Chapter 920 - 644: Before the Heaven-Slaying
Zhang Clan Ancestral Land.
Chen Sheng closed his eyes, reflecting silently:
"After experiencing life and death on the Vast Continent, my Cultivation has already opened the door to the Fifth Decline."
"I just need to stabilize gradually, spending several Primordial Assemblies to thoroughly solidify my Realm with no trace of vanity."
With this thought, a light flicked in his eyes.
"As for the trial of Decline... the Five Declines Annihilation Valley was not traversed in vain."
He gently closed his eyes, and in his mind, the scene of that desolate, barren land filled with the aura of decay and annihilation emerged distinctly.
——Five Declines Annihilation Valley.
In the valley, time cuts like a blade, intertwining the aura of five declines.
Over the years, Chen Sheng delved into it, using his body to feed the declines. His understanding of the Decline of Dao Heart surpassed most Daoist Monarchs of Four Declines.
With his current accumulation, facing the five declines, he at least has forty to fifty percent certainty of successfully breaking through and safely passing.
"If I calm myself for a few more years, my grasp can advance further."
Chen Sheng sighed lightly, having to admit that the benefits brought by this journey to the Vast Continent far exceeded initial expectations.
Before developing the Talent of the Dimension Demon God and exploring other dimensions, Chen Sheng originally planned to rely on the myriad opportunities gained from the Immortal Mountain, using the longevity of the Daoist Monarch as leverage, slowly refining his Taiyin Cultivation, understanding the mysteries of the Five Declines, gradually severing karma, and breaking through to the Mahayana Realm.
Unexpectedly, the journey to the Vast Continent revealed another world.
In that realm, he cultivated another system, comprehending the Taiyin Heavenly Dao which was different yet had the same source...
On the battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, he fought life and death against Great Powers of Ancestral God Realm, repeatedly achieving extreme inspiration amidst dire situations...
His Cultivation culminated smoothly, reaching Perfection unexpectedly.
Now the path ahead is clear, allowing him to focus more on deep understanding of the decline trials.
Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes, clear as a mirror, and thought calmly:
"If nothing unexpected happens, this life, the Realm of Loose Immortal, should not stop me."
"As for the Mahayana Realm, how far I can go depends on fate and destiny..."
...
Meanwhile.
Vast Continent, Human Race territory, Xuanyuan Sword City.
In a silent chamber, Xu Tai Miao was in seclusion when a piercing, mournful sound of a sword echoed in his ears.
He abruptly opened his eyes, his face turning pale instantly.
Almost at the same time, a sharp cracking sound erupted from the direction of the ancestral shrine in the entire Xuanyuan Sword City.
He nearly teleported to the shrine.
The scene before him made his blood freeze.
In the center of the shrine, the high-hanging life tablet had completely shattered, the Spirit Light dispersed, leaving only a pile of fragments.
The Ancestral God had fallen, the life tablet shattered on its own.
"Ancestor——!!"
Xu Tai Miao staggered a step.
Within moments, one after another, auras rushed to the scene.
Elders, clan elders, stewards of various branches of the Xu Clan gathered around the shrine, everyone’s face pale, eyes anxious, the hall filled with silence.
All eyes focused on Xu Tai Miao.
Now that the ancestor was dead, the person with the highest Cultivation, most respected, and the only one who stepped into the Saint Realm (Integration Dharma Master) was Xu Tai Miao.
Xu Tai Miao took a deep breath, forced down the surging grief and panic in his heart, his face as heavy as iron.
Even with his calm heart, it was hard for him not to feel somewhat at a loss at this moment.
The Xu Clan rose too quickly.
Relying entirely on the ancestor’s amazing Talent, he fought his way out from an isolated Small Realm, advancing unyieldingly, proving the Ancestral God, elevating the Xu Clan to the ranks of Ancestral God Clans.
But precisely because of this, the clan’s foundation was extremely shallow, the younger generations lacked depth, and compared to those ancient clans with a long-standing legacy, they were far behind in overall strength.
In the past, with the ancestor, potentially an Emperor, as the supreme Ancestral God guarding them, others dared not provoke or offend.
Now, with the ancestor suddenly fallen, they lost their strongest support overnight, can obviously foresee the struggles they will face next.
Xu Tai Miao quickly forced himself to calm down, glanced at everyone, spoke steadily and clearly arranged:
"First task, immediately prepare gifts and set off to the Holy Hall of the Human Race."
"The ancestor fell in the Ten Thousand Races battlefield, dying for the Human Race, his merits are immense, the Holy Hall won’t remain indifferent."
He paused, then continued:
"I remember, the ancestor had some reliable Ancestral God Realm friends during his lifetime."
"We should visit each of them, express our stance, at least strive for a buffer period for the Human Race."
Saying this, his gaze sharpened, filled with determination:
"Meanwhile, activate the clan’s secret plan, discreetly prepare to establish a branch, and quietly relocate some core clan members, heritage, and bloodline seeds."
"In case the worst happens, being wiped out entirely, leaving no chance to rise again."
...
Each instruction was clearly and calmly laid out.
The surrounding clan elders and elders of various branches quickly returned to their senses, actively spoke up adding details and addressing omissions, gradually stabilizing the previously chaotic atmosphere.
Everyone understood—the Xu Clan has reached the most dangerous moment of life and death; if not united, only demise awaits.
After arrangements were made, Xu Tai Miao suddenly chuckled lightly:
"Alright."
"Our Xu Clan originally came from a Small Realm, always climbing out of heaps of corpses and seas of blood."
"Now at worst, we abandon some territories, some resources, and make concessions."
"As long as the clan members survive, the foundation remains, the bloodline continues."
"Our Xu Clan will inevitably rise again someday."
...
In a realm of absolute void.
Here, there is no time, no space, even karma lies dormant, it is the ultimate domain transcending epochs.
A shadow, indistinct and ancient to the extreme, quietly suspended in the center of the void.
Surrounding him is no brilliance, yet he seems to hold the entire origin of Sword Dao; all paths before him are like dust and grass, precisely the Sword Master who has lived countless epochs.
Just moments ago, his lake of heart slightly stirred.
The aura from the Human Race, descended from a legacy he personally passed down long ago, completely vanished and dissipated.
Still, the Sword Master remained silent, without sighs or ripples, his eyelids not even moving.
Epoch after epoch of cycles, generation after generation of prodigies rise and fall, relatives and friends, along with peers, completely turning to ash in the epoch resets.
He had long grown accustomed to farewells, accustomed to annihilation.
Not far from his side, another towering presence slowly opened its eyes.
An eight-sided golden body, surrounded by tens of thousands of bright golden lights, each side corresponding to infinite Celestial Secrets, holding in hand an ancient and profound Compass, its pointer gently shifting, cycles of epochs, rise and fall of Ten Thousand Races flowing through it.
He glanced at the Sword Master:
"That lad from the Human Race has fallen, perished at the hands of a junior holding my legacy."
The Sword Master spoke faintly, with neither sorrow nor joy:
"All were excellent juniors, but they were born in the wrong times."
The golden-bodied existence nodded slightly, no longer speaking.
The Compass slowly rotated in his hand, Celestial Secrets transforming, fate materializing, countless threads intertwined, collapsed, and reformed.
After a long while, he eventually spoke in a low voice, resonating throughout the silent void:
"The Celestial Secret is set; barring surprises, within three hundred million years, the Azure Heaven will completely awaken and restart the epoch."
"It is time to awaken the remaining Daoist friends and reassemble here."
"Alright!"
With the words spoken, in the void, the suppressed heaviness and murder of an epoch quietly began to spread.