A Senior from the Era of the Great Annihilation? The Myth Concerning the Divine Ruins
A Senior from the Era of the Great Annihilation? The Myth Concerning the Divine Ruins
751 Return to the Beginning of the World’s Upheaval, Reshaping the Myth (Please Subscribe)
The River of Time was, without question, the most mysterious and profound existence in this world for Cultivators.
It stretched across the ages, flowing through every corner of the myriad worlds. Even the most profound laws paled in comparison before it, unable to rival it.
Even those who had reached the Celestial Realm could not clearly explain one or two things about the River of Time.
For a True Immortal to attempt to cross the River of Time was virtually impossible.
Only one who had condensed an Immortal King Dao Fruit was qualified to glimpse its mysteries. Yet even they dared not casually interfere with the River of Time, for they would suffer tremendous backlash and bear unimaginable karma.
In extremely ancient times, there had been Immortal Kings who attempted to reverse the past through the River of Time, hoping to resurrect old friends.
But they provoked the great terror of this world, suffering Dao wounds that could never heal. Even after endless years, the wounds could not mend, and in the end, they perished, their Daos extinguished.
Someone like Gu Changge, who had not even reached the Celestial Realm, trudging through the River of Time, attempting to travel to the past and interfere with the present world—this was absolutely audacious beyond measure.
Fortunately, the rules of this universe were extremely incomplete, and the Will of the Heavenly Dao was also incomplete. Moreover, the stretch of the River of Time Gu Changge traversed was merely a small tributary. Combined with the mysteries of the Celestial Boat of Creation, he dared to make this attempt.
Otherwise, Gu Changge would not have been willing to take such a huge risk.
If he could fully digest and absorb that drop of True Blood, he could naturally traverse the River of Time with ease. Unfortunately, the Immortal Path was a threshold he had yet to cross.
Gu Changge’s entire body was enveloped in azure light as he stood within the Celestial Boat of Creation.
On both sides, turbid waves surged skyward, countless fragments of time fluttering about, reflecting innumerable scenes that recorded the past of this universe.
He journeyed from the present toward the past. Chaos Lightning fell from above, vast and ancient auras surging toward him, with Great Dao storms sweeping through.
A mere wisp of that aura was enough to reduce a True Daoist to ash, completely annihilated. Even Immortal Path experts dared not touch it.
This was enough to show the great terror of this place—one could vanish into smoke at any moment.
Fortunately, the Celestial Boat of Creation was truly miraculous. Hazy radiance swirled around it, and an inexplicable aura permeated the air, resisting all the terrifying forces within the River of Time.
Gu Changge kept watching the various scenes within the River of Time, witnessing many images of the past—including the birth of True Daoists in this universe, the founding of Royal Families and Holy Lands, the leaving behind of legacies, and their eventual deaths as their lifespans ran out.
Of course, there were also some True Daoists who attempted to find heaven-defying methods, hoping to break open the Celestial Gate and achieve the Immortal Path Realm.
Unfortunately, the heavenly rules of this world were even more incomplete than those of the Beyond, insufficient to support them in reaching that step.
Epochs collapsed, rules ground to dust—this was an environment even harsher and crueler than the Age of Dharma Decline.
After the Dark Gap, there was not even spiritual energy left in the world. The number of Cultivators plummeted drastically, Life-Extending Matter dissipated, and the lifespans of supreme experts shrank dramatically—from millions of years at the start, slowly dwindling down.
Gu Changge witnessed this entire process of evolution with his own eyes.
He even saw some supreme experts who, upon learning of the Celestial Gate left behind by the Ancient Reincarnation Supreme Being, attempted to push open that door.
Without exception, they were all devoured by the monster behind the door, their Dao Fruits consumed.
Had they been in a universe with relatively complete rules, these supreme experts would absolutely have had the chance to advance further.
What they carried was not merely the Fortuity and Dao Fruits of this universe, but the Heavenly Mandate Imprint of the current era.
Gu Changge’s gaze grew somewhat thoughtful. As he trudged through the River of Time, he kept pondering what method to use to leave behind the secret of the Tree of Epoch.
Ahead, giant waves crashed against the sky. The Spacetime Stone loomed faintly, standing erect within the River of Time, towering and ancient, exuding a desolate grandeur.
“It seems I’ve arrived.”
Gu Changge confirmed this node and prepared to stop, stepping into this epoch.
The next moment, the Celestial Boat of Creation burst forth with blazing light, carrying him as it transformed into a streak of radiance, charging out of the River of Time.
Giant waves on both sides came crashing down, and chaotic lightning fell, attempting to strike Gu Changge down into the river—but all of them failed.
The bronze banner standing upon the Celestial Boat of Creation unfurled. Though tattered and stained with some blood, it sealed off all the surrounding giant waves.
Thunder roared. Every bolt of Chaos Lightning was incomparably terrifying, as thick as a star, splitting open the dark River of Time itself.
If such a bolt struck an Immortal Path being, it would absolutely severely injure them, even carrying the risk of death.
Gu Changge’s expression remained calm. He put away the Celestial Boat of Creation, and his figure departed from the River of Time, heading straight toward this epoch.
A vast, ancient, and desolate aura came rushing at him, carrying a sense of nirvana-like vitality being nurtured after utter deathly silence.
After the Taboo Epoch, the entire universe had fallen into a Dark Gap.
And the period Gu Changge was now heading to was the era after the Dark Gap ended, when the world’s environment began to recover.
This was a vast and boundless world. Ancient trees reached for the sky, emerald lakes dotted the endless grasslands like jade, and the air was filled with a fresh, spiritual aura.
Ancient peaks towered, immortal mountains stretched on, mist curled around them—everywhere was the scenery of an immortal realm.
Many fierce beasts roared within the Great Wilderness, letting out heaven-shaking roars. Terrifying black shadows flew across the sky, blotting out the sun, their spread wings like clouds hanging from the heavens.
Gu Changge’s figure appeared in this place, landing upon the continent in a single step.
Right now, he was not a projection—he truly existed here.
A terrifying fierce beast ahead noticed him. Rather than ignoring him, it suddenly sensed a terrifying danger and turned to flee at once.
“It seems I really have arrived in this era. The world’s suppression of me is quite deep—I can exert at most ten percent of my strength.
If I were to unleash my full power, it might trigger a violent upheaval in this world, and even affect my return to the present.”
Gu Changge closed his eyes slightly, adapting to the heavenly environment of this place.
This time was different from before—the suppressive force of the world’s environment had not completely dissipated.
Even Immortal Path experts would be greatly deterred and suppressed.
After the Taboo Epoch, the Immortal Path had collapsed, but some of its aura still lingered between heaven and earth.
Moreover, the Dark Gap had only just receded. The world had yet to begin its great transformation, and the Age of Dharma Decline of later generations had not yet begun.
In other words, the current heavenly environment was actually far more suitable for cultivation than the present world.
Soon, Gu Changge adapted to the environment here. He opened his eyes, his entire being seemingly returned to simplicity, without any aura leaking out.
However, he was still affected by karma. His face became extremely blurry, as if veiled by some aura, his true features impossible to see.
Gu Changge did not mind this at all.
He had already figured out how to leave his mark in this era.
“First, the secret of becoming an immortal needs to be altered. It’s nothing more than forcibly creating a segment of nothingness into the past, thereby influencing the present world.
The maturation of the Tree of Epoch concerns the appearance of the Celestial Path. In that case, I’ll leave behind another legend and reshape the myth. In ancient times, a certain unspeakable Absolute Being descended upon this world carrying a mysterious ancient tree, and established a Life Forbidden Zone at some location. That Life Forbidden Zone was named the Divine Ruins.
It is said that place connects to the Celestial Domain, containing the legendary Heaven’s Gate, the Divine Firmament Palace, and the Heavenly River...”
752 The Will of Heaven Strikes Down with a Blade, Beginning to Leave Traces (Please Subscribe)
Considering that he was about to change the entire ancient history, affecting the subsequent River of Time and even later generations, Gu Changge was very cautious. Even though he had already devised a plan in his heart, he did not rush to implement it.
What he currently lacked were witnesses, and the corresponding means of dissemination.
Otherwise, after all his arrangements, the legend he left behind would have no witnesses and no one would know of it. Such a legend could not be verified, and naturally could not convince later generations.
For a so-called divine miracle to descend, there naturally needed to be witnesses.
Gu Changge walked through this universe, crossing continent after continent, passing through many desolate and deathly silent lands.
After the Dark Gap appeared in this universe, although the heavenly environment had changed somewhat, the spiritual energy and Life-Extending Matter were extremely abundant, very suitable for Cultivators’ cultivation.
Many Mystic Mountains and ancient peaks were tall, vast, and boundless. Some ancient trees blotted out the sky, having lived for millions of years—older even than the lifespans of Cultivators.
Of course, after the Dark Gap, the number of Cultivators had sharply declined.
Even Gu Changge could not find many traces of Cultivators. Instead, fierce beasts were numerous, their intelligence low, only able to simply distinguish fortune from misfortune.
After the Dark Gap, impacted by the auras of the past, those terrifyingly powerful fierce beasts...
These savage beasts possessed frightening vitality, but their cultivation was extremely low. Their long lifespans had allowed massive amounts of spiritual energy to accumulate within their bodies.
With their unenlightened intelligence, they naturally could not cultivate using this spiritual energy. In this era, Cultivators had basically ceased to exist.
“It seems a long time is still needed for evolution... or I could leave behind cultivation methods.”
Gu Changge frowned, but still abandoned this idea.
According to the normal trajectory of time, the enlightenment of these savage beasts required a long period.
If he enlightened them prematurely, it could cause unimaginable consequences.
After all, what he wanted to do was merely leave behind a legend in this era, maximizing its influence.
Otherwise, with Gu Changge’s current cultivation, he absolutely could not withstand that kind of terrifying backlash. If the karma of the entire ancient history descended upon him, even the Celestial Boat of Creation would shatter.
Unless he chose to remain in this era.
Thinking of it this way, the best approach was to first find a suitable ancient life planet and locate the earliest Cultivators.
He traveled along one life star after another, his divine sense sweeping across, shaking the entire universe.
Even suppressed by the World’s Will and affected by the karma of reversing the River of Time, able to exert less than a tenth of his power...
His strength still far surpassed that of ordinary True Daoists.
The Cultivators of this current era could not possibly be very powerful. During the Dark Gap, the true experts had all gone extinct.
The Cultivators alive now were either survivors of that period, or those who had...
“Hmm? Such dense life aura...
There are definitely Cultivators there—perhaps even traces of a Dao lineage.”
Suddenly, Gu Changge noticed a star region not far away.
Judging from its aura, that star region was extremely ancient, permeated with a desolate and vast atmosphere.
Many ancient life planets dotted it, enormous beyond measure, slowly rotating. Their life aura was incomparably dense, azure and vast.
He hurried over quickly, his figure crossing the starry sky before him in an instant, intending to descend toward that star region.
For Gu Changge, as long as he could find a life planet with Cultivators, that was enough.
His requirements were not high.
A terrifying aura surged downward, blazing light rushing skyward, enveloping the entire star region.
All living beings with intelligence felt this terrifying fluctuation at this moment, trembling from the depths of their souls, kneeling prostrate on the ground.
And within the planet ahead, in a bamboo forest shrouded in dense immortal mist...
Many ancient Cultivators also sensed that fluctuation at the first moment.
Thick shock and horror surfaced on everyone’s faces.
How could such an aura appear in the current era?
Within this immortal-mist-shrouded bamboo forest, there existed many creatures that had gone extinct in later generations.
There were qilin cubs, White Tiger cubs, little immortal phoenixes spreading their wings and soaring, and many immortal herbs and sacred medicines...
...herbs, too, grew upon the cliffs and mountainsides, with no one venturing out to pick them.
But what drew the most attention was deep within the bamboo forest—
a bamboo house built amidst a boundless sea of clouds.
Within it sat a white-haired old man, cross-legged, his figure incredibly hunched, as though he were already half in the grave. His eyes, too, were utterly murky.
Around the bamboo house sat many Cultivators in meditation, and even some sentient fierce beasts lay quietly there, as if listening to the white-haired old man expound upon the principles of cultivation.
“Grandfather Cang, what exactly was that aura just now? It was too terrifying. Didn’t you say that after the Era of the Great Annihilation, there were no more supreme experts left in this world? That aura just now was exactly like the supreme experts recorded in the ancient texts.”
A young child with divine light within his body raised his head and asked the white-haired old man before him, his face full of curiosity.
“That aura was far too frightening—it felt like it could easily destroy our entire star.”
A young man carrying a sword on his back also asked in shock, respectfully addressing the old man before him.
In the distance, a little Celestial Phoenix came flapping over on her wings, spiritual light shimmering all over her body, transforming into a beautiful young maiden clad in feathered robes.
She landed before the white-haired old man, her voice crisp and clear.
“Grandfather Cang, do you think it could be a supreme expert who never perished in the Era of the Great Annihilation, still living in this world?”
Hearing this, the old man called Grandfather Cang’s gaze suddenly grew reminiscent. He coughed a few times before shaking his head. “Impossible. The Era of the Great Annihilation long ago cut down every supreme expert—not even great masters could have survived.”
“That aura just now... perhaps it came from the Outer Territory.”
As a survivor of the Era of the Great Annihilation—that is, the Dark Gap—he naturally knew the hidden secrets of that ancient history very well.
Whether Immortals or True Daoists, all were mercilessly cut down by the Will of Heaven.
“If it truly came from the Outer Territory... then would he know the reason behind the Era of the Great Annihilation? But if he really is a legendary supreme expert, he probably wouldn’t bother with ants like us.”
Many Cultivators in the bamboo forest began discussing among themselves, their gazes fixed on the place where that blazing radiance had vanished.
“Grandfather Cang, I want to go see that place. I want to see for myself what the supreme experts recorded in the ancient texts were really like.”
The crisp voice came from the feather-robed maiden transformed from the Celestial Phoenix. She was resolute, her eyes clear and bright, gleaming with a strange brilliance.
“Then go and see. By all reason, an expert of that caliber shouldn’t bother with a little Celestial Phoenix like you. If this were the ancient era of old, you might well have been captured by someone. But now, even though your bloodline is powerful, cultivation is incredibly difficult—there are no methods left.”
The white-haired old man shook his head and sighed, deeply regretful about this.
The severing of cultivation methods was not solely due to the fall of the supreme experts and the loss of Daoist legacies.
Even for races with powerful bloodlines, the inherited cultivation methods engraved into their bloodlines and souls had been cut away by the Will of Heaven.
How could they continue cultivating along the paths walked by the Progenitors?
They could only wait for the suppression of this world’s Will of Heaven to disperse—only then, perhaps, could a true solution be found.
“Huang Yu, if you’re going, be careful not to offend him. Though a true supreme expert likely wouldn’t care about a little Celestial Phoenix like you... you probably won’t even get to see him. But... this might just turn out to be your fortuitous encounter.”
The white-haired old man watched as the feather-robed maiden transformed back into a little Celestial Phoenix and flew off, wings beating.
Long ago, he too had been an extremely powerful Cultivator. Though he hadn’t reached the level of a supreme expert, he hadn’t been far off.
But because of that single stroke of the Will of Heaven, his cultivation began to fade, his lifespan began to wither, and the divine abilities he had learned, the methods he had cultivated, gradually faded from his mind.
Such a catastrophic disaster was truly horrifying and dreadful.
Even Immortals could do nothing about it—they could only watch helplessly as their cultivation fell away, their insights were forgotten, their lifespans dried up, and they finally passed away in meditation.
Some had tried to leave this universe, traveling to other universes in search of a solution.
But those who left never returned.
Many speculated that they had perished along the way, or perhaps they had found some place suitable for cultivation and never returned to their homeland.
In any case, the long Dark Gap persisted for countless years, ultimately grinding away all the Daoist traditions and inheritances of the past. If any traces remained, they were the Stone Engravings and relics, and some ancient texts buried in the earth long ago.
But no matter what, they could not allow all inheritances to be severed. The Era of the Great Annihilation had passed, and the world’s environment was slowly becoming suitable for cultivation once more. For the people of later generations, they themselves were the Progenitors.
“Perhaps that disturbance just now was a supreme expert who once left this universe, now returned, having found a solution.”
He continued expounding the principles of cultivation to the crowd in the bamboo forest and the somewhat sentient fierce beasts.
On this ancient star of life, similar scenes were playing out everywhere, for that blazing radiance just now had been far too terrifying. Even across vast distances, it carried a heart-palpitating aura of destruction.
Many Cultivators were devising ways to rush toward the direction where that light had appeared.
Even some Cultivators who could not fly were finding ways to head there.
Everyone desperately wanted to know how, in the current state of the world, such a terrifying aura could appear—exactly like the supreme experts of old recorded in the ancient texts.
The maiden named Huang Yu flew at great speed. Although many of the cultivation methods inherited in her bloodline had been destroyed,
it did not affect her speed in the slightest. She practically transformed into a crimson divine rainbow, chasing after it.
Soon, she was stunned by the sight before her, hovering in the air, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
At some unknown moment—perhaps just now—what had originally been a vast, boundless Great Wilderness was now shrouded in an endless immortal mist. Faintly visible within were the outlines of many divine peaks and ancient trees, unimaginably enormous, as if standing level with heaven and earth.
And within this boundless immortal mist, many jagged rocks stood out distinctly. Numerous broken palaces, pavilions, and ruined relics were scattered in all directions, suffused with a grand and ancient aura.
As if they had existed for endless ages.
Solemn and sublime, making one unable to resist prostrating before them in worship.
“Could this be the Immortal Palace recorded in the ancient texts? That senior came from the Outer Territory and finally chose to live in seclusion here?”
The maiden Huang Yu was shaken to her core, her heart filled with deep reverence.
Within this mysterious region before her, she saw even more terrifying sights.
Enormous stars, one after another, floated for unknown reasons deep within it, densely packed, with no end in sight.
To the east, towering and majestic pillars could be seen, as if propping heaven and earth apart, shrouded in boundless mist—mysterious and vast.
To the west, Chaos Energy permeated the air, forming a waterfall, faintly revealing an incomparably broad and massive river, its rolling waves beating against heaven and earth as if to pierce through the universe itself.
In the maiden Huang Yu’s eyes, that river actually flowed backward toward the sky, with countless starlights converging within it, like the legendary Heavenly River.
“What are all these? Those characters...”
“Heaven’s Gate!”
“Look, there’s a Stone Engraving here! It seems to be writing from a very, very long time ago—it says ’Gods’...”
The commotion and sights here alarmed many Cultivators. Everyone who arrived later was also completely stunned.
Many had only ever heard of such things in ancient texts. What they saw now, in their eyes, was no different from the Immortal Palace—perhaps even more shocking.
The boundless immortal mist shrouded this region, mysterious and vast, with no end in sight, inspiring awe.
“That disturbance just now must have been the work of that senior. It seems he intends to live in seclusion here.”
“Gods, Immortal Palace, Heaven’s Gate... this must be some senior from before the Great Annihilation. Only before the Great Annihilation could things related to Immortals exist.”
Many people gazed at the scene before them and devoutly prostrated themselves toward it in worship.
In the current era, Cultivators were all peaceful, without strife or slaughter, one could say.
So upon learning that the place ahead might be the secluded dwelling of some supreme expert,
none dared disturb it. They merely paid their respects here and quietly observed.
Of course, many also knew that the region ahead surely contained countless dangers—carelessly stepping in would absolutely mean death.
“That seems to be... a tree?”
Suddenly, the maiden Huang Yu noticed something. Her expression turned to shock as she fixed her gaze on the deepest part.
There, Chaos Energy surged, and great swathes of mist suddenly shot skyward, revealing an incomparably mysterious and ancient towering tree standing in the deepest depths. Its leaves were withered, yet they condensed boundless chaos.
Stars actually turned to dust-like motes, revolving around it, emitting terrifying sounds like worlds colliding.
Though this sight flashed by in an instant, many people saw it, their hearts filled with endless awe and dread.
“A mysterious senior, carrying a mysterious ancient tree, suddenly descended here and proclaimed himself a God? Or was this place originally called Gods’ Ruins, even before the Era of the Great Annihilation?”
Huang Yu murmured, wanting very much to walk into the Gods’ Ruins and see the sights within.
But her instincts told her that if she dared take a single step forward, the result would absolutely be the annihilation of both body and soul.
She lingered there, extremely hesitant in her heart, yet somewhere in the depths of her being, a thought told her that she could actually go in.
In the end, some Cultivators saw the little Celestial Phoenix transform into her true form, flap her wings, and plunge headfirst into the boundless immortal mist, chasing after that Gods’ Ruins. But no one ever saw her come out.
In the years that followed, many Cultivators and living beings would come to the edge of the Gods’ Ruins, gazing from afar at the vast sights within.
But as time wore on, the mist around the Gods’ Ruins grew ever thicker, gradually enveloping the entire surroundings.
Even Cultivators who had been there before could no longer find the path.
Many noticed that the Gods’ Ruins was gradually disappearing, just like the many cultivation methods that had once existed—slowly fading away.
Some said that the mysterious and powerful senior within the Gods’ Ruins had been healing his wounds all these years, and now that his injuries were nearly recovered, he intended to leave this place.
But others said that the Gods’ Ruins was actually an entrance to the legendary Celestial Domain, and that senior must have already ascended to the Celestial Domain, which was why the Gods’ Ruins was gradually vanishing.
Thereafter, almost every year Cultivators would come to this place searching for traces of the Gods’ Ruins. Some found a few traces, but far more became lost here, finding nothing, believing the Gods’ Ruins had long since disappeared.