Chapter 152 - 119: Ultimate, Peach Garden Celestial Official, Illusion as Truth!

Chapter 152: Chapter 119: Ultimate, Peach Garden Celestial Official, Illusion as Truth!

With those words, a magnificent tiger leaped from above his head, roaring as it merged into the golden ward!

It was the culmination of his life’s Cultivation, his final gambit.

The light of the golden ward erupted.

BOOM—!

The fist and the ward crashed into each other.

After a deafening CRASH, the ward somehow held against the blow.

But in the next second, the golden barrier was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, looking as if it could shatter completely at any moment.

As for the old abbot on the temple roof, he was sent flying by the terrifying backlash. His body disintegrated inch by inch in mid-air, killing him instantly.

And after that strike, a sudden realization dawned in the minds of everyone present with Cultivation.

It was the Grand General, using his final ounce of strength to plant an idea in their minds.

He was now too weak to maintain the barrier. This was the final, critical moment, so to protect everyone, he had been forced to open a path of sacrifice.

The idea was simple: anyone who was willing could pour their life’s Cultivation and Essence Blood into the barrier to lend their strength.

Of course, this was entirely voluntary.

The Grand General wasn’t forcing anyone; he was merely letting them know the option existed.

Among these people, of course, were all the members of the Liyuan opera troupes.

Everyone was startled by the realization. They exchanged glances, seeing the grim look on each other’s faces.

For the Grand General to be forced to choose this path showed just how dire the situation had become.

The ghostly creature seemed to have been enraged by this insignificant resistance, for it raised its hand once more.

Though the giant palm had not yet fallen, the terrifying pressure it radiated was already more than the musicians on the stage could bear.

The old man playing the huqin had his fingers sliced raw by the strings, dripping with blood.

The man beating the gongs and drums had long since shattered his mallets. The skin between his thumb and forefinger was split open, yet he still hammered the drumhead with his fists, with his very flesh, producing a defiant, muffled rhythm.

Several Martial Artists playing the vanguard Divine Generals coughed up blood as they sang. It stained their painted faces and soaked their robes, but their voices didn’t waver, and their eyes were filled with steely resolve.

Chen Ye was under the most pressure of all.

He felt his organs burning, his throat filled with the taste of blood. Every single word seemed to be ripped from his very flesh.

But he couldn’t stop.

He knew he was their last hope.

At that critical juncture, a loud shout came from behind him.

"Boss Chen, I’ll help you!"

It was the Class Leader of the Mingfeng Troupe!

His face was a mask of grim resolve. Biting the tip of his tongue, he transformed his life’s Cultivation into a stream of light that shot defiantly into the barrier above.

After this, his tall frame collapsed to the ground, his fate unknown.

The Class Leader of the Anqing Troupe saw this and burst out laughing. "Old rival, we may have fought for half our lives, but today, I have to admit it—you’re a real man!"

With that, he too burned his life force to help, becoming a second stream of light!

"Count me in!"

"And me!"

In that moment, the leaders and star performers of every surviving Opera Troupe stepped forward, one after another.

They used the most glorious method, turning their life’s Cultivation into fuel and pouring it into the barrier.

As the pressure lessened, Chen Ye felt a tremendous power surge back into his body, which had been on the verge of collapse.

It was the Grand General’s Divine Thought, secretly channeling a portion of that power to him.

His eyes began to burn.

He watched as these colleagues of his—men who would normally argue until they were red in the face over a single line of song or a particular pose—now sacrificed everything they had for the Sea Guardian Guard without a moment’s hesitation.

But it was still a drop in the ocean. The combined lifelong Cultivation of dozens of Liyuan’s greatest stars only managed to stabilize the cracked golden barrier by a fraction.

Just then, a pair of warm, strong hands came to rest gently on his back.

"My boy, don’t panic. I’m here to help you."

Chen Ye turned and saw Guan Sihai’s body emanating a soft white light. The glow was pure and warm, not volatile like that of burning Essence Blood. It was more like he was burning his very soul!

"Master, don’t!" Chen Ye cried out, wanting to stop him but finding himself completely paralyzed.

"Silly boy. The best end for an Actor is to take their final bow on the stage."

Guan Sihai’s voice was calm and warm, and he wore a contented smile.

With his words, his body aged at a visible rate. His salt-and-pepper hair turned snow-white, his skin loosened, and his posture hunched, but the smile on his face only grew more radiant.

"The best thing I ever did in my life was to step out into the snow that one morning and take you as my apprentice."

"I, Guan Sihai, have accomplished nothing. I thought I’d live out my days in mediocrity. I never expected that in my old age I’d get to personally train an Immortal like you. It must be the ancestors taking pity on me, letting me die with no regrets."

"And you," he looked at Chen Ye, his eyes full of hope and tenderness, "are the greatest opera I have ever performed."

As he finished speaking, the hand on Chen Ye’s back fell away, strengthless. His body slowly crumpled onto the stage, silent and still.

Chen Ye felt the warmth on his back disappear. A heart-rending pain almost shattered him then and there.

But he didn’t stop.

Fighting back tears, he poured all his grief, indignation, and unwillingness into his song.

Just then, a blood-soaked Tie Dan suddenly leaped onto the stage.

He looked at Chen Ye and grinned, his eyes full of tears.

"Chen Ye, I know you’re the True Lady Yu and I’m the Fake Overlord, but today, I’m going to be as mighty as a real Overlord for once!"

With that, Tie Dan snatched up the broken half of a flagpole from the ground and roared a line from *Farewell My Concubine*.

"My strength uproots mountains, my spirit covers the world!"

Amidst his roar, he slammed the flagpole into the stage at his feet. All his burning passion, all his strength, transformed into a crimson pillar of light that shot to the sky, pouring defiantly into the temple’s crumbling golden shield.

Then, his body crashed to the ground like a collapsing mountain of gold and jade.

Chen Ye’s tears could no longer be held back. They streamed down his face, mixing with his painted makeup, looking like two trails of blood.

And yet, all of these sacrifices only bought them a few more moments.

BOOM—!

Beneath the ghostly creature’s giant palm, the General Temple’s golden barrier let out a final, sorrowful wail and shattered completely.

The last trace of light in the world was extinguished.

Darkness and a deathly silence shrouded everything.

The only light source remaining was Chen Ye in the center of the stage. The light that had gathered on him from everyone’s sacrifice now shone like a single, flickering candle flame in the heart of the Ghostly Realm.

"Hahahaha... It’s over!"

Atop the ghostly creature’s shoulder, the Withered and Flourishing Daoist roared with laughter.

"Boss Chen, I have to admit, your performance was spectacular. But ultimately, it was a futile effort."

"Once I’ve killed you and devoured the souls of this entire city, I will achieve the Dao and complete my Ascension!"

"So, you can’t say your death was for nothing. Hahahahaha!" The Withered and Flourishing Daoist’s laughter grew more rampant as he issued his final command.

"Kill him!"

The giant palm fell once more.

This time, there were no obstructions.

Before it even landed, the terrifying wind from its descent made the entire stage groan, threatening to tear it apart.

The survivors below the stage had long ago collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by the pressure, their faces showing nothing but numb resignation.

It was over.

It was all over.

Amidst this ultimate grief, rage, and despair, Chen Ye’s mind instead entered a state of unprecedented calm and clarity.

His master, Tie Dan, the Class Leader of the Mingfeng Troupe, the Class Leader of the Anqing Troupe... the final images of all his Liyuan brethren flashed through his mind.

Their sacrifices, their trust, their hopes...

The shadow of the giant palm had already completely enveloped him, and the stench of death washed over his face. ℯℯ𝑙.

And in that very instant, a line of text, burning with golden Flame, suddenly materialized before Chen Ye’s eyes.

[Mirage Palace Actor Profession has reached Max Level. Do you wish to advance your Profession?]

’Yes!’

Chen Ye roared with all his might in his mind.

[Profession advanced to Ultimate Profession: Peach Garden Celestial Official!]

[Peach Garden Celestial Official: The world is your stage, all living beings your audience, the myriad arts your libretto. Through song, speech, action, and combat, Words Become Law. Take the stage to channel the divine, making Illusion as Truth.]

[Talent: Illusion as Truth—By consuming sufficient Wish Power, all your theatrical performances can temporarily turn illusion into reality, transform stage lines into binding decrees, and make fiction fact!]