Novel Full Chapter 256: The End is Nigh
The end is nigh.
After He Zongzhou’s plea for aid was sent to every corner of the Chenping Continent, the entire cultivation world began to fall into turmoil.
A great demon of the Immortal Ascension Realm.
In the nearly two hundred thousand years of the Chenping Continent’s recorded history, there has never been a documented appearance of a great demon above the Immortal Ascension Realm. This Great Demon’s Egg in the Fallen Sword Mountain Range could be called the first of its kind since ancient times.
This is an era of upheaval.
Since the end of the Cause of Calamity purges twelve hundred years ago, the overall environment of the Chenping Continent’s cultivation world had been relatively peaceful and prosperous.
Until the occurrence of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm fifteen years ago.
Tens of thousands of the Chenping Continent’s proud geniuses perished in that cataclysm. It could be said that apart from the Five Great Sects, all other cultivation sects on the Chenping Continent suffered devastating losses due to the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm.
Then came the Outer Court Cataclysm of the Kongshan Sect.
The personnel shortage resulting from the turmoil in the Kongshan Sect’s outer court undoubtedly affected many cultivation sects in the northwestern region of the Chenping Continent.
Finally, there was the disturbance within the Fallen Sword Mountain Range.
Since Su Hongzhen’s fall seven thousand years ago, there have been no Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators on the Chenping Continent.
And now, the Kongshan Sect claims that within the Fallen Sword Mountain Range lies a demon egg, nurturing a great demon of at least the Immortal Ascension Realm.
When this news reached the ears of the vast majority of cultivators, their reaction was nothing short of feeling like the sky had collapsed.
It wasn’t until three days later, when nearly a thousand great powers of the upper three realms gathered at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range, that the cultivation world of the Chenping Continent was slightly pacified.
Over ninety percent of the Chenping Continent’s high-end combat power had already begun strategizing countermeasures at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range.
Their own lineup consisted of several great powers of the Dao Union Realm, dozens of strong individuals of the Divine Ability Realm, plus several hundred cultivators of the Unity Realm.
And their opponent was merely a single great demon of the Immortal Ascension Realm that had yet to hatch.
Even if it is of the Immortal Ascension Realm, right now it is just an egg.
Every single one of the upper three realm great powers currently at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range, if picked at random, is a formidable existence capable of overturning mountains and draining seas with a mere gesture.
The Immortal Ascension Realm is not invincible.
Think back to the old days, wasn’t the Kongshan Sect’s True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang, severely wounded by the Black Flood Dragon, which had not yet ascended to immortality? In the end, he could only seal it away, and he himself perished due to his grave injuries.
So why couldn’t the nearly thousand upper three realm cultivators now gathered at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range, representing over ninety percent of the Chenping Continent’s high-end combat power, defeat a single, unhatched great demon of the Immortal Ascension Realm?
Only Chen Yan knew that Kong Yang back then did not lose to that half-step Immortal Ascension Black Flood Dragon.
He lost to the Karmic Backlash.
When Kong Yang resolved to prevent the calamity that would annihilate the Kongshan Sect nine thousand years later, his fate was already sealed.
…
It had been a month since nearly a thousand upper three realm great powers gathered in the Fallen Sword Mountain Range.
The cultivation world of the Chenping Continent, which had initially fallen into turmoil, also began to gradually stabilize.
Wind Ravine Valley, Qingjin Ravine, Training Grounds.
Chen Yan lay on a reclining chair, watching the Qingjin Ravine disciples inside the grounds spar and exchange pointers.
As a Dharma Protector of the Training Grounds at the mid-stage of the Qi Sea Realm, Chen Yan’s status and position within the Qingjin Ravine’s Training Grounds were undoubtedly that of the upper echelon.
Within the Training Grounds, the lowest rank was that of manager disciple, usually held by ordinary inner disciples of the Martial Spring Realm. They held no real authority, merely receiving an additional manager disciple subsidy on top of what ordinary disciples received.
Above the manager disciples were the instructors and administrators.
The positions above those were supervisor and ceremonial official.
Above the supervisor was the position of Dharma Protector. Above the Dharma Protector was the Training Grounds Elder.
“Dharma Protector Si.”
A Training Grounds instructor, somewhat older than Chen Yan, walked towards Chen Yan’s direction, then bowed respectfully towards him and said:
“The disciples have been sparring for an hour. What are the arrangements for next…”
“Let them rest for a while.”
Chen Yan said.
“Yes.”
That instructor bowed towards Chen Yan once more, then channeled his true qi and shouted towards the disciples in the Training Grounds:
“Rest!”
Although the treatment and prestige of the Qingjin Ravine’s Training Grounds Dharma Protector position didn’t sound as impressive as the title of Kongyuan Mountain’s Chief Disciple, the difference was that the Training Grounds Dharma Protector genuinely held power, whereas the Chief Disciple title represented more of an honor.
It represented that he was the most outstanding individual among the disciples of that mountain peak in his generation.
The Qingjin Ravine disciples in the Training Grounds began to walk over to the steps at the side, sitting together to rest and chat.
“Have you heard the good news? The situation over at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range is almost over.”
One Qingjin Ravine disciple spoke up.
“Where did you hear that?”
“A manager senior brother from the External Affairs Hall. He said Bai Yuze and Meng Shaoyuan have already made close contact with that Great Demon’s Egg in the mountains. Apparently, that demon egg could hatch at any moment, no one knows when.”
Bai Yuze and Meng Shaoyuan were, respectively, the current Supreme Pivot Elder of the Lingxiao Temple and the Supreme Imperial Law Elder of the Lingxiao Temple.
Both were great powers of the Dao Union Realm.
“What kind of good news is that?”
A disciple retorted.
“I haven’t finished. After Bai Yuze and Meng Shaoyuan came out, they discussed with the other three Dao Union Realm cultivators and decided to destroy the demon egg before the great demon emerges.”
“Destroy the demon egg?”
“Yes. I heard Bai Yuze’s proposal is for the five Dao Union Realm cultivators currently at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range to jointly activate the Abyssal Tower to suppress and destroy that unhatched Great Demon’s Egg.”
The Abyssal Tower was one of the two immortal artifacts of the Mirage Palace.
Although the Mirage Palace had been slightly overshadowed by the Lingxiao Temple in recent centuries, if one were to speak only of heritage, the Mirage Palace was undoubtedly the deepest among the Five Great Sects.
After all, its long history was right there. Mr. You had said the history of the Mirage Palace could even be traced back to before the written records of this world.
Among the Five Great Sects, the Lingxiao Temple and the Mirage Palace were the most dominant. The Star Heaven Sect, Kongshan Sect, and Wind Ravine Valley were slightly inferior by half a tier, each with their own strengths.
In recent years among these three sects, the Star Heaven Sect had experienced a talent explosion, with geniuses emerging one after another. The Kongshan Sect possessed Li Haoran, the current number one expert of the Chenping Continent.
As for Wind Ravine Valley, it could only be said to be the most low-key among the Five Great Sects, but if one were to speak only of heritage, it could still slightly surpass the Kongshan Sect.
“Five Dao Union Realm cultivators jointly activating the Abyssal Tower?”
Someone asked, puzzled:
“What about Li Haoran? As the current number one in the immortal path of the Chenping Continent, shouldn’t he be the one leading the charge?”
“Don’t know. Also, the Kongshan Sect’s plea for aid was written by He Zongzhou. Normally, it should have been Li Haoran. Could it be that…”
Li Haoran is already gone.
Chen Yan was very clear about this fact in his heart.
Fifteen years ago, during the Kongshan Sect’s Outer Court Cataclysm, his own soul was devoured by the Black Flood Dragon’s Remnant Soul, so he didn’t know what happened in the Kongshan Sect afterwards.
But Li Haoran had told him there was only one way to allow the Kongshan Sect to escape its destined annihilation.
That was to use his own death and Chen Yan’s death as the price to bear the karma.