Chapter 1367 - Fate

They had sent more than a dozen people, yet only two returned, both of them utterly battered. The Astral Domain Path could remain stable for three days, but their group had been gone for barely half a day, which made the Quasi-Immortal Realm experts wonder if the mission had truly ended so quickly.

The Immortal Slaughter Palace had paid a heavy price for this operation, even dispatching four grand elders at the Quasi-Immortal Realm to stabilize and open the Astral Domain Path.

The white-haired elder's hair lay in complete disarray. When he first stepped onto the Astral Domain Path, he felt a foreign energy invade his soul sea and tear at his mind, sending a head-splitting pain through him.

By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late; the golden beam had already driven itself deep into his primordial spirit.

"They all died," Ji Yuzhen said, his legs giving out as he slumped weakly onto the ground.

"They all died?" The four Quasi-Immortal Realm grand elders frowned. Their superiors sent down only elders at the Void Realm, and in a mere lesser realm, they assumed those elders would remain perfectly safe.

Before they departed, the elders had even interrogated Ji Yuzhen in detail about everything related to the True Martial Continent.

According to everything they had learned, the strongest cultivators there had only reached the Heaven Profound Realm. There couldn't be any experts capable of killing Void Realm elders there.

"Liu Wuxie killed them all," Ji Yuzhen said. His heart bled as he replayed the battle in his mind. It had seemed like the perfect chance to kill Liu Wuxie, yet they still failed. A bleak thought rose within him—perhaps he would never be able to take his revenge in this lifetime.

"You say that again!" The Quasi-Immortal Realm expert who had spoken earlier lunged forward and seized Ji Yuzhen by the throat. Ji Yuzhen had always been nothing more than a pawn to them. Now that he had failed, he had lost his value.

"I'm telling the truth! The True Martial Continent has evolved into a planet, and Liu Wuxie has become the planet lord there! He mobilized world force to defeat us," Ji Yuzhen said calmly. He showed no fear toward the Quasi-Immortal Realm grand elder; after everything he had witnessed, his heart already felt numb.

The other three Quasi-Immortal Realm elders exchanged looks, seeing the disbelief mirrored in each other's eyes. Their thoughts reeled at the revelation that the True Martial Continent had transformed into a planet, and that Liu Wuxie had even become its planet lord.

"It's your fault that our Immortal Slaughter Palace lost over ten elders! You can die now!" snarled the Quasi-Immortal Realm expert. His fingers tightened as sharp cracking sounds rang from Ji Yuzhen's neck.

Death loomed inches away, but space rippled, and a crimson figure stepped out of the void.

"Blood Shadow!" exclaimed the grand elder, who was strangling Ji Yuzhen. Blood Shadow served as the palace lord's most trusted aide, and he personally carried out most of the palace lord's orders.

"You can't kill him," Blood Shadow said, his tone calm and flat.

Meanwhile, the white-haired elder stood off to the side in a daze. Aside from the change in his faith, his memories and cultivation remained intact. His empty gaze gradually brightened, and a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.

However, no one paid him any attention.

Every gaze in the hall remained fixed on Blood Shadow.

"Why?" the grand elder asked as he released Ji Yuzhen. He did not fear Blood Shadow, but he understood that the latter would not appear without a reason.

"The palace lord has made a divination, and only this person can kill Liu Wuxie," Blood Shadow replied. He did not hide any of this from the four grand elders, including the white-haired elder.

The four Quasi-Immortal Realm elders were stunned by his words. Ji Yuzhen was only at the Origin Conversion Realm, while, according to the information they had gathered, Liu Wuxie had already advanced to the Primal Origin Realm.

"The palace lord has his arrangements, and the four elders have worked hard. By his order, everyone can receive a ninth-grade spiritual pill," Blood Shadow added, then grabbed Ji Yuzhen and vanished from sight.

As for Ji Yuzhen, he was still in shock from what Blood Shadow had revealed. He could not help wondering if the palace lord had made a mistake when he said that only he could kill Liu Wuxie.

The white-haired elder bowed toward the four grand elders before taking his leave.

......

Deep within the Immortal Slaughter Palace, Blood Shadow appeared in a secluded hall with Ji Yuzhen in tow.

"I pay my respect to the grandmaster," Ji Yuzhen said, dropping to his knees and pressing his forehead against the cold floor.

The palace lord looked like a man in his early forties, but in truth, he had probably lived for tens of thousands of years.

"Are you willing to take me as your master?" the grandmaster asked, his gaze gentle as he looked at Ji Yuzhen.

Ji Yuzhen's mind buzzed, and for a moment, he thought he had misheard. When he lifted his head and saw the palace lord's eyes resting calmly on him, he knew this was no dream.

"I am willing," Ji Yuzhen said, performing three solemn kowtows. From this moment on, he was the disciple of the Immortal Slaughter Palace's sect master.

A low

hum

reverberated through the hall as the Immortal Slaughter Palace's palace lord finally made his move. Instead of killing Ji Yuzhen, he began to pour his power into him, the surging energy flowing into Ji Yuzhen like a silver river.

The next moment, Ji Yuzhen's aura began to soar from the Origin Conversion Realm to the Primal Origin Realm, breaking through realm after realm at a terrifying pace.

Ji Yuzhen had no control over what was happening and could only watch as the palace lord forcibly elevated his cultivation base. A Quasi-Immortal Realm expert possessed overwhelming might, capable of reshaping Ji Yuzhen's physique and pushing his cultivation to new heights.

To Ji Yuzhen, it felt surreal, as if he were dreaming. A once-in-ten-thousand-years fortune had somehow landed on his shoulders. In the blink of an eye, he reached the pinnacle of the Primal Origin Realm, and his breakthrough speed horrified everyone.

Feeling the immense power coursing through him, Ji Yuzhen could not suppress the smile that rose to his lips. The sensation of wielding such strength was utterly intoxicating.

"Thank you for bestowing your power upon me, Master," he said, dropping to his knees once more. If he wanted to step into the Void Realm, he would have to rely on his own efforts; even a Quasi-Immortal Realm expert could not help him cross that final threshold.

"Rise," the palace lord said gently. His tone carried no trace of arrogance.

"Master, what instructions do you have? I won't hesitate even if you want me to go through a sea of fire or cross a mountain of blades," Ji Yuzhen said. He was no fool, and his wits were in no way inferior to Liu Wuxie's.

He knew the palace lord had a reason for sparing his life after such a disastrous failure. Not only had the palace lord chosen not to punish him, but he had even taken Ji Yuzhen as his disciple and personally raised his cultivation base.

The Immortal Slaughter Palace teemed with experts and prodigies, and Ji Yuzhen was nothing special among them. He had no backing and no powerful lineage, so why would the palace lord choose him as a disciple?

"The Blood Fiend Battlefield has been in upheaval recently, and many experts have gone there. You will depart at once for the Blood Fiend Battlefield and strive to reach the Void Realm as soon as possible," the palace lord said. He clearly intended for Ji Yuzhen to grow as quickly as he could.

The Blood Fiend Astral Domain had been rife with disturbances lately, and they urgently called for reinforcements.

"Understood!" Ji Yuzhen replied without the slightest hesitation.

"The Blood Fiend Astral Domain is your best chance to kill Liu Wuxie," the palace lord added after a brief pause.

"Does that mean that Liu Wuxie will also head to the Blood Fiend Astral Domain?" Ji Yuzhen asked hurriedly.

"Go on," the palace lord said. He offered no further explanation and dismissed Ji Yuzhen with a wave of his hand.

Once Ji Yuzhen left, only the palace lord and Blood Shadow remained within the vast hall.

"You must be curious why I took him in as my disciple and even poured my power into him?" the palace lord asked.

"I truly can't understand the meaning behind this," Blood Shadow replied, his eyes still filled with confusion.

"There's a counter to everything in the world, and this person's fate is peculiar. There is a strand of his destiny that I cannot calculate, and it is similar to Liu Wuxie's. I suspect he might be Liu Wuxie's nemesis," the palace lord explained.

Blood Shadow's eyes narrowed at that. He believed the palace lord's words without question. Just as demonic beasts had natural predators and prey, so too did humans.

There were people whose fates could influence those around them, such as those born with a jinxed fate. They dragged anyone who came into contact with them into misfortune.

Of course, there was no need to burden Ji Yuzhen with such details. His only task was to raise his cultivation as quickly as possible.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Liu Wuxie emerged from the cultivation chamber. After enduring so many battles, his cultivation had become even more refined, and he could sense that a breakthrough to the fifth-level Primal Origin Realm was not far off.

Cultivators packed the land within a radius of tens of thousands of miles around the Liu Clan. All of them had come to send Liu Wuxie off. As the True Martial Star continued to grow, new experts emerged on the planet every day.

When the Treasure Soul Pouch opened, people stepped out one after another.

Within the Liu Clan, Xu Lingxue clung to her parents and sobbed uncontrollably. Earlier that day, Murong Yi had returned briefly to the Western Barren to bid her own family farewell. As for Chen Ruoyan, most of her relatives had already moved to the Central Plains, and the royal clan had long since changed hands.

Both of her elder brothers had also joined the Heavenly Dao Society.

"Wuxie, don't worry about it. We will be fine," Liu Dashan said. He had not been there to see Liu Wuxie off the last time he left, and though he felt proud of his son's achievements, he still found it hard to let him go once more.

Even so, he understood that he had to show a resolute front no matter how reluctant he felt. He refused to weigh his son down with unnecessary guilt.

"Wuxie, go on!" he said.

A massive black hole appeared in the sky as the Astral Domain Path opened once again, its suction beginning to pull at Liu Wuxie.

Yu Yan walked over and cupped Liu Wuxie's cheeks in her hands, tears slipping silently down the corners of her eyes.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Three years! We will see each other again in three years!" Liu Wuxie said firmly as he looked at everyone. Once they fully completed the interstellar teleportation array three years later, travel between the True Martial Star and the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain would become possible.

"Master Liu, take care!"

"Master Liu, we wish you well!"

"Master Liu, don't worry about it. With us around, the True Martial Star will be safe!"

Voices echoed from all directions as countless people wept openly. In the next three years, they would have to push their cultivation as far as it could go so they would not shame Liu Wuxie upon their reunion.

As everyone entered the Treasure Soul Pouch one after another, the Astral Domain Path drew even closer. The suction coming from it had grown so strong that even rocks were torn from the ground and swept into the sky.

Liu Xiucheng stepped forward and patted Liu Wuxie on the shoulder. "Wuxie, it's getting late. It's time to go."

"Grandfather, take care!" Liu Wuxie said with a firm nod.

When Xu Lingxue finally pulled herself from her parents' embrace and entered the Treasure Soul Pouch, Xu Yilin shouted, "Wuxie, take good care of them!"

"Don't worry about it. As long as I live, I won't allow them to suffer the slightest grievance," Liu Wuxie said firmly, then tossed the Treasure Soul Pouch into the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

His body was gradually drawn upward by the Astral Domain Path's suction, and he slowly rose into the sky. As he ascended higher and higher, he saw countless people below waving up at him in farewell.

Everyone across the True Martial Star looked toward the firmament.

At the very same time, a significant incident erupted in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain. The Blood Fiend Astral Domain fell into chaos after a large-scale ambush by the blood devils, resulting in the deaths of countless humans.

Blood fiends were vastly different from abyssal devils. The Blood Fiend Astral Domain lay close to the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain, which meant hordes of blood fiends launched assaults every year, invading to seize territory.

For that reason, the various forces in the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain regularly sent cultivators to resist the blood fiends. Those who ventured there to hunt blood fiends could obtain enormous resources in return.

More importantly, the Blood Fiend Astral Domain was rich in treasures and had long become a favored training ground for countless cultivators.

This time, however, the sudden surge in casualties and the mysterious disappearance of many cultivators alarmed the upper echelons of the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

They even dispatched powerful experts to investigate. Just moments ago, the Heavenly Dragon Sect's upper echelons received word that over thirty of their experts had vanished there without a trace.