Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1101 Departure (5400)

Some time ago.

The Great Chen Dynasty, the Imperial Court.

Shenjing, Xuantian Palace.

Inside the main hall, a major discussion was underway regarding the allocation of various livelihood issues and disaster relief supplies in the wake of the bloodbath.

"...According to the investigation by the inspector, more than forty states were severely affected by this disaster, with more than 1,700 major cities and more than 10,000 smaller cities in the most severely affected areas. Fortunately, the Great Chen Earth Vein Formation can overcome such a calamity, so the casualties among the people are very small. However, due to the corruption of the land by the blood sea's evil, the harvest in the affected areas this year and even in the next few years should be completely lost."

An elderly official from the Ministry of Revenue was reporting data, bowing respectfully to the emperor's throne: "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to open the granaries to relieve the people, implement work relief programs, mobilize military forces from all regions to repair the city's defensive formations, temporarily reduce or exempt agricultural taxes in various regions, and organize geomancers to repair the corrupted areas..."

He went on to describe some details, such as providing food aid to those lightly affected to help them get through the difficult period, while for those severely affected, in addition to sending celestial masters to repair the damage, the local government should also prepare for relocation to avoid secondary corruption caused by the bloodshed.

After the Ministry of Revenue official finished speaking, a military officer next to him immediately reported—it wasn't too complicated, just reports on the eradication of Blood Sea Spawns in various places, as well as the increasing number of Heavenly Demon sacrifices and the spread of the True Demon Sect in various places—to be honest, there were also some reports related to the Heavenly Will Demon Sect, but no one cared about this matter.

After the military officer stepped down, other officials took their place, this time from the Ministry of Works. They discussed the damage to the earth vein arrays in various regions, suggestions for optimizing some array structures, and details and improvement plans for some outdated array functions exposed after the great calamity...

"good!"

"Seconded!"

"In my opinion, there are still some areas for improvement..."

Immediately, the hall was abuzz with discussion, but all the arguments were reasonable and well-founded, without any of the shirking of responsibility, obstruction, or factionalism that everyone had become accustomed to. Opinions were put forward and then supplemented and revised by others. From beginning to end, in less than an hour, a complete set of detailed disaster relief procedures was perfected through the discussions of the ministers.

On his throne, Emperor Xuanmingyu watched all this with a smile on his face, seemingly quite pleased. However, if one were strong enough and had good eyesight, one could see that the young emperor's gaze was empty, as if he were wandering in the heavens. Although he appeared to be still there, he had actually been gone for a while.

Standing among the assembled kings, the only one present in his true form, Prince De, Xuan Guangge, watched this scene with a heavy heart.

He remembered clearly that before the Blood Sea Calamity, the Great Chen Dynasty was far from having this level of efficiency. Back then, let alone disaster relief procedures, even discussions about something as important as An Jing's destiny would be endless and repeated, and they would even have to search for cases in ancient history before they could appoint An Jing as the Lord of Heavenly Sword Mountain.

Now, in just one hour, Prince De witnessed an unprecedented scene—all parties made concessions, compromised and understood each other, and the civil and military officials cooperated sincerely. Those who used to plunder even voluntarily gave up their profits, and those who used to have terrible tempers became reasonable.

Before long, hey, without the top three even having to say a word, the people below had already put together a perfect disaster relief plan.

—What the hell did I do here? Is this really Da Chen?!
In the past, if Emperor Xuantian hadn't intervened, the people below would have fought amongst themselves forever!

Of course, the Prince of De was well aware that this was not a strange thing.

For a large power, slow decay and degeneration are inevitable. However, such a behemoth cannot be reformed from the top down, nor can it be reformed due to internal rebellion at the bottom down. But if an external force invades, the originally scattered forces may suddenly coalesce into a huge force, or even be reborn.

Back then, when the late emperor reformed and revitalized the Zhengbiwu Army to conquer the northern frontier, it was the same scenario. If the Taiyuan Demon God hadn't been so aggressive at that time, causing the death of a Zhenwang, how could the Great Chen Dynasty have been awakened?
But in essence... the changes now are completely different.

Because back then, it was Emperor Xuantian who made the decision.

But now, it is the civil and military officials.

[Your Majesty, is this acceptable?]

At this moment, beside the throne of Emperor Xuantian, Grand Tutor Hong held the newly drafted disaster relief plan and bowed to inquire.

He stood ramrod straight, his voice respectful, the old man's posture appearing very humble. But Prince De was no fool; how could he not see that Grand Tutor Hong's attitude was not a question at all, but simply a routine wait for a response?

Indeed, Xuan Mingyu, who was lost in thought, seemed to be pulled back to reality by the call. His eyes narrowed, he smiled, and said easily, "Of course, I have always trusted the abilities of my beloved ministers."

His words were insincere, but it didn't matter; what everyone needed wasn't sincerity, but instructions.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The assembled officials cheered.

Because Emperor Xuantian issued the order, the entire bureaucratic system of the Great Chen Dynasty began to operate at an unprecedented high speed.

One after another, streaks of spiritual light and talismans flew out from the Xuantian Palace, transforming into shooting stars that shot in all directions, conveying the 'Will of the Emperor' to every corner of Dachen.

"How absurd it is that the Emperor is being used as a seal..." Prince De sighed inwardly as he watched this scene, feeling quite uncomfortable.

He had a feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it... Had the civil and military officials already done everything they could, and even brooked no dissent? But in reality, Prince De also knew that with Xuan Mingyu's current strength and experience in governing the country, becoming the seal was the best outcome for Da Chen.

Although he was a leisurely prince who did not usually get involved in politics, he understood this principle.

But for some reason, the Prince of De felt that something was not quite right.

As he vaguely watched the young Xuan Tian Emperor, who was once again lost in thought, and surveyed the entire court, Prince De had a... strange feeling.

That is, all the civil and military officials in the court, from Grand Tutor Hong to Governor Yin, are the ones who truly care about this country and want to keep this behemoth alive.

It's only natural for bureaucrats to want to maintain their existence.

but……

On the throne, on the imperial throne, the one surrounded by everyone at the highest point... Xuan Mingyu, his nephew, the nominal Emperor Xuantian, was completely indifferent to all of this.

Even a little annoyed.

Is it because they can't grasp power that they're tired of this puppet-like state?

But I just don't feel like it is...

"How can it be……"

A thought flashed through the mind of the Prince of De, but he quickly shook his head vigorously, dismissing the absurd possibility.

But right now.

hum-

A vast and boundless void wave, like an invisible giant wave, swept in from the far north, instantly engulfing the entire Xuantian Palace.

The heavens and earth trembled slightly, and the spiritual energy within the hall became disordered.

Everyone was shocked and turned their gazes to the north.

At that moment, the scenery of the northern frontier was clearly projected onto the [Universal Geomantic Map] at the top of the main hall.

Above the dust, the sky seemed to have been torn apart by a giant god, and a huge abyss, a void passage, was slowly taking shape.

Grand Tutor Hong's gaze was solemn. He did not look at the emperor on the throne, but turned his head and exchanged a glance with Governor Yin.

They both nodded at the same time.

Then, Grand Tutor Hong stepped forward, bypassing Emperor Xuantian, and addressed the assembled civil and military officials in a deep voice: "My lords, this is a great anomaly in the world, and we should..."

They originally planned to go directly to the Mingjing Sect regarding this anomaly—regardless of whether the anomaly was good or bad, and whatever the Mingjing Sect intended to do, the Great Chen Dynasty had to intervene.

Even if they knew that the Four Seasons Dragon God was currently in the Mingjing Sect, and even if they knew that this was the work of An Jing, who was the Mandate of Heaven, they could not sit idly by. Otherwise, how could the Heavenly Sect be considered the Heavenly Sect?

But it was at this time.

"Let them be."

Xuan Mingyu said.

This was the first time he had spoken up since the start of the discussion.

The entire court fell silent instantly, all eyes turning to the young figure.

Xuan Mingyu stared at the Taixu Passage on the geomantic map, his eyes filled with a strange joy and anticipation, as well as a hint of wariness.

The vigilance is easy to understand. Peace and tranquility, the destiny of the Mingjing Sect has opened the prelude to the era of interconnected heavens. As the Heavenly Sect, Da Chen has become a mere supporting character. Who wants to be the loser in the Heavenly Overseer War at the end of the era?

But why the joy? At this moment, he said softly, "The Dragon God and the one from the Abyss of Mount Tai are both here, and it seems that Tianji Mountain is also involved. What they are going to do must be related to the great trend of destiny. We have already lost the initiative in the Zhaolin Realm and the Blood Sea Calamity. Since that is the case, we should not touch them when their fortune is at its peak."

"Their grand gesture is meant to announce their intentions to the world and set an example. In that case, why don't we go with the flow and be the first to express our support? That way, no matter what the final outcome, it certainly won't be bad for us."

The civil and military officials were silent for a moment, then bowed in unison: "We respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree!"

The Grand Tutor and the Grand Commander were also among them, but neither of them showed any unusual behavior. As always, they showed no resentment or unwillingness, as if their decision to intervene had never existed.

But Xuan Mingyu knew that everything was the same.

Nothing has changed.

He had to speak up. If he didn't, and these ministers did everything, then if they did well, it would be because of their collective wisdom and efforts, benefiting the country; if they did poorly, it would be because of the emperor's tacit approval. In fact, Xuan Mingyu had no doubt that some of them would rather the Great Chen Dynasty's official government antagonize the Mingjing Sect, while the good ministers in the court could be on good terms with the Mandate of Heaven.

But even if I speak up, so what?
In reality, it's still them who are helping and doing the work; the emperor himself is just a wooden figurehead.

Xuan Mingyu slowly closed his eyes, and after making a decision in his heart, he said nothing more.

Below, Grand Tutor Hong had already grasped the Emperor's intention. He turned and ordered, "Issue His Majesty's decree! Activate the 'Heavenly Sea Formation,' release the suppression on the Northern Frontier Void, and fully support the stability of this Void Abyss!"

In an instant, outside the Xuantian Palace, the sea surged and rolled like a tide, rushing towards the northern sky.

The enormous abyss, like a whirlpool, became increasingly deep and stable under the influence of this invisible power of the void.

at the same time,

The Mingjing Sect.

"Wow, that's amazing! We actually got to see the Heavenly Gate right from the start!"

Xie Mingfei looked up and laughed heartily: "Better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early!"

At this moment, Xie Mingfei, Jiang Ziji, Shuo Yueying, Yun Yanxia and other members of the Heavenly Palace team arrived at Mingguang Peak. Even Ye Po Zhenjun, as well as a clone of Chaowu Tianjun Quan Wuzhong, and a small Zhenchi also came.

"Hmm, this feeling is..."

Gu Yeqi stood beside An Jing, who was talking with Jin Yanhua and others. His gaze was involuntarily drawn to the little Zhenchi. After being patted on the shoulder by An Jing, he came to her side.

As a descendant of the Gu family who once served Zhen Chi, the moment she saw Zhen Chi, she felt that the 'Great Northern Dipper Serpent Heart Hundred Refinement Method' she was cultivating within her body seemed to be summoned by something, and her energy circulated on its own, resonating with the aura on the little Zhen Chi.

Quan Wuzhong looked at Gu Yeqi approaching him, a surprised expression on his face: "Oh? I thought it was already remarkable that little Gu Yunzhi could master this technique to a minor degree, but I didn't expect you, the even younger one, to learn it even better!"

This was undoubtedly a very rare compliment. Gu Yeqi smiled slightly. She had already guessed the other party's identity and said softly, "You flatter me, Heavenly Lord. It's all because of Senior Brother's excellent guidance. If I have truly obtained the Divine Essence and surpassed my grandfather, it is because Senior Brother once glimpsed a possible future of me from the Heavenly Demon Illusion. Therefore, based on that possibility, he optimized some details of my cultivation technique."

[The optimization is excellent. The snake represents the form of the I Ching, and the heart represents my Way. 'The snake's heart is refined a hundred times,' which is the true self's formless Way. The Big Dipper always points north, and the formless is my heart; the snake's body is refined a hundred times, undergoing countless transformations, this is the impermanence of 'form.']

The essence of this method lies in manipulating the countless intricate details of internal energy, amidst endless variations, to discern the one and only unchanging 'core true self,' ultimately transforming this energy into one's own body, achieving the 'Hundred-Refined True Body.' One can transform into a tidal mist, permeating and eroding all things, or condensing into all things.

Quan Wudian looked at An Jing, who was talking with Xie Mingfei and the others, and sighed: "Natural Masters can even learn from Heavenly Demons. They are indeed powerful. Moreover, I can see that he also has the aura of the Western Mother's inheritance on him."

[His ability to master it so quickly is probably because he's seen this before, right? All the refined Qi originates from the same source; he should have already grasped the essence of the 'Golden Calamity Mist,' the Golden Punishment. Metal generates water; my divine power is also a technique of metal and water.]

As he said this, Quan Wuzhong couldn't help but sigh: "For ordinary people, learning anything requires long hours of arduous study and a reason, but for true geniuses, it seems they can find a million reasons to learn anything."

“I can never catch up with Senior Brother no matter what,” Gu Yeqi sighed as he looked at An Jing’s back in the distance. “But if I fall too far behind him, I’m afraid I won’t even have the right to stand behind him.”

"Of course there is a way." Quan Wuzhong also transmitted the message. "The meaning of 'inheritance' is precisely to allow you mortals to barely understand those true geniuses who created those inheritances."

This time, the Celestial Venerables are going to the Heavenly Origin Realm, so someone needs to stay behind. This avatar of mine will temporarily remain at the Bright Mirror Sect to properly instruct you, little girl.

"Hey Hey hey!"

Night Soul True Monarch, standing to the side, was immediately displeased. She stepped in front of Gu Yeqi and glared at the little True Dragon: "Old man, get this straight, who's been guiding little Yeqi all this time? Don't just assume the role of master as soon as you arrive!"

[Jian Xiyan] Quan Wuzhong said calmly, ["Don't be impatient. Because Ye Qi is far from the only one who needs guidance."]

"As beings who, like Cheng Guang, are closest to the position of Celestial Venerable, my willingness to stay and guide you is an act of great mercy. But you needn't thank me; I'm merely using this opportunity to get closer to the Natural Master, borrowing his fortune to refine my own new ideas—be thankful, you little ones, you might just witness the birth of a new Celestial Venerable!"

Clearly, Quan Wuzhong and Jian Xiyan have a similar relationship, which seems to be a derivative of the struggle between the Dragon Court of Beixuan Sacrifice Continent, but Gu Yeqi doesn't care.

She simply looked at An Jing, then at the enormous vortex in the sky.

Although she couldn't go with An Jing, she couldn't help but think about it.

What kind of new world lies on the other side of the abyss?

Even though I've heard An Jing talk about it before, I'm still very curious until I go there myself!

This may be its greatest impact on the world.

"Its very existence is the biggest change."

At this moment, in the center of the Mingjing Sect's grotto-heaven, An Jing also said the same thing to the assembled Heavenly Venerables.

He and the other Celestial Venerables looked at the Taixu Abyss Cave together. The young martial artist calmly said, "In my opinion, the martial artists of Huaixu Realm are about to lose their curiosity and start endless involution because they cannot leave Huaixu Realm... In fact, involution has been going on for a long time. The struggles among the Celestial Venerables, and even the existence of a god-like figure, are proof of this."

"Because we can't go to distant places to see different scenery, the 'distant places' have lost their meaning. All our attention is focused on what's under our feet, thinking only about how to surpass those around us, and how to distinguish ourselves from our peers. The world is no longer about 'different people in distant places,' but only about 'superior people' and 'inferior people.'"

"This is itself a kind of demonic influence, a kind of depravity. Therefore, the opening of the Abyss of the Distant Land cannot be hidden; it must be opened to tell everyone that there is a new and completely different realm beyond Huai Xu. This is the will of Heaven, and also my judgment."

The celestial beings nodded silently. How could they not understand? How could they not comprehend?
They had already vaguely sensed the aura emanating from beyond the abyss... Yes, beyond the abyss was also a world where one could not attain enlightenment, but for some reason, even knowing this was the ultimate outcome, they still subconsciously... harbored some expectation.

People always want to see things they've never seen before... Even if they know from the beginning that going to the wilderness to see lions and tigers, or to see octopuses and giant whales in the deep sea, won't advance their careers, sometimes people just want to go and see.

So, who will go first?

Now the Dragon God spoke and asked the question, and no one else spoke, because everyone knew who would give the answer.

"Of course it is me."

As expected, An Jing laughed.

Before he finished speaking, he had already taken flight, transforming into a streak of light and flying straight towards the abyss in the sky.

Then, a straight beam of light appeared at the top of Mingjing Mountain, stretching from the summit straight to the cave, like a shooting star shooting against the current.

The celestial deities followed closely behind.

some time ago.

Tianyuan Realm and Dahuang Realm.

Nianquan and Huo Qing both raised their heads, as if a lightning bolt had struck their hearts.

"Is it coming?" "It's coming!"

They vaguely sensed something.

However, the one who felt the strongest was Ming Guangchen, who was located in the Great Wilderness Realm.

He stroked his chin, looked up at the calm, azure sky of the Great Wilderness Realm, and had a strange premonition in his heart.

Even though everything theoretically had nothing to do with him, for some reason, Ming Guangchen couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Strange, is it the Great Yu or the Heavenly Phoenix that's going to make a move against me? Why is this sudden urge never stopping?"

"How do you feel..."

"It seems like there's some super, super big trouble... no, it's more like super, super big fun... no, that's not right either."

"Anyway, a super big one is coming?"

(End of this chapter)