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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Nothing but dead silence filled this place, for this ancient city lay in the depths of the lake.
It seemed to have been forged entirely in bronze as everything was fused together and had dulled with time. The place had become lifeless as well, still, silent, forever dormant in the heart of the lake. If the water hadn’t been drained away earlier, the ancient city might never see the light of day again.
Dilapidated tools were scattered across the entire ancient city while fractured stelae floated in the air, seemingly layered in dried blood as red and black glows wreathed them.
Complex, profound designs and ancient texts had been carved onto the stelae, too, and they seemed to carry a significant meaning. However, no man could decipher them.
Apart from the stelae, the space was also covered in sword-forging pools, which contained blocks of divine iron, likely used to be molten, and a plethora of many amorphous swords.
This place used to be known as Sword City, a sacred land with paramount significance to the many Profound Sword World cultivators, for all world-renowned Divine Swords were birthed from this very land, forged by legendary sword-forging Masters with blood, sweat, and tears.
But now, apart from those dilapidated swords, human-shaped beings, whose figures and genders were no longer identifiable and had seemingly frozen in time, were all that was left in this city. Perhaps they used to be local sword-forging Masters tens of millions of years ago. However, the arrival of an unknown catastrophe destroyed the city.
It befell so suddenly that everyone was given no chance to escape at all, becoming victims of the unknown all-powerful force, buried forever in this place, plastered in marl and silt, along with the city’s secrets.
But now, following Lin En’s arrival, rusty bronze layered the entire city once more.
A drawled, mourning and saddened sigh, seemingly from an unknown land, lingered and reverberated through the space, affecting the mood of all living beings who stepped into this place.
“Why did the city sink? What in the world happened here?” Lin En’s emotions were affected too, but he came around very quickly, for he was powerful and had an unyielding frame of mind.
He attempted to use the key in his hand to unlock the seal on the altar so as to retrieve the Bronze Divine Sword.
Though he didn’t know what the Heavenly Dao Sword looked like, he was certain this Bronze Divine Sword was exactly what he was looking for, as Heavenly Dao energy was surging within it, and it would make anyone who approached it bow to it involuntarily.
“Don’t… Don’t… Don’t…” an aethereal and ancient voice rang out around Lin En again as he attempted to approach the sword.
Even the surrounding pillars began shaking, and the direction the kneeling withered human figures tied to the pillars was shifting. Shockingly, blood began seeping out of their originally dry eye sockets with immense sadness. It was as though they knelt here forever after death because they had done something wrong, atoning for their sins and praying for forgiveness.
Lin En was affected by the surrounding atmosphere as well, as his hand shook uncontrollably, making it hard for him to unlock the seal.
“What is going on?” Incredulity enveloped his face as he tried hard to process everything happening.
At that, he bruised the tip of his tongue, causing a mouthful of blood to flow out. Albeit, his head cleared up a little.
Followingly, he placed the key in his hand into the groove without hesitation.
The next second, his hand twinged as though a blazing fire was burning it, instantly piercing his palm and burning his flesh and bones.
With a grunt, he backed up, and his eyes widened with disbelief as he found the key melting while his blood, laced with a golden touch, was gathering at the groove on the altar drop by drop.
“Why is this happening? Why do I have such an ominous feeling?” Lin En’s countenance turned drastically awful as he felt his Life Force draining speedily, seeping out from the slit on his palm to the altar in front, nurturing it.
He couldn’t believe it. Everything was happening so quickly that he couldn’t keep up with it.
Moreover, fine cracks began appearing on the Heavenly Dao Sword he regarded as the saviour of the Profound Sword World. Very quickly, light rays burst from it, and it began crumbling.
“Impossible! What in the world is going on here!?” Lin En couldn’t believe everything he was seeing. However, he was already too late to react. As the Divine Sword crumbled and disintegrated, the altar suddenly collapsed. The surrounding bronze pillars, too, began shaking and crumbling as the chains snapped.
A terrifying rift stretched from the square to the indiscernible darkness where atrocious astral wind burst out along with terrifying evil spirits that seemingly could devour the world and envelope all in darkness.
The entire city began crumbling, and the originally sturdy bronze pillars came crumbling down one after another, disintegrating into specks of dust.
Meanwhile, the rift swallowed all the lake water of Mirror Lake, disappearing in a flash.
The entire sky shattered, and the sky-piercing tower that still stood firmly a moment ago was now sunken into the great rift following the rumbles.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Ancestor of Great Yu Celestial Dynasty was still being recalcitrant not far away amidst the gradually subsiding turbulence. However, he was bloodied and on the verge of death, like a candle in the wind. He kept coughing up blood, and there wasn’t a spot on him unscathed. In fact, parts of his ivory bone were showing.
His expression shifted drastically as he reeled in the incredulity from the shocking scene.
“This place isn’t abandoned. It has been concealing and sealing something!”
With his wide array of experiences, he was able to make out what the crumbling altar was as fragments of ancient fractured demonic energy were exposed to the air.
“What happened here in the past? Why would there be a concealment and sealing altar?! Was it used to conceal and seal the World’s Will’s consciousness?”
Though they had arrived at the life-or-death moment, the Imperial Ancestor of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty thought the waters of the Profound Sword World were murkier than he had imagined.
“This is the World’s Will you all have been seeking.” Gu Changge chuckled. Even though he had killed several True Daoists, he wasn’t affected the slightest bit.
He knew of the Heaven-Exterminating War that happened here, and that the World’s Will attempted to realise Transcendence by Absolute Detachment. In other words, it was trying to kill everything in existence to rid their influence on it. That said, it ultimately failed and was sealed in this place. However, parts of its consciousness managed to escape.
Lin En happened to be the descendant of the being who sealed the World’s Will, and his blood could undo the seal. It was precisely why the World’s Will’s incarnation would lead him to this place.
“You knew all along?” The Imperial Ancestor of the Great Yu Celestial Dynasty reeled in fear as his body turned icy. He felt as if a massive invisible hand was strangling his throat, making it hard for him to breathe. However, it was too late by the time he reacted, as Gu Changge sliced him in half with a sharp ray that destroyed Principles while lifting his hand.
At the same time, all True Daoists who rushed over lost their lives. No survivor was spared.
The Abundance Sword Immortal, the Snow Sword Immortal, and the others who had been watching the great battle from afar were all shuddering in fear and immense apprehension. They were surprised that the True Daoists were no match for Gu Changge even after joining forces. They even died in his hands in two exchanges.
Now that they had witnessed it all, Gu Changge would certainly not let them live.
“What in the world is this?!” Lin En gaped at what he had done from outside the great crumbling rift, still having some trouble fathoming what was happening.
He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had walked right into a trap and had done something he would rue the rest of his life.
“I have to give you my thanks. If it weren’t for you, the World’s Will’s consciousness can’t be released, and I won’t be able to obtain the World Source,” Gu Changge smirked faintly as he appeared behind Lin En, who turned around and gazed at Gu Changge with disbelief while chills ran down his spine.
“Because of me?” Asked the young man with a quivering voice. He had no idea when Gu Changge showed up, but from the looks of the current situation, Gu Changge had killed everyone.
“I pity you, though, for unleashing the very thing your Ancestors had so painstakingly sealed up with such ease.” A chuckle escaped Gu Changge as he shook his head. Though he was expressing pity, impassiveness and stillness remained in the depths of his eyes.
“My Ancestors?” Lin En was shocked. Suddenly, he felt intense sadness travelling towards them from all directions. Meanwhile, soaring divine rainbows were coming in their direction from the already ruined Sword City. They seemed to be his Ancestors’ spirits of ancient times.
In just mere moments, he realised the whole truth and turned dumbfounded. “H-How is it possible…” he mumbled.
[I have truly been used by the World’s Will… It used my blood to break the seal, making my Ancestors’ efforts in vain…]
“So, I’m a sinner now, huh?” Lin En laughed wryly as he dropped to the floor with guilt and grief.
“No, you’re no sinner. You’re the hero who saved the Profound Sword World. I would never have been able to find this thing’s hiding place if it weren’t for you.” Gu Changge laughed as he patted Lin En’s shoulder, then took a step forward only to appear above the massive rift the next moment.
A terrifying astral wind was sweeping with indescribable destructive Principles that could penetrate any cultivator’s physical body. However, Gu Changge remained standing tall and unwavering, gazing at the depths of the darkness below.
*Boom!*
The cultivators of the Thirteen States were all stunned. They shuddered uncontrollably as chills ran down their spines. They saw the depths of the world cracking like a mirror—or perhaps an egg—splitting further and further before it began crumbling.
Vast, infinite rage and malice poured from there, cold and merciless, annihilating everything. The sight made all who saw it apprehensive and shuddered in chills.
[What is that?]
A ray of light fell from the depths of the crumbling world.
An Eye. It was an incredibly terrifying and massive eye, vast and profound, dark and cold, looking as though formed by shattered universes. It appeared garnet and speckled, oozing black blood. It was a creepy and bone-chilling sight, and it contained zero emotions.
Right then, even their souls had frozen over.
Even the Quasi-Nirvana Realm Beings of the Upper Realm dared not move an inch. It was as though they had been pinned down by an unknown existence. They were but beneath ants—no. They were even less than dust.
Outside the Ancient Arcane Ruins, countless too, witnessed the terrifying scene.
“Looks like this is what we’ve been looking for…” muttered one of the Earth Sword Immortals with a quivering voice.
This was an existence of a whole nother level. They couldn’t even begin to fathom what it was. In fact, they thought their heads would explode if they stared it right in the eye.
“Impartial is heaven and earth, for all beings are but mere creatures to them. Seeing that you’ve come so far to developing a conscience. Hand me the World Source, and I shall spare your life,” Said Gu Changge plainly as he remained still before the great rift, even after taking a gander at the emerging eye. He knew the eye was but a projection of the World’s Will. The real thing was still lurking in the shadows.
After Gu Changge had spoken up, the ground beneath his feet suddenly went violent as Chaos Qi burst from under it, attempting to engulf him.
A terrifying blood-red light suddenly illuminated the space, expelling the profound darkness and breaking the thick black mist apart, all to stare down Gu Changge.
An eye slowly opened in the depths of the darkness. The projection of the eye, which covered till the end of the world, too, looked in his direction in unison.
*Rumble!*
Both eyes seemingly cut across the past, present, and future to obliterate everything. But it was apparent they were of an even more terrifying origin. They weren’t just from the depths of the world but the depths of pure darkness.
No living being could describe it. After all, its mere sight took their souls away, frozen between heaven and earth the moment the eyes gazed upon them.
It was the same for the Earth Sword Immortals too. Their souls were erased while time and space came to a complete standstill. Only the True Daoists were able to break free from the binding.
Every other being weaker than them could only be shackled in place, waiting for catastrophe and death.
“Die, thou disobeyer!” The impassive voice was like a turning Great Millstone of World Destruction that contained destructive power, slowly emerging from the darkness.
The entire Profound Sword World was shaking, scaring countless. Their souls nearly left their bodies upon hearing the voice, nearly obliterated.
To that, Gu Changge merely chuckled and said nothing else.
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, he stepped forward, and his robe spread open. His Dharma Body was beyond terrifying, gigantic and towering in the middle of the place, bursting through this world.
The next second, his sleeves jolted gently, and Chaos energy burst out as though zillions of Principles were crumbling.
He reached an arm out, looking as though he wanted to shatter the darkness as it covered the skies, traversed the infinite terrain, and enveloped the Thirteen States. It struck the eye, making it shudder.
Instantly, chaotic light burst from the eye, looking as though it would rip the ancient sky.
“This…”
Countless shuddered in fear and dropped to the floor, bowing down in that direction like they were looking straight at a godly miracle. This was already far beyond what they could imagine. It wasn’t something they could even begin to fathom.
Gu Changge attacked, attempting to destroy the World’s Will.
Right then, the matchless power stormed the universe, enveloping heaven and earth. He stretched an arm towards the terrifying eyes and pierced through the deep darkness.
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Tftc !