Chapter 4077: Illuminate Spacetime

Forgotten Ruins God was also surprised. “Xia Shang? How could he still be tracking us?”

A long time ago, Yong Heng had erased the traces that Xia Shang had been using to track Forgotten Ruins God, which had been the floral mark on her face. That was why she and the others had remained safe for so many years. If not for that, Xia Shang would have caught up to them long ago. How could he be on their trail again?

The figure rubbed their chin. “How should I put it...? I lured him out.”

Wang Xiaoyu’s expression grew cold, though only for a fleeting moment.

“This is Xiaoyu’s first time meeting me, so shouldn’t I offer a gift? Take Xia Shang along. Life is long, and it’s nice to have someone by your side,” the figure drawled.

Forgotten Ruins God glanced over at Wang Xiaoyu, who remained silent.

Previously, Progenitor Chen had relentlessly pursued them, particularly back when he had been able to track Forgotten Ruins God’s location. Even when Yuan Qi had used the Rivers and Mountains Painting to trap and nearly kill the man, Wang Xiaoyu had not even batted an eye. She had claimed to not care if he died.

On the other hand, she did not know what to do this time.

That indistinct figure was an Immortal, the most unfathomable being hiding in the Tianyuan. If she truly did not care about Xia Shang, there was no doubt that he would die.

“Xiaoyu, if you like him, take him. It’s a gift, I mean it,” the figure pressed. Their voice contained no discernable emotions, but the meaning of their words were easy to understand.

The others present were only able to remember the words and their meaning, nothing more.

When humans conversed, just the words that they spoke and their literal meaning was far from everything. A large part of communication lay in the underlying emotions conveyed through subtle gestures.

At the moment, Wang Xiaoyu felt lost in the conversation with the hazy figure.

She had waited too long to meet Xia Shang, only to discover that her sacrifices and patience were nothing more than jokes. Just a few teasing words from the figure were enough to shatter her.

Forgotten Ruins God suddenly grabbed Wang Xiaoyu’s hand. When their eyes met, she smiled. “Xiaoyu, if you like him, accept the gift. Don’t spurn goodwill.”

Wang Xiaoyu stared at the other woman. Forgotten Ruins God’s grip hurt. Her eyes were cold to their depths, as though she wanted to devour Wang Xiaoyu.

“No,” Wang Xiaoyu stated, her voice dry.

Forgotten Ruins God stared more intently, her smile fading.

Perched atop Skydog, the figure propped their chin in a hand. “Really? No? Xia Shang’s pretty decent. He’s persistent and resilient, a good man for your home life.”

Wang Xiaoyu inhaled deeply. Sweat slid from her brow. “N- no.”

Forgotten Ruins God’s eyes narrowed as she glared daggers at the other woman.

Skydog’s head drooped. It did not dare to even glance upwards.

The figure sighed. “Fine. If you won’t take him, then I’ll give him a blade. Let him die.”

They only made a casual wave, and yet the void coalesced into a sword that vanished, cleaving through the universe behind them.

Wang Xiaoyu blanched and tried to whirl around, only for Forgotten Ruins God to seize hold of her.

The woman stared back in a daze.

Far behind the small group, though not a great distance for cultivators with their strength, they saw the sword intent falling upon someone who was chasing after them: Progenitor Chen, Xia Shang.

Progenitor Chen had been part of the first group sent to train in the Mirari Realm, and he had already returned to the Heavens Sect. While Lu Yin was examining his karma with Greater Sancte Green Lotus’s help, Progenitor Chen had been pulled into the current parallel universe. He had not been able to contact anyone, and he had apparently been cut off from the rest of the Tianyuan Megaverse. The only thing that he knew for certain was that Wang Xiaoyu was in front of him.

He could see Wang Xiaoyu, no matter how far away she might be. It was as if space did not exist.

He had even been able to clearly hear the conversation between the three people.

Everything had been manipulated. Xia Shang knew that he was facing someone with unimaginable power. He was unable to call for help, contact anyone, or even escape. There was no path behind, only forward.

His only option was to completely sever all ties with Wang Xiaoyu. His presence had placed her in a bind, and the figure sitting on Skydog’s back could eliminate any of them at any moment.

Even the briefest of hesitations on her part would surely arouse suspicion.

Xiaoyu, this is what you’ve sought, but so what if you found them?

Before Lu Yin was even born, when Lu Yuan was the strongest in the Origin Universe, what would your success have changed?

Now, even after Lu Yin has become unrivaled beneath the Immortal realm, he still can’t even see this place.

Did any of it mean anything?

Xia Shang clenched his teeth as the sword intent fell from above. It was just a blade casually formed from the void, and yet it would be his doom. For him, the entire universe had been replaced by the attack. As it descended, it severed his connections to the stars, shattering his Cosmic Art. It made the Xia clan’s blade intent seem like a joke, and it rendered Xia Shang’s giant bloodline meaningless. Trying to retreat or skip through time were both pointless, as the sword intent had even pinned down time itself.

Flesh split open. The sword intent was swift, yet also slow. Each heartbeat stretched into millennia as Xia Shang watched his body collapse, as did Wang Xiaoyu and Forgotten Ruins God.

Wang Xiaoyu blankly stared on as she watched Xia Shang be destroyed. Memories returned, those of a stubborn boy who lain beneath the rain while awaiting death, of a domineering youth who had challenged the cultivation world on his own, and of a lover who had given her a small flower.

Everything else faded away. Only Xia Shang remained in her sight.

If you die, I won’t live on.

Heaven’s Furnace cracked. Xia Shang looked across the distance to meet Wang Xiaoyu’s gaze, but he was too late. Her hesitation and desire to die were both plain to see. If that was how she was going to react, then why had she bothered doing all this?

“Hey, don’t be ready to die just yet. I like the rain, so you can’t die in it. Remember, my name is Wang Xiaoyu.”

He had jolted awake from that dream countless times before, having carved that line into his heart. He had stared at those flowers again and again. He did not know how he had managed to live for so long, but he had always chased after that one answer. He had believed it, and he wanted to prove it true for her sake.

He had finally proven it, but not a single friend or ally was by his side.

He refused to accept such an outcome. She should not be burdened with being known as the Fifth Mainland’s greatest traitor. She could not be allowed to shoulder such shame.

He would not accept it.

I won’t! I won’t...

With a roar, Xia Shang raised both of arms to meet the edge of the sword intent. The sharp aura sliced his body to the bone, disfiguring him until he barely even looked human anymore. He was ghastly to behold.

Wang Xiaoyu watched in despair.

Even if I leave, I’ll watch your last moments and join you soon.

Forgotten Ruins God’s eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on Wang Xiaoyu’s hand. After a moment, Wang Miaomiao closed her eyes. There was no reason for her to watch this scene.

Letting out another roar, Xia Shang clenched his teeth so hard that they cracked. He could die, but Xiaoyu could not. He would take her away, even if his chances were only one in a billion. It was not yet time for him to die.

His roar caused his shattered Heaven’s Furnace to suddenly reform and ignite around him. His body was engulfed, along with the sword intent formed from the void. The blazing flame illuminated the universe.

This was everything that he had left. All he could do was illuminate the universe so that Lu Yin would notice it. Lu Yin alone could save Wang Xiaoyu.

The flames from the Heaven’s Furnace’s flames caused the entire parallel universe to churn.

In the Heavens Sect, Lu Yin’s expression changed. He stretched out a finger, pushing through the void, sending out ripples as he plucked at the sequence strings. One particular string was vibrating incessantly.

A parallel universe? What’s happening there?

He casually tore the void open and stepped through the rift.

As that happened, in another universe, the figure sitting on Skydog’s back shook their head. “Let’s go. What a stubborn little thing—he’s still alive. The commotion is too much now.”

Ripple appeared ahead, opening a path. Skydog picked up his paws and passed through, vanishing.

Forgotten Ruins God pulled Wang Xiaoyu towards the ripple. She did her best to resist, and Forgotten Ruins God snapped, “Do you really think that Lu Yin can save you? Don’t get me killed with you!”

As the woman spoke, the ripples slid to the side, sweeping them both through it.

Right after that, Lu Yin arrived. He immediately saw Progenitor Chen struggling beneath the sword intent and instantly lashed out. A single finger shattered the sword intent. Progenitor Chen had passed out long ago, and his arms were locked in an upright position as the fire consumed him. Half of his body was already gone, with only bones remaining. He looked doomed.

Lu Yin’s eyes tightened, and he shouted, “Senior! Senior!”

His eyes flickered as he observed the ruined man.

How could this have happened? Is this connected to that hidden Obscura expert?

Who other than an Immortal could leave Progenitor Chen so helpless that he had not even been able to call for help, forcing him to burn himself just to illuminate the universe?

Progenitor Chen’s aura vanished.

Is he... actually dead?

Lu Yin clenched his fists. This was completely unexpected.

During the era of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas, Progenitor Chen had been invincible, talented beyond all his peers. He had been regarded as a god of war in the hearts of generations.

Their idol had just fallen.

While Lu Yin could not say who was guaranteed to break through to the Immortal realm, when it came to reaching the pinnacle beneath that level, Progenitor Chen had always been a certainty, unless he failed to understand his Dukkha.

Given his talent, as long as he entered Dukkha, he was sure to reach the peak. Adding in his unparalleled combat ability, he would rival any creature who had reached the pinnacle of power beneath the Immortal realm.

Sadly, he had run out of time.

The Tianyuan had been too badly wounded by the Spirit Nidus. Not a single one of the Three Realms and Six Daos or the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas had grown to their full potential.

Heaven’s Furnace continued to blaze, its flames stretching across the universe.

Lu Yin raised his hand, intending to extinguish the flames and take Progenitor Chen away.

Suddenly, he saw a milky white glow flowing through Progenitor Chen’s body. The glow was trying to repair things.

Is that the Lifespring battle technique?

That’s what it is. This is the technique that he inherited from one of the Nine Mountains and Eight Seas

.

Progenitor Chen had inherited two Mountains and one Sea, and he had cultivated the Lifespring battle technique, which allowed one to instantly recover. The man was practically dead, and yet Lifespring was still trying to repair his body. It was proof that he had not died yet.

Lu Yin quickly eliminated the remnant sword intent that was still damaging Progenitor Chen. Even without anything harming him, if the man could not restore himself, any sort of external power would be useless.

Progenitor Chen was in a far worse condition than Ming Yan had ever been.

Lifespring continued to repair his body, but those efforts were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

The only possibility was if Lifespring was somehow strengthened.

Lu Yin stared at Progenitor Chen’s body, which had been burned to charcoal. The milky glow had grown so faint and weak.

Let me give you a bit more.

Lu Yin stood in front of Progenitor Chen and released his inner universe. Motes of green light flowed into the man’s ruined body as Lu Yin chanted, “Reborn through nirvana, the tree is the source. Its branches spread into myriad forms. The Nirvana Tree Path finds the gaps between your cultivation’s source and its branches...

“Reborn through nirvana, the tree is the source, and its branches spread into myriad forms. The Nirvana Tree Path finds the gaps between your cultivation’s source and its branches...”

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