Chapter 107 - 85: I, Duan Jue, Shall Seal Heaven Today!

Since taking charge of Feiyun City, relying on his former control over the Mysterious Strange Pavilion and the presence of the Wei River Guardian Official Seal, he had never been in such a wretched state. No matter how fierce the chaos outside was, he had believed he could protect the city well.

Unable to remember too many things anymore, Duan Jue’s face revealed a look of bitter sorrow. Behind him, the equally heavily injured Li Zongkang remained expressionless, save for an imperceptible glimmer of hatred hidden deep within his eyes. He couldn’t fathom why Ancient Stream would want to assassinate Lord Duan.

"Ning De, help me up," Duan Jue said in a low voice.

Hearing this, Li Zongkang silently stood up. He gently supported Duan Jue with both hands, helping him walk toward the City Guard’s Mansion.

"Look at this. I told you long ago that Xu Guang is more cautious than you. He even knew to dig a secret passage in advance. Truly..." Thinking of the young man he had taken from Yixuan, Duan Jue couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile.

He needed to return to the City Guard’s Mansion; he had to tell the world that he was still alive. He knew his standing in the hearts of Feiyun City’s commoners.

Li Zongkang didn’t understand. In his view, returning to the City Guard’s Mansion at this moment meant certain death. But he was accustomed to following Duan Jue’s orders.

The end of this secret passage was the Sacrificial War Pavilion of the City Guard’s Mansion. The great affairs of a state lay only in sacrifice and war. Duan Jue wanted to go back to bring the news of his survival. He intended to use his last bit of strength to do one thing—to carve out a path of survival for all the living souls of Feiyun City!

However, just as the two emerged from the end of the secret passage and passed a rockery, they spotted a figure standing beneath the Sacrificial War Bell. He seemed to have been standing there for a long time, as fallen leaves had gathered on his shoulders, making him look like a statue.

"Lin Yu, I didn’t expect you to come personally."

Lin Yu, the State Chief of Qing State, was a man who loved the people as his own children. Duan Jue wasn’t surprised. In fact, he had already figured it out on the way here; since the Demon Sect had come out in full force, Lin Yu would naturally be present as well.

"In the end, I’m still the one who won." Lin Yu spoke his first sentence.

Duan Jue was stunned for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing aloud. "Hahaha, you won? With what? You are merely a pawn in Zhang Qing’s hands. Before, you were a chess piece for Ming Xiaochen, and now you belong to Zhang Qing. You won’t be able to escape the fate of being a pawn for your entire life."

Lin Yu’s face filled with indignation. "You shouldn’t have returned to Qing State!"

As if the darkness in his heart had been laid bare, his tone carried a hint of hysteria. He had managed Qing State for over a decade and had far too many visions he wanted to fulfill here. But ever since Duan Jue returned, everything had changed. At first, he merely wanted to drive Duan Jue away. Little did he expect his ties with Zhang Qing would grow deeper and deeper, until now, he could no longer extricate himself. Just as Duan Jue said, he was now a pawn in Zhang Qing’s hands—though, to the outside world, he wasn’t Zhang Qing’s subordinate, but an ally.

Duan Jue smiled faintly. "If I didn’t return, how would I know of your wild ambitions?"

"Ambitions? Ming Xiaochen controlled the imperial court for seven years—was that not ambition?" As Lin Yu’s voice fell, he reached out and struck the Sacrificial War Bell. Simultaneously, he shouted loudly, "Since your mouth is full of justice, why didn’t you go and judge Ming Xiaochen?!"

DONG!

The bell tolled.

"Dying beneath the Sacrificial War Bell is a worthy end for you," Lin Yu stated.

This was an ambush set up specifically for Duan Jue. Feiyun Peak was attacked, and the City Guard’s Mansion had been purged. The Sacrificial War Pavilion was the only place left where he could turn the tables. Although many people confidently told Lin Yu that Duan Jue was dead, Lin Yu had always been cautious; he refused to believe it.

The moment the bell tolled, it served as a signal to attack. From the northwest, black smoke billowed abruptly, condensing into the apparition of a giant, blade-wielding ghost.

ROAR!

Countless fierce flames instantly materialized from all directions, carrying monstrous fires that enveloped the Sacrificial War Pavilion in the blink of an eye. The Sacrificial War Bell, which symbolized the orthodox legitimacy of Great Qian, rang continuously.

Duan Jue remained expressionless.

"I’ve always been curious as to what exactly made you stay behind to guard Feiyun City, unwilling to leave. Your status is on par with the Three Departments, noble in the extreme. Now that death is upon you, could you resolve this confusion for me?" Lin Yu’s silhouette faded in and out of sight behind the giant ghosts.

Duan Jue suddenly burst into loud laughter. "It’s just some ideals, nothing more."

"Ideals? I don’t believe you went through so much trouble for some bullshit ideal!" Lin Yu shouted loudly, then took a step forward, monstrous flames raging in his eyes. "Forget it, I’ll extract the answer myself!"

A dark light erupted as the giant ghosts from all directions launched their assault.

Li Zongkang stood in front of Duan Jue, his face calm.

"Kill me!"

Duan Jue’s figure slowly swelled a bit, the fissures on his body becoming more pronounced as his face aged drastically in an instant.

"The world believes the Cultivation of Literature is useless, that those who practice it are destined to never connect with the Profound World, gaining only longevity but no great power. However, they do not realize that the Cultivation of Literature tempers the Will. In the past, the Civil Minister suppressed the North Sea with his soul. I, Duan, though untalented, am willing to suppress Feiyun City with my soul."

The soul was a very unique existence. Long ago, people had begun researching the other part of a human besides the physical body, but the results had never been ideal. It wasn’t until that Civil Minister appeared and achieved enlightenment at the North Sea that things changed. At the cost of his own life, he forcibly detached his soul from his body, Sealing Heaven with his soul. This caused the lands of the North Sea to be devoid of anyone who could achieve Sensing Profound for a hundred years, and no Profound Cave or Demon Fiend ever appeared there again. Even Sensing Profound Martial Artists who arrived at the North Sea would be heavily suppressed.

The soul of a scholar actually had no special functions. As everyone knew, it was primarily for nourishing life and extending longevity. Beyond that, someone who read ten thousand scrolls could suddenly comprehend the power of astral projection. This was a power that belonged entirely to the Mortal World, a power capable of sealing away the Profound World.

Now, what Duan Jue intended to do was suppress Feiyun City with his soul. He wanted all Sensing Profound Realm Martial Artists in Feiyun City to be restrained!

Lin Yu’s expression changed drastically.

Then, the City Guard’s Mansion trembled. Just two breaths later, the wind had yet to cease, but the man had already transformed. An ’aura’ birthed from Duan Jue’s body. It was not the powerful imposing aura of a martial artist, but an aura of intimacy that drew close to nature and all living things, as though he were a Divine God!

"You’ve actually reached this step!" Lin Yu was pale with fright.

Ten thousand years ago, a supreme expert conquered the world. With absolute genius, he used Refinement to fuse the Profound World Power into the mountains and rivers of the Mortal World, turning the landscape into an intersection between the two worlds. Then, utilizing tyrannical methods, he finally subjected all things to Refinement, guiding the transformation of heaven and earth. He formed three hundred and sixty-five seals, and some said that the secret to becoming a God lay hidden within them.

This God was the God of Mountains and Rivers!

Rumor had it that cultivating the Cultivation of Literature to its profound depths meant smelting a Seal of Mountains and Rivers, walking the path of the God of Mountains and Rivers. It allowed a human to control the land, step across the two worlds of Xuan Chen, and execute the will of the heavens!

And the Official Seal held in Duan Jue’s hand was precisely a Seal of Mountains and Rivers. It was just that Duan Jue had likely come prepared; he extracted all the Divine Power from the Divine Seal but left the Divine Seal itself behind, passing it on to Xu Guang.

"I, Duan Jue of this Mansion, now use my Human Soul to enact Sealing Heaven!"

His vast and majestic voice penetrated the invisible Profound World, reverberating inside and outside Feiyun City. Everyone within the city could hear his words.

Outside the city, Zhang Qing, who had been standing as still as a statue all this time, suddenly opened his eyes. Piercing through layers of barriers, he seemed to look upon the one performing Sealing Heaven. He gave a silent sigh of admiration, and then his figure vanished from the spot.