Chapter 574: Battle Court's Myth, Facing Destiny
Chapter 574: Battle Court's Myth, Facing Destiny
In the early morning, sunlight pierced through the smoky ruins of the once-grand imperial city, now littered with corpses and debris stained with blood.
Bai Sheng, his face covered in ash and dirt, stood atop the rubble, gazing at the devastating scene around him. His pupils trembled, unable to accept the reality before his eyes.
In his mind, the once-thriving city had been reduced to ruins overnight. He spotted the mask of the sword cultivator he had seen earlier, now broken in half, which deeply affected him.
"How could this have happened..." Bai Sheng muttered to himself, his voice trembling.
He felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare from which he couldn't wake up.
Raising his head, he looked into the distance and immediately rushed down. He began searching for Gu An, and along the way, he encountered corpses. Despite his fear and disgust, he forced himself to search.
As the sun continued to rise, even at noon, he still hadn't found Gu An, and his hands were already covered in blood.
Exhausted, he knelt on the street, lacking even the strength to lift his head.
After searching all morning, fear had left him, and only numbness remained.
A figure appeared before him, and he saw the person's shoes but couldn't bring himself to speak.
Su Jin looked down at Bai Sheng and sighed, "Didn't you say that instead of living a mundane life, you'd rather die in the jaws of demons and monsters? Last night, you witnessed the great demon that most mortals never get to see in their entire lives. Shouldn't you be grateful?"
Bai Sheng hung his head, asking weakly, "Are you also such a monster..."
"I'm not a bloodthirsty killer, but I have killed humans and demons alike," Su Jin replied, her answer leaving Bai Sheng silent.
Su Jin continued, "Since you've witnessed such power, you should know that I'm not the kind of monster you're thinking of. But I have taken lives, both human and demonic."
"I..." Bai Sheng struggled to speak, and after uttering those five words, he completely lost his strength and fainted, his body falling forward. Fortunately, Su Jin was quick to catch and hold him.
Holding Bai Sheng, Su Jin's face broke into a smile. She had fantasized about this moment for countless millennia, and now it was finally happening.
"Rest assured, in this lifetime, I will protect you, just as you did for me ten thousand years ago," Su Jin whispered to herself. She lifted Bai Sheng and soared into the sky.
Su Jin's consciousness enveloped the entire city, searching far and wide.
"Strange, where did he go? Could he have been completely devoured by a demon?" Su Jin wondered, confused. She didn't think much of it; after all, she had already searched for Bai Sheng and couldn't find him. If she couldn't find him, it wasn't her fault.
Holding Bai Sheng, Su Jin flew towards the distant horizon, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and sunlight bathed the ruined imperial city. Faintly, a trace of turbid air began to dissipate.
...
Within the Primordial Dao Ground.
In the courtyard, Gu An sat in a rocking chair, reading a book. From time to time, he would turn to observe Shen Zhen manipulating the True Flame in the Cauldron.
A decade had passed since they parted ways.
Shen Zhen turned to Gu An and asked, "Gu An, what's the origin of the Battle Court? The Heaven and Earth Sect speaks highly of it, claiming it will become the sect to unify the world."
Gu An casually replied, "The Battle Court, like the Holy Court, once dominated a vast world. After the universe's reshaping, they've risen rapidly. Of course, their success is attributed to a highly accomplished cultivator backing them."
"How powerful are they compared to you?" Shen Zhen inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"I can't say for sure since we've never crossed paths," Gu An answered.
"Well, from what you're saying, it seems this person isn't your match," Shen Zhen rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Gu An was downplaying his abilities.
Flipping through the book's pages, Gu An said, "Nevertheless, the Battle Court's rapid rise doesn't guarantee its dominance."
"Don't ask further; the secrets of heaven are not to be revealed," Gu An said, turning his back to Shen Zhen.
Shen Zhen huffed and focused her attention on the Cauldron, where the Three True Flames danced, seemingly eternal. Time passed swiftly with their movement.
As the seasons changed over five hundred years, Gu An still lay on the chair, while Shen Zhen remained seated before the alchemy cauldron. Gu An flipped over and tucked the Green Knight's Journey into his pocket, then drew out the Azure Crane Sword and unsheathed it.
The sound of the sword leaving its scabbard startled Shen Zhen, who turned to look at Gu An, watching him fiddle with the sword in his hand. Just as she was about to ask, she suddenly paled and looked up.
Not just her, but everyone in the Dao Ground was startled and looked up.
The azure sky revealed black dots that rapidly expanded, resembling black holes that made the sky appear riddled with holes.
"What is that?" Shen Zhen furrowed her brows and asked.
Gu An didn't look up; he lightly waved the Azure Crane Sword and replied, "A transcendent power from beyond the Vast Universe, known as the Battle Court."
"Battle Court?"
Shen Zhen hadn't heard of this name before. She asked in surprise, "Why do all these powerful sects like to use 'Courts' in their names—Holy Court, Dao Court, Battle Court? Could the Heavenly Court in your book be real too?"
Initially, she suspected that Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West were real, and now, it seemed possible. After all, Gu An's cultivation exceeded her imagination.
In this version, there's no mistake!
"Unspeakable, unspeakable," Gu An smiled mysteriously.
He was thinking about what sword techniques to use to sweep the Battle Court.
At this moment, he suddenly sensed something and turned to look into the distance. His eyes flashed with a hint of strangeness.
The direction he looked towards was where Tai Xuan Sect was located.
At the same time, far away on the Great Cang Continent.
Zhu Xing and Ye Cang appeared below Long Qing's pavilion, and the soul of the Heaven-Bearing Ancestor flew out of Ye Cang's body. He gazed up at the sky, and the Heaven-Bearing Ancestor muttered to himself, "The Battle Court is so terrifying..."
Zhu Xing also looked up at the sky, his face filled with disbelief.
The Heaven-Bearing Ancestor turned to look at him and asked, "You're also from the Battle Court, right? I heard you want Tai Xuan Sect to replace the Battle Court?"
Ye Cang also looked towards Zhu Xing, and he could hear the mockery in the Heaven-Bearing Ancestor's words.
Zhu Xing took a deep breath and said, "I didn't expect the Battle Court to be this formidable... It seems that the existence has emerged from seclusion, and he's summoned all the great powers who have been away for a long time."
"Strange, he clearly looked down on the Long Clan, and the only ones he targeted were the Battle Gods..."
The Heaven-Bearing Ancestor guessed, "After all, even the Heavenly Spirit God has fallen, and the Battle Court still dares to come. They must have a solid foundation."
Zhu Xing couldn't answer; his heart was in turmoil.
The overwhelming pressure descending from the Battle Court made his heart tremble, and he couldn't imagine facing the Battle Gods, especially that existence.
That existence was a legendary figure in the Battle Court, and even though he had reached the Profound Origin Freedom Realm, he had never seen that existence.
Clang—
The door to the room on the upper floor opened, and Long Qing walked out. He descended the stairs, his footsteps steady and his expression calm.
A figure appeared out of thin air at the bottom of the stairs—Long Qing's son, Long Teng.
"Father, what's the origin of the anomaly in the sky? Why do I feel my blood uncontrollably surging, and I even..." Long Teng asked, furrowing his brows.
Long Qing reached the corner of the stairs and looked down at his son. "Even your heart generates hostility and murderous intent?"
Long Teng's eyes widened, and he asked, "Father, do you feel the same?"
Long Qing continued down the stairs, turned to look at the sky, and said, "Some things I don't have time to explain to you, and you don't need to know. Just watch."
"Watch? Father, what are you going to do?" Long Teng's brows furrowed, and he felt a strong sense of unease.
Long Qing approached him, but Long Teng felt like Long Qing might disappear at any moment. This made him instinctively reach out to grab Long Qing's sleeve.
Zhu Xing, Ye Cang, and the Heaven-Bearing Ancestor all remained silent, their eyes fixed on Long Qing.
Ye Cang clenched his fists, his heart filled with unwillingness.
He hadn't expected the Battle Court to arrive so soon.
Five hundred years was a long time for mortals, but for him, his cultivation hadn't even reached a breakthrough, far from enough to help his master.
Just feeling the vast pressure enveloping the heavens and earth, Ye Cang knew he couldn't interfere with this cause and effect fate.
But...
How would his master respond?
Ye Cang felt that his master's cultivation was not higher than his own, but his master's composure gave him a sense of anticipation.
(End of Chapter)
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