Chapter 973: Ten Thousand Deaths With No Regrets

Within the misty vision, the three Qing Grandmasters listened to the skeletal dragon's tale, their expressions pensive.

"So you never reached the otherworldly shore where the heavens reside?" the Yuqing Grandmaster asked.

"There wasn't enough time. We couldn't go any further."

"Oh? Why?"

"Each ruin we passed emitted strange auras—cursed energy and corrosive toxins. We were constantly tainted by them and unable to cleanse ourselves. People in our group kept dying along the way, and our health worsened. If we had pushed forward, we would all have perished. I made the decision to turn back immediately," the skeletal dragon explained.

"Cursed energy? Corrosive toxins? From what source?" the Taiqing Grandmaster asked.

"From every ruin we passed."

"Every ruin?" the three grandmasters exclaimed.

"Indeed. Strangely enough, ruins with corrosive toxins didn't have cursed energy, and those with cursed energy didn't have corrosive toxins."

"And then?" the Taiqing Grandmaster prompted.

"After enduring countless hardships, we finally returned. By then, everyone else had died. My entire being had been polluted by cursed energy and toxins, leaving me with vanishingly little time to plan. Not long after, I died. Before I passed, I made arrangements for my remains. Only a fragment of my soul and will remains here now."

"Senior, thank you for sharing this information. It has been of great help to us," the Taiqing Grandmaster said.

"Help? It's useless. There's no stopping the heavens. You're wasting your efforts. Enjoy the rest of your lives while you can. At least the heavens haven't utterly annihilated us. They leave remnants of life to be harvested every ten thousand years," the skeletal dragon said bitterly.

The Taiqing Grandmaster shook his head. "The heavens spared us for a reason. If we do nothing, the ruins you encountered will be our inevitable future."

The Yuqing Grandmaster nodded. "Senior, your spirit has been broken by what you witnessed, but ours have not. We are prepared to fight to the death against the heavens."

The Shangqing Grandmaster added, "If you dare not fight, we will. When we defeat the heavens, you'll see for yourself."

"Defeat the heavens? A fool's dream! It's impossible. You haven't seen the despair of the worlds away. You don't understand. Besides, I won't be around to see that day. My polluted soul is rapidly dissipating. I can't wait that long," the skeletal dragon said.

"You've lost your heroic spirit, but we haven't. If you can't wait for that day, we'll wait for you," the Yuqing Grandmaster said.

"How?" The skeletal dragon's tone was clearly doubtful.

"Taiqing, Shangqing, let us use our power to suppress the cursed energy and toxins plaguing the ancestral dragon so that we may preserve his soul to witness our triumph. Are we in agreement?" The Yuqing Grandmaster turned to the others.

The Taiqing and Shangqing Grandmasters both nodded. "Agreed."

The three grandmasters simultaneously channeled their energy. Three moons formed in the air: red, purple, and blue. They radiated light that enveloped the skeletal dragon, causing it to tremble as it was cleansed.

The grandmasters bowed and departed.

The skeletal dragon slowly sank back into the swamp. The vision ended abruptly.

With a loud bang, the surrounding mist dissipated.

The skeletal dragon looked at the group. "Did you see that? It's all useless. Stop wasting your efforts."

Ao Zhou, Croak, and Warble all looked alarmed.

Only Xiao Nanfeng remained resolute. "Senior, we aren't wasting our efforts. The Heavenly Emperor's success has given us hope."

The skeletal dragon shook its head. "If the heavens truly consist of more than one being, in the past, they may have tolerated survivors from our realms to seed future harvests. But this time, you've killed a member of the heavens. The others will surely be enraged. Next time, they won't send just one; it'll be the end of our realm. The Heavenly Emperor's actions will lead us to extinction. He is the sinner of all life."

"Ridiculous! The Heavenly Emperor is a hero for leading the world against the heavens. He's a pioneer of our realm! How could he be a sinner? Senior, you've been blinded by fear," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"It matters not whether you believe me. The Heavenly Emperor has enraged the heavens. Life is doomed. Our realm is finished," the skeletal dragon stubbornly declared.

"If life and our realm are done for, why do you seem so pleased?" Xiao Nanfeng asked coldly.

The skeletal dragon fell silent.

"You're full of complaints and excuses. Did you ever truly try? It's fortunate you didn't encounter the heavens; otherwise, you'd have knelt before them instantly," Xiao Nanfeng continued harshly.

The skeletal dragon remained silent.

"You were once the hope of all living beings, a hero of the world. People entrusted their hopes to you, not to hear your defeatist words. Can you live up to their expectations?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"What's the use? It's utterly pointless," the skeletal dragon roared in frustration.

With a loud boom, the skeletal dragon released a violent aura, causing the entire space to quake.

"How do you know it's pointless? Didn't the Heavenly Emperor achieve the first breakthrough? If we can slay a member of the heavens, we can slay a second. It's not impossible!" Xiao Nanfeng said firmly.

"That was mere luck," the skeletal dragon replied weakly.

"Do you still remember your initial resolve when you ventured beyond the world?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"My resolve?" The skeletal dragon's voice trembled, as if it were afraid to recall its past.

Back then, it had been filled with ambition. It was poised to lead the strongest cultivators in the world to strike at the heavens and eliminate the source of all calamity. But at some point, fear had consumed its heart.

"Whether or not you remember your past, your bold actions have become legendary. Even after twenty thousand years, people speak of your heroic spirit. The dragons are proud of you, and boast of your greatness to one and all. People mention ancestral dragons in an admiring, wondrous tone. Despite your failure, no one dares to defame you," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Is that... true?" The skeletal dragon's voice grew even softer.

"The world will never forget those who make sacrifices on their behalf. Even in death, the causes you've championed remain eternal. Your will has been inherited. One generation makes sacrifices; the next carries those sacrifices onward. We won't give up. We remain driven. The Three Qing Grandmasters continue to fight. The Heavenly Emperor continues to fight. We all continue to fight! Even if I die ten thousand times, I will have no regrets!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.

The skeletal dragon felt a bolt of thunder reverberating through its mind. It stared at Xiao Nanfeng, who suddenly seemed towering and imposing. Strangely, its fear of the heavens began to dissipate.

"Even if I die ten thousand times, I will have no regrets? Ha, haha! Well said! I'm already dead—what is there to fear? Why should I be afraid anymore?" The skeletal dragon suddenly grew excited.

"It's good that you've come to terms with your fear, Senior. Regardless of your stance, your actions have provided critical information for the living. On behalf of all life, I thank you. From now on, as the three Qing Grandmasters said, watch on as we fight. We will honor the will of our predecessors. Even if we fall in battle, we will never bow to the heavens," Xiao Nanfeng said resolutely.

The skeletal dragon stared at Xiao Nanfeng for a long time before saying, "Your name is Xiao Nanfeng, isn't it? Thank you."

"There's no need for thanks, Elder," Xiao Nanfeng replied. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

The skeletal dragon shook its head. "I need nothing."

"Earlier, the three Qing Grandmasters mentioned that cursed spiritual power and toxins are corroding your soul. Would you like us to try to neutralize them?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"It won't work," the skeletal dragon sighed.

"Please, let us try," Xiao Nanfeng insisted. He turned to Croak and Warble. "You said earlier that you could absorb poison and use it to boost your cultivation. Is that true?"

"It is! We're the source of all poisons. Thanks to the manual you handed us, The Divine Golden Toad, we can absorb and refine the toxins in this space to enhance our cultivation."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

"These toxins won't harm us. They'll even benefit us," Warble confirmed.

The skeletal dragon was astonished. "You're immune to the toxins? How is that possible?"

"These toxins can be purged. I cultivate the Jade Emperor's Frame and can purify them as well, but since Croak and Warble benefit by absorbing the toxins, I'll leave it to them," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The skeletal dragon was puzzled but replied, "The toxins are troublesome, but the cursed spiritual power is even more so."

"This cursed spiritual power is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Please give me a moment," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He switched to his yin body. A silver moon slowly rose into the air.

"Xiao Nanfeng, where is this place?" the Superior asked.

Xiao Nanfeng briefly described the situation.

"Oh? So this cursed energy is the primordial essence of outer space... No wonder it's so violent. It's a treasure to me."

"Please assist us, Senior," Xiao Nanfeng said.

The moon opened its mouth wide. With a loud hum, a powerful suction pulled the surrounding black energy into its maw.

"It can devour this cursed energy?" The skeletal dragon was astonished.

The moon ignored the skeletal dragon and continued to absorb the cursed energy.

"Senior, I can sense chaotic heart force here. Does it belong to you?" Xiao Nanfeng continued.

"This illusory space was created from the heart force of me and my companions. Were you the one absorbing it earlier?" the skeletal dragon replied.