repay this kindness.”
Hearing Gu Changge’s words, the Abundance Sword Immortal and the others were first taken aback, then their expressions grew incomparably complicated as they cupped their fists respectfully.
They had no idea that the Will of the Heavenly Path had already fallen under Gu Changge’s control.
Those who had previously thought Gu Changge unfathomably shrewd and ruthlessly cruel now felt secretly ashamed—they had truly been measuring a gentleman’s heart with the yardstick of a petty man.
Because of Gu Changge’s orders, the experts of the other factions and Dao lineages dared not trouble the Abundance Sword Immortal and his companions any further. They could only watch as the group was released, departing the Ancient Battleship and returning to the Profound Sword World.
However, compared to the good fortune of the Abundance Sword Immortal and the others, Lin En was not so lucky. His heart was filled with nothing but unwillingness and regret.
Gu Changge casually slapped him to death, and a golden Heavenly Path Chest popped out, which he casually collected. As for the small amount of Fatums that came with it, he paid them no mind at all.
“Then Feiya shall continue spreading the word, drawing the people of every Dao lineage and faction down into that world.”
Seeing this scene, Yu Feiya’s heart skipped a beat, but she suppressed the fear in her heart and spoke respectfully.
After experiencing all this, she had finally seen Gu Changge’s true nature clearly. Beneath that refined, elegant, immortal-like exterior hid a ruthless, heartless disposition that would stop at nothing.
She had once even harbored curiosity toward him, along with a trace of admiration. Now, Yu Feiya only wanted to keep her distance and treat him with reverence from afar.
“Three days. I will only give you three days. After three days, everyone must be drawn into the Profound Sword World.”
Gu Changge glanced at her indifferently, as if he knew exactly what Yu Feiya was thinking.
Three days was more or less enough. This final sacrifice was due to arrive.
Once the time came, he would not wait any longer.
Yu Feiya said respectfully, “Yes, three days should be enough to accomplish it.”
Gu Changge nodded, his figure dissolving into a rain of light and vanishing on the spot.
The news that a cataclysm was about to descend upon the Profound Sword World quickly spread, triggering earth-shaking tremors. An aura of despair blanketed every land.
A few days ago, terrifying Chains of Order had appeared from the depths of the firmament, seizing the Earth Sword Immortals of every region—this had already been an omen for all living beings.
The surviving Ninth Level and Eighth Level existences of the Shu Sect, the Ridge Mountains, and other factions all gathered together, their faces incomparably grave, deliberating on how to resolve what came next.
Some believed they should flee this world and head for other ancient stars bearing life—only then could they escape this calamity.
Others believed they should submit to those Otherworldly Sky Demons and be taken away by them. Even becoming slaves would be better than dying so miserably.
Otherwise, no matter which choice they made, they would likely be unable to escape death.
Even the Earth Sword Immortals could not escape those Chains of Order, let alone everyone else. So the only path to survival was to surrender and submit.
However, cultivators holding such thoughts were ultimately the minority. The vast majority still believed they should unite as one and resist the Heavenly Path together.
After all, Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. They refused to believe that everyone would ultimately perish miserably in this calamity.
Then, the Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, and the many Earth Sword Immortals who had been captured by the Otherworldly Sky Demons returned, gradually calming the hearts of the panicked masses, making them feel that this battle was not without hope.
“The only way is to unite as one. Long, long ago, the Will of the Heavenly Path was sealed away by our ancestors. Now it is our turn—why can we not do the same?”
The Abundance Sword Immortal rallied them, recounting the secrets he had learned from Lin En.
Hearing these words, everyone was naturally greatly encouraged, their morale soaring.
“The most urgent matter now is to find a way to rescue those Earth Sword Immortals captured by the Will of the Heavenly Path. It must fear us—that is why it chose to strike first, to weaken our strength.”
Another veteran Earth Sword Immortal spoke, carrying great authority, and his words were convincing.
No one dared to be negligent. They began trying every possible method to determine where the captured Earth Sword Immortals were currently being held.
Because their Soul Lamps had not yet been extinguished, they must now be imprisoned in some mysterious, unknown place.
“It seems the only way now is the same as when we searched for Mirror Lake last time.”
In the end, they thought of the only method—the same as when they had divined Mirror Lake’s location before: using auras to determine the exact position.
Meanwhile, in the distant lands of the Beyond.
At the entrance to the Profound Sword World, waves of terrifying sounds rang out, as if heaven and earth were collapsing. The void churned violently. That great rift stretching hundreds of thousands of miles was actually slowly healing, its radiance converging, the Force of Law of the world permeating the air—and then, streams of black blood flowed out.
This sight left the countless cultivators guarding this place utterly shaken, their hearts gripped by cold dread.
“What on earth happened? How could this...”
“How could the entrance to that world suddenly seal shut!”
“My family’s successor is still inside!”
An old servant of a Supreme Dao Lineage could not help but cry out, frantic with worry.
One must know that a world’s rift was not fixed. With this entrance sealed, no one knew how they were supposed to enter it afterward.
And most importantly—this Space Rift entrance had suddenly closed, with black blood flowing out. Did that not mean something ominous had occurred within?
The successors of many immortal forces of the Beyond had entered that world, and several True Daoists had descended there as well.
If something had happened to them, they had no idea what to do—there was no way they could go back and account for it.
A Quasi-Emperor of an immortal force who had been stationed here all along suddenly spoke, his expression extremely grave, conferring with the Quasi-Emperors of the other forces.
“This anomaly here is no small matter.”
“Let us join forces and try to see if we can tear this Space Rift open...”
The other Quasi-Emperors nodded, their expressions solemn, unease stirring in their hearts.
Boom!
The next moment, they struck. Their vast, surging auras shook the eight directions, whipping up towering waves ten thousand zhang high—yet they could not stop the rift from healing.
A young man of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty, seeing this scene, could not help but think anxiously, “The Eldest Princess and the others are still inside...”
“And Young Master Changge is in there too. If something happens to him, will the Longevity Gu Family vent their wrath upon Great Yu?”
“Gu Changge should be fine.”
“It’s just the Eldest Princess and the others—I don’t know whether they’ll meet with misfortune. The talisman the old Imperial Preceptor left here has lost its aura. This deeply unsettles me.”
The Quasi-Emperor of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty was considerably calmer and more composed, knowing of Gu Changge’s power.
Even if everyone else were buried within, Gu Changge could likely withdraw unscathed.
Still, he contacted the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty, informing them of the incident here, worried that Yu Feiya, the old Imperial Preceptor, and the others had perished inside.
At the same time, on this day, in the Profound Sword World—
The darkest day descended. The scenes of terror far surpassed anything that had come before.
Heaven and earth were pitch black. Dreadful phenomena appeared in every land. The sky dimmed, losing all color.
Then black mist drifted forth, blotting out the sky and sun, vast and boundless, like a surging black continent pressing down upon them. The sun was devoured; all light vanished.
Countless cultivators and living beings were stunned, staring blankly at it all.
Kacha!
Cracks appeared across the sky. The firmament shattered like a mirror, black blood dripping down.
At the same time, black matter came crashing down with a dong, flooding the eight directions.
Within the remaining lands of the Profound Sword World, far too many powerful cultivators touched by this black matter suddenly screamed, convulsing as they collapsed.
And this black matter, as if alive, kept burrowing into their facial orifices and nostrils, even emitting sounds of tearing and gnawing—utterly horrifying.
In a mere instant, these cultivators and living beings all turned to ash, screaming as they were reduced to nothing.
At this moment, the Profound Sword World descended into chaos.
Rumble—
One Ancient Battleship after another descended from beyond the heavens, landing once more. Standing upon them was a vast and mighty army from the Beyond.
There was the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty, Godly Spirit Mountain, Sky Emperor Mountain... every faction—practically all the forces involved in this conquest of the Profound Sword World.
Yu Feiya dared not disappoint Gu Changge, so she had racked her brains and finally, using the excuse of having located where the old Imperial Preceptor was trapped, lured all the factions into coming.
“The Founding Ancestor’s aura lies in the central region of this world. Taking advantage of the chaos, we can go rescue them.”
Yu Feiya spoke softly, her dress white as snow, her figure tall and slender, her dark hair dancing in the wind—exceedingly beautiful and graceful.
“Something is wrong with this aura. It seems this world is about to collapse.”
A Quasi-Emperor’s expression grew grave. With his extraordinary experience, he sensed the upheaval occurring in the Profound Sword World at this very moment.
The sky darkened all at once, as if the most terrifying True Lightning of Chaos were exploding in the deepest depths.
The entire Profound Sword World, its territory boundless and without end—at this moment, every stretch of land was trembling.
Countless terrifying ferocious beasts awoke in the deepest reaches of the oceans, raising their heads to gaze upward in boundless terror.
“What happened?”
“What’s going on? Why is heaven and earth shattering? The sun and stars have vanished!”
The sudden upheaval within the Profound Sword World left many uninformed cultivators stunned.
Aboard the Ancient Battleships, some cultivators from the Beyond turned pale, noticing that the entrance from before had disappeared—they could no longer sense the slightest aura of the Beyond.
That great cosmic tunnel was also gradually closing. Everyone would be trapped within this world, with no way back to the Beyond.
This filled them with boundless terror and confusion.
Rumble!!
Heaven and earth split apart and collapsed, then peeled away. Firelight shot into the sky, melting everything, like falling meteors sweeping down.
The entire firmament of the Profound Sword World shattered like a mirror into pieces. As the wind blew, all four directions revealed pitch-black, bottomless nothingness.
Within it lay a sea of void, along with boiling chaotic currents, home to many ancient ferocious beasts.
Even True Daoists had to be careful when crossing it—there was terrifying suppression by the Force of Law within, and one could die miserably.
This scene stunned every cultivator within this world. Everyone’s eyes went wide in sheer horror.
Heaven and earth ruptured, all manner of laws permeated the air, and divine lights of order blazed like flames, scorching everything.
Any cultivator who touched even a wisp of this aura was instantly reduced to a cloud of dust, body and soul annihilated.
It was an incomparably terrifying and horrifying sight.
The entire world was shrinking and collapsing, contracting toward its central region like a crumbling continent.
The edges all melted into the sea of void and the chaotic currents, becoming dust.
“This isn’t just the destruction of the world—this is the reforging of this realm, returning it to void and chaos. Every living being within this world will die.”
Aboard an Ancient Battleship, a Sacred Emperor Realm existence cried out in horror, his divine soul trembling, overwhelmed with dread and fear.
Powerful as he was, under such an aura he was horrified to the extreme, like an ant, utterly powerless to resist.
Let alone the other cultivators—their legs went weak, their faces pale.
And what filled them with even greater despair was that they could find no way out whatsoever.
The heavenly secrets here were in disarray, the laws shattered, the order in chaos—they could not sense the slightest aura of the Beyond.
At that moment, someone noticed that the speed of the firmament’s collapse was not particularly fast.
Only the central region of the Profound Sword World remained intact, seemingly unaffected.
“There—perhaps only there lies the hope of survival.”
Across every land of the Profound Sword World, everyone shouted, their bodies glowing, wrapped in runes, rushing over at extreme speed.
Whether cultivators or living beings, all were terrified beyond measure, fleeing toward the central region, believing that only there might they survive.
Boom!
Mountain ranges collapsed, the ground split open, volcanoes erupted, crimson True Flame surging forth, burning everything to ash.
The cataclysm descended, and all living beings and cultivators were buried in ruin, body and soul annihilated.
And while the entire great world was being destroyed—
Within an incomparably deep and dark space.
Dense auras of destruction intertwined, chaotic light drifting loose, all manner of vast and majestic powers rising and falling—enough to crush an ordinary person into pulp, body and soul destroyed.
Dark Cages floated suspended here, within which were imprisoned the many Earth Sword Immortals captured from the Profound Sword World, their faces ashen with despair.
Gazing at the dark throne within this space, their hearts and souls trembled, terrified to the extreme.
A white-robed man sat upright upon it, seemingly waiting here for someone’s arrival.
Beside him, the black-haired man who was the true form of the Will of the Heavenly Path was speaking of something with an air of reverence.