Chapter 997 - Mystery Unraveled

Liu Wuxie surprised Han Shanzi with his calm composure.

Han Shanzi had assumed that the talk of the Astral Domain would spark awe or longing in the young man. But to his surprise, Liu Wuxie remained eerily calm.

"After the Astral Domain severed ties with the True Martial Continent, we tried every method to restore the connection," Han Shanzi said with a wry smile. "But nothing has worked in all these years. So, our Han Clan began to calculate... and we came to believe that once every thousand years, a chosen one, who is destined to lead us back to the Astral Domain, would emerge."

The Han Clan had gained fame for their divination after sacrificing many ancestors to calculate when the chosen one would appear.

No wonder Han Feizi had shown such complicated emotions when he had first met Liu Wuxie. No one understood the link between the chosen one and the Han Clan better than him.

"How are you certain that I'm the chosen one?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"Destiny!" Han Shanzi replied.

Though he hadn't been certain before, he had confirmed it after meeting Liu Wuxie in person.

Like Han Feizi, he had once assumed Liu Wuxie was just another talented cultivator and nothing more.

Even Liu Wuxie wasn't sure about his destiny. Everyone had their destiny; perhaps the Han Clan could glimpse fate through divination.

"People are also saying that Qiao Bian from the Dragon Emperor Academy is the chosen one," Liu Wuxie said with a frown.

"You're right. We also believed Qiao Bian was the chosen one in the past, but that was until your appearance," Han Shanzi admitted.

Though Han Shanzi hadn't said it outright, Liu Wuxie understood. The Han Clan had played a role in his soul fusion with the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron. His rebirth in the True Martial Continent after dying in the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm was no accident.

"Senior, you say the Han Clan can identify the chosen one. But how are they brought to this world?" Liu Wuxie asked. After all, the chosen one had to have a special destiny.

"We opened the Celestial Astral Stage to establish contact with other worlds—and to bring the chosen ones to the True Martial Continent through rebirth," Han Shanzi said, his gaze fixed on Liu Wuxie.

The young man before him was much calmer than he had imagined. Speaking to him felt more like conversing with an experienced elder than someone in their twenties.

Liu Wuxie's brows furrowed. Han Shanzi had confirmed his suspicions.

His body had disintegrated when he had performed the Bloodfiend Disintegration in the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm. However, his soul had drifted into the void with the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

The Han Clan activated the Celestial Astral Stage and brought him to the True Martial Continent. At last, Liu Wuxie had resolved the mystery.

"Senior, I have one more question. Since the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and the Dragon Emperor Academy hailed from the Heavenly Dragon Sect, shouldn't that apply to the Golden Cauldron Pavilion and Black Plume Pavilion, too?" Liu Wuxie asked.

Before coming, he hadn't expected the Han Clan to be such an ancient clan with a long heritage that predated the existence of the True Martial Continent as Spirit Guardians of the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

After settling in the True Martial Continent, the Han Clan's primary mission was to identify the chosen one.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and the Dragon Emperor Academy recruited prodigies and identified the chosen one. Now that he thought about it, the Han Clan likely worked in coordination with the two academies, each playing a distinct role.

"The Black Plume Pavilion is, but not the Golden Cauldron Pavilion," Han Shanzi said.

He wasn't surprised that Liu Wuxie knew about the Black Plume Pavilion, but he was astonished that Liu Wuxie knew about the Golden Cauldron Pavilion. After all, the Golden Cauldron Pavilion was an enigma, even to Han Shanzi.

"Then, why did the Black Plume Pavilion want to kill me?" Liu Wuxie asked. He was determined to unravel everything today.

He might've understood if the Black Plume Pavilion was trying to put him under pressure to accelerate his growth, but that hadn't been the case. The Black Plume Pavilion intended to take his life for real. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough in Sacred Ground, he would've been a corpse by now.

"So many years have passed," Han Shanzi said, his voice calm but heavy with meaning. "And not all remain loyal to the Heavenly Dragon Sect. Not everyone wishes to return to the Astral Domain."

The Black Plume Pavilion preferred reigning supreme in the True Martial Continent rather than returning to the Astral Domain. After all, their status would plummet if they returned to the Astral Domain.

Even the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and the Dragon Emperor Academy had changed. They once intended to serve as institutions to recruit prodigies, but now, a rivalry had formed between them. Though they interacted sparsely, conflicts persisted.

With the death of the older generation, the younger generation, who were born and raised there, felt no sense of belonging to the Astral Domain.

Those who came from the Astral Domain had long since passed away, but they hoped the academies they founded would continue to fulfill their wish to return to the Astral Domain. As a result, every head of the two academies had since taken it as their mission.

After tens of thousands of years, even most higher echelons from the two academies didn't know of the Astral Domain's existence.

"Senior, we must open the Astral Domain, or the True Martial Continent will eventually destroy itself. Doesn't the Black Plume Pavilion understand the consequences?" Liu Wuxie asked. He recalled the mysterious black-cloaked person he had met in the Heavenly Gate Platform.

That black-cloaked person had approached him, intending to work together. This meant that the person knew he was the chosen one.

"When destruction nears, the Astral Domain Path will open on its own. Only the strong will escape, and the weak will perish," Han Shanzi said wryly, shaking his head.

A grim expression flashed across Liu Wuxie's face. Everything made sense to him now. It was no wonder that the dragon clan had vanished when he had entered the dragon palace. They had left the sacred ground instead of perishing with the continent, along with the other experts of that world.

The sky had fractured and opened the Astral Domain Path, allowing powerful cultivators to escape. But Sacred Ground had abandoned the ordinary people and low-level cultivators to perish.

"No wonder the Black Plume Pavilion wants me eliminated. Even the two academies aren't that active in opening the Astral Domain Path. All they've done is patch up the profound talisman," Liu Wuxie commented with a bitter chuckle.

The two academies were playing with the entire continent. Still, he believed there were cultivators from the older generation who wished for the opening of the Astral Domain Path, allowing the True Martial Continent to continue existing.

Now, the reason for Elder Madman's withdrawal from the sect's affairs made sense. He had likely been disappointed by the upper echelons' thoughts, and everything was clear now.

"That's why it's your mission to lead the True Martial Continent to survival and give everyone a future," Han Shanzi said, patting Liu Wuxie's shoulder.

"My mission is to protect my family and friends. As for the rest, I'm not concerned. Now tell me, how can I save Brother Han?"

With the mystery finally resolved, the weight pressing on his chest began to ease.

Elder Madman probably didn't know where to begin, so he didn't explain it to Liu Wuxie. On the other hand, Han Shanzi's words were more convincing.

However, Liu Wuxie's thoughts were fixed on one thing—saving Han Feizi. Nothing else mattered now.

"It's difficult," Han Shanzi replied wryly, gazing up toward the sky again.

Liu Wuxie said firmly, "I wish to try it even if it's difficult. Senior, please tell me what to do!"

He was determined to save Han Feizi, who had paid a terrible price to guide him back. If he couldn't save Han Feizi, he would never forgive and find peace within himself. That would also damage his dao heart.

"The Heavenly Fate Soul can only maintain his lifespan for three years. If you want to save him, you'll need to find a Dragon Origin Herb before the time runs out," Han Shanzi told Liu Wuxie, despite knowing that the odds weren't high.

"Where can I find it in the True Martial Continent?" Liu Wuxie asked, though he already knew the answer.

The Han Clan had no threats in the True Martial Continent. Since they couldn't find one, it didn't exist in this world.

Han Shanzi pointed toward the sky. "In the Astral Domain."

The Astral Domain was the only place to find the Dragon Origin Herb.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xuxie said, "Very well. I will go to the Astral Domain within three years."

He had decided to ascend to the Astral Domain within three years to find the Dragon Origin Herb to save Han Feizi.

Han Shanzi commented, "Your determination gratifies me. The Han Clan doesn't host outsiders overnight, and you should leave while it's still bright outside."

Liu Wuxie left the Han Clan with a heavy heart. Though he had unraveled the mystery, he couldn't shake off Han Feizi's image from his mind. He could picture the courage it would have taken Han Feizi to activate the Celestial Astral Stage.

Han Feizi had paid the price with his lifespan, and Liu Wuxie would carry that debt with him for the rest of his life.

He retraced his steps to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy while he organized the information in his mind.

Since the Black Plume Pavilion didn't wish for his survival, they would come for him again.

Though unconnected to the Heavenly Dragon Sect, the Golden Cauldron Pavilion likely had ties to the Astral Domain. The soul-controlling techniques it used were beyond the True Martial Continent's level.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Liu Wuxie had many things to do, but his main priority was to increase his cultivation. That was crucial in opening the Astral Domain Path to leave the True Martial Continent.

When he returned to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy five days later, the first thing he did was summon Ruan Ying.

"Master!" Ruan Ying was happy at the sight of Liu Wuxie.

"Have you heard anything from the Black Plume Pavilion recently?" Liu Wuxie asked.

Logically, the Black Plume Pavilion would contact their assassins to kill him after learning that he had come back alive.

"Yes," Ruan Ying replied. "Just yesterday, Elder Black sent a secret message, ordering your immediate execution."

She didn't hide anything from Liu Wuxie. The Black Plume Pavilion, the Golden Cauldron Pavilion, the Yuan Clan, and the Wang Clan were mobilizing their experts to get rid of Liu Wuxie.

"Can you reach Elder Black?" Liu Wuxie asked, his voice steely.

He would give them a fight since the Black Plume Pavilion wanted one.

Ruan Ying nodded. "I can!"

Even if she couldn't, Elder Black would contact them to assign their next mission.